Pinterest may not claim Facebook-levels of users, but a few visionary retailers are using the hot social networking site to connect with their customers in a way that Facebook could only dream of. From Aritzia to eBay, Pinterest is offering the digital equivalent of window shopping for people around the world.

Interact, engage, and network. If you can't meet your customers face-to-face, meet them Facebook-to-Facebook. Start conversations, reply to comments, and keep your users engaged with organic content that best represents your brand.

A recent study discovered that Twitter users who see a retailer's tweet are more likely to visit their retail websites and make online purchases. This article made me consider the impact of a tweet on online retailers.

Online shopping and the eCommerce industry has been growing in popularity over the past few years. For those who have converted to online shopping, their number one reason for buying online will be convenience followed by product variety and availability. It makes me wonder; what about the offline shoppers?

In 2013 more consumers than ever before shifted their retail spending online. Not surprisingly, this coincided with a groundswell of interest and innovation occurring for ecommerce transactions in Canada. Canadian retailers are trying to reach out to the online Canadian consumer and get them spending their money in the Canadian economy.

As the founder and CEO of Canada's largest online shopping website, SHOP.CA, I've seen and heard it all, so let's take a look at the Top four fears and hesitations around online shopping and my advice to help ease some of those anxieties.

This week, I talked to serial entrepreneur, Angel investor, and founder of CareGuide, John Philip Green. CareGuide is an online "matchmaking" service for people in need of care professionals, and need tailored, vetted recommendations. Here's my Q&A with him.

We've all heard the apocryphal tales of companies who put their pet projects on crowd-funding websites and made millions. A group out of Vancouver asked the question: "How can we leverage this zeal and social funding for good?" In July, Weeve was born, and they have helped dozens of not-for-profits achieve crowd funding success. Alex Chuang explains how they've had early success.

When you're in the earliest days of your start-up, you are completely head down, focused on your product and you don't have much time for reaching out, and you're certainly not relying upon others to help you. And then you hit your first time where you need to solicit advice, hire contractors, or to network, you encounter your first Great Wait. So, what do you do when you're forced into a Great Wait?

Talking to Phil Libin about his third (and most famous) company, Evernote, on the surface seems like a lesson in how not to make something. But therein lies the genius of why Evernote has had rousing success since its inception in 2007. Phil and his co-founders bootstrapped Evernote themselves for a year. No small feat. During that year, they focused on one goal: making a product they really, really wanted to use.

I recently spoke to Amin Todai, serial start-up entrepreneur, founder of onemethod digital+ design about how he applies the principles of The Lean Start-Up to his various ventures. Amin is also one of the men behind Toronto taqueria La Carnita, which had taken the city by storm. What does he think about being an entrepreneur?

You most likely won't make $41 million off your first business presentation, but you DO need a deck which clearly lays out a few key things which all venture capitalists (and potential partners) look for. It seems easy, but one of the hardest exercises you will go through in this process is distilling everything you think, want, and believe in your company into a measly 10 pages. Here are some tips.

Earwolf Media produces the most highly rated comedy podcasts online, and has recently expanded to television (with IFC's Comedy Bang Bang) and comedy album production. He's had many ups and downs in the process -- like pitching a website without knowing how to build one, engineer turnover and self doubt. But on hindsight, Jeff says, "I've never looked back on something we did and said, 'I'm glad I listened to that other person who told me it was a bad idea.'"

According to Comscore, 40 per cent of Canadians own a smartphone. You would think that brands would be scrambling to establish their mobile presence. Surprisingly, this is not the case. That so few brands have a mobile presence provides a tremendous opportunity for leadership and to be one of the few brands who do mobile well. Here are a few crucial opportunities brands are missing out on by ignoring mobile.

It's easy to see the appeal of having your own business: you can set your own hours, you get to collect all of the money, and you can do things your way. But having your own start-up is the exact opposite of the movies. While it's true that most people have a few great ideas in them, not everyone enjoys the humility-building exercise which is getting your startup off the ground. It takes a lot of planning. So, what's the actual first step once you've had your big idea?

Did you know that Canadians spend 25 per cent more time on the Internet than Americans do? It's true! Yet, companies and their online marketing campaigns have failed to take advantage of what is quickly becoming, or rather, has become, the best, easiest way to advertise.