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As millennials take up film photography, darkrooms see a bright future again
At Toronto’s Downtown Camera, on any given day, there’s a lineup of young adults and teens clutching decades-old cameras and disposable point-and-shoots. Rather than take photos on smartphones or internet-connected cameras, these photographers are choosing to shoot on traditional film cameras and have their film developed at the store’s lab. For Downtown Camera, which opened in the 1970s and operates in Toronto’s financial district, the interest is so strong that the business will soon be moving to a new location to accommodate a bigger darkroom. Story
Legal or not, cannabis delivery services prepare for launch
Several Canadian entrepreneurs are preparing to launch cannabis delivery companies in time for legalization on Oct. 17, despite the fact this service will be illegal for recreational marijuana in most provinces. These entrepreneurs believe clients will be willing to pay to get deliveries faster than they could from provincially run cannabis websites. If municipalities block legal cannabis stores from operating in certain areas, that could also boost opportunities for private delivery services. Story
Limits on income sprinkling cut into family businesses
In the nearly three decades that Douglas Nelson has been running his financial consulting company, never once has he considered the awkward task of writing a job description for his wife, a shareholder in the business, until now. It’s just some of the additional paperwork Mr. Nelson will need to do thanks to Ottawa’s changes to income-splitting legislation for private corporations that took effect Jan. 1. The rules limit the ability for business owners to split or “sprinkle” income with family members who aren’t considered active in the business. Story
North Vancouver distilling school offers a crash course in bootstrapping a business
The carnival-style letters on this North Vancouver light-industrial building say “Distillery,” but omit the words describing the second business that operates there: The Distillery School. With Canada’s artisan distilling scene booming, it’s one of a handful of Canadian courses for knowledge-thirsty potential distillers who want hands-on learning. Story
How to put social media to work for you and your business
It’s not exactly normal for a company selling a product to have an Instagram account before it has a website, but that’s the route Inkbox took on its way to success. The Toronto-based company, which sells self-applicable temporary tattoos, launched on the social media platform in 2015, three months before setting up a proper online store. Story
Nine small businesses and their killer ideas
Many successful businesses start with a great idea. But how can you tell whether yours will work? It might help to look at what others have done. We asked a trio of startup incubators and accelerators to identify some up-and-coming businesses. Story
Rising wages put small business owners back on the front lines
Toronto butcher and business owner Peter Sanagan has a lot of on his plate these days, including overseeing a second store he opened earlier this year and a deadline for a cookbook he’s on contract to write by February. But instead of spending time writing and focusing on how to grow the business, the owner of Sanagan’s Meat Locker finds himself increasingly on the floor, cutting meat. Story
AI startup founder Solon Angel thrives amid chaos
The word “chaos” comes up often in an interview with Solon Angel, founder and chief strategy officer of Mindbridge Analytics Inc. He grew up in the Caribbean and France, where he dealt with discrimination, family instability and violence. Today the Ottawa-based entrepreneur says he’s “comfortable” with the other kind of chaos, that which comes naturally in a tech startup. Story
WHAT WE’RE READING ELSEWHERE
Small business owners facing huge tax bill hope Vancouver mayoral candidates will help
The owners of a longtime Robson Street business are hoping their mind-boggling property tax bill will become an election issue. Karen and Jane Tennant, owners of Chocolate Mousse Kitchenware, are encouraging people to attend a mayoral candidate forum at the St Andrews-Wesley United Church in Vancouver’s West End on Tuesday. GlobalNews
Depression led entrepreneur to create text-based mental health counselling app
While Sam Duboc was on the board of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health foundation in the early 2000s, he learned all about the theoretical aspects of mental health. But it wasn’t until he received a call on Oct. 18, 2011 about the death of a family member, followed by a slew of difficult life experiences, that he found himself experiencing mental illness himself. Global News
‘Dreams take flight’ for first Indigenous woman to own an airline in Canada
A veteran pilot with more than 15 years of experience is setting her sights even higher with the launch of her very own airline – the first for an Indigenous woman in Canada. Teara Fraser, a Metis pilot and entrepreneur, plans to offer flights to remote Indigenous communities underserviced by other major carriers through her new airline Iskwew Air next year. CTV News
Calgary garage builder and renovation company leaves contractors, homeowners with $4M in losses
It’s not exactly clear what brought down one of the city’s garage builders and basement renovators, but Planit Builders Ltd. left behind a staggering amount of unpaid bills in Calgary and Edmonton. It owes $3.9 million to the electricians, plumbers, drywallers and other trades it hired over the years, according to documents filed under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. CBC