Attending to important legal aspects of a business can often be overlooked by entrepreneurs caught in the excitement of launching a new start up. As a lawyer representing such a client, it is vital to redirect attention to identifying and prioritizing the legal issues that are most pressing and in need of immediate action. 1. Business Basics One of the first legal decisions you will likely make pertains to the legal structure of your business.The decision as to whether to set up your business as a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation depends on your specific needs and circumstances. The many variables may……

Once you’ve decided that you are ready to become an entrepreneur and are prepared to put in the necessary effort to implement the great business idea that you have, it’s time to get busy. The problem that many people face though is, ‘where do I start? What should I be doing first?’ We’ve put together this checklist of practical steps that we hope will be useful in helping you get started. This comes from our personal experience as entrepreneurs as well as in providing assistance to others contemplating this same journey. Step #1: Have a plan One of the first things to do……

The Financial Times lexicon defines an entrepreneurial mindset as ‘a specific state of mind which orientates human conduct towards entrepreneurial activities and outcomes. Individuals with entrepreneurial mindsets are often drawn to opportunities, innovation and new value creation’. Bearing in mind this definition, many of us have come across successful entrepreneurs in the course of our day-to-day lives.This includes the new cafe near your office which is always packed during lunch time to that website on Shopify which sells bespoke products and has a huge group of followers. So, what is it that all these people behind the various successful businesses have in common? Does one need to have a particular mindset in order to succeed as an entrepreneur?

Summer remains a busy time here in Toronto and ‘technology’ continues to be the buzzword of activity. Techweek, which is a week-long technology festival for all those involved in the tech and innovation ecosystem, had its inaugural Toronto event a few weeks ago, from 25 – 29 July, 2016. It was a week that was packed with activities – from job fairs to pitching sessions and a one day conference event that touched on various topics such as big data, state of investment in Toronto, challenges faced by venture capitalists and aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Basically, there was something for everyone.

The 2016 World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting has just concluded in Davos and it is always interesting to note the key issues or trends that were discussed there. Undoubtedly, the WEF has its fair share of supporters and detractors. However, as a past participant, I can certainly vouch that the WEF is an amazing event to attend – not just in terms of the people you meet and the breadth and depth of ideas being discussed but it is also a forum that inspires in that there is a shared sense of responsibility and the collective will to want to try to tackle some of the world’s most challenging problems. It is an awesome gathering but as with all meetings, there must be action once the talking is done.