NCFA Guest Post | Mar 4, 2019

At some point in your business life, you will need to raise money. It might be right at the start so you can hit the ground running, or it could be later on when you want to expand and need a boost. Whenever and why ever you want to raise money, it’s important to know what options are open to you, as there are many different ones, and they won’t all suit your situation. Here are some of the main ways to finance your business venture, no matter what reason that money is required.

Look To The Government

Depending on how much you need, what you intend to do with it, and what sector you are working in, there might be a government scheme or grant that could work for you. You will need to research this thoroughly, and it is always wise to ask for expert advice if you think there is something that could apply to you and your business.

If in doubt, apply for the grant or scheme anyway. The worst that can happen is that you are told no, and it might just be that you are able to obtain the money you need through this means. Even if it is a loan, the interest rate is likely to be much lower than those of traditional lenders.

See:  Peer-to-peer lending will help small businesses stay afloat

Loans

What most people think of when they start to consider financing their business is a loan. This could be a business loan or perhaps a personal one. Loans can be extremely useful, offering you the money you need and giving you the peace of mind of knowing how much you need to pay back each month, and for how long.

To obtain a business loan, you will need to have a business plan that outlines exactly where you plan to spend the money and how it will help you to make a profit so that you can pay the money back again. Some lenders might not be able to lend to a startup business that has no financial records, however, because they simply can’t be sure of being paid back.

In this case, some business owners might turn to a personal loan. This can be just as good, as long as the business pays the loan back so that the individual is not out of pocket. The only problem is that you might not be granted a loan due to a poor credit score. This is why it’s best to check beforehand; you can either dispute your ranking on ChexSystems and find out more on Crediful.com why this is a good idea, or you can try to repair your credit if you can’t find any errors. At this point, you can apply for another loan.

Find An Angel Investor

An angel investor is a wealthy individual who is keen to invest in a business in order to get a return on their money. How much they put in and how much they want in return will vary, and is something you will need to discuss between you if you can set up a meeting with such an investor.

Some angel investors will want to put money into a business and then leave others to run it. Others will want to be more involved, and may want to be part of the management team. Again, this is all to be negotiated when the finer details are discussed.

See:  CSA Staff Notice: Update on the Start-up Crowdfunding Registration and Prospectus Exemptions

Crowdfunding

You will probably have heard of crowdfunding, and perhaps you have even invested some money yourself, but you might not have considered it for your own business. However, it can be ideal for raising money to help you to grow, and shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand. Crowdfunding is no longer just for charities and good causes; small businesses are more than welcome to create a page as well.

There are many different crowdfunding companies available to choose from, each one specializing in a different area. Research is key, because writing a great campaign but using it on the wrong forum is not going to help you get the money you need for your business.

The first step is to find the right forum and create the campaign. After this, you will need to share it on social media, and ensure that others share it too. Some campaigns offer stakes in the business or products or services in return for cash, so you will need to know what you are willing to give away in order to bring in the money you need.

The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

NCFA 2019 Conference Closes with Renewed Focus on Fostering Innovation in Fintech

April 16, 2019

NCFA | Team FFCON19 | April 16, 2019 5th annual Fintech and Financing Conference in Toronto addressed challenges and successes of entrepreneurs and innovators transforming the financial industry TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 16, 2019 / The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA), the non-profit cross-body organization that promotes and supports fintech and funding throughout Canada, closed its 5th annual flagship Fintech and Financing Conference - FFCON - which featured numerous fintech market leaders, as well as industry experts, government officials, and prominent tech investors. "FEARLESS" was the theme for this year's conference, celebrating the boldness and innovative nature of the FinTech industry, where entrepreneurs constantly challenge pre-existing financial systems with innovative new products and services. The conference brought together more than 500 attendees who experienced keynote speeches, immersive learning, workshops, startup pitch presentations and awards, an exhibitor floor, and networking receptions. Key themes explored at FFCON19: FEARLESS: RISK is a conscious choice and necessary to innovate; Digital trust and security are essential for mass adoption; The digital bank and future of fintech is already here; Collaboration and new social (decentralized) models can revitalize markets controlled by incumbents with too much power and no incentive to change; Private-public market ...
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Cities and states around the country are banning stores from refusing to accept cash, and it’s a troubling trend for Amazon

April 16, 2019

Business Insider | Dennis Green | March 25, 2019 Stores that do not accept cash are on the rise, from quick-service lunch spots to Amazon's Go stores. Not accepting cash can speed up lines and make life easier for card-carrying consumers. But a backlash has grown, as the cashless trend leaves out lower-income customers who may not have a bank account. Massachusetts, Philadelphia, and New Jersey have already barred stores from rejecting cash as payment, and New York City and San Francisco are considering similar measures. This could affect the growth of Amazon's physical stores, which do not accept cash. Cashless stores are becoming controversial. See:  Under pressure Amazon plans to accept cash at cashless Go stores Bank Customers Are Primed And Ready For Amazon Stores that do not accept cash are on the rise, from quick-service lunch spots to Amazon's physical stores. Not accepting cash can speed up lines or eliminate them altogether, making life easier for card-carrying consumers. Not everybody is on board with this cashless utopia, however. Backlash has started, as the cashless trend leaves out lower-income customers who may not have a bank account. As of last year, an estimated 15.6 million people in the US ...
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[Report] A New North Star: Canadian Competitiveness in an Intangibles Economy

April 16, 2019

Public Policy Forum | Robert Asselin and Sean Speer | April 4, 2019 Rise of the intangibles When New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady played in his first Super Bowl in 2002, there was no iTunes store, no Facebook, no Instagram, no Airbnb, no Gmail and no Skype. Today the companies who own these intangible assets are worth more than $4 trillion. The rise of the intangibles economy will have sweeping policy implications that will become clearer over time. Nobody knows for sure where this is heading. Our overriding objective in this paper is to help catalyze a bi-partisan policy discussion about a new “north star” for Canada’s economic competitiveness and the types of policy reforms needed to start us on this path. As part of this process, we set out a series of policy recommendations that cover the classic drivers of competitiveness such as taxation and regulation and drivers for the intangibles economy such as data governance, intellectual property retention, and the race for talent. But as important as these prescriptions are, the main takeaway for policymakers and the Canadian public is that the rise of the intangibles economy requires that we test old assumptions and are open to ...
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Ep30-Apr 12: The Future of Canadian Crypto With Andrei Poliakov

April 12, 2019

NCFA Canada | April 12, 2019 JOIN US ON A STORYTELLING JOURNEY EVERY FRIDAY. Ep30-Apr 12:  The Future of Canadian Crypto With Andrei Poliakov About this episode:  On this episode of the Fintech Fridays Podcast, our Host Manseeb Khan sat down with Andrei Poliakov the CEO of Coinberry. They chatted about the future of Coinberry, the power of blockchain and his favorite failure.  Enjoy! HOST: Manseeb Khan, Fintech Friday's show host GUEST:  ANDREI POLIAKOV, CEO and Co-Founder, Coinberry (Linkedin) BIO:  Andrei is a seasoned entrepreneur having previously launched and managed various start-ups with a strong focus on implementation and early-stage strategy development. Having finished the University of Toronto with a bachelor in Electrical Engineering, Andrei worked in Business Consulting before completing his IMBA at York University, Schulich School of Business. Andrei brings to Coinberry +10 years of algorithm design, management and strategy development experience in various corporate settings with leading multinationals around the world. Subscribe and tune in each Friday to check out the latest movers and shakers in fintech. Listen to more podcasts here: Season 1 | Season 2 Transcription of Interview Intro: Welcome fintech Friday's a weekly podcast brought to you by the National Crowdfunding and Fintech Association of ...
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Statement on “Framework for ‘Investment Contract’ Analysis of Digital Assets”

April 9, 2019

SEC | April 3, 2019 Bill Hinman, Director of Division of Corporation Finance Valerie Szczepanik, Senior Advisor for Digital Assets and Innovation Blockchain and distributed ledger technology can catalyze a wide range of innovation.  We have seen these technologies used to create financial instruments, sometimes in the form of tokens or coins that can provide investment opportunities like those offered through more traditional forms of securities.  Depending on the nature of the digital asset, including what rights it purports to convey and how it is offered and sold, it may fall within the definition of a security under the U.S. federal securities laws. As part of a continuing effort to assist those seeking to comply with the U.S. federal securities laws, FinHub is publishing a framework for analyzing whether a digital asset is offered and sold as an investment contract, and, therefore, is a security.  The framework is not intended to be an exhaustive overview of the law, but rather, an analytical tool to help market participants assess whether the federal securities laws apply to the offer, sale, or resale of a particular digital asset.  Also, the Division of Corporation Finance is issuing a response to a no-action request, indicating that ...
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#FFCON19 talked about how to build trust in the 21st century

April 9, 2019

TechDaily | Stefan Palios  | April 8, 2019 To be fearless, you have to set up the right conditions and environment. Taking this perspective to heart, #FFCON19, a conference put on by the National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association, pondered how to create the right conditions so entrepreneurs can be fearless in their work. From conversations about AI creating fake videos to open banking, the wide-ranging conference detailed that fearlessness comes from using the right tech at the right time, desiring a positive outcome more than wanting to avoid a negative outcome, and putting the right regulations in place. Deep fakes and identifying what’s real Kicking off the conference, entrepreneur Toufi Saliba brought the idea of ‘deep fake’ to the conversation, the premise that artificial intelligence technology can make videos appear to be of certain people. See:  The growing cost of cybersecurity “Deep fake enables everyone with a computer to download software to enable you to put someone speaking in a video, saying something they did not actually say,” Saliba explained. While innocently used in gag videos, the negative side is much more concerning. With this technology, said Saliba, hackers and other malicious actors can declare war, pretending to be a ...
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Canada’s Regulatory System for Fintech is Complex, Costly and Chaotic. It is Stifling Fintech Innovation

April 9, 2019

Crowdfund Insider | JD Alois | Apr 4, 2019 Canada may be a smaller market but it has a robust, highly sophisticated economy and a vibrant Fintech sector. Toronto, the financial center of the country, is home to dozens of Fintechs including payment firms, online lending, AI, wealth management, blockchain and more. Yet while there are promising indications of financial innovation and a good number risk-taking Fintech entrepreneurs, a recent Canadian report noted a “need for a clear Fintech strategy by the federal and provincial governments with the intent of supporting innovation and growth for the Canadian financial services sector.” Like most other industries, competition in financial services is intense. As it is a highly regulated sector of industry, participants must continuously manage compliance demands while interacting with diverse public officials and regulatory requirements. These same rules, if duplicative or misaligned, can act as a barrier to positive innovation and change that challenges established firms and entrenched orthodoxies. The emergence of Fintech and the digitization of financial services, from banking and beyond, has seen multiple Fintech centers of prominence emerge. The UK has long been known for its Fintech friendly regulatory environment. Regulators frequently engage with emerging new business models ...
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Look Who’s Coming to FFCON19! Last Chance to get Tickets

April 2, 2019

LAST CHANCE FOR TICKETSApril 3 SOLD OUTApril 4 last block of tickets >90%#FFCON19 “Motivation is the catalyzing ingredient for every successful innovation. The same is true for learning.”  Clayton Christensen FFCON19 is here and officially kicks off tomorrow!  Congrats on the 9 pitching finalists announced Some more speakers added! Brady Fletcher, Managing Director and Head of TSX Venture Exchange Jon Medved, CEO, OurCrowd Fred Pye, CEO, 3iQ Corp Neha Khera, Partner, 500 Startups Alixe Cormick, President, Venture Law Corporation Sandi Gilbert, CEO, InterGen and Chair of NACO David Lucatch, Chairman, Pegasus RJ Reiser, Chief Growth Officer, Polymath Keren, Moynihan, Co-Founder, Boss Insights Check out all 50+ speakers here Please meet FFCON’s Incredible Master of Ceremonies April 3:  Chantel Costa    April 4:  Amy ter Haar Look who’s coming to #FFCON19?  JOIN US!   THANKS TO OUR AWESOME FFCON19 PARTNERS!   HOST: PLATINUM: GOLD PARTNERS: SILVER PARTNERS: ...
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Live Pitching Finalists Announced for FFCON19: FEARLESS

March 31, 2019

NCFA | Team FFCON19 | March 31, 2019Nine high-growth companies have been selected from inbound applications to pitch live at the 5th annual Fintech and Financing Conference: FEARLESS (#FFCON19).These companies will be pitching in three sessions on April 4, to be led by pitch session partner hosts McCarthy Tétrault,  Toronto Starts.and the PCMA.Congratulations to the 9 finalists!BalanceBooknBrunchConsilium CryptoFeedbackFintrosHedgieOwl LabsneedlsVacation FundOne winning company will be selected for the inaugural People's Choice Award, which celebrates an up and coming startup that is the most innovative and most impactful, as determined by the pitch session judges and the crowd.The Conference, to be held from April 3-4, 2019, attracts fintech, blockchain and AI innovators, investors, companies actively raising capital and key decision makers/stakeholders in technology and capital markets from all over Canada and around the world. Click here to view the full program.   The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders ...
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Crowdfunding: How It Works and Its Development in 2019

March 30, 2019

Guest Post | March 30, 2019 In the era of globalization and new technology, crowdfunding is becoming an essential tool for fundraising for both charitable and commercial goals. Main Features of Crowdfunding in 2019 Crowdfunding presents a legal and working model for funds raising. Its success has been proven and reflected in practice. The thing is that very few entrepreneurs have the means to finance their projects at the start. A businessperson may have a profitable idea, but they cannot implement it due to the lack of money. Also, other kinds of expensive projects, such as raising funds for urgent treatment when it is a matter of life or death, can also require such a model. Using crowdfunding, everyone has an opportunity to tell people about their goals, the ways to achieve them, and the required budget. According to the World Bank report, it is expected that this industry will attract more than $95 billion this year. Through that, the need to finance a promising project and solve a specific problem can be addressed to a broader public. The main advantage here is that everyone can get what they want — a recipient can raise money for their business, and ...
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