They say starting a small business is a lot like having a new baby. "Both consume all of your time, money and energy!" quips business owner Mark Drager.

Drager is President of Phanta Media (www.phantamedia.com), a Toronto-area multimedia design and development company providing a full range of video, graphics, and interactive marketing services. It helps businesses to communicate to prospects, clients, and staff.

Tired of working in a corporate job, Drager decided it was time to be his own boss and launched his media communications firm in late 2006. Giving up steady employment was a gutsy move because his daughter was also born about that time.

"Becoming a father really changed my outlook," he explains. "I wanted the freedom to set my own schedule so I could see my baby girl grow."

He made another bold move by asking his mother for some startup funds. "My Mom took out a line of credit on her house and we used that to finance the business," recalls Drager. "Borrowing money from family members is very motivating because failure is not an option…you have to pay them back!"

In October 2007, Drager signed up for a CIBC bizline* Visa Card. "Until then I was using my personal Visa card for business purchases and spending too much time separating my expenses," he explains.

"My Mom opened my first CIBC account when I was a kid so I'm very loyal to that bank!" he adds.

Drager reports positive experiences as a Visa cardholder. "While I was in Orlando recently someone obtained my card number during a transaction and made thousands of dollars of unauthorized purchases with it," says Drager. "CIBC Visa contacted me and patiently sorted through which charges were mine and which were not. They waived all of the fraudulent charges so I didn't have to worry about a thing."

Drager has also discovered a hidden bonus to his new bizline* card. "I'm noticing that my clients are impressed when I pay for a meal with my business card," he says. "As a young entrepreneur, the card elevates my status a bit and makes me look more professional. That makes me feel great."

Despite the long hours he's spending building his new business and raising his young daughter, Drager says he couldn't be happier. "It's so rewarding to be focused on these things that matter so much to me," he comments.

* bizline is a trademark of CIBC.