What does Vancouver need to get some tech-prenuers flocking to Canada?
How can we trump our southern west coast neighbour? We’re on the path to find out what we need to create our own San Francisco in Vancouver and leverage the creative reputation of Canada’s west coast living. Today it’s about the money!
Requirement 2: Show Me The Money!
At the moment, you couldn’t really blame investors for looking for the next cash cow and seeing real estate. In many parts of Vancouver, a couple million is just not enough to buy yourself a fixer upper. Real estate is both a money sink for investors and an economic drag for start ups.
We have clever, innovative and motivated people with clever, innovative and money making ideas for apps, web development, software development and more. Investors in Vancouver are actually quite a conservative bunch, so many tech up and comers are moving to Silicon Valley where investors are more accustomed to the technology game. How does a little country get ahead?
Government may have to step in to sweeten the pot a bit. Providing an educated workforce is a great first step. The next might be offering special grants and loans to startups working in the web development, design or tech industries. Sometimes it just requires a bit of public pressure to make investors see that they have a shot at a gold mine.
Requirement 3: Encouragement!
One benefit of coming to the party late is that you can see those that have gone ahead and learn from their mistakes. Our first step should be to encourage those with the aptitude and interest in technology, or web design, or software development to think about the potential within these industries.
Guidance and career counsellors have done a decent job the last few years redirecting students into the trades to start taking up the slack in the job market there. They need to continue to evolve and provide information and encouragement for students to think about work in the tech sector. Starting a company is by no means simple, but it’s far more difficult when young people are discouraged from even giving it a try. The ongoing MO of counsellors seems to be to direct students down the same path: finish high school. go to post-secondary school, find job.
How about we find examples of successful start ups and plot their path to success? Then we hand those blueprints over to our up and comers and give them another option. The option to build something of their own.
These are exciting times when the potential for technology to improve our lives and careers seem endless! These times likely won’t last forever and we should work harder to open doors and create paths into advancing tech in meaningful ways for the next generations.
Millennials Poised To Take Over The World?
Here’s some food for thought – Millennials, because they are the offspring of the Baby Boomers, the largest demographic cohort ever, are going to be the next largest demographic cohort ever. These kiddies were born with technology in their hands, and they are eager to see where it can take them.
Let’s step back and see what they can do with a little encouragement from industries that are starting their swan song.
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