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A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION BY MEDIAPLANET
Future-Proof Your Business & Payments Mediaplanet spoke with three Canadian entrepreneurs to share their own insights on how they've grown their own platforms and businesses, while also providing advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Canadian Couponer Kathleen Cassidy’s Tips on Couponing and Maximizing your Savings How did you first get interested in couponing? When I was in university, I was looking for extra ways to save money as we all know post-secondary schooling can be expensive. I was in school full time and working two part time jobs, but I still was struggling to do the things I loved that required extra funds. I went grocery shopping one day and noticed a large coupon board at the front of the store. It was like a light bulb just went off in my head in that moment. I grabbed coupons for the few of the products I used on a regular basis. I went home and started to figure out how to coupon in Canada.
Kathleen Cassidy Canadian Coupon Expert, @livingonaloonie
Renowned Entrepreneur and Television Personality Vincenzo Guzzo Shares His Journey To Success and Invaluable Advice For Aspiring Entrepreneurs What do you look for most in an entrepreneur who appears on Dragons’ Den to make you want to invest into their business? The show attracts numerous talented individuals with innovative business concepts, and while I'm always impressed by the level of creativity displayed, what truly captivates me is a founder's unwavering dedication to their venture. I seek out those who exhibit a deep commitment to their project and are willing to go above and beyond to see it come to fruition — a drive that extends far beyond mere talk. In addition to passion, I prioritize collaboration, and seek out entrepreneurs who understand the value of working as a cohesive team. After all, success is seldomly achieved alone, and I'm eager to invest in individuals who share this belief and are willing to invest their own resources - including time, money, and effort - to see their vision come to life.
Insights from an Inspirational Entrepreneur: An Interview with Kelsie, Founder of SociallyKels
Vincenzo Guzzo CEO, Cinémas Guzzo
To view the full Q&A's head over to innovating canada.ca.
What entrepreneurial tricks have you discovered to keep you focused and productive in your day-to-day busy schedule? My key to staying productive and on track as an entrepreneur is having two to-do lists. I call them “Master to-do” and “Daily to-do”. As an entrepreneur, there will always be many things on your plate, your master to-do is going to be filled with every little thing you have to do. Each evening I will take a few of the high priority tasks from my master to-do and put it in my daily to do for the next day. That way you can stay on top of what needs to be done and still feel accomplished and able to “clock off” even if there is always something you could be doing.
Kelsie Exley CEO, SociallyKels Agency
When Too Much is Too Much: Breaking the Cycle of Information Overload for Canadian Entrepreneurs in 2023 StartUp Canada is breaking down barriers for entrepreneurs by offering reliable ways to get information instead of trusting the overwhelming amount of information online.
T Kayla Isabelle
Kayla Isabelle CEO, Startup Canada
here’s a lot of data available — some might argue too much data. In fact, it’s estimated that the world will reach 120 zettabytes of created data in 2023 — that’s approximately 70 full smartphones per person for the entire planet. While potentially great news for innovation in technology, it also comes with enormous hurdles for founders. One of these challenges is information overload — the idea that information is being created at a faster rate than we can take advantage of it. For Canadian founders, this is a problem. According to Startup Canada’s 2022 Census, 43.1 per cent of respondents indicated that finding reliable, specialized information was a roadblock to their success. With entrepreneurs being disproportionately impacted by
the impacts of COVID-19 and the looming recession, there’s an urgent need for collective, vetted, and curated information in this space now more than ever. In addition to general information overload, getting off the ground with foundational research is a significant barrier for founders. 84 per cent of Census 2021 respondents stated that it took them over 100 hours to research and learn about different components of their business. Programs like Business Owner’s Toolbox (BOT) are delivering a sustainable solution to this. A free, comprehensive, and interactive hub, BOT is an ever-evolving collection of tailored modules, resources, and access points for early-stage entrepreneurs. To Startup Canada, the curation of relevant information and resources also includes
the development of in-person, hybrid-purpose events to encourage connection, simplify networking, and deliver hyper-specialized and regionally relevant educational material. Startup Canada Tour is a recently announced event series touching down in 5 cities coast to coast, connecting early stage entrepreneurs with local support organizations and industry experts to drive their businesses forward. Without healthy collaboration across all aspects of the support ecosystem and striving for continuous improvement of existing systems via regular information gathering, dissemination and action, entrepreneurs will be hard-pressed to succeed amidst today’s economic climate. These factors should be an urgent priority for the entire entrepreneurial support ecosystem to best serve founders in 2023.
Visit startupcanada.ca to learn more.
Publisher: Aman Dosanjh, Annalisa LoMonaco Business Development Manager: Chelsea Siemon, Karim Jooma Strategic Account Director: Jessica Golyatov Content Strategist: Nicole Kansakar Country Manager: Nina Theodorlis Production Lead: Michael Taylor Creative Lead: Kylie Armishaw Designer: Giuliana Bandiera Web Editor: Christina Morgan Digital Media Coordinator: Kristen Neals Digital Traffic Coordinator: Karm Rathod All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve The National Post or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.