Stepping Up for Small Businesses

JONATHAN N. BORRELLI

2025 MBOT Chair | Partner, KMB Law

As we embrace the change in season, it is essential to highlight Small Business Month in October Small businesses are navigating significant pressures, including rising input costs, tariff uncertainty, and the cost-of-living squeeze. While these challenges persist, this is not the time to retreat. Now is the time to sharpen our approach and seize opportunities. The following tips highlight strategies many small businesses are using successfully.

Together, we can turn challenges into opportunities. Let us embrace these strategies with confidence and shape a stronger future for our businesses and our community.

1) Provincial Tax Deferral is Over

The special six-month provincial tax deferral “holiday” is over. Recall that Ontario allowed businesses to defer payments on 10 provincially administered taxes (like EHT, Fuel/ Gasoline Tax, Beer/Wine/Spirits, and others) only from April 1 to October 1, 2025. Filings were still due on time, but now that it’s October, that tax bill is now due. Ensure your remittances are up to-date and submitted, and make sure your cash-flow is set up, so you are not surprised later this year.

2) Payroll: Adjust and Plan Now

On October 1, 2025, Ontario’s general minimum wage was increased forty cents or 2.33% to $17.60/hour. Now is the time to reprice quotes, revisit schedules, update employment contracts, complete performance reviews, and make sure your people resources are trained and ready for the busy holiday season. As a reminder, “server wages” are long gone; they earn regular minimum wage. Student minimum wage is at $16.60/hour now.

3) Employment Standards: Don’t Fall Behind (Except If You’re Small)

Most employers in Ontario are dealing with even more changes to employment laws in Ontario in 2025 and 2026. But if you are small (under 25 employees), then you are not legally required to make these adjustments. But it is good for small businesses to know what their competition is doing, and what they may have to do when they start growing.

Larger businesses must comply with all the following either now or soon:

• A publicly available job posting must have a salary or salary range of no more than $50,000 detailed on the job posting (unless the salary is over $200,000).

• Canadian experience is not allowed to be in a publicly available job posting or associated job application form.

• Disclosure of the use of AI to screen, assess or select applicants.

• Disclosure of whether the job posting is for an existing vacancy.

• Mandatory contact within 45 of any person interviewed for a job.

• Retaining copies of every publicly advertised job posting and application form for 3 years and retaining a record of the info provided to interviewees for 3 years.

• Providing written confirmation of the employer’s legal name, operating name, contact information, description of the workplace, compensation information, pay periods, pay days, and initial anticipated hours of work.

4) WSIB: Real Money Back in Your Pocket

The WSIB has been giving small business tangible relief. Premiums in 2025 dropped on average to $1.25 per $100 of insurable payroll, which is the lowest in 50 years (WSIB, Nov. 21, 2024). If your small business has been safe, make sure your business has been receiving their WSIB surplus rebates (check your Statement of Account). If you did not see a credit, prioritize what was blocking you, be it outstanding filings, safety gaps, or classification issues. The WSIB also runs the Health & Safety Excellence Program (HSEP) which pays a minimum $1,000 per completed topic, plus extra where your business’ action plan is approved.

Mississauga’s small businesses are the reason our city hums. When you read “Stepping Up”, I hope you are not thinking “hang in there” but instead “Let’s Plan and Execute!” As MBOT Chair, I am with you along the way. This is your moment, small businesses: take the limelight!

MBOT has an exciting Fall and Winter lined up and I hope all our members (especially small businesses) take advantage of everything MBOT and Mississauga has to offer.