Taxably Takes the Task out of Tax Season, and Focuses on Technology for Filing Financials

Swaraj Paul and his business partner, Akash Mondal, opened the doors to their new company Taxably in January of 2020. This was just weeks before COVID-19 restrictions came into effect, which quickly resulted in their physical location closing to the public. However, this did not stop the two business owners from following through with their plans to grow Taxably, the tech-based accounting firm. Since Taxably takes a paperless approach, the owners used this to their advantage to take their services entirely online to combat pandemic mandates. This also allowed the company to provide faster services for their clients.

Taxably’s mission is to introduce innovative ways to make taxes easier, faster and affordable for people through technology and best in class customer service. The company differentiates itself by providing an entirely virtual tax-filing service and targeting newcomers to Canada. Their research discovered that not many accounting firms focus on this audience, which lead to the perfect market for Taxably to focus on. Swaraj recalls, “There are so many newcomers to Canada, and we are here to help them understand their financials to make more educated decisions.”

While researching the tax industry, Swaraj and his partner discovered the copious amount of paper and natural resources used in tax firms annually. Taxably does its part in being mindful of environmental impacts by using completely paperless filing systems while also cutting their costs down. The business partners went a step further to partner up with One Tree Planted and pledged to plant a tree for every client who avails their services. As of today, they have planted over 300 trees in Ontario during the one year and eight months that they have been running.

When Swaraj moved to Canada seven years ago, he was unaware of the necessary steps to start a business here. While pursuing his education at Fanshawe, he walked through the halls and came across the Leap Junction room. He then met business coach David Ouellette for the first time, to who Swaraj attributes a vast amount of his business knowledge. He learned how to create a proper business plan, made countless connections, and obtained various resources necessary to launch his business. This allowed Swaraj to start the research and planning phase once he was close to graduating and launch Taxably the following January. The business partners kicked off their business by using a referral program to incentivize their customers to spread the word about their business.

In the summer following the launch, Swaraj participated in the LEAPin Business Accelerator program offered by Leap Junction. Swaraj recalls this program having a significant impact on his business operations. He states, “being involved with Leap Junction was life-changing. They really changed the way I thought about my business and connected me to exactly who I should be in contact with”. Today, Swaraj is still connected to Leap Junction as he states, “They continue to send me networking opportunities. Just last week I had the opportunity of speaking in a class at Fanshawe.”

Taxably now has business partnerships with accounting firms in Australia and Ireland. They are currently working on getting their government license to expand into insurance, mortgage, and investments to help people build wealth over an extended period. Swaraj states, “there is so much financial knowledge that people simply don’t know about.” By expanding their business to different segments, they will share more knowledge with a broader audience.

Swaraj’s piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: “Go to LEAP Junction and just start!”

Ready to accelerate your business? Shoot us an e-mail and let us help you kickstart your plans: leapjunction@fanshawec.ca

To book an appointment with one of our business coaches: http://leapjunction.ca/book-online

For more information on LEAPIn, LEAP Junction’s Business Accelerator for Fanshawe students and alumni: https://www.leapjunction.ca/leap-in

More about our LEAPer Feature: Swaraj Paul is a Fanshawe College graduate, and an honoured LEAP Junction entrepreneur. He graduated from the Honours Bachelor of Commerce Degree focused in Accounting in 2020. Swaraj was featured in Business London’s Magazine’s “Twenty in Their 20s” article in October of 2020, and participated on the employer's panel at the Ignite Career Conference at Fanshawe College in November 2021.

Do you have a business you’re working on? Students can apply to complete their 2022 co-op requirements while working on building their business and network by applying for an Entrepreneurial Co-op at LEAP Junction. Interested students can apply through the Fanshawe Career, Co-op & Co-curricular portal here: https://myfuture.fanshawec.ca/postings.htm?pId=131783

Follow Taxably on social media @taxablycanada

Visit their website at: https://taxably.ca/

Written by Brooke Davidson

Turning Scents into Dollars: FlickerCandleCo. Lights the Flame & Turns Hobby into E-commerce success

In August of 2018, Brooke and her business partner, Shanna, lit the flame on their candle business. The two friends started making candles for themselves purely as a hobby, which then turned into something more.

It started out as an idea that they wanted to create a clean product that they could feel good about using in their own homes. Both had a passion for home décor, and so they opted to try making a small batch of soy-wax candles to discover more about the process and explore the results. Turns out, they had a passion not only for candles, but also for entrepreneurship.

Brooke and Shanna began making candles whenever they could, testing a number of scents and materials, eventually developing a product that they were proud to brand as their own. They began gifting candles to family and friends to test the market and see what the feedback might be. The reviews came back positive, and it encouraged them to keep creating, with the hope that this could be something more than just a hobby some day.

After a year and a half of candle making, Brooke and Shanna participated in their first pop-up market at The Fringe Festival in Saskatoon. Thinking the turn-out would only be a handful of attendees to their booth, they made a batch of 100 candles to sell. “We instantly sold out, and we weren’t prepared for that,” recalls Co-founder Brooke. “From that moment on, we were like… let’s make it a business.” Thus, Flicker Candle Co. was born.

Flicker Candle Co. uses 100% soy-wax and lead-free cotton wicks to create a clean and safe burn. Each candle is carefully hand-created by the two founders – from the crafting of individual scents, to hand-pouring each candle into custom jars, to then printing and placing the labels onto each vessel. It truly is a labour of love that is poured into each individual piece.

Brooke recalls that the pace quickened from hobby to business from there. They started investing in some promotional pieces, developed a website, and then began reaching out to local stores to gage if there was any interest in store fronts selling their products. They landed their first store – Dad’s Organic Market in September of 2019. “Ending up in our first store became the determining factor that we needed to keep going with it,” says Brooke. The founders hit the pavement, product in tow, and approached store after store to inquire if they too would be interested in selling their candles.

Sales were going well for the small business – and then 2020 hit. Brooke recalls that they knew they had to focus their efforts online, but there was concern with how viable of an option that would be. “E-commerce is a strange field for a candle business,” recalls Brooke. “You can’t smell the candles online, so we knew that would make it difficult for a new customer to want to purchase from us. So, we started marketing towards creating custom candles to certain niches to try and combat this.”

Knowing it would be harder for customers to make a purchase without seeing and smelling their products in-person, the business partners focused their efforts on marketing towards photographers, realtors, and clientele within the wedding industry. They wanted to understand every channel they could to penetrate the custom gift market, since they felt this would be a lucrative avenue for them to start getting the word out online.

As Brooke was set to graduate from the Business Administration Advanced Diploma in 2021, she discovered LEAP Junction at Fanshawe College. She applied to the LEAPIn Business Accelerator 2021 program thinking it would be a great learning opportunity and would bring her business to the next level, especially when it came to growing the company’s online presence.

Brooke was one of eleven participants accepted into the LeapIN 2021 program, attending online sessions over the summer for twelve weeks. She looks back on her time in the program fondly, commenting on a number of resources and undertakings that helped boost her business. Upon the completion of LEAPIn, Brooke received $5000 in funding that went towards a product re-branding that gave Flicker Candle Co. a more professional appearance. “That re-branding went a long way for our online marketing. Working with a marketing specialist gave us some really great ideas that assisted in our growth. We learned about writing and copy, design techniques… we then revamped and relaunched our website as part of our new marketing strategy.” Brooke also worked with a financial advisor as part of the programming to re-evaluate their company’s costs. With a rise in costs of supplies as a result of the pandemic, it dawned on Brooke that they weren’t charging a high enough price that would be sustainable for the company over time. Brooke credits LEAPIn for helping her and her business partner evaluate what would be a correct pricing strategy moving forward.

Brooke’s learnings over the summer were reflected in an increase in sales after their website re-launch. Flicker Candle Co. is now in fourteen different stores across Saskatchewan and Ontario, and is slowly expanding into Quebec as we speak. They had an exciting summer with a pop-up market in Project A in Canmore, Alberta and another at Hudson’s Bay in Oshawa in August. Flicker Candle Co. is thrilled that they are starting to see returning customers since the summer. They now have repeat orders for custom candles from customers, including The Benny Brave Foundation who use their candles to help raise funds for their charity.

The world of entrepreneurship continues to shift and change in 2021, but one thing is for sure: there is certainly opportunity for a small business to evolve along with it. Co-founder Brooke never thought she could shift so dramatically with her business to selling almost exclusively online, but now thinks this is the future for small business owners. A big pivot has allowed them to grow by leaps and bounds, and both founders are excitedly looking towards what’s next for Flicker Candle Co.

Ready to accelerate your business? Shoot us an e-mail and let us help you kickstart your plans: leapjunction@fanshawec.ca To book an appointment with one of our business coaches: http://leapjunction.ca/book-online For more information on LEAPIn, LEAP Junction’s Business Accelerator for Fanshawe students and alumni: https://www.leapjunction.ca/leap-in

More about our LEAPer Feature: Brooke Davidson is a Fanshawe College graduate, and an honoured LEAP Junction entrepreneur. She graduated from the Business Administration Advanced Diploma in 2021, and is continuing her studies at the College with a Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Digital Marketing (anticipated 2022). Brooke is also completing an Entrepreneurial Co-op at LEAP Junction. Do you have a business you’re working on? Students can apply to complete their Winter 2022 co-op requirements while working on building their business and network by applying for an Entrepreneurial Co-op at LEAP Junction. Interested students can apply through the Fanshawe Career, Co-op & Co-curricular portal here: https://myfuture.fanshawec.ca/postings.htm?pId=131783

Follow Flicker Candle Co. on social media @flickercandleco

Browse their candle line at: www.flickercandleco.ca

written by Amanda Oppedisano at LEAP Junction

LEAPer Feature: Celebration Takes the Form of a New Museum and Event Space

Entrepreneurial Spotlight on Tyler ‘Awaazhko Bines’ French

Just outside of London, Ontario, if you travel briefly down Longwoods Road, you will find yourself within a peaceful clearing in the heart of Chippewas of the Thames First Nation. Within this clearing, is the vision for a one-of-a-kind gathering space – something entrepreneur Tyler French has dreamed up and has been working persistently on for the last three years to bring to life.

French is a graduate of the Business Fundamentals Entrepreneurship Program through the Lawrence Kinlin School Business at Fanshawe College. He graduated in December 2019 with the dream of finding a way to share his Indigenous culture and family’s history. He holds an interest in anthropology and archaeology, and has worked on several archaeological projects across Southwestern Ontario. It was during one of these assignments that French realized that the artifacts he discovered were an important part of his people’s heritage. His strong desire to return these pieces home so their past could be shared publicly became the spark that ignited his entrepreneurial fire.

French’s desire of sharing the rich history of his people took shape when he proposed the idea of building a museum that could house and showcase Indigenous artifacts, while simultaneously creating a space that could accommodate celebratory events. As it turns out, he didn’t have to search very far when seeking out a location that could host such a facility. In fact, it was discovered right on his family’s property.

The concept of the space has been named “Celebration: Event Facility and Museum,” which will be an Indigenous-owned and operated gathering space that is the perfect backdrop for large events, weddings, and any other celebratory experience you can dream up. The space will sit on 12 acres of exquisite property located on Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Indian reservation number 42. It is a piece of land that the French family has owned for generations.

While building an event facility may seem like no small task, French expresses he is up for the challenge. He recently won a $10,000 non-repayable grant as part of the Ontario Tourism in Travel Small Business Grant in July 2021. He is also currently a semi-finalist for the Pow Wow Pitch, a pitch competition for Indigenous entrepreneurs across Turtle Island to help them grow their ventures to the next level. Contestants have a chance to win a grand prize of $25,000 in funding, which French expresses would go a long way towards construction costs for his facility. All funds French has earned so far will be going towards the assembly of an Eastern white pine timber pavilion at his venue space. French has been working on the property for the last few years, and he is eager to break ground with construction this Fall. He expects the facility will be ready just in time for the 2022 wedding season.

Though starting a business at the beginning of a pandemic has had its challenges, French expresses that there have been a lot more ups versus downs, and he feels incredibly grateful for the opportunities he has been able to benefit from. He also feels that the creation of such a facility is all part of the process of giving back. “In our teachings, we celebrate all stages of life. [The space] is here for everybody to enjoy. It’s about sharing our land and giving back to the community... We want to show our history while also showing the way we celebrate.”

Jiikakamigad (jiik-akamig-ad) in the Ojibwe language stands for “there is a celebration.” French’s ancestors gathered and celebrated on this land for over 9,000 years, and he believes it is his mission to now return the land to a state of joy and excitement through the creation of Celebration: Event Facility and Museum. He invites everyone to come and see its beauty.

More about our LEAPer Feature: Tyler ‘Awaazhko Bines’ French is a Fanshawe College graduate, and an honoured LEAP Junction entrepreneur. He is an official partner with the Ontario Indigenous Tourism and the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada. He is also the recipient of the Fanshawe College Research and Innovation Day: Entrepreneurship Award in 2020. Celebration: Event Facility and Museum is currently showcased on WeddingWire Canada. French is also a proud registered band member with Chippewas of the Thames First Nation.

There is still time to vote for French as the recipient of The People’s Choice Award for the annual Pow Wow Pitch competition. French’s pitch can be found under “Tyler French-Celebration: Event Facility and Museum.” The voting for this award ends September 25, 2021, and we encourage you to cast your vote here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKV3AZBjgtfFsEzu8_3UXhJxo_JKR0LWxcCNyz3E_sx5l1bw/viewform

If you would like to help support Celebration: Event Facility and Museum, you can do so through their official GoFundMe campaign:

https://gofund.me/a8cb8906

Follow Celebration: Event Facility and Museum on social media @Jiikakamigad

written by Amanda Oppedisano at LEAP Junction