Week 5. The Report.

I’ve started writing the report! 50-60 pages to write in five weeks…bring it on! I have done bits already so maybe it’s nearer 40 pages left!

It’s taken quite a while to interview everyone necessary and transcribe the interviews, so I am a little behind schedule but I really want to complete this. Everyone in the office (including myself) is determined that I will get it done before I leave, mainly because they don’t want to have to finish it themselves!

In week two I wrote a draft methodology and outlined the different sections that I want the report broken up into which has definitely helped. In my first year at university when I learnt how to write up a Psychology experiment in a report format I never thought I would use it outside of the Psychology context, but it has been so useful here, even if it’s just as a guide. Maybe my lectures were right when they said Psychology teaches a lot of ‘transferable skills”!

The report will basically outline the key findings and how we got to them, but there will also be some case studies on some of the communities from the larger communities to the smaller and newer communities. This will enable other communities to learn from one another. I have written two of those already, which has slightly reduced my workload! It’s really interesting and I am so grateful to StartUp Canada for having faith in me, especially with a huge range of tasks!

I was also asked to write a blog on “What the Canadian Government can do for Startups” for Intuit Quickbooks. Initially I was a bit hesitant as I didn't even

know what the U.K. government does! Where do I even begin!? But thankfully Victoria, the CEO, had done a webinar so I could get the information from there. This was very interesting as there was a section for foreign entrepreneurs. Turns out, if an individual (or a group of up to five) from outside of Canada want to start a business in Canada, they can! They would need to get backing from selected partners, but if the ideas good permanent residency will be granted by the Canadian government so that the entrepreneurs have one less thing to worry about! So fellow SSIM students, who has an idea that they want to pitch with me…

I also went hiking up in the Gatineau Mountains, which was fantastic! Great views and my first visit to Quebec! Sadly, I did get bitten A LOT by the bugs and my leg was swollen which was amusing but pretty painful for a few days! Ashley put me in touch with her friend Kait who has taken me under her wing! I am so grateful to them both! It’s great to meet more people here and Kait is fantastic!

Intuit blog - http://quickbooks.intuit.ca/r/get-ready/5-federal-government-resources-for-business