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I was a corporate executive addicted to work. But an unexpected crisis made me realize I was on the wrong path
As far back as I can remember, I was most passionate about health. But like most people, I pushed my passion aside, and my career took me in a completely different direction: twice an investment banker, building and selling a media company, growing a global marketing technology startup to more than $100-million in revenue, and succeeding in a top-15 executive role at Rogers, a 30,000-employee, $30-billion market-capitalization corporation. Story
Tight labour market contributing to rise in employee benefit costs
Record low unemployment rates are ratcheting up the talent wars and forcing many businesses to spend more on employee benefits. But even though employers are facing rising health and dental benefits costs, many are seeking out additional perks to attract and retain workers. Story
Winnipeg app maker Bold Commerce raises $22-million after success on Shopify’s platform
With Shopify Inc. now grown from a startup e-commerce platform to one of Canada’s most valuable technology companies, its fortunes have spilled over into the ecosystem it created – bolstering its partner companies such as Winnipeg’s Bold Commerce. Story
With offers below expectations, Hootsuite abandons auction process
Hootsuite Media Inc. has abandoned a process that could have led to a sale of the company after preliminary offers came in below expectations, according to sources familiar with the matter. Story
Eight reasons your new business might be failing
Across Canada every year, thousands of new small businesses hit the ground running. According to Industry Canada, however, only half will make it to the five-year mark. If you are running a business, or tempted to start one, check out these common reasons they go belly up. Story
Canadians bring solar power to off-the-grid Africa
Many people dream of building their small business into an international power base, but two Canadian companies in Africa are taking different approaches to spreading the power. Story
Meddo offers a scrappy startup alternative to top-down hierarchy
A Canadian startup is on a mission to overhaul the management industry with software that offers “startup speed at enterprise scale” by cutting down bureaucracy. Story
WHAT WE’RE READING ELSEWHERE
Beloved kitchenware store, saved from bankruptcy, still closing
Just before Christmas, the owners of Chocolate Mousse Kitchenware on Robson St. got a surprise from Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart that rescued them from the brink of bankruptcy. The Star
Tired of the drugs and petty crime, business owners reluctantly leaving Mitton Village
Andrew Dawson, Jennifer Arsenault and Marc Piquette have had enough. Each has operated a small business on Mitton Street near Davis for years, and all three are packing up and leaving by the end of this month. Sarnia Journal
Impact Centre’s 2019 Narwhal list shows Canadian tech struggling to produce unicorns
The Impact Centre at the University of Toronto has released its Narwhal List for 2019, a report that highlights Canada’s fastest scaling private tech companies. The Narwhal List ranks financially attractive firms by financial velocity. The metric is derived by the amount of funding a firm has raised, divided by the number of years the company has existed. The report also measures the rate at which a company raises and consumes capital to support its growth. Betakit