Are you thinking of starting your business? If you are, there’s one thing you need to know: sometimes your location can be more important than your idea! It might feel unreal, but it’s absolutely true. For a business to succeed, it needs a good environment to grow in, and you can’t get that just anywhere. You need high-quality people, community support, infrastructural support for startups, as well as some other qualities. And while it may seem like a place with all that is impossible to find, it’s not. Mississauga is the perfect example of a city that’s perfect for new businesses! If you don’t believe us, continue reading to find out what makes Mississauga perfect for startups.
What you need to know about Mississauga
If you haven’t lived in Mississauga before, you might not be aware of the things that make it so special. For starters, Mississauga is one of the most picturesque cities along the Ontario lakeside, with a lot to offer its inhabitants. It has grown dramatically in recent years and is now one of Canada’s most popular cities. Mississauga, like its first neighbor, Toronto, is also home to people with a wide range of cultures from all over the world. It’s a perfect city to move to for a fresh start and an ideal place for a business startup. Here’s why:
- Cost of living
- Proximity to big business centers
- A supportive infrastructure
- Proximity to institutions of higher education
- Access to funding
Cost of living
When you’re starting a business, your finances always come first. This is why many entrepreneurs decide to live in smaller, cheaper cities and towns. The less money you spend on overhead, the more money you have to put into your company. That’s why places that are either making a return or are seen as up-and-coming are seeing a surge in startup activity. Mississauga is a great example of an up-and-coming city that’s been widely expanding in the past few years.
While living in Mississauga can be pricey, the cost of living there is still significantly lower than in Toronto. On the other hand, the quality of life is more or less the same since both cities have so much stuff to offer. People used to relocate to Mississauga since it was more inexpensive, and they would commute to Toronto for jobs and social activities. Today, this situation is a little different.
While many individuals still commute to work, the number of employment opportunities in Mississauga has increased dramatically over the last two decades, and an increasing number of people are working there. There is also less of a need to drive to Toronto for entertainment or socializing, thanks to the growth of the downtown core.
Proximity to big business centers
You might be thinking you need to live in a city that’s a huge business center in order for your startup to succeed, but that’s not entirely true. It’s enough to just be a short drive away from such a metropolis. And Mississauga gives you exactly that! As we said before, Toronto is just around the corner from Mississauga, which makes its location perfect. If you ever need to drive for a quick work meeting with a business partner or a client, you can!
A supportive infrastructure
If you want your business to grow, it’s important that the city you choose has a supportive culture toward startups. This can be shown through government incentives, such as tax breaks. Or, it can also be shown by a public acknowledgment and pride in the local startup culture. You can find all of this in Mississauga. Much like other Canadian cities, Mississauga also offers great incentives for startups, entrepreneurs, and small business owners, as well as workshops, seminars, and training programs. It is clearly what makes Mississauga perfect for startups.
Proximity to institutions of higher education
Another attractive feature for startups is the presence of close-by schools and colleges, which can be a great source of high-quality candidates, interns, and other helpful resources. Some universities even encourage startups to offer courses and workshops and get to know high-quality students. Although Mississauga does not have its own institution, it does host a satellite campus of the University of Toronto. Sheridan and Lampton are another two popular satellite campus community colleges.
Access to funding
It’s true that in the internet era, you have access to a pool of investors from all across the country, regardless of where you live. Having some local financing possibilities, on the other hand, can’t hurt. However, you should make sure you always have a prepared approach if you want to ask investors for money. Generally speaking, when looking for money, always have a compelling tale.
If you and your investor live in the same city, that tale can make you bond over your shared neighborhood or a favorite dinner spot. If you’re looking for investors in Mississauga, it’s good to know about the city when approaching them so you can emphasize the local aspect of your startup.
Moving to Mississauga
When moving to Mississauga, it is best to hire professional help. There are many moving companies like number1movers.ca, that are ready to take up this task. Many of them offer full-service moving both for household and business moves. If you don’t have an office yet, you will need to do some extensive research on moving. Moving will require you to know how to pack, what to pack and when to pack. Packing is the most complicated part if you have professional help. Some moving companies will pack you for an extra charge but if you decide to pack yourself, we will explain it.
Decluttering
Before you start packing, you should declutter. Decide on what items will be moving with you, and what items will not. You can get rid of unneeded items in 3 ways:
- Donating
- Selling
- Throwing away
We recommend you combine all 3 of these ways! Go through your stuff room by room and divide into 3 piles or boxes for each of the ways. Old clothes that are still in good condition and other usable stuff should be donated. Items that are worth some money should be sold, and the things that have no use should be thrown out. You can even host a garage or yard sale in the end if you have the means to ease the selection process. Whatever you get left with after the sale, just throw out.
Moving office
This all counts if you are moving your office. In this case, make sure to get a professional office mover and let experts from the area help you out. Office moving is a more complicated form of moving because it includes a substantial number of fragile computers, furniture, and sensitive documents. If anything goes wrong you want to be covered. All office movers offer insurance and make sure to get it! We still recommend keeping all the sensitive documents either digitally or by your side during the moving process. But, if you get a professional mover to help you, you will have fewer things to worry about.
Packing
By now you know what makes Mississauga perfect for startups and now we have come to the most time-consuming part, packing. We recommend you to go room by room and to pack the things you won’t need before the move first. That way you will be able to continue living as normally as possible until your move. But before you start packing, you will need packing supplies. There are many options available, both for little to no money, to more expensive options. The cheapest possible option is to go to one of your local supermarkets and ask them for their old boxes.
Sometimes they will give them away, and if you don’t score on your first try, go to a couple of more. If that doesn’t pan out, go to your local hardware store and get some cardboard boxes. The more expensive option is to get plastic bins as they are more durable and will keep your items safer. Keep in mind that there are many companies that rent out bins and boxes if you can return them. That is the most eco-friendly moving option.
In Conclusion
There are a lot of factors to consider when you’re choosing the city you want to live in and start your business. If you want your business to prosper, you should pick a city that has a supportive infrastructure in place for startups, a lower cost of living, and proximity to big business centers and institutions of higher education. If you wondered what makes Mississauga perfect for startups it’s easy to see it checks out all the boxes listed above and more.
