Top 10 COVID-19 resources
April 6th, 2020
The team at Startup Canada—like many organizations—has been working to bring together useful resources for entrepreneurs in this difficult time. Based on the sheer volume of information coming out in response to COVID-19, resources accumulate and it can become overwhelming to navigate.
As a result, we’ve decided to release a blog post each week listing the top resources to make it easier for entrepreneurs to find the information and support they need.
In no particular order, here are this week’s top resources for entrepreneurs in light of COVID-19:
1. Plain Language Guide to Obtaining Government Aid
Jennifer Robson—an associate professor in the Master of Political Management program at Carleton University—has created a plain-language guide to help Canadians access the government support they need in this time of crisis. It uses simple, easy-to-understand language to explain the ins and outs of the government’s various funding initiatives.
2. DMZ COVID-19 Response Workshops
The DMZ tech accelerator at Ryerson University have created a virtual workshop series to help startups navigate tough business decisions and also recognize growth opportunities, during this time of uncertainty.
Their next live session is happening Thursday, April 9 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm EST. It’s called, Customer acquisition with A/B testing by Mano Kulasingam.
They also post recordings of all the past sessions.
3. CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has created a website that outlines all of the different types of COVID-19 funding available to small businesses in a concise format. If you’re struggling to understand your business’ eligibility for government funding, this resource will help you get some clarity.
4. EDC: How to manage business risk during the COVID-19 crisis
In this article, Export Development Canada (EDC) outlines best practices for entrepreneurs managing risk during a crisis. It includes a combination of insights from their expert staff and top takeaways from their recent webinar on managing the impact of COVID-19 on global supply chains.
5. BDC
The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is one of the primary organizations providing businesses with funding and support through COVID-19. This website outlines their programs and is updated regularly with resources for navigating the crisis.
6. Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
If you want a more in-depth look at the Government of Canada’s programs to support the economy through COVID-19, you can get the full spectrum of information directly from them, here.
7. EDC: COVID-19 FAQs for Canadian Exporters
If your business exports goods or services outside of Canada, this regularly updated article from Export Development Canada could be a helpful resource for you. If you have questions not answered in the article, they also provide contact information to reach them directly.
8. Startup Survival Guide
Valerie Song, CEO & Co-founder of AVA Technologies Inc. has written this article that lists a wide variety of supports, loans, and funding from a variety of different sources.
9. Fundica: COVID 19 Funding Infographic
Fundica is a funding platform that finds and pairs entrepreneurs with the appropriate funding to meet their needs. They created an infographic that makes it even easier to navigate the government’s COVID-19 funding initiatives for businesses in Quebec, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island. This resource is also in both official languages.
10. Startup Canada WEWebinars
As part of our Women Entrepreneurs Program, we’ve launched a series of 12 Women Entrepreneurs Webinars (or WEWebinars) on a variety of subjects. Although the series is primarily focused on women entrepreneurs, the webinars are open to everyone. We will be hosting WEWebinars every Tuesday and Thursday for the next several weeks. This week’s WEWebinars are:
The 5Ws of Funding with Sahar Ansary
Tuesday, April 7th | 12:00PM – 1:00PM EST
Register and learn more
Using Design Thinking to Shift your Business with Nilufer Erdebil
Thursday, April 9th | 12:00PM – 1:00PM EST
Register and learn more
If you can’t attend the live webinars, we also post the recordings.
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