The big topic lately is how the economy is affecting startups. I’ve been following many of the threads. On the one hand it is upsetting to see TechCrunch’s running list of layoffs, loss, cutbacks and deadpools. However, as some have said, some of the best innovation emerges during times of economic recession.

There are some excellent posts from Canadian bloggers, that have been bringing advice and discussion on this topic.

I would love to hear from some Atlantic Canadian bloggers their perspective on what is happening.

StartupCFO

Want to sell more? Get your CFO involved.

“In these types of selling environments, you need a hard, quantifiable value proposition for your company and product. Don’t be a vitamin, be a painkiller. Be something your customer absolutely needs. Whereever possible, quantify the value that you are providing.”

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StartUpNorth

StartUpNorth has had several posts related to this subject.

Canadian Entrepreneurs have to be more creative rather than relying exclusively on the US market.

Back to the Basics - Guest post from Christopher Pyper

The sky is falling, and so is your valuation

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Canadian Entreprenur

Offspring of the last recession - Do strong companies start in the midst of recessions?

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Mark Evans - A Canadian Take on the Web

Buckle Down but Keep Innovating

“As we head into more difficult waters, my hope is innovation and the creation of new online services remains vibrant. With development and distribution costs low, the landscape for new services should hopefully remain fertile. Entrepreneurs may have to buckle down but there is no reason why they should disappear.”

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DavidCrow.ca

It’s the end of the world as we know it

“Good business is about delivering return on investment to it’s shareholders. This has often been ignored by many entrepreneurs in the pursuit of attention.”

More time than money

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Canadian Marketing Association

Marketing in a Recession

“Past recessions have shown that marketers who have taken the approach of “going through this together” with their customers have been more successful at maintaining share and revenue during a recession than their competition”

2009 B-to-B Demand Creation Trends

“In 2008, words such as recession, stagflation and depression have swirled wildly, causing b-to-b executives to pull out their swords and come hunting – as they have historically done when times get tough – for marketing dollars to cut.”

Share Results

ROI in a Recession

“Lately we’ve been blogging about recession blogging and making a profit in a recession. The underlying point has been that as more and more consumer pinch their pennies, there’s an opportunity for those that can help them do that.”

Tech East -added Oct. 20

The Strength of Angels

“As companies feel more pain from the credit crunch and economic slowdown, they will in turn be focused on finding savings, something productivity-enhancing IT investments can help with, he said.”

Non Canadian posts

Scobleizer

Recession Proof your Startup

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TechCrunch

Paul Graham’s Startup Survival Guide for the Nuclear Winter - Be a Cockroach

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So as I mentioned previously, I’ve been away since May and now I’m back more or less. Many of my colleagues/friends have been wondering why I wasn’t blogging anymore. Initially my response was always that I didn’t have the time, or rather didn’t make the time for it. That is true, to a degree, but after more thought, realized it went much deeper. This post may veer into the personal life side of things, but also brings together some components of life in a startup.

My life mostly consists of my work, my kids and then any extra time after that is prioritized. I recognize a pattern now that once the nice weather hits and the school year ends, I’m outside hiking/geocaching/biking/camping, etc. in any of the spare time I have. When the school year for the kids resumes and the weather starts to turn a bit cooler, I’m inside more and suddenly finding some time to blog more again. So, I’m a bit of a seasonal blogger, at least until more of my time frees up in the warmer months.

There’s also no doubt that being a single Mom also significantly affects my time. A single Mom, in a startup at that, is probably veering on insanity;)

This leads to life in a startup. I often hear from well meaning friends that they worry I work too much. I do work a lot, and while I am often tired, I love my work. Passion for work is not just a cliche, it’s how I feel about what I do every day. Our company is growing rapidly. We have the best clients to work with. We’ve had members ask if they can come work for us because they love their experience with us. By the way, we’re hiring customer service reps and sales managers. We just recently launched our new blog as a way to provide walking tips to everyone and an additional means to communicate with our members. Every day is a new opportunity and I wouldn’t trade this ride for anything.

Recently Jason Calcanis of Mahalo.com was criticized in his post The Startup Depression. Critics said he was advocating firing anyone who wasn’t a workaholic, but what he was really saying was that it takes great excellent commitment and passion to build a highly successful company. I resonated with his post and his comments in the youtube videos below.

So what this all means is that I’ll likely post a bit more regularly now. We’ll see what happens next May;)

FOWA (Future of Web Apps) 2008 - Jason Calcanis

The Deal Video - Jason Calcanis

There are some decisions that I’m going to be making with regards to the blog, but in the meantime I wanted to post about several upcoming events in the area that need some recognition.

StartUp Empire - Toronto

Hopefully not too late as tomorrow is the last day for registration. StartUp Empire, Canada’s StartUp conference in Toronto. It will be held Nov. 13th and 14th.

Fresh Ideas: Tales from the Dragon’s Den - Halifax

Monday, October 20th at the Halifax World Trade and Convention Center

“An exciting, informative and eye-opening entrepreneur showcase event! Arlene Dickinson, of CBC’s hit series Dragons’ Den and CEO of Venture Communications Ltd., will spout fiery anecdotes and share her insights”

Third Tuesday NB - Fredericton

- Cancelled for this month due to scheduling conflicts

New Brunswick’s popular monthly social media mixer. We rotate between Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton. The details should be posted in meetup early this week. If you haven’t joined meetup already, please do so you’ll be notified about the upcoming events. You can also find information resources at linkedin, facebook and twitter. Thirdtuesdaynb.com keeps you updated on the various resources.

NEW:

New Brunswick Innovation Forum

Saint john Trade & Convention Center - Oct. 28th and 29th.

The New Brunswick Innovation Forum 2008 offers a venue for innovative companies, investors, scientists and researchers to find each other so that more New Brunswick and Canadian innovations can reach the marketplace. The four themes for 2008 are:

• Health/Life Sciences
• Advanced Learning Technologies
• Energy
• Other ICT Products and Services

ThinkNB - Saint John

New Brunswick’s ICT showcase, ThinkNB, will be held again this year. Oct. 29th and 30th at the Saint John Trade and Convention Center. I attended last year and was amazed at the diversity of ITC companies in NB.

NEW:

ESRI Regional User Conference - Fredericton

Oct. 29th and 30th

“Join us for this exclusive opportunity to hear the latest ESRI technology advancements, interact with colleagues, listen to a selection of outstanding user presentations, and network with other GIS professionals.”