The
Technology of
Entrepreneurship
Tools make it easier than ever to start: online stores, card readers, spreadsheets, social media, AI helpers. Learn what they do, what they cost, where they fall short and how to stay safe from scams.
- 00First Principlesp.2
- 01E-commerce platformsp.4
- 02Payments & feesp.5
- 03Websites & social mediap.6
- 04Spreadsheets, software & automationp.7
- 05AI, cybersecurity & scamsp.8
- ✦Self-check · Make it · 5 Questions · Side Questp.9
You'll need: pencil, a calculator, and (optional) a free spreadsheet app.
Principles
A first principle is a basic truth you can build on. Business tech rests on four: every tool has a cost (money, time or data), simple beats fancy, tools help but don’t decide (you’re still responsible) and security is everyone’s job.
What do I already know?
What is necessary?
Everything in this module is built from four bricks. Rate yourself on each one, then check the example to see if your rating holds up.
What is the objective?
By the end, you’ll be able to compare ways to sell online, work out payment fees, plan a simple website and social presence, track sales in a spreadsheet, automate the boring bits, use AI tools wisely and protect a business from scams.
- 01Compare e-commerce options.
- 02Calculate payment-processing fees.
- 03Plan a website and social posts.
- 04Track money in a spreadsheet.
- 05Use AI tools, knowing their limits.
- 06Spot scams and secure accounts.
The list on the left is ours. Now make it yours. What do you want out of this?
How much do you know about the technology of entrepreneurship right now? Shade the boxes in pencil. You'll come back at the end (p.9) and shade it again in pen.
Why start this way? When you know what you already have (1), what you need (2) and where you're going (3), you learn faster and you notice the gaps. Every module on the Entrepreneurship Path starts with these same three questions.
E-commerce platforms
Where will your customers actually find you and buy?
Four options
| Option | Good | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace (handmade or resale sites) | shoppers already there | listing and sale fees, strict rules |
| Your own online store | your brand, more control | monthly fees; you bring the shoppers |
| Social media selling | free to start, local reach | messy records, scams |
| In person (market, pop-up) | talk to customers, no shipping | weather, table fees, time |
An adult has to be in it
Most selling and payment platforms require account holders to be adults (18+, or the age of majority). If you’re under 18, a parent or guardian must own or co-manage the account, and they’re responsible for it. Never sign up with a fake age: you could lose the account and your money.
Check each platform’s current terms. Checked October 2026.
Online means more jobs
- Shipping: packing, postage, and lost parcels. Weigh a sample and get a real quote first.
- Returns and refunds: write a clear, fair policy before you sell.
- Photos and descriptions that are honest about size, colour and flaws.
- Customer messages, answered kindly and quickly.
Pick a channel
For a fictional product, compare two ways to sell it. Which is cheaper to start? Which reaches more of the right customers?Why might a local in-person market be the best first channel?
Payment systems & fees
Every way of getting paid costs something. Know how much.
Each option has a cost
| Method | Typical cost to seller |
|---|---|
| Cash | free, but needs a float and safe handling |
| Interac e-Transfer | often free or low; depends on the bank account |
| Card in person (Square, Canada) | credit 2.5%; Interac debit 0.75% + 7¢ |
| Card online (Stripe, Canada) | 2.9% + 30¢ |
Published standard rates, checked October 2026. Fees change; check before you choose.
One $20 sale
Good habits
- Show the full price up front. Hidden add-on fees (“drip pricing”) are illegal in Canada.
- Give receipts. They build trust and help you keep records.
- Wait until an e-Transfer is actually deposited before handing over goods.
- Never accept “overpayments” with a request to send the extra back. It’s a classic scam.
Fee face-off
For a $12 item, work out the fee and what you keep for each method in the table. Which would you offer, and why?Why is a percentage-plus-fixed fee (2.9% + 30¢) harsh on cheap items?
Websites & social media marketing
Your online presence should help customers, not just look good.
Answer five questions fast
A clear one-page site, or even a free listing page, often beats a fancy one. A domain name (yourname.ca) costs a small yearly fee and looks professional.
Canadian basics
- CASL (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation, in force since July 1, 2014): you need consent to send commercial emails or texts, and every one needs a working unsubscribe.
- Paid posts: if you pay or gift someone to promote you, they should clearly say so (like #ad).
- Privacy: collect only the customer info you need, and protect it.
Government of Canada, Competition Bureau; checked October 2026.
Consistent beats viral
- Pick one or two platforms where your customers really are.
- Show the work: process videos, behind-the-scenes, happy (consenting) customers.
- Post on a simple schedule you can keep, like twice a week.
- Most social platforms require users to be at least 13; business accounts for under-18s should be run with a parent or guardian.
Plan a week of posts
For a fictional business, plan three posts: what each shows, the caption, and what you want viewers to do next.You collected emails for a raffle. Can you add them to your sales newsletter?
Spreadsheets, software & automation
Good records save you time, money and stress.
Your first business tool
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Qty | Price | Total |
| 2 | Bracelet | 25 | 8 | =B2*C2 |
| 3 | Keychain | 10 | 3 | =B3*C3 |
| 4 | Sales | =SUM(D2:D3) |
D4 shows $230. Change a number and every total updates.
When the spreadsheet gets big
- Accounting apps track sales, expenses, invoices and taxes, and connect to bank accounts.
- Many have free or low-cost plans for tiny businesses.
- Snap and save every receipt. The CRA expects business records to be kept for six years.
- Software can’t decide what’s a business expense. Ask an adult or an accountant when unsure.
Automate the boring, keep the human
Let tools do the repetitive work: booking links that send reminders, templates for invoices and replies, a spreadsheet that totals itself, scheduled posts. Keep the human parts human: saying thank you, fixing problems, listening. And check automations regularly; a broken one can quietly lose customers.
Build a tracker
Set up (on paper or in an app) a sales sheet with columns for date, item, quantity, price, fee and net. Fill in 5 fictional sales.Write a formula for net sales if D2 is the total and E2 is the fee.
AI tools, cybersecurity & scams
Use powerful tools wisely, and keep the scammers out.
Helpful, with limits
- Good at: brainstorming names, drafting a first version of a post or email, summarizing, suggesting spreadsheet formulas.
- Limits: AI can state wrong facts confidently, invent sources, and miss local rules. Always check laws, taxes and prices yourself.
- Privacy: don’t paste customer names, contacts or payment info into AI tools.
- Honesty: don’t use AI to fake reviews or photos of a product. Check each tool’s age rules too.
Lock the doors
- A long, unique password for every account (a password manager helps).
- Turn on two-factor authentication.
- Install updates; back up your records.
- Use separate business accounts with an adult’s help, not shared logins.
Common scams on small sellers: fake “your store will be suspended” emails (phishing), fake e-Transfer notices, overpayment-and-refund tricks, and messages pretending to be a supplier asking you to pay a “new” account. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reported about $638 million in fraud losses for 2024, and says only a small share of fraud is ever reported. Stop, check, and ask an adult before you click, pay or share a code.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, 2024 figures; checked October 2026.
Scam or not?
Write three fake messages a small seller might get (two scams, one real). Swap with a partner. What clues give each away?An AI tool tells you the GST threshold. What should you do?
Quick self-check
Six questions, covering every stop. Show your thinking. Answers are upside down at the bottom; no peeking till you're done.
1 · Name one pro and one con of a marketplace.
2 · What’s the fee on a $20 online sale at 2.9% + 30¢?
3 · What does CASL require before you send sales emails?
4 · What does =SUM(D2:D3) do?
5 · Name one thing AI tools often get wrong.
6 · What is two-factor authentication?
Re-shade your knowledge meter
How much do you know about the technology of entrepreneurship now? Flip back to p.3 and shade the meter again in pen (or shade this one). Did any of the four bricks on p.2 move from "Not yet" to "Got it"?
The fee calculator
Build a simple sales tracker for a fictional shop and compare what you keep with two payment methods.
1 · My question
For a fictional shop, which way of selling and getting paid leaves the most money, for the least hassle?
2 · My setup
- Invent a shop with 2 products and prices
- Write 10 fictional sales
- Choose two payment methods to compare
- Add a fee column for each
My shop and prices:
3 · Fee comparison
| Method 1 | Method 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total sales | ||
| Total fees | ||
| Net (what I keep) | ||
| Extra hassle? |
Use the rates on p.5, or look up today’s rates and write the date.
4 · Must-haves
- 10 sales tracked
- Fees calculated for both methods
- Net sales compared
- A formula used (on paper or in an app)
5 · What I found
Which method would you choose? Was the cheapest also the easiest?
Use fictional data only. Never enter real customers’ names, contacts or card numbers into practice files or AI tools.
5 Questions
I Still Have
This module didn't answer everything. Good. Write 5 new questions it didn't answer, one of each type below. There are no wrong questions, only ones nobody's asked yet.
★ Star the one question you'd most like answered. You'll need it on the next page.
1What I'll find out
Break your big question into 2 or 3 smaller ones you could actually answer.
2Where I'll look
3How I'll share it
Who I'll share it with:
Done by: