Navigating Entrepreneurial Startup Support with Isabel Nolan from Startup Canada

In this episode of Small Business School, Staci Millard sits down with Isabel Nolan from Startup Canada to unpack the incredible (and often overlooked) ecosystem of support available to entrepreneurs across Canada. From free programming and funding opportunities to the power of networking and mindset, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone starting or growing a business. 

Key topics covered:

• The role of Startup Canada in supporting entrepreneurs nationwide
• Free programs, pitch competitions, and funding opportunities available
• Why networking is more powerful than most entrepreneurs realize
• The mindset traits that lead to success (and what holds people back)
• The importance of confidence, market research, and asking for help
• Common mistakes entrepreneurs make when scaling too quickly
• Misconceptions around funding, grants, and investment

Success in business isn’t about having everything figured out—it’s about taking action, asking for help, and surrounding yourself with the right resources and people along the way. 

Connect with Isabel:

Instagram: @startupcanada

Website: https://www.startupcan.ca/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelnolan/

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Small Business School, where we help you build a driving business on your own company. We've been right where you are, scaling from the basement to the board. So we get it. We know the challenges of entrepreneurship, the highs, the lows, and the sleeping. But here's the thing that's definitely we're here to make it easier to business differently. We're gonna give you the inspiration and it's gonna be the easy we are busy supporting others like welcome back to Small Business School. On today's episode, I am joined by Isabel from Startup Canada, and I am so excited for this episode because we have so many people that come into our world that are starting businesses and they don't know where to turn to. And Isabel, they instantly get like if they get a referral to us, they're like, okay, how do I pay you for these things? But I'll tell you, it just turns in my stomach because I'm like, I know that we need to charge for our services, but there's so many options out there that help people for way more cost effective than we could. And I'm like, you you just need to know about these programs. And so I am very eager to talk to the you about startup and all the programs that you have and how you really help um people grow their business. So welcome to the show. I'm excited to have you here. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I'm delighted to be here. Yeah. Tell us a little bit about your role with Startup and like what you love about the organization.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

For sure. Um, so I mean, to kind of give background on Startup Canada for those who aren't familiar, we're a national national nonprofit. We support entrepreneurs from early stage and following through to your journey. And we're really here to help you navigate um all the incredible resources and um ecosystem supporters that are here in Canada. Um, so that is our main goal is to support entrepreneurs through that journey and ensuring that they have the right resources at hand. Um, because like I said, and as you said as well, like there's so much out there, it's hard to know exactly where to put your energy when your time is so limited as a business owner. Um, my role, um I'm director of programs. So I oversee um like the creation, the research and development of um each of our flagship programs. Um, we have a wonderful um team, program team that is the brains behind all the operations for those um all the different programs that we uh that we offer. Um I I I would say one one of my favorite things about my job is getting to meet the entrepreneurs. We do a lot of in-person events. A lot of our programming we will offer virtual um attendance for, uh, but getting to meet entrepreneurs face to face is just so rewarding. Being able to obviously see the impact that we can have on them and their journey. Um, but but also getting to watch them beyond that, getting to watch them flourish and um following along their journeys is is so wonderful. And for us to be able to say we were a small part of that journey is just incredibly rewarding.

SPEAKER_00 3:28

Yeah. I think it's a really um, you know, sometimes in business, like we can't see the forest for the trees. So I think it's a really unique position that you're in because one, like if if you're providing programming, like you're seeing people face to face and you get to see that transition, but you're almost like zoomed out and you're seeing across many businesses from like a like sort of you know 50,000 foot view of like, okay, what's working? Who's having the greatest results? Like what are statistically like what's working the best? How do we serve these people and like getting to design programs around that? Um, do you want to share with us like some of your favorite programs that you have to offer?

SPEAKER_01 4:07

Sure. I mean, it would be kind of I think it would be sort of bad for me to say I have a favorite program. I'd be like a favorite child. Yeah. Um each of our programs serves a different purpose. Um, so I'll take you through each of the programs that we have. I will say at the top, all of our programs are free to engage with. Uh the only caveat is our in-person events that we do. We have uh like a small nominal charge for entrepreneurs. That being said, if an entrepreneur reached out to us to say, hey, $20 is even too much for me right now, that's no issue. We never want costs to be a barrier. Um, so starting off with our Startup Canada tour, this is really our boots on the ground um initiative. Um, so it's it's sort of how Startup Canada was started. Um, our co-founders went around Canada to various different cities, every province and territory to um to find out from entrepreneurs what is working, what isn't working, what supports do you need. Um, so it's also our way of going back to our roots. Um, so this is sort of a multi-city um event series that we do each year. Um, we we started it back in 2023, and um it's our way of bringing together the uh entrepreneurs of these different cities that we go to, as well as the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, and also we bring in some of our national partners. So we have main stage interactions, um, we do an ASCII expert lounge, which is really our way of providing mentorship to entrepreneurs. Um, we have pitch competition as well, so entrepreneurs can actually walk away with some cash on the day. Um, and then the networking opportunity as well. Um, and uh I know it's it's it's that's not nothing new for someone to hear about networking, but um, it really does make a difference to grow your network as much as you can. So getting to have these in-person um engagements um is is great. Uh, we just did our first one of the year in Halifax, then we'll be going to Victoria in September, and then our sort of climactic event will be in Mississauga at the end of October. So that's the startup kind of the tour. Uh Startup Global, this is our program that supports entrepreneurs looking to export to a new market. Um, so our virtual engagements with that, we do topic-focused webinars, we do industry roundtables, um, and this program has a hundred thousand dollars cash prize uh pitch competition. Um, so you can either purch in person um at the various different startup candidate tour stops. Uh, we'll also be doing some pop-up pitches in uh Calgary um as well as other cities. Um, and uh and we've got $100,000 to provide entrepreneurs who are ready to export their um their business. Um we have startup women, so this is geared towards um women on women identifying entrepreneurs. Again, we do topic-focused webinars, industry roundtables. Um, we also um, I'd say my favorite part about that program will be our Startup Women Advocacy Network. Um, this was sort of a passion project of mine when I first started in Startup Canada. Um, I wanted a way to showcase the incredible businesses that women are creating across Canada. So we will have a representative, if you will, from each province and territory. Um, and we provide them with brand exposure, storytelling opportunities, and we also bring them together for quarterly town halls where we'll work through their identified um uh like challenges and hurdles that they're going through, and we'll bring in experts to support them through that as well. We also have um the Startup Canada Equal Size program. This is designed for equity-seeking, equity-deserving entrepreneurs. Um, so this has four webinars attached to it, and but it also has a pitch competition attached to it, equally with $100,000 up for grabs. Um so we'll do one in-person pitch competition in Toronto and then one virtual in November. Um, and then very quickly, I'll mention we we launched Startup AI this year. Um, and this was sort of our phase one to really uh figure out how we can best create a a program around AI. It's moving so quickly uh all the time, as as we're all very aware. Um, but we we wanted to be able to bring together entrepreneurs and other ecosystem supporters for with three different, or sorry, four different um regional roundtables across Canada to kind of meet them where they're at, see what would be the most beneficial um way for them to adopt and and use AI in their business and help them with their business um uh duties and all the things. Um so that's it, that's the the laundry list so far. We also do podcasts as well, um, as as well as a lot of advocacy uh with with government. So we're constantly um uh working for entrepreneurs all day, every day, um, and advocating for them.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

I just I love the range of programming because like while startup is in your name, there is so much support for I think what I'm identifying as like the growth throughout, right? Like it's not just one stage of business, it's it's really about like helping a business grow, whether it's early stage or later on, they need some assistance along that way.

SPEAKER_01 9:56

Exactly. And we're um, you know, we we started up as as that, and and it's in our name, Startup Canada, but we we want to grow with business owners. It you know, just because you, you know, go post revenue or or you go into a little bit of a growth stage, um, that doesn't need the that doesn't mean that you still don't need support and you still don't need community. Um, so we we do our best to carry alongside our support throughout their journey.

SPEAKER_00 10:24

One of the other things that I'm hearing is that there's like such a good balance because there's so many things that an entrepreneur needs, and like we don't really know where to start, but you provide a level of education, but then the round tables, like whenever I witness roundtables, whether it's by an organization like yours who's put them on, or even just like somebody independent putting on, you know, a brunch, it it's like that is so magical to witness entrepreneurs sitting at the same table, getting to share ideas and experiences. And like where you talked about um networking, you're like, yeah, like networking, it sounds cliche, but it's like it's so powerful. And I love how um like your organization has brought together all these different aspects to like really make a difference for people. It's like these are the couple things, and you'll find people also like through networking that will be able to help.

SPEAKER_01 11:20

Completely, and and one of my mentors, Paul Brazard, he he is always saying you never know what will come out of a conversation. Um, and you don't need all of your interactions to be transactional in terms of money, like it's so valuable to have so many different people in your corner when you're building a business. Um I I'll speak to our specifically our global and our women roundtables. Um, like as a whole, our organization is um industry agnostic, so we will support you no matter what type of business, what sector you're working in. Um, but we found that time and time again that there's like a consistent amount of um or consistent types of industries coming to us looking for support. So this is our way of catering to specific industries that we find are the most engaged with our our community, and also bringing in industries um that we find there isn't a lot of support for, like women in agriculture, women in the trades, or um um create the creative industries as well. Um, and they really are magical, like these round tables we do, we we keep them closed door and and capped to around like 40 to 45 absolute maximum, um, because we want everyone to have their cameras on, we want it to be a candid conversation. Um, yes, we have speakers there to provide expertise and guidance, um, but it really is like a sharing platform for for everyone. Uh, and we have built-in networking to that. We put everyone into breakout rooms, small breakout rooms, um, because again, like people are always just looking for more ways to meet people. Um, and they're virtual. So you you can join in from anywhere in Canada. Um, and you know, you could be joining from from the UConn and you meet someone all the way over, like in Halifax or something, um, and you'll and you'll find a commonality, or like one of you will be able to provide support in some way. Um, so they really are fantastic and uh and they're we also learn a lot as well, Startup Canada. Like we we get to hear from entrepreneurs like where the gaps are. Um so it's it's incredibly useful for us as well to um to be able to take that back and and iterate for for next year's programming as well. So there's so many benefits to to those rhyme tables specifically.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

Incredible. Do you see um so with what you're seeing, I'm curious of two things. You could choose which one you want to talk about first, but I'm wondering where people are seeing the most success in your programs. Like, is it a quality that they have or a mindset that they have going in? Is it a specific starting point? And then so, like, you know, where are you seeing the most success? And then on the flip side, like where are you seeing people have a challenge or go wrong?

SPEAKER_01 14:21

I'll start with successes. Um, I think there's and we we see I suppose like this answer kind of has the answers both in a sense, specifically with our women's program. Um, and I should say like it doesn't make a difference like who you are and in in um in creating a business. So the topics and and such that we cover in the start equipment program, it's the exact same type of knowledge that anyone needs to start a business, but we find creating that space for for women to be able to learn that information is is powerful and and quite um valuable for them. Um but I think that comes up a lot is is confidence and uh the people that I see thriving, not necessarily like they're they're like the most successful, but you like they're constantly on everyone's mind. You see them out a lot. I'm seeing them at you know different events, or they'll they'll be at every single one of our um webinars or roundtables. Um it is that confidence and it's the confidence of um just going for it even if everything isn't ready. Um I think a lot of people think like, oh, I need absolutely everything to be perfect in order for me to launch my product um or launch my business. Um, but but really just having that confidence to to go for it. Um so on the flip side of that, uh the the struggle or where people fall down, I think, is is not having that confidence and thinking like, well, I'm not an expert um in this. Like we had a speaker from Bloom, the skincare brand, and two sisters, um, and she she said, like, neither my sister or I were um like skincare experts. Like we we don't have the that that background in terms of like formulating the product, but we have this vision, we have this um this passion to to create something, and so they just brought in people who did have that expertise um to to be able to help with uh with creating their their business. Um other things that I see in in success as well is um uh it sounds obvious, but like doing your competitor research and your market research as well. Um with with our pitch competitions, and and uh that's how I got started in the entrepreneurial space um in Canada was hosting um pitch competitions and uh I learned a lot from that as well, even though it's like typically like two to three minutes pitch. Um it really stands out and will make you more successful if you are fully aware of who else is doing what you're doing, because then you know how to differentiate yourself um and and understanding your market so that you are you know who you're selling to and you know how you're selling it and and all of that and and how to to get to your customer. Um so I'd say those two are are great successes. Um so I suppose my answers are like the success is doing it the those ways, and then where I'm seeing the failures is um is is the opposite, I suppose. Um, but also failure and like like being afraid to ask for help. Um like don't be afraid to reach out to an entrepreneur who is doing what you're doing or very similar to what you're doing. Uh reach out to them and ask, like, hey, like what did you write? What did you do wrong? Is there anything I can learn from your experience that can maybe help me in my journey? Um and and I suppose that goes back to that networking piece of just like just reaching out to people and and putting yourself into the room of of people that you can learn from.

SPEAKER_00 18:24

I think it's so interesting that you mentioned not asking for help or to like learn. Because I've never really thought about it. But what came up for me when you said that was like, you know, in school as children, like we go to school for not 12, like almost 14 years, right? And the entire idea is like teaching you things. Like imagine if you needed to learn all those things on your own and you tried and then you failed and then you figured it out, like you'd be a lifetime trying to learn it all, but we willingly take help from a teacher to get further faster. And then all of a sudden that leaves us, like once we leave the actual school setting. But I I hear what you're saying because I believe that this the entrepreneurs that go the furthest the fat and the fastest are and have an easier time of doing it, I think is maybe the caveat too, is are the ones who are like just willing to take the advice or ask the questions or you know, try something on for size. Maybe they decide it doesn't, it doesn't work for them. But it's like their eagerness to learn just makes the entire journey so much smoother.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

Yeah, and and they're being comfortable with failing because inevitably everyone will have a failure at some point in their business journey. It's a part of life, like you you can't um you can't avoid it. So being okay with that, but but learning from it, like okay, that didn't work out. Why didn't it work out? What can I do differently? Um, but you're so right in the school environment sense, like we're eagerly putting our hands up to ask questions and and all of that. So yeah, why does that change? Um, so it that mentality is um is a great way of thinking about it.

SPEAKER_00 20:01

Yeah, of course. So we talked a little bit about the programming that you offer, you know, the I I guess like really the mindsets and like kind of the um what will lead to like the success and and what um kind of holds you back from experiencing the most success from those programs. My last question, I guess, is originally it was about like where do you see people going wrong? But I feel like you answered that. Like the market research, I would tell like I'm I'm in finance, right? Like I'm an accountant, I we see the numbers every day, and every single time that we see somebody run out of cash or close their business, it's like almost always it's like you didn't do your market research. So either you don't know how to talk to people, you didn't look at the market before you started, and then ran out of cash. Like everybody's like, oh, cash is king. And I'm like, no, no, like cash is like a after the fact, right? Like there was some sort of planning or something that went wrong. So I really like how you said that. But are there any last tips? Like you see these rooms full of entrepreneurs all the time. If you had all of their eyes on you, is there one thing that you're like, I just want to drop this bomb for you? And like this is really important.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

Uh I mean, and I I'll I'll start off by saying like so much of what I have learned as well in this space, because I'm not um I'm not formally educated in this. I studied music at university, um, so I've learned everything that I know on the job talking with entrepreneurs. So I will say like everything I I know. So you're the same as all of us.

unknown 21:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:40

The accidental entrepreneurs. Like that's how I've approached from from day one being at Startup Canada. It's how I approached building programs. Um, like when I was building Startup Global into an annual program, I was like, okay, well, I don't know anything about exporting, so I'm gonna put myself in the shoes of an entrepreneur who who doesn't know. I'm Go from there, and it's how I approach everything is putting myself in the shoes of like someone who just has no clue. Um, I do have a clue now, I I will say that. Um, but so I've learned so much from entrepreneurs myself and how best to navigate programming. Um I think there's a there's always a lot of talk about scaling with entrepreneurs who like they've they've maybe just launched or they've just started to bring in some revenue and they're already thinking about like okay, well, how do I scale this further? How do I go beyond um my province or or or even like how do I go beyond the borders? Which is great, like it's fantastic to think about that. And I think it's it like that should be a thought that's in your mind, but I think scaling too fast can can be a bit of a trap. Um, so you know that really scaling should be like a very strategic decision for a business owner. Um like do you have like all of all of your mechanisms in place, like the your operations, like is it running smoothly? How would you then scale that if you're gonna be going to different um provinces or across borders? Like there's so many things that come into play. Um so I think you know getting a handle of the business and ensuring that also like yes, your customers, your customers are great now, but just so just not not scaling too quickly, I think, is is something that I've I've heard quite a bit. Um and and funding as well. I think people again, not not all entrepreneurs, of course, but I think um people will watch Dragonstone, for example, and they'll think I have to get investment. Um investment isn't for every business. Like if you're a brick and mortar, it might make more sense for you to go down like the the route of getting a loan from from uh a bank. Um so I think people will instantly think, like, okay, now I've started a business, now I need to like get investment. And there and the the misunderstandings around that as well. Like you're giving away equity um and you're giving away control of your business. So understanding the avenues of of funding that that are available to you, uh, and exhausting as much grants as possible, I mean, that's a completely different conversation. Of course, we all know how how difficult it is in terms of like buying grants and applying for them and and writing the proposal. Um, but exhausting those sorts of avenues first or or exploring like what a loan could look like and and and and such. Um so I think I I would say there there they would be the two things is is scaling too fast and um having misunderstandings around the the types of funding that's available and the type of funding that would be most beneficial and sustainable for your business as well.

SPEAKER_00 25:08

Oh, I love that. Isabel, where is the best place for people to like we'll put the links in the show notes, but where is the best place for people to find the programming and get in touch?

SPEAKER_01 25:20

Great question. So each of our programs have their own web page through our Startup Canada website, so you can navigate to each of the programs. Um our programs are not cohort-based, it's more so choose your own adventure in a sense. So you can register for any webinar, any roundtable um through each of the program's websites um that fits your needs. Um and for pitch competition, we do have various different pitch competition applications open. Um, so check out each of the programs' websites for the application criteria and then the links for you to be able to apply. Um, and then we also have some fantastic podcasts. We have our Startup Canada podcast that airs weekly on everywhere that you can get your podcasts. Um, and then we're also running our Startup Women podcast in partnership with CIBC um for the next few months as well. That can also be accessed through uh our website. Um and then if you want more information for each different program, at the very end of each of those program websites, we have a way for you to email us and connect to our team. Um and you can also reach out to me on LinkedIn as well. Um more than happy to meet people and answer their questions.

SPEAKER_00 26:43

Incredible. Well, I just want to say thanks for the time. Um, I know this information is available, but I I did say this before we hit record that it's like it's so different when you get to hear it from somebody. And um, I'm pretty remote and I know lots of our clients are as well. So it's wonderful that you took the time to like give us a breakdown and and like your insight into the industry. So thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 27:03

Yeah. It's also nice to have a face as well. Like there, and I'm not the only face, there are many incredible team members that we have. Um, and uh so we encourage you to reach out to us and connect with us. Um, but it's yeah, it's nice to know that's not just a website, there's there's people behind working and and cheering you on as well.

SPEAKER_00 27:22

Yeah, oh that's incredible. Thanks for adding that. Um thanks so much. Thank you. Thank you so much for tuning into this special episode of the Small Business School. I strongly believe small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities, and I am so grateful for your commitment to making your business last for the long run. I want to challenge you to take one nugget of wisdom you heard today and set aside 15 minutes to implement. You learn something, share it with a free.