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BRIDGING THE FINANCE GAP: WHAT SMALL IT BUSINESSES NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHEN, WHERE AND HOW TO ACCESS CAPITAL FOR THEIR GROWING BUSINESS
Small tech businesses across Canada are looking to grow - but growth requires investment and funding. Finding financing and preparing a company for financing is a challenge for all entrepreneurs but tech companies experience a greater need for high levels of start up investment than many other small businesses. Carissa will share in her presentation the basics of how to prepare for financing, what financers are looking for in small businesses and their owners, what financing options are available and what to do when you are ready to go after capital.
ABOUT CARISSA REINIGER
Carissa Reiniger is the Founder and President of Silver Lining Ltd. Silver Lining works with small businesses, helping them develop one year business development plans and then uses communication strategies to ensure the business goals are met. In just over one year, Carissa has grown Silver Lining from a one man show to an international company with offices in Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver and Las Vegas and a combined staff of 17. Plans for further expansion into the Eastern States are underway.
Before Silver Lining, Carissa worked as the Business Development Manager for a global advertising agency and prior to that was a National Account Manager for a national promotional marketing company. With her experience in promotional marketing and advertising, Carissa started Silver Lining by taking everything she learnt from both worlds and applying the same strategies for a fraction of the cost for her clients.
Beyond her 9-5, Carissa is involved in many projects, volunteer initiatives and community-based functions. She has Founded Project Aware, Silver Lining’s Corporate Social Responsibility division; Get Down E-Town, a series of events created to raise the profile of Edmonton; Women’s Initiative, an online service for global women in business; and Inspiring Entrepreneurs, an online business connecting aspiring entrepreneurs to inspiring entrepreneurs. She sits the Advisory Boards for the School of Business degree in Entrepreneurship and Enterprise at NAIT, House of Hope Orphanage in Uganda, BioVedics Research Inc. and Indoor Playground. As well, Carissa sits on the Board of Directors for The Meeting House downtown and Women Entrepreneurs of Canada. Reiniger is also a member of Women President’s Organization, Entrepreneur Organization, Junior Chamber International and Vegas Young Professionals.
In addition to her work and volunteer initiatives, Carissa has self-published a book called “Stories From Our Black Books”, a compilation of Canadian women’s relationship stories. With a second book on growing small businesses to their first million being published in 2007, Carissa continues to build the profile of small business in North America.
At the age of 24, Carissa has fit about 20 years of work experience into 5, in addition to completing a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta.
www.silverlininglimited.com
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