Today is the launch of The Risk Takers, a brand new podcast from The Globe and Mail. It's about the entrepreneurs who give up the safe and predictable life to gamble their fortunes on their own business ventures.
As The Globe and Mail's small business editor, I figured a podcast was the best way to capture the energy of Canadian entrepreneurs. The medium is intimate and emotional, perfect for capturing the unique stories in Canada's small business community. With the current podcast resurgence, and on the heels of Colour Code, The Globe's recent No. 1 iTunes podcast, it's a great time to craft stories in audio.
Together with my co-producer JP Davidson, we scoured our networks across the country, looking for interesting stories. We came across entrepreneurs such as Jen Evans, co-founder of Toronto marketing platform SqueezeCMM, whose business and personal life was plunged into chaos after she pursued a new line of business. We also met Cameron Reid, founder of OrderIt.ca, who fought tooth and nail for years against a rival food-delivery company. Along the way, we heard about the incredible joys of running a business – the independence, the thrill of competition, the satisfaction of bringing great products to market – as well as the dark side: the incredible toll on entrepreneurs' personal lives. -Sarah Efron Visit the podcast page.
The keys to mastering your business's cash flow
The biggest mistake many small-business owners make is not keeping track of what cash is coming in and going out, says Robert Hunt, a chartered professional accountant, licensed insolvency trustee and partner at Grant Thornton in Halifax. "The timing of those inflows and outflows is critical to ensuring the company doesn't run out of cash," Mr. Hunt says. Full story.
How to ask friends and family to fund your company
How do you raise money for your company from friends and family without damaging your personal relationships? The Globe chats with entrepreneurs Nick Wagner, Sharn Kandola and Ben Zlotnick to get tips. Watch the video.
Ten financial terms every small-business owner should know
Do you really know the meaning of terms like gross margin, variable costs, capital expenditures and operating expenses? Full story.
Small-business owners in Alberta brace for minimum-wage hike
Many small-business owners in Alberta are bracing for the dramatic hikes to the province's minimum wage, saying they will squeeze their operations when they can least afford it. While other provinces are opting for incremental increases to their minimum wages this year, Alberta boosted the minimum wage to $12.20 from $11.20. Full story.
More small business news from around the web
Joint effort: How entrepreneurs can help the government regulate marijuana
Too often, governments examine a new area where regulation is needed and quickly expand the mandate to include every moving part. This automatically means proper enforcement is near impossible. Choosing a few critical regulatory priorities, such as preventing sales to minors, ensuring proper product safety information and rules, and prohibitions at work or while driving, seems to be a great place to start. Choose the most important aspects to regulate and then do them well. Leave the rest alone. Full story.
How to reduce your stress without leaving your desk
Chair yoga isn't just for blissed-out seniors. A brief daily sessions can calm the harried cubicle-dweller, too. Here are a few moves you can pull off without breaking out a mat and trackpants that will leave you feeling less stressed. Full story.
Clearpath Robotics raises $39 million Series B to shift focus to factory material transport
Clearpath Robotics, which builds autonomous vehicles for "dull, dirty, and deadly" jobs, announced CAD $39 million (USD $30 million) in Series B funding. The round was led by iNovia Capital with participation from Caterpillar Ventures, GE Ventures, Eclipse Ventures, RRE Ventures, and Silicon Valley Bank. Full story.
How to juggle babies and business
Julie O'Leary had been working tirelessly for two years to get her luxury watch brand ready for launch. During the day she held down a full-time job and in the evenings worked at turning the dream of running her own business into reality. But a few months before she aimed to go live with Told & Co, she discovered the project wasn't the only new arrival that year – she was pregnant with a baby boy. Full story.
These are the best times to post on social media
The best times to post vary by industry, channel and target audience. On five of the major social media networks -- Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest -- user interaction peaks at certain times. The report reveals that Thursday at 5 p.m. (all times Eastern) is an ideal time to send out a tweet, while Thursday at 8 p.m. provides the greatest chance of a customer clicking, liking, sharing or commenting on a Facebook post. Full story.