MONTREAL, October 30, 2015 | Entrepreneurs, small business owners and economic development leaders in Montreal laid the foundations for three entrepreneur-led initiatives and voiced four policy-based priorities for the federal government at Startup Canada’s #EveryEntrepreneur Tour stop Oct. 27-28 in Montreal.
The national, non-profit organization is travelling the country to provide a platform for entrepreneurs to voice priorities and calls-to-action to better the environment for entrepreneur-run businesses in Canada.
During town halls, panels, and group discussions, delegates identified access to customers and the need for a long-term vision and strategy for Montreal”s and Quebec”s entrepreneur community as priorities and opportunities for growth. To address these issues, delegates developed, pitched, and signed up to collaborate on the following initiatives:
- A community-wide campaign, called #Jeudipreneur, to connect one business per week with buyers by providing them with online promotions, kiosk space, and collaborative support from the entire ecosystem.
- A conference in Quebec that connects large companies and their procurement departments to startups and small businesses to encourage procurement and provide product validation.
- A Startup Montreal Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Panel, which will meet regularly to identify priorities, avoid duplication of support efforts, and establish a long-term vision and strategy for the entrepreneur community.
“As a community, do we have an objective for 2020?” said Sergio Escobar, Montreal Program Director of the Founder Institute. “The answer is no. We need to create and implement a vision that sees kids dreaming about owning businesses.”
“Entrepreneurs are cement in the foundation of economic prosperity, particularly as Canada transitions between a resource and manufacturing-based economy to one based in innovation and new technology,” said Victoria Lennox, CEO and co-founder of Startup Canada. “To maintain the growth momentum of the innovation, startup and small business sectors, entrepreneurs, non-profit support organizations, and governments at all levels need to be involved in the consultation, creation, and implementation of an entrepreneurship strategy that reflects and respects the conditions entrepreneurs need to grow their companies.”
Startup Canada is committed to supporting entrepreneurs in advancing these initiatives and is working with the local community to establish the connections to get the initiatives up and running. By the end of the day on Oct. 28, dozens of entrepreneur delegates had signed up to be a part of the founding teams.
When asked what should be included in a national entrepreneurship strategy, delegates, panelists, and keynote speakers also highlighted the following calls-to-action to the new federal government:
- A national angel tax credit to incentivize investments in startup companies.
- Expand access of government programs beyond youth and urban centres.
- Offer social benefits for entrepreneurs including employment insurance support and paid parental leave.
- Expand the Startup Visa Program to Quebec to expedite new business creation in the province.
“Talent is key to the development of the tech ecosystem in Quebec,” said David Nault, entrepreneur and investor at iNovia Capital. “The Startup Visa can bring much-needed talent to our fast growing startups, diversification in the workforce and foreign connections.”
The conversation in Montreal echoed and built upon calls-to-action voiced by entrepreneurs in Halifax at the kick-off of Startup Canada’s #EveryEntrepreneur Tour on Oct. 14. Entrepreneurs there advocated for the federal government to:
- Update the Minister of State for Small Business portfolio to reflect the importance of all entrepreneurs on the economy by renaming the position the Minister of State for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses.
- Support startups and small businesses in Canada by augmenting federal procurement efforts to buy more from Canadian small businesses and ensuring that requests for proposals include a 10 per cent small business provision.
- Explore opportunities to leverage the federal Employment Insurance Program to grow the small business sector and encourage participation in the entrepreneur economy.
- Grant Permanent Resident status to international students who complete their studies in Canada to enable them to work for startups and small businesses, or to start their own company in Canada.
- Ensure low-cost, high-speed, high-quality wireless Internet access to all Canadians.
Startup Canada will progress the policy conversation as it travels across the country and will share the findings with its national network of entrepreneurs, support organizations, private industry and government in the coming months. The consultation findings will be used to establish next steps in support programming, advocacy initiatives, and specifically as the foundation for the creation of a National Entrepreneurship Strategy.
Startup Canada’s #EveryEntrepreneur Tour programming is proudly presented by Intuit Canada, UPS Canada and PayPal Canada. Programming is also supported by TruShield Insurance, CIRA, Porter Airlines, Rebel.com, Versature, Via Rail, iPolitics, the Government of Canada and Concierge Service. For more information, visit StartupTour.ca.
Press Contact:
Kathryn Forrest
Communications and Marketing Manager, Startup Canada
About Startup Canada
Startup Canada is a grassroots network of entrepreneurs working together to build an environment for entrepreneurship in Canada. Through online platforms, grassroots Startup Communities and cross-sector initiatives, Startup Canada is advancing entrepreneurial momentum and a culture of entrepreneurship, as the voice of Canadian entrepreneurs. Learn more at startupcan.ca.