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Does this Dragons’ Den star’s financing startup Clearbanc live up to its lofty promises?
Dragons’ Den star Michele Romanow’s online financing company, Clearbanc, was born out of the frustrations she faced when launching her previous company, Buytopia.ca. Her experiences fuelled her to launch Clearbanc, which caters to e-commerce companies that want money for marketing. The financing company promises you can apply online “in minutes” and says money can arrive in entrepreneurs’ bank accounts in as little as 24 hours. There’s been a lot of excitement about the four-year-old company, and it raised US$120-million in venture capital to fund its growth last year. It all sounds great, but does Clearbanc live up to its lofty claims? Story
Women make up more than 50% of our tech team. Here’s how we did it
Only 20 per cent of tech engineers are women – a bleak statistic for startup CEOs trying to increase representation in their teams. How do you achieve parity when the makeup of your candidate pool is dominated by men? Story
OMERS Ventures expands to Europe with $455-million fund
One of Canada’s top funders of early-stage tech companies, the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, is expanding its venture capital business into Europe with the launch of a new €300-million ($455-million) fund. Story
How Montreal’s Godin Guitars strummed its way to the top
The era of the modern guitar started with the Ventures, clean-cut guys appearing in fuzzy, televised black and white. A quick introduction by Dick Clark, and they were off playing their quasi-surf-music 1960 instrumental hit Walk, Don’t Run on Fender guitars, bending strings, adding tremolo, turning the guitars into lead instruments and ushering in a new guitar culture, or so says Canadian guitar manufacturer Robert Godin. Story
WHAT WE’RE READING ELSEWHERE
New Ontario law allows less pay for overtime
Ontario employers’ duty to pay workers overtime just goWhy Your Local Small Business Feels Burned By The Carbon TaxWhy Your Local Small Business Feels Burned By The Carbon Taxe. Bill 66, which was passed Tuesday at Queen’s Park, lightens regulations around a practice called “overtime averaging” in a way that has significant implications for how much overtime pay workers receive. Toronto Star
Calgary business groups propose plan that would lessen their tax burden and make homeowners pay more
Business groups in Calgary are proposing major changes to the way property taxes are collected that would curb the massive increases many business owners have faced in recent years — while increasing the share homeowners must pay. CBC
Why Your Local Small Business Feels Burned By The Carbon Tax
If you live in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario or New Brunswick, you’ve been hearing a lot about the carbon tax rebate coming your way after filing your 2018 income taxes. You know, the one that is supposed to be larger than the amount you actually pay toward the new federal carbon backstop that kicks in on April 1. While many of us may have a healthy skepticism about whether the rebate will actually cover all of our new direct and indirect costs of the carbon tax, consider the situation facing the half-million small businesses spread across the four provinces. Huffington Post
Calgary startup saving campers, campgrounds time and money with new website
Leong and his wife Renee Anseeuw came up with the idea a couple of years ago while searching for a campsite for the Canada Day long weekend. “All the provincial and national campgrounds were booked,” he said. Global
Ryerson’s Brookfield Institute providing grant to moms working as entrepreneurs
There is no question that female entrepreneurs are constantly fighting for a seat at the table. With the extra stress of childcare and workplace sexism in the male-dominated field, it can be difficult to get down to business. Ryerson’s Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship strives to change that, providing a grant to a program that will benefit female entrepreneurs across the province. Eyeopener
Sarah Efron