CanadianSME Small Business Magazine 2021 by CanadianSME

ISSUE NO. 35

OCTOBER 2021

CANADIANSME Empowering Canadian Small & Medium Businesses Banking partner

PROVIDING THE RIGHT ‘ANSWERS’ TO BUSINESSES! Exclusive chat with

Shawn Ostheimer Founder and President, The Answer Company

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

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Hello readers! Our October issue is finally here and we are excited to share with you all some of the most amazing content on small businesses and small business owners in Canada. With our constant effort on becoming the top small business monthly magazine in Canada, we wish to provide you all with just the right kind of strategies, ideas, inputs, tips and tricks for doing business the right way. Our mission is to bring forth the best interviews and insights by some of the top entrepreneurs in the country. Our team works effortlessly in providing you with all the most valuable content on different industries. And we strive to deliver you the latest business trends so that you are up-to-date with everything that’s happening in the business world of Canada. This month, CanadianSME is focused on celebrating Small Business Month through events, awards and summits. The awards are designed to be the perfect stage for the various small businesses to shine with their accomplishments. We offer a stage for entrepreneurs to learn from each other and grow their businesses with just the right kind of inputs. The October issue also consists of some amazing interviews of women entrepreneurs who are all set to make it big in the long run. From Michelle Romanow, the businesswoman of the month, to Anna Sinclair, the Founder of Total Mom Inc, we have got several other interviews covered in this issue. We, at CanadianSME, believe in bringing forth the efforts of all such amazing entrepreneurs in Canada who are taking every day as a challenge and trying their best to reach where they belong – the top. Especially during the past two years, when the whole world was at a standstill due to the global pandemic, these small business owners didn’t lose hope and strived hard to march ahead with a lot of zeal and positivity. We are here to salute them our way, through our monthly magazine. We understand that the post-pandemic phase is going to be tougher for various small and medium enterprises to buck up and gear. So, with our content, we make them aware of every tool and technology which could be essential for them to keep up with the trends. We hope that this month’s issue will provide you with the knowledge and information that you need to stay ahead of your competitors. Do not forget to subscribe to our magazine to get the latest trends and to stay up-to-date regarding all our events. Until next month, happy reading!

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

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29 Helping Small Businesses Grow & Succeed in the Marketplace

Don Ludlow

Vice President, Small Business, Strategy & Partnerships at RBC

Regulars

Michele Romanow Business Woman of the Month

The Leslie Group can help you find savings despite rising benefits costs.

114

Serving Sol Cuisine to the US and CANADA

Consumer applications must offer a flawless customer experience and here's why By: Gregg Ostrowski

CanadianSME Celebrating the Small Business Month in Canada Through Summit 2021

Shaping Employer Branding the Right Way

BETA-i Canada launches World’s First Acquisition Incubator to Support Black Entrepreneurs

How entrepreneurs can leverage Samsung’s innovative display technologies to transform their small businesses in Canada

the World

67 Entrepreneurs are moving from Survival to Revival? By Shadi McIsaac

How Technology is helping Canadian businesses

Grow Your Small Business with these Basic Digital Marketing Steps

Thomas Templeton

On An Attempt to

Educate

By Chandrashekar LSP

By Christina Ross

Martin Basiri Co-Founder and CEO, ApplyBoard Driven by his belief that education is a right and not a privilege, Martin Basiri approaches every business decision with a student-first mentality. Since launching ApplyBoard in 2015 with his brothers Meti and Massi, Martin has led the company to become the world's largest online platform for international student recruitment, assisting more than 200,000 students with their educational journey to study in Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia. Under Martin’s leadership, ApplyBoard was named Canada's fastest-growing technology company by Deloitte in 2019 after only four years in business, ranking #1 on the Fast 50™ list.

42 20

Ricoh is putting digital transformation within reach for Canada’s small businesses

Ayming Canada: Partnering with Small Businesses for Supporting their Growth

77 3 key trends small businesses should consider as we move closer to a post-pandemic future

6 Effective Cybersecurity Strategies for Small Businesses in Canada

Will Hybrid Work create a new digital divide?

By Brian Green

By Jim Willis

Motivating Women to Being Franchise Owners Sherry McNeil CEO of the Canadian Franchise Association

117 Setting a Bold Standard in Raw Pet Food Caroline Bolduc President & CEO, Bold By Nature

36 AWS joins in the Celebration of Canada’s Small Businesses during Small Business Month

News Half of Canadian employees not concerned about cyber crime, but vigilance is key to preventing attacks CYBERSECURITY

Creating a cyber-aware culture in the workplace is a must in 2021,” says Kevin Dawson, President & CEO of ISA Cybersecurity. “Employees are the front line of defense against cyber crime, and as an employer it’s up to you to make cyber awareness a priority.

Customer Service is Now a Major Business Growth Driver, According to Fonolo’s Newest Resource CUSTOMER SERVICE

Fonolo, the industry leader in call-back solutions, has released their latest online resource with insights into the latest expectations for customer support, as well as actionable strategies businesses can implement to stay competitive and promote consumer loyalty.

Fraud Prevention Strategies are Imperative Amid Rising eCommerce Transactions ECOMMERCE

Online spending is rising, with over 2 billion people buying products or services online. Frost & Sullivan found that eCommerce in the United States (US) is projected to reach $700 billion by 2023. The risk of fraudulent activities in eCommerce propels merchants to seek fraud prevention strategies in-house or in collaboration with external parties.

Pandemic sparks evolutionary year for payment landscape, reveals new Payments Canada report DIGITAL PAYMENTS

Payments Canada reveals its annual Canadian Payment Methods and Trends 2021 report, which analyzes 20 billion payment transactions made in 2020, totaling $9.4 trillion, and discusses trends that are transforming the Canadian payment landscape.

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News 89% Of Small Businesses Borrowing At Pre-pandemic Rates SMALL BUSINESSES

Manufacturing Labour Shortage : $18 Billion Lost for Quebec Economy

Small-business owners’ needs, wants, and plans have changed along with their demands for financial services providers,” says Miki Velemirovich, President of Cargo. “We cannot stress enough how important trust is to this particular segment. Whether they are hunting for new providers, or not, depends on how financial service providers have treated them since the start of the pandemic.

ECONOMY

Fad or Future? New RBC survey reveals pandemic-driven small business trends and expectations are here to stay for the long haul

The labour shortage is a constraint on economic recovery and growth. How much money is the government ready to lose in the next few years? How many companies will have to refuse contracts, relocate part of their activities abroad, reduce their growth or close before the labour shortage in the manufacturing sector is solved with measures that have an impact?” said Véronique Proulx, President and CEO of MEQ.

PANDEMIC

There’s no doubt that the pandemic created some significant challenges and changes for small business owners. But it also became a catalyst to accelerate some important shifts that we started seeing pre-pandemic around digital adoption, a focus on wellness, and support for diverse businesses and community members,” says Don Ludlow, Vice-President of Small Business, Partnerships & Strategy, RBC.

FGP Launches Global Smaller Companies Fund FINANCE

Foyston, Gordon & Payne Inc. (FGP) is pleased to announce the launch of the FGP Global Smaller Companies Fund, offering investors opportunities for long-term capital appreciation in small- and mid-cap equities globally.

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News Labour shortage is limiting the growth of most Canadian businesses: BDC study

Small businesses head to the polls: CFIB releases analysis of federal party commitments and Leaders’ Survey on small business issues

LABOUR

More than half (55%) of Canadian entrepreneurs are struggling to hire the workers they need, leaving them working longer hours and delaying or refusing new orders, according to the study, How to Adapt to the Labour Shortage Situation: Hiring Difficulties Are Not Going Away, released today by BDC, the bank for Canadian entrepreneurs.

LEADERS

With the federal election less than a week away, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has released its Leaders’ Survey of the six major parties, as well as its own analysis of the good and the bad for small businesses in each platform to help business owners make their choice.

Canadian Entrepreneurs Launch Software to Digitalize Volunteer Space NONPROFIT

Vome Volunteer, an all-in-one volunteer management solution designed to simplify the process of connecting and engaging with volunteers, launched its mobile app offering nonprofit organizations a more efficient way to run their volunteering programs.

Corporate Traveller Launches Melon, A New Travel Platform Built Exclusively for SMEs TRAVEL

Ahead of the predicted boost in business travel demand, Corporate Traveller, the only global TMC catering exclusively for start-ups and midmarket businesses, has unveiled Melon – its new proprietary travel management platform. Launching in Canada and the US today, Melon’s intuitive design and simple navigation belie a host of innovative features developed in response to the evolving expectations of an increasingly travel-hungry, tech-savvy, and budget conscious workforce.

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CanadianSME Celebrating the Small Business Month in Canada Through Summit 2021

Celebrating small businesses October is the Small Business Month in Canada. Given the ongoing pandemic situation, small businesses have been facing quite a wrath of the virus. In the past two years, several small businesses in Canada even had to shut down due to no revenues or sales. Typically, in Canada, this month is celebrated to illustrate all those small businesses in the country who are trying hard to move ahead and support the community economically. There are several networking events, trade shows and award functions which, although virtual, can still help you get into a celebratory mode with your fellow entrepreneurs.

Supporting Small Businesses Mean Supporting Your Community Small business owners are really driven by what they do. They also play a huge role in supporting the economy of the country. From working hard to know the locals to provide a feeling of home for the neighbors, small businesses do a lot more to help others who live nearby in several ways. So, when it comes to showing your support to them, it’s important that you help them stay in operation and gain revenue through your purchase. From the local boutiques to the bakeries, they all rely on the support of the locals to keep their doors open. And when you spend money on this small business, you can also avail a lot of wonderful benefits. Thinking what they could be? Read more here https://canadiansme.ca/5-big-reasons-to-shopsmall-businesses-every-day/.

Small Business CanadianSME’s Small Endeavour to Celebrate Small Business Through Events & Awards Currently, the growth for the small businesses in Canada has been stagnant due to the pandemic. The small and medium-sized businesses are at a standstill. Even if there’s no pandemic, the majority of these businesses still struggle and fail within the first few years. CanadianSME is wellaware of this struggle that the SMBs face and therefore, has made its primary goal to work together in order to push forward the small and medium-sized businesses in the country.

So, how can you profit your business by being a part of the Business Summit by CanadianSME? Let’s dive deep into the details below:

Come together, learn, network, and grow with other fellow entrepreneurs.

Recognize the efforts of several other

individuals who have taken the road less travelled by launching their businesses.

Learn about how other entrepreneurs are on a mission to provide a sustainable solution for a variety of issues related to society.

In this regard, the CanadianSME Business Summit 2021 is taking place on the 14th and 15th of October. This will be an exclusive two-day event for all those small business owners in Canada. With engaging panel discussions, webinars, keynote presentations, and so on, small businesses will take part in this summit to get along with their counterparts and gain better knowledge about their respective industries.

Through this Small Business Summit 2021, CanadianSME aims at recognizing the efforts of all those SMBs who are in line with the tradition of the country. CanadianSME provides them with a platform to meet like-minded individuals and share their entrepreneurial stories with each other.

Since the past 18 months have been really tough economically for everyone, the small businesses had to survive the biggest test of time. And it wasn’t easy. Keeping this in mind, CanadianSME is all set to celebrate their zeal and grit through the two-day-long immersive event.

Small Business

Why Should You Attend the Summit? If you are a small business owner and if you are finding it hard to sail through these tough times, you should definitely be a part of this Summit by CanadianSME. But unlike you, there were a few businesses that continued to stay afloat even during such desperate times. So, what made them so resilient to the change? Well, that is what we are aiming to bring in for everyone. By being a part of the workshops in this Summit, you will be able to learn about those businesses who took it in their stride and marched ahead with their heads held high.

Who Should Attend the Summit? At the CanadianSME’s Small Business Summit, you can join if you are a small business owner, a CEO, a leader, a Business Consultant, an HR manager, Finance Executive, someone from IT, and so on. Basically, by being a part of this event, you will only learn more about how to face challenges in a positive way and how to adapt to new and upcoming technological advances.

Wrapping it Up So, what makes your business different from the rest? How are you going to go ahead with your idea of your small business? Take a moment, step back from your daily responsibilities and get engaged in this innovative and immersive experience of learning in the CanadianSME Small Business Summit 2021. To know more about the event and to register, click here - https://www.smesummit.ca/. 17 - CanadianSME I October 2021

On May 25, 2022, CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) Release 2 will introduce the next major functionalities to the CARM Client Portal (CCP), transforming how CBSA will assess, collect, manage and report on Canada imports data, duties and taxes.

Onboarding CBSA CARM Client Portal Why is this critical for your business?

CARM Release 2 will require all commercial importers to hold their own security bonds and transact with CBSA through the CCP in order to continue to import into Canada. While proper delegation of authority and security will be required to conduct commercial import activities into Canada only next Spring, the CCP is now live and CBSA wants all commercial importers—resident and non-resident—to register in the portal now. Initiating the registration process early will help you familiarize yourselves with the portal and the processes associated with CARM implementation. Here are the key onboarding steps you should expect to take:

Pre-registration • Identify who will be responsible for all your activities in the CCP: your Business Account Manager (BAM) • Select the sign-in options you will use to create a user profile in the portal • The two authentication processes that allows an individual access to the Government of Canada online portal accounts include a GCKey or the use of a Sign-In-Partner and banking credentials • Ensure you have a BN9 business number from the Canada Revenue Agency, as well as an importer/exporter program account identifier • Expect to answer 2 out of 3 of the following affinity questions to complete your registration: • What is the transaction number and total duties and taxes of one of your recent transactions? • What is the exact value of your most recent payment? • What is the balance of your last Statement of Account? Click here to view CBSA complete registration instructions.

Registration

As you register, you should see a request to delegate authority to your broker. Giving appropriate access to your broker ensures they continue to account for your shipments seamlessly when mandatory CARM Release 2 is fully implemented.

Post-Registration

As the initiative unfolds, remember we’re here to help. Reach out to UPS to keep up with and prepare for CARM changes, from setting up a CCP user account or reconciliation of your accounts transactions, to obtaining surety bond. Visit UPS Navigating CARM where a team of experts are ready to help you meet your importer obligations under CARM.

You will need to setup your profiles and notification preferences. At that point you will have full visibility to your statement of accounts (SOAs) that outlines the customs duties and taxes due to CBSA for all your accounts’ transactions, including all potential credits or third-party provider customs payments. You will also need to inform your employees to request access to the portal in order to be assigned a proper user role in the portal. The CARM Client Portal is expected to undergo additional critical changes over the next months to enable benefits for businesses, including: • Importers’ ability for electronic commercial accounting declarations, corrections and adjustments • Changes to Release Prior to Payment requirements for surety bonds • Harmonized billing cycles • New offsetting options • Electronic management for appeals and compliance actions It’s important you prepare now for these changes by knowing CBSA’s expectations for importers, learning how to navigate the online portal, and understanding the impact of key actions you need to take (including delegating authority and holding a surety bond) on your imported shipments declarations and releases. © 2021 United Parcel Service of America, Inc. UPS, the UPS brandmark and the color brown are registered trademarks of United Parcel Service of America, Inc. All rights reserved.

By Rob McDonald Marketing Manager, Business Processes Management at Ricoh Canada Inc.

Every day, small and mid-sized businesses face productivity challenges that impact their operations such as: Inability to access information quickly and effortlessly Delivering services with paper-based processes Losing (or finding) physical documents Maintaining data security Dealing with IT distractions Meeting the needs of remote employees It’s a long list of challenges to overcome, and with the workplace no longer needing to be a central location, many business owners and small teams are finding it harder than ever to keep doing their work the way they always have without the right technology.

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Ricoh is putting digital transformation within reach for Canada’s small businesses

That’s why the topic of digital resiliency is so important these days, particularly for SMEs. Because, despite all the focus and attention, Canadian small businesses are still lagging other countries when it comes to ‘digital maturity’ and technology adoption. But it’s not for lack of desire to change. While small businesses understand the importance of digitization, many haven’t yet taken the important steps they need to actually do so because: 1. Solutions are often designed for large or enterprise organizations – not SMEs 2. It can be overwhelming: both in cost and in effort 3. They lack technical expertise, understanding and support When these obstacles are removed, Canadian SMEs are well-positioned to get the most out of their technology investments. And while not all solutions are right for every business, it is generally the case that all small and mid-sized businesses can benefit from at least one strategic digital solution. However, the challenge, until now, has been for providers to find a way of delivering a solution that didn’t just solve for one small business process or need (think: just accounting or just marketing). 21 - CanadianSME I October 2021

That’s why Ricoh is excited to announce that, in collaboration with DocuWare (a Ricoh-owned company), we have designed a solution specifically for small and mid-sized businesses, like yours.

THE SOLUTION Ricoh’s Document Management Foundations package is an all-in-one document management solution that turns paper-based processes into digital ones while allowing for the automation of repeatable tasks and workflows. It combines everything business owners need to feel confident and secure about adopting a technology solution for their organization (or even an entire team).

Software

Professional Services

Training

IN AS LITTLE AS 1-WEEK YOU CAN: Access digital versions of your paper documents anywhere, anytime and from any device Spend less time searching for files by storing documents in a centralized repository Simplify & accelerate the processing of incoming documents using Intelligent Indexing to automatically capture, sort, digitize & store your data securely in the cloud Secure business critical information with multiple layers of redundancy Provide better data accuracy and controlled document access to relevant staff, stakeholders, departments and even business partners.

HOW IT’S USED 1. Set up virtual filing cabinets according to business process 2. Digitize paper documents into electronic forms to be stored accordingly (accounting, HR, sales, service, or even operations) 3. Leverage pre-configured forms and templates to automate workflows like invoice processing, contracts or sales proposals, time off requests, and importantly: secure document archiving.

Support

Foundations is a turn-key solution that can be deployed in 5 just days. Ricoh’s Professional Services team will work with your team to get you up and running without any hassle or headache. If your business is still relying on paper-based processes in areas like accounting, HR, sales or even operations, then it’s time for a change to something easier, faster and better. Contact us to learn more about Ricoh’s Document Management Foundations package.

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PROVIDING THE RIGHT ‘ANSWERS’ TO BUSINESSES! Shawn Ostheimer Founder and President, The Answer Company Starting in 1994, Shawn directed the growth of The Answer Company to become the largest provider of Sage solutions in Western Canada. He is also a guest speaker and leader for the business software industry. His lectures are focused on accounting, business processes, and the role of software solutions in gaining organizational objectives. He has a degree in Masters in Business Administration from the University of Calgary, and more than 30 years of experience in implementing financial and management software systems for businesses. He has been an ardent contributor to every single facet of his clients’ business improvement. His vast experience includes system design/analysis, business analysis, training, data conversion, implementation, software installation, customer support and project management.

Shawn Ostheimer is the Founder and President of The Answer Company. Beginning in 1994, Shawn has spearheaded the company’s growth to become the largest Sage provider in Western Canada. With a Masters in Business Administration and over thirty years of implementing financial and management software systems, Shawn has contributed to every facet of improving clients’ businesses. His experience includes business analysis, system design/analysis, training, implementation, data conversion, software installation, customer support, and project management. Taking an active role in the company’s operations, Shawn helps improve businesses by determining software solution fit that generates a substantial return on investment for clients. His emphasis on integrity in customer service has been instrumental in the company’s success and has become a pillar in The Answer Company’s culture. Shawn’s hard work and commitment to seeing projects completed properly and on time, translate into long-term relationships with clients that return to fulfill the needs of their organizations as they grow and change.

Shawn is a leader and guest speaker for the enterprise software industry, focusing lectures on business processes, accounting, and the role software solutions play in attaining organizational objectives. Contact The Answer Company for more information or to have Shawn as a guest speaker at your event. Presently through The Answer Company Shawn provides financial support to social initiatives like Downs Syndrome Research Foundation, Canucks Autism Network, World Vision and SPARC BC. Shawn and his wife Rachel are proud parents of a son and a daughter and work together at The Answer Company where Rachel is an assistant bookkeeper.

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What was the inspiration and motivation behind the launch of The Answer Company? What have you accomplished from it so far and how have you spearheaded the company’s growth to become the largest Sage provider in Western Canada? I started the organization 27 years ago with a clear vision that still rings true today: to help solve business technology problems with a People First approach. Since then, the People First mindset has been embedded into all aspects of The Answer Company and has been the main catalyst for our success today – from building a team, acquiring customers, working with clients, partners & suppliers, and the organization’s significant contribution and involvement to the greater community. What initially started as a small team of two has grown into a team of over 120 experts, with 5 offices across Canada and 1 in the US, and a portfolio of more than 2,000 clients. We’re proud to say that we’ve seen tremendous growth across the business, including financial performance, geographic & industry expansion, our strategic partnerships and has become a trusted advisor to many businesses here in Canada.

Where do you draw your motivation and inspiration to continue to move forward? What maintains your focus towards your targets and goals?

how it helps small businesses in the short and long term as they navigate their digital transformation

There are two main areas where I draw inspiration,

journey and continue to scale. Seeing an ROI come to

that always keep me grounded, focused and serve as

life, seeing the real difference it makes, and

daily reminders of why I do what I do.

continuing that long-term relationship with our clients brings a greater sense of joy. Business wins also

The first is remembering the people behind the

mean we can contribute and play an even greater

businesses we support. It’s such a rewarding

role in serving the communities we do business in –

experience to see the real impact of what we do and

so it’s a win-win all around.

25 - CanadianSME I October 2021

Just like a lot of our customers, we’re also a small business. In our many years of ERP and technology consulting, the pandemic isn’t the first crisis we’ve had to manage, but it definitely has been a different kind of challenge. While our past experiences serve as a guide, we know today’s circumstances present a unique opportunity for us to help companies like never before. And that’s exactly what we did during this pandemic: help businesses increase efficiency, optimize workflows, and increase productivity so they can make timely and better-informed decisions. Another great thing to have in your tool belt is simply surrounding yourself with great people, building a strong team. Find people that are willing to support you throughout those tough The second is much more personal. My son, Sam, navigates life very differently from many of his peers. Growing up as a child with Down Syndrome and Autism, simple things were tough for him and nothing ever comes easy. And yet, he’s always happy. When I come home from a trying day, his smile makes it all worthwhile.

What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful business? What are some best

periods. I’m not referring to financial support but rather those that share your vision and values, and who will supply you with the right tools and resources as your business continues to grow. There are many members of the team who have been with The Answer Company for over 15 years. In fact, our

practices when starting a business after a pandemic?

first ever employee, dating back to

A key thing to remember is the importance of perseverance.

grateful for the support I’ve had all

Starting a business isn’t easy. There are always going to be periods that are challenging and will make you reevaluate and question your entire approach. So be prepared, be ready to adapt, be open to change, embrace new opportunities and push through them.

26 - CanadianSME I October 2021

1994, is still with us today! I’m always these years and continue to have as we grow. The Answer Company wouldn’t be the success it is today without the amazing team behind it.

Small Business What are the fundamental principles you adapt to keep you relevant in ever-changing times? Like I mentioned earlier, embracing change and innovation is a big one. Being flexible and willing to explore new opportunities, alter your product line, or change your go-tomarket strategy are all just the tip of the iceberg. Embracing innovation means being open to new ideas and welcoming the new challenges that change brings. Build a team you trust and take their expertise under advisement to find new ways to move. Another fundamental principle is to keep learning. The best way to deal with ever-changing times is to stay up-to-date with trends and what’s going on in the greater community. This might take form in different ways, whether it’s subscribing to top industry magazines or/and online blogs, following industry experts on LinkedIn, networking or finding relevant courses that complement or expand your existing skill set. As a technology company ourselves, we experience and see change daily and it’s part of what we do. We find that early recognition and adoption of new technologies often gives companies the competitive edge they need to stand out from their peers.

What is your key advice to small business owners to run their business smoothly during these challenging times? This was and continues to be a common question we answer for our clients. Here are a few pieces that stand out:

Utilize digital tools to remain competitive

Remote working is new for many organizations. The swiftness of the pandemic left many scrambling to adjust. Lucky for us, there are now a lot of digital tools available in the cloud that give organizations anytime, anywhere access. Having that as part of your technology stack and workforce strategy will increase your ability to adapt during changing times. 27 - CanadianSME I October 2021

Small Business

Use data insights to manage cash flow

We advise our clients to fully take advantage of their ERP systems to identify and mitigate risks associated with the pandemic – especially as it relates to cash flow management. Identifying delinquent accounts, implementing a collections campaign, integrating reporting and analysis tools, and increasing payment options are all useful measures.

Consider the greater impact

The pandemic served as a great reminder that we’re all in this together and the importance of considering the greater impact of our business decisions. For us, in addition to our Corporate Social Responsibility program, Answering The Call, we’ve started on our Bcorp certification journey this past year and hope to join a community of leaders driving a global movement of change. We encourage you to join us.

TAC Company Description Since 1994, as an award-winning ERP

consulting firm, we have been helping

organizations answer questions about

investments in technology and information

systems. As Sage and Acumatica ERP experts our goal is to make companies more

successful at what they do and gain the

confidence to make profitable moves in their respective industries. From our offices in

Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg,

We’ve also taken a similar approach with our own team. We dug deep, looked beyond day-to-day tasks, and focused on making informed decisions to ensure business continuity and health. Reflecting back on the past year and a half, we’re grateful and proud to say that our team has handled the pandemic with a sense of resilience. We too are optimistic that normalcy will return shortly and will continue to do what we do best with the support of our clients, partners and greater community –Propel Businesses Forward.

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Toronto and Portland, our Sage and

Acumatica ERP software solutions support

accounting, operations, customer relationship management, human resources, time

tracking and merchant services. Our ERP

consultants are dedicated to addressing the unique challenges you face in your industry and we provide specialized business

management solutions to industries such as manufacturing, construction, distribution, healthcare, nonprofit, and real estate.

Helping Small Businesses Grow & Succeed in the Marketplace Don Ludlow Vice President, Small Business, Strategy & Partnerships at RBC

As the Vice President of Small Business, Strategy &

Beyond his small business clients, Don is passionate

Partnerships at RBC, Don provides strategic oversight and

about contributing to the growth of communities and

leads a team that is responsible for delivering marketing-

supporting military veterans. He helped co-found the

leading solutions, partnerships, and client experiences that

Treble Victor Group (3V) – a network of ex-military

go beyond traditional banking to help Canadian

leaders who work to support one another in their

entrepreneurs successfully start, manage and grow their

post-service careers. He is also on the Board of the

business. Don also manages the development of RBC’s

Ontario Chamber of Commerce and Goodwill

strategy for the broader Business Financial Services

Industries (Ontario Great Lakes).

portfolio, including the group’s client experience, CRM (client relationship management), and data analytics strategies.

Don joined RBC in 2001 and has 20 years of experience within the financial services and banking sector. He was most recently the Regional Vice President of the South Western Ontario Region, leading a team of RBC Advisors to support the growth of small and commercial business clients in the community. Prior to joining RBC, Don served as an Infantry Officer in the Canadian Army where he led soldiers on a number of domestic and international operations and worked in both staff and training roles.

Small Business The pandemic has created a lot of new trends and changes for Canadian small businesses over the last 18 months. From your perspective, which changes

Secondly, a focus on employee wellness and overall health and safety remain a top priority for Canadians. Eighty-seven percent of Canadian respondents said providing more wellness and mental health benefits and resources to employees will be important going forward.

are here to stay in the post-COVID-19 economy? The pandemic has been a catalyst for a lot of new business practices and priorities, and in many ways, it also accelerated the need for many small business owners to adapt to other trends that were steadily on the rise over the last several years. A recent RBC poll revealed three important trends or changes that are likely here to stay over the next year – or possibly even longer. First, there’s a growing demand for e-commerce and digital payments. These were already on the rise pre-pandemic but they became business staples with social distancing and health and safety measures. Today, four in five Canadians polled say that they would like to continue to shop online at small businesses, even after the economy is fully reopened, and 64% of Canadians surveyed said that partnering with digital platforms to make products and services more accessible will be important post-pandemic, especially among millennials (72%).

Nine in ten (88%) Canadian respondents also said they expect heightened hygiene standards to continue post-pandemic and 78% would like to continue using curbside pickup and delivery services as part of their shopping experience. Implementing employee benefits, resources, and safety protocols to meet these new consumer expectations will be critical differentiators for small businesses that are looking to attract and retain talent and customers. Finally, supporting small, local, and diverselyowned and operated businesses is here to stay post-pandemic. The majority of Canadians (77%) polled said they plan to spend more at small, local retail stores, restaurants, and businesses to support their recovery, more than they did before the pandemic. Many Canadians are also actively seeking out and supporting 2SLGBTQ+ (52%) and BIPOC (61%)-owned businesses, products, and services. This shift is significantly higher for millennials (65%, 69% respectively), indicating that today’s consumers are becoming more conscious about purchasing through a diversity- and community-focused lens.

Small Business Has the disruption in the small business landscape

Canadians supported small businesses by

deterred entrepreneurs from turning their vision into

leveraging new channels like e-Commerce,

reality?

curbside pick-up, etc. during the pandemic.

Quite the contrary. There’s no doubt the disruption has been challenging for many small business owners. But we’ve also seen many aspiring and existing entrepreneurs look for ways to turn lemons into lemonade, so to speak. The changes we’ve seen around new customer expectations and behaviors, increased digital adoption and a growing focus on supporting local businesses have created some new opportunities for entrepreneurs. In our April 2021 poll, we found entrepreneurial aspirations to be at an all-time high with 55% of Canadians polled said they have thought about owning a business, while nearly a quarter of existing business owners surveyed said they started their business during the pandemic.

Are there any other factors contributing to the growing desire to start a business right now?

Do Canadians still prefer that or are they eager to get back into in-person shopping and dining? Many Canadians and small business owners have certainly appreciated the easing restrictions and in-person interactions after months of closures. However, we don’t expect the pandemic-driven shopping practices to go away anytime soon and small business owners will need to provide hybrid options to engage with customers, especially as the pandemic situation continues to evolve.

In our survey, 86% of Canadian respondents said that they’d like to

The pandemic has also created an opportunity for Canadians to reflect on their priorities. While many started their business as a result of new market opportunities, more than three-quarters of those who started their business, or knows someone who did, started based on shifting personal priorities or because they felt it gave them a new sense of purpose. Seven in 10 also felt entrepreneurship would provide a way to replace lost income due to the pandemic.

continue using online shopping and digital payment options, while 78% of respondents said that they’d like to continue leveraging curbside pickup and delivery features.

RBC offers many of these solutions and more through its collaboration with Owner, Moneris, Bookmark, ADP, Wello, and others to make it easier for business clients to start digitizing their operations.

Second, continue to cultivate strong relationships with your local community members. They say that finding new customers is always more expensive and harder than keeping your existing ones happy. Build on the trust and relationship equity you’ve built with your most loyal customers pre-and during the pandemic as your business continues to recover and grow. Be diligent about providing tailored, local offers and sharing news that is relevant to your community

Do you have any practical tips or considerations for small businesses given the trends that are here to stay? We have 3 tips for business owners looking to strengthen their business and stay resilient in the face of uncertainty. First, continue to explore ways to digitally enable your business operations and create an online presence for customers to engage with you. Providing your services and solutions online doesn’t mean it has to replace your brickand-mortar operation, but depending on your customer base and growth goals, an online channel could be a great complement to expand your reach and make it more efficient and accessible for customers to engage with your brand. Digitizing your payment and other operational functions like invoicing, payroll, cash management, and virtual employee health services can help streamline administrative tasks and save you money in the long run.

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members. Nextdoor is one app that RBC offers to help business owners do that. Finally, proactively plan for contingency financial scenarios, whether times are good or bad. This will allow you to be more objective and agile in making decisions, should those scenarios play out. Share those plans with your financial advisor, accountant, lawyer, and other trusted professionals so that they’re aware of your plans and can spring into action more quickly when you need their support. This should be a living plan that is revisited and updated throughout the year as macro-economic conditions, market competitiveness and business goals evolve. For more information on small business tips, resources, and solutions that go beyond banking, visit www.rbc.com/smallbusinessnavigator.

How entrepreneurs can leverage

Samsung’s innovative display technologies to transform their small businesses in Canada If a picture paints a thousand words, Samsung Canada display technologies paint millions. With digital transformation at the forefront of business conversations in recent years, innovative display solutions have surged in quality and uptake, with more companies leveraging the techto improve operations and performance, while significantly reducing costs. Over the last two years, the use of tech to transform the customer experience has never been more important as the business need to offer in-store services that inform and support visitors while maintaining a safe environment became dominant across Canada. Small businesses have borne the brunt of the change to keep from closing their doors and entrepreneurs have had to source new solutions to help them ride the unpredictable economic landscape. As the economy continues to reopen across the country and adapt to new protocols, Samsung Canada display technologies are optimal solutions for in-store experiences that preserve customer and employee safety while pushing businesses to the next level.

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Small Business

For businesses, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to tech needs. From retail to hospitality, every operation has a unique set of challenges and goals, with different processes for managing employeesbe it from home or office. Restaurants look for ways to entice customers and communicate offers while offices require new ways to hold large board meetings and manage workflow. Samsung Canada has a range of digital display products that can help small businesses meet their needs.

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The innovative display of the Samsung Business TV engages customers with eye-catching visuals. Samsung designed the product to help restaurants, retail stores, salons, and other consumer-facing businesses with innovative and highimpact digital signage. The Business TV has more than 100 pre-loaded templates for businesses to up the ante in stores. Businesses can also trim traditional marketing costs with the TVs, which allow owners to update the displays directly from their own phones without printing menus or promotional materials.

In the age of “contactless” experiences, theSamsung Kiosk offers space-saving and compact design to cater to employee and customer needs. The Kiosk, an intuitive all-in-one payment and ordering system, curtails the one-to-one interactions with the customers and provides an enhanced service experience.

Gone are the days when all office meetings were confined to conference rooms. With an increasingly virtual and hybrid workforce, more people clock in from home and participate in virtual meetings, which can all be facilitated more easily with the Samsung Interactive Display Flip 3.0. This innovative display simplifies teamwork, allowing users to share notes, sketch out and brainstorm new ideas, present plans, and collaborate with ease. The interactive display’s 4K UHD picture quality renders teamwork in vivid, eye-catching quality and can be synced with personal devices to share realtime content.

Leading the way in tech solutions for an ever-changing business landscape, Samsung continues to evolve its products and prioritize small businesses with adaptable technology for any environment. Its digital displays are the latest way in which the tech innovator has enhanced experiences for not only the business ownersbut also their customers. To learn more about Samsung Display Solutions, visit samsung.com/ca/business/displays.

Small Business

AWS joins in the Celebration of Canada’s Small Businesses during Small Business Month October is Small Business Month in Canada, a time to celebrate this country’s many innovative and visionary entrepreneurs. The event began in 2006 as an offshoot of Small Business Week, which launched 42 years ago. There may be no other place in the world better suited to celebrate small businesses — there are approximately 1.2 million active SMBs here, representing 97.9 percent of Canadian employers. October has become the time of year to recognize and laud the significant contributions they make to local communities, provinces, and the entire Canadian economy. At AWS Canada, we’ve long been committed to helping small and medium businesses grow. But the COVID-19 pandemic has made our efforts more important than ever. Since March 2020, Canada’s SMBs have been profoundly impacted by the crisis. They’ve had to kickstart efforts to digitize and to enhance the online customer experience, as well as shifting their employees to remote work.

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Small Business They’ve done so by taking advantage of our suite of tools, workshops, and upskilling opportunities via training and certification. All of these AWS offerings have allowed us to support SMBs every step of the way as they’ve navigated the maze of the COVID-19 pandemic and its onagain, off-again restrictions and shutdowns. Events like Small Business Month not only celebrate the important role SMBs play as the backbone of the Canadian economy, they also provide opportunities to learn, brainstorm, network, and collaborate with other small businesses and entrepreneurs. This is particularly important for SMB operators and builders on the frontlines at most organizations as the pandemic continues to pose operational challenges for businesses of all sizes. Canadian SMBs, however, has proven remarkably resilient. On Oct. 21, Canadian Small-Medium Business Day, AWS is hosting a virtual learning event to celebrate that resiliency and hear their stories of growth. We’ll also provide details on how we’ve helped them not just survive but thrive.

Our session, aimed at SMB operators

and builders, will also provide details on how cloud technology can

accelerate growth for any business,

how companies can build with AWS,

and how our courses allow business leaders and team members to

upskill. Tailored for an audience that wants to learn how embrace the cloud and other critical AWS

offerings, the session will delve into the foundational architecture and

steps of cloud adoption, along with

the technical and business impacts of the cloud.

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Small Business It will explain:

Speakers from the AWS team include:

How teams can experiment and

Keith Mascarenhas, a Solutions Architect who works with

innovate faster

SMBs in central Canada to help them grow and achieve outcomes faster. He is passionate about machine learning

How they can easily scale up or

and a member of the Amazon Computer Vision Hero

down with the needs of the business

program.

How they can lower upfront

Andre Albuquerque, a Training Delivery Manager, and Cloud

expenses by only paying for what

Evangelist. Andre is an IT professional with more than 18 years

they need

of professional experience in the IT industry with job roles in Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering, Software

How they can begin focusing on

Development, Partner and Customer Enablement, Technical

business differentiators, not

Training, and Cloud Architecture.

infrastructure Shaiju Joseph, a Training & Certifications business How they can easily and quickly

development manager supporting the SMB and ISV/DNB

scale globally

segments across Canada. Joseph helps clients accelerate growth and increase agility by identifying cloud skills gaps to

And how they can do all this while

craft strategic enablement and certification paths that help

reducing operational costs and

achieve business objectives while building cloud fluency.

saving money

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Michele Romanow

Business Woman of the Month Whoever says that women were meant for home and look after kids, belongs to the stone age. Every now and then, we get to read and learn more about such vibrant, young women who are making it big as entrepreneurs. Michele Romanow is no exception. She started Clearco, formerly Clearbanc, as a platform to reimagine businesses. She co-founded the company in 2015 with an idea to offer the most founderfriendly monetary solutions for SaaS, e-commerce, and mobile app business founders. Also considered to be a Tech Titan, Michele is the youngest entrepreneur ever to join CBC’s super-hit show – Dragon’s Den.

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Women entrepreneurship

How did it Happen? Michele Romanow, before becoming a woman founder, spent her childhood in Regina, a small town in Canada. She grew up with her folks amidst the farms. Because of this, she has always been very grounded. From a very young age, the value of hard work got instilled in her. She believed in putting her foot down and doing it all to take her business to the place where it is now. Her first business was a caviar fishery. People were really excited about it in the beginning. However, the supply chain part was not so glamorous.

Before her 33rd birthday, Michele Romanow founded five companies and exited two of them before her 30th. She has been the co-founder of SnapSaves, which was later on acquired by Groupon, and Buytopia.ca, which acquired ten of its competitors including WagJag and Shop.ca. in 2015, she joined as the youngest ever judge on CBC’s Dragon’s Den and has been a successful ‘Dragon’ for the last five seasons.

About Clearco Formerly known as Clearbanc, Clearco is one of the pioneers in being an innovative, founder-friendly investment start-up in Canada. Company, instead of taking a stake in the companies it supports financially, Clearco offers them the funds which are needed in exchange for a flat 6% fee. This is paid back to them by the start-ups as and when they start earning revenues. To date, the company has invested more than $1 billion for 2,800 + organizations. Recently, Clearco launched a different kind of valuation appraisal platform for start-ups which is driven by Artificial Intelligence.

Also, the company offers three free tools – ClearPartners, ClearValuation, and ClearInsights – to help businesses track and quantify their growth.

Wrapping it Up Clearco was co-founded by Michele Romanow in 2015 with an aim to be a constant support system for start-ups. The company believes in sticking with its start-up clients throughout their business lifecycle. This means, they are not only present to support the start-ups financially but are always beside them through thick and thin. Currently, the company deals in financing for e-commerce and subscription-based SaaS companies. And to be able to avail its financing for the ClearCapital and ClearRunway, the companies should have 6+ months of revenue more than 10k/month. For the ClearAngel financing, the company should be a registered corporation or limited liability company in North America, with 2-20k monthly revenue.

Clearco offers various products for all types of founders. Starting from inventory and marketing funding for the e-commerce businesses (ClearCapital), flexible financing for SaaS companies (ClearRunway), access to capital, an extensive network of apps, investors, and agencies, and data-driven advice (ClearAngel), Clearco aims at supporting start-ups in every way possible. 40 - CanadianSME I October 2021

Women entrepreneurship

Wish to learn more about such inspiring young women entrepreneurs in Canada? Subscribe to the CanadianSME Small Business Magazine now! This is the perfect place for you to clear all your doubts regarding small and medium businesses in Canada.

Michele Romanow’s mantra has always been, ‘Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do’

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Michele was a high achiever in academics. She did her civil engineering at Queen’s University. However, within the first year of her stay there, she understood that she was meant for bigger deals in life. At 19, she decided on opening a zero-waste café on her university campus and for that, entered several business plan competitions to raise funds. She didn’t win but she never lost hope. She opened The Tea Room during her fourth year there and today, 10 years later, it’s still run by the student government at Queen’s. During her journey of being one of the most coveted young women entrepreneurs in Canada, she never listened to the naysayers. She believed dearly in herself, in her dreams, and launched 5 businesses before she turned 33. She also knew well the trick of leaving a place when necessary and therefore, exited two companies before the age of 30.

Small Business

Ayming Canada: Partnering with Small Businesses for Supporting their Growth

Are you looking for ways to grow your small business in Canada? Ayming could be your solution. The company can help you uncover savings in areas that will instantly help your business grow.

Ayming is a global consulting firm that provides a helping hand to businesses to grow and innovate through their government funding and cost reduction services.

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They help their clients in getting millions of dollars every year through federal and provincial grants, tax recovery, R&D tax credits, and optimization of indirect expenses. The company could be your one-stop global partner to provide you with all the needed equipment to meaningfully enhance your business’s performance while representing tangible and measurable results.

Small Business

Their Services

Their Expertise

If your business deals in the areas of training, hiring, research and development, capital expenditures, business growth, or green initiatives, you can avail of funding from both the federal and provincial governments. However, unlike tax credits, you need to apply before the incurring costs and have to prequalify in order to receive funding. For most small-to-medium businesses, the challenge lies in understanding which grant programs are available for them, and how to structure their applications the best way for success. Ayming renders its services at no monetary risk as they get remunerated only through the savings attained.

Ayming Canada has been helping businesses with their growth. For the last 30 years, the company has been providing government funding and cost reduction services. Ayming delivers practical solutions to businesses by becoming an integral part of their decisionmaking process.

Ayming helps Canadian businesses in uncovering savings in areas that will help them grow, innovate and enhance their competitive benefits. The company’s vision has always been to help businesses achieve sustainable growth & success by enriching the lives of their employees, clients, and communities through the best kind of support and actions. Ayming Canada further adds to their client’s profitability by reducing their indirect spending. Their mission is to remain top-class and to continue to be predicted as one of the global leaders which businesses can turn to for getting honest and strategic support in order to fuel growth and viability.

Their expertise lies in 4 things: Tax Credits, Government Grants, Cost Optimization, and Tax Recovery. Ayming is one of the very few organizations which combines different possibilities to fully capitalize on the overall return for their clients. If you own a business in Canada, and if you wish to get a free analysis of the kind of funding opportunities that your business might avail, visit – www.ayming.ca.

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Small Business

Why Choose Ayming Canada? Ayming acquires $1.5 billion annually for its clients. Apart from this, there are a few more reasons for partnering with the company which can provide your businesses with just the right kind of monetary benefits. Ayming has more than 30 years of experience in consulting, tax credits and grant funding.

They have a global reach in 15+ nations with more than 20,000 satisfied clients. Ayming is the first-ever Canadian organization that established the benefits of grant practice in the country. Their exclusive AI-driven database of government grants provides real-time access to various programs, which includes custom snapshots of each and every federal and provincial grant that are currently available to your business. In case of a government review or SR&ED audit, Ayming Canada will support your business with no extra charge. Apart from the above-mentioned benefits, with Ayming, businesses will not have to wait for the government agencies to process their SR&ED applications and grants for receiving money immediately. This is because Ayming has an exclusive fund of $150 million which can provide its clients with an accelerated access of constant funding through engaging financing models.

In addition to this, they also provide cost optimization services for which they have been ranked #1 worldwide. Ayming also boasts a 98.5% success rate on every government claim submitted and with them, you can avail successfee remuneration with no risks.

Wrapping it Up Ayming is a global consulting firm and now it has its Canadian operations spread across 3 provinces. Their offices in Canada are located in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. If you own a business in Canada and if you wish to get aid from Ayming, you will be happy to know that their teams are strategically placed across the nation for serving you better. The company is committed to providing sustainable strategies to businesses for their overall funding. To know more about them, visit https://www.ayming.ca/about/. If you have any such queries related to your small business in Canada, get everything solved by subscribing to our monthly

CanadianSME Small Business Magazine. 44 - CanadianSME I October 2021

Ricoh OneSolution: the perfect print and digital work solution for small businesses By Jenny Tin, Marketing Manager, Ricoh

As the Canadian economy eases and offices reopen, it’s time for small businesses to think about how they'll continue to grow in the most digital market yet. Naturally, we can agree that tech adoption can help – but it doesn’t have to involve complicated or outof-reach solutions (think: AI, machine learning, or even robotics). In fact, digital maturity can start with simple, everyday technology almost everyone is familiar with: printers. Print technology has come a long way from what it once was, and today’s office printers do more than just print and scan. They’re now a hub of productivity that can accelerate business-critical processes and take mundane or repetitive tasks out of the hands of employees. If that wasn’t enough, they also self-update when it’s time for new features, applications and upgrades.

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But empowering your small business isn’t just about the cutting-edge technology that comes with these devices. Your print partner can help reduce running costs, prevent security threats, minimize administrative /operational headaches, and ultimately contribute to greater employee productivity.

THE SOLUTION Ricoh’s OneSolution is a subscription-based print, scan and document workflow plan that simplifies printrelated operations for small businesses.

Every bundle comes with: A Ricoh multifunction print device Installation and connectivity set-up Automatic toner ordering and delivery Remote services monitoring Automatic updates for new features, applications, and upgrades Remote monitoring and onsite support service Cloud-based document workflow services (available on most plans)

HOW IT WORKS Based on business needs or office set-up, you can choose from the three available bundle packages: Home Starter, Standard Office, and Advanced Office.

The Home Starter plan is ideal for small businesses with 1 to 3 people looking for simple printing and scanning without the headache of printer maintenance or management. For small and mid-sized businesses that a) have more users and b) need more advanced features such as document workflow services, there is the standard Office (4-15 users)& Advanced Office (15+ users) bundles. With Ricoh’s cloud-based, document workflow services, employees can easily digitize paper documents like invoices, forms, and even mail into editable and searchable digital formats. Both onsite and remote employees can access digitized information whenever they need it, safely and securely with mobile printing, scanning into popular cloud apps, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive for Business. Routing to multiple destinations and people becomes simpler, less timeconsuming for your team freeing them up to focus on more important responsibilities.

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HOW CAN IT BENEFIT YOUR SMALL BUSINESS? As an all-inclusive and subscription-based print solution, small business owners get the predictability of one easy and affordable monthly invoice that doesn’t involve complicated meter-reads or print-related expense reconciliation. Flexible plans and contract terms mean you pay only for what you need when you need it without having to worry about the unexpected costs. And as your business grows, so too can your plan with service upgrades available anytime you need them. With so much else on your mind as you grow your business, the last thing you’ll need to remember is to order toner. Ricoh’s OneSolution has automatic toner replenishment built right into each bundle so that whether you’re printing shipping labels, new menus, or financial reports, you’re never stuck with a blank page.

Finally, no matter which bundle is right for your business, you’ll always have access to the latest print technology that is secure, reliable and efficient. And we’ll even take care of delivery, installation and device set-up so you can get started right away.

If you’re looking to upgrade or replace yourcurrent print device for your small business, then it’s time to evaluate the best available options. Learn more about Ricoh’s OneSolution print bundles here.

On An Attempt to

Educate the World Martin Basiri Co-Founder and CEO, ApplyBoard Martin Basiri was driven by his own belief that education is a fundamental right for everyone and not a privilege. He launched ApplyBoard in 2015 along with his brothers Massi and Meti. It is now the world’s largest online platform for international student recruitment. ApplyBoard assists more than 120,000 students all throughout their educational journey to study in Canada, the UK, the USA and Australia. Under Basiri’s leadership, ApplyBoard was coined as the fastest-growing technology organization in Canada by Deloitte in 2019. With just four years in business, Basiri helped ApplyBoard reach the number 1 rank in the Fast 50 list by Deloitte.

Education Driven by his belief that education is a right and not a privilege, Martin Basiri approaches every business decision with a student-first mentality. Since launching ApplyBoard in 2015 with his brothers Meti and Massi, Martin has led the company to become the world's largest online platform for international student recruitment, assisting more than 200,000 students with their educational journey to study in Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia. Under Martin’s leadership, ApplyBoard was named Canada's fastest-growing technology company by Deloitte in 2019 after only four years in business, ranking #1 on the Fast 50™ list.

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Can you share your unique journey as an international student turned founder of a unicorn startup? When I came to Canada, I was an international student myself and had many challenges throughout the school application process. It was difficult and isolating to figure it out all on my own. Because of that experience, I started ApplyBoard. I’m passionate about helping international students access the best education possible and I’m proud of the impact our company has had in changing people’s lives.

In 2015, I co-founded ApplyBoard, alongside my brothers Meti and Massi, and now, our startup has become the world’s largest online platform for international student recruitment, assisting more than 200,000 students with their educational journey.

Education Please provide an overview of ApplyBoard and its main functions? ApplyBoard is a platform for international students to apply to universities and colleges abroad. At ApplyBoard, we believe that education is a right, not a privilege. Through our platform and team of experts, we empower people around the world to access the best educational opportunities by connecting students, partner schools, and recruitment partners on ApplyBoard. We have built partnerships with over 1,500 primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools, and work with 7,500 recruitment partners, to drive diversity on campuses across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Each one of us at ApplyBoard is focused on improving international education recruitment to help create bright futures for thousands of international students.

What are some of the biggest challenges ApplyBoard faced during the pandemic and how you overcame them? The pandemic brought about various disruptions to the international education industry, but also allowed us to grow. 2020 removed the option for university representatives to meet prospective international students in person. This resulted in us experiencing a 300% uptick in new school sign-ups in 2020. We also helped the government choose the right approach for online studies when borders were closed. One of our biggest challenges was scaling our platform offerings and growing our team while meeting the needs of students. To meet ongoing market demand and improve the study abroad experience, we grew our team to 750 team members by January of 2021, and then again to more than 1,000 by June 2021. Along the way, we made product development a priority to ensure our students and partners were being served during what was a challenging time for them as well. An example of this product development was the launch of ApplyProof last year which enables stakeholders in the student journey to trust the authenticity of documents, such as English test scores, letters of acceptance, and more. At the end of the day, we overcame these challenges by focusing on one question: How best can we help students?

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Education

How can other international companies who are working remotely and want to build a strong culture in a global team? Since March 2020, ApplyBoard has onboarded over two-thirds of employees remotely. To improve efficiencies and make it a less isolating experience for new hires, larger workplaces should consider onboarding employees in a group or cohort. This helps new team members network and collaborate easily. Given ApplyBoard has team members in over 25+ countries, we make a conscious effort to ensure we are respecting all types of work styles and cultures. Lastly, I also recommend offering ongoing opportunities for the team to give feedback throughout the year. Innovation is integral to building a strong culture. Employee feedback and input is instrumental for evolving and advancing a global workplace.

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What is your advice for new immigrants who are aspiring entrepreneurs? Being an immigrant and entrepreneur is hard, but hardships will strengthen you. As an immigrant and entrepreneur, you naturally bring a fresh perspective on how to do business and how to bring value to the world. This unique perspective will be integral to your future vision and success. I also encourage anyone who was in the same shoes as me to embrace the roadblocks that you currently face headfirst and find solutions to barriers like language and having to build your own network from scratch. It’s not going to be easy – but it’ll be worth it.

Consumer applications must offer a flawless customer experience and here's why By: Gregg Ostrowski Gregg Ostrowski is an Executive CTO at AppDynamics, a part of Cisco. He engages with customer senior leadership to help prioritize their strategy for digital transformation. Prior to AppDynamics, Gregg held senior leadership positions at Samsung and Research in Motion, and he has more than 20 years of experience in the industry.

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Leadership If apps and digital services weren’t considered ubiquitous for Canadians before the pandemic, they definitely are now. Consumers rely on technology more than ever before to shop online, connect with friends and family, get work done, or simply just play. For most people, applications and digital services offer a quick and easier way to go about their lives right from their device. And it isn’t just young, ‘digital natives’ who have embraced this technology. People of all ages, across all demographics and geographies, have turned to digital services and applications for the benefits of a digital alternative to their normal way of life.

Consumer expectations have evolved Consumer expectations towards digital experience – already at an all-time high before the pandemic – have risen even further since the start of 2020. And many people say their expectations of digital services have increased over the same period.

According to a recent survey that explored the latest trends in global consumer attitudes, behavior and expectations for digital services, the number of applications that people are now using daily has jumped a staggering 30% compared with two years ago.

And, they’re depending on a much wider range of digital services than they did before the pandemic. These run the gamut from connecting with loved ones through messaging tools, video calls, and social media, to using music and video streaming, online gaming, and podcasts to stay entertained. Consumers are relying more on food delivery services, collaboration and productivity tools for work and education, and applications to access public services and healthcare. It’s also worth noting that they’ve become more reliant on applications for hobbies and other lifestyle pursuits such as fitness classes and worship. For all of the benefits apps provide, the most important is simplicity and convenience. Consumers have always known this, but now they’re much less willing to compromise.

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Leadership It’s not just increased dependence that is driving this rise in expectations. Consumers know that brands have shifted to digital services to serve customers in new ways and now they expect more personalization, engagement, reliability, and innovation. People have seen for themselves how some brands have drastically enhanced their apps and other digital offerings since 2019, and they see no reason why this shouldn’t be the norm. As consumer expectations have surpassed what many brands thought possible, people have become less willing to accept second-rate digital experiences. Many people report encountering problems with applications and digital services over the last year and are now much more likely to take action. That includes switching to another service, sharing their poor experiences with others, or deleting the app from their devices. Consumers have many choices so keeping their business means you need to meet their needs. According to the survey referenced, more than half of people blame the application or brand when they encounter a problem with a digital service, regardless of the problem. And 72% of people believe it’s the responsibility of the brand to ensure that the digital service or application works perfectly. It doesn’t matter whether a problem is ‘internal’ to the application or brand, or due to an external factor, consumers immediately blame the brand, business or application owner.

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Doubling down on the application experience Consumers have no shortage of options to choose from due to the volume of digital services available in 2021. This has made them rightfully more discerning about the apps they use. They know what they like and when they find it, they will commit to using it regularly, so long as it continues to offer the flawless customer experience they’ve grown to appreciate and expect. Businesses offering consumer applications and digital services need to realize that they aren’t just another channel to engage customers with. Today, the application is the business and maybe the only way businesses engage. But meeting evolving expectations is challenging without the right application monitoring and observability solution in place for digital services. Full-stack observability with business context can help leaders see, understand, and optimize what happens inside and outside their consumer-facing applications.

Leaders can’t afford to ignore these consumer trends. Given the need for ongoing business innovation, it’s critical to invest in the digital customer experience sooner than later. Either brand offers flawless application experiences going forward or risk losing customers.

Turning Employees Into Decision Makers Eric Strafel

CEO and Founder SUMMi7 Eric Strafel is a global business leader and operations executive. He has a proven international track record in leadership and project management in Europe, North America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. He is both a leader in an aerospace start-up and a Fortune 500 executive. Eric is adaptable, collaborative and has a wealth of experience in building and scaling inclusive teams of experts who grow together to meet the increasing demands of work even while working across borders. Eric Strafel is the author of THE FRONTLINE CEO and the founder of the consulting firm SUMMi7, which helps businesses grow profits and scale innovation with mission-driven purpose. Previously, he was the President and CEO of Aviall, a global provider of new aviation parts, supply chain management, and other services to the aerospace aftermarket, which was acquired by Boeing. Previously, he held leadership and program management positions at L3 Communications, Honeywell, and Precision Conversions.

What inspired you to write your book “The FrontLine CEO”? What are you hoping to accomplish through it? I had started to journal about ten years ago and found the process of writing helped me reflect and grow personally. Leadership is never easy, andit’s as challenging today as ever with the pace of change; widespread availability of information and disinformation; and five generations of people in the workforce who have learned their trades with different tools and in a different working environment.

Overlaying that is the need to continue progressing pay equity, inclusivity, sustainability, and other society-shaping issues that large companies are uniquely positioned to address. Writing THE FRONTLINE CEO seemed like a way to contribute positively to the conversation while also expanding my own perspective on leadership so I could be more effective.

Motivation The third condition is what we call radical transparency, made up of continuous communication up to and down the organization about how the company is doing, open discussions around key decisions, and active listening to understand where senior leaders can improve.

What are some ways you've found success with your leadership style? Have you ever had to adjust your leadership style to accommodate the more experienced or qualified individual on your team? If so, how did that go?

Based on your experience as CEO of the publicly traded company Aviall as well as your work at the management consultancy SUMMi7, can you share some practices that senior leaders must instill within their organizations if they want to build cultures that encourage everyone to think and act like leaders? As CEO of Aviall, a Boeing subsidiary, I focused on three conditions that are foundational for promoting leadership at all levels of any organization. The first is a clear destination, a vision that describes where the organization wants to be 3-5 years from now, along with a purpose that describes why that destination is important. The second condition is consistently empowering leaders and managers to make decisions and solve problems even if your senior leaders already have a good idea of what the answer is. The process of evaluating alternatives, making decisions, and collaborating to solve problems is some of the best hands-on leadership experience you can provide your team.

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My own leadership style includes hard work, empowering others, and maintaining an optimistic view of the future. Quite a few times in my career I’ve worked with people who had more leadership or industry experience than I had. I found early on that they can be a great asset but only if I’m willing to show some humility, listen and learn from their experience, and partner with them to set direction and navigate complex issues that perhaps they’ve seen before and I haven’t.

Do you believe coaching skills can be taught or is it an innate talent that some people have and others do not? I do believe coaching skills can be taught. Early in my career, I dreaded the annual performance review process that many companies use to provide feedback to employees. It’s a hard conversation that often turns negative, with both people walking away feeling worse. After many years of refining my approach, I landed on a process that I enjoy now which is helping people understand and leverage their strengths, collaborating on their development path, and asking questions intended to foster self-reflection.

Motivation What is the biggest barrier for small business owners that makes it difficult to be more inclusive? The biggest barrier that we see continuously is delegating work and empowering a team to run parts of the business without the owner needing to be heavily involved. It’s a tough transition because small business owners may be the best at doing most tasks and feel a deep responsibility to the business to take an active role. However, at some point, you become the bottleneck to growth in your own business and need to get out of the way to allow others to help you grow beyond what you could do on your own.

On a final note, how would you go about improving company culture so that there was a better representation of diverse backgrounds and experiences at your workplace? After many years of trying to change or shape company culture, I’ve realized that it’s extremely difficult to do unless you understand the deeply held beliefs that shape the values, actions, and visible symbols that make up the culture. The most effective way I’ve found is to lead working sessions with small groups of employees to understand why we do what we do; why we run meetings the way we do; why we only communicate through certain channels; why we engage with customers way we do. As I explain in THE FRONTLINE CEO, once you get to the heart of the belief system by listing some of the key belief structures, then you can compare that to the actions that you observe. You will often see actions that don’t align with the values and beliefs of people in the organization and by being transparent and intentional, you can help shape your culture.

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This helps with diversity by pulling all perspectives into those working sessions to broaden your view of shared beliefs, openly discussing the perceived differences in how those are acted out day-to-day, and then aligning on a common identity that expands the collective identity of the organization. By peeling back the onion, expanding your aperture, and then rebuilding around shared values and beliefs you can create a more inclusive organization that incorporates the diverse backgrounds and experiences that are the foundation of your company.

Employees

The Leslie Group can help you find savings despite rising benefits costs.

Fall is here and Covid-19 cases are back on the rise with the fourth wave and the start of the new school year. Businesses are entering the traditional budget season and may be facing more challenges as we are seeing group insurance costs rising an average of 8-12% annually and many over 20%, applying further pressure to an already difficult situation. The Leslie Group is an independent employee benefits consulting firm that enjoys full access to the group benefits marketplace, with significant leverage to negotiate effectively with insurance companies to find immediate and sustainable savings. As a result, many clients of The Leslie Group are seeing a decrease in their group benefits costs, despite a current trend to the contrary. Our preferred employee benefit pricing reduces plan costs with no reduction to your current coverage, and our hightouch service model adds significant value for HR and Finance departments.

We take an entrepreneurial approach to program and product development with a view to providing innovative flexible benefit options and coverage your employees want today. The Leslie Group offers virtual healthcare options like GoToDoctor and preferred pharmacy discounts with Rexall and associated pharmacies with just a small implementation fee. We seek to provide and promote leading-edge coverage that maximizes the overall ROI for businesses. This may include access to mental health services or substance misuse support via virtual platforms such as Inkblot and ALAViDA, or customizable plans with options for more flexibility using Health Care Spending accounts through MyHSA at preferred pricing arrangements.

By significantly reducing the overhead costs built into the premium, The Leslie Group fixes the price problem resulting in sustainable long term savings. Employees are heavily favouring strong and comprehensive benefits plans that meet their needs and with 53% of Canadian workers rating strong benefits as their top factor in job decision making, It’s time to review your plan.

Contact The Leslie Group at tlginfo@lesliegroup.com today for a free non-committal review of your plan.

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Shaping Employer Branding the Right Way Jason Kipps Managing Director of Canada, Universum Jason Kipps is a veteran in Canada’s talent management and recruitment field. He also has a keen knowledge of large-volume recruitment systems, marketing, succession planning, and social media recruiting. Throughout his career, Kipps has helped several leading global organizations in improving their recruitment ROI through cutting-edge consulting services and state-of-the-art recruitment solutions. He also worked in senior positions in some of the premier recruitment and talent management consulting firms in Canada. He was the Vice President, Business Development for Right Management/Manpower Group, Vice President of Marketing for Self-Management Group, and Marketing Director for Caliper Canada.

Jason Kipps is Managing Director of Universum. He is a certified HR leader with an extensive marketing background. Jason has over 20 years of experience in Marketing, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Recruitment Marketing, and Organizational Development. He is currently working on a book on building corporate culture. He is a certified executive coach and management trainer and got his start in recruitment working on athlete selection in the NHL and the MBA. Universum is the world’s leading employer brand company. Operating the largest career preference survey in the world with 60 - CanadianSME I October 2021

1.7 million annual respondents in more than 60 countries. For more information about Universum, visit Universum - Employer Branding Agency (universumglobal.com).

Universum — the global leader in employer branding — released its annual rankings of the most attractive employers for young talent in Canada. Can you please share your keen insights on the uniquely Canadian survey results? Industry trends: Industries such as Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology and Video games had strong 2021 performances amongst Canadian Business and Engineering/IT students. Both were likely caused by the realities created by the pandemic. Banking, Auditing, and Accounting companies in Canada all experience success in the Business ranking this year. Canadian banks especially doing quite well and the smaller non-Big 4 accounting firms with sizeable increases.

Education

Industries like Energy and Retail took quite a hit this year in Canada; both in Business and Engineering/IT.

Although interestingly enough, the Canadian grocers listed in Retail weathered the storm in business and performed quite admirably compared to their 2020 performance. Salary expectations: “Show me the money!” seems to be the calling card for Canadian students this year. This also reflects the importance students are putting on attributes like “High future earnings” across the board. Overall salary expectations have increased in Canada by 6% to an average of $60,976 for students. Students in business programs have increased their expectations by 4% and Engineering/IT expectations have increased by 6%. The salary expectations gap is narrowing in both Business and Engineering/IT. In Business, it has dropped to 12% (compared to 14% in 2020) and in Engineering/IT, it has dropped to its lowest level of 6% (compared to 8% in 2020). Overall however it remains at 14% for all Canadian students in all programs in aggregate

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How does COVID-19 continue to impact Canadian students and how do this year’s data collection and interpretation differ from 2020? Attributes of the career offer like “Respect for its people” and “Ethical Standards” show a high level of increase in attractiveness across the board in Canada and have gained considerable momentum throughout the pandemic. Among Business students, “Secure employment” and “Team-oriented Work” made big jumps in attractiveness. For the Tech group, “Professional training and development” has made one of the biggest increases in attractiveness.

Education On an overall student level, “Secure employment” has taken over from “High future earnings” as the most important attribute to Canadian students during our new pandemic reality.

How employers should position themselves to attract Canadian students and compel them to apply to hard-to-fill roles? It really depends on the company, their talent needs, the preferences of their targeted talent, and the company’s position in the talent market. A well-known employer attempting to attract 1500 recently graduated IT engineers has different needs and requires a different strategy than a law firm looking to attract 10, 1st years or a bank looking to attract retail staff. One size does not fit all but generally, we would recommend:

Why is there a need for companies to build best-in-class recruiting and the importance to rethink the work culture in the work-from-home era? The talent market has never been more competitive and more of a candidate’s market than it is today. Getting the best talent requires companies to put forward a best-in-class strategy. Our research showed that Canadian candidates are considering more potential employers than they ever have before. That means employers have more competition for talent than they ever have before. Long gone are the days when great talent will clamor to work for you. Employers that are not proactive with their communications and the development of robust talent polls are losing out to those employers that make the effort to woo the candidates they want.

1. Understand your needs, your internal reality, and what you can comfortably promise your candidates 2. Do research or purchase insight on what your target talent want, what they think of you and your recruiting competitors, and what channels will be most effective in reaching them with your messages 3. Do research or purchase insight on how your recruiting competitors are marketing and engaging with your candidates 4. Segment your communications to reflect the different interests of your different targeted candidates 5. Develop compelling and differentiating content that describes your employment experience in an authentic, true, and compelling way 6. Activate your content on the channels most relevant to your targeted talent and boost it to ensure they see it 7. Track your conversions through the different stages of your recruitment funnel and adjust your strategy accordingly. Make sure you know where you are improving and where you need improvement to track the ROI of your recruitment marketing investment

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To make things even more challenging, Canadian employees are rethinking their relationship to work. Canadians want greater flexibility; our research showed that 76% of Canadian students were interested in working remotely. Those work cultures that can adjust to the employment aspirations of their early talent will be much more successful in winning the talent they want.

Education How to attract high-potential LGBTQ+ talent, black student candidates, indigenous candidates, women, and other minorities and drive them to apply Most employers are still getting this wrong. When asked about their most important application drivers, minority talent including young black professionals, LGBTQ+ and Indigenous talent did not identify “Support for diversity & inclusion” as a top application driver. When it comes to attracting this talent, one size does not fit all. What is important to one minority group may be different than what is important to another. Generally, most minority groups we surveyed were more concerned about job security, the company’s ethics, and the opportunity for high future earnings.

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This talent has a much broader definition of diversity than most employers do. As a result, employers are developing content that misses the mark. It fails to differentiate the employer from its recruiting competitors and is seen as tokenistic rather than relevant and authentic. Employers that invest in understanding the true aspirations and desires of these candidates are much more effective in communicating with them than those that use generalities.

Digital Marketing

GROW YOUR SMALL BUSINESS with these Basic Digital Marketing Steps

Christina Ross is the President and Marketing Director at Silver Frog Marketing and loves helping businesses with their creative design and overall marketing efforts. She has spent the majority of her career in the marketing industry, gaining experiences in areas such as website design, social media marketing, TV/Radio broadcast, and Google marketing. While marketing is her primary job function by day, Christina also enjoys painting, yoga, and spending time with her family.

Christina Ross President and Marketing Director at Silver Frog Marketing

Digital Marketing 1. Create a Facebook Page and Join Facebook Groups relevant to your business Due to the way, Facebook groups function they create a level of engagement and interaction not found in standard comment sections or other social media platforms. Facebook groups provide extra value for customers where they feel as if they are in on the most up-to-date information about your company and have a direct line of communication should they need it. These groups can act as a testing ground, can easily track brand growth, and creates a sense of community for your customers/ audience where they feel as if they have a part in the brand especially if the group requires you to accept invitations.

Socialmediatoday reports, Facebook Groups generally see higher levels of engagement than Pages - and posts from groups in which you're regularly active are also given higher status in the News Feed algorithm creating and maintaining a group can be a way to “beat” the algorithm and get your posts seen by your group members.

2. Create a LinkedIn Company Page and join LinkedIn Groups relevant to your business Likewise to FaceBook, LinkedIn groups offer a higher degree of interaction and engagement than other social media platforms, therefore creating a sense of community. Using both Facebook and LinkedIn are platforms where basic communications campaigns can take place. You can create challenges, take surveys, test ideas, and put out thoughtful content positioning your business as an expert source in turn building your brand portfolio and reputability.

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For example if your business often does surveys and then puts out products or betters service based on this, your brand loyalty and trust in your brand will increase. People want to buy into companies that value their opinion and align with their own goals, if you company uses LinkedIN well, this can be reflective of that brand success.

3. Collect data Use sign up forms and collect the names and email addresses of your customers.A basic marketing staple is tailoring messages to your demographics. In understanding your audience, who they are, and their background, messages can be tailored to suit their interests. Additionally, by creating basic mailing lists you will ensure your customers are as up-to-date with information about your company as possible.

Digital Marketing 4. Send Emails By using these lists to effectively email market, without spamming your customers keeps your business top of mind for your clients. Emails are a great way to spread the news and share information to your customers without necessarily “selling” them on anything”– Use those lists your collected to send emails to your customers. You should plan 1 Email Newsletter every month that is sent to your customer base. Email campaigns are a great way to stay engaged with your clients.

5. Blogs At least once a month create a new blog post on your website. You can then take that content and share it on your Facebook and LinkedIn pages and even include it in your next email newsletter. Blogs are also a way of providing free and engaging information to your audiences that is interesting but not necessarily a sales tool directly. For instance, a beauty brand could blog about the newest make-up trends without selling products. Any engagement on your content is beneficial for your brand as it keeps your business top of mind and subconsciously makes people think of you when certain topics come up. So when someone is shopping for new make-up they’ll think back to your article. It’s basic psychology.

Consistency is Key In all your digital marketing efforts, make sure your brand, logo, colors, and tagline flow throughout. Consistency is Key. Be creative, know your customers, and how to speak their language. Instead of thinking “how can I sell this client”, think, “how can I prove myself to this client”. If you effectively do all these steps and follow the same formula for each to maintain consistency these are the basics to building a solid brand image and online identity. Once your customers see you offering digital value and encouraging them to digitally engage with you your audience’s loyalty will increase. You can also track engagement and brand growth through most digital platforms.

For more information on digital marketing be sure to visit silverfrogmarketing.com and ask Christina and her team any questions you may have.

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Women Entrepreneurship

Helping Entrepreneurs

in Canada to Start, Grow, and Manage Shadi McIsaac is the Head and Founder at RBC Ventures in Toronto, Ontario. Before this, she was a Pricing and Sales Capacity Executive at IBM. Shadi has an MBA degree from Rotman School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western University. She has also completed a one-year program in angel investing from Angel Academy.

Shadi McIsaac is the Founder of Ownr, a platform that offers a simple and convenient way to register or incorporate a business as well as other tools to help entrepreneurs manage their businesses. Prior to joining RBC Ventures in 2017, Shadi worked as the Director of Digital Transformation with RBC’s Personal & Commercial Banking where she was responsible for the strategy development of a transformation to engage clients and prospects through data insights. She was also a senior manager in the Strategy and Business Architecture group supporting the development of strategies across Personal & Commercial Banking. Shadi joined RBC in 2014, and previously, she earned an MBA from the Rotman School of Management.

Shadi McIsaac CEO & Co-Founder @ Ownr

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Women Entrepreneurship In the face of opening up after the covid-19 pandemic, how do you think business owners and entrepreneurs are moving from survival to revival? It is no secret that small businesses across Canada have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. We know the businesses that survived the first three waves had to pivot and adapt their business models, while a gradual reopening has given business owners more opportunities to focus on recovery. At the same time, it’s important to not lose sight of the challenges that persist, from high debt loads to the Delta variant’s threat potentially leading to further lockdowns. Entrepreneurs are looking at different ways to either expand their business or adapt to changing customer preferences to grow their business. Some common themes are resiliency and resourcefulness as we see entrepreneurs reviving their businesses.

Whatever industry business owners operate in, growing your business is the toughest part, and while it can feel isolating, it’s important to remember that there is support out there whether in the form of grants or in automation tools that help entrepreneurs get their work done quicker and cheaper. If entrepreneurs can get through their dayto-day tasks quicker, they can focus on making strategic decisions to grow their business.

Also, how do you think the COVID-19 has impacted small business owners’ views of entrepreneurship? I believe COVID has not dampened the entrepreneurial spirit. In our report, one in three entrepreneurs reported feeling excited about their future. This isn’t surprising when you consider why entrepreneurs become entrepreneurs in the first place. Often, it starts from a place of pride, and entrepreneurs are focused on diving deeper into their passions to solving customer problems. Many business owners that we surveyed came from a corporate environment, so it wasn’t surprising that some of the top reasons they started their business were to gain more purpose in life, control over their career development, and creative freedom.

How do you think entrepreneurs should position their businesses to support an economic recovery? Focusing on your business’s recovery is the first step. If you lost customers during COVID, what can you realistically do to get them back or gain new ones? If you shut down your operations and managed to reopen during the pandemic, how are you going to recapture lost ground?

What do you think are the strategies business owners should plan to implement to drive revenue? In Ownr’s 2021 Entrepreneurship Revival Report, we asked this same question. The top two strategies reported were developing a new product or service and investing in marketing and sales. We also saw business owners planning to expand into new verticals, find new partners, and acquire or merge with another company.

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Are you at risk of running out of money, or are you in a position to emerge as a leader after pivoting during the lockdown? Once you have evaluated your own preparedness, set both realistic and ambitious goals and outline strategies you will adopt to achieve them.

Women Entrepreneurship No one solution fits every small business but to explore different strategies that can help grow your business. Is an online-only model the best route for your business? Should you develop a new product or service that caters to changing customer demands? Do you have all the skills needed to grow your business, or do you need to look at hiring employees? There are many questions that an entrepreneur must explore to come to a plan that fits best for their business.

Can you tell us a bit more about this survey? What do the results of this survey depict? We wanted to better understand the biggest challenges entrepreneurs share and common threads of resiliency that are key to overcoming them. While we often think of the qualities that embody entrepreneurs, our survey proved that business owners are spectacularly diverse while sharing similar motivators to launching their business. Better understanding why someone becomes an entrepreneur and where they are coming from – whether freelancing or working 9-5 – helps us all tap into that pool of Canadians who dream of being a business owner but haven’t yet for many reasons taken the leap.

Do you have any advice for small business owners that are finding it difficult to pull through during these tough times? How do you think they can future-proof their businesses and build resilience? My advice to business owners who are struggling is to acknowledge that they are not alone. Struggling does not equate to failure. We know that many businesses that have thrived often have one thing in common: adaptability. Not only do consumer preferences change, but so do buying behaviors. If your customer tends to shop more online, spend time strengthening your online presence by adopting SEO practices and investing time into the social media platform they frequent most. If your product or service could evolve to meet the needs of new customers or fill gaps in the needs of your existing audience, run a survey and pilot a new offering. Start small, stay curious about your customer, measure how different tactics affect your business, and make meaningful steps towards growth.

Technology

How Technology

is helping Canadian businesses Thomas Templeton General Manager of Hardware at Square

Apple’s Thomas Templeton joined Square and is now working on an

important crypto project for Square. He, along with his team, invented an iconic POS system called Square Register and is helping businesses manage their

buying during this COVID-19 situation from a safe distance.

Thomas leads hardware product

development at Square, including

design, cross-functional engineering, manufacturing, and operations.

Previously he led the hardware product and program management teams for the past 9 years. Prior to Square,

Thomas was an engineer in the Special Projects Group at Apple.

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Small Business You and your team invented a new, ultra-smart POS system called Square Register which lets businesses manage all kinds of buying from a COVID-safe distance. What was the inspiration behind the invent and what are you hoping to accomplish through it? Square Register is our most sophisticated, top-of-the-line point of sale solution that offers the power, efficiency, and features that larger, more complex businesses need. It’s also perfect for our times because it offers two dedicated displays — one for the seller and one for the buyer — that can be set up as far as 2 meters apart, offering safer, more distanced payment for in-person purchases. We built Square Register based on years of insight from working with sellers about what they need on their countertop as their business grows. With the launch of Square Register in Canada, this will be the first time we’re delivering a product in the country that really incorporates everything we’re known for in one place: beautiful hardware, powerful software, and a fully integrated omnichannel commerce solution for businesses.

What are your thoughts on the Fall in-person buying trends? Can you share the key findings from the Canadian survey results about Fall in-person buying trends and regional breakouts? Sure. Square recently surveyed Canadians across the country and we found that, right now, over 70% feel more comfortable with distanced, cashless payments when it comes to in-person purchases — which makes a lot of sense seeing all we’ve gone through, globally, with the pandemic. We also found that 80% of Canadians say supporting local businesses is more important to them now than before the pandemic, with 72% agreeing they’re excited to start shopping inperson this Fall. Those sentiments are consistent across the country, with Quebecers reporting the highest allegiance to local sellers, at 83%.

We’ve been testing Square Register with some really well-

We’ve also found that 71% of Canadians are

known Canadian businesses over the Summer months — from

already, or plan to, spend more locally as Canada

retail stores to ice cream and tattoo parlors to restaurants, as

recovers from the pandemic — about a quarter of

well as with McMahon Stadium, home of the Calgary

those surveyed estimated they’d spend about

Stampeders football team, and the Scotiabank Saddledome,

$1,750 with local sellers over the next six to twelve

home to the Calgary Flames hockey team. It’s been amazing

months. Canadians expected to spend the most

to see how Square Register is a fit for such a wide range of

additional money locally were found in Atlantic

Canadian businesses.

Canada ($2,492), Alberta ($2,372) and BC ($1,964), while buyers in Quebec and

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Technology and Ontario anticipates their additional local spending over the next six to 12 months at $1,695 and $1,418, respectively. That’s why we’re excited to introduce Square Register in Canada to help business owners of all sizes accept in-person purchases more easily, in a safer, more socially distanced way, while offering them an integrated, omnichannel commerce solution, as they continue to rebuild and pivot to navigate the impacts of the global pandemic.

How technology is helping Canadian businesses deal with the fact that more than 70% of Canadians say they prefer to pay cashless and in as socially distanced as possible when they are buying in person? The pandemic has presented Canadians — including businesses owners — with many challenges since 2020 and definitely accelerated the demand for new, more flexible omnichannel commerce solutions. In order to continue to be a company that sellers trust to help them grow their businesses, solutions providers like Square need to keep growing and evolving with their customers and that means pushing the envelope on solutions that meet people’s needs. Right now, that means cashless and safer ways to buy and sell, as we’re doing in Canada with Square Register. Beyond the pandemic, Square Register has also been a product that Canadian businesses have been asking for since we launched it in the US, so we’re really excited to give bigger and more complex Canadian businesses better options to sell in person.

Business owners who’ve used Square in Canada so far tell us that they were surprised by how easy it is to use and that they’ve been getting great feedback from their employees who prefer the ease of the dedicated displays for payments and appreciate the ability to accept cashless, socially-distanced payments. They’ve also told us that they really appreciate Square Register’s ability to integrate their various commerce channels, such as their in-person, brick-and-mortar locations, with their online stores, as you can manage it all in one place.

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Technology

What's unique about Square Register in Canada; and how its Canadian tech team played a major role in inventing Square Register’s POS technology?

Canada has incredibly talented engineers. In fact, our

Canada is an important market for Square. As a company, we’re obsessed with making our technology seamless and easy to use for business owners right out of the box, so, knowing it would serve larger, more complex businesses, it was important to have the right ecosystem of products in place that could integrate well with Square Register ahead of launches, such as Square Online, Square for Restaurants, Square for Retail, Square Appointments, Loyalty and others. It was also incredibly important to engineer features just for Canada – including Interac debit payment capabilities and refunds, French and English options, provincial and federal tax integration, and more. We now have all those elements in place and we’re excited to launch in Canada for our sellers.

house, that is embedded in the heart of Square Register, its

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engineering team in Canada, based in Toronto, made really significant contributions to Square Register thanks to their game-changing work on the processor chip, made inembedded firmware, the payment software stack running on it, and the point of sale software.

On a final note, what advice would you give to small business owners as they welcome buyers back this Fall? I would say that small business owners — but really those with businesses of any size — should be looking for tech solutions that address the evolving needs of their customers. They should also always be looking for ways to help them save time so they can focus on what’s really important for them. That means finding an ecosystem of business tools that work together seamlessly, which is what we’re focused on doing at Square. I think those things will ensure businesses can continue to grow and thrive for years to come.

Imposter Syndrome and How to Combat It By Dorothy Spence, Founder, Imaginal Ventures I’m a published author, serial entrepreneur, and speaker, but there are still moments that ruffle my feathers when I’m unsure of myself or my grasp of the topic that I’m speaking on. Feeling that you don’t belong in the position you’ve achieved, or that you’ve faked your way through your professional life, is called “imposter syndrome.” It happens to everyone. The key is to ensure that it doesn’t stop you from achieving and excelling. Over the years, as I’ve changed companies and grown my businesses, I’ve learned a few tricks to combat imposter syndrome. As a female entrepreneur, let me share three tips for combating imposter syndrome

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Small Business 1. Seek out a supportive environment As more women reach C-suite level positions in the business world, more attention is being paid to how to support women in their career and professional journey. There are many companies that have made a conscious effort to hire for diversity and promote inclusion. These are the same companies where it’s easier to be heard, easing imposter syndrome. For your next role, seek out a company that promotes a positive culture, where employees are encouraged to ask questions, explore ideas, and learn. Look for companies that celebrate and acknowledge individual success as part of their mandate. This can help propel your career and confidence. Websites like Glassdoor are a great place to start researching company culture, but also check out lists and awards that the company has won. You can also connect with someone at the company to learn firsthand how they are working to curb imposter syndrome at their organization.

2. Find peers, mentors, and mentees Whenever you feel unqualified or underqualified for a role, it’s helpful to discuss it with a trusted advisor. Find peers or mentors who are in a similar industry or who have been in your positions before, and take time to learn from them about how they grew their career, honed their talents, and ultimately succeeded. It’s also important to remember that you also have experiences and expertise to share with others. Find someone who is looking for a mentor in your industry and spend time talking to and coaching them. There’s no greater reminder that you have knowledge and skills than to share it with someone else.

Small Business 3. Constantly strive to learn Learn something new. Whether it’s a skill needed for your current career, your future job, or just something you're interested in, set aside time in your week to hone your expertise. That way, next time you feel like you don’t know an answer, you can focus on what you do know. Learning doesn’t even have to be something formal. You can adopt an always-learning mentality in your everyday life. If there’s a position at your company that you want to know more about or a new product launching that you’re intrigued by, step up and ask if you can be involved in the project. Have a conversation with the experts, or job shadow a profession. Learning doesn't have to be structured to be successful — there are people in your everyday life you can learn from. Imposter syndrome won’t go away overnight, and there’s no single tip or trick that works for everyone. It’s a lifelong practice of believing in yourself and your abilities and finding ways to remind yourself of that every day. So next time you’re about to step into a room full of experts or present something to an audience, and you’re doubting your abilities, remember — you are not alone. We all have imposter syndrome sometimes; the key is to actively combat it in your everyday life.

Dorothy Spence is an engineer, serial entrepreneur, author,

including a nationally deployed

speaker, and the founder of Imaginal Ventures and The Purpose

healthcare platform. Throughout her

Led Business School. Dorothy’s 20-year experience as a skilled

career, she has focused on creating

business and leadership advisor has helped countless companies

environments where non-traditional

catalyze profitability and asset growth. Her work with scaling

entrepreneurs can thrive and become

purpose-led businesses through building supporting structures

successful business leaders.

and systems has gained notoriety in the entrepreneurial community, including being named the Canadian coach for SheEO

Imaginal Ventures is the culmination of her

and receiving the Top CEO Award, Innovation Award, and the

decades of experience, fusing her

Professional Engineers Service Award.

background in technology with her passion for entrepreneurship and

Dorothy was one of four women (out of a class of 80) in her graduating class from Dalhousie University’s engineering school, and was a pioneer in building technology-focused companies,

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leadership.

3 key trends small businesses should consider as we move closer to a post-pandemic future By Brian Green, Country Head of Fiserv Canada

Before the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down, a digital transformation in business was already well underway. Physical distancing, lockdowns, and stay-at-home orders significantly accelerated this shift, with no business left untouched. Even those that were once exclusively brickand-mortar operations were compelled to consider new technologies to connect with consumers, make sales and stay afloat. Now, as more Canadians choose to get vaccinated and the economy recovers, small businesses must keep up the momentum of the digital shift to satisfy consumers whose habits have evolved.

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Small Business The widespread adoption and use of new technologies changed

One way small businesses can deliver this

consumers with a preference for digitally-driven experiences that will

flexibility is by offering buy now, pay later

endure past the pandemic. According to a recent survey by Clover®

(BNPL) plans at checkout. For example, if a

from Fiserv, the preference for digital is already cementing itself

customer purchases a $200 jacket, they

across the Canadian restaurant industry. Almost one-third (32%) of

have the option to cover the cost in four,

Canadians said they used a third-party app during the pandemic to

$50 increments over a four-week span.

order food, with another 25% of respondents sharing they plan to

BNPL is an especially popular payment

continue to choose takeout and delivery over in-person dining this

method amongst younger consumers who

year, even when restaurants reopen.

appreciate the convenience of splitting payments across a specified timeline. Visa

With a changing environment in mind, here are three key digital

recently announced that several of the

strategies businesses should consider as Canada transitions to the

Canadian banks that issue Visa cards will

post-pandemic future.

enable cardholders to put transactions on an installment plan even after the initial purchase. Installments, in various forms, will become ubiquitous in Canada over the next few years.

Offering consumers a seamless contactless payments experience will also continue to be essential. According to Payments Canada, 44% of Canadians plan to use digital and contactless payments for the long term.

Enable More Flexibility

Contactless payments are not only more secure but can also be more hygienic

The financial strains of the global health crisis have also impacted many consumers, many of whom have lost their own jobs over the last year. While economists believe that employment will improve throughout 2021, the financial hangover of the pandemic is likely to last well into 2022 for many Canadians. That’s why flexibility is paramount.

since customers can tap their card or smart device instead of touching the PIN pad. As a result of the need for speed and the desire for contactless interactions, there will be a steady increase in the percentage of Canadians who register their payment cards with a smart devicebased wallet such as ApplePay, GooglePay, or SamsungPay.

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Small Business

Leverage Tech to Streamline Operations &Drive Repeat Customers Over the last 15 months, many businesses have proven their agility,

Consumers will also continue to demand

adapting to rapidly shifting protocols. By way of necessity, online

efficient speed of service. A robust point of

sales, delivery, and curbside pick-up have become the new norm.

sale and business management platform

While there will indeed be a return to in-person customer service,

provides small business owners with

many Canadians will likely continue to seek a certain level of digital

everything needed to streamline operations

interaction. The recent Clover survey mentioned above indicated that

on the go. From payroll management and

57% of Gen Z and Millennial respondents (ages 18-34) would prefer

staff scheduling to inventory management

to order and pay at the table using their own mobile device, rather

and accounting; the right technology will go

than through a server. Additionally, 31% shared they’d be more likely to

beyond processing credit and debit

frequent a restaurant that offered this payment option. Payments can

payments and can help with nearly every

be enabled via a QR code presented at the restaurant table that is

aspect of managing a business.

then scanned with a phone, a feature that has been embraced by short-handed restaurant owners, staff, and customers eager to get on their way. The QR code capability of the Clover software suite is one of the most highly adopted features amongst restauranteurs.

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Small Business

Creating a Seamless Omnichannel Experience

Consumers have gained the ability to buy on their own terms and don’t want to go back to the way things were. While in-person shopping will return, the pandemic has radically changed consumers’ expectations for businesses, especially when it comes to online ordering. According to a recent study by SOTI, expectations are high for businesses to master the back-end logistics that create a seamless consumer journey, including inventory and fulfillment, shipping, and online returns. Over 60% of respondents felt businesses should improve their return processes, with an additional 57% saying they find delivery times too slow, and 45% noting if they can’t receive an item within two days of ordering they'll go elsewhere.

While speed and customer service will continue to be important, especially as we transition back to “normal,” paying equal attention to consumer’s digital experiences online – from browsing to checkout and shipping – is vital for long-term success.

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How IT Innovation Helps Solve

Canadian Small Businesses Challenges Survival is comprised of resilience, innovation, and grit. Who knows these qualities better than a Canadian small business owner? According to a recent study CDW conducted with Angus Reid, 35 percent of Canadian respondents indicated their business was forced to shut down or pause operations at some point during the pandemic. Most businesses that were impacted (77 percent) have now resumed operations. Over half (52 percent) of small businesses experienced some form of IT challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the small businesses that invested in IT services and solutions, it helped play a crucial role in keeping their businesses running. The thought of hybrid work models challenged some businesses; with some who never created or considered a business continuity plan.

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Small Businesses Why Collaboration is Needed to Work from Anywhere Determining how to enable teams to WFH (work from home) or WFA (work from anywhere) helped small businesses engage and deliver their products and services even if their proverbial “doors” were closed. Almost 70 percent of small businesses invested in collaboration tools over the course of the pandemic. The results of the study also show that:

39 percent invested in collaboration platforms, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams 33 percent invested in endpoint solutions, such as laptops and webcams 25 percent invested in employee-focused software, such as Office 365, compared to 17 percent who said the same in October 2020

18 percent will take cybersecurity more seriously, compared to only 12 percent of respondents who said the same in October 2020 36 percent indicated some form of reliance on IT teams

How CDW Can Help Meet Your Small Business IT Needs The experts at CDW Canada have resources dedicated entirely to meeting the needs of small businesses. This group has been at the forefront of implementing innovative IT solutions and services, for a variety of budgets.CDW also partners with leading technology companies, such as Apple, Cisco, and Microsoft, to find the right solution for each customer. Looking toward the future, the CDW Canadian study discovered an interest and propensity for small businesses to be more focused on optimizing existing cloud solutions than other existing or net-new IT solutions, as the next findings indicate:

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19 percent will continue to optimize cloud/hybrid cloud solutions

While the transition to hybrid work may not be seamless, and up-to-date IT infrastructure can smooth the journey. Therefore, it is important for any business, especially small businesses, to map out their unique IT needs to ensure business continuity. You can learn more about the solutions and services CDW offers small businesses and connect with one of our experts at: cdw.ca/smallbusiness

6 Effective Cybersecurity Strategies for Small Businesses in Canada "Cybersecurity is one of the biggest business challenges of the 21st century. With technology blanketing every corner of our lives, we need to consider cybersecurity an essential life skill. I’m on a mission to arm Canadian small business owners with the strategies they need to defend their business data."

Anne Genge CIPP, CHSP Director of Privacy & Cybersecurity Education Alexio Corporation

Think about it. Just because you have a small business, doesn’t mean that you do not have to worry about cyberattacks. In fact, the small businesses could be more vulnerable to cybercrime because of the lack of needed resources. According to the report by Ponemon Institute on the ‘State of Cybersecurity in Small & Medium Size Businesses in 2019’, 66% of small enterprises said that they have been the targets of cyberattacks in the past year itself. With the increase in the formula of remote work in 2021 due to the pandemic, businesses of all sizes are pretty much susceptible to cyber threats. With employees working on clouds, off the network, and with apps that aren’t sanctioned by your IT staff, the risks of cyberattacks are always high. And these attacks can really damage your system. Most entrepreneurs feel that for the hackers, prominent targets are big businesses and government organizations. However, as much as these options look lucrative, they are exceptionally difficult to target because of their highly secured networks. In reality, the hackers practice their work by attacking the low-hanging fruits at first, i.e., the small businesses. Why? These businesses often represent the best of both worlds. They have the best of data and money, and hence, they are the most potential targets.

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Cyberattack Worries for Small Businesses in Canada at a Glance us The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed several small businesses in Canada to switch to remote work. This has, in turn, made these companies more susceptible to cyberattacks. Here are a few statistics to keep in mind: More than 63% of Canadian enterprises have reported an increase in cyber threats in the last 18 months. A report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business stated that out of 3040 members, more than a quarter have experienced cyberattacks since March 2020. The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) Ledger Poll specified that one in five businesses in the poll, i.e., around 18%, have been severely affected by data breaches or cyberattacks in the last two years. As much as these statistics are alarming for the small business owners in Canada, there are still a few ways that can keep businesses away from the risk of cyberattacks. What are they? Let’s find out below.

Train Your Employees

Industry research shows that most the cybersecurity breaches happen because of the carelessness of the workers in the workplace. This is because no amount of technology can totally protect your data or network if people using them do not have any idea about the same. Humans are the ‘weak link’ in matters of IT security. So, if you can train your workers better from the very beginning, you will be able to build a good barrier against security attacks.

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Safeguard the Credentials of Data Accesses

It is imperative on your part to have an access control strategy for your small business. You should be the one determining who will have access to what kinds of data in your company. Also, make sure that the credentials of each one of your employees are protected. Implement regular password management and educate your workers about the need of strong passwords which aren’t easily accessible to the hackers.

Cybersecurity

Keep Multiple Backups

As a business owner, it is always a good idea to have multiple backups of all your important company data. This way, even if you fall prey to a ransomware attack, or some kind of a data breach, you will still have a solid backup plan. Including cloud backup is a good idea here. The world is moving to the clouds and every small business should start working on the same.

Ensure Regular Network and Device Updates

Formulate an Incident Response Plan

Prevention is essential to keep cyber threats at a distance. However, you cannot really ignore the other very important component – the incident response plan. Each and every business, big or small, should have an incident response plan which can outline the steps to take when there’s a breach. Without this plan, it could be hard to minimize the damage caused by a cyber threat. Some malware bugs spread at lightning-fast speed once the network is breached. So, the reaction time is crucial. Trying to look for a response plan once the incident has already occurred would be too late.

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Cybersecurity

Promote a Security-conscious Culture

Although business owners do not think about it much, having a security-conscious culture within your company is essential. Cybersecurity should top the list on your company’s policy as just a single breach can cost you millions of dollars. So, it shouldn’t be only the job of the IT department to be conscious of the threats but all your departments should be well-equipped with the possibilities and results of a cyberthreat. Only when you all will walk towards a single goal, as a family, will you have a higher rate of success in negating such breaches in your business.

Wrapping it up Small business owners are not exactly ignorant about cyberattacks, however, they do not really know how to safeguard their companies from such threats either. Not having proper infrastructure and knowledge regarding such attacks often lead to severe damages if and when such breaches occur. By following the above-mentioned points, entrepreneurs in Canada can very well maintain a secure work environment, even for their remote employees.

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The upcoming CanadianSME Small Business Summit on October 14th-15th 2021 will have a dedicated workshop on the Cybersecurity Defensive Tactics for Small Business Owners. The workshop will be addressed by Anne Genge, CEO, Director of Privacy & Cybersecurity Education, Alexio Corporation. Why don’t you register for the same and equip yourself with some more knowledge about how to safeguard your small business in Canada?

To learn more about such essential tips on carrying out your small business effectively in Canada, do not forget to subscribe to the CanadianSME Small Business Monthly Magazine.

Will Hybrid Work create a new digital divide? By Jim Willis General Manager, Citrix Canada

Just last year many of us were unfamiliar with the concept of a hybrid working model, or were unsure of how it may fit into the future of work. Since then, much has changed.

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For starters, many in the workforce have experienced the benefits that remote working has had on their productivity, engagement and improved balance in their personal lives. As a result, they are voicing their desire for it to continue. Recent research by Citrix showed that more than 90% of employees prefer a flexible work model moving forward. And that desire does not end with the workforce either, with 82% of decision-makers at these companies stating that they are planning to embrace hybrid working models in the future. But as this reality truly begins to take form, there is another new, unexpected concept taking shape that we’ll likely need to get familiar with much sooner than expected – the digital divide.

Hybrid Work

What is the digital divide? While it has many benefits, if hybrid work models are not properly implemented or managed, they have the serious potential to create two separate classes of workers, inadvertently establishing a workplace culture full of inequity and bias.

For a long time now, every single employee - no matter if they were a recent hire or the firmlyentrenched CEO - has shown up as an equally sized box among many other equally sized boxes in video conference calls. Each employee has had to use the same avenues of communication and has had the same level of access to management for guidance and to their co-workers for collaboration. In this and many other ways, the pandemic actually leveled the playing field for much of the workforce, which also saw remote work have a profound effect on productivity and employee mental wellbeing. But now that equity has the potential to be compromised as many of us return to the office in varying degrees. How, then, can businesses moving to a hybrid work model ensure that there is a consistent, inclusive, and equal experience in the office or at home? 88 - CanadianSME I October 2021

Keeping the field level For companies that are trying to take this leap successfully, they will need to invest in technologies and policies that foster equity in the work environment. These must be designed to empower all employees - both remote and inoffice - to be able to engage and collaborate on an equal level and make the same meaningful collaborations and contributions that businesses need to drive innovation and growth. Some examples of policies that can achieve this include: ·Very precisely defining which tools should be used based on the situation. E.g. which communication platform to use for collaboration, which tool to use for scheduling meetings, etc.

Hybrid Work ·Ensuring your management is receiving consistent and ongoing education on best practices for hybrid working models. Your team needs to see an example of how well it can work. ·Establishing a moderator role for meetings to facilitate the conversation between in-office and remote workers to make sure all voices are heard and employees are contributing.

A shared digital workspace It is also imperative that businesses put into place a shared and transparent digital environment that teams can use to maintain consistent access to apps and data, allowing them to get the work they need to be done from wherever they happen to be.

This shared workspace should also allow teams to define, align, and collaborate on work projects together. Whether they are fully remote, completely in-office, or somewhere in between, your employees need secure and reliable access to all apps and info and a place to collaborate with their team.

Planning for the future Hybrid work is the way of the future. There is no getting around that anymore. Companies that understand the risks inherent in the model and carefully plan their transitions can avoid the pitfalls and change the game for their employees and their business forever.

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Motivating Women to Being Franchise Owners Sherry McNeil

CEO of the Canadian Franchise Association Before becoming the CEO of the Canadian Franchise Association, Sherry also worked with restaurants and franchised businesses all around Canada. From Pizza Hut to Dairy Queens, she has been to every corner of Canada. She started working part-time at a Petro-Canada station as a student and now, she is the authoritative voice of Canada's franchise community, the Canadian Franchising Association (CFA).

Women Entrepreneurship An accomplished executive who is passionate about brand building and business development. A highenergy, dynamic professional who possesses extensive experience in; creating and implementing business development strategies for market analysis, new unit development, real estate selection, project management, and the rebranding of concepts. In addition to possessing executive-level leadership and professional management experience, Sherry worked at the store level for a decade and has a great understanding of all aspects of the franchise business. Key qualities include being able to effectively listen, analyze complicated situations, create win-win scenarios, and provide clear direction. She is a talented and articulate public speaker and has been a keynote for numerous franchise groups, RBC, and the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) conventions and summits. Sherry has worked with a variety of franchisors as an employee and through her consulting company such as YUM! Restaurants International, Dairy Queen, Boston Pizza, Shoeless Joes, Good Earth Coffeehouse, Little Caesars, Petro Canada, etc. Sherry currently holds the position of President & CEO of the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA).

What are your thoughts on being a female in the franchising business? Do you think women should pursue a career as a franchisee? Women should absolutely consider pursuing a career as franchise owners. In the past ten years, there has been a 30% increase in Canadian women-owned businesses combined with a federal government commitment to double these businesses through a $2 billion program. According to a report by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), supporting women in business ownership and closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship can add up to $150 billion to Canada’s GDP by 2026.

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While this is a step in the right direction, the pandemic has disproportionately impacted women in the workforce. At the beginning of the pandemic, women between 25-54 experienced more than twice as many job losses as men and have seen a slower reemployment rate by 50%.

Women Entrepreneurship With all that being said, and with reopening plans becoming a reality, there needs to be a collective effort to restart the economy with women entrepreneurs at the forefront. The franchise business model is an attractive and powerful way for aspiring business owners to overcome some of the challenges of launching a new small business. Some of the benefits franchising offers to include:

A proven business concept and existing customer awareness of an established brand; A tried-and-true system of operations, with initial and ongoing training from the franchisor head office; A stronger position when applying for business loans; ·Ongoing support from the head office team; An established supply chain and mass purchasing power from suppliers; Access to the knowledge and experience of a network of other franchisees;

Anyone who is interested in running their own business as part of a franchise business model needs to consider a few key things. They need to do their research or due diligence and really learn everything they can about that brand and the specific market. It is important to find a brand that you can envision being involved with every day. A brand that suits your lifestyle, your financial goals, and your personality. Many people don’t realize that franchisees are local small business owners and operators. They live within the community where their business is located. So understanding the community and the market is key. And lastly, prepare to work hard! It’s not an easy task to start and run your own business. Thankfully, the franchise business model does provide additional supports that make it easier for new business owners.

Women Entrepreneurship

What are some of the misconceptions you've heard about becoming a small business franchisee? And what is do you think the most difficult thing about being a small business franchisee is? One myth is that franchise businesses are corporately owned. What’s being misunderstood is that franchised businesses are locally-owned and operated by members of the community. While a franchisee has the support of a franchisor, the business is 100 percent owned and operated by the franchisee. Approximately 1 out of every 10 people in Canada is employed in a franchised business. If the goal for the #ShopLocal effort is to help keep people employed, then Canadians need to support their local franchised business that is run by one of their neighbours, who undoubtedly needs their help.

What do you think the future holds for franchising as a business? No business was immune from the COVID19 pandemic, and all had to adapt. However, franchises are naturally better suited to weather economic storms because of the inherent strengths of the franchise business model. Franchises have an existing customer base, standard processes, and strong brand recognition. Due to these factors, franchising will grow. We’re seeing the rise of Gen Z. Franchisors who can appeal to new groups like Gen Z will find success. They need to begin planting the seeds with Gen Z and that means reaching them where they are,i.e., TikTok, social cause-based activities, and rethinking concepts to integrate online/digital into brick-and-mortar locations.

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If you were looking to buy into a franchise, what would be your top 3 considerations? A major consideration is understanding the franchisee-franchisor relationship within that franchise system. Do both parties have a history of working together for mutual success? It’s important to understand, personally, what level of support you’re looking for from the franchisor. How do you feel about the people you met from the franchise support team? Are you comfortable working with these people, especially as you navigate any challenges? Above all else, follow your passion! There’s a franchise in almost every industry at every investment level. Do you have enough passion for this brand and its offering to act as a brand ambassador for the years to come?

Mutual understanding and better alignment is needed between middle market businesses and their software vendors to create better outcomes Despite making up such an important sector of Canada’s economy, middlemarket businesses are currently dealing with many challenges that are keeping them from keeping up with or leading the pack in the Canadian business landscape.

By Chandrashekar LSP, Canadian Evangelist, Zoho

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Business headlines are often dominated by enterprises and small businesses, but there exists an entire sector of business between those two which contributes significantly in terms of revenue and jobs generated to the Canadian ecosystem: middle-market businesses. Definitions of what exactly classifies as a middle-market business vary greatly, but in Canada, it is generally accepted that a middle-market business is a firm with between 100 and 499 employees. And while middle-market firms only make up about 1% of all Canadian businesses, they account for about 16% of all jobs in the country and generate 12% of our national GDP and 16% of the value of our exports, according to statistics from BDC.

Small Business Software Despite making up such an important sector of Canada’s economy, middle-market businesses are currently dealing with many challenges that are keeping them from keeping up with or leading the pack in the Canadian business landscape. A combination of sector-specific challenges such as middle-market businesses inability to generate revenue quickly or their often unique company cultures - and software vendors not properly understanding the needs of the middle market, has left them lacking the tools they need to modernize their businesses and looking to alternative means to streamline their operations.

Tackling the unique struggles of the middle market Before we dive into the software needs of the middle market and the divide between those needs and what software vendors are currently offering, it is imperative that we point out some of the factors that make the middle market so challenging at times. First and foremost, due to the fact that a majority of middle-market businesses are private firms, a majority of the time they do not have access to funds from the public market. Coupled with a history of reluctance from investors to invest in middlemarket businesses, this leaves these firms without the ability to quickly and easily generate revenue as they need it. And as many businesses of all sizes across the country are seeing their software budgets cut following a very tough 18 months, this has only compounded the financial constraints that middlemarket businesses have when trying to get the software tools they need.

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Another important factor to note is that middlemarket businesses tend to come with their own unique company culture traits - often operating with a longterm outlook, a willingness to invest in their own people, and an ability to make quick decisions with a lean hierarchy - and when they look for a software vendor, they are looking to find a vendor of a similar size with similar values, of which there are not currently many in Canada.

Tackling the unique struggles of the middle market As so much of the world’s businesses have undergone digital transformation to modernize how they operate - spurred on by the pandemic but already trending beforehand - they are most often doing so with some of the many new and innovative software solutions being brought to market for the purposes of digitizing businesses of all types and sizes.

But due to its unique challenges - some of which we just spoke about - as well as a divide in mutual understanding between them and software vendors, middle-market businesses are finding it very tough to get the tools they need to create the modern operations they and their customers need. While needs can vary from business to business, across the board within the sector of middle-market businesses in Canada there exists a great need for software with pricing plans tailored to the middle market, connected platforms capable of integrating with and managing their wide range of devices, and solutions that are designed to be scalable to their unique needs.

Shortcutting the software deficit of the middle market Until the software market is able to catch up to the news of the middle market, these businesses should be looking to other areas they can innovate in to try and make up for the software deficit. One area they should be taking a hard look at is lowcode/no-code development platforms.

And yet, despite there existing a great need for such software solutions, software vendors seem to have a disconnect with this sector of Canadian businesses and many of them are not meeting these needs. Bridging this divide to understand the unique challenges and needs of middle-market businesses, will be essential for software vendors to be able to better align their offerings with this business sector, and will be greatly mutually beneficial to both sides. Until that divide can be bridged, what can those middle-market businesses do to make up for their software shortcomings?

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With just a little reskilling or upskilling, you can have members of your team creating the apps your business needs - tailored exactly to them - without the large amounts of time usually needed to design them or the money usually needed to purchase them; all of which is very beneficial to the middle market firms in Canada who are struggling to generate the revenue they need to jumpstart the post-pandemic recovery of their business.

Covid restrictions hit businesses hard. Those who thrived, pivoted quickly, adapting to the changing environment of their clients’ need. Gear Headz, a cycle shop, found themselves suddenly dealing with increased demand along with a shortage of inventory, shifting consumers toward service and repairs. Phone lines were busy, customers were physically queued around the corner and the situation was frustrating for all parties. They had to adapt to a “new normal”, and needed a way connect with customers efficiently and in a way that provided convenience to their clients while maintaining a personal touch. TextMeAnywhere was a perfect fit. Within hours, Gear Headz added the TextMeAnywhere feature to their existing landline phone number and customers could now contact their store via text message.

Amazingly, Gear Headz discovered that clients had already been trying to do this, even before the feature was enabled. Staff could now handle multiple inquiries quickly, saving literal hours of phone time. Sales could take place entirely by text within minutes as images and links of the bikes could be texted to customers for their approval. TextMeAnywhere helped Gear Headz to strengthen the connection with their customers who no longer felt ignored or forgotten, all while employing a method of communication the clients craved all along. As the economy continues to open and we get back to our “new normal”, texting is here to stay.

Start Texting Customers From Your Business Phone Today SUBSCRIBE NOW

Use the promo code FCOVID on the Subscribe page in order to receive this offer. If you need more information, please contact:

Jeremy Rozen

Business Development Manager PH: 888 234 8940 (call or text) email: jeremyr@textmeanywhere.com

Terms and Conditions TextMeAnywhere reserves the right to cancel the subscription at any time without prior intimation. TextMeAnywhere will provide free service to the first 1,000 qualified retailers to opt in. The donated service includes a fair use limit, unlimited inbound text messages and 1,500 outbound text messages per month. TextMeAnywhere is powered by Unite Communications, a custom business telecommunications solutions provider.

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BETA-i Canada launches World’s First Acquisition Incubator to

Support Black Entrepreneurs

Black Entrepreneurs Did you know that, according to a report by McKinsey and Company in 2020, only 4% of Black-owned companies in the U.S. survive past the launch stage, even though 20% of the Black Americans are business owners? The pandemic also forced several businesses worldwide to shut. And this, in turn, led to around 58% of Blackowned businesses facing financial distress in the U.S. The report also states that 41% of such businesses closed their doors between February and April 2020. In another study by the advocacy groups, The Main Street Alliance and Color of Change, 40% of Black-owned ventures could have only another six months as compared to around 55% of their White-owned business counterparts. But several Black-owned businesses even boomed during the pandemic, all thanks to the right step by the owners. Start-ups are sprouting and the future of Black entrepreneurs is looking better in every way. BETA-I Canada resolved to find an approach which would help the Black entrepreneurs improve their success. It started through an Acquisition Incubators which is aiming at equipping the Black Canadians with the right tools for becoming the CEOs of existing smallto-medium sized enterprises.

What’s its Objective? BETA-i engages the proven ETA model to expand and enhance all the needs of the Black searches for a successful business. It offers the right kind of support to substantially allow the searchers maximize their rewards in the business-front. 1.BBoost awareness regarding the search funds and maximize the number of the Black searchers in Canada. 2. Increase the success of the searchers in finding, closing and managing small-to-medium high potential businesses. 3. Deliver unrivaled training, guidance and support to everyone from their in-house mentors, advisors and investors. 4. Incorporate the structures which are culturally diverse in its training techniques, and focus on the mandates which are generally overlooked but have had great success solutions in the past. 5. Significantly turn the odds of success in favor of all the Black searchers.

Black Entrepreneurs

About the Incubation Structure of BETA-I Canada BETA-i, being the first non-profit organization to enhance the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) model for Blackowners, provides the tools and knowledge that are needed to pursue the entrepreneurial dreams of the aspirants. The ETA model was first developed in 1984 at Harvard University and later on standardized at Stanford Graduate School for Business. Soon after, it started spreading its wings to different business schools and entrepreneurs worldwide. BETA-i primarily focuses on the Black entrepreneurs and its search fund incubator will act as a step which will eventually allow the Black entrepreneurs to find, acquire, manage and grow a privately-held business.

Wrapping it Up, BETA-i provides one-on-one mentorship and coaching for the searchers and works closely with them. They take into account the expertise of different professionals and search experts. This is one critical principle which they follow from the very beginning of a search till the closing of the deals. Their approach is truly beneficial for the Black entrepreneurs who get the right guidance for achieving what they need. They also can get more focused on achieving the best deals and then navigate through the business transactions in a successful manner.

About BETA-i BETA-i was founded in 2020 and it is the first-ever Black-focused acquisition incubator in the world and the very first search accelerator in Canada. It influences the ETA model to expand and enhance the needs of Black-owned businesses. Their model also offers extensive training, resources, support in financing, and providing world-class proficiency in search. It aims at increasing the probabilities of success dramatically for entrepreneurs to accelerate their time in finishing the ETA journey and becoming most successful CEOs right in the beginning of their careers. Please visit www.betaicanada.org to know more about them or to support the evolution of Black entrepreneurship in the country.

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leadership

HOW TO

TRANSFORM TALENT MANAGEMENT

FOR THE BETTER IN THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

By Mostafa Sayyadi Management Consultant | Business & Technology journalist Mostafa Sayyadi, CAHRI, AFAIM, CPMgr, works with senior business leaders to effectively develop innovation in companies and helps companies—from start-ups to the Fortune 100—succeed by improving the effectiveness of their leaders. He is a business book author and a long-time contributor to HR.com and Consulting Magazine and his work has been featured in these top-flight business publications.

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leadership Today, the question remains, how can we establish the

In addition, when executives show concern for the

relationship between talent management and knowledge

talent needs, individuals begin to contribute more

management? Well, executives can play a critical role in

commitment and they become more inspired to

developing interactions and relationships. One way is by

put extra effort into their work. This extra effort also

implementing more effective changes at all levels of the

improves the quality of products, customer

organization. Executives can also serve as an ideal vehicle

satisfaction, and impacts the return on assets,

to provide further opportunities for talent to explore new

sales, shareholder value, and eventually improves

ideas and knowledge. In addition, executives can create

executive operational risk management.

new ideas and knowledge for innovation and motivate talent to effectively solve organizational problems. Executives today realize that knowledge is the one of most strategic factors for SMEs from a competitive standpoint. Knowledge management is a necessary precursor to creating new knowledge and ideas within SMEs. The creation of new knowledge is a process and can be essential to identify the needs of talent and also recognize changes in the business environment. Therefore, executives can effectively use knowledge management to identify and satisfy talent through increased talent satisfaction. Executives can also develop organizational communications aimed at providing valuable resources for SMEs. They can enhance knowledge sharing among organizational members and stipulate knowledge to be shared around the organization. The new knowledge is shared with other SMEs and synthesized with an aim to providing higher quality products and services. This process can potentially improve organizational performance through increasing customer focus, improving the quality of products and services, and enhancing organizational revenue. Knowledge management can also build an effective learning SME in which internal talent can continuously engage and develop both personally and professionally. Knowledge management could, therefore, positively impact talent retention, by meeting the goals of intellectual stimulation and personal development. Knowledge management can, therefore, enable SMEs to close a gap between satisfying talent, and meeting customer needs.

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leadership

Executives can also reconfigure organizational

In conclusion, this article can offer several

knowledge to meet new challenges and

implications for practice. First, this develops a new

environmental changes as they occur. Knowledge

and dynamic concept of the integration between

reconfiguration can enable SMEs to actively engage

talent management and knowledge management

talent to respond to environmental changes through

within SMEs. Importantly, this approach advances the

developing interactions with the external

current business literature on talent management by

environment. Thus, executives can use knowledge

offering novel insights into how knowledge

management to increase organizational

management affects talent identification, satisfaction,

performance by improving the quality of products

and retention. This article suggests new insights to

and putting internal talent at the top.

identify knowledge management as a primary driver of effective talent management for SMEs.

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5 Ways

Small Businesses

Can Make Mental Health a Priority in the Workplace

Did you know that a report by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) stated that 62% of business owners feel anxious and depressed at least once a week? And when it comes to poor mental health amongst entrepreneurs, the percentage is a lot higher in the US. Mental health plays an imperative role in the overall growth of a person. And workplace well-being is not only about being fit physically but also a lot about feeling good emotionally. It’s more of a holistic approach towards being perfectly fine inside out.

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After more than a year of lockdowns, quarantines, and loss of loved ones clubbed with economic uncertainties, it’s essential for the companies to support the mental health of all the employees. Anxiety, stress, and fear can appear anytime. But in light of the pandemic, the worries have escalated to a higher level. For small business owners, who do not have the right budget to provide expensive therapies for the employees, the situation might feel despairing. However, there is a lot that even a small business can do to support their employees mentally.

Here we will learn about a few very creative ways to help your employees fight mental issues so that they can be their best version at work, always.

Mental Health

Create an Accepting Work Culture The first thing which small business owners need to do is normalize mental health at the workplace. Being vulnerable to their employees’ mental wellbeing is imperative for a more inclusive workplace ethic. The pandemic has taught us how uncertain life could be. And it has affected almost everyone in some way or the other. So, being honest about what everyone is feeling inside their head could be the first step towards having an accepting work culture. Even the Harvard Business Review’s work report on Mental Health, 2019 derives that having an open and compliant work culture is what the employees wish for. Simply put, it is important for your employees to feel safe and comfortable going to you or their supervisor to talk about their mental struggles. They should be made aware of the fact that they can always reach out to you or someone else to just talk it out without getting judged.

Model Healthy Work Behaviors

Offer Flexible Work Options

Don’t just say that you are aware of mental health issues at work. Try to follow the same and model it through yours and your team’s behavior. This will allow your employees to feel that they can always prioritize their mental health even inside the office. This is important for you too, as the manager or the owner, as most of the time, you forget to take care of yourselves. Prioritize a staycation, go for walks in between, take a therapy session (if required), and talk about these openly at the workplace.

All thanks to the pandemic, we now have the option to work remotely. However, it is essential for employers to have full trust in their employees even when they are working from a different location. For a lot of remote workers with children, working for a set period of time might be a little difficult. So, it’s on you to offer them flexibility in scheduling their work as per their feasibility. This will result in better productivity as they will be able to plan their work during the times of least interruption. This will, in no way, mean that you’ll have to lower your standards of work. If you can empower your team members to set their own work schedules, you will allow them to work more efficiently. This will make them feel more confident about their work and they will be less stressed about the whole thing.

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Mental Health

Make a Mandatory Vacation Policy Having a mandatory vacation policy will allow your employees to take a break from work no matter what. You can create a few set vacation days a year when the employees will have to go on a holiday or spend time with their loved ones the way they wish to. It could be a week off or more than that, depending upon your work schedules. And this can have an amazing result in your overall work culture. When your employees come back from the vacation, they will be better renewed mentally and will have a healthy sense of purpose at work. Why is this necessary? Well, even though attending the office is important, a lot of the job can be done over the phone. So, even if they are on leave physically, they might have a hard time coping with work as they will be reached out on phone. So, when you have a mandatory leave policy, they will know that they can simply put down their phones and have fun.

Stay Connected in a Fun Way Feeling connected with your coworkers can immensely boost both mental and physical health. It’s just as important as maintaining a healthy relationship with friends and family. Work and family are intertwined and managers should always lookout for ways to bond well with the employees even at work. How to do that? Well, you can fix 1:1 meetings every week with each one of them. Or you can maintain a greet session everyday where each one of them will have to greet their fellow workers with handmade cards, and so on. These simple activities can foster a sense of community and connectivity.

Wrapping it up The last year and a half have induced the feeling of anxiousness in almost all of us. It has always made us more aware of how important mental health is. Losing loved ones or seeing so much despair everywhere isn’t an easy thing to fathom. Hence, apart from maintaining physical hygiene, it’s super important to take care of one’s emotional hygiene as well. And prioritizing workplace wellness is the first step towards building a positive and inclusive working community.

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To know more about such tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance, do not forget to subscribe to the CanadianSME Small Business Magazine.

5 Ways to Supercharge Your Small Business with Creativity Running a business, big or small, isn’t an easy task. Growing a business is all the more challenging. Whether you are a start-up or an established business that you wish to expand, you will require some strategies to supercharge your business. The new year is coming and it could be an amazing opportunity to make a fresh start in your company. Even if things are looking good, a few more steps can put you on the correct path to further improvements.

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In this article, we have curated the 5 easiest ways to help you ensure that your business will not just survive, but will thrive in the years to come. Implementing these changes will put your business in great shape to enter 2022, and will improve a lot of things for the start of a new year.

Small Business 1. Create an Environment of Non-stop Learning For you, as an entrepreneur, you also need to be a good learner. And that learning you should be able to instill within your team. Learning from mistakes is something often overlooked by business owners worldwide. But you should always remember that in order to be a successful manager of your team, you should be able to acknowledge your mistakes, understand what went wrong, and improve on your shortcomings. This not only works for yourself but also for your team, which should focus on continuous learning.

2. Establish a Culture Where Nobody Fears Failure Being creative in your approach also means that you are not afraid of failures. Being an entrepreneur also means that you’ll have struggles in your path. But you should also be able to take those failures in your stride and gear up with a more positive attitude. This works even within a team. Take into consideration the ideas put forth by your team. This will make way for a better understanding of one another. Also, it will keep the fear of making mistakes at bay. Working together towards one single goal would make you all stronger as a team.

3. Be a Multiplier & Build Connections Being a business owner would require you to broaden your horizon. You should know that you cannot gain success alone. Rather, being an entrepreneurial genius would mean that you are ready to bring forth the capabilities and smarts of everyone in your team. Leaders should know their job of building a lot of connections along the way. Also, it will be a good idea to make your team feel responsible and have a stake in every common issue that may arise in your company.

4. Be an Assertive Decision-maker One of the key fundamentals of being an effective business owner is to be an assertive decision-maker. Your employees will never be comfortable working with you if you are slow at making decisions and frequently change your mind regarding the same. In order to be a quality manager, you should be able to make decisions quickly and should also stick to those.

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Small Business

5. Build and Maintain Trust Amongst All

Wrapping it Up

Being a good manager would require you to set good examples in front of your employees. Also, you should always do what you say. Demand from yourself the same kind of professionalism and dedication which you seek from others in your team. Trust your employees and maintain that trust. Trust, once broken, can never be restored to its original state. It is also the most fragile attribute of management and leadership. Keep this in mind while maintaining your team.

In order to be an effective small business owner, you need to keep in mind the abovelisted points. Focusing on the metrics of clicks and likes on social media isn’t enough. You should also be able to successfully integrate your business functions for creating a kind of brand experience that your customers would love. You should always remember that you can do much better. And in order to keep growing positively, you should be able to integrate a few very essential elements to supercharge your business. For more such amazing business tips and tricks for your small, medium, or large-scale business in Canada, subscribe to our monthly CanadianSME Small Business Magazine.

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5 BOOKS EVERY

ENTREPRENEUR MUST READ Did you know that the wealthiest people in the world have one thing in common – 88% of them read for at least 30 minutes a day and 86% of them love to read. If you are a business owner or if you are all set to launch your business anytime soon, this is one habit which you must inculcate too. Reading is something which can support your growth in so many ways, both personal and professional. Books make it easier to think, to ask questions and to find solutions, all at the same time. If you are an entrepreneur, or aspiring to be one, here are 5 must-read books for business owners which you should definitely grab hold of.

Entrepreneur

Enchantment by Guy Kawasaki

As an entrepreneur, you should know the ways of taking care of your customers. Don’t you think you, as a business owner, should spend your money on something which will give your buyers ultimate delight? That’s what Enchantment is all about. Guy Kawasaki, in this book, unpacks this simple, yet difficult, concept in a way that will leave you nodding along with his propositions. You will know the tricks of taking good care of your customers. More than this, you will find a lot of other things which you know about being an entrepreneur.

Key Takeaway: In this book, Guy mentions, ‘There are two kinds of people and organizations in the world: eaters and bakers. Eaters want a bigger slice of an existing pie; bakers want to make a bigger pie.” Basically, the world already has ideas and as an entrepreneur, you should know how to make those ideas bigger in your own way. And you shouldn’t limit yourself by thinking that it’s all been done before.

The $100 Startup by Chris Guilllebeau

To start your own business, you needn’t be a lucky one. Or you shouldn’t be someone with pre-loaded money. You could just be an accidental entrepreneur who will make success in the long run out of the right opportunities and circumstances. Guillebeau gives several examples of people who turned their passion into something profitable. He promotes creative thinking and asks the readers to leverage a natural talent or a loved activity into a successful business model.

Key Takeaway: In this book, Guillebeau says, “Who are your people? You don’t necessarily have to think of them in categories such as age, race, and gender. Instead, you can have them in terms of shared beliefs and values.” He wants all entrepreneurs to forget the oldfashioned demographics while researching their target audiences.

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Entrepreneur

Purple Cow by Seth Godin

The book was first published in 2003 and then revised & expanded in 2009. Godin is one of the supreme entrepreneurial minds worldwide. In this book, he advocates building something which your customers can’t ignore. He, in a way, launched a movement of creating a truly remarkable product which is worth marketing in front of the world. This book is not only limited to the business owners or would-be entrepreneurs, but targets anyone who has something relevant to show to the world. There are a number of other lessons in this book which you will surely take multiple notes of while reading.

Key Takeaway: He writes, “You must design a product that is remarkable enough to attract the early adopters – but is flexible enough and attractive enough that those adopters will have an easy time spreading the idea.” And it sums it all up.

The Fire Starter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte

If you want a little motivation to start your venture, or if you have been looking for that extra push to market your brand, read this book to get motivated the right way. LaPorte writes 16 beautifully crafted sessions of motivated goodness. The way she writes everything, her passion, will actually grab you by your shoulders and will shake you back into action. She provides several personal anecdotes which will make the read all the more relatable. This book is essentially not only a must-read but a re-read one for all aspiring business owners as well as existing entrepreneurs.

Key Takeaway: You won’t find any specific favorite in this book. Rather, the whole book is kind of a takeaway for the readers. She writes, “Make generosity part of your growth strategy. Don’t wait. Don’t wait until your stuff is selling or you’ve got enough of a cushion in your bank account. Don’t wait until you’ve got more time. Give now.” And this says it all, isn’t it?

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Entrepreneur

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

Once you start reading this book, you’d be all fired up to start something new. With several tools and techniques, this book will help you to create and automate your own muse of income-generation. This muse will, in turn, help you to pursue your other business plans better.

Key Takeaway: Ferriss makes a strong point in his book that you need to surround yourself with positive people, as well as the ones who are a little unambitious, pessimistic and disorganized. They are the ones who would help you to become stronger. He mentions that if you wish to win the race, you should have a group around who would push you to go further faster. He writes, ““…you are the average of the five people you associate with most, so do not underestimate the effects of your pessimistic, unambitious, or disorganized friends. If someone isn’t making you stronger, they’re making you weaker.”

Wrapping it Up It doesn’t matter whether you’ve just started as a business owner or you are already an accomplished one, there are always ways which can help you along your path to success. Reading books is one of them. And with this simple and crisp list of the best books for entrepreneurs, you would surely get the motivation and the support that you might have been looking for all this while.

For more such amazing guides, tips and reviews, subscribe to our monthly CanadianSME Small Business Magazine.

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Serving Sol Cuisine to the

US and CANADA

John Flanagan CEO, Sol Cuisine

John has over 25 years of experience in the field of consumer-packaged goods industry. He has worked at senior levels in some of the biggest FMCG giants like Coca-Cola, Nabisco, Unico, and Sun Rich. Prior to being the CEO of Sol Cuisine, John was the CEO of NuStef, a Canadian commercial baking organization. In July 2019, John joined Sol Cuisine as the CEO and has played an instrumental role in professionalizing the company, building the team, securing further equity financing, and growing the overall performance of the business.

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What is the mission and vision of Sol Cuisine? Our vision is to be the leading provider of plant-based alternatives with a wide variety of great-tasting vegan gourmet items. The demand from consumers is exploding and Sol Cuisine’s goal is to be part of the solution for people seeking products that deliver in terms of flavor, texture, and nutrition.

We have been making alternative proteins since 1980 and our passion for great tasting products continues to drive us every day. Ultimately, we want to create more Sol Mates – people who love our products and tell others about them.

Small Business Owners How did you come up with the idea for Sol Cuisine? Also, tell us how are you different from your competitors and why should people choose you instead? Sol Cuisine’s Founder Dror Balshine worked in the construction industry and was constantly on the road traveling throughout Canada. As a vegan, he couldn’t find any options when eating out. He has always been passionate about food and recognized an opportunity to introduce more plant-based products for people like himself, so he started Sol Cuisine. There’s a lot that separates Sol Cuisine from competitors. We’re vertically integrated so we own and control our manufacturing facility with the capacity to grow and lots of domain expertise on how to manufacture superior products. From a business perspective, having the capacity to take our business to $100 million without any additional growth capital is a big advantage. Many companies out there are copacking or trying to fund expansions. Vertical integration enables us to control quality, and having the capacity fully paid for and built out, enables us to focus on growth. Also, the breadth of our product portfolio – we’re not just into one segment (like beef analogs) but rather we produce a wide range of gourmet items that focus on the center of plate segments: burgers, appetizers, and entrees, which are consistently chosen by consumers in blind taste tests and for their superior nutrition profile with the fewest calories, fat, and sodium while being number one in fiber and market equivalent in protein. Plus, we’ve gone a step further by achieving a number of different certifications that are foundational to the business such as HACCP and GMP and our facility is GFSI and SQF certified. On the product side, we have very strong brand credentials because our products are non-GMO, GFI, Kosher, Halal, Canadian, and the USA organic as well as Vegan certified.

Why do you think SMEs need to prioritize investment in machinery and equipment? Quality control. It’s impossible to deliver best-in-class products without having the highest standards. Owning and controlling our manufacturing facility, and the machinery and equipment in it, allows us to do that and increases productivity which frees up resources that get re-invested into strategic areas of the business.

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Fraser Institute's Aug. 10, 2021, report claims corporate Canada's investment in these areas (plus software) is at a 50-year low. Where, in your option, do you think we are lagging? Generally, it requires large investments which can be intimidating for SMEs. However, when you have a clear vision for the future, then investing in your business makes sense because the benefits far outweigh the risks and you can evolve capabilities, expertise and unlock growth.

Small Business Owners Sol Cuisine has invested and built a state-of-the-art 35,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Mississauga. Does this present challenges? If yes, can you elaborate a bit on them? They aren’t challenges as much as they are the realities of operating a sophisticated manufacturing facility that uses automation and other technologies to produce a wide range of products. But having the right equipment is just one side of the coin. Having the right people and processes are also critical success factors. As an example, you need employees with high-level skills in manufacturing, quality assurance, research and development, as well as mechanical and engineering, maintenance, and supply chain skills. There are also the logistical elements of managing this while minimizing disruption to the production schedule.

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Where do you see Sol cuisine five years from now? We currently have 41,000 points of distribution with a vast array of distribution partners in grocery retail and food service across North America and we want to expand that network to capitalize on the growing demand for plant-based food alternatives. We have already generated traction through 2021 with many significant announcements for new and expanded distribution both here and in the U.S. Most recently, we announced we were going national with Walmart Canada and added all the Costco Mexico stores to our roster. We also want toinvest in our brands because we’ve got a great story to tell, and more people should be aware of our superior products.

Setting a Bold Standard in Raw Pet Food Caroline Bolduc President & CEO, Bold By Nature

Caroline is a pet-lover turned raw food pioneer. In 2015,

In 2005, Caroline had a life-altering experience

after her dog Lola was diagnosed with a serious health

that compelled her to re-evaluate her career path

condition, she decided to take matters into her own

and focus on finding meaning and joy in her work.

hands by focusing on Lola’s diet. And after lengthy

After her dog, Lola, was diagnosed with a serious

research, she developed her signature raw blend in her

health issue, Caroline and her husband decided to

own kitchen. And when she saw Lola thrive, she thought

take matters into their own hands by focusing on

of doing something big and better, and something

Lola’sdiet. After lengthy research and consultations

which would help animals beyond Lola. Bold By Nature

with industry experts, Caroline developed her

came into existence right then.

signature raw blend in her very own kitchen. But it was seeing Lola thrive that made Caroline decide

With an unwavering commitment to her pets and the

she wanted to do something big and impactful,

dogs and cats of Canadians from coast to coast,

and something that helped animals beyond Lola. It

Caroline is taking a stance and set a bold standard in

was then that Bold by Nature was born.

raw pet food.

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Small Business A pet-lover turned raw pet food pioneer, Caroline is the heart and soul of the brand. In 15 years, Caroline has gone from experimenting in her kitchen to running a 24,000 square foot state-of-the-art production facility in Erin, Ontario, and shipping pet food that leads the pack in quality, transparency and clean ingredients coast-to-coast. Simply put, Caroline believes pet food should be food, and she is on a mission to offer owners a more natural diet for their pets.

What was the motivation behind coming up with the idea for Bold by Nature? When our dog, Lola, was diagnosed with a serious health issue in 2005, my husband and I took matters into our own hands. After lengthy research and industry expert consultations, we developed our signature blend in our very own kitchen. Made from ground meats, ground bones, beef tripe, organ, and kelp, our innovative blend seemed to boost Lola’s immune system and she began to thrive.

What is the mission of your organization?

At that moment, we took our bold concept to the next

At Bold by Nature, we are committed to crafting raw

getting our product into the hands of owners and

food recipes that help your pet thrive, naturally. We have always believed that pet food should be food, and we are on a mission to offer owners a more natural diet for their pets.

I have always been fiercely committed to my animals, and now, I am proud to be taking what I learned from my pets to better the health of dogs and cats across the country.

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level. We left our careers and decided to invest in stomachs of pets across the country. I consider myself a pet-lover turned raw pet food pioneer.

Small Business

Why should pet owners consider switching to raw pet food? Can you give us an insight into how it’s more

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to feeding your pet a raw diet. One of the most

beneficial?

common is that it can be challenging to make, and

It’s quite simple: our raw recipes are designed to model the

the process pet-owner proof. Our patties are a

natural prey diet that cats and dogs would have eaten in the wild. They are full of meats that are unprocessed and better suited to their digestive systems. And most importantly, you will recognize the name of every ingredient listed in our products – meat, bone, veggies, tripe, organ, and kelp – that’s

even more challenging to switch. But we’ve made simple and easy way to offer your pet a raw diet, and many of our customers say they are able to switch completely and immediately. We’ve made it even easier by revamping our

it.

website. BoldbyNature.com now features a

We recently did a survey of Canadian cat and dog owners

determine which raw diet is best for your pet.

and were shocked to discover only 35 percent can confidently list all the ingredients in their pet’s food. Given how obsessed Canadians are with their pets (we also found 74 percent of Canadians feed their pet before themselves each morning and 55 percent greet their pet before their partners when first coming home!), we want to ensure pet owners understand what they’re putting in their pet’s food bowl each day. Over the past 15 years of developing our Bold recipes, we’ve seen the following benefits within our own pets, and the pets of our customers: improved cognitive function, cleaner teeth, shinier coat, healthier skin, and smaller stools.

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Product Selector questionnaire to help There is also a Feeding Calculator to determine how much to feed your pet.

Small Business Why should people trust Bold by Nature? Also, what are your plans and aspirations for your company in the next five years? We are known for being trusted. For the past 15 years, we have been crafting pet food that leads the pack in quality, transparency, and clean ingredients. There is no fine print in our ingredients. Our products are locally prepared. Bold By Nature products are hand-crafted in our 24,000 square foot state-of-theart kitchen in Erin, Ontario. We always seek fresh veggies from Canadian farmers, and our patties contain whole food ingredients, which means no fillers or artificial flavors. When we started our company in 2005, we had a bold goal of being one of Canada’s leading suppliers of raw pet food. Today, we offer over 40 tasty treats, meals, and products for pets available in over 2,000 pet food stores coast-to-coast, making that dream a reality. We are one of Canada’s fastest growing companies.

Looking ahead, over the next five years we plan to continue our aggressive 40 – 50 per cent year-over-year growth to become the top raw pet food company in the country. We are also working to develop new products, including launching a full line of pet supplements.

Small Business How do you feel being a woman entrepreneur in a quite stringent and competitive business environment?

I’ve been lucky to participate in events and discussions with small business owners in the past and when asked how to keep going during challenging times, here’s my go-to advice:

It is powerful and exciting; being a woman entrepreneur is my superpower. In the pet industry, most of our customers are women, so as a woman, I can relate to and understand what they want for their pets and deliver a superior customer experience with a quality product. The competition aspect is not something I often think about, to be honest. I am an entrepreneur, and over the years, I have developed the confidence to go toe-to-toe with male peers to secure my seat at the table. While I do believe leadership is something you are born with, it’s also something you can evolve over time as you continue to learn through new experiences. In the early days, as a young female entrepreneur, it was very difficult to get the respect I deserved. It was difficult to be labeled things like “emotional” by my male counterparts, but you learn to brush it off, move forward, and remain focused on your goals.

What suggestions do you have for small-scale businesses that are finding it hard to pull through during these challenging times? One thing I have learned is no matter the size of your business, there will always be a fire that needs to be put out. One of my longest-standing employees always asks me how I remain so calm in times of stress. My reply is simple: “We work hard, we always try to do the right thing, and things always work out.” You must be resilient, and you must be resourceful. It can be easy to bury your head in the sand and want to quit. Don’t do it. Keep pushing forward; there is always a solution to every problem, and never take no for an answer.

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1. Never lose sight of the big picture. 2. When problem-solving, think outside the box. Get out of your head and your comfort zone. I have removed “We can’t” from my vocabulary. We can do anything; we just haven’t figured it out yet – but we will. 3. You will have to make sacrifices, but that’s okay. They have always been worth it. 4. Don’t be afraid of change. Change is good; change pushes you to the next level. Embrace change. 5. Delegate, delegate, delegate. You simply can’t do everything yourself. And on that note, when you find good people, treat and pay them what they deserve – even if you are not sure where you will find the funds to pay them! I promise the loyalty it inspires is key to the success of you and your business.

CanadianSME Small Business Magazine 2021

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