September 05 2021

Canadian co-operatives eligible for Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund

Two credit unions are also partnering with the government to provide microloans to businesses and entrepreneurs

The Government of Canada has launched a Black Entrepreneurship Program to address systemic barriers in the business world.

The programme is backed by an investment of up to CA$350.8m over four years, bringing together the government, black-led business organisations and financial institutions.

As part of this, the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund will provide loans up to $250,000 to black business owners and entrepreneurs across the country, including co-operatives.

The loan fund is a $291.3m investment, comprising around $33.3m from the federal government, $130m from BDC, and $128m joint from the Royal Bank of Canada, BMO Financial Group, Scotiabank, CIBC, the National Bank of Canada, TD Bank, Vancity Credit Union and Alterna Savings.

Another pilot microloan programme will provide microloans between $10,000 and $25,000 for Black entrepreneurs and business owners in British Columbia and Ontario. The plot is delivered by the Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE) in partnership with credit unions Vancity and Alterna Savings. The initiative aims to tackle a critical gap in the marketplace for black businesses that need smaller financial support to start up and grow. Other financial institutions are encouraged to join the pilot as partners.

To be eligible, businesses must be majority owned by a black Canadian and may include start-ups and existing for-profit small businesses in Canada, including sole proprietorships, social enterprises, partnerships or co-operatives. They must also have a business number, a business plan, and financial statements or projects for start-ups.

Mary Ng, minister of small business, export promotion and international trade, said: “The opening of the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund is a historic achievement to support black business owners and entrepreneurs so they can start up, scale up and grow across Canada and around the world. As a critical piece of Canada’s first-ever Black Entrepreneurship Program, the loan fund helps reduce barriers black business owners and entrepreneurs face in accessing financing. Our government is proud to work with FACE and other black community leaders to continue to address systemic racism against black Canadians.”

Christine Bergeron, president and CEO at the Vancity credit union said: “Serving Canadians as a financial institution is a privilege, and one that entails a great deal of social responsibility. Entrepreneurship can offer great mobility and prosperity, but systemic inequality has meant that this opportunity is not equally available to all Canadians.

“This programme is an important step in addressing systemic racism faced by black business owners and entrepreneurs, and Vancity is proud to work with FACE and looks forward to supporting black entrepreneurs with much-needed microloans.”

Robert Paterson, president and CEO, Alterna Savings, said: “Alterna Savings is proud to partner on the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund, and we are committed to joining with our peers to change the experience for the black community when it comes to accessing capital and building a business. At Alterna, we have a deep understanding of community loan funds through our 20 years leading our Community Microfinance Program, and credit unions have a long history in Canada of supporting underserved entrepreneurs, helping them become economically and socially empowered.”

Tiffany Callender, CEO of FACE, added: “It is an important day for Canadian entrepreneurs of African descent. Starting today, thanks to support from the government of Canada and different financial institutions, the true value of black entrepreneurship is finally being recognised. We are optimistic about the future of our entrepreneurs, and we are eager to accompany them as they achieve their business goals. This is a historic opportunity to become a sustainable part of the Canadian economic fabric, and we know that Black entrepreneurs are up to the task.”

source: https://www.thenews.coop/na/

Online Printing Service

The advantages of Online Printing

April 13 2020

The arrival of the Internet and the many possibilities offered by this tool have changed the way of understanding a very old but still irreplaceable sector such as the printing industry. Not so much in its essence, because the products are still those of always (with some new features, of course), but rather in their form, that is online. Indeed, in the online printing press, everything is carried out by means of a very simple procedure that allows you to configure the product, compare prices, customize the order, send the files and much more. Let's see then what are the three key points, and the main advantages, of the world of online printing.

The convenience of ordering from your home or office

We start with comfort. Nowadays, to print any type of product, be it business cards, brochures, canvas, roll up or much more, it is no longer necessary to leave the house and go to a traditional typeface. It only takes a computer or a mobile device to carry out the order in a very simple and fast way: in a few minutes, you can complete the purchase and send the file you want to print. There are several forms of payment, so you can choose the one you prefer. Once the order is completed, you just have to wait for the delivery of your order at the indicated address. A good way to save time.

Competitive prices with the quality of always

Second, another important and interesting aspect of online printing has to do with prices. The products produced by the online fonts are produced together with many other similar orders, with the consequent advantages in terms of production costs, which thanks to economies of scale are reduced, also reducing the final price to customers. That explains why printing online is so convenient. But that does not mean that the quality of the printing or of the products is reduced. Quite the opposite: the characteristics of the products and printing are the same as always. And in online printers all the resources are also offered to obtain an impeccable result; In fact, templates of design instructions can be downloaded for each product, where the characteristics that a file must have for correct printing are explained: the size and bleed of the file, the CMYK color model, the fonts that must be embedded, the minimum recommended resolution, etc. And it's not all: as in any typeface, it is possible to request a proof of imposition and color to check the result before proceeding to the printing of the entire print run.

24-hour service

Third, another positive aspect of online printing and perhaps the most obvious one is that online printers are available every day, 24 hours a day, even on holidays, so it is always possible to place an order and save time.
In conclusion, as explained above, we can say that printing online is convenient and very much, for several reasons.

Online Printing Service

Benefits of Online Printing

April 13 2020

Online printing has been developing in recent years. Simplicity and efficiency, in one click you receive your products in record time. Here's an overview of the benefits of using an online printing company like Printing Coop that combines quality and speed.

Create your models online

You do not have a graphic designer? This is not a problem! It is now extremely easy to create and personalize your flyers or business cards. Thanks to a legible interface, you can always view your creations, modify or improve them according to your desires: a wide choice of fonts, choice of colors, cropping of logos and photographs. At Printing Coop you can work as a professional with a simple and practical interface.

Choose flexibility and qualified customer service

The undisputed advantage of an online printing business like Printing Coop remains flexibility. With qualified customer service and printing professionals easily reachable by telephone, online chat, e-mail, ticket support or Facebook Messenger, Printing Coop is able to answer all the requests of its customers and prospects.

Choose the speed

Online printing companies have the advantage of executing an order in record time as soon as the order is validated. Deliveries are then made very quickly and online printers like Printing Coop offer very short production times because their workflow is automated. By choosing Printing Coop, you can take advantage of the delivery the same day (Montreal, QC) or in 24 / 48h everywhere in Canada!

Respect the environment

Attach importance to the paper used by your online printer: Printing Coop is certified ImprimVert and be in an approach of respect for the environment by recycling and using less harmful products. Printing Coop offers its customers the use of environmentally friendly raw materials: paper from sustainably managed forests (FSC or PEFC labels), 100% recycled paper, vegetable inks ... and also treats its industrial waste, by sorting recoverable waste, by securing the storage of its products.

Online Printing Service

What are the differences Between Digital Printing and offset?

April 13 2020

What is digital printing exactly?

Digital printing allows you to print directly on paper from digital data available on a computer. This highly responsive printing technique allows for faster printing of your communication documents.

How? Remember how offset printing works:

When printing in offset, printing is not done directly on the paper. It goes through a cylinder covered with a sheet of rubber, from which the ink is transferred to the paper.
With digital printing, the production is done directly on a printer and the documents are formatted by computer processing. So we go directly from the computer to the printer.
The difference between offset printing and digital printing, therefore, lies in the intermediate steps to the final printing of the document. Digital printing, therefore, shortens production times by eliminating certain steps between document design and offset printing.

A different final rendering

In digital printing, inks are usually powdered, and baked on the surface of the paper, while in liquid form for offset, printing. In the finished document, digital printing gives a glossy visual on all types of paper used. In offset, the inks are liquid and absorbed in part by the paper. So there is some difference in color for the same project depending on the finish and paper used.
Documents printed with digital printing generally have a maximum size of 30 cm x 45 cm. The ink is more surface, it is more fragile to friction and folding. Nevertheless, many documents can be printed digitally: pads, brochures, business cards, etc.