Immigrant Entrepreneurship on Ontario Initiative Network

Entrepreneurship Challenges: Financing

Fri, 03 May 2013 19:00:25 +0000

For any business owner, the challenges are many – marketing, business growth, profitability and (amongst others) the ever-present challenge of financing. While financing can be a challenge to existing businesses, particularly those looking to expand, in this blog entry I’d like to examine how it impacts start-ups.

Prior to coming to OIN, I spent nearly 7 years in the financial services industry. While I focused heavily on insurance and investments, I did spend a significant amount of time with mortgages and leasing. I was in the industry during a very interesting time, the beginning of this economic shift or recession. All throughout I also managed to see how financing has changed and what it means for business owners.

Success Stories – Shawn Lee, Pantry Mart

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 20:18:33 +0000

Success Stories – Shawn Lee, Pantry Mart – Aylmer, Ontario

During our research, I had the pleasure of interviewing several successful immigrant entrepreneurs. The first was Shawn Lee. Shawn is a South Korean immigrant who successfully manages the Pantry Mart at 249 John Street South in Aylmer, Ontario.

Immigrant Entrepreneurship – A Boost for our Communities

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 03:04:35 +0000

Last year, over 250,000 newcomers chose Canada as their new home. Often these newcomers flock to centres such as Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. While these cities certainly offer diverse communities and a multitude of newcomer services, they may also be contributing to a substandard experience.

A recent study showed that Toronto was the most miserable city in Canada, and this was due in large part to the high proportion of immigrants. This is not to say that immigrants make others and themselves miserable, but rather that there is a mismatch between immigrant expectations and outcomes, particularly in larger centres. Each year, we actively seek the best and brightest from developing nations, and only a small percentage are able to find opportunities that match their skill sets.