Valuable resources for entrepreneurs, including essential tools, grant opportunities, government insights, and business form templates.
RESOURCES
Grant opportunities are constantly evolving and often tailored to specific industries, groups, and projects. Explore these websites to help you find the ideal grant for your business.
NOHFC
The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) supports economic development in Northern Ontario. It provides funding for projects that foster innovation, job creation, and community development in the region.
Business Benefits Finder
Canada’s Business Benefits Finder is an online tool that helps businesses identify government funding opportunities and incentives. By answering a few questions, businesses can quickly find relevant grants, loans, and other financial support programs.
Wah-ila-toos
Wah-ila-toos: Clean Energy Initiatives in Indigenous, Rural, and Remote Communities supports clean energy projects in Indigenous, rural, and remote communities across Canada. It aims to promote energy efficiency, sustainability, and community-driven solutions.
NODP
The Northern Ontario Development Program (NODP) provides funding to businesses and communities in Northern Ontario to encourage economic growth. It focuses on supporting projects that create jobs, enhance regional infrastructure, and attract investment.
GRANTS
REGI
The Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program (REGI) supports innovation-driven businesses in Canada by offering funding and resources for growth and expansion. The program helps companies implement new technologies, create jobs, and improve competitiveness.
Mentor Works
Mentor Works helps Canadian businesses access government funding programs and financial support. They offer a comprehensive database of available funding options and guide businesses through the application process, including grant writing.
NRC IRAP
The National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) provides funding and advisory services to Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises. It helps businesses develop innovative technologies and commercialize new products.
Ontario Trillium Foundation
The Ontario Trillium Foundation offers grants to non-profit organizations in Ontario to support community-driven projects. The foundation focuses on initiatives that enhance the quality of life, foster social inclusion, and promote sustainability.
SR&ED
The Canada Revenue Agency’s Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) program provides tax incentives and grants for businesses engaged in research and development activities.
There are thousands of podcasts, books, and videos to educate you on business - here are a few of our favourites.
Videos
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Bench is a Canadian, online bookkeeping firm. They’ve made a series of videos for their YouTube channel to reach you the must-know accounting basics such as:
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Neil Patel's YouTube channel is a goldmine for small businesses focused on digital marketing. He offers practical advice on SEO, content marketing, social media strategies, and paid advertising. His tips are easy to understand and aimed at helping businesses improve their online presence and drive traffic.
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The official Shopify YouTube channel is an excellent resource for e-commerce entrepreneurs. It covers everything from starting a business to advanced marketing and branding techniques, including a guide to scale your business. You'll find tutorials, interviews with successful store owners, and expert tips on growing your e-commerce business.
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"The Startup School" series by Y Combinator provides insights and tips on starting and scaling a small business. It covers essential topics like business planning, finance, marketing, and sales. The channel is great for new entrepreneurs who want clear, actionable advice from those who've been through the process.
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Marie Forleo’s channel offers a blend of business advice and personal development. Her videos cover topics like entrepreneurship, marketing, time management, and mindset, aimed at helping small business owners grow both personally and professionally. Marie's upbeat approach makes learning about business enjoyable.
Podcasts
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Why it’s great: This podcast features interviews with successful entrepreneurs and innovators, sharing the stories behind how they built their businesses. It’s a blend of inspiration and real-life lessons from some of the biggest names in business.
What you’ll learn: Business growth, overcoming challenges, innovation, and personal anecdotes from well-known founders.
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Why it’s great: Tim Ferriss is known for interviewing high-performing individuals across various fields. He dives deep into what makes them successful and shares actionable takeaways that entrepreneurs can apply to their own businesses.
What you’ll learn: Productivity, time management, growth hacks, and habits of successful entrepreneurs.
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Why it’s great: Pat Flynn focuses on helping entrepreneurs create passive income streams and grow their online businesses. He features both solo episodes and interviews with experts.
What you’ll learn: Online business strategies, passive income, marketing tactics, and tips for scaling businesses.
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Why it’s great: Gary Vaynerchuk is a serial entrepreneur and investor who shares no-nonsense advice for business owners, especially on building a personal brand and leveraging social media.
What you’ll learn: Social media strategies, marketing, entrepreneurship, hustle culture, and personal branding.
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Why it’s great: This podcast features interviews with successful entrepreneurs, with a strong focus on practical advice for scaling businesses and navigating challenges. Foundr is a trusted resource for actionable business strategies.
What you’ll learn: Startup advice, growth strategies, leadership, and practical steps to scale your business.
Books
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Why it’s essential: This book offers a practical approach to building a start-up by focusing on creating a minimum viable product (MVP), testing ideas, and iterating based on feedback. It’s perfect for entrepreneurs looking to build a business with limited resources and mitigate risks.
What you'll learn: How to build a sustainable business through experimentation, measuring progress, and pivoting when necessary.
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Why it’s essential: Simon Sinek’s book emphasizes the importance of having a strong, clear purpose (the "why") behind your business. It explains how companies that start with a strong "why" inspire loyalty and build lasting success.
What you'll learn: How to identify your business's core purpose, inspire your team, and create a compelling vision that drives growth.
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Why it’s essential: This book is a classic for small business owners. Gerber explains why many small businesses fail and how entrepreneurs can avoid common pitfalls by working on their business, not just in it.
What you'll learn: How to systematize your business, build processes, and scale effectively while maintaining quality and consistency.
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Why it’s essential: Collins explores why some companies make the leap from good to great and sustain that greatness over time. The book presents key concepts and research findings that can help entrepreneurs scale their businesses effectively.
What you'll learn: How to build a great company culture, make disciplined decisions, and lead with a clear vision to drive long-term success.
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Why it’s essential: This book flips the traditional sales strategy on its head by emphasizing the importance of selling in a way that resonates with how you, as a customer, would like to be sold to. Shari Levitin outlines how understanding the psychology of buying can help you build authentic relationships with customers and close more sales.
What you'll learn:
Customer-Centered Selling: The book emphasizes creating a genuine connection with customers rather than relying on pushy tactics.
Psychology of Buying: It highlights how emotional intelligence plays a huge role in the sales process and how understanding your customer’s mindset can lead to better outcomes.
Effective Communication: Levitin gives practical tips on how to communicate with empathy, listen actively, and respond in ways that address the real needs of the buyer.
