Caroline Laidlaw and Michelle Taylorson are taking crowdfunding to the wedding and baby industries with GiftSpaces, an alternative gift registry — or as they like to describe it, “a Kickstarter model for life’s next chapter.” With $5,000 in start-up capital from our Get Started program, GiftSpaces is well on its way to helping others turn their dreams into reality.
While immersed in partnership, wedding, and family stages themselves, Laidlaw and Taylorson wanted to offer an alternative to gift-giving, as they saw where many cash gift registries fell short — some won’t pay out into non-U.S. bank accounts, or, if they do, they charge hefty wire transfer fees. Many registries also have set donation amounts and don’t allow for gifts from multiple retailers. GiftsSpaces is a flexible registry where users can curate and showcase products or experiences of interest in one place, allowing family and friends to contribute toward all of life’s major events.
GiftSpaces’s primary target is Canadian couples planning to celebrate a life partnership and other major events. In Canada, over 150,000 couples get married each year, fuelling a $4-billion-a-year market. As sharp entrepreneurs, the company’s founders are future-oriented and hope to significantly grow their market share over the next three years. To help them get there, GiftSpaces will spend the $5,000 in start-up capital on a marketing and PR launch.
According to co-founder Laidlaw, “We are so grateful to the Canon Get Started program — it could not have come at a better time. Cash flow is so important for small businesses and this grant will be hugely helpful in getting the word out and promoting the site to Canadians.”
Keep an eye on where GiftSpaces is headed at the company’s modern and inspiring website, GiftSpaces.ca. If your start-up could use some seed money, click the link below and tell us how you’d like to Get Started for a chance to win $5,000 in start-up capital.
www.smallbusinesscentral.ca/programs/get-started
