“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” – Michael Jordan I’ve always been an avid sports fan. Having played and watched sports throughout my entire life, they have become ingrained in my personality, interests, and discussions. As a child I was involved in several sports, but developed a true passion for basketball in…
As a business owner, you likely travel quite a bit. Business trips, client visits, conferences, trade shows, and the occasional vacation getaway can make it difficult to stay connected with your team, partners, and clientele. However, stress does not have to be a bi-product of your mobility if you use the right tools and processes…
Small businesses often have difficulty when completing Canadian government funding applications on their own. A significant time investment must be put into researching Canadian government grants and loans prior to writing a proposal, application, or other type of documentation. Failure to understand all of the program’s details could lead to the business’ application being rejected…
Millennials, those of us born between 1982 and 2004, have received a lot of bad press; we are often associated with the personality traits of being “bratty”, narcissistic, lazy, and entitled. However, Millennials now make up a third of the Canadian and American population and are the largest customer demographic in the North America. With…
Earlier this month, the Alberta provincial government unveiled a new 2-year, $178-million Alberta government grants program called the Job Creation Incentive Program. Alberta Premier Rachel Rotley’s government started off the press conference by expressing their hope for an economy less dependent on oil due to plummeting oil prices and shifting contracts. The Job Creation Incentive…
Administered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), Investing in Business Innovation (IBI) offers small business loans to assist high growth, innovative startups and early-stage businesses in commercializing new products, processes, and technologies. Southern Ontario businesses with private funding that require additional cash flow can use IBI to help accelerate late-stage…
London, Ontario is home to several of Canada’s most successful research and development-focused manufacturing businesses. With over 30,000 citizens of London’s 366,150 inhabitants being employed in advanced manufacturing jobs, the city’s economy relies on the continued success of its manufacturing businesses. Over 700 manufacturing companies exist in London due to world-class infrastructure, close proximity to…
Kaizen, a Japanese word for “improvement”, is often used in business environments to implement and improve standardized activities & processes. Introduced by Toyota after World War II, kaizens have now become common practice in the manufacturing industry to continuously improve methods or procedures that increase productivity, eliminate waste, and/or reduce costs. However, with the vast…
I have always been expected to work hard and be a high achiever, perhaps because I was raised in a traditional Chinese family. My father was extremely influential in shaping this dynamic; relationships and parties were off limits until my university studies were complete. By age 20, I had never gone out to a club,…
Growing Forward 2 Ontario (GF2) is a $400 million government initiative funded through the Government of Ontario and administered by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Farming, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The program has three streams tailored to address the needs of Ontario agricultural businesses, including a stream for Organizations and Collaborations. Through this specific stream,…