Canada and the United States have separate and increasingly divergent immigration systems. Each country’s immigration policies and platforms have strengths and weaknesses. I will compare and contrast their immigration systems for two distinct purposes: (1) to highlight how a North American business integrated immigration approach can provide a competitive advantage; and (2) to provide a context and useful insight into potential comprehensive U.S. immigration reform. I will first review the U.S. immigration system and then contrast Canada’s immigration system.

Volatility in the USD/CAD exchange rate affects both economies and businesses on both sides of the border. Getting a handle on market dynamics and mitigating currency risk is an important part of the day-to-day. The following discussion will outline some causes of the recent USD/CAD volatility, and strategies and approaches to better manage FX exposure. 

Silicon Beach is more than volleyball, surfing, and enjoying the world famous Southern California surf and sand. A growing number of tech investors believe that “there is really something going on in LA.” The LA-based tech scene is exploding with startups and investors that now call it home. All this activity has captured the attention of top VC funds that now invest in LA. One of the early investors in LA, Upfront Ventures, now invests over 40 percent of its dollars into companies based in the greater LA area. The LA region even has its own hashtag – #LongLA – to capture the investment potential of the maturing startup ecosystem.

Frédéric Fournier, Head of Office at the Consulate of Canada in San Diego, shares a profile of the strong partnership that exists between Canada and San Diego with reflections on key milestones and opportunities over the past four years of his term. San Diego is a community with deep roots in innovation and it is fertile ground for more collaborations with Canadian entrepreneurs and scientists in sectors as diverse as life sciences, ICT, defense, oceantech, and more.

Transformational leaders are not born nor are they merely lucky. They are leaders who have developed themselves and their skills to innovate, disrupt, and ultimately mobilize others to realize an inspired future for their organization.

87% of Canadian cross-border shoppers have bought from U.S. retailers1andby 2022 it is forecasted that Canadians will spend C$83 billion on online shopping.2It couldbe time to set your sights north of the border. Selling to Canadians makes good business sense because Canada is an economically stable and trusted market. Canadians love American products and they are easy to reach (learn more about the Canadian market from our July 2018 article). Add a catalog to your marketing mix and Canadians simply cannot resist – 7 out of 10 Canadians read the advertising mail they receive. Here are tips from a seasoned cataloger on how to create excitement and drive sales by bringing your brand to the printed page.    

We are excited to turn our attention eastward to the beautiful and dynamic province of New Brunswick. JP Robicheau, Vice President of Investment Attraction for Opportunities NB, a fellow MAPLE member organization, profiles where New Brunswick itself is investing to nurture and grow a sector-leading ecosystem in cybersecurity as it continues to grow its established leadership as a center for nearshore operations in digital health, IT, financial services, Fintech and advanced manufacturing.  

For decades, large businesses have chosen to locate in Long Beach to capitalize on an exciting large city with a dynamic community, convenient transportation infrastructure, business friendly governance, and urban beach lifestyle. As the second most populous city in Los Angeles County, Long Beach has also created and preserved an enviable stock of historic buildings retaining an authentic sense of place.

While 2019 is well underway – I would like to share a quick recap of what our community accomplished in 2018.  It was another milestone-year for MAPLE. We turned three years old in May. We held our 49thand 50thevents (those close to us know why '49' was an important number given our mission!). We welcomed new members throughout the year including iconic and leading brands in a variety of sectors including Avison Young, Canada Post, Fasken, and TMX Group (TSX, TSX Venture Exchange). We deepened our ties with renewing members and have grown to a community with over 15 sectors represented. 
 

For our first issue of 2019, we are honoured to welcome Consul General Zaib Shaikh to our community. As our new Consul General of Canada for Southern California, Arizona and Nevada, we asked Zaib if he would share some of his perspectives on his role and on the opportunities to build upon the special economic and cultural relationship that Southern California and Canada share together. 

After more than 24 years in commercial real estate, we have never been more excited by the multiple, diverse options for expanding businesses in Southern California. Many of us have heard about Southern California’s booming economy. When we focus on commercial real estate, however, we get a much clearer picture of the industries, properties, regional markets, and undiscovered opportunities that underlie the region’s prosperity and promise. It is a region ideally suited to a broad range of users with a diversity of real estate needs.

A frequent question that often arises in our discussions with US companies who want to expand into Canada is how our country goes about taxing foreign corporations. The process typically begins with determining whether the particular corporation is considered to be resident in Canada for tax purposes.  A corporation may be considered resident in Canada without being a Canadian corporation. A corporation that is resident in Canada for tax purposes is subject to tax in Canada on its worldwide income. 
 

What will the office of the future look like? It’s an oft-asked question these days as the workplace continues to evolve, moving from the era of the cubicle to the open office and now settling quite comfortably on a landscape with a more residential look and feel.
 
“Office space today is being used differently, with an emphasis on making the environment more inviting and comfortable for users,” explains Ami Kvas, Director Product Management, Casegoods and Custom Solutions, Teknion. “Biophilia – bringing elements of nature, daylight and natural materials indoors – is a component of this movement. The craft and use of wood exhibited by our new collection of Punt furnishings introduces a warm, inviting and relaxing tone to the workplace, along with an elegance and comfort of home.”

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed in 2017 created as a new federal income tax incentive program, the opportunity zone program, located in Section 1400Z-1 and Section 1400Z-2 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.  In just the past few weeks, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS issued much anticipated guidance on many important aspects of the opportunity zone program, which has now moved investors’ and other business stakeholders’ interest in opportunity funds into high gear.

Despite the talk of trade disputes and the apparent political divide between Canada and the United States the two countries continue to be closely connected in many ways, including with respect to consumers and consumer products.  Building your brand and product in the United States in many cases means that you have also built a reputation among Canadians due to the frequent travel of Canadians to the United States and the American media presence in Canada. This creates an ideal opportunity for many companies to launch their products and brands in Canada. While there are many similarities between the countries with respect to marketing and selling to consumers and consumer products there are also many differences.

It’s hard to believe we are already in the 4th quarter of the calendar year 2018, with the year-end right around the corner.  As the year-end approaches, most of us start planning for the winter months and the holidays.   It’s also a good time to catch up on personal paperwork and gear up for year-end tax planning in preparation of the 2018 U.S. tax filing season (starting in early 2019). 

Taxes may not be the first thing on the top of your year-end to-do list; however, given that the implementation of the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017” (TCJA) is right around the corner, it’s a good time to see what you can do now to be prepared and positioned for expected results and no surprises.   

It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that Amazon, Netflix, Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet and Facebook have been some of the best performing stocks in the first half of this year. But what may be surprising is that those six stocks made up 98% of the S&P 500 Index returns for the first half of 2018 according to a recent CNBC article1!

Southern California (SoCal) has a huge business presence globally. It is one of the most vibrant business environments in the world.  Los Angeles is the third largest municipal economy in the world. Tokyo is the largest and New York is second. LAX is the 4th busiest airport in the world and the Port of LA ranks as the busiest port in the western hemisphere. This growth of SoCal’s economy brings with it opportunities for businesses from around the world to participate in the building of infrastructure and providing services throughout SoCal. It is an opportunity to gain market share in this culturally diverse region.

The Riverside County Office of Foreign Trade is an active partner with the multitude of businesses and investors who work in this booming and sprawling Inland Southern California county, and the Office’s many programs this year illustrate the wide array of services and support exporters and investors receive.

SoCal growth companies looking for funding should consider all capital raising options. While many entrepreneurs tend to only consider the traditional route of angel investors to venture capitalists to being acquired, there are other options that may be a better fit for the company’s long-term growth strategy.