Resources for technology-related startups in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

This article contains some useful information that I inevitably accumulated over the past few years, as a SR&ED consultant and as someone who has recently started a business. It might save you some time that took me to figure out all this. Good luck with your startup!

Various camps, startup drinks, green drinks

Startup entrepreneurs and people who has been there and done that regularly meet to have a drink, exchange battle stories, get a sound advice and find a potential business partner or even an angel investor. Startup Drinks is a simple concept: a grassroots effort to make sure startup folks get in touch and stay in touch.

The same refers to Green Drinks which is a casual, monthly forum for environmentally-oriented individuals to have a few drinks, mingle and toss around ideas.

By the way, the next Green Drinks will happen on May 26 at Grace O’Malleys – 14 Duncan Street, Toronto, from 5:45 to 9:00, and the next Startup Drinks at 6pm on the same day, May 26, at Fionn MacCool’s, 310 Front St. West (at Blue Jays Way), Toronto.

Various camps are also held in Toronto every month. See the description of some in this article. The admission to them is affordable or free. (Some impose a nominal fee to ensure that people who register do indeed show up, and your admission pays for your first drink.) Among other nice get-togethers, I should mention Product Camp and Girl Geeks Dinner.

Democamps

Democamps are such an important feature in the life of Toronto technology scene that it is worth a separate mention. An evening of beer, cocktails and tech demos for designers, developers & marketers, Democamp became quite an institution. It was conceived in Toronto, but now there are democamps in other cities and towns, too.

http://democamp.com/

Creative spaces for independent entrepreneurs

When you work from home, it is very difficult to concentrate! Independent business owners know that better than anyone. Besides, sitting between the four walls tends to get lonely. Because of that, several creative spaces opened in Toronto. Their founders, entrepreneurs themselves, formed a community of like-minded people and opened spaces downtown, offering reasonable monthly rates in a comfortable space. Born from the feeling of collaboration and connection found at events such as BarCamp and tech conferences, coworking is the social interaction of independent entrepreneurs, consultants, freelancers, developers, and writers out of their homes and cafes and into a creative space. A coworking facility is the shared office space for these individuals, where they can work independently in a social way. Rachel Young and Wayne Lee cofounded Camaraderie. Tonya Surman founded Centre for Social Innovation at 215 Spadina, and CSI recently acquired another building in the Annex to expand their space.

By the way, a few words about time management techniques. Now, I don’t know about you, but for me the difficult part is to start working on an assignment. I am a master procrastinator, and since I work from home, there is always something that prevents me from working. Some people fight this by setting up a separate workplace where they only do work (as opposed to surfing the Internet). Some allow themselves to roam free on the Internet , but only… using an old and slow laptop, as opposed to a new and powerful computer they work on. They say this method works for them. Some fight procrastination by moving to a library, a quiet place or a creative space like the one mentioned above. Here’s a useful time management technique that some people swear by. http://www.pomodorotechnique.com. It is very similar to http://flylady.org/, just that the chunks of time are a little longer. It really works, because, as FlyLady says, you can do anything for 15 minutes! The main idea is that you set aside 25 minutes, or 15 minutes, or even 5 minutes at first and you work on your assignment without any interruptions. You switch off various IMs, you don’t check your e-mail, you don’t pick up the phone (what was the voicemail invented for, after all?) When the 25 minutes are up, you have a small break. After 4 such 25-minute periods you have a longer break. Try it! The very fact that you will soon get a legitimate break will rid you of procrastinator’s guilt and make you more productive.

Technology incubators

Technology incubators are plentiful, and, talking of them, we should start with MaRS. Some people, however, think that MaRS is not truly a technical incubator (read this excellent article by David Crow full of advice to startups, with the list of people you can ask for advice or mentorship, and a discussion, in comments, on what is or isn’t a technical incubator), or that MaRS activities are doubtable – see Greg Boutin’s blog).

Innovation synergy centre in Markham

Ontario Centres of Excellence

Government incentives (SR&ED, OIDMTC, apprenticeship tax credit and others)

SR&ED (Scientific Research & Experimental Development) is an incentive program by Canadian government that refunds companies involved in Research and Development (R&D). The SR&ED program is available to companies involved in Research and Development (R&D). The eligible expenditures include your time, employees’ labour, materials and equipment.

The Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit (OIDMTC) is a refundable tax credit based on eligible Ontario labour expenditures and eligible marketing and distribution expenses claimed by a qualifying corporation to create eligible interactive digital media products in Ontario.

IRAP, NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program, helps small and medium companies to develop technologies and successfully commercialize them by providing technical and business advisory services and financial assistance.

There are many other incentive programs, federal, provincial and municipal, for small companies (see the the next section for Useful links).

Useful links

SR&ED – government refund for companies doing research and development
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/txcrdt/sred-rsde/menu-eng.html

A comprehensive searchable database of over 250 government programs and services that can help you implement your technology http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/com-inv.nsf/eng/Home

Export Market Access (EMA) is a cost-sharing grant designed to help small to medium sized organizations take advantage of opportunities in foreign markets beyond the US. You can also get a grant for holding an event if it is export-related.

Federal Grants, Subsidies and Contributions Info-Guide with a special focus on entrepreneurs and start-ups http://www.canadabusiness.ca/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=CBSC_ON/display&c=GuideInfoGuide&cid=1184729523117&lang=en

http://www.trra.ca/en/reports/BusinessPrograms.asp – list of federal and provincial business programs

MINISTRY OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (Ontario) http://www.mri.gov.on.ca/english/programs/mri.asp

Ontario Business Program Guide http://www.ontario.ca/businessprograms

http://www.2ontario.com/software/government_programs.asp – list of programs with summary information, so you don’t have to check each link separately

City of Toronto incentive programs (plus a limited summary of others)
http://www.toronto.ca/invest-in-toronto/incentives.htm

Ontario New Technology Tax incentive (ONTTI) http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/english/credit/ONTTI/

Ontario Business Research Institute Tax Credit (OBRITC) http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/english/notices/ct/6024.html

Apprenticeship training tax credit and other Ontario tax incentives
http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/english/credit/index.html

Other Canadian resources for business