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Money & Ownership

Practical thinking about cash flow, profit, debt, wealth, and the responsibilities of ownership.

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02

Money & Ownership · May 29, 2025

Take the Punch. Build Anyway.

This week was chaos—but the good kind. We moved bookkeeping back to Canada, wrangled a credit card disaster that a “banking upgrade” caused, reconciled our accounts, and worked on E-2 visa plans for the U.

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04

Money & Ownership · May 18, 2025

Why We're Choosing to Spend Less Time in Canada

It’s Saturday. Time for my weekly wrap-up on this wild journey: 👉 Trying to start a business in the U. S. 👉 Preparing to spend months in Spain 👉 Untangling what’s left of our Canadian life We leave on September 2.

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07

Money & Ownership · May 19, 2022

dylan's updates May 17 2022

[1:15] Cash Flow Quadrant for Business Owners [3:46] Managing personal burn rate [5:26] Planning cash for our busy season [6:56] On demand labour platform update Market News [13:19] Layoffs and more jobs than ever are available [15:54] US…

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09

Money & Ownership · May 11, 2022

dylan's updates May 10 2022

[00:58] Working on measured growth opportunities [4:02] Managing tight cash flow [7:21] Creating versus managing value Market News [9:29] Inflation is real and silent [14:03] Crypto is unraveling [19:24] Labour unionization strategy for…

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10

Money & Ownership · Apr 20, 2022

dylan's updates April 19 2022

Tune in today as Dylan goes through his recent tweets about: - cash flow management - not getting too far ahead of yourself - telling your competitors everything Twitter: @dylangallagher Connect with dylan on LinkedIn at: https://www.

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15

Money & Ownership · Aug 19, 2020

Finding the energy

I wish it was easy. I wish the things in my head could easily be put into place. Marketing strategies would just work.

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16

Money & Ownership · Apr 14, 2020

Should you take the money?

When faced with difficult situations involving the cash your business needs, it can be easy to think that finding new money to put into your business will solve your problems.

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17

Money & Ownership · Apr 6, 2020

(1/5) Where do you manage your greatest asset?

The most obvious opportunities can often times be the most overlooked opportunities. Most entrepreneurs know that it costs less money to serve an existing customer than it does to try and find a new customer.

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18

Money & Ownership · Mar 12, 2020

$3 billion dollar Rockstar

There is opportunity in every market. Even the competitive ones. Even the competitive ones where the competitors have more money, time and resources.

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19

Money & Ownership · Mar 10, 2020

What is your competitive advantage?

You always need a hook. You always need an angle. If you want to have a profitable and valuable business, you need to do at least one thing better than your competitors.

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20

Money & Ownership · Feb 25, 2020

What is the easiest goal you can set?

Do you feel the need to set a goal for your business? Are you are struggling to pick a goal that is meaningful enough to pursue that will get you out of bed in the morning?

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22

Money & Ownership · Feb 21, 2020

Who's better than your business?

You might know who your competitors are and you might not. You probably show up for work every day looking to do the same thing you did yesterday in hopes of servicing some customers and maybe putting some money on your bottom line.

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23

Money & Ownership · Feb 17, 2020

Why is being profitable so hard?

It's easy to come up with an idea. It's easy to start a business. It's hard to be profitable. Profit is a funny thing because it doesn't really show up anywhere and often times don't know you don't have any until its too late.

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27

Money & Ownership · Jan 24, 2020

A bad decision and $200MM of debt.

Making a decision to borrow money or accept investment capital while under pressure or without a credible business plan, can be a decision you regret for a very long time.

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36

Money & Ownership · Oct 31, 2019

More profit. Less revenue.

Listen to the podcast here: If you are having a hard time increasing your sales but still want to increase your profits, how do you do it?

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37

Money & Ownership · Sep 26, 2019

How much should you pay yourself?

Listen to the podcast here: Does the money you take out of your business equal the value you are putting in? When should you be on payroll and when should you take some profit?

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39

Money & Ownership · May 5, 2017

What's the business #goal?

Listen to the podcast here: "If you don't know where you are going you'll end up some place else" as said by Yogi Berra and used in different variations in almost every business book or self help book.

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41

Money & Ownership · Apr 24, 2017

Where's my money?

Listen to the podcast here This is a question I encounter many times when reviewing the cash flow and profitability of a business with either the entrepreneur or person running the business.

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43

Money & Ownership · Apr 4, 2017

There is #NoFreeMoney for your business (ever)

Listen to the podcast here It's going to cost how much!!! You must be crazy!!! That comment is made by entrepreneurs and business owners after hearing how much it costs to borrow money from either a mid market or private lender.

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55

Money & Ownership · Nov 22, 2013

1,000 pages later

Talk to any banker, lender, mortgage specialist or broker about paperwork and one of their biggest frustrations would be "when clients send me their information in bits and pieces over dozens of emails and faxes".

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57

Money & Ownership · Nov 20, 2013

3 reasons business loans are not approved

I was reading the results of a survey conducted by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) that highlighted three main reasons why companies seeking financing were not able to obtain the loan they wanted.

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58

Money & Ownership · Nov 20, 2013

9 days turns into 90

I was reminded today that in our business days turn into months without even noticing it. I have a client that is seeking a refinance of a private mortgage and had expected to have everything completed at the beginning of September.

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63

Money & Ownership · Nov 4, 2013

Why do private lenders matter?

The year was 1996 and I was sitting across the desk from the man that would not only teach me about private lending but would become a mentor, investor and friend.

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65

Money & Ownership · Oct 30, 2013

What if credit scores did not exist?

As a pick-up from yesterday (click here ) regarding why credit scores are so important I thought I would offer another side of credit scores: What if credit scores did not exist?

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68

Money & Ownership · Oct 25, 2013

Should I get a second mortgage?

This is a great question that we often get asked and often consider when someone really needs cash but may not qualify to refinance their existing mortgage OR they do not want to pay the penalties associated with paying out an existing…

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71

Money & Ownership · Oct 16, 2013

Tomorrow - Google Hangout with Bob Dubask

Tomorrow (Thursday, October 17, 2013) at 10 AM I will be chatting with Bob Dubask in a Google Hangout and among other things we will be discussing reverse mortgages, HomeEquity Bank and some general conversation around seniors and their…

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72

Money & Ownership · Oct 15, 2013

Would you borrow more if you could?

Seems like a strange question but if you could borrow more - would you? Watching the news regarding the debt ceiling events unfolding in the US has me thinking about this question as it relates to individuals and businesses.

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73

Money & Ownership · Oct 10, 2013

Starbucks has my money

I was standing in line at one of many local Starbucks I frequent with a good friend of mine who was watching me use my Starbucks app and said "how much money did you give Starbucks?"

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77

Money & Ownership · Sep 30, 2013

But what if our business doesn't make enough money?

In working with a client recently, we were discussing their projections for the current year because they are looking to payout some higher interest debt on their balance sheet with less expensive debt that they thought might be available…

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79

Money & Ownership · Sep 26, 2013

Ok - so when do I get the money?

I heard this questions twice in one hour today from individuals looking for money and thought I would take a moment to speak about it for everyone who is not in our business as a way of letting you into our world.

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81

Money & Ownership · Sep 11, 2013

2 clients that hated our service

It's not every day that a company will share the complaints it receives from its customers but I thought it would be a great opportunity to address some of the things we deal with that people may not know or care to know.

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86

Money & Ownership · Jun 11, 2013

One man's junk is another man's treasure

In pondering some of the challenges that Canadian banks are facing with respect to their margins and product offering, I read an article today in the Financial Post ( Canadian plants putting Detroit’s oil sands waste pile to use ) that…

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88

Money & Ownership · Jun 4, 2013

How a small business can profit in slow times

If you believe like I do that the world economy (and to a lesser extent the Canadian economy) will continue to be mediocre at best then small businesses have an additional challenge in front of them in the form of being profitable or…

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93

Money & Ownership · Oct 24, 2012

How healthy is your business? Part 5 [VIDEO]

We have come to the last posting that has covered the 5 financial ratios contained in our FREE Business Health Check designed to give SME businesses and starting point for understanding how their business can do more.

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95

Money & Ownership · Oct 24, 2012

How healthy is your business? Part 3 [VIDEO]

We are in the middle of reviewing 5 financial measurements covered in our FREE Business Health Check that can provide your business with an understanding of what it can be working on to help it do more.

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102

Money & Ownership · Apr 12, 2012

Bank versus lender

Often the question is asked of us from people and businesses looking for a mortgage: "What is the difference between a bank and lender".

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103

Money & Ownership · Apr 10, 2012

The best type of brokerage service

I once heard it said that any type of brokerage business is a result of an inefficiency in a marketplace. Customers will use brokers to get a job done that they either do not want to do themselves or don't know how to do.

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104

Money & Ownership · Apr 5, 2012

1 question to ask your accountant

Every year when you and your accountant meet to discuss your financial statements (i. e. Notice to Reader, Review Engagement or Audited) ask your accountant -what do you think?"

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105

Money & Ownership · Mar 27, 2012

3 commercial mortgage tips

Sometimes it is helpful to know some basic pieces of information before you contact a bank, lender or broker seeking a commercial mortgage.

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108

Money & Ownership · Jan 2, 2012

Dig in...

Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap (Ecclesiastes 11:4).

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109

Money & Ownership · Dec 17, 2011

Plan first? Money first?

"I need financing because we don't seem to have enough money in our business". If we had a penny for every time we heard this...

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110

Money & Ownership · Nov 21, 2011

You get what you pay for

"Good work ain't cheap and cheap work ain't good" Isn't the only saying true - you get what you pay for. This is especially true when using a broker.

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111

Money & Ownership · Nov 6, 2011

Cash is still king

I visited with a client this past week that has managed to keep his business afloat and is now seeing the fruits of hard decisions that he had to make such as refocusing, cutting expenses and micro managing costs.

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112

Money & Ownership · Nov 2, 2011

Last minute...really?

"I have made an offer on a property and have removed conditions. Can you tell me what my financing options are?"

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113

Money & Ownership · Oct 17, 2011

It's all about exit

It's an obvious question but most people don't spend a lot of time talking about it - "how will I pay my mortgage or loan back?"

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114

Money & Ownership · Oct 13, 2011

Land still tough to finance

Land banking, land development, land servicing all continue to be tough deals to get financing for. Banks and lenders are happy to lend you the money if you have enough pre-sales (of completed lots) to cover up to 100% of their loan.

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115

Money & Ownership · Oct 6, 2011

Good deals get good money

In talking with a potential client yesterday I heard the comment "What comes first - the plan or the money?" The answer is - the plan.

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116

Money & Ownership · Sep 24, 2011

Hotels, motels and inns

It's always difficult to explain to a first time commercial borrower why banks and lenders don't get excited about hotels, motels and inns.

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117

Money & Ownership · Sep 17, 2011

But I have a great business plan

I spent some time on the phone yesterday with an individual that has put together a transaction involving a parcel of land that he thinks would be a good spot for a mini storage.

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118

Money & Ownership · Sep 7, 2011

Check your own credit - why?

Getting a mortgage broker, banker or mortgage specialist to check your credit score can lower it. Get any of them to check it within days of each other and watch your score drop like a rock.

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125

Money & Ownership · May 14, 2011

bridgeFEED beta launched

Being in the mortgage and loan business, we get the opportunity to work with many interesting people, deals and opportunities.

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126

Money & Ownership · May 2, 2011

Frustrating for borrowers

Land transactions - specifically refinances - have been tough to find financing for since at least mid 2008 and continue to be a struggle.

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127

Money & Ownership · Mar 8, 2011

Working Capital in demand

We see a trend with small business owners and their need for capital. For most small businesses cash flow is critical and most cash flow challenges come from the difference between their accounts receivable and their accounts payable.

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128

Money & Ownership · Feb 9, 2011

Residential Mortgage Rules Change - finally!

Recently the Government of Canada announced changes to the mortgage lending rules including: - Maximum amortization for a mortgage is 30 years (down from 40 and 35) - Refinancing a mortgage is limited to 85% of the property value (down…

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129

Money & Ownership · Dec 24, 2010

2011 could be promising

If the past 6 months are any indication of the coming year it could be a good 2011. In our daily work we are busy helping people and businesses get the financing they want so they can do more.

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131

Money & Ownership · Oct 3, 2010

Where do I start?

It is not unusual for someone to contact us with the question: "Where do I start?" or "I need to know a few things about commercial mortgages".

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132

Money & Ownership · Sep 16, 2010

Paying out vendor financing

Often borrowers will purchase a property and not have enough down payment or may not be able to qualify for a mortgage at the time of purchase.

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134

Money & Ownership · Aug 11, 2010

Land financing back in play

It would appear that with the limited amount of lending opportunities available in the marketplace that private lenders have been prepared to reconsider their policies for providing mortgages on parcels of land and future development sites.

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135

Money & Ownership · Aug 6, 2010

Loan to value versus loan to cost

Quite often we will have a client ask us to help them finance a property that they have been able to purchase for an amount that is less than what the property is worth based on an appraisal.

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136

Money & Ownership · Aug 4, 2010

New business needs capital

Need: mortgage to purchase a commercial property Challenge: no financial statements to show business history To obtain financing for the purchase of a real estate property, most banks want to see that the company can make the monthly…

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140

Money & Ownership · Jul 15, 2010

5 questions every bank asks

Whether you are looking to borrow money for a residential mortgage, a commercial mortgage or business loan you should be aware of the 5 most important points a bank or lender will look for in determining your approval.

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141

Money & Ownership · Jul 15, 2010

Why does my credit score matter?

There is a lot of advertising and information available about your personal credit score but most people are not aware of the impact their credit score can have on their borrowing.

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143

Money & Ownership · Jul 15, 2010

Two businesses, same challenge

We were approached recently by two businesses that were looking to restructure their existing financing to save interest and improve cash flow.

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144

Money & Ownership · Jul 15, 2010

Too much information

It appears that more and more people are looking to have someone work for them to help them understand their options.

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