Small Businesses : Featured Stories

The Distillery District is one of the city's historical gems and just one of many areas gearing up for Doors Open Toronto. We explore what makes its history so rich while gliding around the neighbourhood on Segways. 

Nestled behind a shopping plaza in Scarborough, Pond Biofuels has been working on turning pollution into clean energy since 2007. If they're successful, this innovative alternative to fossil fuel could change manufacturing. 

Canada realizes a key to being competitive in the startup world is to attract talented immigrants. Mejuri is one Toronto startup that represents a growing number of new Canadians that are launching companies and impacting the city and beyond. 

The digital age has made high quality artwork just a click away. Yonge Street tracks down three Toronto companies -- Art Bomb, Wondereur, and Art From Concentrate -- that are using technology to change the way people market, discover and buy art. 

Beverly Johnson's quest to launch a made-to-measure bra-making business has made Hamilton an international destination for aspiring lingerie designers. More than 85 designers have flocked to Southern Ontario to participate in the only teaching program of its kind. 

For years the secret to Luz Stella Torres's figure was the corset she wore under her clothes. When the secret got out, it turned into a business opportunity. Her son Abraham Catano has since grown the door-to-door corset sales business into two GTA retail locations with plans to expand to Dubai.  

Take the Lakeshore west far enough and eventually you'll reach Oakville's waterfront strip, one of the best in the GTA. Described as a mix between Yorkville and Niagara-on-the-Lake, its unique mix of cafes, shops and people make it a great example of an urban strip that caters to everyone.

The St. Lawrence Market is more than an iconic part of Toronto's history. It's a place where generations of families work together and people from all over the world come to visit its ample supply of local offerings. We scope it out for some BBQ fixings.

Toronto's most holy burger joint is set to be the newest addition to what could be considered Toronto's burger corner, Queen and Spadina. Despite competition, this burger empire continues to grow. Its secret: traditional burgers, fresh ingredients, and a devout following.

From the food incubator at Toronto Underground Market to its soon-to-open standalone Kensington Market shop, Seven Lives knows the business of reincarnation. The fish taco shop represents the latest in a growing number of Toronto eateries taking fate into their own hands by launching their businesses in unconventional ways.  

Major retailers today are more innovative than they've been since the advent of the shopping mall, but where do independent boutiques fit in? Forget expensive ecommerce sites: Toronto's Shopcaster is helping boutiques expand their business and reach new markets with a simple, attractive platform. 

Gaming platforms such as the App Store and Steam have made it easier than ever for developers to release independent games onto the market. Yet financing these games is a different story. A new generation of small Toronto game development companies are raising money on their own.

This is the first installment of a new series spotlighting young Torontonians and their world changing ideas. This week we interview Katherine Hague, the 22-year-old co-founder of ShopLocket. Find out how this preschool dropout's vision for a simple, shareable online marketplace is shaking up the e-commerce world. 

Roncesvalles has seen many changes in recent years, but the charming west-end locale remains alive and bustling. From doggie boutiques to hip new eateries, its diversity makes it a model for how Toronto neighbourhoods can integrate various communities. 

Has grandmother gotten out of bed at her usual time? Is she finding it harder and harder to reach the light switch? Good Robot's Internet-based household robotics could make life easier for seniors—and their caregivers.