Business

The 2012 Canadian Federal Budget

My Budget First Impression

It is good to be young right now!

Photo Credits: Courtesy Financial Post Staff

Looking at this budget at first glance my first response is… wow this is soft! The Conservative government really likes to spend money and as a young professional I am happy to see that they have indicated they are going to spend $2 Billion in innovation with a focus on commercialization. It is very straight forward, very basic and very logical. The most important part of this document for any entrepreneur, business or person between the ages of 18-45 is in Chapter 3. The following is a brief summary of some highlights that are indicated on the www.budget.gc.ca website. 

Political Commentary

A Harsh Beat Down For Environmentalist

From a political policy standpoint there is a direct attack against environmental groups. I have not read for myself but according to sources who have dived deep into the document already Aboriginal Affairs is going to be giving up about 2.7 percent of its budget vs. the 8.9 percent that is suspected Environment Canada is going to have to give up. Clearly those who appose the “Tar Sands” I mean “Oil Sands” this has to be a big kick in the teeth! Continue reading →

The Funding Portal & Weekly Highlights

“All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual.”

      – Albert Einstein 

About The Funding Portal

The Funding Portal is an amazing Canadian resource and business  that educates clients on funding opportunities and policy initiatives. I have had the pleasure of meeting the founder and CEO as well as working with several staff on potential projects. They offered very friendly service and more importantly possess the expertise and experience that helps Entrepreneurs navigate the sometimes cloudy world of government funding. The most important and impressive thing about The Funding Portal is how they are organized. The company has created a for profit sustainable business model that is built on value and education.  The future of Canadian business growth and commercialization is in a prosperous and healthy place because of the creation of this portal and network. 

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Ontario’s Clean Technology Commitment

Ontario is rapidly emerging as an international hub for developing innovative clean tech solutions and delivering them to markets worldwide.

Ontario’s Green Energy and Green Economy Act (GEA), passed in 2009, places a priority on establishing Ontario as the North American leader in producing and using clean and renewable sources of energy including wind, water, solar, biomass and biogas power.

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Top Documentary: There’s No Tomorrow

“Energy and persistence conquer all things”.  – Benjamin Franklin

Documentary Summary

This weeks Top Documentary Selection is entitled “There’s No Tomorrow”. It is a half-hour animated documentary about resource depletion, energy and the impossibility of infinite growth on a finite planet.

Inspired by the pro-capitalist cartoons of the 1940s, the film is an introduction to the energy dilemmas facing the world today.

“The average American today has available the energy equivalent of 150 slaves, working 24 hours a day. Materials that store this energy for work are called fuels. Some fuels contain more energy than others. This is called energy density.” Continue reading →

The Energy Sector & Clean Tech Ecosystem

What is the Energy Sector ?

The Energy Sector is a category of stocks that relates to producing or supplying energy. This sector includes companies involvedin the exploration and development of oil or gas reserves, oil and gas drilling, or integrated power firms.

Investopedia explains the ‘Energy Sector’

Performance in the sector is largely driven by the supply and demand for worldwide energy. Energy producers will do very well during times of high oil and gas prices, but will earn less when the value of energy drops. Furthermore, this sector is sensitive to political events, which historically have driven changes in the price of oil.

Courtesy of Investopedia.

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An Inspirational Cooking Story: Jeff Henderson Streets to the Stove

Jeff Henderson Bio: Photo Credits The Food Network

This post was inspired because over the last 4 years I have been so deeply involved in business and politics that I have not had the time to make many home cooked meals. This has been tough because I  always wanted to be a chef when I was younger and it is a huge lifestyle uplifter. I can remember back in university I would have ESPN and the Food Network on constantly, however recently that has been replaced with pure CNBC, and BNN. I remember on occasion hosting  big pancake breakfasts and cooking massive dinners enough to feed 10-12 of my football teammates in my basement apartment before entering the working real world.

Well after a few years of retirement from the kitchen I am finally getting back into this long lost hobby and life supporting skill. I was inspired by Robin Burns, a family friend who makes the most incredible Guacamole Recipe you can believe. You can also visit her website at  www.thehungrybirdy.com trust me you will not be disappointed.

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A Vision Of The Future: By Corning

I thought this video by Corning was very interesting! I think this company is doing very positive things with there Marketing and that they have a very special Entrepreneur  behind the vision.  They are telling a story and making the

Corning Glass Future Concept www.corning.com

Consumer the central theme of it, they are selling the concept of Corning and the future of how we will use glass.  I really liked how they used simplicity in delivering there message. The only sound in this video was the soft beautiful music playing in the background which allowed the viewer to get lost in there own thoughts and imagination or maybe that was just me. lol

Here is the Link to Video if you would like to find out what I am talking about.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cf7IL_eZ38

These were some of the questions and thoughts that came racing out of my head after watching this video through the perspective and mind of two different viewpoints the Consumer and Entrepreneur. Continue reading →

How Good Was Your Day?…Honestly

In business and specially in accounting you have to track everything. First and most fundamental  is tracking your  Debits & Credits vs Account Type,  click the link to get a basic overview of this principle.  Inspired by this basic principle it got me thinking about the balance sheet of my day, and how positive or negative it might be? and how I can answer a simple question with complete honesty and statistical evidence.

Everyday presents a new wave of emotion that comes from our every day activities and life events.  Constantly  connected to our smart phones  it is difficult to accurately process and respond to information, and complete desired task.  (Twitter, Facebook, Email, RSS Feeds, etc.. get in the way of “Getting Things Done” (#GTD), so I developed a new end of the day activity to help accurately determine how good my day actually was.

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Relationships, Stress, & Perseverance (Intro)

“Trust your gut, take care of yourself, and remember if your not mentally strong and in a good place, either is your business and your ability to grow. ” 

This is an introduction to a 3 part blog posting that will focus on Relationships, Stress, and Perseverance. I will attempt to show how understanding these three things are crucial to developing a successful business venture. I will use examples reflecting on my own personal experience, I’m living it, this is as authentic as it gets.

Relationships (Part 1)

In the first post I will focus and look at relationships such as family, personal, business, and  those that are simply just to complicated to even explain. These relationships can cloud your vision, and severely hinder your mental health. In the last year I have learned that “managing” these relationships are a fundamental pillar and the most important thing any young entrepreneur or aspiring young professional can do. I have made many mistakes, but I  have also learned from each one.  I thought sharing this knowledge would go a long way to help others avoid some unnecessary avoidable problems.

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Citizens For Halifax Candidates Survey

Written By Downey Campaign Official Agent , for Citizens For Halifax

The following survey was completed October 2008  for Halifax Regional Municipal Election (HRM). The organization responsible for this survey is called Citizens For Halifax. It is an independent grassroots society that was  built to promote change and progressive ideas within the HRM; they plan on doing this by encouraging and engaging the community to be active,  within the democratic process. Citizens for Halifax encourages and supports candidates for civic office. They advocate intelligent, thoughtful, fiscally responsible civic government. Their core goal as an organization is to enhance the progress of the HRM with a bold vision for a more prosperous city of the future.

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