Off the Ground Blog

Senior Start-Ups

Feb 2, 2015

As Canada ages, the sphere of entrepreneurship is bound to become older and wiser as we approach the age of the senior entrepreneur.  This week we showcase the "seniorpreneur," who has unique desires, skills and needs that set them apart from their younger counterparts.

Five Great Business Books of 2014

Feb 2, 2015

So many books, so little time! If you're wondering where to start, try this list of some of the most popular business books of 2014. 1. Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger What makes things popular? Why do people talk about certain products and ideas more than others? And what makes online content go viral?

Private Market Research Firms: Hidden Gems for Free Market Insight

Jan 1, 2015

Hiring a market research firm to access deep insight into markets is valuable but many times highly costly for young start-ups or small businesses. However, if you know where to look, you can gain access to quality knowledge that top market research companies freely distribute online. The information on these websites is published in a variety of forms, and usually spans the gamut of all things market research.

Image Editing Tools

Jan 1, 2015

There are a lot of image creation and editing tools available online, many that offer free accounts as well as premium versions. Don’t worry if you’re not a graphic designer—whether you want to make an infographic, edit a photograph, or create visual content for social media, there are tools that can help you do it. Here are just a few, but there are plenty more out there!

Keep Your Family Business Running Strong with These 5 Tips - Video Content Roundup

Dec 12, 2014

Most entrepreneurs go into a family business expecting there to be challenges. However, they often don’t realize from the outset exactly how tricky things can get. Collaborating and communicating with coworkers requires effort in any business environment—but when you bring family ties into the equation, that effort has to be multiplied if you want to keep your home life harmonious and your business moving toward success. If you have a family business or you’re interested in starting one, check out the tips below.

Staying Healthy and Balanced Through the Start-Up Process

Nov 11, 2014

The start-up process is notorious for consuming your mind and body. With so many decisions needing to be made, there is little time for remembering the other things that also define you – your family, friends and hobbies – and keep you grounded. In fact, in the 2014 Start-up Survey, Sage North America found that work/life balance is the number ONE personal concern of start-ups.

Women's Entrepreneurship Day 2014

Nov 11, 2014

November 19th is the inaugural celebration of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day! Part of Global Entrepreneurship Week (November 17-23), Women's Entrepreneurship Day will be celebrated in 144 countries in recognition of the contribution that women make to local, national, and global economies. Some statistics about women entrepreneurs:

SBA Infographic Update 2014

Nov 11, 2014

We're excited to present an updated version of our infographic and showcase some of our key accomplishments over the last three years of the SBA program! We have created this to reach out to our diverse audience of prospective entrepreneurs, small businesses, librarians working in public and academic libraries, colleagues in business support organizations, educators and students at UBC and beyond.