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Toronto group offers a boost to newcomer entrepreneurs
As a newcomer to Canada, Yanina Wu was operating in her second language in a foreign culture when she launched her business, which imports and sells Chinese products and helps Chinese brands with marketing in Canada. She struggled to understand Canadian business regulations, but also needed help with strategy – until she found WeWorkingWomen, a group of Chinese entrepreneurs and businesspeople. Story
Old club, new tech: Financier Michael Wekerle tries a different spin on music at Toronto’s El Mocambo
Under the neon glow of Toronto’s most famous palm tree, Michael Wekerle has spent the past few years quietly intertwining two very different investments. Story
How co-working spaces expose companies to new legal risks
Sharing office space with other companies and entrepreneurs can be an attractive option for growing businesses, but experts warn this setup, known as co-working, comes with risks. Story
Fast-growing Montreal software firm Alaya Care bulks up with acquisitions funded by Quebec heavyweights
One of Canada’s fastest growing technology startups, Alaya Care Inc., has bought a larger rival and is set to close a second deal this month. The two purchases, funded by its heavyweight Quebec backers, puts the Montreal startup in select company as one of Canada’s few cloud-software firms to hit $50-million in revenue. Story
Lightspeed to spend $100-million to expand point-of-sale business in Europe with largest acquisition yet
Lightspeed POS Inc. announced Tuesday that it will spend more than US$100-million in cash and stock to buy a German point-of-sale company to expand within Europe. Story
Experts warn Canadians to brace for a new era of cyberthreats
When LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services revealed in December that the personal information of as many as 15 million Canadians had been stolen in a cyberattack, it had the distinction of capping off a historical year for Canadian data breaches. Story
Venture capitalists share their regrets in their ‘anti-portfolios’
When PayPal Holdings Inc. announced last month it was buying online shopping and rewards tool Honey Science Corp. for US$4-billion – its largest acquisition to date – venture capitalist Boris Wertz couldn’t help but wince. Story
Small business owners want greater input into new federal program encouraging workers to take training courses
Small-business owners are readying for employees to request time off to take training courses as part of a new federal government program that begins on Jan. 1. Story
U of T program connects next generation of lawyers to next generation of business startups
When Nikola Kostic decided to build brake technology that eliminates the wear-and-tear on commercial aircraft, he knew engineers and aviation contacts would be handy, but it quickly became obvious he’d need another kind of expertise: legal advice. Story
‘Sensory-friendly shopping’ offers a low-noise and low-light retail environment for consumers
Once a week, staff at the candy store Freak Lunchbox in Charlottetown dim the lights, turn off the music and stop stocking shelves for one hour. Story
WHAT WE’RE READING ELSEWHERE
Squamish businesses react to newly approved ride-hailing
As news of B.C.’s first successful ride-hailing application raced across headlines, in Squamish, not everyone was keen to see the green light. Squamish Chief
'Til death do us part: Wedding fair operator’s death leaves exhibitors out thousands
The 43rd Annual Wedding Fair, scheduled for two days in January at the Westin Bayshore Hotel, has been cancelled after the death of the event’s founder, Gary Meister. CBC
Sarah Efron