CanadianSME Small Business Magazine June 2021 Issue

ISSUE NO. 31

JUNE 2021

CANADIANSME Empowering Canadian Small & Medium Businesses Banking partner

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SMALL BUSINESS EXPO 2021 A must attend event for small business owners

PAGE - 20

Jigsaw Performance Helps Business Owners Build Sustainable Businesses

Jane Iannacone CEO, Jigsaw Performance

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June 21 -22, 2021 I Two day Virtual small business conference

SMALL BUSINESS EXPO 2021 A MUST ATTEND EVENT

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SPEAKERS Expert business speakers

WORKSHOPS Interactive workshops by industry experts

PANEL DISCUSSIONS Expert panel discussions

Be a part of the crowd as more than 2,000 business leaders, top executives and top Canadian SMEs gather at the CanadianSME Business Expo taking place in June, 2021 virtually.

SHOWCASE YOUR BRAND AT CANADIANSME BUSINESS EXPO JUNE, 2021

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The Biggest Gathering of Canadian Small and Medium Enterprises

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Our June issue is officially here and we are very excited about all the great content we have included in this month’s issue! We strive to be Canada’s top magazine in providing exclusive insights, strategies, and advice to small business owners and entrepreneurs. Our mission is to include the best of the inclusive interviews and top business insights from reputable industry experts.

Our team works very hard in delivering the most valuable content to our readers to ensure that you stay up to date on all the latest business trends.

Empowering small and medium-sized businesses is our prime goal.

This month, CanadianSME is focused on the Banking & Financial Services in Canada, top business banks in Canada and the latest trends in small business banking. We are excited to announce that we are featuring exclusive content from Ricoh Canada, read “An SMB Playbook For Better Security Practices” by Christina Juarez. To effectively navigate change, opportunity and even crisis, check out RBC’s “Five Ways to Get The Most Out Of Your Banking Relationship” an article that was originally published on RBC’s Discover & Learn blog. We also included an interview with Sandy McIntosh, EVP, People and Culture and CHRO at Telus “Discussing Burnout and Mental Health Issues”. Learn how Axious Works with Business Owners and CEOs with Chris Legler, CEO and Founder of Axious Growth Consultants. “Brand Over Everything” with Founder of Daydream, Alex Simonelli. “OVH Started Off Hosting Websites” with Jonathan Druker, Product Marketing Manager at OVHCloud.

The CanadianSME small business magazine is delighted to announce a Free two-day Virtual Small Business Conference and a Tradeshow; The CanadianSME Small Business Expo 2021 taking place on June 21-22nd. The Biggest Gathering of Canadian Small & Medium Enterprises for the empowerment of the Canadian small business through resilience amidst COVID-19. This expo aims to equip business owners with entrepreneurial resilience during the COVID-19 by acquainting them with novel business strategies. In this expo, the Canadian SMEs will learn new methods of social media marketing, small business leadership, technology, business finance, digital transformation, and women entrepreneurship, financial management, market competitiveness, and product sales to ensure resilience. The CanadianSME is thankful to its partners and sponsors. This event is sponsored by the Platinum Sponsor Gauvreau & Associates CPA, the Gold Sponsors, UPS and Ricoh Canada, and the Silver Sponsors Nerds On Site, The Leslie Group and Deloitte.

At CanadianSME, we understand the impact Covid-19 pandemic has had on small businesses. Therefore, we are dedicated to providing our leaders with the latest trends in small business banking along with exclusive interviews and advice from industry experts of any measures or processes. These articles provide insights into the banking and financial services trends to keep top-ofmind this year. We hope that this month’s issue will help give you the knowledge and information you need to stay ahead in the market. Until next month, happy reading!

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IN THIS ISSUE CanadianSME small business magazine

57

45

How to Select a Business Structure - When Taking Your Side Hustle Full-Time

Jigsaw Performance Helps Business Owners Build Sustainable Businesses.

64 Entrepreneurial Success Can Drive Canada’s Economic Recovery if Given a Chance

15

43

Five Ways to Get The Most Out Of Your Banking Relationship

How Max Benitah is working to revolutionize the cannabis retail experience with Cann Shop

All Images, trademarks, service marks and logos referred to or appearing in this magazine are the property of their respective owners.

IN THIS ISSUE CanadianSME small business magazine

54

48

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

An Engaged Workforce is the Great Advantage

17 An SMB Playbook for Better Security Practices

79 Discussing Burnout and Mental Health issues with Sandy McIntosh

60 The Next Age in Manufacturing is Now - The Intellectual Strength of Canada’s Youth is Key

All Images, trademarks, service marks and logos referred to or appearing in this magazine are the property of their respective owners.

Canadian Cybersecurity Firm Alexio Corporation Named 2x Winner of the Coveted Global InfoSec Awards during RSA Conference 2021 Alexio Corporation Wins Market Leader in Cybersecurity Healthcare Practices and Next-Gen in Cybersecurity Education -for Small Businesses IN 9th Annual Global InfoSec Awards at #RSAC 2021 Alexio Corporation has won two awards at the 2021 CDM Global InfoSec Awards:

Market Leader in Cybersecurity Healthcare Practices Next-Gen in Cybersecurity Education - for Small Businesses

Anne Genge CEO, Alexio Corporation

“We’re thrilled to receive two of the most prestigious and coveted cybersecurity awards in the world from Cyber Defense Magazine. We knew the competition would be tough. Considering their roster of top judges who are leading infosec experts from around the globe, we couldn’t be more pleased to be recognized. The security of health and small business data has never been a bigger challenge than this past year during the pandemic. We have an amazing team of Canada’s best talent who rise to the challenge every day,” said Anne Genge of Alexio Corporation.

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Five Up-And-Coming Entrepreneurs Recognized For Breakthrough Innovations Poised to Boost Economy, Improve Lives of Canadians

Five up-and-coming researchers-turned-entrepreneurs have been recognized for their groundbreaking discoveries that are helping to propel Canada’s economy forward — and ultimately improve the lives of Canadians. Even the challenges of a global pandemic haven’t stopped these innovators from advancing their first-of-a-kind technologies.

The awards, presented by Mitacs — a national innovation organization that fosters growth by solving business challenges with research solutions from academic institutions — celebrate startup companies founded by outstanding former Mitacs interns, postdoctoral fellows, and training participants, who have gone on to lead their respective fields as business owners.

“On behalf of the Government of Canada, I am thrilled to congratulate this year’s Mitacs Entrepreneur Awards winners,” said The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion, and International Trade. “The energy, creativity, and spirit of Canada’s entrepreneurs are truly an inspiration and are key to driving innovation and economic growth right across the country. Mitacs’s commitment to supporting young people by giving them opportunities to gain experience in innovation and entrepreneurship is making a real difference, especially at this difficult time. Our government is proud to join you in supporting some of Canada’s best and brightest entrepreneurs.”

According to Mitacs CEO and Scientific Director John Hepburn: “Supporting innovation is essential to help Canada rebound from the repercussions of the global pandemic, and Mitacs is extremely proud of the remarkable accomplishments achieved by our network of talented entrepreneurs. We are thrilled that our continued investment in talent, research, and development is translating into more and more Mitacs interns successfully turning their groundbreaking research into dynamic startups, helping to boost both Canada’s economy and our country’s position on the global innovation stage.”

The five 2021 Mitacs Entrepreneur Award winners are:

Outstanding Entrepreneur: Hossein Kamali, 32, a Mitacs postdoctoral researcher in Mechatronic Systems Engineering at Simon Fraser University, and co-founder and CTO of Vancouver-based Autonopia. Kamali’s company has invented a first-of-its-kind robot that mimics the behavior of human window washers — including getting into the nooks and crannies of all types of building facades. The disruptive, patent-pending robot combines artificial intelligence, robotics, mechatronics, and motion control technology in an effort to bring the high-rise window cleaning business into the 21st century and keep people safe in the process.

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Change Agent Entrepreneur: Negin Ashouri, 28, a Mitacs intern and master’s student in the computer science department at Concordia University, and Cofounder and Interim CEO of Montreal-based FemTherapeutics. Ashouri is disrupting the healthcare industry with a groundbreaking medical device aimed at elevating women’s quality of life. Her company is the first to develop a made-to-measure, biodegradable, and disposable intravaginal prosthetic for women suffering from pelvic organ prolapse (POP), incorporating the same 3D printing process used for custom-fit orthodontics.

Global Impact Entrepreneur: Jason Deglint, 32, a Mitacs postdoctoral researcher in Engineering at Waterloo University, and Co-founder and CEO of Waterloo-based Blue Lion Labs. Deglint is being honored for helping fish farms keep their operations safe from harmful algae blooms. His revolutionary smart monitoring platform uses machine learning software and a custom digital microscope to automatically identify harmful algae in the water.

Environmental Entrepreneur: Marciel Gaier, 29, a former Mitacs intern and PhD graduate in Advanced Materials Science at Dalhousie University, and Cofounder and CTO of Halifax-based Graphite Innovation and Technologies. Gaier is transforming the global shipping industry with the launch of a disruptive paint, which is the first patented technology to use nanoparticles of graphite — called graphene — to achieve a high-performance, sustainable marine coating. The innovative coating system provides low volatile organic compounds (VOC), a non-toxic alternative that reduces the number of greenhouse gases emitted per shipping journey.

Environmental Entrepreneur: Ulrich Legrand, 30, a former Mitacs postdoctoral researcher in the Chemical Engineering department at McGill University, and Cofounder and CTO of Montreal-based Electro Carbon.

Legrand is being recognized for his company’s breakthrough system, which converts captured CO2 gas into commercial-grade formic acid — a high-value chemical used as a preservative in livestock feed, as well as in the leather tanning and rubber industries. The disruptive technology reduces global greenhouse gas emissions while bringing to market an industrial-scale system capable of repurposing carbon after it is successfully removed from the atmosphere.

Quick Facts: · Mitacs is a not-for-profit organization that fosters growth and innovation in Canada by solving business challenges with research solutions from academic institutions.

· Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada along with the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Yukon.

Learn more: For information about Mitacs and its programs, visit mitacs.ca

Byline: Diane Amato

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Five Ways to Get The Most Out Of Your Banking Relationship Now, more than ever, it's important to stay in touch with your bank. When you and your business financial advisor are on the same page, they're in a position to help with potentially gamechanging ideas and options – whether your business is facing challenges or opportunities.

To effectively navigate change, opportunity, and even crisis, it helps to have the right people in your corner. This is where your business financial advisor comes in.

Building and nurturing this relationship can make a significant difference in the success of your business – because when you’re tracking together, you can more effectively react to the unexpected and take advantage of opportunities.

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Here are five ways to leverage your banking relationship for the benefit of your business.

1. Share Your Story What makes your business unique? What are the key elements of your business plan? What’s your vision and what are your goals? When your business financial advisor understands these things about your business, they are in a better position to provide you with advice and solutions to run, grow and protect your business.

Armed with your big picture, your advisor can be on the lookout for opportunities that can help support your business's future.

“Discuss your business plan with your advisor,” says Laura Flewelling, Senior Manager Small Business & Partnership Integration. “If they know what you are trying to do, they can make introductions for you to other parts of the bank and trusted partners that can help you meet your goals.

Sometimes they can help you think in a different way and see other options too.”

2. Be Proactive Thinking of making a change to your business model?

Considering a pivot? Being proactive and having discussions with your advisor before you make changes allows for collaborative planning and time to set your business up for the best possible outcome.

“Make your business financial advisor aware of significant changes you are considering before you make them,” advises Joy Yang, RBC Senior Commercial Account Manager. “Being proactive and sharing your plans in advance allows for time to brainstorm ideas and solutions.”

Keep in mind, being on the same page with your advisor during your day-to-day operations is far better than trying to react or scramble to catch up should you be faced with either a great opportunity or a sudden downturn.

3. Be transparent If you’re struggling with cash flow or feeling overwhelmed with questions and unknowns, you’ll weather the storms better when you speak with your advisor about your challenges. They can help with a range of resources, including tools and advice that

could help you get out of cash crunches, or access to partners who can introduce new solutions to issues you’re facing.

Remember, your business financial advisor wants to help. Don’t hide your struggles – by bringing them forward early and asking for help you can solve issues together.

4. Stay in regular contact Staying in touch with your advisor is easier than ever before. With the technology and practices made common through the COVID-19 crisis, more and more clients are connecting with their advisors face-to-face, from home or office. Through regular video chats or phone calls, you can keep your advisor up-to-date on your business, future plans, and ideas.

At the same time, Jeff Heard, RBC Business Account Manager, advises making sure your business is digitally enabled. “While the branch worked well in the past, now may be the time to be sure that you are taking advantage of all the bank’s digital capabilities,” he says. “Are you taking advantage of all the real-time and digital services your bank has in place?”

5. Get personal What personal goals do you hope to achieve? Is it a certain lifestyle for you and your family? Are you building a savings plan for your child’s post-secondary education, a new home, or vacation property? When your advisor knows what your personal goals are, they can make the right introductions to personal finance managers who can help you achieve them sooner.

A close relationship with your advisor can also help you feel more comfortable sharing early anxieties or big ideas as they come up.

Your business financial advisor is eager to help you in any way they can – whether you’re growing or expanding your business, trying to weather challenges, or aiming to most effectively stay on top of the day-to-day operations. By keeping in touch with them and being open about your plans, they’ll be ready to do their best for you and your business.

This article was originally published on RBC’s Discover & Learn blog.

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AN SMB PLAYBOOK FOR BETTER SECURITY PRACTICES

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The Situation: People are still the weakest link when it comes to cybersecurity.

For every employee that you add to your business, you add one more opportunity for a document to be shared that shouldn’t be. You increase the likelihood that a password gets saved to a personal device or an email link gets clicked on that shouldn’t be. But growing your business shouldn't come with added security risks—if anything, it should come with the added protection of knowledge.

The threats : 1. Many breaches come from within Approximately one of every three security incidents are created by internal employees.

2. Inappropriate Access According to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC), 58% of reported breaches involved unauthorized access.

3. Oversight and education are lacking High-profile data breaches have become an uncomfortably common part of life in recent years. For obvious reasons, incidents involving large retailers, insurance providers, banks, and iconic Fortune 500 companies generate a lot of press. And while this attention does raise awareness about the importance of data security, it also reinforces the notion that these threats are isolated to large enterprises.

The truth about data breaches is that nearly half targeted are small and medium-sized businesses. In fact, the average cost for a single security breach is estimated to be nearly $120,000 for businesses with less than 500 employees—a figure that doesn’t even account for indirect costs of breach recovery.

Fortunately, there are some fundamental first steps you can take right now to protect your business. We’ll walk you through an IT playbook for protecting your data, securing your assets, and ultimately saving you valuable time and money.

More than one in five data breaches reported to the OPC in 2018 involved accidental disclosure.

This included situations where documents containing personal information are provided to the wrong individual or are left behind accidentally.

The solutions USE EXPERTS Time and resource constraints can make growing businesses reactive about technology, putting out fires instead of preventing them. Avoid the financial consequences of today’s cyberattacks by relying on experts. The internet will always be a source of DIY solutions, but it shouldn’t be when it comes to your IT and security. Consider outsourcing your IT support and going with a bundled as-a-service option to get the most value for your dollar. What you’ll spend a month on getting expert IT support, can help save you thousands more in the event of a security breach.

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Ricoh has a range of IT Service bundles that can help you stay protected. Click here to learn more.

IMPROVE YOUR PROCESSES Take control of your content and information by managing how it’s shared across your organization. A content management solution can ensure that each employee has an appropriate level of access to sensitive data. You can get details about how, when, and by whom these documents are being viewed or edited, allowing for quick diagnosis in the event of an issue.

And, if you want to take your protection to the next level, a digital rights management solution can safeguard your digital assets by preventing exposure of sensitive and confidential files to unauthorized people.

Click here for more info on Ricoh’s Content Management Solution.

INVEST IN EDUCATION Provide consistent security training for all new hires and retrain current employees annually. Be exhaustive; the things that seem obvious are overlooked far too often. Make cybersecurity awareness training part of every new employee onboarding experience and you’ll quickly establish a strong first line of defense.

Save yourself the time and headache of doing it all yourself by opting for pre-built cybersecurity awareness courses. Ricoh’s Cybersecurity Awareness Training starts with a comprehensive consult to assess and review your current practices and help you tailor the course to specific needs.

Click here to learn more about Ricoh’s Cybersecurity Awareness Training.

Ricoh has a full portfolio of everyday digital solutions that can help your small business redefine work. To learn more go to services.ricoh.ca.

1.https://enterprise.verizon.com/resources/executivebriefs/2019-dbir-executive-brief.pdf 2.https://www.techrepublic.com/article/an-average-data-breach-will-cost-an-enterprise-1-23m-and-ansmb-120k-heres-why/ 3.https://www.csoonline.com/article/3341317/data-breaches-exposed-5-billion-records-in-2018.html 4.https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/blog/20191031/

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Small Business Expo 2021 Canadian small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They play a significant role in creating employment opportunities and contributing to the overall GDP. Due to the current situation, many businesses are currently struggling to bring their business back in action.

Small and medium-sized businesses are looking for ways to improve their situation. We want to be able to aid as much as possible and allow small businesses to stay afloat during these challenging times so that no one is forced to shut their doors permanently.

Together, we can help and support, and we can revive these small

businesses as they continue to serve

our communities and provide us with fantastic service and essentials that we all need.

We are living in unprecedented times, and small businesses in Canada are feeling the impact. We at CanadianSME want to make sure small businesses are equipped with the right knowledge and tools and are prepared for the new normal.

In this Expo, we will be discussing entrepreneurial resilience in challenging times, small business leadership, Cloud and Technology that can transform your small business, live Q&A, cash flow tips from top financial experts, mental health, and much more.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain valuable information from top leaders in this exclusive Expo and get your business moving in the right direction.

Why attend: Every small business owner wants to learn

entrepreneurial resilience during challenging times. As a small business owner, you want

to know and discover the best strategies to implement during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. In this Expo, you will learn The

Tech adoption for Small Businesses through Covid-19 and beyond. Managing cash flow during a period of crisis, small business

leadership in the time of crisis, and women entrepreneurship challenges. This Expo will help you get the top technology tips, business tips, and the best available

resources to keep your small business on track during and after Covid-19.

Who should attend Small Business Leaders, Owners, CEOs, Business consultants, Finance and HR

managers, IT decision-makers from small

and medium enterprises face challenges to adopt innovative technologies.

Small Business Expo 2021

21-22 June 2021 From 9 am to 4 pm

Small Business Expo 2021 June 21 -22, 2021

I Two day virtual small business conference

A MUST ATTEND EVENT FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

Adapting to new normal

This exclusive two-day Expo will be featuring panel discussions, workshops, and keynote presentations by Canada's top business leaders and entrepreneurs.

Empowering Small Businesses for the new normal

Tech adoption Tech adoption for Small Businesses through Covid-19 and beyond

Entrepreneurial resilience Successful entrepreneurs and CEOs from various industries will discuss how you can revive your business during unpredictable times.

Women entrepreneurship We will discuss resources and tools that are available to women entrepreneurs to deal with Covid-19

Registrations starting soon

smeexpo.ca

Panel Discussion

Benefits Of Diversity In The Workplace For Small Business Diversity is an integral part of any organization. An inclusive environment in an organization means greater innovation, productivity, and an increase in ROI – all by having a diverse background of individuals.

Gender, race, sexual orientation, beliefs, and physical and mental ability all contribute to what makes us unique individuals.

Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) is important now more than ever, especially during challenging times. COVID-19 has impacted the way in which some individuals were viewed based on their race and the #BlackLivesMatter movement has raised awareness of the needs of minorities and

CHRISTELLE FRANCOIS (Moderator) President - Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce

JAMILE CRUZ

Founder and CEO I&D 101

given them a voice to be heard.

This panel discussion will discuss the ways you can get involved to ensure inclusivity across your entire organization. You will learn how to manage and recruit a diverse team of individuals, employee retention, building rapport, and more. As well, you will learn

DANISH YUSUF Founder and CEO Zensurance

TREVIN S. STRATTON

Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce

about all the support programs available and other important tools that would greatly benefit your team, thus making your small business more inclusive and successful.

JUNE 21 - 01:45 PM TO 2:30 PM LAURA WILLIAMS Founder and Principal, Williams HR Law and Williams HR Consulting Inc.

KAREEM EL-ASSAL Director of Policy & Digital Strategy at CanadaVisa

Panel Discussion

Cloud & Tech for SME's - Tech adoption for Small Businesses through Covid-19 and beyond Technology is the future and important for every business. Following the onset of the pandemic, small businesses across the world were forced to change their business models.

Many businesses have integrated digital technology into their infrastructure and many are forced to quickly adjust as they transition into the new normal post-COVID. To stay resilient meant switching to new digital platforms, new response strategies, and adapting to technology.

Tech experts from across Canada will discuss CHRIS FABES

Canadian Channel, Leader, Lenovo

Tech adoption for Small Businesses through COVID-19 and beyond. The panelists will discuss the most important available technologies that can help small businesses to succeed post-COVID. They will also discuss how to manage employees working remotely and how to address this with a creative

ERIC GALES

Country Manager AWS Canada

CHARLIE REGAN

Capability Expansion Orchestrator, Nerds On Site Inc

approach.

As a business owner, it’s important to be educated on how to utilize the latest tech for your business. We have some of the top leaders in the IT industry to discuss all the right tools needed to help steer you in the right

DOM NOCERA Country Manager, Mid-Market Canada at Dell Technologies

ERIC HUANG Founder and CEO Advanced Analytics and Research Lab

direction. After having the right tools and tech knowledge, it will enable you to grow and scale your small and medium businesses even further.

JUNE 21 - 03:00 PM TO 4:30 PM ARSALAN EIZADIRAD Senior Manager, Ricoh IT Services

DAVID REDEKOP Co-Founder, Nerds On Site

Panel Discussion

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs During COVID-19 Women are very important in the business industry. Unfortunately, there haven’t been many female entrepreneurs because of the lack of support, which ultimately makes it difficult for a female entrepreneur to survive, especially during the pandemic.

COVID-19 has impacted entrepreneurs in unimaginable ways. It has an even greater impact on female entrepreneurs as they have greater barriers to entry compared to their male counterparts. Trying to stay afloat during these times can be very challenging for women as they are underrepresented.

ANNA SINCLAIR (Moderator) Founder and CEO Total Mom Inc.

PRIYA CHOPRA

Founder and President, 1Milk2Sugars

Investing portfolios usually include very few female founders and presumably, women will find it more difficult to fund their ventures during the pandemic.

Women entrepreneurs need us now more than ever, that’s why we’ve brought in top female experts to help you learn why

DIANE SCOTT Co-founder SX2 Ventures

SUSAN NICZOWSKI

Founder and President Summer Fresh Salads Inc.

women-led ventures will be the backbone of recovery as we move along in the pandemic.

This panel will give you the confidence to face any challenges with advice, knowledge, tools, and tips from top female entrepreneurs in the industry.

JUNE 21 - 12:30 PM TO 1:15 PM

SHARI HUGHSON Entrepreneur in Residence & Faculty, Smith School of Business at Queen's University

ANNE DE ARAGON Vice President and Country Manager, GoDaddy Canada

Panel Discussion

Digital Transformation In today’s world digitalization is becoming more common, where work processes are becoming more digital and services are becoming more digital, with cloud, AI, robotics, and automation. These technologies are becoming more and more common. We are also starting to see more of these technologies integrated to create more innovative solutions and capabilities. We also see a lot of changes in technologies like artificial intelligence, which is becoming more and more relevant in our lives, with a lot of new applications.

Digital Transformation also enables us to know ourselves better through data analytics; personalization of products and services is becoming more common. Digital transformation also enhances human workers.

SHIRAZ SIDDIQUE (Moderator) Founder, Leverage Consulting

NANCY TICHBON

EVP, Customer Operations, Sage

On the security front, digital transformation has a more prominent role.

The main topics of discussion in the panel session will be challenges faced by companies in the wake of digital transformation to the benefits of digital transformation. Business leaders from across

MARTA RZESZOWSKA Director, Product Director of Portfolio Product Management, Payments & Retail Solutions at Moneris

NICOLE WATTS

Head, Goverment Relations (Canada) at PayPal

Canada will give a brief overview of the current trends in digital transformation, as these trends will be the implications of how businesses will be disrupted in the future. In the last 10 years, there have been many changes, yet the same key business drivers are still in place from many years ago such as market share, profitability, and revenue growth. The fundamentals of business still

BLAKE SMITH

MIKI VELEMIROVICH

Industry Manager for Emerging Disruptors and eCommerce at Facebook Canada

President of Cargo

have not changed, although they are now much more complex.

JUNE 22 - 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM

Panel Discussion

Entrepreneurial resilience during challenging times Entrepreneurs are by nature very strong individuals who are capable of great things.

In order to maintain that greatness, an entrepreneur must be able to withstand any difficulties their organization may face. That is why it is important for any entrepreneur to

WARREN COUGHLIN

have resilience during challenging times and

(Moderator) Business Coach, Helping Your Build….

A Business That Matters WarrenCoughlin.com

be the lifeline that employees can look to for support.

With the spread of COVID-19, entrepreneurs are facing unprecedented challenges. There is no doubt that many of our businesses and economies are going to get worse before

ANNE GENGE CEO Alexio Corporation

ROBERT GAUVREAU Partner at Gauvreau & Associates CPA

they get better. It’s important to learn how to self-manage and make critical business decisions during these times.

In this panel, 5 successful entrepreneurs and CEOs from across the board will discuss how you can revive your business during unpredictable times. This panel will teach

NICHOLAS REICHENBACH Founder & Executive Chairman at Flow Alkaline Spring Water

OMAR ALLAM CEO & Founder, Allam Advisory Group

you how to make better business decisions and build entrepreneurial resilience both internally and externally. It will also give you the knowledge on how to be socially responsible, build better brand awareness, how address employees and customers. and adapt to the changing landscape as the economy reopens.

NUNZIO PRESTA CEO of BuyAnd SellABusiness.com.

KIMBERLEY CLARKE

Founder and Strategic Force Behind KCI Management Inc.

JUNE 22 - 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM

Panel Discussion

Mental Health Matters: The bottom line on employee mental health and wellness The Covid-19 pandemic has been particularly hard on small businesses. And experts agree that even as we turn the corner on lockdowns, a mental health crisis is on the horizon. Could new virtual services and technology innovations provide the solution? What are employer obligations when it comes to employee mental health? How can employers ensure that their employees are supported through the crisis and beyond? This panel of experts will discuss the connection between mental health, productivity, and the bottom line.

ANEESA TOOR

(Moderator) Director of Group Benefits The Leslie Group Limited

JUNE 22 - 12:15 PM TO 1:00 PM

DARCY MICHAUD

YOLANDA BILLINKOFF

CEO/Chief HR Consultant at HRprimed

Head of Sales at ALAViDA

JAMES GARDINER

STÉPHANE BELAIR

Founder & Practitioner at FIRSTAR THERAPY

Program Director, Mental Health Dialogue

AGENDA DAY 1 - JUNE 21, 2021 01

9:00 am - 9:15 am - Opening remarks

02

Shiraz Siddique, Founder, Leverage Consulting

03

9:20 am - 9:25 am - Welcome remarks

The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade

04

Hon. Victor Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Chair of Cabinet

05

9:40 am to 9:45 am - Welcome remarks

9:15 am - 9:20 am - Welcome remarks

9:30 am to 9:35 am - Welcome remarks Paul Gaspar, Director of small business for UPS Canada

06

9:45 am to 10:00 am - Break

08

10:35 am to 11:05 am - KEYNOTE

Robert Gauvreau - Founding partner of Gauvreau & Associates

07

10:00 am to 10:30 am - KEYNOTE Financial Mastery – How to create a highly profitable business Robert Gauvreau - Founding partner of Gauvreau & Associates

09

11:15 am to 11:45 am - KEYNOTE

Communication Certainty in an Uncertain World Devin MacDonald, Sales Manager for SMB Canada, Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

10

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs through COVID19 and beyond

Managing Ecommerce Growth Paul Gaspar, Director of Small Business for UPS Canada

11

01:45 pm to 2:30 pm - Panel Discussion

12

Benefits Of Diversity In The Workplace For Small Business

13

2:30 pm to 3:15 pm - WORKSHOP Supplying Professional Services (Federal Procurement)

Menelaos (Manny) Argiropoulos; Chief, SME Stakeholder Engagement, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) – Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) – Ontario Region

12:30 pm to 1:15 pm - Panel Discussion

3:00 pm to 4:30 pm - Panel Discussion Cloud & Tech for SME's - Tech adoption for Small Businesses through Covid-19 and beyond.

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3:30 pm to 4:15 pm - Branding Workshop How to Grow Your Brand in the New Reality Wayne S. Roberts, Founder and President of Blade Creative Branding

AGENDA DAY 2 - JUNE 22, 2021 01

9:00 am - 9:05 am - Opening remarks

02

Shiraz Siddique, Founder, Leverage Consulting

03

9:10 am - 9:15 am - Welcome remarks

James Meddings, President of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario)

04

Charlie Regan, CEO - Nerds On Site

05

9:30 am to 10:00 am - KEYNOTE

06

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Bridging the gap: a digital-first approach to redefining your small business processes John (Duke) Eustaquio National Manager for Ricoh’s Consulting Services

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2:30 pm - 3:00 pm - KEYNOTE CIBC Global Money Transfer Domenic Pepe, Associate with the Alternate Solutions Group at CIBC Capital Markets

12:15 pm to 1:00 pm - Panel Discussion Mental Health Matters: The bottom line on employee mental health and wellness Leslie Group

11:15 am to 11:45 am - KEYNOTE

12:30 pm - 1:15 pm - WORKSHOP

10:15 AM - 11:00 am - Panel Discussion Digital Transformation

08 Digital Equity: The difference between surviving and thriving in a post-pandemic world Duncan L. Sinclair Chair of Deloitte Canada & Chile

9:15 am to 9:20 am - Welcome remarks Eric Fletcher, Vice President, Marketing Communications, Ricoh Canada, Inc.

Redefine the Way Small Business Works and Change. For better.

Eric Fletcher, Vice President, Marketing Communications, Ricoh Canada, Inc.

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9:05 am - 9:10 am - Welcome remarks

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1:30 pm - 2:15 pm - Panel Discussion Entrepreneurial resilience during challenging times

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3:15 pm to 4:00 pm - KEYNOTE Stop telling your story, become part of theirs.

How to get the attention of the people who matter most to you Tony Chapman, one of Canada’s thought leaders will share how you can get the attention you deserve by shifting the conversation from what you do, to why you matter.

FAQs Do I have to pay to attend?

No, this event is 100% free!

How do I sign up?

Click on the “register now” button and get your FREE ticket.

I am not a small business owner. Can I still attend?

Yes, all are welcome to join. Register here event.smbexpo.ca.

Can I join just for one session?

Yes, pop in and out of the event as you like.

Will the content be shared afterward?

Sure thing, after the event, we will send you a code and link to the VOD page.

How do I watch sessions?

All the sessions will be broadcast via Zoom on the main event platform - Congrego, event.smbexpo.ca. After you register, you will receive a confirmation email with the login link, with this link, you can watch the sessions on your browser.

Who do I contact for more information?

Please contact this email: info@canadiansme.ca I can’t sign up for this event, it doesn’t work. Who can I contact?

Please contact this email: info@canadiansme.ca

www.smeexpo.ca

Keynote

Managing Ecommerce Growth Exclusive Keynote by Paul Gaspar

JUNE 21, 11:15 am to 11:45 am

www.smeexpo.ca

Keynote

Financial Mastery – How to create a highly profitable business Exclusive Keynote by Robert Gauvreau JUNE 21, 10: 00 am to 10:30 am

www.smeexpo.ca

Keynote

DIGITAL EQUITY:

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SURVIVING AND THRIVING IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD

By Duncan Sinclair

JUNE 22,11:15 am - 11:45 am

Keynote

Redefine the Way Small Business Works and Change. For better.

Exclusive Keynote by Eric Fletcher JUNE 22, 9:30 am to 10:00 am

Keynote

Communication Certainty in an Uncertain World Exclusive Keynote by Devin MacDonald JUNE 21, 10:35 am to 11:05 am

www.smeexpo.ca

Keynote

CIBC

GLOBAL MONEY TRANSFER Exclusive Keynote by Domenic Pepe JUNE 22, 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

www.smeexpo.ca

Keynote

Stop telling your story, become part of theirs.

How to get the attention of the people who matter most to you.

Exclusive Keynote by Tony Chapman

JUNE 22, 03:15 pm to 4:00 pm

www.smeexpo.ca

Workshop

How to Grow Your Brand in the New Reality Your Brand in the Post Pandemic Exclusive workshop by Wayne S. Roberts June 21, 3:30 pm to 4:15 pm

Workshop

BRIDGING THE GAP:

A Digital-First Approach to Redefining Your Small Business Processes Exclusive Keynote by John (Duke) Eustaquio National Manager, Consulting Services Ricoh Canada Inc.

June 22, 12:30 pm - 1:15 pm

www.smeexpo.ca

Workshop

SUPPLYING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES (Federal Procurement)

Exclusive Keynote by Menelaos (Manny) Argiropoulos

June 21, 2:30 pm to 3:15 pm

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How Max Benitah is working to revolutionize the cannabis retail experience with Cann Shop

Max Benitah Co-founder and President, Cann Shop

Max Benitah has had a passion for entrepreneurship for as long as he can remember, having started his first business operating vending machines while in university. Over the past decade, he’s worked his way up in the world of retail, managing supply chains across North America.

As a former high-level hockey athlete, Max began his cannabis journey to help treat his aches/pains and manage stress and anxiety. Aware of the stigma still attached to cannabis today, and with a vision to help destigmatize this experience so that anyone can feel comfortable making use of cannabis’ potential benefits, Max created Cann Shop, an education-focused cannabis and lifestyle store in Toronto, ON. An avid proponent of living an active lifestyle, he can often be found running through his neighborhood and playing hockey with friends. When he’s not working, Max is dedicated to furthering his cannabis knowledge and travelling.

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What was the inspiration behind the founding of Cann Shop? What are you hoping to accomplish through your company?

Having spent time working in California over the years, I was exposed to some innovative cannabis concepts that I had never seen before. When the Ontario government changed its cannabis license application process, we saw an opportunity to enter the cannabis space and bring some of those ideas to life in the Canadian market. It’s our goal to bring a sense of normality to the cannabis shopping experience and change the stigma around its consumption.

Cann Shop is the kind of space where everyone can shop together without feeling like they’re in another cannabis store. That’s why we’ve spent countless hours fixating over every single touchpoint in the store. Retail is detail!

Strong companies with clear missions and action plans can take advantage of the current situation and help build stronger global influence for the cannabis industry. Already, we’ve seen consumer behavior increasingly lean towards accepting cannabis usage on a global scale in recent years and companies will need to be able to recognize their opportunities and capitalize on them.

How is the cannabis industry evolving? And are the regulations that apply to your cannabis business subject to change?

Because of how new it still is, the cannabis industry is constantly evolving in Canada, in numerous ways. Due to the heavy regulations in Ontario, there are constant adjustments to the laws that govern how we operate. Everything from the products we can sell, to the way we can talk about them is subject to scrutiny and penalties. Truthfully, it’s a difficult space to navigate right now, but we’re hopeful that laws will become more favorable to small business owners as the industry continues to mature in Canada.

What are some biggest challenges for the cannabis industry in 2021?

So far in 2021, it’s of course been the stay-at-home orders we’ve experienced for most of the year. Without in-person shopping, it’s quite a challenge to run a successful retail business. Moving forward, I think the biggest challenge will be making consumers feel comfortable in brick & mortar retail and shopping in person again. With Cann Shop’s unique size (over 7,000 sq ft of retail space) we’ll be able to accommodate for social distancing and ensure consumer comfort, but for those with smaller retail locations, there may be some hesitancy from customers to return to in-store shopping.

How can cannabis companies change course, evolve, and mature in global markets?

There are many ways for that to happen, but ultimately, it’s going to come down to how creative cannabis operators can get while working within the respective legal frameworks of where they operate. Flexibility and adaptability will be the name of the game, as I think they will in many industries in the global market. Strong company culture can be a tremendous foundation that provides the flexibility to adapt to anything and that’s needed more than ever right now.

The coronavirus crisis is reshaping the cannabis industry for the long term. What is your key advice to entrepreneurs to survive and thrive during this challenging time?

Be rigid in your principles, but flexible on your processes. As a business owner, you need to only worry about what you can control. As it relates to my industry, this looks like adapting to the protocols around inperson shopping, delivery, and curbside pickup while maintaining a positive attitude. We have also used this time to clean up our operational processes, rework our displays and create social media content. If your house is not in order, you can’t really be too concerned about the outside world.

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Jigsaw Performance Helps Business Owners Build Sustainable Businesses Jane Iannacone CEO, Jigsaw Performance CEO and Founder of Jigsaw Performance, Jane Iannacone had a chat with CanadianSME to share her inspirational journey behind the founding of Jigsaw Performance and what she hopes to accomplish through her company. She also shares how things have changed for her after being in the consulting industry for over two decades and what is really required for small business owners to create high-impact results during these challenging times.

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Jane is a business consultant and strategist who helps business owners develop the attitudes, skills, and capabilities they need to take their businesses to the next level. Jane will transform the way you conduct your business. She will teach you to be more strategic by building clear roadmaps and taking control of the financial aspects of your business. With her help, you will achieve your goals more quickly and easily than you ever thought possible.

Regardless of your experience, education, or skill set, Jane will help you better your business. She is dedicated to her clients' success and aims to turn business owners into leaders.

For twenty years, Jane has partnered with business owners, leaders, and managers in Canada, the United States, and the U.K. to realize their objectives and increase their effectiveness as leaders. She has extensive experience working with organizations large and small in energy, technology, manufacturing, education, services, and government.

What sets Jane apart? Her energy, positive attitude, and ability to ask the right questions. She will challenge you to rethink what is possible and leave you with the tools and confidence you need to take on the next challenge.

Jane earned a Graduate Degree in Business from Carleton University in Ottawa, with a focus on leadership. She has worked at an international consulting firm, held a variety of corporate roles, and worked as an independent consultant prior to founding Jigsaw.

What was the inspiration behind the founding of Jigsaw Performance? What are you hoping to accomplish through your company?

The inspiration for Jigsaw Performance started from research on work-life balance I performed in 1992 where I interviewed hundreds of working women about their experiences. Many of these women described lacking control and were burnt out. The resulting stress can lead to health issues and reduced personal and professional satisfaction. It had a profound effect on me.

Twenty years later, I founded Jigsaw Performance with the express purpose of helping business owners have greater control and be able to enjoy all the rewards of running a business from financial rewards to lifestyle, flexibility, and learning. Unlike employees, owners have control and can escape burnout by managing their businesses differently.

How does Jigsaw Performance help small business owners?

Jigsaw Performance helps business owners build sustainable businesses. Working ridiculous hours operating the business, missing out on family time, and ignoring self-care is not sustainable. Building a sustainable business starts with being really clear on what you want your life to be like and building a business that supports that life, not the other way around.

Leveraging technology, systematizing processes, and building an engaged team with clear roles and expectations can all contribute to the sustainability of a business.

At Jigsaw Performance, we work with our clients to do targeted analysis to build business plans that focus on scarce resources of time, effort, and money where they can have the maximum effect. We focus on building capability where it matters most for each individual business, building plans that prioritize strategic work over busy work.

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How did you become involved in the consulting industry? Having been in the industry for about 2 decades, how have things changed for you?

The consulting business has always been a good fit for me. I thrive in fast-paced project environments. I love complex problem solving and especially collaborating with others to uncover new possibilities. I pursued a graduate degree to prepare myself for a career in consulting.

Over the years, I have gone from a professional career to contract consulting to running my own consultancy. During this time, I became increasingly clear about the types of work and environments that energize me.

Each progressive move was in that direction culminating in the founding of my own business.

What is required for small business owners to create high-impact results during these challenging times?

Business owners are so uniquely positioned to make significant impacts on so many different stakeholders – customers, employees, suppliers, their families, their communities, everyone they touch. They have the power to make choices that will either have a positive impact or not. To create high-impact results, business owners need to understand what each of these stakeholders values and align with it.

What is your advice to women entrepreneurs during this crisis?

My advice is to maintain strong support networks. Being an entrepreneur can be so isolating and having a trusted network of people who want you to succeed not only builds resilience but also provides a sounding board to make the best decisions for your business. We all have the ability to fall in love with our own ideas and having people we trust help us to overcome our own biases will accelerate our success.

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AN ENGAGED WORKFORCE IS THE GREAT ADVANTAGE Pamela Hackett CEO, Proudfoot

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Pamela Hackett is CEO of global operational management consultancy Proudfoot Consulting (www.proudfoot.com). With offices in London, UK, and Atlanta, USA, and on-the-ground teams covering the four corners of the globe, Pam has lead Proudfoot through the pandemic directly from her Toronto home. Receiving numerous accolades over the years, including the global CEO award winner of the CEO Today 2019 Management Consulting Awards, Pam is a dynamic business leader who isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo. She’s a change-maker, people enthusiast, and now author of Manage to Engage.

What was the inspiration and motivation behind writing your book “Manage to Engage”?

An engaged workforce is a great advantage. Everything you do as a manager requires people to be engaged.

Transformation requires an engaged workforce.

Performance improvement requires an engaged team.

Achieving your objectives requires engaged team members. Being a great corporate citizen requires you to engage your community. Engagement levels power up or shut down an organization. As a manager and leader, you have a direct impact on engagement.

There should be no debate. No coercing or cajoling to recognize this fact. Engagement counts. Engagement ignites competitive advantage, it creates change.

Engagement enables talent to flow to your organization, innovation to flow through your business, and ultimately, money to flow and fund your efforts particularly during recessionary or post-pandemic times when money is tight. Investors and customers alike, are attracted by engagement. Your boss wants to invest in a winning team. And we all know the phrase ‘success breeds success.’ Engagement breeds results.

Engagement is the secret sauce of business. Engage your people, engage your teams, engage your organization and you will engage your customers and your marketplace.

The problem is, as few as two in ten people are engaged at work. Pre and post-pandemic.

The stats have remained consistently low for years. This is truly the inspiration behind the book. How can we build back better with a workforce so underwhelmed by us as leaders and so disenchanted by their work?

In 2019 shortly before a pandemic created a global crisis, the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitive Report noted “The global economy is ill-prepared for a downturn after a lost decade for productivity-enhancing measures. They went on to say “many of the structured reforms designed to revive productivity did not materialize”. They punctuated their Executive summary with a further statement: “Finding a balance between technology integration and human capital investments will be critical to enhancing productivity.’ The world was ill-prepared for a downturn in every way. The world has not seen a large-scale change in productivity because we haven’t seen a large-scale change in people’s engagement in work. We have by all accounts failed to engage people.

But fast forward to the back end of 2020 and the results are in. When push came to a pandemic, people changed in a heartbeat. We saw it everywhere. The under-engaged stepped up and made a real difference. They said we’re in it together. This is a call to action. The world needs a change in its management models as much as it does its operating and business models if it is to prosper and step up to the global societal, economic, community, and business challenges it will continue to face. We need a fairer trade between our businesses and our people. We need to manage to engage. We owe it to our people. As leaders we owe it to ourselves to do better.

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What are some key takeaways from your book “Manage to Engage”?

Oftentimes management is pointed to in a ‘blame game’ of why people are not engaged in their work. I don’t think it’s culpability that we should be discussing. I don’t believe your boss wakes up in the morning and purposefully thinks “Right then, today I am going to completely under engage my people and make them feel miserable”. No, I think they have so much come at them, so many plates spinning and balls bouncing, they simply don’t have the capacity or perhaps the capability to prioritize people. It’s capability and capacity, not culpability. They want to but often don’t know-how.

If you think about what we saw through the pandemic – all those people often labeled resistant to change, changed. And swiftly, speedily. What happened to all those stats about change failure? Proudfoot has completed some 50,000 client engagements – 30,000 organizational operational assessments and 20,000 improvement and transformation programs. We’ve coached 1 million leaders. We know three things for sure: One, it’s less about people’s resistance to change and more about their lack of understanding of how they can participate, how to put their toes in the water when it comes to change. And that’s an engagement issue. We need to better engage so people see their place in their workplace; And two, nothing moves until people move.

Engagement powers everything and the person who has the most impact on your engagement is your immediate supervisor. Suffice to say, that means the most critical person to get change at scale across an organization after the vision is clear, is the supervisor. The immediate boss. They hold the success of a business in their hands; And three, the businesses that have more success at change, at safety, at improvement, at transformation, and engagement, are those that have active managers who are visible (remote or not), prioritizing people connection in their day to day execution of their jobs – they manage to engage.

Now back to the capability or capacity issue. As managers keep their plates spinning and balls bouncing, it can be tough for them to see pragmatic solutions that enable them to manage to engage and achieve their results – and there are many. You start by knowing what triggers engagement and then adopting pragmatic solutions through your own behaviors to do just that.

I offer up 9 triggers that I call the MI9 – the management innovation nine triggers of engagement. Because you’ve got to innovate how you manage as much as you do any other part of the business. Or just simply ‘my 9’ because the engagement triggers are in the hands of the manager.

There are two bookends - Fair Trade and Freedom - and then the Cs – having a cause, a clean infrastructure, collaborating, connecting, building capability, as well as community and confidence. Calibrate them to your teams, understand your role in bringing them to life and build your own capability in executing them. If you want to be a great leader, you must first manage to engage, and this comes from the manager, not HR or policies and perks and ping pong tables.

Why is it important to find a balance between technology integrations and human capital investments?

Great things happen at the intersection of people and technology, but nothing moves until people move and technology will not move people. People will. Great managers do. And with the massive acceleration in technology and digitization, we are now experiencing, success will come to those firms that know and understand how to enable people to change their behaviors as rapidly and leverage that technology.

Users don’t adopt, people do and that’s about behavior change, so the key is understanding that the beauty of technology comes when you can mobilize it. Technology becomes the multiplier when people understand its purpose in enabling them to be more effective. Whether it’s understanding how to use digitized data and make better decisions with it as it flows more easily across a business, or understanding how to more effectively use the digital business models that are emerging to serve customers better, or finally, how to better perform operations in a digitized world that provides the productivity increases required.

Humanize. Optimize. Digitize. In that order.

People are the backbone of the great digital acceleration we are entering. But, if we miss the engagement step again, as we have done in the past, we will again lose the productivity advantage, this time losing much more – talent, ideas, competitive advantage, market share.

When you manage to engage, you will manage the changes ahead, because your people will help you through them, finding new and different ways to add value and create value in your business, and using technology to make it happen.

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What are some innovative tools and exercises that can be immediately applied in any management setting, in-person or virtually?

I have three great tools for you to use instantly.

One The simplest yet most impactful change you could make in your management behavior immediately, particularly if you have remote teams, is to improve and increase your visibility with your teams – to go #headsUp. Take your nose out of your technology(in some cases use it to connect with people, not reports) and prioritize people better connect with your people. Raise your head up!

While there are some management capabilities you can develop to really be seen as a HeadsUp leader, like having presence and vision (converting the macro vision into team micro visions), being tech-savvy (using technology wisely), coaching your teams, and influencing teams outside your control, #HeadsUp is about truly being interested and active in your business, getting in the game.

Two The real key is in developing a management routine. We call it 1.5.30. a rhythm you build into your day to help others perform. Check-in once a day for a quick catch-up (1). Check-in for 30 minutes once a week to talk about overall performance progress (5). Check-in for 60 minutes once a month, to deep-dive into how the job is going and talk development (30). When you move this routine into a rhythm, you earn the right to provide performance feedback, coach, and guide people. But you also learn what you need to do to help people be successful – finding out what’s holding them back and developing your own action plans to improve the ecosystem in which people work. It’s so much easier to say ‘I need to do my 1.5.30, rather than thinking in terms of annual performance reviews. Trash the annual and replace them with real-time, ongoing 1.5.30s and watch your people take off.

Three What colour is your day? In the book I describe the various activities managers invest their time in. For example, Red is the colour of crisis whereas green is the colour of growth (the time you invest connecting with people). There are many other colours. I recommend tracking your time over a day or better still a week and colour each block of your time in a log that describes a Day in the Life of your work. By the end of the week, you’ll see what you really value by the colour of your days.

That becomes your challenge, establishing if you are happy that the way your time is invested is really giving you the results you want. If not, perhaps how you invest your time is not engaging.

Your colour will give you away. Take the time to reflect on it and develop your own actions plans to switch your colours to those that better engage.

Invest wisely – the time you put in dictates the time your people will give you in return.

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How can entrepreneurs recognize and rapidly adapt to the post-COVID world of work where more people are working remotely?

As the leader of a business that focuses on hard, measurable, operational, results in improvement, people think it’s strange that I start conversations by asking how engaging the management in the business is? That’s because managing to engage is not only necessary today but it affects your results – people, profit and profitability go hand in hand. It’s not OK to only focus on the numbers.

Firstly, if you only focus on the numbers, you likely won’t get results that stick. But secondly, no one has been through these times before and they can’t do it alone. You need your teams on the side and onboard with you, engaging. When you manage to engage, watch your teams take off and the numbers flow. 1.5.30 is key.

In this new world, trust is also required. It’s understandable to fear that people won’t manage their time and effort effectively, but you have to let that go. Manage the team rather than the exception, that one person who hasn’t adopted and is not focusing can’t pull everyone else down and cause you to feel you must micro-manage everyone.

You won’t keep your own sanity yet alone that of your teams if you try to manage everyone traditionally. Frankly, checking up on people is a disengager – let that old world go. It’s key to check in but not up. That’s the difference between micromanagement and managing to engage.

You also must recognize that small talk counts.

Truly checking in with your teams. When you practice 1.5.30, you earn the right to talk freely.

People become accustomed to your check-ins and it gives you the opportunity to talk about how people are feeling as well as how they are performing. Today, you really do need to get to know people for who they are. It’s not the old world of keeping a distance. Your people’s wellbeing is as important as their productivity. I’m not saying you need to become a psychologist.

But you do need to bring your listening and empathy skills to work with you more than ever.

And the more you practice HeadsUp and 1.5.30, the easier that becomes.

At the same time, you need to find out what cheeses people off at work as well – and what better way to do that than through your 1.5.30 discussions. These are the things that trip people up and trip businesses up. The little things that turn people off – from the niggly things that get in the way of people performing to the broken processes, systems, and equipment that causes people to disengage, wondering how things can get done if the business can’t maintain its equipment or clean up its processes to enable people to be successful.

80% of engagement comes from the direct manager, 20% from the ecosystem, the infrastructure that supports the business, its operating model. But even that 20%, the manager controls and impacts by how they manage and how they learn and act on how the infrastructure works for people.

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What is your advice to women entrepreneurs during these challenging times?

It seems everything comes in three’s:

One To pull up their big girl pants, remove the doubt that can reduce confidence, and get in the game. This is a time to be present, active, and bold. To lean into your people and help them step up. To really connect with their people so they can leverage their support. You can’t be remarkable alone. It’s a team sport. Tell yourself that every day your job is to remove the barriers that prevent your people from being successful. When you look through that lens your actions become multipliers – you get 1 +1 = 3. You realize how much more can be achieved when everyone is in the game.

Two Never use flying monkey power. A flying monkey is that excuse you give someone as to why they need to do something. The customer wants it, the board wants it.

No, if it needs to be done, no matter how hard, and you want it done, be transparent. Don’t practice avoidance management by throwing out flying monkeys. Own what you need done because you need it done.

Three So that leads to a really important piece of advice that took a long time for me to truly appreciate. Get the right people on the bus. The greatest mistake I made when I first became CEO was accepting the wrong people and thinking that someone in a role was better than no one.

I’ve since learned that no one in a role will beat out the wrong person in the role, every time. Engagement can only come if you have the right team, and if you find yourself having to cajole and coerce people into doing things, particularly in management roles, they are not on your bus. Give people a voice about the things you’d like to do and achieve, but once a decision is made, if it’s not the one they wanted but the one you feel is more appropriate, they must agree or disagree but commit.

You can not continue to push people to agree. The key is understanding what commitment really is and what it is not. It is not someone saying to their team “I disagree

with this but I committed to doing it anyway”.

No, Commitment is saying you agree and doing what then needs to be done. Those who are not aligned with you will rarely bring their best selves to work, in fact, they may stop you from bringing your best self, worse still they will infect others.

Take them off your bus. You don’t need them.

I hate to end on a negative, so here’s a fourth – turn vision into verbs! The way to achieve remarkable results and better manage to engage is to be an active manager in every way. Recall what I said earlier about people needing to understand how to participate in change? When you turn vision into verbs and purpose into plans, you help them see what they need to do to get in the game and go all-in. Then set them free to do it!

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Code of

Business Conduct and Ethics Michael Konnert CEO of Vizsla Silver Corp

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As CEO of Vizsla Silver Corp., Michael Konnert is the face of the evolving mining and mineral exploration industry. For this 33-year-old young entrepreneur, his hands-on approach to mastering the business of mineral exploration, combined with his prophetic ability to discover business potential, has taken him to unforeseen success for a businessman his age. In this sense, he has been referred to as an Alchemist within his close circle. He is usually the first to spot opportunities in untapped spaces and transforms them into golden investment opportunities.

His ability to resurrect the Panuco mine, which had been dormant for several years, is one such success story. Michael raised over $100 Million for Vizsla Silver, while providing a much-needed lifeline to the local community just outside the town of Concordia in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico.

His vision for the company is to establish itself as a world leader in finding, financing, and developing minerals and in setting the stage for the 4th industrial revolution. He strives towards building a resilient organization that is value-driven and has a persistent culture that allows adapting to ever-changing industry conditions.

This young man envisions himself as a forward-thinking "Mining Millennial" who speaks the language of and represents the aspirations of the new generation of leaders in the mining and exploration industry with a clear commitment to ethics, workplace safety, diversity and inclusion, ESG and constructive relationships.

Michael laid the stones for his success at an early age. He bought his firstever mining stock at the age of thirteen by investing the money from his side jobs into gold and silver. From real estate to a career in mining, he has honed his strategic abilities to identify lucrative opportunities successfully.

Michael also founded Cobalt One Energy Corp, whose flagship Little Gem project provided the highest-grade cobalt deposit in North America. A year later, he sold Cobalt One to Blackstone Minerals Ltd. (ASX: BSX), where he also served on the Board of Directors, for the equivalent of $12 million in shares. In addition to Vizsla Silver Corp, Michael is also a Managing Partner at Inventa Capital Corp, a private investment vehicle focused on developing mining assets worldwide. With Inventa Capital Corp, Michael built a first-rate portfolio of companies and raised over $200 million for its group.

Michael takes great pride in where his efforts, tenacity, and learning have led him over the years—while ensuring that he shares his knowledge and values with friends and colleagues, as well as new industry aspirants.

Having entered the world of entrepreneurship amidst rapidly changing business realities and landscapes, he firmly believes that those who have withstood and succeeded in the past decade are equipped with the adaptability, skills, and resilience to succeed in all conditions.

Furthermore, he believes that it is those who balance their values and ethics with their business practice have the most staying power and appreciation in the eyes of investors and stakeholders.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurship from Royal Roads University and a Diploma in Marketing Management Diploma from the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). He is a loving father who values the simpler things in life, such as spending time in nature with his family.

How are young Canadian companies helping Mexico's mining industry?

Canadian mining and mineral exploration companies, whether operating in Canada or abroad, adhere to the highest levels of ethical code of conduct, allowing for meaningful engagement with local communities and ensuring that the Projects are mutually beneficial for both parties. For example, Vizsla Silver has been working with the local communities and businesses for employment, contractual jobs and has substantially improved the surrounding infrastructure including roads and electricity. On a larger scale, Mexico’s mining industry is benefitting from increased investments, job creation, and overall positive socioeconomic impact.

How is Vizsla bringing change and setting new standards—Vizsla is an "ambassador" of progressive Canadian values in the mining and mineral exploration industry.

As a Canadian mineral exploration company operating overseas, we adhere to strict guidelines on operating in a sustainable manner and being a responsible explorer. We place great emphasis on our reputation among all stakeholder groups. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics guides our operations and helps inform business decisions. We think of the big picture and long-term impact on the communities in which we operate.

Upon acquiring the Panuco project outside Concordia, Sinaloa, we made a commitment to bettering the lives of local residents. The community had largely depended on mining throughout past generations. Vizsla Silver was able to resurrect the mine after it had been dormant for years and provide a muchneeded economic lifeline for the local community.

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Speaking the language of Mining Millennials – what are the values, business practices, and aspirations of the new generation of industry leaders (and investors) We are living in a rapidly evolving world that is bringing positive change to the mineral exploration and mining space by challenging the ways that it has been done traditionally. That is in large brought on by a new generation of industry joiners and investors. Mining Millennials are the new generation of professionals and investors in the minerals and mining space who bring a different approach to the table by utilizing technological innovation and finding new ways of doing business sustainably. They pay particular attention to community development and root for companies that give back and invest in the local communities in which they operate.

Lastly, they are the generation that just had their first major life test with having to seamlessly navigate through a pandemic. Mining Millennials are the engineers of an evolving industry that is efficient and adaptable to crises, is in sync with sustainability and the move towards a green economy, and one that places community wellbeing first.

Why company values and sustainability track record should be on every investor's radar.

Investors should take a close look at senior leadership, company vision and mission, and track record to make sure that the messaging (and actions) are closely aligned with their own.

Investors nowadays are on the lookout for companies that are sustainable and innovative, are resilient to crises and contribute positively to communities in which they operate, and have minimal impact on carbon footprint. As such, it is vital for companies to maintain consistency in messaging, as well as acting on their promises toward all stakeholder groups to retain investors.

On a final note, what is your advice to small business owners during these challenging times?

I would advise small business owners to look back at the past two years and reflect on the challenges they were able to overcome. These were some of the most difficult times in modern history for business owners and we should congratulate the determination and perseverance that these owners showed. I believe this pandemic has been a major growth opportunity too, and we as a company value looking at challenges as opportunities to grow and improve.

My advice to junior mining companies during these challenging times is to take time to reflect on challenges that can become opportunities and to look at ways to grow and develop while utilizing the attitudes and tools acquired during these challenging times. The pandemic has caused several disruptions to the global supply chain and slowed down exploration work on many projects, which was beyond anyone’s direct control.

Nonetheless, it is companies that incorporate the tools that foster innovation, as well as ones that have retained the loyalty of their talent that will lead the way into the future. Based on personal observations, I have been very impressed with how millennials and the new generation have been able to assume responsibility during the past two years and find innovative ways to overcome these challenges.

Please note that this is taken from the Vizsla Resources website. Vizsla Resources rebranded and changed its name to Vizsla Silver Corp. in February 2021.

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HOW TO SELECT A BUSI NESS STRUCTURE

When Taking Your Side Hustle Full-Time

By Nicholas Rubright

Sole Proprietorship

In the past year or so, a lot of people have had to make changes to their lives, including how they make an income. In an era when many face-to-face jobs have adapted or given way to remote work, many people have found that their side hustle became their main hustle; this meant they had to take what was their side hustle full-time.

This means doing everything “properly,” including opening a company and becoming a full-fledged business.

With this type of business, there is only one owner and they are taxed directly on the profits they make from the business. The owner is liable for debts the business will accrue, and some sole proprietorships will be restructured into a limited liability company (LLC) further down the line.

This type of business structure tends to be the most suitable for those starting a business or small business owners.

To do this, you have to ask a lot of questions and question a lot of answers. You will need to develop a feasibility plan and a business plan to help ensure you’ve considered the financials involved. You will need to take marketing into accounts, such as advertising and social media marketing. Another thing you will need to give close consideration is how to select the structure of your business.

As the name suggests, an LLC gives you limited liability protection. This means that your personal belongings are considered separate from the business should the business experience financial difficulties or other problems. In short, even if you do lose your business — you won’t necessarily lose your house.

Let’s start by taking a brief look at some of the different types of structures you will need to choose from.

Limited liability company (LLC)

Corporation A corporation allows the business holder to accept money from investors. It does offer liability protection but is not as flexible as an LLC. It is often the best choice for people who hope to expand their business aggressively.

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General partnership This option basically allows you to go into business with another person. The partners will share the profits or losses of the business as well as the responsibilities involved. There is no liability protection in this option and both partners will be financially responsible for any debts accrued.

Limited liability partnership (LLP) An LLP is similar to a general partnership, but it offers some level of protection because partners are not liable for the actions of the other partner in the business. This option is often the best choice for people in professional practices that might become the focus of litigation if something goes wrong or if one partner gets in trouble through your whistleblowing system.

How to choose Above are just a few of the options you are most likely to encounter, but there are some other types. There can also be variants of the types mentioned above.

To get back to the initial question, how do you choose which type is best suited for you? To answer this question, you will first need to answer some other questions.

Formation cost Most people in business will be starting out small with limited finances. If this is the case for you, then a sole proprietorship or general partnership is likely to be the best option. This is because they are relatively straightforward to open, and this helps to significantly reduce the cost of doing so.

Complexity Running a business can involve a lot of administrative work. There can be many reports to file and many rules to abide by, and it can become quite overwhelming for a lot of people. If you feel you are willing to take on a more complex business, then a corporation might be the best option for you. Otherwise, something simpler like a sole proprietorship may be the best option.

Taxation We would all want to pay as little tax as possible, so this is usually the main concern. Choosing the option that offers the most favorable taxation is not always a suitable option, however, depending on the nature of the business.

Legal liability It will make sense for a lot of people to limit what they are liable for if things don’t go to plan. If you are opening a business that might make you open to litigation, for example, then it would be wise to take your liability into account. Also, take into account how liable you are for your partner. If you go into partnership as dentistry, for example, you would probably not want to be liable if your partner finds themselves in court for neglect or similar.

Ambition Just how ambitious are you with your plans? Are you aiming for a relatively modest business that will help you care for you and your family, or are you planning on building your own business empire with a rockstar team of hired employees that will become a major national or even international player? Some business structures are great for small players, but not so much for larger entities.

Conclusion Opening a business can be a daunting affair, especially in this era of remote work and video conferencing, and there can be a lot to take in. With that in mind, it is often best to speak with a professional about your options and which would likely be best suited for you. They will also likely be able to help with the processes involved, and it is usually recommended to leave this to the professionals if your budget allows it.

"Nicholas Rubright is a digital marketing specialist at Mvix - a company that provides digital signage to improve business communications. In his free time, Nicholas enjoys playing guitar, writing music, and building cool things on the internet."

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BUILD KNOWLEDGE-BASED SMES

with help from these Emerging Technologies

By Mostafa Sayyadi

Management Consultant | Business & Technology journalist Today, technology has changed the business world tenfold. Every day there is an easier way to process, access, and disseminate information. Technology now referred to as, Information technology, is an internal resource that increasingly facilitates organizational communication and improves the search for knowledge.

When executives have people in place to manage information technology, the SME can see increased revenues, better satisfaction by employees and customers, and most importantly enhance their own effectiveness as leaders. Knowledge creation is highly dependent on developing organizational communications and interactions. Information technology enables SMEs to overcome space constraints in communication, and promotes the depth and range of knowledge access and sharing within SMEs. More specifically, communication technologies can be employed to enhance the conversations and knowledge exchanges between organizational members. This knowledge shared through information technology could positively contribute to knowledge management.

Furthermore, Knowledge sharing itself can develop more innovative climates and facilitate knowledge creation in SMEs. Thus, communication technologies can play a crucial role in improving knowledge creation. Therefore, communication technology is an internal resource that develops and integrates organizational knowledge as the most strategic factor of competitiveness. To implement this technology, executive can develop the most essential technological infrastructures to: Provide information technology support for collaborative work regardless of time and place.

Provide information technology support for communication among employees.

Further, as executives use expert systems for decisionmaking, technology becomes a decision-aid. As mentioned earlier, decision-aid technology can be also considered as a facilitator of the knowledge creation process through

providing the essential infrastructures to store and retrieve organizational knowledge. To implement this technology, executive can develop the most essential technological infrastructures to: Provide information technology support for searching for accessing necessary information.

Provide information technology support for systematic storing of knowledge.

Information technology enhances learning and sharing knowledge by providing access to knowledge, and stimulates new ideas, and knowledge generation transfers an individual’s knowledge to other members and departments and improves knowledge capturing, storing, and accumulating, aiming at achieving organizational goals. Bringing us to the conclusion that communication and decision-aid technologies have a positive association with knowledge management performance in SMEs.

In Conclusion For executives, this article can portray a more detailed picture of the effects of communication and decision-aid technologies on knowledge management. Many SMEs still implement knowledge management initiatives without sufficient consideration of their technological infrastructures.

When executives ensure the effectiveness of knowledge management projects they increase control and lessen operational risk. I also suggest that a firm’s ability to enhance knowledge management can be highly affected when executives implement information technology.

Furthermore, I suggest that scholars take these ideas and continue to conduct research using executives as the focal point so that academic scholarship can meet the needs of managerial implications at the higher echelons of SMEs worldwide.

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THE NEXT AGE IN MANUFACTURING IS NOW

The Intellectual Strength of Canada’s Youth is Key Jayson Myers CEO, NGen

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Jayson Myers is an award-winning business economist, specializing in industrial and technological change, and has been widely recognized as one of the most influential policy advocates in Canada. He is an advisor to both private and public sector leaders and has counseled Canadian prime ministers and premiers, as well as senior corporate executives and policymakers around the world.

With more than 25 years of experience building alliances among businesses, academic institutions, as well as community, labor, and advocacy organizations, Myers has been instrumental in shaping the public policy environment in Canada. Between 2007 and 2016, he served as President & CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, Canada’s largest industry and trade association. He was also the founding Chair of the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition, Vice-Chair of Canada’s National Roundtable on Skills, and Vice-Chair of the Ontario and Great Lakes Manufacturing Councils.

Myers currently Chairs the Global Gateways Federation and is an advisor to legal and consulting firms in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. As Principal of Jayson Myers Public Affairs Inc., he helps organizations identify and manage opportunities arising from the changes that are reshaping the industry and international business.

He studied at Queen’s University and the University of British Columbia in Canada, as well as at the London School of Economics and Oxford University in the United Kingdom. He has held appointments as a Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford, and as a lecturer in politics, economics, and international studies at both Oxford and the University of Warwick.

What is the inspiration behind the launch of this exciting youth initiative “Careers of the Future.ca”? And what do you hope to accomplish with it?

Our country has the chance to reposition itself in the global market, and much of that depends on how we harness young intelligent minds as they lead us into the future. We are calling on Canada’s youth and have launched a national campaign – Careers of the Future, as part of our efforts to address skills shortages across various sectors and especially those related to the use of advanced digital and production technologies.

The future of Canadian manufacturing is up to the students of today. Today’s young generation wants to make a difference for the world – by making things right we want to enable them to pursue a career to do that in Canada’s advanced manufacturing sector.

What is the recent survey conducted by NGen? Can you highlight a few key findings from the report?

We’ve learned a lot from the market research that we conducted prior to the launch of the campaign. When we first asked students and parents what they thought about manufacturing the response was not a very positive one. Repetitive. Boring. Dirty. Dangerous.

Unfortunately, the old stereotypes are very much alive in the public and among key influencers like parents, teachers, and guidance counselors.

Our research also shows that young people still overwhelmingly have manufacturing ideas that are 40-50 years out of date.

The challenge is real. A full 25 percent of all manufacturing workers today will retire by 2030. Young people, aged 25 and under, account for only six percent of the workforce.

The business of making things is evolving rapidly.

The pandemic has underlined the importance of having “made-in-Canada” solutions, while demand has surged for clean products and game-changing technologies to address some of the world’s biggest challenges including climate change, life threatening disease and food insecurity.

In order simply to maintain current production levels, let alone grow, Canadian manufacturers need to find new employees and they need to boost productivity big time – by a full 20 percent if current labor market trends persist. Labor shortages will drive a greater degree of automation and digitization across the industry. Result?

The technical and digital skills that will be required to operate advanced business and production systems will be in even shorter supply if manufacturers do not take the lead in providing guidance to students and educators at secondary or even primary levels.

We know that the jobs of tomorrow will be highly technical and will require a skilled labour force.

Canada won’t just be buying new technologies; we will be selling them too.

We also learned that students are looking for guidance – what are the next steps in their studies that they can pursue if they are interested in an advanced manufacturing career.

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How is NGen supporting the aspirations of the young Canadians?

CareersoftheFuture.ca aims to provide students and parents with more information to help guide their next steps if they are interested in pursuing work in advanced manufacturing. It also identifies extracurricular programs and activities in which young people can get involved – programs like First Robotics and the Virtual Robotics Training Academy that give students easy access to robot simulations.

Can you please provide some guidelines around the Manufacturing the Future contest to help young Canadians understand the program a little better?

Manufacturing the Future was launched on May 13th and will award 10 bursaries valued at $10,000 (CAD) each. Canadian residents between the ages of 15-18 are asked to submit a 500-word essay, addressing the question "What problem do you think advanced manufacturing could solve in the future? And what role would you like to play in making it happen?" Whether interested in science, engineering, computers, virtual reality, robotics, design and creative arts, business, or administration, there is a role for everyone, and all are encouraged to apply.

Our aim is to guide and support the next generation of young Canadians as they pursue career aspirations in this field.

The contest closed on June 2, 2021; however, we encourage students, parents, and teachers to visit careersofthefuture.ca to learn more about the incredible innovation and captivating technologies being used to address some of the world’s biggest challenges such as climate change, disease detection and food insecurity.

What is your key advice for the young Canadians as they pursue career aspirations in these challenging times?

Advanced Manufacturing is not your traditional manufacturing. The days of the dusty factories and smokestacks are long gone. We need you.

We need your intellect and talent.

Take the time to learn what interests you, if you like art, you can design things. If you like playing video games, you might be interested in digital twin technology. Or, if you like math, you could be an engineer – the possibilities are endless.

Careers in advanced manufacturing are dynamic, innovative, fulfilling, and well paying, plus you get to be a part of the solution, creating a future that is bright and promising for generations to come.

Businesses have a role to play as well, the real competitive advantage lies in how Canadian companies can commercialize solutions to grow business and improve efficiency, while also leveraging the latest technologies to make the biggest impact. If we are to change the world for the better, we need to harness the intellectual strength of our youth, and that is our biggest asset and advantage.

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Ending the War Between Sales and Marketing Strategies

By Mostafa Sayyadi, Management Consultant | Business & Technology journalist Executives consider four marketing strategies, including analysis, pro-activeness, defensiveness, and futurity.

Analysis strategy is regarded as the tendency to search for problems and their root causes and generates better alternatives to solve them. When executives analyze strategy, they can create more knowledge and find the best solution using a problematic search of various options.

This marketing strategy stimulates companies to apply information systems in their decision-making processes in order to investigate various alternatives and options. Also, executives analyze strategic milestones to meet the goals of employee development. Analysis strategy can develop opportunities for assessing current situations in detail.

Analysis strategy has major effects on sales improvement through focusing on analytical decision-making process which can potentially increase sales and profitability for companies.

Futurity is reflected in the degree to which the strategic decision-making process takes a two-way approach----an emphasis on both long-term effectiveness and shorter-term efficiency concurrently. Executives use futurity strategy to expand the growth opportunities available to companies to close the gap between success and failure.

Futurity strategy can increase sales and profitability by conducting a “what-if” analysis and effectively allocating organizational resources. Futurity strategy implements basic studies to identify and actively respond to the changes that occurred in the external environment and provides better outcomes and more profitability.

Pro-activeness is a marketing strategy used by executives who take a proactive approach to search for better positions in the business environment. As executives use the pro-activeness strategy which refers to finding new opportunities and proactively responding to current challenges in external environments, they can enhance their span of control. In fact, since pro-activeness manifests itself in behaviors such as continuously exploring the emerging opportunities to invest, this strategy can positively contribute to the efficiency of companies by helping them to find better opportunities for investment that potentially leads to better financial performance in terms of return on investment (ROI) and profitability.

My experience says that a futurity strategy has a positive association with sales and profitability. And executives across the globe should consider the critical role of this marketing strategy in improving sales and profitability for companies.

Defensiveness recommends undertaking defensive behaviors that manifest themselves in enhancing efficiency and in cutting costs while maintaining continuous budget analysis and break-even points. Executives take an offensive approach and in this case, they employ a defensive strategy. This marketing strategy utilizes modifications in order to efficiently and effectively use organizational resources, decrease costs, and control operational risk. Some executives feel that a defensive strategy, while necessary, sets a negative connotation on their span of control. A defensiveness strategic approach, in fact, enhances efficiency through cutting costs. This kind of strategy also enhances profitability, which enhances efficiency for companies.

Management Consultant | Business & Technology journalist

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Entrepreneurial Success Can Drive Canada’s Economic Recovery if Given a Chance Claudia Dessanti Senior Manager, Policy, Ontario Chamber of Commerce Claudia Dessanti is Senior Manager of Policy at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), where she founded and co-chairs the Energy Policy Council, and leads the OCC’s policy and advocacy work around the environment, energy, regional economic development, data policy, housing, diversity and inclusion, and more. Prior to joining the OCC in 2018, Claudia researched mortgage markets for National Bank Financial and measured social impact for Charity Intelligence. She has a Master’s degree from the University of Oxford and a BA from the University of Toronto.

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The Ontario Chamber of Commerce just released the latest report Capital is Key: Financing Entrepreneurship in Ontario After COVID-19. Can you highlight a few key findings from the report?

These inequities limit those entrepreneurs, and they also undermine the economic and social well-being of the entire province. Diversity breeds resilience and it gives consumers more choice and innovation.

Financing is a challenge for most entrepreneurs. The pandemic has created a cash flow crisis for many businesses; but even prior to the pandemic, it was often difficult to access the right forms of capital.

What are some policy commendations identified by OCC to improve the financing of entrepreneurship, from loan guarantees to tax incentives?

In fact, before the pandemic, 52% of SMEs in Ontario relied on self-financing. The rest accessed a combination of debt, equity, trade credit, leasing, government grants, and other sources. Challenges include an over-reliance on debt, a lack of growth capital, investors’ bias towards knowledge-intensive sectors, and a growing need for working capital.

The pandemic amplified many of these issues. Lenders and investors have taken a slightly more conservative approach in response to new risks. Meanwhile, emergency grants, loans, and tax supports have been a lifeline for businesses that were forced to suspend or restructure their operations – but these programs are temporary.

Looking ahead, 60% of businesses in Ontario believe that entrepreneurship will rebound after COVID-19. That rebound will be fundamental to Ontario’s economic recovery and it will require access to the right forms of capital.

Our report identifies 8 challenges and 14 policy recommendations to improve the financing of entrepreneurship during the economic recovery. The report was developed with support and expertise from Meridian Credit Union and Innovate Cities.

Why is it important to recognize Entrepreneurial diversity as a powerful strategy for Ontario’s economic recovery and long-term prosperity?

Entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy. SMEs account for more than 90% of jobs in Ontario, produce competition and innovation and add invaluable character to local communities.

Unfortunately, it can be especially challenging for women, Indigenous, and racialized entrepreneurs to access the capital they need to grow their businesses.

For example, women raise just 4% of venture capital funding in Canada, accounting for 28% of entrepreneurs.

We offer 14 recommendations that can be implemented immediately. One example is a loan guarantee program in partnership with financial institutions to de-risk lending to new enterprises. The program could be targeted towards the types of businesses that were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, including those in the tourism and restaurant sectors.

Another recommendation is focused on improving access to public sector procurement contracts. We know procurement can propel small businesses into new markets and financing opportunities. Policymakers need to address the barriers that prevent small businesses from competing for contracts in Ontario.

Some of the other solutions we propose include tax incentives for investors, modernization of capital markets, and streamlining of government programs.

What are some key challenges policymakers must navigate as they look for ways to improve financing options and access to capital for entrepreneurs and small businesses?

Small businesses are inherently riskier to finance because they have shorter credit histories, fewer assets, and lower survival rates. The private sector does a good job of supplying capital, but there are gaps that policymakers can help mitigate through incentives and direct support.

However, a key challenge for the government is to avoid interfering in a way that distorts the market and fails to adequately price risk. In other words, the government needs to enhance the market, not replace it. Given Ontario’s debt and deficit situation, the government must also ensure it is spending efficiently and generating a strong economic return on its investments.

On a final note, what is your key advice to small business owners during these difficult times?

First, congratulations. Despite the hardship, the resilience demonstrated by Ontario's business community has been incredible. Second, I encourage you to make the most of the supports offered by financial institutions, governments, associations, and others. Our report has an Appendix (page 24) listing many government programs you may be eligible for. If you aren’t already connected with your local chamber of commerce or board of trade, they can help you access support.

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Axios Works With Business Owners and CEOs By helping them distill their ideas into priorities and actions.

Chris Legler CEO

&

Founder,

Axios

Growth

Consultants

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Chris Legler is a growth-oriented leader with over 30 years of experience executing strategic plans for businesses throughout North America. Chris has worked with businesses from a broad range of industries to achieve sustainable growth and transformation while maximizing efficiencies.

In addition to holding several senior executive offices at large corporations, Chris formerly owned and operated a wholesale coffee roasting company and has worked with small to medium enterprises as a management consultant for the last decade. This experience has lent a wealth of knowledge to Axios’ services and has provided Chris with the insight required to help all businesses, small and large. Chris has also held executive positions at Espresso Supply, Starbucks Coffee, Sony, BP, Eddie Bauer, Barnie’s Coffee, and Tea, Blockbuster Entertainment, Cranium, Hasbro, and Restaurants Unlimited.

During Chris’s four-year tenure as CEO of Espresso Supply, the company’s annual revenue increased exponentially. Chris also led the company in globalizing the Bonavita brand within the specialty coffee and consumer homewares markets, and in acquiring Eko Brands in North America. In the first year postacquisition, Chris led and oversaw the establishment of efficiencies that significantly improved profitability, resulting in revenue growth for the business.

Can you take us through your journey from Espresso Supply to Axios Growth Consultants?

What principles have you based your career on to have achieved this.

In my career, I have developed four principles that are the foundation of the work that I do with my clients today: Strategy, Cash, People, and Execution.

Let’s go back a bit further because the foundation of my growth principles began at the first stage of my career with Starbucks. At the time, Starbucks was a small company with only 50 locations worldwide. Among the many things that stood out in my Starbucks experience, the importance of people and creating a sense of ownership for all employees (we called them partners) was so essential to growth and success. The other principle that Starbucks implemented was using their cash to drive profit. They weren’t afraid to spend money if it created value and long-term profit.

I gained further insight regarding growth almost twenty years ago when my wife and I purchased a small coffee roasting company. Before the purchase, we laid out an in-depth strategic plan as to how we would grow the business. At this point in my career, I had worked for

three very high-growth companies, so I had a good idea of what it would take to grow. We grew the company by over 35% in the first year of operation. After operating it for a year, we were approached by an investor to buy the company.

We sold it for a profit. Later, we realized that we never implemented our original strategic plan.

We were so bogged down in the day-to-day operations that we didn’t implement the things that would have grown our company exponentially. Had we reviewed our plan on a regular basis, I’m certain that we would have tripled or even quadrupled our business in that first year. Regular reviews and execution of strategy need to be implemented to succeed.

Espresso Supply was an incredible learning experience for me. When I joined them, Espresso Supply was a 20-year-old company that had grown to $4 Million in sales. Four years after taking the helm as CEO, we had grown to $30M in sales and had developed Bonavita into a brand recognized throughout the world.

We saw an opportunity with Bonavita because it was the most affordable coffee brewer on the market that was also certified by the Specialty Coffee Association. At the time, this certification was the gold standard in coffee brewing, and very few had ever met this mark. I helped Espresso Supply acquire the worldwide rights to Bonavita. Once we acquired the brand, we completely re-positioned it from being an unknown brewer used by coffee geeks to becoming the most highly sought-after brand within its category. Most of our true competitors were selling their brewers for 50% to 75% more than ours. This allowed us quick entry into retailers such as Williams-Sonoma, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Amazon.

The branding was only the beginning. The key to growth was developing a strategic road map of how we wanted the company to grow, and why consumers would like our product.

Simultaneously, we kept a relentless eye on the cash. I knew from experience, that cash is the biggest reason growth companies fail. We developed multiple scenarios of what would happen to cash at various growth rates. We then activated various avenues to get there. Many of these avenues weren’t traditional. For instance, we pushed our supplier to front $1.0M of initial inventory. We negotiated with Amazon to get 15day terms when they were giving everyone else 45-days. Most importantly, we updated our cash forecast and inventory forecast monthly to optimize profit and cash.

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After cash flow, talented people were vital to our success. Once we had the cash, we hired two pivotal roles: a high-powered salesperson who knew our targeted retailers and an inventory management specialist that could help us to optimize our inventory.

The combination of these two people allowed us to sell as much as possible but also ensured that we always had reserved for our customers, but never too much stock.

Then, we hired strong marketing, operations, and support staff.

Finally, execution will make sure you are on the right path. We held monthly reviews where we looked at our performance and analyzed what was working and what was hindering our success. These monthly reviews were honest and always tied back to the strategy to make sure we were still on course.

These four principles are the foundation of the work that I do with my clients today. Create a strategic vision and road map, keep your eye on the long-term cash needs, have the right people in place, and evaluate your execution.

What is your CEO network saying about the future of globalization and global trade? Is this a setback for globalization?

Although the pandemic has certainly created some setbacks, it has also created opportunities. The sudden acceptance of video conferencing has been a gamechanger and will likely increase globalization. Today we are sharing ideas and having conversations remotely with ease compared to only18 months ago. People have realized that they don’t need to jump on a plane to get achieve their company’s objectives.

Where does empathy in connection with your employees fit into decision-making and that of the leadership team?

The last two years have proven that people are the most important part of a company’s success. We don’t always know the stresses that our employees may be under. Being empathetic to the needs of your employees helps make them

more productive. With a rapidly growing company, having the right people in place is critical during times of growth and especially important during a time of crisis.

I am a big fan of Simon Sinek. Simon writes, “We say WHAT we do, we sometimes say HOW we do it, but we rarely say WHY we do WHAT we do.”His message about understanding “why we do things” is so vital to branding but it’s also important when we talk about connecting with employees. Empathy means treating your employees with dignity and respect. Getting them to understand “the why” behind your vision, mission, and daily activities are crucial to their success and the future of your business. Creating a sense of ownership in your vision among all your employees is the surest way for them to feel valued. If you can get your employees to buy into the mission and vision, they will be able to make better decisions.

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You bring a wealth of knowledge from your experience to Axios Growth Consultants, how are your consulting services helping organizations innovate, transform, and lead?

My clients have one commonality. They all want to grow their company at a rapid rate. Many of my clients have a great product, idea, or service but don’t know how to get to the next level. These can be companies that have been in business for 10 months or 10 years. At Axios, we help them understand what the next steps are, what resources are necessary and guide them through the process of achieving their goals.

Axios works with business owners and CEOs to clearly define the business strategy so that they can achieve their vision. We utilize proven methods to ensure that the strategy is implemented and that dayto-day operations are focused on the end goal.

I don’t think any of us will ever experience such a dramatic shift in business as we have seen since COVID19. For every company that is hurting right now, there is another one that is thriving. The disciplined approach I use can allow a business to succeed when others fail. I have five clients that were with Axios prior to the pandemic. All have more cash available now than they did prior. For example, one operates a retail and wholesale operation. They had to close every location for 3 months, yet they still saw growth of 11% in revenue in the past 15 months over the prior 15 months. This includes the 3 months of no sales! Their profits have increased 39% over the same timeframe. Another is a food manufacturer. Their revenue increased 75.1% in the past 15 months over the prior 15 months. Prior to the pandemic, they were growing at 15.4% per year. They have earned enough cash that they will be able to reinvest in their production facility giving them a further competitive advantage. A manufacturing client has seen their revenue increase by 65.5% in the past 15 months over the prior 15 months. Their Net Income has increased by 84.5%

By helping them distill these ideas into priorities and actions, the plan gets implemented, which allows them to spend more time innovating the next product while leading their organization.

What Is your key advice to small business owners during this challenging time?

Stay focused on the four pillars of growth.

Strategy, Cash, People, and Execution. These four pillars are not linear but circular. Every month each of these four pillars needs to be examined.

Having formal monthly discussions around how last month performed is critical. This time should be spent evaluating new opportunities, staying ahead of the competition, and evaluating how your business is affected by the economy, and adjusting your forecast so that you understand how these changes will affect your goals. Discuss who in the organization is performing well, and who needs additional guidance. Then, go back to the strategy and make sure your plans are still on track.

Why did their profit increase so much more than their revenue? They were able to understand how to shift their business to more profitable channels during the pandemic. They have a strong strategy, a close eye on cash, the right people in place, and they constantly reevaluate what is working, while circling back to the other three pillars.

Rural Communities

Unleashing the potential of

MASHUP LAB

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Andrew Button Founder and CEO, Mashup Lab

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After a 15-year career working in rural communities with various businesses and economic development organizations, Andrew founded Mashup Lab (www.mashuplab.ca); a for-more-than-profit company focused on one thing: unleashing the entrepreneurial potential of rural places. Mashup Lab’s activities fall under three business units; business ideation events, business incubation programming, and 2 rural co-working spaces that operate under the WorkEvolved brand (www.WorkEvolved.ca).

Mashup Lab has successfully scaled its Dream Business across Canada and into the United States, working with 250+ aspiring entrepreneurs to launch over 120 active and growing businesses in 80+ rural communities. Andrew is also co-founder of Awesome South Shore (www.awesomesouthshore.ca), a community-backed micro-fund that has given away over $80,000 cash - no strings attached - to people that want to do something awesome in their community. Originally from Stephenville, Newfoundland, Andrew now lives on Nova Scotia’s beautiful South Shore with his wife Eva and his sons Josh (12yrs) and James (14yrs)

Please share the Top 5 things you have learned about starting and running an SME in Canada from working with 2000+ entrepreneurs.

Great ideas can come from anywhere You don’t have to call yourself an entrepreneur or business person to have a great idea for a successful business. Be observant of the world around you and the problems people are experiencing, even the problems in your own life. Those ‘problem spaces’ are often where the best business ideascome from.

Start before you’re ready It is unlikely that the first iteration of your idea will the winner, so the faster you get some sort of offer in front of real potential customers, the faster you’ll learn about the viability of the business opportunity. There will be plenty of testing, learning, and adapting along the way that will translate into a successful business opportunity for you. So many entrepreneurs become paralyzed by the fear of imperfection that it actually prevents them from taking the first steps, rather than putting something out there and learning along the way.

You may end up doing things in the beginning stages of getting a new idea off the ground that may not maximize your profitability necessarily, but it maximizes your learning about your customer, the market, and your business model.

Surround yourself with great people and embrace diversity in all of its forms.

Hire people that are smarter than you, find a peer group you can lean on, and be intentional with curating that team of advisors you surround yourself with. Invest time and energy into being around them to help you think through situations and opportunities to grow your business.

It’s all about execution A half-baked idea with really great execution often goes a lot further than a perfect plan with poor implementation.

Don’t forget to look after yourself too Sometimes entrepreneurs get so wrapped up in looking after employees, customers, suppliers, and their families that they overlook themselves.

The reality is, as the leader behind that business if you go down you are not much help to anybody.

As your business adapts and grows, make sure your tools, habits, and routines to care for your physical and mental wellbeing evolve as well. Be intentional about designing your ‘personal operating system’ so you can perform at your highest level.

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How are SMEs thriving during Covid?

By focusing on two C’s: customers & cash flow.

Your customer’s needs and buying habits have changed and are likely changed forever. Be curious, be observant, ask questions, get focused on the needs of your customer and what is going on in their world. The problems they are trying to solve could be the one thing that unlocks the potential for a whole new business opportunity for you if you can help them. Pay close attention to your cash flow.

Cash is the lifeline of your business; your amazing ideas, plans, and strategies will not come to fruition if you run out of cash before you get the chance to implement them.

What do you need to change in order to keep the ball rolling?

You need to accept that things will not be stable or certain for a long time due to this pandemic. As a result, you need to constantly change and evolve in order to make the process of doing business with you a little easier. The qualities that made you stand out to your customers may remain the same, but how you deliver that experience and that value will likely need to change.

While these businesses were able to survive and thrive, how many more like them won’t be able to?

What can our communities do to support the recovery and sustainability of our Canadian small businesses and continue the legacies of the owners that built them?

If there is one thing that Mashup Lab has learned from the work we’ve been doing over the past 5-years, it is this: There is a massive amount of untapped entrepreneurial talent sitting on the sidelines in every region of Canada. While the sustainability and incremental growth from our existing businesses are critical, it simply won’t be sufficient to address the deep and far-reaching economic impacts that will be felt for years to come as a result of this global pandemic.

Communities need to activate that untapped entrepreneurial talent to get new entrepreneurs ‘off the sidelines and into the game and starting newbusinesses.

Unfortunately, the approaches and economic development strategies that have worked well for the past 20 years, will not serve us well going in this new normal. It’s time to think about the types of programs and services that take a different approach to unleash that entrepreneurial potential.

Entrepreneurs must accept that their business model will change whether they like it or not. The things that have worked really well to get their business to this point, will likely not be the things that help them succeed in this new normal.

What are your tips on how small businesses can embrace creativity?

Even when restrictions are lifted, the behaviors, buying patterns, and the psyche of your customer have been altered. This may require a new business model altogether or major alterations you will have to make in some aspect. The world of business has changed and will continue to change, and you need to change with it to survive and thrive.

1.“Constraints are gifts” The constraints of time, money, and resources actually force us to be innovative with the way we get things done. Use your constraints to your advantage.

This global pandemic has caused the adoption of technology to be accelerated by a decade in the past 24-months. If you’re not thinking about evolving your technology such as your website, your ordering process, or your customer experience, the vast majority of customers won’t wait for you to catch up and will move on.

There are two things that entrepreneurs of small businesses should keep in mind.

2.“Necessity is the Mother of Innovation” The fact that we’re in a global pandemic is forcing us out of our comfort zone and beyond the status quo to do and think differently. This is an opportunity to re-think your business model and to experiment with things that you might not have thought about if you weren’t forced to do so. Seek input from people who think differently than you; they will often see problems and constraints from a different perspective and can open up your eyes to new solutions, new approaches, and new opportunities.

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Brand over everything is our philosophy.

Alex Simonelli Founder of Daydream

Alex Simonelli is a 25-year-old Toronto-based entrepreneur who founded Daydream, Canada’s first hemp & adaptogen-infused sparkling water. With a background in sales and a love for entrepreneurship, since the age of 17 Alex has always been a free thinker pursuing work in hopes to design a life worth living. His previous intrapreneurial & sales experiences have taken him across start-ups where he built and led teams, witnessed different markets emerging for growth, and saw founders exit successfully.

Daydream is an accumulation of his growth, and his first step into full business ownership. Alex saw a gap in the market for “better for you” hemp & adaptogenic beverages in Canada and has not looked back since. Daydream’s branding is just as calming as the ingredients inside. Alex refers to this as his art to the world.

Outside of the office, you can find Alex playing his piano, or traversing across Toronto for the city’s best takeout restaurants!

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What was the inspiration behind the founding of Daydream? What are you hoping to accomplish through your company?

The inspiration behind Daydream is to bring more calming moments to the world. It’s a reminder for people to live in the present moment and to be their most authentic selves.

Daydream is for the health-conscious individual, looking for a functional beverage without sugar or caffeine to get them through the different stages of the day. Personally, I’ve always had a hard time finding healthier alternatives to drink and believe that people would see the same value I saw in adaptogens. I envision Daydream as an eclectic brand that could become the “red bull” for healthcentric and creative individuals.

At the moment we’re scaling Daydream across Canadian retail and are on track to reach 1000 retail locations by the end of the year, with grocery partners such as Loblaws & Metro, and countless independent retailers. My goal is to take hemp & apoptogenic beverages from being targeted to the vocal minority who are health-conscious, to be accessible to the masses in Canada. The future possibility of more geographical expansion excites our team and investors!

There are very few beverages that are plantbased and have positive health benefits. What are some of the strategies you’ve used that have contributed to the company’s success?

I’ll touch upon the most important few. First, “Brand over everything” is our philosophy. The design language is one of the best ways to cut through the noise and distinguish oneself on the shelf and in the mind of the consumer. Someone's experience when finding Daydream and idea of the potential use case is as important as the liquid inside.

The next strategy was making sure Daydream was digitally native, while pursuing a traditional wholesale B2B model with grocers. For instance, our vocal & verbose Instagram doubles as a “resume.” In today's fast-paced world consumers need a mix of social proof and core value alignment, in order to want to ambassador your brand. With that said, building a direct-to-consumer eCommerce store is capital intensive, and difficult for a hemp company due to advertising restrictions on Facebook. Having consumers want to organically share us while being able to showcase the product on more grocery shelves has had a multiplier effect.

Lastly, persistence and passion for my vision have always been the best “strategy” if you can call it one.

Nothing can stand in the way of a passionate individual who won’t quit. Keep your ideas in mind and try not to be bent by the preconceived notions of an industry. People respect that. I believe it was my clear vision for Daydream that opened many doors, and that attracted the right partners, suppliers, and employees to the company, of which I am very grateful to have on this journey.

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What are your thoughts on the recent data that shows most consumer behavioural drivers continue to be stress and fatigue reduction, and that functional beverages will be growing to surpass regular bottled water sales by 2023.

I proudly echo this data in meetings as it gets people thinking about the future. It makes sense that people search for stress reducing products (in our ever-changing society) and that will only continue to accelerate. Data shows that adaptogens will continue to lead the way in many product forms, as they have a myriad of different natural effects on the body’s endocrine system, which regulates mood, stress and fatigue.

What initiatives have you put in place to ensure the environmental aspect and how is the company addressing this issue?

One of the reasons we chose an aluminum can is because they are the most recycled beverage package on the planet as it is almost infinitely recyclable. They also require a fraction of the energy to produce and ship. Mother Nature loves aluminum cans.

We’ve also just launched biodegradable e-comm packaging and plan to continue pushing for more sustainable options for all of our packaging and supplies whenever we can.

You’ve created yourself quite the reputation as an innovator with the launch of “Daydream”. Would you consider yourself an innovative leader and why do you believe it’s important for entrepreneurs to be innovators?

I consider myself unafraid of change (which took many years of my life to cultivate) and I truly enjoy the process of learning and leading. Throwing myself into an abyss only to realize it is a bed of feathers, is quite frankly how all of 2019 felt while starting Daydream. I think if you’re being innovative, then you’re breaking the traditional status quo & opening new doorways of thought for yourself and others.

People will always follow bold ideas that are better for the future. We all need to be a little bolder in our lives, not just the entrepreneurs. As Robert Frost says, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference.”

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THE CASE FOR COMING BACK: How Leaders Can Convince Reluctant Employees to Return to Work When it comes to bringing hesitant employees back to the office, workplace trends expert Rick Grimaldi says the carrot is much more effective than the stick. Here, he shares ten ways to prepare and incentive your team for a return to work that works for everyone.

For a while it looked like remote work was here to stay. But with COVID cases falling and the vaccine available, some employers have realized having people in the office is better for business. Some employees are happy to come back, but others are not as willing. What’s an employer to do? Of course you could force people to come back, but you don’t want to lose good employees—and frankly it’s better for everyone if people don’t come back begrudgingly.

That’s why workplace trends expert Rick Grimaldi says the best approach is to convince the reluctant returners.

“We all know the old school command and control style of leadership doesn’t work any longer, and that includes the issue of determining where people work,” says Grimaldi, author of the new book FLEX: A Leader’s Guide to Staying Nimble and Mastering Transformative Change in the American Workplace (Wiley, 2021, ISBN: 978-1-119-79510-0, $28.00). “Instead of dragging employees back against their will, it’s better to entice them with a collaborative, happy, innovative work environment they can’t resist.”

In other words, if you build the right case for coming back you can pull them in your direction— no pushing required.

Read on for some strategies to incentivize your employees to come back to the office.

Be sure everyone understands the “why.” Be very clear about your reasons for bringing people back to the office. If having people on-site increases productivity, share that. If profits took a nosedive once people moved to remote work, be transparent and give them the facts. When you

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level with them about your reasoning instead of giving a command with no explanations, people are more likely to respect those reasons and comply.

If you have changed your mind, address that.

Some companies are just now seeing the value of having people in the office. Be honest about this.

Tell employees: “We didn’t realize at first that faceto-face interaction was so pivotal to our success.

The past year has shown us that it really is.” They will appreciate your candor.

Make your workplace a place they want to be.

Employees don’t want to work in offices with bad cultures. But unfortunately, many workplaces were unhealthy prior to the pandemic, and workers may now fear returning to their former toxic, dramafilled, high-stress work environment. It’s not too late to cultivate a culture where people want to be.

Focus on building collegiate, close-knit, trusting, inclusive, and uplifting teams that inspire a sense of belonging in people. When people feel they have a “tribe” they will want to come to work. After all, camaraderie is the antidote to burnout— something many remote workers are currently suffering from.

“Employees need an atmosphere of psychological safety to do their best work,” says Grimaldi. “Make sure your workers feel free to speak with candor, are allowed to make mistakes without blame or retaliation, and can deliver bad news without fear of your reaction. Finally, make it clear that the workplace is a bully-free zone. The best workplaces today do not allow anyone—including leaders—to dominate, demean, or belittle their workers.”

Add policies that make sense for today’s workplace. Jettison those that don’t. The pandemic changed a lot about the way we do work. Organizations found ways to digitally transform overnight, companies shifted to remote work and flexed to stay afloat. And in some cases, those changes and new habits have made the workday run more smoothly. Figure out which of the new practices that you adopted during the pandemic are worth maintaining—and which old practices you can let go for good. For example, if you got rid of your daily morning meetings during work from home and opted instead to meet only twice a week (and it is working well for the company), you might decide to make that change permanent.

Talk with people one-on-one to understand their hesitancy to come back to the office. A candid discussion with individual employees can help you dig deeper to find out why they may not want to return. Is it a childcare or eldercare issue? Is it about safety? Is it something else entirely? Their reasons may not even be what you think they are. But once you understand their reservation, you may be able to help them manage their concerns or solve the problem.

“One-on-one interviews can help you get a sense of where people are coming from,” says Grimaldi. “You can learn who is burned out, who might be planning to leave, and who has new ideas around the future of work in the post-COVID era. It’s a great way to take peoples’ temperature and work together to find solutions to make the transition back easier on everyone.”

Make a case for mentoring opportunities. Remote workers don’t get a lot of face time with leaders who could give them valuable career insights. Further, younger remote workers are less likely to pick up strong communication and professional skills, establish career goals, and build a network that they can rely on for years to come. But mentoring opportunities are abundant in an office setting. Young workers will benefit from the incredible wisdom and experience of senior employees, and more seasoned workers can rely on millennials and Gen Zers to help them develop digital skills, learn to use social media for marketing campaigns, and adjust to an increasingly diverse and inclusive work environment.

Play up the return of trust. Just ask your remote workers: It can be very difficult to build trust-based work relationships when people only communicate over Zoom meetings and email. Without daily face-to-face interactions, people never get to know their colleagues and build strong relationships. But spending time with colleagues at work allows for informal exchanges that help people get to know one another and eventually build trust.

Highlight the power of in-person collaboration.

Collaboration is necessary for innovation. But chances are your employees aren’t getting a lot of chances to collaborate remotely. The best brainstorming and innovation happens in person—and anyone who wants to hustle and harness that creative energy will be eager to show up in person to do so.

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Offer more flexibility around when and where people work. (Just make sure it works for both leadership and staff.) During the past year, many employees have gotten used to being able to pick up their kids from school or take an aging parent to medical appointments. Naturally, they don’t want to give this up. The solution may be to offer a hybrid model that allows people to be in the office part-time and remote part-time. Or consider allowing them to be flexible with stop and start times.

Often, you can set up a system that works for both leaders and employees. Leaders can get the facetime they need to manage and ensure workers are productive, and employees get more of the work-life integration that they crave. Finally, by staggering schedules and shifts, or allowing a hybrid model, you can meet your goals while keeping people as safe as possible.

Make workplace safety a top priority. Even though vaccinations have driven down COVID cases nationwide, employees are still concerned about safety at work. To ensure that you are complying with established safety practices, check out guidelines posted by OSHA and the CDC. A laser focus on safety not only helps companies prevent disability and discrimination claims and avoid OSHA fines but also sets them up to recruit and retain top talent.

“Not only will these strategies entice people to come back to the office more quickly, but they will also help your organization attract top talent,” concludes Grimaldi.

“When you make your business a place people want to work, you are more likely to maintain the competitive edge that leads to innovation, creativity, and success.”

About Rick Grimaldi: Rick Grimaldi is a workplace trends expert and the author of FLEX: A Leader’s Guide to Staying Nimble and Mastering Transformative Change in the American Workplace. Rick’s unique perspective comes from his diverse careers in highranking public service positions, like human resources and labor relations professional for an international hi-tech company, and presently in private practice as a partner with Fisher Phillips, LLP, one of America’s preeminent management-side labor and employment law firms. Day to day, Rick works with companies to help them adapt to the ever-changing business environment, achieve their workplace goals, and become better employers. Rick is an internationally recognized writer and keynote speaker and has been selected through a peer-review process as one of The Best Lawyers in America© in three of the last four years.

For more information, please visit www.rickgrimaldi.com.

About the Book: FLEX: A Leader’s Guide to Staying Nimble and Mastering Transformative Change in the American Workplace (Wiley, 2021, ISBN: 978-1-119-79510-0, $28.00) is available from major online booksellers.

For more on this subject, check out Grimaldi’s interview with Wharton on Sirius XM Radio at www.rickgrimaldi.com.

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Discussing

Burnout and Mental Health issues with

Sandy McIntosh

Executive Vice-president, People & Culture and Chief Human Resources Officer at TELUS

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Sandy leads TELUS’ people and culture. Her team is responsible for creating business, talent and culture practices that drive remarkable human outcomes. Sandy believes the path to brand advocacy is paved with exceptional customer and team member experiences, and she’s made it her mission to reimagine them to fuel TELUS’ differentiation and ability to deliver on our social purpose to improve lives and the world we live in.

Sandy’s authentic, creative and collaborative style promotes a culture of integrity, innovation and spirited teamwork. In addition to supporting TELUS’ Human Resources and Compensation Committee, she advises the Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors, counselling them on culture transformation, labour relations, cost transformation, mergers and acquisitions, total rewards and talent development programs to accelerate TELUS’ growth and performance.

During her tenure, TELUS has achieved team member engagement in the top 10th percentile of employers globally, has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, inducted into the Top 10 Corporate Cultures Hall of Fame, and named Best Diversity Employer for several consecutive years.

Sandy demonstrates TELUS’ community promise to give where we live, serving as Vice-chair of the TELUS Toronto Community Board since 2010 and acting as Honourary Chair for The Weekend to Conquer Cancer benefiting the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre for the past nine years.

Sandy is recognized as one of the Women’s Executive Network’s Most Powerful Women and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017. She has also received a Leadership Excellence Award in the Trailblazer category from Women in Communications and Technology and is identified as a Woman Worth Watching by Diversity Journal.

Sandy holds an Executive MBA and a Master of Industrial Relations degree from Queen’s University, and an undergraduate degree in Public Administration from Carleton University.

Why does Canada's mental health crisis require the immediate attention of all employers?

Even with the help of a crystal ball, none of us could’ve predicted what transpired last year. The global health pandemic and devastating acts of racial injustice that happened last year, and for many years, have accelerated the mental health crisis in Canada. The impact spans generations, genders, and ethnic groups in different and often inequitable ways. Canadian employers need to acknowledge the full extent of the crisis and manage mental health and well-being like any other business risk. We have an obligation

to get it right by sharing supportive norms, breaking the stigma, enabling healthy ways of living and working together, and putting the right policies, benefits, resources, and tools in place to ensure equitable access to optimal mental health.

How does TELUS’s multidimensional well-being strategy recognize the ‘whole person and foster a culture of care?

We’ve always put our people first, and this past year has only reinforced that it's always been the right thing to do. Our well-being strategy considers five integrated dimensions - physical, psychological, social, financial, and environmental - that are in line with the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and the World Health Organization. We recognize our team members are all somewhere on the well-being continuum and each person’s situation is dynamic. We need to meet them where they are. We’re focused on shifting mindsets and behaviors, working to create a common language, building leadership competencies and practices, and using data and insights to establish thoughtful initiatives.

What are some policies and programs established before COVID-19, that have helped keep team members engaged and well throughout the pandemic?

We significantly evolved our well-being strategy four years ago and implemented our flexible Work Styles program more than a decade ago. Our leaders trust team members to make good decisions about how and when they work, offer extra support when needed, find creative ways to stay connected and help them focus on what matters most. More than 90% of our leaders took mental health training last year, and 93% of team members recognized their efforts to support their health and well-being in our 2020 engagement survey.

We’re also continuing to provide ‘always on’ mental health and wellbeing support, including 24/7 counselling, up to $5,000 in mental health benefits, access to virtual care solutions, a free subscription to the Calm app, and much more.

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Why is it important for TELUS to make the future friendly for its employees, and why should every week be treated like Mental Health Week?

We’re a people-first, purpose-driven company, and our team members wake up every day determined to create remarkable outcomes for our customers, communities and each other. We use technology to make healthcare more accessible, create a safer food supply, give back to our communities and connect those in need to what matters most. We need to be well to make an impact, and shifting mindsets and behaviours requires daily commitment. That’s why we treat every week like Mental Health Week.

Can you please share some tips and advice to small business owners that will influence their experience and position on the well-being continuum?

The book, Unwinding Anxiety, positively links curiosity to mental health. Curiosity is a superpower, but it doesn’t require superhuman abilities. Given well-being is unique and dynamic, be curious about practicing self-care. Here are a few suggestions: · Create space between work and home life; try a virtual commute before and after work · Maintain social connections; schedule virtual coffees or distanced walks · Make time to move or stretch; take meetings while walking - Express gratitude; it triggers a dopamine response · Make nutritious food choices; the link to mental health is scientifically proven · Talk about how you’re feeling; share tips and learnings · Leverage available tools and resources · Consider volunteering; it’s linked to happiness · Prioritize sleep

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“We scoured the globe looking for cybersecurity innovators that could make a huge difference and potentially help turn the tide against the exponential growth in cyber-crime. Alexio Corporation is absolutely worthy of these coveted awards and consideration for deployment in your environment,” said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine.

We’re thrilled to be a member on this coveted group of winners, located here: http://www.cyberdefenseawards.com/

About Alexio Corporation A Global Cybersecurity Problem Needs Solving: With the exponential rise in ransomware, hacking, data theft, scams, and extortion, small businesses need access to certified professionals, experience, and affordable solutions for cybersecurity.

Today, cybersecurity is about leveraging software for both the systems and the people using them.

Alexio holds national and global awards for solving cybersecurity in healthcare and small businesses. Our achievements come from leveraging automation and machine learning combined with a subscription-based model, making great data security available to all business sizes. Alexio Corporation previously won two awards at the 2020 CDM Infosec Awards, for “Most Innovative Woman in Cybersecurity” (for CEO Anne Genge) and “Healthcare Cybersecurity.”

Data protection needs addressing, regardless of the size of the organization. SMB’s are a huge target with small IT resources. The world is more connected than ever, and cyberattacks are conducted using sophisticated tools that can hit massive numbers of targets at the same time.

Small businesses win big with Alexio Defender, a single small business cybersecurity solution with multi-layered specialized protection, as well as automated next-gen cybersecurity education to teach users the best defensive tactics against ransomware, hacking, data theft, and scams. Learn more about us at https:/getalexio.com/about-us.

About CDM InfoSec Awards This is Cyber Defense Magazine’s ninth year of honoring global InfoSec innovators. Each year over 3200 companies from all over the world compete for top honors. Our submission requirements are for any startup, early stage, later stage or public companies in the INFORMATION SECURITY (INFOSEC) space who believe they have a unique and compelling value proposition for their product or service. Learn more at www.cyberdefenseawards.com

About the Judging The judges are CISSP, FMDHS, CEH, certified security professionals who voted based on their independent review of the company submitted materials on the website of each submission including but not limited to data sheets, white papers, product literature and other market variables. CDM has a flexible philosophy to find more innovative players with new and unique technologies, than the one with the most customers or money in the bank. CDM is always asking “What’s Next?” so we are looking for Next Generation InfoSec Solutions.

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OVHCLOUD STARTED OFF HOSTING WEBSITES

I am very well versed in creating go-to-market and sales enablement tools for the software industry. I have excelled in a wide range of tasks and responsibilities always looking for a challenge and to get out of my comfort zone.

From go-to-market campaigns to gathering customer insights to product development for large-scale applications, I have used the best of Agile software development methodologies and Lean development project management skills to always be successful and deliver.

As a cross-silo thinker and a multidisciplinary evangelist, I see what it takes to build people, products, and organizations -getting the right people in the right places at the right times. And stopping silo mentality.

I developed and implemented a location strategy to maximize customer/sales/development interaction to create new business opportunities. I also managed location budgets for marketing and advertising, dealing with supplier relationships, setting SLAs.

Jonathan Druker Product Marketing Manager

OVHCloud

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How did you become involved in the software industry? Having been in the industry for over a decade, how have things changed for you?

A lot has changed; however, the changes are best viewed through the evolution of my company, OVHcloud.

OVHcloud started off hosting websites, so we entered the world of infrastructure before we got into software.

But software is an essential part of the infrastructure not just to run it, but to build solutions on it. We are now integrating more platforms as a service offering into our product portfolio, such as tools to help develop websites and manage databases.

What has evolved the most over time are customer expectations. They need more options to handle a dynamic, technical, business landscape. As their business models and markets change, they must be able to react to and support their clients. To do that they need options, such as using private and/or public networking, or leveraging partners to build new solutions, and having the latest and most powerful hardware and software offerings for Big Data. Since there is no one answer to any technical or business challenge, customers expect – and need – options.

Why is it essential to have the right web hosting service, and what are the key considerations when choosing your web hosting?

Choosing the right web hosting service will help you achieve your goals more easily. Your web hosting service must be right for you. Look for a provider with a predictable and transparent price structure, with technology to secure your websites like anti-DDoS or SSL certificates. High availability is also critical. Go with a provider that offers compensation if uptime falls below 99.9%.

Picking the right web hosting package is also vital. With rich media content becoming the norm, you want a good amount of storage so you can scale seamlessly. Heavyduty graphics, interactive content, integrated services, and smart customer service are the new standard on the web. You need a hosting service that will easily integrate new features such as live-streaming, automated chatbots, or data visualization.

What does this look like for businesses of all sizes? What are the most important hosting features for a small business to look for?

Key elements to look for are price transparency and built-in security (free SSL), no matter how big your business is. For small businesses, simplicity and

and ease-of-use are essential because they have fewer resources to manage all aspects of their business. Practically speaking, this means choosing a provider that offers domain names, 1-click Content Management System (CMS) modules, data visualization tools, and the ability to easily integrate an online store module to manage your products. For those who are running multiple sites at once, make sure the plan includes guaranteed resources, a good amount of storage, CMS optimization, and a strong content delivery network (CDN) so you have your website perform at its best, regardless of where your customers are located.

How can small businesses ensure their sites stand out from all the rest?

Small businesses need to embrace social media channels to drive consumers to their websites. This means creating rich media content (video) relevant to users. Additionally, they need a CMS like WordPress that offers numerous plug-ins for social media redirection, publishing, and most importantly, Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This helps optimize a website to improve its chances of being found.

How can business leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs bounce back from uncertainty and start businesses under challenging circumstances?

It’s never easy to start a business, but it also has never been easier to start one. As the digital transformation has accelerated, it has become infinitely easier to find new ideas, markets, and partners. Use this digital transformation to your advantage by trying new tools, making new connections, and, most of all, staying open-minded to changing business models when the time comes.

It’s also important to leverage your network for information, best practices, and even opportunities.

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Geofence Marketing: 7 Best Practices for New Retailers in 2021 If you’re new to the retail industry and want a more creative way to market your merchandise than Facebook or Instagram, consider geofence marketing.

Geofence marketing is a location-based marketing strategy that lets brands connect with customers on their smartphones when they enter a “virtually-fenced” area. For instance, a retailer could set up a geofence that covers the shopping plaza where they’re located. Consumers who enter the fence get a message on their phone that says, “You’re just steps away from ABC Retailers. Stop by today and get 20% off your purchase.”

Research shows 75% of customers complete an action after receiving a location-based message.

Intrigued?

To help new retailers get acquainted with geofence marketing, we’ll provide a list of best practices.

Best practices for new retailers The concept of geofence marketing might seem a little daunting. However, with a few tips, you can easily implement your first geofence marketing campaign:

Geofences should be small When you start out, you might be inclined to set up a fence that surrounds your entire town. However, geofence marketing is hyper-local and should really focus on a small area.

If your retail shop is in a plaza where people walk from one store to another, set up a fence that’s within a five-minute walk of your front door. If your store requires customers to drive to it, the borders of your fence should be about a 10-minute drive in either direction.

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Give customers a reason to stop in When customers enter the virtual fence and receive a digital ad from your store, you have seconds to capture their attention. The ad should be short and enticing. A simple message that says, “Come visit ABC Retailers” won’t cut it. You need to tell customers that they’re close and give them a reason to go into your store. Consider giving customers a coupon or a free gift with their in-store purchase.

Design with mobile in mind Geofence ads are usually shown to consumers on their smartphone, so keep that in mind when you design an ad. The template you’re working with is small (think 300x50) so the design and messaging must be incredibly simple to be effective in such a small space.

For instance, a local ice cream shop might get a lot of traffic after a little league game wraps up. The shop could set up a fence around the local ball field and give parents a coupon for an after-game ice cream. A ride-sharing app might set up fences around the airport or near a stadium after a game lets out. A bookstore might set up a fence around the neighboring coffee shop to encourage people to stop by after enjoying their latte.

Think beyond your front door.

Set up fences at appropriate times Setting up dozens of ads that reach customers 24/7 is ineffective. Focus on timing that makes sense for your business. A nightclub, for example, might run ads from 8 pm-10 pm while a restaurant might run ads during the lunch hours to bring in more traffic.

Narrow your focus Setting up dozens of ads that reach customers 24/7 is ineffective. Focus on timing that makes sense for your business. A nightclub, for example, might run ads from 8 pm - 10 pm while a restaurant might run ads during the lunch hours to bring in more traffic.

You can layer customer data on top of your virtual fences and target people by age, gender, income level, education, or employment.

Some platforms refer to this as secondary targeting.

The location is the primary target, but those within the area are then segmented by a second set of data points.

Get creative with locations Your geofence doesn’t have to be a 100-foot radius from your front door, although that’s a good place to start. You can get creative with locations. Think about where your target audience hangs out and set up fences there.

Know how you’ll track success You’ll need a marketing platform to deploy geofence ads. When you’re looking for the right fit, be sure to explore how campaigns are measured.

What kind of metrics will you have access to? Of course, you’ll want stats like reach, impressions, store visits, and coupon redemptions, but you need to know this information before selecting a platform.

You should also explore a platform’s ease-of-use. As a new retailer, you have a lot to do. You could be doing everything from ordering inventory to running the register, so make sure the platform is simple to use. CleverTap, for example, gives retailers the ability to drop a pin in a map to set up a fence, target customers at multiple store locations, and see metrics, like ROI, at a glance.

Geofence marketing is quickly becoming a go-to marketing tool, especially since so many consumers shop with their phones in hand. If you’re a new retailer, consider geofence marketing as a creative way to introduce customers to your brand.