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Monthly Archives: April 2021

How to raise capital for your startup

Get advice from tech founders who have closed multi-million dollar investment deals for their startups.


DMZ’s startups and alumni have raised over $1 billion CAD in funding. Curious to learn more about the investment trends, and the startups that helped break $1 billion? Click here. 

Let’s face it. If you’re a startup founder, you’ll need to learn how to raise capital at one point or another.

At the DMZ, we appreciate how overwhelming the wild ride of funding a startup can be. Raising capital is, without question, one of the most challenging aspects of growing and scaling a business.  

Luckily, many DMZ alumni founders have been successful in attracting investors and securing funding – but, at one time, they were also in your shoes. In light of DMZ startups and alumni breaking $1 billion in funding, we asked founders for their best advice and lessons learned when it comes to startup fundraising. 

Here’s what they had to say.

“Create a job description for your ideal lead investor/board member. Evaluate everyone you meet through that lens. Helps flip the power dynamic. Are they the right investor for you?” – Bryan Gold, Co-Founder and CEO, and Adam Rivietz, Co-Founder and CSO, of #paid

paid

What’s new with #paid?

Co-Founders Bryan Gold and Adam Rivetz were recognized as part of Forbes 30 under 30 marketing and advertising list. Read more about their feature here. 

“There is plenty of capital out in the market, especially as markets are looking to bounce back from Covid. Founders need to focus on their business and the pain points they are looking to solve first. Get some early adopters and initial traction to prove the product market fit and the capital will follow. Founders often make the mistake of going after capital first to bring the idea to fruition, but with tools and resources these days, getting an MVP out by bootstrapping has become a lot easier.” – Kumar Erramilli, CTO and Co-Founder of ACTO 

What’s new with ACTO?acto

ACTO’s growth was accelerated following an $11.5 million USD funding round last August. Since then, ACTO has made two strategic acquisitions to bolster its mobile learning and patient-facing education capabilities, building on its promise to deliver true omnichannel education for learners within the care industry!

“Many tech founders look to raise capital to fund the development of a product or service, but bootstrapping and getting small loans from friends or family not only serves as a good vetting for your idea, but also can carry you through early development and allow for closing of the first couple of sales. This can go a long way to getting a better evaluation for your capital raise and minimizes costly early dilution.” – Adrian Bulzacki, Founder of ARB Labs

What’s new with ARB Labs? arb labs

ARB Labs launched ChipVue, a new optical based bet recognition™ system that provides real-time slot-like analytics for blackjack, baccarat and other carnival style table games. Learn more about ChipVue here. 

“Be very mindful of the investors you bring on board and really understand their motivations, expectations and their ability to support and partner with you over the years. Bringing on an investor is analogous to being in a marriage and so focus on building those relationships.” – Nishaant Sanghavi, CEO and Co-Founder of EnergyX 

What’s new with EnergyX?energy x

EnergyX was 1 of 6 tech firms in Toronto chosen by the federal government to receive funding to help support their long term growth. EnergyX is receiving $500,000 to expand its customer base and increase automation!

“Don’t build everything in-house! Many tools out there can create the “Wizard of Oz” effect of your product.” – Karen Lau, Co-Founder and CTO, and Michael Van, Co-Founder and CEO, of Furnishr

What’s new with Furnishr?furnish

Furnishr is growing! They are expanding their operations, sales and development teams. For more information on how to apply click here.

“When looking for investors, don’t be afraid to branch outside of Canadian borders.”– Eropa Stein, CEO and Founder of Hyre

What’s new with Hyre?

hyre

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hyre pivoted and now offers an employee scheduling platform for the healthcare industry, in addition to the hospitality and restaurant industry.

“The right fit with your investor is worth waiting for if you can afford it.” – Karim Ali, CEO of Invision AI

What’s new with Invision AI?invision

Invision AI has joined forces with Thales and Metrolinx to develop advanced autonomous technologies for rail systems with support from the Ontario government through Ontario’s Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN). Plus, they recently announced they have successfully completed high performance portable roadside vehicle occupancy detection field tests with over 97.5% precision! 

“Invest time in building your network. Create connections with people in the industry well in advance of needing the funding. When you are ready to start raising money, it will come much easier if you have developed the right connections.” – Erifili Morfidis, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, and Charlotte Gummesson, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, of iRestify 

What’s new with iRestify?

With the onset of the global pandemic, iRestify had to make some tough decisions and pivot as most of their clients, which were commercial office tenants, no longer had use for their space. As a result, they shifted their efforts and focused on the multi-residential property management sector. Learn more about their story of determination and growth here. 

“Fundraising is 70-80% preparation.” – Casey Binkley, Founder and CEO of Movia

What’s new with Movia?

Movia recently partnered with Corus entertainment to help launch two new tv shows, The Equalizer and Clarice. Movia’s truck advertisements offered the chance to bring the big screen feeling to the ads themselves, along with the ability to reach target audiences. Check out the full case study here. 

“Think long and hard about what you want to accomplish with your business, and what’s most important in your life before you raise a dollar.” – Corey Gross, CEO and Founder of Sensibill

What’s new with Sensibill?

Sensibill announced their new Sensibill Platform, which includes two new solutions, Spend Manager and Spend Insights, which aims to give financial institutions deeper data and insights needed to better serve and nurture financially resilient, loyal customers. They were also awarded with FinTech Breakthrough’s personal finance innovation award!

“Having access to required capital is a critically important aspect of growing a new venture. For new tech founders, surround yourself with trusted advisors who can guide you through the process of the structuring for and raising of capital. Having good advisors to be sounding boards for investor materials and your pitch is important. Treat raising capital like sales: create the right messages ahead of time, build a good funnel of prospects, get active and communicate often, don’t be afraid to hear the word no, listen to the feedback, but be selective on what you choose to refine, celebrate your wins and keep going. Treat your investors well as they can be extremely helpful in finding other investors. Most importantly, be yourself and speak confidently about your venture.” – Brian Deck, CEO of Smooth Commerce

What’s new with Smooth Commerce?

Smooth Commerce has launched great brands including Mary Brown’s, Fresh, Denny’s, Chop Steakhouse, Maker Pizza, Pizzeria Libretto and many more. Plus, Invest in Ontario named Smooth Commerce as one of the top 12 fintechs to watch in 2021 as they continue to elevate ordering and delivery and they were listed as one of Canada’s 2021 Best Workplaces™. 

“The most important part is having product market fit. Have a product that customers want regardless of how ‘beta’ it is. With that comes growth in your key metrics and makes everything a lot easier!’ – Hussein Fazal, CEO and Co-Founder, and Henry Shi, Co-Founder, of Snapcommerce

What’s new with Super (formerly Snapcommerce)?

Super (formerly Snapcommerce) recently secured $107 million CAD in growth funding, signalling confidence from investors in the company’s mission to expand beyond the travel industry! With the new round of funding Snapcommerce is looking to expand in different verticals, hoping to transform the way people shop on their phones. 

“It’s sales. You’re not raising funds. You’re selling shares. So run it as a sales process with a deadline. If you think you can generate anything close to the same amount of cash by spending that energy and effort on customers you’d be much wiser to sell products for cash than equity.” – Brennan McEachran, CEO and Co-Founder of Soapbox

What’s new with Soapbox?

Soapbox released a new Zapier integration, enabling teams to instantly connect Soapbox with over 2,000 apps to automate their work and become more productive. Users can now unlock powerful integrations like Asana, Trello and Microsoft To Do.  

“Take your time to identify VCs with investment portfolios that are aligned with your specific business sector. “ – Laura Bryson, COO and Co-Founder of SWTCH

What’s new with SWTCH?

Earlier this month, the federal government announced a $235,000 investment for SWTCH to install 61 electric vehicle chargers across Ontario and Quebec. By leveraging SWTCH’s solution, the government hopes to encourage the adoption of zero-emission vehicles and provide consumers with more green options to charge and drive their vehicles! 

“Raise money only when it’s absolutely necessary. You want to raise money when you feel like you will get favourable terms. To get favourable terms, you need to show traction and that takes time. So instead of coming up with an idea and thinking “I need to raise money”, try to do as much work to prove out the value of that idea (create a non-functional wireframe, get feedback from potential customers, etc).” – Swish Goswami, CEO and Co-Founder of Trufan 

What’s new with Trufan?

Trufan announced the completion of its $2.3 million CAD seed round this past March, bringing their total funding to $4.1 million CAD. They plan to launch a consolidated platform later this year that will allow any brand to generate, segment, and activate first party data.

“My advice to founders raising for the first time: spend a few weeks preparing all your materials and test out your messaging on a variety of audiences. Once you go out to raise, run a rigorous process and focus on finding the best partner that will support your vision for your business.” – Monika Jaroszonek, CEO and Co-Founder of Ratio.City

What’s new with Ratio.City?

Ratio.City is hiring! Their team is looking for a Lead Product Designer to help them translate user stories into effective and intuitive interfaces. Learn more about the position and apply here. 

“Every founder should find one or more capital partners as a growth partner in all aspects of business and life, because the two are inseparable. An ideal investor will be a good companion when say, a global pandemic hits and supply chains are just as disrupted as childcare plans, or when a parent gets ill just as you land a major customer. Together you’ll make difficult decisions and find new opportunities.” – Manu Kabahizi, CTO and Co-Founder of Ulula

What’s new with Ulula?

Ulula recently was awarded the 2021 #StopSlaveryAward by the Thomson Reuters Foundation for their innovative Kufatilia mobile-based impact monitoring project, that reports mine accidents, theft, corruption, fraud, child labor, environmental issues, and more in the mining sector.

It took 11 years for DMZ startups and alumni to break $1 billion in funding, but with our current momentum, made possible by our dedicated founders, we are confident we will be able to reach the next billion in a fraction of the time. 

Looking for even more expert advice on how to raise? Be a part of the next billion. Learn more about DMZ programming here.

2021 federal and provincial budget digests

How the 2021 federal and provincial budgets impact small businesses and startups

This past month, the federal and provincial government unveiled their long-awaited budgets. With both plans focusing on keeping citizens safe and healthy and kick starting our economic recovery, we now have a glimpse into what the road to post-pandemic recovery will look like.

DMZ has reviewed both the Ontario provincial and federal government budgets and identified key commitments that will affect the small business and startup ecosystem.

Here’s what you need to know about both budgets.

Federal Budget Highlights

The full federal budget can be found here.

High Level Overview – Big Measures

  • $101.4 billion in new spending over three years to fuel the recovery and kick-start the transition to a green economy.
  • $30 billion over five years and $8.3 billion per year after that to create and sustain a national child care program. Goal is a $10/day child care service by 2025-2026.
  • $18 billion to build safer, healthier Indigenous communities.
  • $17.6 billion for green recovery — to conserve 25% of lands and oceans by 2025 and to put Canada on course to exceed climate change targets by cutting emissions to 36% below 2005 levels by 2030.

Small Business Support

  • Emergency Subsidy Supports: The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy will be extended until September 25th 2021, with the possibility of extension till November.
  • Canada Recovery Hiring Program:  A $595 million investment to help businesses pivot to recovery with incentives to hire back, grow hours, or increase wages.
  • Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program: A commitment to provide $960 million over three years for a new training program. Funding will help design and deliver training that is relevant to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses, and to their employees. 
  • Digital Adoption Program: A commitment to a $4 billion investment into a Digital Adoption Program to help Canadian small businesses become more competitive, go digital, and take advantage of e-commerce.
    • This investment will help 160,000 businesses become more competitive, and will create jobs for 28,000 young people.
  • Lowering Credit Card Fees: A commitment to engaging with stakeholders to lower the average overall cost of interchange fees for small businesses.
  • Creating the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development Program: The government is investing over $100 million to ensure Canada’s entrepreneurship ecosystem is supporting inclusive growth. 
    • Enhancing the Canada Small Business Financing Program: The government proposes to improve the Canada Small Business Financing Program through amendments to the Canada Small Business Financing Act. Amendments are projected to increase annual financing by $560 million, supporting approximately 2,900 additional small businesses. 
    • The government is investing $2.6 billion over four years to the Business Development Bank of Canada to help small- and medium-sized businesses finance technology adoption. 
  • Support for Women Entrepreneurs: The government will provide up to $146.9 million over four years, to strengthen the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy.
    • Women entrepreneurs would have greater access to financing, mentorship, and training. Funding would also further support the Women Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Fund and the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub.
  • Supporting Black Entrepreneurs: The government is investing an additional $51.7M in the Black Entrepreneurship Program, on top of the previously invested $221 million, to further strengthen the Black entrepreneurship ecosystem.
  • Supporting Aboriginal Entrepreneurs: The government is committing $42 million over three years to expand the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program.
  • Strategic Innovation Fund: Budget 2021 proposes to provide the Strategic Innovation Fund with an incremental $7.2 billion over seven years on a cash basis, starting in 2021-22, and $511.4 million ongoing. 
  • Student Work Placement Program: The government is committing $239.8 million in the Student Work Placement Program in 2021-22 to support work-integrated learning opportunities for post-secondary students. 
  • Skills for Success Program: The government is investing $298 million over three years in a new skills program that would help Canadians at all skills levels improve their skills. The program will fund organizations to design and deliver training to enhance foundational skills, such as literacy and numeracy, as well as transferable and soft skills.

Venture Capital

  • The government has committed to increase venture capital funding and support the continued growth of Canada’s innovative companies, the budget proposes to make available up to $450 million on a cash basis over five years, starting in 2021-22, for a renewed Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative that would increase venture capital available to entrepreneurs.
    • $50 million of this amount would be dedicated to support venture capital investments in life science technologies.
    • $50 million of this amount would support a new Inclusive Growth Stream to increase access to venture capital for underrepresented groups, such as women and racialized communities.

Child Care

  • Establishing a Canada-wide early learning and child care system: The government is investing $30 billion over the next 5 years to establish a $10 per day Canada-wide early learning and child care system which will help all families access affordable, high-quality, and flexible child care no matter where they live. This is the largest initiative to increase the size of Canada’s Labour force since NAFTA.

Minimum Wage

  • Establishing a $15 minimum wage: The Government of Canada announced its intention to introduce legislation that will establish a federal minimum wage of $15 per hour, rising with inflation, with provisions to ensure that where provincial or territorial minimum wages are higher, that wage will prevail. 

Green Recovery 

  • The government has committed $17.6 billion into Canada’s green recovery, which it says will help the country exceed its Paris Agreement targets and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Supporting Asian Canadians

  • With the increase in reports of harassment and attacks against Asian Canadians, the government will invest $11 million over two years, to expand the impact of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation.

Other notable commitments

  • The Universal Broadband Fund, designed to bring better internet service to remote and rural communities, is getting an extra $1 billion over six years.
  • The CanCode program, which helps young people learn digital skills including coding, is getting $80 million to help it reach three million more students, with an emphasis on underrepresented groups. 
  • The federal government will appoint its first data commissioner, who will issue guidance to help protect people’s personal data and to encourage innovation in the digital marketplace.
  • In efforts to streamline the Express Entry program for highly skilled immigrants, the immigration minister will have the authority to help select Express Entry candidates to become permanent residents. 
    • There’s also a promised overhaul of the digital platform that supports Canada’s immigration system. The government will spend $428.9 million in new funding over five years, so that application processing will improve starting in 2023.

__________________

Provincial Budget Highlights

The full provincial budget can be found here.

High Level Overview – Big Measures

  • $16.3 B to Protect Health of Ontarians
  • $23.3 B to Protect the Economy
  • $39.6 B Total Direct Support 
  • $11.3 B Cash Flow for People and Business 
  • $51 B Total Supports over next four years

Small Business Support

  • Ontario is committing to an additional round of support for small businesses through the Ontario Small Business Support Grant. 
    • Small businesses who have been determined as eligible recipients of the Ontario Small Business Support Grant will automatically be entitled to a second payment equal to the amount of their first payment, for minimum total support of $20,000 up to a maximum of $40,000 — no new application necessary. Confirmed eligible businesses can expect to receive their second payment later in the spring.
    • Eligible business owners who have not yet applied for the grant have until March 31, 2021, to submit an application.
  • For main street businesses: Ontario is investing an additional $10 million in the Digital Main Street program in 2021–22 to help more small businesses achieve digital transformation and serve customers effectively online. The program will continue to provide digital transformation grants, an online learning platform, training programs, and digital service squads offering technical support to small business owners.

Investment Support

  • Ontario is committing $400 million over four years to create the Invest Ontario Fund, which will support Invest Ontario and encourage investments in the key sectors of advanced manufacturing, technology and life sciences. The province is pitching it as a “‘one-stop’ shop for business and investors. This is the first funding commitment for the new agency, which the government launched in its last budget. 

Reskilling and Training Tax Credit

  • The government is proposing a new tax credit that would give recipients up to $2,000 to cover 50% of the cost of re-training, for a total of $260 million for 230,000 workers. This refundable tax credit is eligible for those 26 to 65 years in age to seek financial support to return to the Ontario job market. This credit is eligible to be used for tuition to aid in training for new skills at public and private colleges across the province.

Digital Government

  • The highly anticipated digital ID is expected to be released by the end of year. This new form of secure, electronic government-issued ID will conveniently be used to access government services while protecting data privacy. This technology will allow users to be in full control of personal information and who it is shared with. 
  • The government has also set aside $500 million for the Ontario Acceleration Fund which includes:
    • $2.2 million to develop the Single Window for Business, a transformational digital solution designed to use emerging technology, data, and responsive design to improve the business experience with government services. A designated single window will provide a solution that makes it easier for businesses to access the information and services they need to get up‐and running, create jobs and grow.

Increased Broadband Capacity

  • The budget pledges $2.8 billion in new funding for broadband infrastructure, as the province promises to expand reliable services to every region of the province by 2025. The commitment brings its total broadband funding to almost $4 billion for the six years starting in 2019–20. 

Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network

  • Ontario is investing $56.4 million over the next four years to create the new Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network. This will help accelerate the development of the next generation electric, connected and autonomous vehicle and mobility technologies that contribute to a lower environmental and carbon footprint.

Research and Development

  • The province plans to contribute more than $500 million to research and development with the potential for health-related and other breakthroughs at universities, colleges and academic hospitals. It plans to spend the money alongside federal and private-sector partners, citing the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, the Ontario Brain Institute, Ontario Genomics, Compute Ontario and the Fields and Perimeter institutes.

Are you a founder trying to navigate the startup ecosystem? Learn more about programming DMZ offers here.

Breaking $1 billion in funding: DMZ startups reach a major milestone

DMZ’s startups and alumni have raised over $1 billion CAD in funding


Note: All figures are reported in Canadian dollars.


DMZ companies have officially surpassed $1 billion in total funding raised. While the DMZ has been supporting startups for the last 11 years, the majority of this funding has been raised by startups in the last five years (over $940 million since 2016).

This milestone is a victory for the entire Canadian startup ecosystem. It’s a testament to the level of confidence that government, investors, and startup support organizations have in Canadian tech founders to lead world-class businesses. It’s true that startups who have proven market traction, strong competitive advantages and IP protection will attract investors. But oftentimes, qualitative traits that a startup has may be even more valuable in the eyes of an investor – like having a solid diverse management team that fosters great company culture or a founder that has tremendous passion and drive to make a difference.

Let’s dive into the numbers to explore tech investment trends over the last decade, from the largest funding rounds to the industries receiving the most investment dollars. 
This major milestone has been achieved through 194 DMZ-supported startups that have received a total of 424 investments from 2011 to 2021. 

The raise that pushed the DMZ to break past the $1 billion mark was Toronto-based Snapcommerce’s recent $107 million raise. Snapcommerce was incubated at the DMZ in 2016. This announcement also marked the largest single funding round on record for DMZ alumni! 

After a year like 2020, with so much uncertainty to navigate, DMZ startups preserved and were able to continue to secure funding. Over $185 million was raised in 2020 alone.


Top 10 startups and top 10 funding rounds

The top ten startups that have received the most investment dollars have collectively raised over $700 million. The top five – Borrowell, Snapcommerce, Sensibill, Ada Support and Flybits – accounting for an impressive $560 million of that. That’s over 50% of the total funding raised by all DMZ startups.


Funding breakdown by stage

These investments come from a variety of funding sources, including equity crowdfunding, government grants, pitch competition awards, and angel and venture capital investments from the pre-seed stage to Series C and beyond.

The sheer number of stakeholders that have played a role in reaching this $1 billion achievement illustrates the importance of industry-wide collaboration and cooperation. 

The way in which this ecosystem plays as a whole determines its success.


Funding breakdown by industry

When breaking down the industries of startups that raised the most money, startups in Financial Tech take the lead. A total of 11 startups representing this industry raised a combined $273 million – that’s over a quarter of the total funding raised by DMZ companies across all industries. The industries that followed were Retail Tech ($213M), Enterprise Tech ($131M), Health Tech ($100M),  Arts & Entertainment ($59M), Marketing ($27M), Education Tech ($32M), Communications ($29M), Consumer Tech ($26M)and Insurance Tech ($25M).


Huge gaps in funding support still exist

The Canadian tech ecosystem has become increasingly competitive – this milestone speaks to the growth and potential of our startups. Yet, startup founders still say that accessing capital is their biggest challenge and roadblock to success.

Seed deals have slowed down significantly in recent years and early-stage financing has become progressively more difficult to secure.

That’s why the DMZ is doubling down on its efforts to help startups in the early stages receive more investment strategy support, access to investors and dedicated fundraising workshops, and mentorship from professionals who specialize in fundraising – especially through our Black Innovation and Women Founders streams to support women-owned and Black-owned startups that have historically been underfunded.

Want to be a part of the next billion? Email us at dmz@torontomu.ca. Learn more about the DMZ’s programming here.

How Canadian newcomers can land a new job in tech

DMZ guest blog by: Janey Buzugbe, Head of the Black Innovation Programs and Partnerships


Introducing Janey Buzugbe, the DMZ’s new Head of the Black Innovation Programs and Partnerships


The tech industry across Canada has been booming, and despite challenges presented by the global pandemic, the sector continues to demonstrate immense potential and strong job growth.

As a country that encourages immigration and offers professionals and entrepreneurs various methods to migrate, Canada provides a great pathway for newcomers looking to start a new journey in the sector.

In Canada, tech employment increased by nearly 60,000 positions in 2019, a growth rate of 3.6 per cent over the previous year, and now totals an estimated 1.72 million workers. Being surrounded with great opportunities at innovative companies can help newcomers to Canada find their footing faster and adjust to their new surroundings. 

However, navigating the tech job market as a newcomer in Canada can be overwhelming and is not a straightforward path. As a newcomer myself from Nigeria, I can speak to this firsthand. I hope my career experiences and learnings will be useful to newcomers looking to break into the industry. Here are a few tips on how you can land a new job in tech.

Build your brand and activate it 

Your personal brand is tied to your professional brand, and learning how to activate it is essential to landing a job in tech.

Branding yourself can be just as important as the technical skills and expertise you bring to the table. Employers and recruiters can easily forget about what qualifications you have from a pool of similar candidates, but what they will remember is your energy (some people call these interpersonal skills). Being uplifting, positive and warm will stick in people’s minds. Think about what is unique about your energy, and let it shine.

Not sure what aspects of your personality stand out? Try taking online personality tests, like Myers-Briggs, to provide yourself with empirical evidence on what personality traits you bring to the table and ask people who know you what they notice!

Another great way to activate your personal brand is to write yourself a brag book and always update it! List out all of your accomplishments that speak to the type of employee and person you are. Have you won any special awards? Any notable achievements from your personal or professional life? Has anyone ever pointed out anything nice about you, or what you have done for them?

We can often forget about our wins over time, so starting a running list to remind yourself of the great things you’ve done will allow you to shine during interviews, coffee chats and networking events.

Remember that every interaction you have, whether it be at a formal networking event, dinner with friends or encounters with your neighbour, serves as a networking opportunity. We never know what an interaction can lead to, so it’s important to leave a positive impression. Try to leave any meaningful interaction you have with a call to action. Let any new connection you make know that you’re looking for a job in tech and to let you know if they are aware of any promising opportunities.

This can open more doors than you may think, as many jobs today are fulfilled through internal recommendations and connections! But don’t forget to lend a hand, as the best way to get is to give.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to showcase your side businesses and passion projects. Being involved with volunteer organizations, or working to create an online presence via social media is a part of you that should be front and center. Employers in Canada want to see that you have interests and hobbies outside of work. It speaks to your character, your ability to hustle and you come off as a well-rounded professional, so make sure to include your side activities on your resume and LinkedIn! 

Networking 

As mentioned, a lot of organizations today hire based on internal recommendations. Applying online via company websites can still be effective, but having a connection willing to vouch for you can make a world of a difference.

A really great way of connecting with others and catching wind of opportunities is community support groups and professional networks, such as the Black Professional in Tech Network and ACCES employment. Being able to lean on others in similar boats is a great way to share lessons learned and best practices.

LinkedIn groups are also an excellent way to connect with the community. For instance, there are groups catered for Nigerian IT professionals in Canada. Look for groups that would make sense for your circumstances as a newcomer and professional and use them to your advantage. 

Another great tip when it comes to networking is doing your homework before connecting with someone new. Conversations will be much more effective if you have common ground to speak to. Find a few similarities between the two of you before connecting. Maybe they volunteered at the same organization as you, also immigrated to Canada or share a similar interest. Whatever the connection is, it will allow you to have an unforced conversation that flows naturally. Plus, who doesn’t like to be complimented?! 

Handling Rejection 

Rejection is a part of life and is something that all professionals need to get comfortable with. Do not get discouraged if you are told no. Remember that each no you receive from a potential employer is one response closer to a yes. “No” means you get the chance to look forward to the next opportunity.

Try asking yourself, how many passes does it take before you get a yes? If you gamify it this way, it allows you to not take things personally. There are many different reasons why you could be rejected, some of which may be completely out of your control. Instead of being discouraged, use your learnings for the next opportunity that comes your way.

Canadian nuances 

It’s important to recognize that every country has its own business culture and customs. Brushing up on the norms and nuances in Canadian business culture will ensure you don’t have any blindspots. 

For instance, in Nigeria, having respect for authority figures is of the utmost importance. Oftentimes individuals will not ask questions or question an authority figure because they have fear of retribution. Whereas in Canada, asking questions and rethinking the way things are done is highly praised. Furthermore, in Nigeria, people often tend to keep their head down and focus on simply getting the work done. In Canada, connecting with colleagues, joining special committees or volunteering for a special opportunity is very well regarded. 

The job market in Canada is certainly competitive, but with the right mindset and approach you will be able to land your dream job in the industry. Remember to not give up, and keep trying – something will come up! 

Want to learn more about Janey and her advice to newcomers? Check out her YouTube channel for more lessons, tips and resources to navigate working and living as a professional in Canada. 

For more information on how the DMZ is empowering the next wave of Black entrepreneurs through our Black Innovation Programs, check out our website.