If you look at news on the web, it can seem like a dreary time. But there’s a lot going on that’s inspiring. Especially today as Incubes, a local incubator, as it launches its fourth cohort. I’m a mentor so I have to care, but here’s why you should equally care:
Every startup’s demo day should be a big deal to me, you and all Canadians. It’s the moment when a company tries their luck in the Canadian market.
Run by the kind of people that say “What if” and not “Possibly maybe,” these entrepreneurs have innovative, world changing ideas. Many are going directly up against big Canadian monopolies and competitions, all the while trying to make a buck on the very small market share in Canada.
Sure, we have a decent economy because we stand firm and move slowly. Yes, we’re open, but not that open; typically because we play follow the leader to the USA and the UK. We indeed have spending power, but we tend to spend our hard earned money on the cheapest things possible (Financial Post).
So my ask of you is to stop and take some time to support local startups. It’s hard to hate on people trying to change the world by making a difference, right? Especially fellow Canadians.
You can Support Local Innovation by:
1) Taking notice of startup launches and demo days
INcubes Demo day happens today (September 10, 2013) which you can learn about and watch live here at ITBusiness.
Here’s an entire list of incubators and accelerators in Canada (as per March 2013).
2) Putting your hard earned money into good startup ideas
- Kickstarter launched in Canada, which you can see here www.kickstarter.com/canada.
- Indiegogo has plenty of Canadian startups waiting for support www.indiegogo.com/canada.
3) Stop reading the news and start creating it
- Create a blog to share your story. What have you learned along the way that other startups should know. Even better, share it with me so I can write about you.
- Use free tools and templates like this to start your own business (care of BDC).
- Don’t be afraid to ask as outlined in my previous article.
Even better, post a comment with your favourite Canadian startup. Don’t forget to mention the URL.