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This isn't really a complaint but I wanted to see if anybody has dealt with CanadaStartups.org in the past. I met one of their reps at a business conference who urged me to sign up. The fee is a few hundred dollars but i wanted to know if it is worth it or not?
Has anyone has any experience dealing with them?
I called and they told me to register (and pay) to get access to their tools and resources. Before I do, i want to hear what anyone else had experienced with them.
Thanks in advance
Hi Tally. I was a member of CanadaStartups.org from a few months back, and from my experience could tell you that it's a great service and definitely worth the money.
But this DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU find to be worth it for you.
For me it was the business plan tool which helped me make a business plan and the funding database.
A business plan I needed anyways I had quotes for companies to write for me from $1000 to $5000.
With CanadaStartups I literally did it myself in a week. And understood it all.
For funding, knowing where to go and apply for funding is like a gold mine. I didn't get funded yet but I didn't do much applying just yet... Only been in contact with a fee private investors.
Think Bout it, if you can get funded from a source other then your local bank... Cuz you bought a membership here, what is that worth to you?
The other reason why it's worth it is due to the fact that they are Always online and answer questions in hours!
Where do you get that kind of service?
Again my two cents.
Come on we all know canadastartup.org is a scam. check your email spam box ole justin is relentless or the robot justin. All the info you need is at any library for free. You are just promoting this scam of a company. rock on!
Did you get any funding help?
By the way what I forgot to say is that the reason I joined was because I was recommended from anothrr member of theirs who actually got government funding from the small business financing program. And the following day I was on board.
I don't think that you should be posting a "non-complaint" on a site like ComplaintsBoard...It immediately gives the company in question a bad image when people are looking quickly. Your "question" is pretty dumb as well. If you saw CanadaStartups at a conference, and you want to start a small business...if they have the tools and resources you need to successfully do so, why wouldnt you pay...if it helps you obviously.
If you think you can do the work on your own without their help, you can save yourself some money but if you are asking a question and hoping for somebody to tell you it will save your life for 300 bucks...it probably wont. But if you know what you want and if you are sertious about starting a small buisnesss then they really do have useful stuff. The funding database alone that they have, if you need funding is worth much more as well as the business plan builder tool.
I think you can get all the resoruces at Canadastartups online for free. A busienss plan template can be found free at every Canadian bank with total support
Hi Gary. I agree with you but in my experience trying to start a small business there wasn't much help. Even local startup hubs could only point me towards "other available resources" so not much different then canadastartups. When I registered with them I was really hoping that I could speak with somebody and actually have everything in one place and that's why I found it useful. Might not be for everyone.
I have to agree that you shouldn't be starting a "non-complaint" on a site like complaints board. As for CanadaStartups as Gary said, most of the stuff is available for free. There are many templates, help and guides available but I so have to say they really present it well. I think you are really joining to get their help and assistance. When you download a template you fill it out sure, but when you have questions there isn't help.
I give a thumbs up to them for providing a great service to those who want that kind of help.
They are good. I contacted canadastartups.org back in August of 2016 and had a pretty good experience. The fact that they have somebody at any time of the day to answer your questions was what convinced me to register. The tools were very helpful for me.
I completely agree with you. My experience looking for business help online has led me only to scams and fraud. People thinking they can rip me off. But with CanadaStartups.org it seemed easy right from the start. The product, the service, honesty and the ability to speak with somebody at all times was a solid reason for my registration. I would recommend it over any other service available.
CanadaStartups offers a lot of help for small business owners. As somebody mentioned, its not just what you can get for free but its about the level of support. I loved the fact that i can ask a question and have an answer or opinion without having to look all over the web at what people have tries or waiting for a laywer or accountant to answer my simple question. These guys are great and for under 300 dollars, somebody would be crazy not to use them
I agree with you a 100%
I think before commenting a negative star for these guys you really have to look at the big picture. They have a ton of positive reviews everywhere, trustpilot, sitejabber, on their site, Facebook, BBB, all over social media- they host events all the time, give back to their members
What you pay with canadastartups is the ability to have experts who help you and guide you each step of the way. You get help making your business plan, they review it for you, help you search for funding and much more. I know, I am a member.
Do you’ve proof of these reviews? I’m presently feel like I’m being scammed by them. They leave you to do everything by yourself & only email you. That’s their form of expert help, emails. Go figure.
Https://canadian-grants-business-center.pissedconsumer.com/review.html
These guys, afaik are the exact same entity as the aforementioned link complains about.
Back in 09 I signed up with the 'old company' called "small business loans canada" - which used to have a very official government looking website. theyd claim to connect you with the right contacts for applying for grants and interest free loans.
I was interested and spoke with some reps, but they always wanted a couple hundred bucks.
It wasnt always a consistent fee either, sometimes 397.99 sometimes 297.99 or as high as 597.99 and on a few occasions just 197.99 if I act now!
These guys kept calling and emailing me but I needed to think on it. 300$ isnt a small chunk of change.
After about a week of calls I did a background check and found numerous (countless really) complaints.
I told them to that I had found the info I needed and was no longer interested, but they continued to contact me.
I only stopped getting emails from "canada small business loans" when I started getting emails from "canadastartups" which leads me to believe they merely changed their name for 'reasons'
I checked into canadastartups and the first red flag is that the oldest reviews are 2016 and thats a bit fishy.
Furthermore theyre all 4 and 5 stars. which is fishy too.
Keep in mind - not every small business will qualify for a grant or loan, the industry, product/service, age, education, background, credit, debt, marital status, income, having a dumb start up idea, and countless other factors will disqualify at least a small percentage of people and it's my experience that people generally only leave reviews due to a negative experience... so why are all the reviews glowing? every single person got what they needed? not a single one had to jump through countless hoops? not a single one was annoyed by their spamming? somethings up...
I really advise against sending them any of your cash. but it's your money.
Obtaining grants is absolutely doable, but online is probably not the way to go. your local library, dmv (access nova scotia in ns) and other government buildings/organizations are where you should start. university campuses as well. hell pick up the phone and call some local rich people. they may invest for a small percentage of your endeavour.
The reality is, you shoulding have to pay half a grand to get information on grants.
Good luck
Hey I read your complaint and I have to say I dont agree with you.
I think first of all you are confusing a scam company with a real legit company because they email and call you and sell something?
I was actually in contact with Canada Startups back in 2011 when I had them prepare my business plan for me for a business that I was starting. They had an office in Vancouver where I sat down with a few people to get it all out together. It took about 3 weeks to get everything perfect and I paid $1800 to get a business plan done.
When I got it, it was real good. I took it to RBC and secured financing for my business.
A few years later I came across them again as a referral from an accountant friend who mentioned that they funding applications for tech startups. That was in 2014.
Took them up in it and did applications and all but I didnt but funded because of my credit, but they did a real good job.
A few years after, I was at a franchise show when I realized they had a booth in Toronto. Promoting a Small Business Platform. This was back in 2016, and after speaking to them I realized it was the same company and they created an online platform of their service.
Anyways that's to say, its probably why their reviews start as of 2016 as that's when they popped up online. Prior to that I remember they asked for paper reviews on ballots.
I also had a run in with the company you mention, and I actually had a complaint filed against them on BBB where they are rated F, and also had done a chargeback on my credit card to get my funds back.
I think if you approach them and you approach Canada Startups you will clearly see the difference in service, in trust, and simply in contact.
I suggest if you are reading this review, go try it yourself. Contact them...see who actually responds
I stand by CanadaStartups as its somebody I had a great experience with. But I dont agree with your negative review of them for the sake of you believing its somebody else. Its very disingenious on your part.
I would approach them and ask them...not just put blame.
I am also a part of their email list and do get a ton of emails, however it looks like they follow the CANSPAM regulations, so you can stop anytime if you get bothered by them. And with that, you will also probably know that they email their list al the time and talk about how to be careful when dealing with those who sell "government funding"...etc
Good luck!
Hello! Did you get any funding from them? Thanks!
I had issues whit them before and that was back in 2018 now i found them emailing me in 2023 calling emailing me sending me a 100 dollar discount 4 emails in under 5 days. After reading a lot of reviews i will not signup with those people
They been disappointing a lot of people for many years using different company names
I was a member of a few different companies including 589 spent on center for small business financing, 549 spent on the one in your article and 297 spent on Canada startups platform.
And I have to disagree with you about what you say that they are all connected. The reason why I joined Canada startups was actually because the centre for small business financing or later known as the entrepreneur center couldn't get me the help I needed.
While Grants and government funding is free, who has the time or the know how to find it? Yet apply for it.
I think that's why people actually go for these type of services. Isn't it?
All of the companies BUT Canada startups guaranteed something to me...which is why I fell for them. While Canada startups guy, Ryan told me we help you through the process and guide you and make sure you get all you need. No promises of money or any bs. Just straight up help.
I've been a member for 2 years straight now with Canada Startups. Actually paying 2 seperste times to ensure I still have access to the experts for help.
It's easy to judge and to speculate and to point fingers but unless you do your own homework and research you don't know squat.
Dont you think that a company with only 4 and 5 star reviews would have negative ones too? If they were really mis treating customers? I mean look at these companies...take a minute
Leadership Grants
Centre for Small Business Financing
Small Business Funding Centere
Entrepreneur Centre
Funding Portal
Small Buisness Grants Centre
Look up their review. All horrible
There is a reason that Canada Startups doesn't focus just on grants and loans - since there are so many individuals like you who believe you will get funded if you pay. Wrong!
This is idiotit to think that way.
Read up on Canada Startups. Go to their events. Check their seminars out. They work with schools, non profits and charities...they give back.
Because somebody stole money from you, you instantly assumed its these guys because they emailed you a lot?
Have you ever tried to donate blood? Do they email you call you? Probably a can too?
My suggestion to you is to contact the company and ask them. They are very friendly and easy going it seems. Best of all they help.
For 300 dollars I paid, i had more help then I would if I hired a team.
So what have you got from them?
Thank you for reading my review of Canada Startups.
I've been following this thread here for a few months now because I wanted to register but was already fooled once by a company mentioned above in one of the comments "centre for small business financing", so I wanted to really see what people say about them before I go ahead and spend another bunch of money.
I registered for the centre for small business financing last year mid july and they guaranteed i would find funding or they would give me my money back. This was about 600 dollars that i paid and i never heard from them again. Last month i actually called and a guy answered and said we've gone out of business (bankrupt) so there is no money to give you. I verified this and saw that they are owned by a company called Consumer Center and as per their BBB profile, it says they are out of business. But no wonder they have sooo many bad reviews. I've attached a screenshot hope you guys can see it.
The guy was pretty nice on the phone though so I didn't feel too pissed of and i ended up asking him about other recommended services and he said to me that the only good companies are mentor works and canada startups, everybody else is a quick way to lose 500 to 600 dollars.
When i brought up the company business canadian grants business centre, the guy told me that they actually were employees of consumer centre who've gone rogue and started up their own business and took all of the bad practices. And I looked them up on the BBB site and found the same thing, they are rated "F" which is pretty bad. They also have 39 reviews.
I ended up calling them to see what they say about it and they tell me that all of their negative reviews are from pissed of people that used to work for Consumer Centre.. So i don't know whats going on. But they are hard core pushing their funding platform for nearly 600 dollars and trying anything and everything to get you to buy and give your credit card. I left the call and said let me think about it. 5 minutes later got an e-mail giving me a deadline because programs will close if i dont buy with them. So i can see why people complain about them.
The next thing i did was called canadastartups.org to see what they have to say. Their BBB shows A+ with 20 something positive reviews (here it is https://www.bbb.org/mbc/business-reviews/business-consultant/canadastartupsorg-in-vancouver-bc-1290164).
So when I called them a lady called Elizabeth answered. i explained my business idea, told her my needs for funding and she explained their offer and the price of $297. I asked about consumer centre and about small business grants centre and all she had to say was to ask a lot of questions before registering and to always look up reviews. This was actually something that made me feel happy.
I asked about funding and guarantees, they said funding is not guaranteed. When i told her that i had to think about it, she said to me no problem take all the time in the world and let us know when you are ready. She also send me an e-mail with more inforamtion. So there wasn't pressure. That tells me more good things.
I personally don't think it's the same business and am going to probably register with them to try it out. will keep you guys updated on it. If you guys that are member have experiences share with me, would love to know your thoughts.
Did you end up signing up?
Did you get funding help and successfully got the funds? Thanks!
CanadaStartups.org offers a great tool for entrepreneurs for a low price. It may not be for everyone but those that are actually serious about starting their business or getting help with funding. Have you tried to search for funding on your own? What a nightmare, so to pay under 300 dollars for somebody to point you in the right direction, makes total sense to me as a business owner.
Hi Jenn! Did you get funding help and successfully got funded? Thanks!
So how have that worked out for you?
what if the guy says that commented they are legit, and not scammers. Well i have that question in my mind are they scammers they seam pushy
what if they are scammers tat say they are not
It's a good business. I say that from my experience with them.
They answer the phone, follow up, reply to emails and answer questions whenever asked.
They provide a good helpful tool in my opinion and would recommend calling them to speak to them rather than just read reviews telling you they are good or bad. Try it yourself, everyone has a experience.
Hi Helen! Love to connect and know more about your experience. I hope I am not overreacting and paranoid that I just got duped for paying a fee that no outcomes anyways. Thanks!
I'm ready to bet a lot of money that most people that have commented here are people from CanadaStartups. It's quite [censored]ed up.
Did you join and get the help and funding? Thanks!
I appreciate all the comments here. I am a start-up business. I joined Canada Startups with a discounted offer of $300 from $500.
From what I am reading here, the discount is actually not a discount?
When I spoke with Grace Adam, she told me I can call and speak with someone about anything at all. Actually, they just assist you to create a ticket that an expert to respond to you in a day or two. You can do the ticket yourself too with an AI chatbox.
I had my business plan created already, from Google Search finding the best template, they are all free.
I was able to send that via email for their review. But I used their business plan builder anyways.
When you need help for financials, pitch deck, they offer that as an additional price to make it pretty like $125 and up in addition to the membership fee. The investors like to see it, as they said, but I am just bummed that any tool they recommend is over and above the membership fee. But you can do it on your own too, they would tell you that too.
I am here looking for feedback or connection with people who actually got funding from them. They make it sound so easy that you will get approved in a way. Who knows. It's been two weeks now and no custom funding recommendations yet even I already had my business done before joining. They have the advice to tweak it which is minor. Good too but I thought knowing what my plan is and the reason for asking for funding, they would start giving the recommendations already for funding.
I have been emailing them back and forth, so that's a good thing. You cannot speak to their Senior Advisor and if you need any custom advice, you go to their "Ask the Expert" portal and wait for one week to get back to you.
I find the process inefficient. If I was already assigned with a Senior Advisor to my case/ account, why do I have to go through the portal again to ask for the same help and retell my needs and questions again?
Sorry for the long-winded comment here. I just felt I duped? Am I? I love to hear from those who received their funding and connect to reassure me with their wisdom.
Thanks for reading!
I am going through the same thing here. Secondly when they know you’re going through tissues no one answers the phone.
The ride my emails day & night until they get my $418 then they’re suddenly tell you that your expert doesn’t correspond on the phone only with emails.
I was told not to use these people I did & get burnt. This is the last time I’ll trust any business online. They hide on a phone & a laptop & find people to give them good reviews to catch more people. They need to be exposed!
this looks like a bot party. staying away from this business
Sure those. According to so many negative and fake reviews.