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4 must-read books for every entrepreneur this summer

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4 must-read books for every entrepreneur this summer

If you’re looking for a great read for your next commute, something to ease your time in between flights or just a book to unwind with you on your next summer vacation, these page turners are sure to inspire and entertain.

No one said being an entrepreneur is easy, but with the right advice (and book) the possibilities are endless. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or aspiring business owner, there’s something you can learn from this reading list, which is complete with tips, lessons and facts from the most successful business owners in the world.

Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss


After spending years interviewing celebrities and successful entrepreneurs for his self-titled podcast, Tim Ferriss finally decided to write a candid (and at times somewhat provocative) book about it all. The self-help guide combines the best lessons, tips and advice and routines into an easily accessible read.

Some of the most prominent names included in this tell-it-like-it-is story include Jamie Foxx, Arnold Schwarzenegger and top investor Chris Sacca. Although, Ferriss is no slouch either: The well-known entrepreneur is an early-stage technology investor and advisor for Silicon Valley heavyweights, such as Uber, Facebook and Shopify.

Why you should read this book: What sets this book apart? It’s an all encompassing toolkit full of tricks, recommendations, strategies and philosophies from some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. Bonus: At 707 pages, it’s a nice, quick read. Get it on Amazon while you still can.

Unshakeable by Tony Robbins


By all measures, Tony Robbins didn’t have a very pleasant nor easy upbringing. An absent father and abusive mother meant the motivational speaker grew up in what he describes as a “chaotic” and “abusive” household.

Despite skipping college and, a couple of lost years spent working as a part-time janitor, he later went on to launch a successful self-help business and work as a coach, businessman and New York Times bestselling author.

His latest book called Unshakeable is a summary of interviews with 50 of the world’s most successful investors and full of great nuggets about what entrepreneurs should do when things go wrong. Fighting off bankruptcy? Not sure how to boost market share? Struggling to hold on to investment opportunities? Then this condensed read is for you.

Why you should read this book: Robbins knows his stuff. The NYT-bestselling author is the author of over six books and throughout his life has founded over a dozen companies. If you’re looking for ways to stay sane in the non-stop world of business or just hoping for lifestyle tips this it. Buy Unshakeable from Chapters-Indigo here.

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk



A winning social media account is more than just developing high quality content, but also adapting it to several platforms and mobile devices. This book has some strong ideas that organizations must adapt as part of their social media strategy such as content placement, telling a cohesive story and focusing on benefits rather than selling. “It took thirty-eight years before 50 million people gained access to radios. It took television thirteen years to earn an audience that size. It took Instagram a year and a half,” Vaynerchuk says in his book. It also focuses on the importance of driving engagement with an audience and finding opportunities to build communities, which in turn, strengthens your brand. Buy it on Amazon here.

Why you should read this book: Skip all the ridiculous startup jargon and buzzwords and get straight to the point with Vaynerchuk’s fight-inspired tome. The venture capitalist — named to both Crain’s and Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list — knows what he’s talking about and has the insights necessary to take to turn any organization into a well-oiled, money-making machine. Find this must-read here.

Success never Smelled So Sweet by Lisa Price



From bankruptcy to successful entrepreneur, Lisa Price shares her story of how passion created “Carol’s Daughter,” a luxurious, all-natural line of bath and beauty products. With only $100 in cash, Lisa started following not only her heart, but her nose, as she started creating sweet scents that celebrities such as Jay-Z, Solange, Halle Berry and Mary J.Blige support and use religiously.

In the book, she walks the reader through her childhood with stories of her Trinidadian grandmother and a harsh school system where she was bullied. Her story is a reminder that success is attainable even when life throws many obstacles in the way. Currently, the company is valued at $27 million and was acquired by L’Oreal in 2014. From life advice to business tips, this is a light summer read with an extra dose of motivation. Regardless if it’s a morning commute or sunny day outside, this is your perfect summer-time read, grab it, here.

Why you should read this book: A good success story can be inspirational for anyone trying to find their path to success, especially when the author is now a multi-millionaire. As a young black woman in financial straits, Price’s story is encouraging and engaging as it reminds you to keep persevering. Get your hands on Price’s guide for success from Amazon.

Is your startup prepared for a PR crisis?

The startup world is no stranger to scandal.

Silicon Valley is riddled with the remains of startups and companies forced to close their doors after falling prey to scandal. This year a series of well-known companies have landed in hot water for everything ranging from sexual harassment allegations to discrimination claims.

So, why does this keep happening in tech? The answer is fairly simple: Fast-growing businesses are more likely to prioritize product over crisis communication plans since the former provides immediate returns. It’s kinda hard to showcase the benefits of a communication crisis plan when there’s no crisis on hand.

Fortunately, there are some easy things startups can do to get ahead of any potential problems. Here are three easy steps early-stage companies can follow courtesy of Erin Richards, a former public relations officer for CBC and founder of communications firm Hype PR.

Setting Yourself Up For Success

For startups on a shoestring budget, time is a valuable resource that’s always in short supply. It’s easy to see why some would rather spend time networking instead of creating an in-depth framework for future issues that, technically, may never arrive.

As much as it might make sense to avoid all things PR related Richards believes it’s a bad idea. To combat any possible negative publicity entrepreneurs should invest in creating a strong brand before missteps occur in order to develop a trove of goodwill that can be leveraged to diffuse bad situations and grow the business.

“Most people don’t understand that public perception is a huge part of a brand narrative and story, and if those elements aren’t figured out, the media relations strategy is likely to fall flat.”

Creating long-lasting buzz isn’t an easy task, but entrepreneurs hoping to generate a positive public perception must focus their efforts on giving back to their community on a regular basis. This includes having team members volunteer to speak at conferences or community events to build good will. Local nonprofits and community organizations are always looking for guests to help teach and knowledgable experts are always in demand

Constantly Monitor Your Brand

Keeping tabs on how your brand grows and changes over time isn’t easy. It requires a lot of hard work, tons of follow-up and a keen eye that can easily differentiate between spam and important data, which is likely why most companies hire outside firms to perform this task.

Finding problems before they mushroom into bigger ones is an effective way to manage communication tragedies.

Companies need to be proactive and constantly be diligent. If they can’t afford to hire an outside team to monitor their brand they should make sure an individual is tasked with doing basic searches all the time.  Simply enlist someone on their team to monitor social media and online channels for news.

“They should have someone on the team allocated to the role of social and traditional media monitoring to ensure they are on top of any potential brand related issues that may arise,” Richards adds. “They could also look into having an independent consultant develop a PR plan and strategy that they could attempt to execute internally.”

Here are a few social media companies that startups can use to help find out if they’re being discussed online:

Twitter: Companies can use Twitter’s advanced search buttons to look for specific sentences, names and dates.

Facebook: It can be a little trickier for startups to find mentions of their brand on Facebook since many users take advantage of the social media company’s privacy settings.

Google: Getting alerts about when and if your company is mentioned online can be as simple as setting up a Google account. This platform doesn’t include social media platforms but does extend to blogs, news and websites.

Teach Your Team How to Interact With the Brand

For good or bad, founders are the de facto representative for their company. A startup can rise and fall based on the actions of a founding team member or staff. Teaching startup teams how to interact with customers online is vital, even when their “off the clock” or on their down time.

They need to remain professional at all times since now-a-days one embarrassing moment is merely a screengrab or email forward away from becoming PR nightmare.

“Once you become an entrepreneur, you become synonymous with your brand. Entrepreneurs should seek out mentors in the industry to help them network, grow and evolve and also look into how public figures they admire conduct themselves in public and in the media. Of course, there are also the obvious ones such as, watching the alcohol intake at professional events and avoiding weighing in publicly on potentially contentious issues.”

 

How this startup aims to transform transgender care

The month of June is almost over, which means Pride Month is officially winding down.

For years, civil rights groups focused their efforts on guaranteeing that LGBTQ Canadians could marry, live and work without fear of discrimination. While there’s still more that needs to be done, 2017 saw a slew of long-awaited, and well overdue, civil laws enacted.

Earlier this month the federal government passed legislation that would protect transgender Canadians from gender-based discrimination. The law also expanded the country’s hate speech laws to make targeting someone based on their gender expression illegal.

Meanwhile the Canadian government is pushing forward with legislation that would pardon or expunge criminal convictions for thousands who were arrested — before same-sex relations became legal in 1969 — under the country’s gross indecency laws.

Maggie Bergeron and her co-founder Ellie Afif are using their Toronto-based startup called Embodia to help transgender Canadians in a new way. Their company which produces educational courses recently launched a new series aimed at helping pre- and post-surgery transgender Canadians. It’s the first of its kind in the country and a big step forward for transgender men and women across the country looking for online guidance.

The duo were inspired to launch the series after realizing there were few places that provided similar offerings, especially outside of major Canadian cities. The team behind the course worked with researchers, nurses, doctors and the transgender community to make sure the content was accurate and helpful.

“The course is meant to support the community who identify as transgendered or gender diverse and want to be aware of the best protocols and health available,” says Bergeron. “The video course is meant to help transgender people through the transition period through exercise and mindfulness training”.

Noah Hicks couldn’t agree more. The Niagara resident says his trans journey was largely aided by his laser-like focus on fitness and health and wishes something like this existed before he transitioned three years ago.

“Fitness was a big part of helping my mental well-being while dealing with gender dysphoria – it was such a positive outlet that helped me not only mentally, but physically, and I still continue to work out and enjoy it as a part of my regular routine.”

For Bergeron a gap in the market, like this one, is an opportunity for Embodia to make a difference. “Some healthcare providers wouldn’t have specific knowledge about how to empower people going through transition and give them a supportive community. Through Embodia there’s a forum for transgender Canadians and people taking the course, who then can choose to post anonymously and find specific exercises and track progress”.

Of course this is just the beginning for what the company plans to offer minority and LGBTQ Canadians in the future, she says. “It’s the beginning for us and the timing is good for creating this consumer facing course because we just launched another course on the cultural implications about minority groups, LGBTQ, religious groups, Judaism, Hinduism and Muslim and what you need to think about.”

5 essential tech-y Twitter accounts to follow

Like everything in life, success is often all about who you know, or in some cases who you follow. If you’re looking for advice on how to land your next VC or beat the mid-day energy slump, here are the people (and news organizations) you should follow to stay motivated and in the loop.

1. @TechCrunch

If you don’t already follow them, TechCrunch may soon become your go-to source for tech news. The tech blog has got your back when it comes to providing real-time breaking news.  Find out exactly what’s happening in Silicon Valley and around the world, plus read interesting analysis and opinions from the best in the industry.

2. @RyersonDMZ

Looking for the latest gossip the upcoming entrepreneurs or where you can find the latest accelerator programs? Then our online channel is a must follow and also includes exclusive news about new startup partnerships, programs across the globe, seminars and success stories. Craving more startup news? Check out our online magazine here.

3. @TheNextWeb

The Next Web caters to early-stage entrepreneurs by keeping readers in the loop about all the remarkable stories and updates taking place in the exciting world of tech. Widen your knowledge on tech news by reading opinionated perspectives and get access to exclusive TNW deals on the hottest gadgets and services, here.

4. @BetaKit

Rather than just giving you breaking news, BetaKit focuses on telling you only what you need to know about the Canadian startup landscape and why. BetaKit provides in-depth analysis of everything you want to know about the tech industry with a focus on the Canadian market. For more than 140 character tweets, check out their website.

5. @AnilDash

If you’re looking to learn more about venture capitalists, how to attract investors, diversity in Silicon Valley and abroad then Anil Dash is your guide. He offers knowledge on how to help people of colour break into tech and why it’s important to diversify the tech industry.

How Knix Wear founder shipped a million undies around the world

When Joanna Griffiths decided to quit her job at the ripe, ol’ age of 28 she never thought her split decision would one day lead her to launch Knix Wear , a Toronto-based lingerie startup, let alone net her over $2 million in sales, she admits.

But that’s exactly what it did and four years after starting the company on the floor of her living room she’s now shipping her high-tech, leak-proof underwear to women across the globe—everywhere from South Africa, to the U.S. and Afghanistan.

While her garments have garnered powerful praise from influencers since its 2012 launch—Metro News Canada, the Wall Street Journal  and New York Times, to name a few—Griffiths’ entrepreneurial journey is far less sexy, she confesses. The now thirtysomething encountered her fair share of problems during the startup’s early years and worked non-stop to get the business off the ground.

“It was scary,” she explains. “Being an entrepreneur is like a series of trade-offs, you’re always evaluating resources versus reward. The more prepared you can be for that type of lifestyle, the more you can think it through and know what your life will look like. I worked 24 hours a day and never stopped.”

The entrepreneur’s startup story is groundbreaking simply because through it she managed to create an apparel category that had never existed: leak-proof garments. Knix Wear was one of the first to market underwear to women who suffer from incontinence (light leaks), with company offerings later growing to include activewear clothing and period-proof panties for teens and adults.

A look at the breakthrough product that pushed Knix Wear into the limelight:

Her secret to success lies partially in capitalizing on the needs of what she felt was an underserved community. “I remember talking to women, who had kids, that would pick up Depends underwear because it was the closest thing they could find at the store and that resonated with me.”

Although her crowdfunding skills haven’t hurt her company’s overall success either. Since the company’s launch Knix Wear’s team has launched three online campaigns that have exceeded their crowdfunding goals. Her most recent campaign featured the company’s eight-in-one bra and raised more than $1 million on Kickstarter; the largest amount for any fashion project.

Despite her success, she’s quick to warn entrepreneurs about the perils of raising capital online.

“What I’ve seen happen is an expectation amongst entrepreneurs that if you put your product up it will sell like crazy. They underestimate the work it takes,” she says. “It’s probably the hardest work you’ll do in a 30-day period in your life.”

For instance weeks before the company’s latest campaign launched she and her team worked tirelessly to promote the company’s products, line up orders and respond to customers around the world within tight time frames.

In fact, if possible, she suggests new entrepreneurs avoid crowdfunding altogether until they have the capacity to fill large orders on demand. “We’ve learned the hard way from our early campaigns,” she says. “We had this amazing pre-market sales and momentum, but then spent the next nine months just trying to catch up and fill orders. People have to think long and hard about it. It’s not easy as everyone thinks it is.”

While the startup landscape has changed drastically since she launched her business, Griffiths is proud that her team has remained in the city she was born. Toronto entrepreneurs shouldn’t be too quick to leave the city behind these days, she adds. For anyone hoping to mimic her rise to the top she believes flying across the border is a must, but relocating isn’t necessary anymore and encourages entrepreneurs to explore options at home.

“There’s really nice growing and robust ecosystem that’s emerging [in Toronto]. There was definitely a time one-to-two years ago where we thought we had to move to the U.S. because I was getting that feedback from potential investors and now I’m not hearing that as much.”

Life lessons: Confessions from an entrepreneur who sold his startup

Life after an acquisition can be complicated.

For most founders, the possibility of landing a big exit is a good thing. It usually means a decent amount of cash and, in most cases, the chance to stick around as an employee or consultant long after the contract ink has dried.

While some end up missing the hustle and bustle of entrepreneurship, many find that working at a big company—after years of living the startup life—gives them time to regroup and tap into resources they could only have dreamed of when they were going at it alone.

No matter the outcome, the decision to sell a company can be an intensely personal and a difficult one to make. Robleh Jama, DMZ alumni and founder of Toronto-based app studio Tiny Hearts, knows the process all too well. The entrepreneur’s startup was purchased by Shopify in 2016.

After the buyout he and a few of his colleagues stayed on to join Shopify’s special project department where they now make experimental apps for new audiences. At the time of Tiny Hearts’ acquisition, Jama’s small, yet thriving, company had nine full-time employees and three part-time associates.

Before Shopify approached him about a potential acquisition he had never really considered selling the business. “It wasn’t really an idea I thought about,” he says.

His plan was to always grow with the company long into the future but as time went on, he noticed that scaling it would take more resources than his team had at their disposal. Shopify—an Ottawa-based company with offices in Toronto, Montreal, Waterloo and San Francisco—had connections around the globe to push his ideas to the next level.

“The acquisition was very organic,” he said. “[Shopify and Tiny Hearts] started off as a working relationship first and then grew from there. It was the best way to do it.”

Not everyone will find themselves in the same situation as Jama, but there’s nonetheless a few crucial things entrepreneurs should understand before taking an all-out company buyout, he explains.

Here’s his advice for entrepreneurs considering an exit and what they should know before signing on the dotted line.

Get your company ready by doing good work



A big payoff should never be the end goal for any entrepreneur, but if you’re looking to partner with or be acquired by another company you should make sure to create something of value on a regular basis, he says.

“It all starts with and ends with producing great work,” he explains. “You’ve got to think what value does a company want or look for. It’s better to think about it that way instead of reverse engineering an acquisition. That won’t work,” he explains.

At Tiny Hearts, creating great products meant making sure his company always stayed on top of new trends in the mobile industry and applied them whenever possible to upcoming projects. It also helped Jama, he admits, that he was personally invested in learning as much as he could about mobile-based applications in his free time.

Another piece of advice? Make sure to network with as many people in your industry as you can and stay grateful. “We met people at the DMZ that are still friends of mine to this very day and connected me with other people in the field.”

Wait for the right partner



Just because a company makes an offer doesn’t mean you have to take it, he explains.

Jama and his team worked with Shopify on several projects beforehand and were well acquainted with the company’s products and, more importantly, how they could help each other elevate the work they were already creating.

He also knew how he would personally fit into its company culture as an employee. A fact that he says founders shouldn’t be too quick to overlook. “I knew what they were like. I don’t think I could work at a company that wasn’t Shopify. I was looking to level up and learn to build products at scale and they were the ones that could do it.”

Not to mention that he’s also happy with the work he’s doing. Any role you or your team take on post-acquisition should be discussed in detail before any contracts are signed, he explains.

“Working at Shopify is like a honeymoon that doesn’t end because the team I work with is autonomous and doing what we used to do at Tiny Hearts—pumping out mobile products. We’ve been given the resources to do what we’re most passionate about so we can just focus on creating  innovative and experimental products.”

Seek out legal help ahead of time


There’s no shame in asking for help, especially if it involves money. Exits can mean a host of new problems, which can sometimes include doling out money or company shares to employees and should be taken seriously.

The best thing for companies to do is find someone who can help lay everything out in black and white and take emotions out of the picture, he says. “Find someone you trust and go from there.”

Last, but not least: Do your homework



Jama and Shopify executives made sure the buyout process went slowly. It took almost a year between initial talks to a contract signing.

“The idea was floated, casually, when we started working together, but we didn’t want to rush into. We said let’s continue to work together to see how it goes. After we worked with the team on an app called Frenzy we realized that Shopify was what Tiny Hearts could become if it were on steroids and were on board.”

Luckily over the years Shopify had acquired several local companies before Tiny Hearts, which made the process that much easier for Jama and his team. “Shopify had done this a handful of times of times so they made the process super smooth from the conversation to getting the deal done to transitioning, but we made sure to talk to people [clients, staff, industry professionals].”

How the DMZ is helping Toronto startups crack the U.S. market

For Canadian entrepreneur Ami Shah finding a space in New York City to call home while she networked with local business leaders and pounded the pavement in town was never really an option. Sky-high office fees, a weak loonie and the city’s competitive rental market meant finding something long-term was almost impossible.

When she and her team would travel to Silicon Alley they would have no choice but to work out of crowded coffee shops. In most cases hopping from one table to another in an effort to find a working outlet or in some cases just huddling around a computer, often with luggage in tow, trying to broker deals or hold conference calls.

“It was a nightmare,” the successful co-founder of education software company Peekapak explains. “I was always moving between coffee shops; buying just enough coffee so I could use their Wi-Fi. Have you ever had to rely on a coffee shop to livestream a meeting while someone in the background blends coffee or yells on the phone beside you? It’s not good.”

In the past, a lack of office space was a headache-inducing barrier for Canadian entrepreneurs, like Shah, looking to put down roots in the U. S. or dip their toe in an international market close to home. But all that will soon change. As part of a collaboration between the DMZ and Primary, a New York-based coworking office, entrepreneurs affiliated with the DMZ accelerator or its network of partners across the country will get 10 desks on site to use in NYC anytime, free of charge.

dmznyc-blogmapfinal

Companies that apply and chosen to take part in the program will get access to desks at Primary’s 25,000 square foot facility in lower Manhattan and a combination of wellness and startup services, like free fitness classes, tickets to weekly in-house events, private offices and concierge services. DMZ startups will get up to four free months and non-DMZ companies up to 30 days.

Such a collaboration will open up huge doors for Canadians in the booming city and give entrepreneurs a chance to make vital connections with local talent, broaden their investor pool and, more importantly, meet future clients.

For a successful entrepreneur like Shah, this space’s real value lies in its strategic location and it’s not hard to see why. The city is already home to several venture capital firms—attracted by the city’s booming tech industry—and headquarters for educational companies like Scholastic and Pearson, an education and publishing company.

The DMZ news also couldn’t come at a more fortuitous time for her. Peekapak left the DMZ in June for a brand new office in Toronto’s west end and earlier this year was invited to attend an influential meet-and-greet in New York City with the city’s local tech influencers. Cementing any relationships she’s made at the event will take time and a dedicated place where she can bring potential clients will help.

The upside of having a DMZ-branded office in New York isn’t lost on Addo Smajic, co-founder of Reportin either. He plans to take advantage of the Primary’s offerings later this summer.

In fact, the entrepreneur, who counts Microsoft and Google as startup supporters, is already well acquainted with how important the New York scene can be for a startup’s prospects. He’s made valuable connections during his time in the U.S., met investors that back his products and even managed to finagle his way into getting his very own 2-1-2 area code.

 “You have to put in the work to be an entrepreneur, but you also have to be in the right spot as well,” he says. “This, the DMZ, will put you in the right spot.”

We’ve picked our six for the Aviva Insurtech Accelerator program

How big is the insurtech market? A report by marketing magazine Business Insurance found the burgeoning sector secured a whopping $3 billion in new investments in 2015 and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. A few of today’s biggest players in the space, like Aviva Canada, are proving how legacy companies can adapt to digital disruption in the field and thrive in the process.

Comparable to the way fintech startups transformed the banking world, ‘insurtech’ companies have set their sights on disrupting the insurance industry. Our friends at Aviva Canada are showing their support for new-age businesses in the industry by sponsoring a new program that will help six startups at the DMZ grow through our very first insurtech accelerator.

Although many applied for a coveted spot in the program only a few were accepted. The following six startups made the cut and we’re very proud to announce our very first cohort, which will spend four months perfecting their products and improving their services with access to sales support, mentors and a chance to pitch to a £100M fund. At the end of the program each company will participate in an industry ‘Demo Day’ where they’ll have the chance to pitch their company to executives at Aviva Ventures for an investment opportunity.

EatSleepRide Motorcycle GPS

Inspired by the versatility of the Swiss Army Knife, EatSleepRIDE Motorcycle GPS app helps motorcyclists get the most out of their seat time with native social features, free motorcycle roads and telematics combined with CRASHLIGHT safety built-in to automatically detect a crash and notify contacts of the rider’s location.

FormHero

This company helps turn internal paper-based processes into highly converting, customer-friendly experiences. “Smart forms” act as a personal assistant: creating unique paths for each customer by removing or adding questions only when they’re relevant. Once the information is captured, FormHero automatically finds, fills out and delivers an organization’s existing paperwork.

Jauntin’

This AI-backed, on-demand insurance platform makes obtaining travel insurance quick and easy. Signing up takes less than two minutes and coverage can be turned on or off anytime, meaning users only pay for what they use.

Knote

This app redacts, compares, and automatically summarizes any text document, saving clients time.

NXCARTECH

Creating the world’s largest connected vehicle services platform, the company’s technology schedules service reminders and diagnostic alerts to encourage best practices for staying-up-to date with maintenance issues, reducing claim severity monitoring mileage, which determines warranty liability, improves risk management and reduces claim processing costs.

Sumo Insurance Brokers

An AI-powered digital platform that responds to and manages highly repetitive conversations between customers and brokers. With their trained digital assistant, Sumo automates and simplifies the process of buying and servicing personalized insurance policies.

Breaking the mental health taboo

The heavy toll business ownership can take on one’s mental health is a dark secret rarely shared. A fear of failure, constant pursuit of greatness and long days followed by even longer nights can push even the most ambitious entrepreneur to their breaking point.

In today’s world where the trials and tribulations of even fictional founders are idolized, it should come as no surprise that psychological health is often all but ignored. In fact, a recent study found that a whopping 72 per cent of entrepreneurs self-reported as having mental health concerns, not a surprise for many in the startup community that have already come face-to-face with high rates of Founder’s Blues.
However it’s one that Abdullah Snobar knows all too well. The executive director of the DMZ at Toronto Metropolitan University — the number one university-based incubator in North America and third in the world — and founder of TEDxRyerson is someone that many could easily describe as “successful” and ironically a strong proponent of (surprise, surprise) mental health services. More importantly, he knows how useful it can be for people like himself in the startup industry where appearance can sometimes trump reality.

“There’s a misconception that people who are Type-A and successful are free from mental health challenges. If a person has a busy, fulfilling life and looks accomplished and happy from the outside, they must not struggle with mental health issues,” he says in an op-ed originally published in the Globe and Mail.

“It’s a misconception that’s reinforced every time I browse my Instagram feed, LinkedIn profile and even walk past the sea of smiling faces at various conferences. Everywhere I look, I see no obvious signs of mental health stresses. And herein lies the problem.”

Enter: TranQool, a Toronto-based startup that connects patients with therapists for video chat sessions. The goal? By reducing physical barriers, costs and stigma that accompanies mental health counselling, the startup wants to give anyone the ability to seek out the help they need no matter where they are.

A lot of times we [entrepreneurs] actually hide ourselves in the work that we do and avoid the reality of life by working extra hours, which sometimes leads to burnout and depression,” said Chakameh Shafii, the company’s co-founder and CEO

Through the company, Canadians can set up a free customizable profile that lets them detail their concerns. Afterwards, patients are then matched with a therapist within five minutes.

Not everyone may feel comfortable with seeking out therapy online, but it’s a unique technological solution to a problem that has long plagued the startup space. For those who don’t have a personal self-care plan simply recognizing how crucial mental health wellbeing is to long-term success is the first step and a smart way to combat the dreaded Founder’s Blues before it ever takes hold.

If you’re a DMZ entrepreneur looking for more ways to improve your mental health, you can access the free counselling sessions the DMZ is providing through our community partner TranQool – an online tool connecting you with accredited cognitive behavioural therapists.

For other individuals looking for local mental health services there are a variety of local resources offered by the following institutions and the city of Toronto.

Mental Health Helpline
Information about mental health services and supports in your community and across Ontario.

Distress Centres of Toronto
Telephone call centre for people needing emotional support, crisis intervention and suicide prevention.

Community Resource Connections of Toronto
Search directory for addictions and mental health programs, housing, crisis services, and basic needs services.

Oolagen Community Services
For youth 13-18 years of age and their families who live in Toronto that require mental health assistance.

Facebook: Your startup is probably doing it wrong

If you didn’t already know, Facebook is pretty much considered a diamond in the rough of the world that is social media. In Q4 of 2016, Facebook reported an active user base of 1.6B accounts (that’s a lot of memes). So do you start when your company is only a couple of months old with a tiny budget and a ton of social media channels to invest in?
When it comes to social media, most businesses (especially the small ones) think of Facebook. And rightfully so. Yet, most startups struggle to use Facebook to its full advantage. In this post we’ll go over what and how to post on Facebook.

This will be a long one, so buckle in!

Which type of startups can Facebook help?

 
If you’re a B2C startup where your customers use Facebook as their preferred social network (e.g., e-commerce sites, lifestyle products, etc.), then Facebook is the place for you. If you’re a B2B startup, Facebook isn’t going to be the place you magically rake in those new leads. Simply put, Facebook is casual. The purchase intent would (in most cases) be a lot lower since it’s an important business decision. Does that mean you shouldn’t have a Facebook page? Although some B2B startups may disagree, I would still recommend having a Facebook presence because without it your startup will lose the edge in many instances (searchability on Google, advertising, check-ins… the list goes on).

The major challenges you’ll face on Facebook

 
First, let’s talk about the Facebook Edgerank Algorithm which drastically affects your posts’ visibility (super serious).

Ever wonder why your Facebook post reach is going down even though you publish top-notch content? Blame the Edgerank algorithm. Facebook only shows customized content to people even when they’ve liked your page.

Users that don’t engage will never see your new status updates

That’s thanks to the millions of Facebook pages also fighting for attention. Think of it like babysitting 1.6B 10 year olds (it’s okay, we’re just pretending.) Mark Zuckerberg knows this and introduced Edgerank to make sure that people only see content they care about ( they also need to make money by encouraging companies to invest in ads and increase reach, but that’s neither here nor there).

So the major challenges your startup might face may include:

  • Declining post reach because of the new algorithm (don’t get surprised if only 5% of followers see your post)
  • Confusion in understanding which type of content/posts work best for you and at what time.

Post reach

 
This problem can be solved if more people interact with your posts (duh). Here is how to do it.

Show what’s happening inside and hear people out
Promoting transparency and openness always sends a positive message and helps people connect with your company on a deeper level. This also gives people a chance to tell what they think of your company (yay, free user feedback.) Johnny Cupcakes is a great example.

Post at non-peak times
Since everyone is trying to publish at the same time (say 6 p.m.), try posting at a non-peak time. That way you’re competing with fewer accounts for attention. You can check the peak and nonpeak times in your Facebook Insights. I find that 11:43 a.m., 3:24 p.m., and 8:54 p.m. work great for DMZ accounts (this won’t be the same for you.) Overall industry stats show that the best time to post is between 1 and 3 pm and Thursday’s, Friday’s and Sunday’s see the most engagement.

Use more of pictures and videos
Various ‘studies’ have shown that pictures, video and live posts have higher weightage than status updates and links.

Content

 
Evidence shows that picture, video and live posts perform 43% better than any other posts. The optimum resolution for pictures is 940 px * 2048 px. Topical articles (good or bad) always perform better, so check what’s trending on Facebook (fake news… what fake news?) Also, posts that are optimized with Open Graph perform 64% better (more in the final tips section)

Final tips

 
Your content is great, your page is on fire and you’re getting leads like it’s Christmas morning. Before you celebrate, here are a few tips on adding that final touch to make sure you don’t look amateur.

Open graph


When you add a link to Facebook, it auto generates a preview at the bottom of your post. When this happens you’re free to delete the link from your post (neat, eh!) From here you can change the article title, description and even add in your own picture. You know your audience best, so take the time to customize each post to better engage and attract them.

Hashtags DON’T always work


I get it, you love hashtags. Your team just scored a large lump sum of funding and you want to let everyone in the world know. Considering what we discussed above (the Facebook Edgerank Algorithm), users aren’t actually going out there and looking for hashtags on Facebook. One hashtag is enough, but treat your business page in this case like your personal one. You’re having a one-on-one conversation with each user. Studies show that posts without hashtags (formatted properly) will do 7% better than ones with. Something is better than nothing.

Calm down, someone’s already beat you to the punch


Facebook isn’t like any other platform. You shouldn’t be posting six times a day (or everyday for that matter). Of course this all depends on your industry, audience and type of content, but Facebook is the most used platform out there. Users will usually have 20 minute sessions on the platform, 6-10 times a day. So if you’re posting too often, you’re spamming. Listen to your audience and track what posts do better on what day and time. Rinse and repeat from then on.

Key terms

 
Impression: How many times your post was seen.

Reach: How many individual accounts/people your post made it to.

Likes: ‘I agree with what you shared so I’m going to like this post’

Shares: ‘I super agree with what you shared! My friends need to see this’

Comments: ‘Great picture, Sheila!’

Conclusion

 
Knowing when, how and what to do with Facebook can be tough. But if done properly, the returns are well worth it. Some B2C companies out there understand this and sell more inventory through Facebook than on their website. Listen, learn and adapt. The right content strategy and approach can save you a lot of time, money and worry.

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