Blog

What to Prioritise in Your First Year (and What Can Wait)

An honest, sourced guide to what actually needs your attention in your first year of business, what can wait a little longer, and a simple way to tell the difference, for founders building service businesses in Canada and beyond.

Registering a Business in British Columbia: A Step-by-Step Guide

A plain-language, cost-by-cost walkthrough of registering a business in British Columbia in 2026, covering naming, the BC Business Registry, GST/HST, PST, municipal licences, and WorkSafeBC, with every figure sourced.

Where Your First 10 Customers Actually Come From

An honest, sourced look at how small businesses actually land their first paying customers, which popular first moves (cold email, paid ads, SEO alone) rarely work yet, and what to try instead.

How to Price Your Services When You're Just Starting Out

A practical guide to pricing your services as a new founder, wherever you're based: the math that has to work, which pricing model fits you right now, and how self-employment tax and sales tax on services actually work in the US and Canada.

The Surprise Tax Bill: What Nobody Tells You in Year One

Why so many Canadian founders get hit with a bigger-than-expected tax bill in their first year of self-employment, what's actually in that bill (CPP included), and how to make sure year two doesn't catch you the same way.

Sole Proprietor or Incorporate? A Canadian Founder's Decision Guide

A plain-language breakdown of sole proprietorship vs. incorporation for Canadian founders, covering real costs, liability, taxes, and how to tell which one actually fits your business right now.

Mastermind, Network, Accelerator, or Community: What's the Difference?

A plain-language guide to what actually separates a mastermind, a network, an accelerator, and a community for founders, with real examples of each and a framework for figuring out which one solves your specific problem.

Is a Founder Community Worth It? An Honest Cost-Benefit

What founder communities and masterminds actually cost, from free nonprofit programs to paid peer memberships, what you get in return, and how to tell if the investment makes sense for where your business is right now.

Founder Communities That Don't Ask If You've Raised

A look at which founder communities quietly gate membership on VC funding or revenue raised, and which ones, including Athena Collective, welcome bootstrapped and self-funded founders without asking.

Female Founder Collective and The 10th House: Cost, Criteria, and Alternatives

What Female Founder Collective's 10th House membership actually costs, who qualifies, the 12-month commitment fine print, and honest alternatives if you don't meet the bar yet.

eWomenNetwork Alternatives: What It Actually Costs, and Who It's Right For

Dreamers & Doers Alternatives: What It Costs, Who It's For, and What Else Is Out There

Hampton for Women Founders: What It Is and What to Do If You Don't Qualify

Chief Alternatives for Founders Who Don't Qualify

How Much Do Female Founder Communities Cost? A 2026 Price Breakdown

The Best Communities for Female Founders in 2026: What They Cost and Who They're For

We Listened. Here's What Canadian Female Founders Are Really Experiencing.

She's Ready. The System Isn't: The State of Female Founder Funding in Canada

The Elleiance Network and Athena Collective have released Funding the Unfundable, a new report on Canada's female founder capital gap, drawing on data from 710 women across the country.

Building for the Future: Athena Collective Partners with Speed M&A by JonesSpross To Give Female Founders Earlier Access to M&A Strategy

Collaboration brings senior M&A expertise and strategic deal execution to female founders across the United States.

Athena Collective and WeBC Announce Community Partnership to Strengthen Support for Women Entrepreneurs Across BC

Partnership unites two leading organizations to expand access to resources, mentorship, and community for self-identifying women founders at every stage of business.

The Right People in Your Corner: Athena Collective Partners with Lisa Kakoske, Sarah Harper and Laura James of Bennett Jones to Bring Premier Legal Expertise to Women Founders

Collaboration gives women-led businesses access to strategic legal guidance at every stage of growth.

Building Wealth with Purpose: Athena Collective Welcomes Sea Glass Wealth Advisory Group

Collaboration brings founder-focused financial expertise to women-led businesses across Canada

Athena Collective Partners with Women-Led Tech Firm ConcertIDC to Empower Female Founders with Strategic Technology Expertise

Collaboration removes competition, amplifies support for ambitious women building scalable businesses.

Athena Collective Announces Wayflyer as First Funding Partner, Bringing Fast, Flexible Capital to Female Founders

Partnership expands access to non-dilutive financing for women-led businesses at every stage of growth.

Athena Collective Welcomes Awin as Strategic Partner, Showcasing the Power of Partnerships for Female Founders

Partnership connects women entrepreneurs with ways to unlock partnerships that boost ROI, expand marketing channels, and reach audiences they couldn’t access on their own, no matter their size or budget.

Athena Collective and TD Women in Enterprise Announce Strategic Collaboration to Expand Holistic Support for Women-Led Businesses

Athena Collective and TD Women in Enterprise have announced a strategic collaboration to provide women entrepreneurs across Canada with more holistic support, combining TD's specialized banking expertise and accredited bankers with Athena Collective's data-driven platform, curated resources, and global community.