Global Affairs Canada – Trade Commissioner Service

Global Affairs Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service helps thousands of Canadian small and medium sized enterprises tackle concrete problems and uncover export opportunities through the following services: Help you expand to global markets Help connect your business in the market Help you find key contacts in the market Provide you with business insight Will try to help you reduce your risks Assist you in finding new opportunities Assist you in resolving business issues in foreign markets

Global Affairs Canada – Trade Missions

Canada Trade Missions provide access to resources from Canada’s export agencies, and present unique opportunities and benefits to participants. During the trade missions companies will participate in: Business to business meetings Business briefings Market and sector presentations/discussions Site visits (when possible) Networking events Face-time with the minister or senior government officials

Global Affairs Canada – Canadian Technology Accelerators

A Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA) can give your company a head start in a foreign market. CTAs are located in major tech hubs and support firms in a wide range of technology sectors. Each CTA focuses on helping businesses take advantage of what the local market has to offer. These services vary among CTAs, but generally include:

Mentorship and advice from industry leaders in the foreign market
Office space in technology centres shared with other entrepreneurs and innovators
Access to potential investors
Connections and networking in the technology business community

Government of Canada Business-E-business Security, Privacy, and Legal Requirements

There are several strategies that can help you reduce the risks you and your customers face when doing business online. Be aware of these risks and take steps to deal with them before they become problem including: Protecting your clients Security Privacy Privacy policy Credit and debit card handling Legal requirements for e-business

IG Wealth Management

Life is constantly changing, which is why you need a plan, and a pro-active advisor, that can adapt with your evolving needs and goals. We help you create a financial plan – an IG Living Plan – that moves and grows along with your life. Our goal? To improve your financial well-being and make sure you can embrace all of life’s possibilities. Solutions for your evolving business Whatever stage your business is at, we can help expand your operations, attract & retain employees, and maximize year-end profits. Whether your looking to pay yourself, invest, plan for succession,  receive tax advice and help with planning, get advice on insurance, or deciding to incorporate, our advisors will work with you to help you make the right decision for your and your business.  

Invest Nova Scotia Accelerate Streams

Invest Nova Scotia is thrilled to announce five Invest Nova Scotia Accelerate streams, each offering cash and expertise to Nova Scotia start-ups hitting milestones on the path to investment-readiness.

Invest Nova Scotia TecSocial

TecSocial is a monthly meeting for those with an interest in technology and entrepreneurship. The topics feature a variety of entrepreneurs and subject matter experts. TecSocial brings together entrepreneurs from across Cape Breton, Invest Nova Scotia clients, business professionals, industry representatives and students. These events are free and open to the public. Appetizers provided are compliments of Invest Nova Scotia.

Island Sandbox

The Island Sandbox is a member of the Nova Scotia Sandbox community. We provide space for various student groups from Cape Breton University and NSCC Marconi Campus to experiment with new entrepreneurial ideas and access business mentors and other support. We deliver unique hands-on programing and workshops to assist in professional and personal development. The Island Sandbox borrows from a time when we first learned to use grains of sand to create a world of possibilities fed solely by our imagination. In that sandbox from our childhood, we learned to collaborate with our peers and to learn through play. At the Island Sandbox, we bring students together with our communities’ entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and academia to create an environment where imagination and innovation can flourish. It is a place to experiment and to see the world through the eyes of an entrepreneur. The Island Sandbox is a collaboration between Cape Breton University and the Nova Scotia Community College to serve as a collision space for ideas and innovation. Our primary focus is to help students explore problems/opportunities through Design Thinking.

Le Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse

The CDÉNÉ provides services to existing and potential businesses and entrepreneurs to support them in the development and success of their business or entrepreneurial initiatives. Our business advisors can:

Help develop feasibility studies and business, marketing and strategic plans
Provide advice on how to start, grow or improve your business
Provide mentorship for new entrepreneurs
Lead professional development sessions
Provide information funding sources and subjects related to entrepreneurship (statistics, demographic data, etc.)
Put you in contact with people and agencies that provide additional services

CDÉNÉ also provides economic immigration services to employers / entrepreneurs in Acadian and Francophone communities.

Lobster Council of Canada

The Lobster Council of Canada was established in 2009 to bring together Canadian lobster industry stakeholders including harvesters, live shippers, processors, First Nations, and governments to work on projects of mutual benefit. The mandate of the Lobster Council of Canada is to enhance the value of the Canadian lobster sector in a sustainable fashion by addressing the issues of importance to the industry. The organization aims to:

Focus discussion and action around identified industry challenges
Set goals and targets that will strengthen the sector’s competitive position and enhance Canada’s overall capacity to meet the changing demands of markets
Provide direction on market access issues including sustainability certification, food safety and traceability requirements
Coordinate sustained marketing initiatives regionally, nationally and internationally that promote the Canadian lobster industry
Lead industry/government relations and create a shared understanding of key challenges and opportunities facing the sector
Communicate internally to industry to create improved awareness of the key issues, challenges and opportunities facing the industry and to build trust and confidence
Communicate externally to customers by highlighting the positive attributes of lobster to further build the Canadian “brand” through promotional and educational campaigns
Facilitate efforts to improve returns to the industry through innovation and the identification and implementation of changes that will improve the overall value-chain