Newsletter - Jan 2026 Edition

GST Boost, Articles, Book Notes and more! 🤓

January 30, 2026

Welcome!

Welcome to the January 2026 edition of the ThinkTalk Newsletter.

What's Inside:

  • 💡 January blog posts

  • 🌟 Quote of the Month

  • 🔍 Helpful Articles from the Web

  • 📚 Book Notes: "What Got You Here Won’t Get You There"

THIS MONTH’S BLOG POSTS

GST Boost - Canada Groceries Rebate

A GST Boost for low income Canadians … but with some ninja marketing … branded as “Groceries Rebate”. Will you be eligible?

SR&ED Tax Credits in Canada (with Calculator)

What is SR&ED Tax Credit? Who is eligible? How is it calculated? How do you claim it?

Why They Always Needed More Money

Two short stories … one uncomfortable pattern about always wanting more money.

Employee vs Contractor Rules in Canada

What are the factors when CRA assesses employee vs contractors issue? What’s the penalty if you get it wrong?

SAFE Financing for Canadian Startups

What is ‘SAFE’ Financing? How is it different from Convertible Debt or Equity Raise? What are the common mistakes in doing a SAFE raise?

Eligible vs Non-Eligible Dividends

What is the difference between eligible vs non-eligible dividends? Common mistakes we see. Planning notes for owners.

What To Do When Your Child Turns 18

When your child turns 18, it’s not just a birthday. There’s a pretty big financial switch. Here’s a guide for parents.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Every successful business (1) creates or provides something of value that (2) other people want or need (3) at a price they’re willing to pay, in a way that (4) satisfies the purchaser’s needs and expectations and (5) provides the business sufficient revenue to make it worthwhile for owners to continue operation.”

— Josh Kaufman (The Personal MBA)

One of the best definitions of what a business is in simple English. Take away any of these things - value creation, customer demand, transactions, value delivery, or profit sufficiency - and you have something other than a business.

Before you jump ahead and say…but what about the ‘people’? … for which Josh goes on to clarify this definition is ‘of’ the Business (the WHAT) … he says that Every business fundamentally relies on two additional factors - People and Systems. Every business is created by people and survives by benefitting people in some way (the HOW and the WHY).

ARTICLES FROM THE WEB

4 strategies to prevent disputes and protect loved ones.

Canadian VCs raised just $2.1 billion last year, according to this RBCx report, the worst showing since 2016.

3. The Eight Financial Commandments for Entrepreneurs

#1 - Your money, your responsibility. Want 7 more? Read on the link above.

This report from PwC shares insights on Canadian M&A and market shifts in Canada…providing helpful context for business owners planning exits, growth or capital allocation in 2026.

5. How Experts Figure What to Focus On

“If I had more time, I would have written you a shorter letter.” Intrigued? Read the article.

BOOK NOTES

“What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” by Marshall Goldsmith

This month, we dive into "What Got You Here Won’t Get You There" by Marshall Goldsmith. A blunt look at how the habits that create success can quietly cap it. Especially for leaders.

Key Takeaways

- 🌱 Success Creates Blind Spots: What made you successful early on often turns into your biggest limitation later. Past wins can block growth if left unchecked.

- 🔄 Small Behaviours. Big Consequences: Tiny habits - Interrupting, Adding too much value, Needing to be right, etc. They erode trust over time, even in high performers.

- 🧠 Growth Requires Letting Go: The next level is not about learning more. It is about unlearning what no longer serves you. Especially as a leader.

Power to you,

Think Team 🙏

(P.S. - If you liked this newsletter, share it with a friend)