Rick Spence is a Toronto-based business writer, speaker and consultant dedicated to helping businesses grow, especially in tough times. His expertise includes marketing, finance, best management practices, startups and green business.

Rick is the former editor and publisher of PROFIT Magazine, the Canadian counterpart to Inc., the magazine for growing companies. He currently writes regular columns on entrepreneurship for the National Post, PROFIT and MoneySense magazines.

He wrote the first Canadian book on growth business (Secrets of Success from Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies, 1997). Rick has taught “New Venture Startup” at Ryerson University and sits on the board of directors of a Toronto-based geophysical software company.

Rick’s not-for-profit work includes advising a national innovation conference, launching a collaborative program to stimulate regional economic development, and developing a national centre of excellence for business-advisory boards.

He blogs regularly on Canadian Entrepreneur, www.canentrepreneur.com.

Note: You can read Rick's most recent work for PROFIT and MoneySense magazines online.