CanadianSME March Edition 2020 by CanadianSME

ISSUE 16 - MARCH 2020

CANADIANSME Empowering Canadian Small & Medium Businesses

Top 25 Inspirational Women In Canada PC PARTNER

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How to Become the Next CFO Get your company in tip-top shape by focussing on these four areas

Do you have ambitions to move to the C-suite? If so, your timing couldn’t be better. The demand for more CFOs in Canada is at an all-time high, and only heading higher. To help you plan and execute a successful transition, we’ve gathered together insights from today’s most successful CFOs, executive recruiters, and industry experts. In our ebook, How to Become the Next CFO, you’ll find practical advice, tips, and tools that will help you gain the skills and credibility needed to make the move. In particular, you’ll learn: • The fundamentals of the CFO role • The financial and professional skills you need to master before putting your name forward • The technological expertise all modern CFOs must now have, plus • How to get from where you are to where you want to be We also highlight 4 common myths about the CFO role and provide a quarterly action plan template you can use today to get started.

Technology Trends CFOs Should Watch Think your primary role as CFO will be that of the stereotypical bean counter? Think again. With each new year, executive teams are looking to their CFO to both understand and champion how technology is used to streamline operations and drive growth. As a finance leader, here are the 5 top technology trends that should be on your radar: 1. Predictive analytics and data will continue to drive business decisions. 2. Robotics will take over more back-office operations, like accounts payable and accounts receivable.

4. Cybersecurity will remain a hot topic, as CFOs will increasingly become responsible for risk management. 5. Technology and flexible analysis will play greater roles in the budgeting process.

3. The next generation of cloud computing will spark the explosion of connected devices and more real-time user interfaces.

The future is up to you As the role of CFO continues to expand and evolve, dedicated finance leaders will have the opportunity to move from where they are today to the C-suite. With an honest self-assessment, a strong network, and a commitment to proactively fill knowledge gaps, you can give yourself a competitive advantage in the job market when the time is right.

Start your journey toward the C-suite today by downloading our free How to Become the Next CFO ebook! Download your free guide

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WELCOME

March is upon us and with it marks the end of a season and the beginning of a new one. The spring season is of new beginnings and opportunities. It’s time to re-evaluate your business goals and explore new opportunities that can take your business to the next level. Being open to new ideas contributes to your business’s success. At CanadianSME, we believe entrepreneurs who keep an open mind and are actively looking for new opportunities are the ones who will succeed in the long run. Being open to new business opportunities is one of the keys to success, but it’s also crucial to remain vigilant. Protecting your business from cyber threats and attackers is very important to ensure its success. Therefore, we have dedicated our March issue on cybersecurity. Every entrepreneur has a mission when it comes to their business, and it’s not only to ensure that their business is successful but to ensure that it is safe and secure from any potential online threats that can cause significant harm or compromise their integrity. Nothing is worse for a business owner to lose the trust of its customers due to a security breach that could you could avoid. In today’s world with new technological advancements and discoveries, cybersecurity has never been more important. The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) revealed that in 2018, 40% of SMEs were victims of a cyber-attack within the last 12 months. At CanadianSME, we pride ourselves to helping businesses succeed and grow. In this month’s issue, we’ve included articles and interviews from top industry leaders that will provide useful tips and tools to entrepreneurs to protect their business from cyber-attacks. Among our exclusive interviews are Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Jeff Dawley, President and Founder of Cybersecurity Compliance Corp., Adam Evens, VP of Cyber-Operations and Chief Information Security Officer at RBC. We have included articles with important information about cybersecurity such as Good Cybersecurity is Crucial for SMB Growth by Sean Forkan who is the VP and Country Manager at VMWare in Canada. Winston Stewart, President and CEO of Wincon Security talks about the importance of protecting your business in his article Why you need to stress-test your security infrastructure. In the spirit of International Women’s Day which took place on March 8th, we’ve compiled a list of the Top 25 Inspirational Women in Canada. As always, we hope you enjoy this month’s issue and find valuable information that can help you as you navigate the journey of entrepreneurship. CanadianSME is always here to provide a helping hand and guide you on your path to success. Until next month, happy reading!

Thanks for your support!

www.canadiansme.ca info@canadiansme.ca canadiansme canadian_sme canadiansme Publisher Shaik Khaleeluddin (SK)

Webmaster Ashraf

Consulting Editor Shiraz Siddique

Social Media Cmarketing Inc

Creative Designer Rakibul Islam

Photography Ahsan Khan 416 617 3058

Client Manager Sheliza Yacoob

Contributors Ryan Wozniak Adam Evans Adam Edmonds Shiraz Siddique Rocco Rossi

Jeff Dawley Matthew Bogart Winston Stewart Karen Hayward Sean Forkan

Ken LeBlanc Walter Melanson J. Denise Castonguay Lissa Ricci

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ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) ISSN 2562-0649 (Print) ISSN 2562-0657 (Online)

Published by Cmarketing Inc 2800 Skymark Avenue, Suite 203 Mississauga, ON. Canada. L4W 5A6. Copyright © 2020 CMarketing Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is prohibited.

The contents in CanadianSME Magazine are for informational purposes only. Neither Cmarketing, the publishers nor any of its partners, employees or affiliates accepts any liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of its contents. Images used in this publication is for illustrations purpose only, all the images/photos belongs to their respective owners.

CONTENTS 36

THE NEW E-CLASS: Intelligence is getting exciting

ONE ON ONE WITH ROCCO ROSSI

EXCLUSIVE CHAT WITH ADAM EVANS

President and CEO of Ontario Chamber of Commerce

Vice-President, Cyber Operations & Chief Information Security Officer at RBC

BREAKING DOWN CYBERSECURITY BARRIERS FOR SMEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

JEFF DAWLEY President and Founder Cybersecurity Compliance Corp.

THE HONOURABLE MARY NG

Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade

GOOD CYBERSECURITY IS CRUCIAL FOR SMB GROWTH By: Sean Forkan, VMware Canada

INTRODUCING CISCO DESIGNED FOR BUSINESS

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Click. Ship. Save. Freightcom has automated the shipping process to bring you a hassle-free shipping experience. Simply enter the details of your shipment, get instant quotes and book your order. Your shipping labels, customs forms and invoices are generated automatically!

Preferred customer service Businesses reported losing billions of dollars annually due to poor customer service, which is why Freightcom offers a dedicated team that will consult and assist with any of your shipping needs.

Get the best shipping rates All the rates provided from national carriers are prenegotiated on your behalf, meaning less work for you and bigger savings. Enter the details of your shipment and all applicable carriers, service levels and pricing options will be available to you immediately.

Everything in one place Spend less time on the phones or logging onto different carrier sites to compare prices and track your shipments. Freightcomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s online platform allows you to quote, book, track your shipments and pay your invoices in one convenient spot.

Contact your local Chamber for your Chamber Member Discount Code and sign up today at www.freightcom.com/chamber.

Preparing for a Pandemic: Coronavirus in Your Workplace

Preparing for a Pandemic The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidelines on their website for employers to follow when preparing their business to react to a pandemic. Employers are advised to allow absences due to personal illness, the illness of family members, community containment measures and quarantines, school and business closures and public transportation closures. Managing Absences

By: Ryan Wozniak, Senior Vice President of Legal and Operations, Peninsula

Employees

and

All employees exhibiting relevant symptoms, even if they are mild, should be told to self-isolate at home according to regular company sick leave procedures. Employees should also be advised to visit a health care practitioner and to inform their public health authority.

s the number of coronavirus cases in Canada grows, it is increasingly important for everyone to play their part in containing its spread. Care must especially be exercised in public spaces and workplaces, which are frequently large, open and high in density, making it easy for the virus to be transmitted.

Since the recommended quarantine period for the coronavirus is 14 days, many businesses would have to make the exception and go beyond their regular sick leave allowance. As some employees cannot afford to miss pay, employers should consider providing paid sick leave to ensure that they are able to remain at home.

However, many Canadian businesses do not have a plan for dealing with the coronavirus. How can employers prevent its spread to their workplace and what should they do if they have an employee who has contracted the virus?

Preventative Measures for Businesses

Travel

Can I send an employee home as a precaution if they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sick?

Employers should make employees aware of government travel advisories, discourage vacations to affected areas and cancel any workrelated travel at this time. Employers should be flexible and accommodating with how employees choose to get to work, as some may prefer to avoid taking public transit.

Employees who are not yet experiencing symptoms can be sent home as a precaution if: 1) they have recently travelled or have been in contact with someone who has travelled or is sick, 2) they are provided full pay. However, employers must be careful to only send employees home if they have good reason to do so. Sending an employee home without reasonable cause could lead to a discrimination claim to the business

Hygiene Common spaces should be cleaned daily, thoroughly and frequently. Frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, phones, keyboards, desks and countertops should be disinfected often. Employers should also remind employees of correct hygiene procedures when washing hands, when handling equipment and products and to cough and sneeze into tissues or into the crook of their elbow. Tissues, hand sanitizers, disinfectant wipes, face masks and disposal bins should be made available to staff in your workplace

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

Sick

Ryan Wozniak Ryan graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2005 and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2006. Prior to joining Peninsula, Ryan practiced litigation for 14 years with a particular emphasis on employment law. Ryan has appeared as lead counsel before all levels of court throughout Canada, including the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Commercial List court, the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the British Columbia Supreme Court, the Tax Court of Canada and the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as before federal labour arbitrators.

About Peninsula Peninsula is a trusted HR and Health & Safety advisory, serving over 80,000 small businesses worldwide. Clients are supported with ongoing updates of their workplace documentation and policies as legislation changes. Additionally, clients benefit from 24/7 employer HR advice and are protected by legal insurance. Contact us today to learn more about how we help employers succeed: 1-833-247-3652.

New Research Identifies Opportunities to Support Small Business Success

he Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s (OCC) fourth annual Ontario Economic Report (OER) reveals opportunities where both business and government can focus to create an environment more conducive to small business success. The inaugural Small Business Friendliness Indicator (SBFI) measures Ontario’s competitiveness from the perspective of small businesses. For 2020, the SBFI score is -9, (on a scale of 100 to -100) indicating that the business environment poses some challenges for firms with fewer than 99 employees. However, through measures such as investment in online services and support for regulatory compliance, industry and government could improve that score. “The results indicate that the Government of Ontario is on the right track by focusing on efforts to digitize government services, expand access to broadband, and cut red tape. However, more work remains to be done,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO, OCC. “Small businesses are powerful drivers of economic growth across Ontario: they constitute 98 percent of all businesses and 30 percent of the provincial GDP. Together, small businesses employ nearly three million Ontarians and represent over two-thirds of private sector workers. Given the share of the economy this sector represents, ignoring their competitiveness is like ignoring business competitiveness overall.” The SBFI is intended to provide an assessment of the ease of business in Ontario across seven different metrics; this year the scores for three metrics were positive: the helpfulness of the Province in starting a business, the ease of licensing, and the delivery of useful training and networking programs from a variety of sources. CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

•

Other highlights from Economic Report include:

the

Ontario

The confidence gap, which measures the difference between business’ confidence in themselves and in Ontario’s economic outlook, widened in 2020 to near historical levels. Although organizational confidence remains high, business confidence in the broader economy dropped seven percentage points in 2020, explained in part by lowered growth expectations nationally and globally. Beyond this, challenges related to the costs of doing business, the high cost of living, and the province’s debt continue to be top of mind for OCC members. Infrastructure investment, such as transportation and broadband internet, topped the list of business. priorities for government, followed by reducing regulatory burdens, lowering the cost of living, and reforming business taxes.

•

“Restoring Ontario’s competitive advantage has been a top priority for our government—including easing regulatory burdens on business and lowering the small business tax rate. It’s also why we announced our plan to develop a Small Business Success Strategy—in partnership with business—this year,” said the Honourable Prabmeet Sarkaria, Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction. The SBFI also revealed that small business owners are eager to embrace more online services from government, especially with respect to regulatory compliance. The report’s author, Daniel Safayeni, Director of Policy at the OCC, added: “The Ontario Economic Report, including the Small Business Friendliness Indicator, is a useful tool to inform government on where to reduce barriers and increase investment to support business competitiveness across the province.”

Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s fourthannual Ontario Economic Report Introduces New Small Business Friendliness Indicator

Challenges related to accessing financial capital, attracting and retaining talent and burdensome regulations continue to compromise the ability of many of Ontario’s community to compete effectively with other jurisdictions. Despite these challenges, Ontario’s principal economic indicators remain sound, albeit subdued, heading into 2020, but economic growth is expected to vary greatly across the province. The forecasts show employment and population growth in the Greater Golden Horseshoe and Ottawa surpassing other parts of Ontario, reinforcing a decade-long trend of imbalanced economic growthacross the province.

“

The Ontario Economic Report was made possible by support from Hydro One. “Safe and reliable power is essential to unlocking economic development and meeting the unique needs in each region across the province. Hydro One is committed to investing in infrastructure that boosts Ontario’s economy for businesses large and small,” said Mark Poweska, President and CEO of Hydro One. “Hydro One energizes life and the economy by working with customers, municipalities and other stakeholders.”

About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the independent, non-partisan voice of Ontario business. The OCC’s mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen’s Park on behalf of its network’s diverse 60,000 members.

Education is key to effectively

financing small business growth,

finds Scotiabank survey

he Scotiabank Women InitiativeTM report finds 65 per cent of women small business owners in Canada would like to learn more about sources of financing

Education is key to effectively financing small business growth, finds Scotiabank survey (CNW Group/Scotiabank) Education is key to effectively financing small business growth, finds Scotiabank survey (CNW Group/Scotiabank) The research, conducted by Scotiabank, in consultation with Dr. Barbara Orser and Dr. Allan Riding of the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa, was undertaken to better understand the financial knowledge and confidence gaps of women entrepreneurs. 1000 entrepreneurs participated in the online survey conducted between October 18 and 29, 2019.

“

“To date, the majority of studies have focused on general financial knowledge,” says Gillian Riley, President and CEO, Tangerine Bank, and executive

“

The Scotiabank Women InitiativeTM released a detailed research report – Financial Knowledge & Financial Confidence, Closing Gender Gaps in Financing Canadian Small Businesses – that outlines unique insights into how women entrepreneurs approach the financing and growth of a business.

sponsor of The Scotiabank Women Initiative. “This is among the first studies to focus on women entrepreneurs

and

knowledge in Canada.”

small

business

financial

About The Scotiabank Women Initiative

Some of the key findings include: Among all business owners surveyed, 38 per cent do not have a business budget, regardless of level of financial knowledge or gender. Two-thirds of survey participants – both men and women – perceive that it is important to grow the scale or scope of their businesses; 32 per cent of women business owners and 26 per cent of men business owners expect sales revenues to grow by more than 10 per cent per year. Canadian women entrepreneurs recognize their need to further enhance their small business financial knowledge.

The Scotiabank Women Initiative is a comprehensive program to help advance women-owned and women-led businesses across Canada through three key pillars: Access to Capital, Mentorship and Education Since launching in December 2018, The Scotiabank Women Initiative has achieved several notable milestones. In September 2019, the Bank committed to deploy three billion dollars in capital to women-led businesses in its first three years. The program has engaged more than 1,500 women through our Boot Camps and group mentorship sessions across Canada. We formed The Scotiabank Women Initiative Advisory Board of Scotiabank executives, who provide expertise to help women grow their businesses through facilitated small group mentorship sessions and we developed an online Knowledge Centre for self-directed learning. For more information on The Scotiabank Women Initiative™, visit -scotiabankwomeninitiative.com.

“The Closing Gender Gaps in Financing Canadian Small Businesses report allows The Scotiabank Women Initiative to continue to enhance the Education pillar of our program through online and in-person tools and resources,” says Riley. “Our goal is to empower women and support them in taking their businesses to the next level. We have an opportunity help women business owners increase their overall level of financial knowledge and we encourage entrepreneurs to use these insights to grow and thrive in their business.”

To read the full report, visit our website.

About Scotiabank Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: “for every future,” we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of approximately 100,000 employees and assets of approximately $1.2 trillion (as at January 31, 2020), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS).

For more information, please visit- http://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews. SOURCE Scotiabank

Air Canada Salutes Achievements of Present and Next Generation of Women in Aviation

our aspiring young Canadian women aviators

The winners of the inaugural Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship, awarded in partnership with the Northern Lights Aero

named as inaugural Captain Judy Cameron

Foundation, each receive $5,000 toward their studies in aviation.

Scholarship recipients Historic flight from

(CNW Group/Air Canada)

Toronto-Edmonton operated with all-female crews, guided and coordinated by all-female

NAV Canada Air Traffic Controllers from departure through arrival Air Canada marked Women of Aviation Worldwide Week leading up to International Women’s Day 2020 by celebrating the achievements of its women employees while also looking ahead to the next generation of women aviators as it announced four admirable winners of the inaugural Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship.

“

The winners of the inaugural Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship, awarded in partnership with the Northern Lights Aero Foundation, each receive $5,000 toward their studies in aviation. (CNW Group/Air Canada) Additionally, for the fifth consecutive year, Air Canada featured a flight operated with all female pilots and cabin crews, and supported by female maintenance, dispatch, ramp, baggage, customer service and operations teams. Flight AC167 from Toronto to Edmonton on March 5 also made history by being the first transcontinental flight to be guided by all-female Nav Canada Air Traffic Controllers from departure in Toronto to landing in Edmonton.

“We see diversity as an important strength for

“We actively advance diversity through several

“This scholarship will help other women overcome

a global company like Air Canada. Women here

initiatives, and we are especially thrilled to champion

financial barriers to pursue their dreams, whether

have shattered glass ceilings throughout, holding

the next generation of women in non-traditional

flying airplanes or fixing them. Thank you to Air Canada

professional careers ranging from commanding

aviation careers by announcing the winners of the

for making it possible for me to experience the most

the most sophisticated aircraft globally, overseeing

Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship, named in honour

amazing career in the world and for encouraging other

technical,

operations,

of our trailblazing, accomplished first female pilot. Our

young women in their passion for aviation. I admire the

occupying C-suite and the most senior international

message to young women is to follow your aviation

determination that these four amazing young women

leadership positions, and in leading and providing

dreams and know there are rewarding careers for all

have to pursue their flying. Their accomplishments

customer service,” said Calin Rovinescu, President

qualified people.”

to date are outstanding. One day, I expect to be

airline

“

multidisciplinary

and Chief Executive Officer at Air Canada. “We

a passenger on an Air Canada airplane and hear

proudly salute and celebrate the achievements and

them make the announcement, ‘This is your Captain

contributions of the nearly 16,000 women who

speaking’,” Judy said.

work at Air Canada around the world today.

The winners of the inaugural Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship, awarded in partnership with the Northern Lights Aero Foundation, each receive $5,000 toward their studies in aviation. All four are also pursuing their commercial pilot’s licence. They are : Yasna Taieb - second year aviation student at Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre and Conestoga College, Canadian Armed Forces reservist and first-generation Afghan Canadian. Urooj Ali – studying Geography and Aviation at the University of Waterloo, joined the Royal

may not have the financial means to do so.

Air Canada has been recognized multiple years as one of Canada’s best diversity employers through its multi-pronged initiatives to foster a diverse workforce across its 37,000 employees worldwide. Approximately 16,000 are women, with women comprising 33 percent of Air Canada’s senior management decision makers. Additionally, 45 percent of the management team are women, and 45 percent of recent promotions have been to women.

Canadian Air Cadet program at the age of 12, successfully completed the Glider Pilot Scholarship in Quebec at the age of 16 and became the highest-ranking and sole female cadet with a pilot’s licence. Rebecca Beylerian - pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Calgary, Jazz flight attendant, volunteers with the Civil Aviation Search and Rescue Association (CASARA), Air Cadet Program, Elevate Aviation, Ninety Nines and Women in Aviation, President of the Alberta Rocky Mountain High Women In Aviation (WAI) Chapter, Calgary. Olivia White - completing a Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautics Leadership at the University of Windsor, volunteers with Air Canada Rouge for the Girls Take Flight event in Oshawa. The Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship recognizes and celebrates the achievements of accomplished women studying in aviation and aerospace. Air Canada has committed to awarding $20,000 per year for three years. It is open to young women pursuing nontraditional aviation careers as commercial pilots or aircraft maintenance engineers who

About Air Canada Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline serving nearly 220 airports on six continents. Canada’s flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2019 served over 51 million customers. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 62 airports in Canada, 53 in the United States and 101 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,250 airports in 195 countries. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax, which also named Air Canada the 2019 Best Airline in North America. For more information, please visit: aircanada.com/ media, follow @AirCanada on Twitter and join Air Canada on Facebook. SOURCE Air Canada

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

Samsung Canada Launches Buy Now, Pay Later Financing Program with PayBright Samsung Electronics Canada today announced a partnership with PayBright, Canada’s leading provider of installment payment solutions, to offer its customers 0% financing* for 12, 24 or 36 months when purchasing or upgrading select mobile products at Samsung Experience Stores and on Samsung.com/ca

“We are excited to offer our customers a flexible and affordable way to get the latest product innovations from Samsung, including the new Samsung Galaxy S20 series 5G,” says Jennifer Safruk, Vice President, Mobile Business, Samsung Canada.

“PayBright is delighted to partner with Samsung Canada to bring convenient installment payments to more Canadian consumers, both online and in-store,” says Wayne Pommen, President & CEO of PayBright “Samsung’s customers will benefit from a fast, simple, and transparent checkout experience that allows them to pay over time – with no hidden fees or surprises.”

“

Those eager to get their hands on the Samsung Galaxy S20 Series 5G can do so as of today as devices are available online and in store. Visit-https://shop.samsung.com/ca/financing for more details.

About Samsung Electronics Canada Inc. Customers wishing to take advantage of the new financing options should visit a Samsung Experience Store or Samsung.com/ca to get approved in three easy steps: Select PayBright at checkout: add your item to your cart as usual, and select PayBright as your payment method. You will then be redirected to PayBright to view your payment details. Apply online: Apply with PayBright’s easy online application in a few seconds and get an instant approval decision. Enjoy your purchase: Once you complete your checkout with PayBright, we’ll process and ship your order.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

Samsung Electronics Canada inspires Canadians to reach their full potential through a transformative ecosystem of products and services that deliver innovation and distinct design to every aspect of their connected lives. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, virtual reality and wearable devices, tablets and digital appliances. In 2019, Samsung was ranked as one of Canada’s “Most Admired Brands” in Leger’s Corporate Reputation Study.” “Best Global Brands” list. Dedicated to helping make a difference in the lives of Canadians, Samsung’s award-winning corporate giving initiatives support public education and health-related issues in communities across the country. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com/ca.

About PayBright: PayBright is Canada’s leading provider of installment payment plans for e-commerce and in-store purchases. Through partnerships with over 5,700 domestic and international retailers, PayBright allows Canadian consumers to buy now and pay later in a quick and easy experience. PayBright is fully integrated with leading retail partners including Wayfair, Samsung, eBay, Endy, Casper, The Source, Lenovo, Sleep Country, Steve Madden, and Bestseller. PayBright’s installment plans range from 4 bi-weekly payments for smaller purchases up to 60 months for larger purchases, with interest rates as low as 0%. Headquartered in Toronto, PayBright has provided Canadians with over $1.5 billion in spending power since inception. For more information, visit www.paybright.com.

*Some conditions apply. On approved credit. Offer valid from March 6, 2020 to March 31, 2020. Purchase from www.samsung.com/ ca eligible Samsung Products with the www. samsung.com/ca financing plan offered by Paybright (“Paybright”) on a 12, 24 or 36-month term with 0% interest. To qualify for financing, minimum purchase value of cart must be $300 before taxes and fees. You may not be eligible for 0% interest plan. Your monthly payment amount, the interest you will pay, and the loan terms available depend on your personal credit profile. If you are not approved for 0% interest, you may be offered a payment plan with an interest rate greater than 0%. Monthly payments may include a monthly Processing Fee of $6.95 Estimated monthly payment amount excludes taxes, shipping, and other fees. Eligible Samsung Products are: Smartphone devices, cases, tablets, wearables, chargers, AKG audio, and SmartThings products in all models and colours. This offer may be amended or cancelled at any time. Financing provided by PayBright. All transactions are subject to approval by PayBright. Financing offers may vary from time to time. Financing offers may vary for customers in the Province of Quebec. See www.paybright.com/faq for more information. SOURCE Samsung Electronics Canada Inc.

Top 25 INSPIRATIONAL Women In Canada

The Honourable Mary Ng

Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade The Honourable Mary Ng was elected as Member of Parliament for Markham–Thornhill in April 2017. Minister Ng is a devoted community leader

omen entrepreneurs are leaving their mark on the world. By creating successful companies, they are contributing to the betterment of the economy. Female entrepreneurship is vital for our future. Collectively we can make a change by closing the gap between men and women in the workforce. The International women’s day campaign is focused on the equality of both genders. We are responsible for our actions as individuals but together we can change and improve the stereotypes around gender inequality. This isn’t just an issue that women face in society, but more specifically in the business world. Women are being paid a lot less than men are in the corporate environment and its time we come together to create a change in the workplace. By having more female entrepreneurs are encouraged to share their ideas and start their businesses, we are creating a healthy balance in the community which will allow it to thrive and develop. Imagine having the business environment being made more productive and wealthier by allowing female entrepreneurs to showcase their talent by having encouragement from the community as a whole, not just the business environment. We’ve narrowed down a list of the top 25 Canadian women who have built their own enterprise from the ground up and who are empowering other women to follow in their footsteps.

who has always believed in the power of public service. She has 20 years of experience in the areas of education, women’s leadership, job creation, and entrepreneurship.

Janet De Silva

President & CEO at Toronto Region Board of Trade

Minister Ng immigrated to Canada from Hong

Jan De Silva is a seasoned international business

Kong with her family, and grew up learning about

executive with a proven track record of excelling in

the struggle and eventual success that many

on-the-ground leadership roles.

new immigrants experience in Canada.

As President & CEO of the Toronto Region Board of

Her years working for the Ontario Public Service, Ryerson University, and the Ontario

Trade, Jan is spearheading efforts to make Toronto

Ministry of Education led to her being recognized as one of Canada’s top-performing public

one of the most competitive and sought-after

sector leaders. She later served as Director of Appointments for Prime Minister Justin

business regions in the world.

Trudeau.

Prior to joining the Board, Jan spent 14 years in leadership roles in Asia. She served as CEO of Sun Life

Rola Dagher

President - Cisco Canada Describing herself as a proud Lebanese and grateful Canadian, Cisco Canada’s President

Financial’s Hong Kong subsidiary and Mainland China joint venture. She co-founded and was CEO of Retail China Limited, which was acquired in 2010. She later served as Dean of Ivey Asia, leading the Hong Kong campus and Asia operations of Ivey Business School of Western University.

Rola Dagher appreciates every part of her journey – the journey that led her to Canada and provided her with every opportunity to make something of herself. Dagher began her career in technology 30 years ago and her focus on customers, people and leadership continue to define the leader she is today – a servant leader. She believes that to serve your customers you need to serve your people, the common denominator for success. This is what drew her to Cisco in 2017; the unyielding focus on customers, the culture of putting people first and the engrained values of giving back. And, at the heart of all this is technology – the foundation for all that we do, the catalyst for economic development in Canada and the driver of human progress. At Cisco Canada, Dagher’s focus starts and ends with creating the best place to work for employees. She truly believes that in the digital age an empowered, inspired, the inclusive, diverse and adaptable workforce is fundamental to any company’s success. She also

Manjit Minhas CEO of the Minhas Brewery

Manjit Minhas, is a Canadian entrepreneur, television personality, and entrepreneur. She is the co-founder and CEO of Minhas Breweries & Distillery, manufacturer of such beer brands as Boxer Lager & Pilsner and Mountain Crest Classic Lager. Manjit is the star of the CBC reality television series Dragons’ Den since 2015.

believes that through the power of technology, we can build a bridge between hope and possibility in Canada and in the world.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

Eva Wong Co-Founder & COO Borrowell Eva is Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Borrowell, a Canadian fintech company that helps consumers make great decisions about credit. She provides leadership to the Product, Engineering, Design and Data teams and is a member of the Executive Team. Eva’s career has spanned both the private and not-for-profit sectors, including roles at The OTF Group (a Monitor spin-off), Maple Leaf Foods, UNDP and Oliver Wyman. She has studied or worked in the US, Caribbean, Africa, Asia and Europe. Eva is an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2019 award winner in Ontario, and was named one of the Standout 35 globally on the 2018 Women in FinTech Powerlist. Eva is a frequent speaker at events, and was named one of 20 Canadian tech start-up founders to follow by Twitter Canada. Eva holds degrees from Harvard University and Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, where she serves on the Advisory Board. Photo Credit: Tom and Keidi Photography

Carinne Chambers-Saini

SHAHRZAD RAFATI CEO of BroadbandTV Corp

Carinne Chambers-Saini is the CEO and co-founder of Diva International Inc., a multi-national corporation that manufactures the DivaCup, sold in over 40,000

Shahrzad Rafati is the Founder and CEO of

retail outlets and in 29 countries. Carinne founded

BroadbandTV (BBTV), a media-tech company

Diva in 2001 with her mother, Francine and they

that is advancing the world through the

became advocates of women’s health and disruptors

creation,

of a male-dominated industry. As a leader in

monetization of content.

menstrual care, Carinne is also fighting for menstrual

Shahrzad actively pursues ways to encourage

equity through Diva’s CSR program, DivaCares. She is

social change and is a champion for equality in

the Executive Producer of Pandora’s Box, a feature-

all forms. She is passionate about job creation,

distribution,

management,

and

length documentary that explores period stigma

education, and advancing opportunities for

worldwide. In 2019, she received the RBC Women

women and girls. In September 2018, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed

of Influence Trailblazer Award, among many other

her to represent Canada on the G20 Business Women Leader’s task force, a

distinguished awards.

global initiative to drive actionable, measurable, and results-driven solutions to impact women’s economic empowerment.

Tonia Jahshan

Founder/President at Sipology by Steeped Tea. Keynote Speaker. W100 Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneur 2016. It has been a wonderful journey steeped in more ups than downs, all of which taught me something about business and, more often than not, about myself. I love sharing the Steeped Tea story in hopes that someone listening will be inspired to take a risk, find their passion and live their purpose. Steeped Tea began in a basement and became a multi million dollar Profit 500 company. That road to success had its fair share of twists and turns, ups and downs and many points along the way where my passion was challenged by doubt. Perseverance, commitment and focus are some of my core values, honed in real life experience. These principles, fuel my pursuits and help me inspire others to dream big. Creating and inspiring entrepreneurs is what we do through Steeped Tea and the lessons we’ve learned have value far beyond our industry. My keynotes are delivered with a good dose of humour and humility. I’m known for connecting with audiences in a way that inspires them to act, rather than listen and leave. Sharing my success through a frank and self- deprecating lens is authentic to who I am, all I stand for and I’ve learned, the most compelling way to share and inspire lasting change.

“

My ultimate goal, is to share my story as a way of paving the road for someone else to discover, chase and live their own.

s the Co-Founder, President and former CEO of Startup Canada, the national rallying community supporting and giving a voice to Canada’s 3.5 million entrepreneurs. She is an innovation policy and program architect, ecosystem diplomat, and an angel investor passionate about fostering equality, hope, peace, and prosperity through entrepreneurship. Victoria is recognized by the United Nations Development Programme and the European Union as one of the foremost experts

in entrepreneurship education; ecosystem and program architecture, governance, development and implementation; and, in fuelling entrepreneurship movements and awareness campaigns. As one of Canada’s leading proponents of entrepreneurship and innovation, Victoria works alongside government, industry, and entrepreneurs to construct the nation’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and to ensure that the right policies, programs, and enabling frameworks and infrastructure are in place to compete and thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Victoria Lennox CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

Amanda Lang

Business Journalist & Author Author, The Beauty of Discomfort Amanda Lang rejoined BNN Bloomberg in January 2018, returning to the channel she helped create almost 19 years earlier. As New York correspondent, she was a key part of the team that launched BNN Bloomberg’s predecessor, ROBTV, in 1999. Lang has been covering business news in North America for 20 years. She started her journalism career at The Globe and Mail and then the National Post, before moving into television with ROBTV and then CNN. Lang returned to BNN Bloomberg/ROBTV in 2002 as anchor of the network’s flagship morning show before creating and hosting SQUEEZEPLAY, a nightly issues-driven debate show with Kevin O’Leary. In 2009, Lang left BNN Bloomberg to join the CBC as its senior business correspondent. Most recently she worked as an anchor for Bloomberg Television Canada. Lang studied architecture at the University of Manitoba before becoming a journalist. Her best-selling book, The Power of Why, (HarperCollins, October 2012) explores the connection between curiosity and success. Her second book, The Beauty of Discomfort, was published in 2017.

Carolyn A. Wilkins Senior Deputy Governor Bank of Canada Carolyn A. Wilkins was appointed Senior Deputy Governor for a term of seven years beginning May 2, 2014. In this capacity, she oversees the Bank’s strategic planning and economic and financial research. As a member of the Bank’s

Christiane Germain

Governing Council, she shares responsibility for decisions with respect to monetary policy and financial system

Co-Founder & Co-President Group Germain Hotels

stability. Ms. Wilkins also oversees the Bank’s analysis

As Co-President of Group Germain Hotels, Christiane Germain oversees

monetary policy decisions. She is a member of the Bank’s

operations and marketing for all of the Group’s properties. Dynamic, tenacious, and inventive, her entrepreneurial qualities have been honoured on several occasions by Canada’s business and tourism communities. After over 30 years in the industry, Christiane is especially proud to be able to offer career opportunities to people who share the values of the Group Germain

of international economic developments in support of Board of Directors. Ms. Wilkins is the Bank of Canada’s G20 and G7 Deputy. She represents the Bank on the Financial Stability Board (FSB) Plenary and is a member of the FSB’s Standing Committee

Hotels family.

on Assessment of Vulnerabilities. She is also a member of

Committed to the economic vitality of the country, Christiane attaches great

Group on Finance and Technology and the Group of Trustees

importance to the development of Canadian talent, which she supports particularly through the local procurement policy implemented by the Group. In addition to presiding over a growing business, Christiane Germain is chair of the board of directors of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and is involved in supporting numerous charities.

the International Monetary Fund’s High-Level Advisory of the Principles for Stable Capital Flows and Fair Debt Restructuring at the Institute of International Finance. She previously represented Canada on the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) and co-chaired the BCBS Working Group on Liquidity.

Catherine Roome

President and Chief Executive Officer, Technical Safety BC Catherine is a courageous, visionary leader who is relentlessly driven to change the world and believes that people have an extraordinary ability to bring a shared vision into reality. Her passion and commitment to growing the next generation of leaders inspires the modern, diverse people practices at Technical Safety BC. One of BC’s senior leaders in the engineering and technology sector, Catherine has consistently delivered game-changing strategies that use technology innovation for public good. A “futurist,” she is building Technical Safety BC’s place in the algorithmic economy using predictive insights to create long-term, sustainable social and financial value, as she steers the organization towards its vision of Safe technical systems. Everywhere.

Laurie Schultz President & CEO, Galvanize

With 30 years of experience, Laurie has led several multimillion-dollar software businesses where she has both doubled revenues and doubled profits by empowering change and relentlessly focusing on the “right critical few.” Since being appointed CEO of Galvanize in 2011, Laurie has successfully repositioned the company to one of Canada’s top 100 and Best Managed employers; enjoying “top quad” analyst recognition on a build/buy/re-brand formula obsessed with disrupting its category while profitably delivering high double digit revenue growth.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

Jennifer Safruk

Vice President, Sales and Product Management, Mobile Samsung Canada As Vice President of Sales and Product Management for Samsung Canada’s mobile division, Jennifer Safruk is a veteran technology and mobile communications executive with extensive experience at some of the world’s largest technology companies. Jennifer is responsible for overseeing the mobile sales and product management teams for Samsung Canada, including the company’s integral relationships with carriers and retailers. Prior to joining Samsung, she spent more than three years as Vice President at HTC working in Canada and the U.S., oversaw North American Sales for Symphony Teleca, and was instrumental in the launch of Palm’s webOS. Jennifer began her mobile career with Openwave in Canada in the early days of the industry, where she helped launch the first WAP gateway and location-based services in Canada. Jennifer earned a Master degree in Political Science from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario..

Mairead Lavery

President and Chief Executive Officer Export Development Canada Mairead Lavery joined Export Development Canada in 2014 as Senior Vice-President for Business Development. From day one, she has been a passionate promoter of the Crown corporation and Canada’s exporters. Appointed President and CEO on February 5, 2019, Mairead is determined to see EDC help thousands more Canadian companies “go, grow and succeed internationally.” Prior to EDC, Mairead held numerous executive roles at Bombardier. During sixteen years, she managed large and complex portfolios, including Finance, Strategy, Business Development and Business Transformation. Since coming to EDC, her focus has been on expanding the Crown corporation’s impact in support of Canadian exporters by understanding their needs and championing their objectives here in Canada and in markets around the world.

aayan Ziv is an activist, a photographer and an entrepreneur based in Toronto, Canada. From a young age, Maayan challenged norms and worked within her community to increase awareness of disability issues and improve accessibility. Living with Muscular Dystrophy, Maayan is a passionate and relentless advocate for creating a more accessible world. In 2015, Maayan founded AccessNow, a crowdsourced app to map the accessibility status of locations worldwide. She has since been a

regular media commentator in the media on topics such as disability and inclusion. In 2016, Maayan received the City of Toronto Access Award and the David C. Onley Leadership in Accessibility Award in recognition of her innovative solutions and commitment to improving the lives of people of all abilities.

Maayan Ziv Founder, CEO AccessNow

“

Mandy Rennehan CEO, Freshco

When Mandy Rennehan was twenty years old in 1995, she founded Freshco. The company is a full-service 24hour on call retail maintenance provider which covers all of Canada and the eastern U.S.A. Being the first female in a male-dominated industry, Freshco is now the most successful retail maintenance and construction company in Canada. Her high-profile clients include Apple, The Gap, Nike and Tiffany & Co. She is paving the way for more women to enter male-dominated industries and encouraging them to be entrepreneurs.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

Melissa Kargiannakis Founder and CEO of skritswap Melissa Kargiannakis

is the award-winning Founder and CEO of

skritswap - a start-up that swaps complex jargon into plain, easy-tounderstand language. Melissa won the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada. She’s also won awards from the Queen of England and the Women of Influence RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards. She led skritswap to win the Top 20 Most Innovative Companies in Canada. Melissa exemplifies tenacity, grit, and impressive intellectual horsepower. SHe gracefully balances both approachable vulnerability with never-ending strength. Melissa has a history of radical leadership. She brings the zest and charm to any conversation. She has been leading teams for the last decade from her university dorm room to Silicon Valley today. Melissa has published Master’s research and would love to hear from you on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Michele Romanow

SHANNON BYRNE SUSKO

President & Co-Founder and President, Clearbanc

Founder & CEO of Metronome United

Tech Titan, Michele is the youngest ever entrepreneur

Shannon is the creator of the 3HAG and lead trainer of

to join CBC’s hit show Dragons’ Den. She previously co-

Certification. Shannon has over 20+ years experience

founded e-commerce platforms SnapSaves (acquired by

building and leading high-growth technology companies in

Groupon) and Buytopia. Michele is ranked in WXN’s “100

the financial services industry. She is co-founded, served

Most Powerful in Canada” and listed as the only Canadian

as CEO, and led the sale of the two companies less than

on Forbes’ “Millennial on a Mission” list. She is a director

six years apart: Subserveo, Inc (Founded in 2008 * Sold

on the board of Vail Resorts, Freshii, SHAD, Smith School of

2011) and Paradata Systems Inc. (Founded in 1995 * Sold

Business and League of Innovators.

in 2006). Shannon is an expert in strategy and execution. She is well known for her ability to lead and execute with her team in implementing a repeatable Strategic Execution System – creating it in her first company and validating in her second company by the speed in which the company was built and sold. She now coaches’ CEOs and leadership teams from around the world who want the same success using the same system.

Andrea Stairs

General Manager, eBay Canada & Latin America As the general manager of eBay Canada & Latin America, Andrea Stairs leads the regional strategy and operations for one of the world’s largest online marketplaces. In this role, Andrea is responsible for delivering buy- and sell-side services to eBay’s community of Canadian and Latin American users – from individual consumers to established brands and retailers – and for overseeing eBay’s Canada & Latin America’s functions, including marketing, product management, business development, and public and government relations.

Arlene Dickinson

General Partner of District Ventures Capital. Arlene Dickinson is the General Partner of District Ventures Capital, a venture capital fund focused on helping market, fund and grow entrepreneurs and their companies, in the food and health space. She is a three-time best-selling author and accomplished public speaker. Dickinson is widely recognized for her role as a Dragon/Venture Capitalist for over 12 seasons on the multi-award-winning television series, Dragons Den. Ms. Dickinson’s leadership has been recognized many times, including Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Hall of Fame, the Pinnacle Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, as well as PROFIT and Chatelaine’s Top 100 Women Business Owners. She is a Marketing Hall of Legends inductee and a proud recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Award. Dickinson has served for many years as an Honourary Captain in the Royal Canadian Navy.

Shannon Lewis President, Canadian Media Directors Council An executive communications leader, with 18+ years of international experience in the advertising, media and communications industries. Passionate and driven. Shannon champions CMDC’s business objectives with sound strategy, inspired creativity, and humanity. Her mission is to shape the new direction of CMDC. Shannon’s operating mandate is to bolster trust by delivering greater – and lasting – value to CMDC members and partners. Currently, CMDC member media agencies account for 80 per cent of the total annual advertising investment in Canada. CMDC actively operates to ensure a fair & progressive marketplace on behalf of its clients, agencies, and media partners.

Samra Zafar

Speaker, Author, Human Rights Advocate Samra Zafar is an award-winning international speaker, bestselling author, and social entrepreneur who advocates for equity, inclusion, and human rights. After escaping a decade of abuse living as a child bride in Canada, she pursued her education as a single mother working multiple jobs and completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Economics from the University of Toronto with the highest distinction, winning over a dozen awards and scholarships. She was named the top student in Economics and was the recipient of the most prestigious John H Moss Award, a $17k scholarship awarded to the single most outstanding student across the University’s three campuses.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

EYE ON TECH INTRODUCING

CISCO DESIGNED FOR BUSINESS

By Lissa Ricci, VP of small business solutions, Cisco Canada When I speak with small business owners and entrepreneurs, I often see the confusion on their face. “Cisco? Who are they are? What do they do? They make technology? For small businesses?” If you are a small business leader and aren’t familiar with Cisco, you aren’t alone. For more than 30 years, we’ve made high-quality technology products for really big companies. And we are really good at it. But we also make really great technologies for small businesses, because we believe you deserve the same products and services.We just haven’t always been great at telling you about them, and how they can help your business. That ends now. This month we launched Cisco Designed for Business, a portfolio of products that are just that – designed for you. And I’m very excited to tell you about it. What is Cisco Designed for Business? Cisco Designed for Business is a portfolio of Cisco products that have been CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

designed or curated for small businesses. Simply put, it is a collection of our products that are best suited to help organizations like yours connect, compute, and collaborate securely. What does that mean? It means cloud-based security and meetings products that you can purchase for a small monthly subscription fee. It means high-quality networking products that deliver reliable connectivity and robust features that aren’t available from competitor solutions. It means technology that lets you focus on your business, not the technology running it.

What products are part of Cisco Designed for Business? The Cisco Designed for Business portfolio includes both on-premise technologies and cloud-based technologies. On-premise technologies are products that you install within your business and are physically located there, like phones or wireless access points. Cloud-based technologies are accessed over the internet.

Here are a few of the products, and what they do, that are part of the Cisco Designed for Business portfolio: •

Cisco Webex: cloud-based voice, video and meetings products that help your employees and customers stay connected, no matter where

•

Cisco Meraki: networking switches, access points, and routers that keep you connected to the internet

•

and your customers on Wi-Fi.

they are.

Cisco Umbrella: a cloud-based secure internet gateway that protects your employees from accessing malicious websites online.

Here is some of the criteria that may make Cisco Designed for Business right for you: We invest in product development Cisco has invested many billions of dollars in our own R&D and homegrown portfolio, as well as in acquiring some of the best technologies on the market. Cisco Meraki and Duo multi-factor security are just two examples. We are constantly improving our products and enhancing their features to deliver better value to you, our customers.

I firmly believe that technology should be foundational for all businesses. So beyond a network, decide what your business goals are and how technology can help you achieve them. You may find that you have a need for many products, or just a few. If you aren’t certain how to align your business goals to technologies, look to a trusted partner that can help you make those connections.

We believe in simplicity We have made it easier to buy, install, and manage our solutions. Cisco Designed focuses on taking technology challenges off your plate, so you can focus instead on how technology is driving your success. We understand business We know that running your business comes first. And we know that technology can be a business driver, or a business impediment. That’s why we curated the Cisco Designed portfolio around what our products help you achieve: faster, more reliable internet connectivity. Secure, meet-from-anywhere meetings. More productive employees. Happier customers

If you have questions about Cisco Designed or how to incorporate technology into your business, contact me at lisricci@cisco.com. I believe that technology should allow you to focus on running your business. Because our business is IT. Yours is up to you.

If I’m just starting to evaluate my technology needs, where should I begin? Every business needs internet connectivity. Start by evaluating what kind of networking products will give you the reliable, secure connection your employees and customers need. Then ensure you choose an option that gives you room for growth, so that you don’t need to upgrade in the short-term. Next, consider the size of your IT team if you have one. Some networking products are complicated to manage, others are simple. Some can take a long time to provision and troubleshoot, others can take mere minutes.

Lissa Ricci

Vice President Of Small Business Solutions for Cisco Canada Lissa Ricci is vice president of small business solutions for Cisco Canada. She is passionate about technology and how it can help growing businesses achieve their goals. See how our solutions can help your business at cisco.com/ca/smb.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

EXCLUSIVE CHAT WITH

Adam Evans

Vice-President, Cyber Operations & Chief Information Security Officer at RBC

As VP of Cyber Operations and Chief Security Officer at RBC,Adam Evans had a chat with CanadianSME to discuss the importance of cybersecurityand his tips and advice on how to effectively implement protective measures to allowyour business to succeed in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digital age

Image credit: RBC

dam Evans is VP, Cyber Operations and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). As CISO, Adam is responsible for establishing and executing RBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cyber security vision and strategy to ensure RBC assets and technologies are protected. In his role as VP, Cyber Operations, Adam is responsible for Security Operations, Threat Intelligence, Defensive Threat Operations, Application Resiliency, Data Protection, and Vulnerability & Endpoint Management operations for RBC globally. Adam has over 16 years of experience in the financial services industry as a security professional, developing cyber security talent and directing multi-milliondollar projects and cyber security operations initiatives.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

1. As Vice-President, Cyber Operations and Chief Information Security Officer at RBC, can you tell us a little bit about your role to give our readers a better understanding of your responsibilities? As Vice-President of Cyber Operations, my role is focused on RBC’s security program and operations. We have a Security Operations Centre that monitors, tracks and responds to any threat against the organization. My team runs the operational and network security tools, and we can customize those tools to ensure they remain adaptive and can address the threats we face on a daily basis. I’m also responsible for red teaming and penetration testing, which are proactive techniques used to identify any possible cyber vulnerabilities, and making sure those programs are operationally effective. The other side of my job is the Chief Information Security Officer role. This involves speaking to employees, clients and the public, meeting with different government bodies and academic institutions, and speaking at industry conferences. I also meet with clients and regulatory bodies to educate them on the programs we operate and how to protect themselves online. 2. What are some of the strategies and initiatives that RBC has implemented to help its clients against fraud situations? Our main initiatives have been around educating and building programs that help protect our clients from threats. The resources are posted on our cyber security online portal, and they allow us to educate Canadians about common tools and tactics that threat actors use, including: social engineering, phishing attacks, malicious emails, and personal information collected through social media. We try to educate consumers on the best ways to protect themselves online and how to have good cyber hygiene. We advise Canadians to do things like operate from a safe and secure email account, use devices that are properly updated with security software, and to maintain the best possible cyber security practices. In addition to the education programs for our clients, my team is responsible for the security of RBC’s digital platforms and systems, which ensures that all transactions and interactions between us and our customers are as secure as possible. The preparation needed for cyber events that target us and the broader financial industry involves robust testing plans, and figuring out scenarios that ensure we have the right strategies in place to combat the threats. Our partnership with the Canadian Cyber Threat

Exchange (CCTX) is an important part of our overall strategy and making sure we’re prepared if attackers are targeting us, and how to deal with it in order to protect the organization.

“

3. In your expert opinion, what is the most important aspect of cyber security and how can it impact the success of a business? The most important part of cyber security is the human factor, and every organization deals with a few fundamental issues. The first one is the proliferation and adoption of technology. Every organization ¬¬¬– whether small, medium or large – is going through a digital transformation in some way, shape or form by offering more services online, and our objective is to ensure that those services are protected by educating the person in charge.

other business risks, and for that reason, management’s understanding of this risk isn’t as mature as it could be. It also comes down to preparedness and knowing who to call in a time of crisis. With cyber security, it’s not a matter of if businesses get hit, it’s when they get hit. So businesses need to be able to mobilize themselves very quickly so they can protect their crown jewel assets (e.g. customer data). Then it’s about understanding what that impact might look like. Do they have contracts set up with breach service providers, law enforcement agencies and cyber consultants? These arrangements can help them through that process and respond to the issue. Cyber-attacks are not something that will happen every day, so being prepared is equally as important as understanding the risks to your business. 5. What advice can you give to business owners when it comes to applying security measures against cyber-attacks and fraud? My advice would be to sit down with the stakeholders and decision-makers of their organizations and understand what their crown jewel assets are. If data gets compromised, they need to make sure they build a plan to understand who needs to be there, the immediate actions that need to happen, and how best to respond to the issue in order to protect their important assets.

The second part is understanding the organizations that are targeting those online business services. Threat actors are commoditizing crime, so it’s important to understand the tactics and methods they use to target organizations like RBC and others. Talent is the third component. You need to acquire the right cyber talent to help you with any problems that might arise. You also have to educate your workforce by making sure they understand their role in protecting the enterprise. Lastly, your customer base also plays an important role as they should understand the part they play in protecting themselves and your business.

6. On a final note, can you tell us about any future projects and strategies that you’re hoping to put in place?

4. What would you say is the biggest challenge that owners face? The biggest challenge is understanding the risks that you need to manage as an organization. With small and medium businesses, you need to understand what your crown jewel assets and services are, like customer data and intellectual property. This will allow you to identify and understand what the main risks to your overall business are, and it will ultimately allow you to build and implement programs that can manage and protect those assets.

Over the next five years, we’re implementing a strategic investment with a Catalyst platform at Ryerson University in Brampton. We’re helping to build a curriculum that will allow us to deliver relevant educational capabilities, and help educate students and organizations like ours. We’re doing this in order to upskill the workforce and inspire students, whether the students become cyber professionals or not. By investing in the talent pool across different organizations, either by bringing in new graduates or upskilling existing staff, we hope to raise overall cyber hygiene and build more resiliency across sectors to deal with threats that are targeting Canadian businesses.

Cyber security is no different than any other business risk that a business owner manages. It’s just that this one is less understood than CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

5 WAYS TO DISTINGUISH AND RETAIN YOUR VALUABLE CUSTOMERS USING INTELLIGENT CRM Here’s how intelligent CRM can help you take your business to the next level

any factors contribute to the success (or failure) of a business, with client satisfaction being one of them. In fact, some may argue it is the most important – happy clients are loyal and can provide the best indirect – or direct - marketing around. And while every business is different, in the age of the customer, CRM and extraordinary customer service go hand-in-hand.

In financial services world, your clients expect your due diligence, however, they also expect deeper relationships, and personal touches that show you value their business. Here are five ways that investing in intelligent CRM will help you maximize productivity, strengthen client relationships, and ultimately increase your AUM:

Engage with customers in a more meaningful manner

The right CRM can incorporate sophisticated Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools – that go beyond financial touchpoints – to boost engagement with customers. For example, an AIpowered tool could match relevant news articles or upcoming training sessions to client profiles, which can then be delivered to each client as unique content. This is turn makes your client feel you understand their needs, and want to help them stay current on topics that matter to them.

Get a more complete understanding of who your customer really is And on the topic of personal touches, according to one study, 68 per cent of customers need to feel appreciated to stay loyal to a business. Integrated CRM pulls data from back-office systems and third-party applications, doing all the heavy lifting so you never have to miss another milestone that could make or break your customer’s loyalty. Let it automatically prompt you with timely, appropriate reasons to call your clients, whether it’s a birthday, upcoming retirement, or the birth of a new family member.

And on the topic of personal touches, according to one study, 68 per cent of customers need to feel appreciated to stay loyal to a business. Integrated CRM pulls data from back-office systems and third-party applications, doing all the heavy lifting so you never have to miss another milestone that could make or break your customer’s loyalty. Let it automatically prompt you with timely, appropriate reasons to call your clients, whether it’s a birthday, upcoming retirement, or the birth of a new family member.

Minimize Room for Mistakes In today’s world due diligence is key, and organizations that don’t have systems to track all client communications and interactions could be at risk. For example, the financial services industry has been hit with scandal, turbulent markets – you name it – and this has resulted in a need for better regulatory processes, compliance efforts, and demand for high level accountability. Leveraging a modern integrated CRM software with a centralized security model, sophisticated reporting capabilities, flexible auditing capabilities, and a repository of client interactions and customer risk tolerance documents can protect your business, and eliminate your margin for error without compromising how you serve your clients.

Give more to your customer while sacrificing less By allowing your intelligent CRM to identify repetitive day-to-day tasks and how to simplify them, you get more time and productivity back to spend on the important things like facilitating meaningful client interactions, which brings us back to point one and allows for easier facilitation of authentic client relationships.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

Incorporate the right amount of personal interactions

Adam Edmonds, VP, Products, NexJ Systems With almost two decades of experience developing customer management solutions in financial services and insurance, Adam Edmonds is responsible for establishing overall product vision and designing easy to use solutions that solve financial advisor’s problems. Integration is the cornerstone of success for any successful CRM strategy, and investing in a sound, intelligent CRM is a surefire way to guarantee consistent conversions and longevity.

NexJ Systems: NexJ Systems develops Intelligent Customer Management products for the financial services industry. Its award-winning products are designed to help Wealth Management, Private Banking, Corporate and Commercial Banking, and Insurance firms revolutionize their business. Powered by artificial intelligence, its products help drive productivity, boost client engagement, and increase revenue. With users in over 60 countries, its customers benefit from its deep expertise across financial services verticals, strategic investment in innovation, and commitment to their success.

Quantum Direction

he theories developed in Science have always held a certain curiosity and captivation as to how they apply to business. Take Quantum Physics for example, but more specifically Quantum Mechanics. The idea of tiny particles of energy aligning their vibrations towards a potential self-defined outcome is fascinating. If you have ever heard a charismatic salesperson move you to buy a kitchen gadget you will never use, then you have experienced Quantum Direction opening your wallet to spend your money!

SHIRAZ SIDDIQUE While simultaneously delivering recordsetting sales results in various Sales Leadership roles, Shiraz Siddique has been actively training, consulting and delivering keynotes for more than 20 years in both the Academic and Corporate world. His passionate and innovative delivery style allows him to navigate past the reality that most people want to learn but do not enjoy the traditional process of learning. Through easy to apply techniques and strategies, he helps companies generate the types of results they have always felt they are capable of. LEVERAGE CONSULTING Frustrated after seeing poor ideas get adopted over far superior strategies, Leverage Consulting was founded on one question, “Why doesn’t the best idea always win?” That forced a flip side question, “Why do my prospects consistently select us over the competition?” Whether delivering group presentations or connecting 1:1, we work with Leaders, Salespeople and Entrepreneurs to grow their persuasion and influence. We guide our clients through the process of Calculating, Calibrating and Clearly Communicating their product, service or idea. Our sessions are deliberately designed to challenge participants’ thinking. Our priority is to ensure the learning experience is connected, relevant and enjoyable. We go beyond building successful training programs – we believe in building successful people through skill, confidence and presence. Ensure your idea wins in your next team meeting or client presentation. www.findyourleverage.ca

Here’s another example. Let’s say you decide to stay at work late. Energy is then directed to inform someone you will be getting home later. They then remind you it’s your night to make dinner so you swing by a restaurant to pick up your go-to Thai meal (and no, they have not yet signed up for your favorite food delivery app yet!) . Your decision directed the Quantum (defined as energy) of the cook to prepare a meal for your family. That’s Quantum Direction. Your decisions drive the direction of your energy and of those around you. Our theory of Quantum Direction has three elements…

1. Be aware of our Options and Biases. The more research and information we gather, the more informed our decisions become - better information equals better decisions. Yet, even great information can be clouded by the biases of our past experiences and other influences. Unfortunately, lingering negative Quantum (aka a bad experience) can minimize the potential of future expectations based on previous performance. The same is true for positive Quantum that directs us to choose the same vendor, restaurant or hairstylist because of the great experiences we had. Point is, inform yourself of more options that are available, then filter out biases that can get in the way of landing on the best direction. If we always let our future live up to our past experiences, we may limit innovation.

2. Make a Decision! Once you have concluded your deliberation, Decide! The difference between knowing better and doing better is the difference between those who become leaders and those who stay in junior roles for most of their careers. The concept of paralysis by analysis is fed by fears like making the wrong decision and being rejected for it. Avoid stalling and take a calculated risk! There is no guarantee we will always make the right decision, but we are guaranteed that progress only happens when we actually make informed deliberate decisions. If we lack intentionality in our decisions, our energies receive their marching orders from others who did not shrink away from making decisions. When we find others making decisions for us, that’s living by default - not design. Nothing happens until we set a course of action leading to alignment of our energies that propel us in the direction of our choices.

3. Live with your choices or do something about it! When ideas are abandoned fairly quickly, we haven’t given the chosen direction ample opportunity to develop the flavours they were intended to add. I ama firm believer in failing fast however be sure that someone on your team was not waiting for it to fail because their initial biases would not allow them to buy-in to begin with! An enabling factor in Quantum Direction is the more force or Quanta (collection of energy) you apply towards any direction, the more other particles of energy rally around it. Growing your communication skills allows you to expend your energies towards gaining buy-in which leads to greater force - stronger alignment of energy. As we harness the understanding of Quantum Direction, imagine the impact it will have on our Sales Engagements and Service opportunities? Consider how aligning the direction of your collective energies will create a force that would be hard for anyone to resist but cause them to jump on board and go along for the ride! That’s the Power of Quantum Direction !

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

New Research Identifies Opportunities to Support Small Business Success

•

Other highlights from Economic Report include:

the

Ontario

•

Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s fourthannual Ontario Economic Report Introduces New Small Business Friendliness Indicator

“

3. Statistics have shown that 98% of businesses in Ontario are SMEs. There’s no doubt they have their fair share of challenges. What do you believe is the biggest challenge that SME owners face in Ontario when it comes to building a strong viable business? We survey our members on an annual basis, and we just released our latest Ontario Economic report, so I’ll have our members speak to that question. The number one issue that SMEs raise in terms of the prosperity of their own business is the skills challenge. It is making sure that we’re skilling and re-skilling our people to meet the job needs of today and in the future. The cost structure remains a huge issue for many of our businesses, from taxes to the cost of energy. The regulatory environment is very important to our businesses. In Ontario, we have almost 400,000 regulations compared to British Colombia which only has around 200,000. With fewer regulations in the books, British Columbia still takes care of its environment, its people and its safety. So, the more regulations that are added, the more time it will take away from businesses and cost them more money. Therefore, the more streamlined the regulations can be, the better it will be for business owners.

“

Photo credit: CanadianSME

4. In your expert opinion, what are the three main aspects that contribute to the success of a small business in Ontario and across Canada. We are fortunate to have great universities and colleges. While there is a skills challenge, we have an abundance of great institutions helping great people to find work. Immigration has been a key success story for Canada. We are built on immigration; we have one of the most open immigration systems in the world. Last year Canada grew at the fastest rate in 100 years at the same time when the United States grew at the slowest level that it has in 30 years. That gives us the advantage of having some of the most educated and highly skilled individuals from around the world. We are located beside the world’s largest and most dynamic economy, the United States – a huge advantage, from our transportation network to the Great Lakes. In fact, if the Great Lakes region was a country it would represent the world’s third-largest economy

5. The inaugural Small Business Friendliness Indicator (SBFI) was developed. What significance does this have for small Businesses in Ontario? Every businessman understands, to get better you have to measure what matters. If we want a more friendly business environment, then it’s important to have a scale that we can test on an annual basis that demonstrates to the government, to the public, and to businesses that we are going in the right direction. The Small Business Friendliness Indicator (SBFI) is the firstever for us and it has given us a benchmark to measure on an annual basis to see whether or not we’re improving. The SBFI has a scale that goes from -100 to +100. This year with all of the factors including that which the government can and can’t control, the overall score is -9, so there’s work to be done. The important thing is that moving forward, we now have a baseline to see what direction we’re headed in.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

6. What are the most important findings from the Ontario Economic Report (OER) that you would like to share with our readers? An important finding out of our OER carries on from work that we did last year in our report, The Great Mosaic: Reviving Ontario’s Regional Economies, which looked at the regional economic differences in our province. We are blessed to be in the largest, most diverse economy in Canada, but there’s no getting around the fact that there are in effect two Ontario’s. The Greater Golden Horseshoe has been growing at a tremendous rate for the last 20 years and yet, Northern and Eastern Ontario, with the exception of Ottawa, are seeing job and population declines. That is something that we as a society and the government need to focus on to ensure we have more distributed economic development throughout the province to keep the whole province strong. We developed the inaugural Small Business Friendliness Indicator (SBFI) on a go-forward basis and have some key priorities that the business community needs government action on, namely more investment in infrastructure. There have been several announcements regarding infrastructure investment, but we need those shovels in the ground. This is not only about roads and public transit, but also broadband internet into rural and remote communities to help with that regional economic growth and continuing the red tape streamlining efforts of the government. They have a minister and deputy minister assigned to red tape reduction and those are very important initiatives. 7. When it comes to competing in the global marketplace, what advice can you give to SME owners? My advice is to understand that there is a whole world outside of Ontario and even outside of the Canada-US trade. I’m proud to say that we have been building our relationships with counsellors and diplomatic staff from countries around the world. For many years, the US was our only trading 8. What are some of the programs and resources that the Ontario Chamber of Commerce partner and with the opportunity presented today, provides to SME owners when it comes to helping them grow in the global marketplace? we have free trade agreements that have been signed with Europe, South Kora, CPTPP, Japan, South We have been staging a series of meetings with the consular staff of those countries so that East Asia, and hopes to quickly ratify the USMCA. We people can learn about opportunities available. One of the biggest obstacles to more trade have more free trade agreements today, with access around the world is simply ignorance, people not understanding the opportunities, the products to more markets than any other country on earth. and services that are in need, what the steps are to start a business, to start trading, or to make Moreover, look at the globe like your potential market an investment in those countries. That is part of what we offer and what many of our chambers and there’s no end to the growth you can have. also offer. As well, we offer day to day services for companies, everything from shared medical benefits to group RRSP programs, to help you attract and retain great talent. 9. What do you believe are some of the changes that the government of Canada should put in place to further attract global investors towards Canadian SMEs? We need to keep building on some of the initiatives that we have already put in place concerning greater infrastructure investment. We need to continue the work on reducing and streamlining the regulatory burden, and we need to review the tax system. There are several initiatives that we’d like to see happen, not just at the provincial level, but at the federal level. We’re going to need to come together as a society and as a country to a more transparent process around taking on large projects. The recent blockades and the difficulties we’re having with long-standing and legitimate grievances by our first nations, and the rules of the roads when it comes to starting big projects are all things we need to agree on. Investors will not invest in areas of uncertainty and we have unfortunately been creating more uncertainty than we should be. 10. On a final note, this new year marked the start of a new decade. What are your projections for the next decade for Canadian SMEs compared to the last one? One of the earliest Prime Minister of Canada, Sir Wilfrid Laurier said that the 20th century would be Canada’s century, and I think the 21st century will also belong to Canada. So, the next decade will be even more amazing than the last one. The only obstacle to greater growth is ourselves. We need to focus on removing that obstacle by continuing to be open within our own borders and to the world. We need to innovate, focus on productivity, training and re-training of our population to continue to give us a tremendous advantage in the world economy. CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

Dell Technologies Research:

Cyber Attacks and Disruptive Events Are on the Rise, affecting 82% of Organizations Surveyed Dell Technologies Global Data Protection Index 2020 Snapshot shines light on key challenges impacting data protection readiness according to 1,000 IT decision makers across 15 countries. •

Organizations manage 13.53 petabytes of data on average, a staggering 831% increase since 2016

•

he estimated total cost of data loss increased to more than $1 million per organization over the last 12 months, on average

•

More than half of organizations struggle to find adequate data protection solutions for emerging technologies like 5G and edge infrastructure (67%), and AI and ML platforms (64%)

Full story The Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) Global Data Protection Index 2020 Snapshot reveals that organizations on average are managing almost 40% more data than they were a year ago. With this surge in data comes inherent challenges. The vast majority (81%) of respondents reported their current data protection solutions will not meet all of their future business needs. The Snapshot, a follow-on to the biennial Global Data Protection Index, surveyed 1,000 IT decision makers across 15 countries at public and private organizations with 250+ employees about the impact these challenges and advanced technologies have on data protection readiness. The findings also show positive progress as an increasing number of organizations – 80% in 2019, up from 74% in 2018 – see their data as valuable and are currently extracting value or plan to in the future. “Data is the lifeblood of business and the key to an organization’s digital transformation,” said Beth Phalen, president, Dell Technologies Data Protection. “As we enter the next data decade, resilient, reliable and modern data protection strategies are essential in helping businesses make smarter, faster decisions and combat the effects of costly disruptions.”

Costly disruptions rise at alarming rates According to the study, organizations are now managing 13.53 petabytes (PB) of data, nearly a 40% increase since the average 9.70PB in 2018, and an 831% increase since organizations were managing 1.45PB in 2016. The largest threat to all this data seems to be the growing number of disruptive events, from cyber-attacks to data loss to systems downtime. The majority of organizations (82% in 2019 compared to 76% in 2018) suffered a disruptive event in the last 12 months. And, an additional 68% fear their organization will experience a disruptive event in the next 12 months. Even more concerning is the finding that organizations using more than one data protection vendor are approximately two times more vulnerable to a cyber incident that prevents access to their data (39% of those using two or more vendors versus 20% of those using only one vendor). But, the use of multiple data protection vendors is on the rise with 80% of organizations choosing to deploy data protection solutions from two or more providers, up 20 percentage points since 2016. The cost of disruption is also increasing at an alarming rate. The average cost of downtime surged by 54% from 2018 to 2019, resulting in an estimated total cost of $810,018 in 2019, up from $526,845 in 2018. The estimated cost of data loss also increased from $995,613 in 2018 to $1,013,075 in 2019. These costs are significantly higher for those organizations using more than one data protection vendor – nearly two times higher downtime-related costs and almost five times higher data loss costs, on average. CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

Emerging technologies challenge data protection solutions As emerging technologies continue to advance and shape the digital landscape, organizations are learning how to use these technologies for better business outcomes. The study reports that almost all organizations are making some level of investment in newer or emerging technologies, with the top five being: cloud-native applications (58%); artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) (53%); software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications (51%); 5G and cloud edge infrastructure (49%); and Internet of Things/end point (36%). Yet, nearly three-quarters (71%) of respondents

believe these emerging technologies create more data protection complexity while 61% state that emerging technologies pose a risk to data protection. More than half of those using newer or emerging technologies are struggling to find adequate data protection solutions for these technologies, including:

The study also found that 81% of respondents believe their organizations’ existing data protection solutions will not be able to meet all future business challenges. Respondents shared a lack of confidence in the following areas: •

Recovering data from cyber-attacks (69%)

•

5G and cloud edge infrastructure (67%)

•

AI and ML platforms (64%)

Recovering data from a data loss incident (64%)

•

Cloud-native applications (60%)

•

Meeting compliance with regional data governance regulations (62%)

•

IoT and end point (59%)

•

Robotic process automation (56%)

Meeting backup and recovery service level objectives (62%)

Data protection joins forces with cloud

Additional resources •

Visit the Global Data Protection Index 2020 Snapshot for an infographic and links to the previous year’s findings.

Businesses are taking a combination of cloud approaches when deploying new business applications and protecting workloads such as containers and cloud-native and SaaS applications. The findings show that organizations prefer public cloud/SaaS (43%), hybrid cloud (42%) and private cloud (39%) as deployment environments for newer applications such as these. Also, 85% of organizations surveyed say it is mandatory or extremely important for data protection providers to protect cloud-native applications. As more data moves to, through and around edge environments, many respondents say cloud-based backups are preferred, with 62% citing private cloud and 49% citing public cloud as their approach for managing and protecting data created in edge locations. “These findings prove that data protection needs to be central to a company’s business strategy,” said Phalen. “As the data landscape grows more complex, organizations need nimble, sustainable data protection strategies that can scale in a multi-platform, multi-cloud world.”

•

Read the blog from Dell Technologies Data Protection President Beth Phalen for her perspective on the findings.

About the Dell Technologies Global Data Protection Index 2020 Snapshot Dell Technologies commissioned Vanson Bourne for the Global Data Protection Index 2020 Snapshot, a follow-on to the biennial Global Data Protection Index conducted in 2014, 2016 and 2018. The Snapshot surveyed 1,000 IT decision makers across 15 countries and 14 industries with 250+ employees to understand the impact of cloud and the complexities of advanced technologies on data protection readiness. Vanson Bourne conducted the survey between November and December 2019. The countries surveyed include US, UK, France, Germany and China with 100 respondents each, and Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, UAE, Italy, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India and Singapore with 50 respondents each. About Dell Technologies Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) helps organizations and individuals build their digital future and transform how they work, live and play. The company provides customers with the industry’s broadest and most innovative technology and services portfolio for the data era. CONTACT:

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

“I

Breaking Down Cybersecurity Barriers for SME’S

n 2017, I found myself once again in the position of Chief Financial Officer taking on an IT department and looking for information on how to assess the department’s performance, but more urgently in today’s environment, our cybersecurity status. After several months of research and seminars, it became clear to me that the market was inadvertently conspiring to prevent small businesses from having the ability to engage affordable, stage-appropriate cybersecurity help that would actually provide a full picture of our cybersecurity exposure. Subsequent conversations with business executives, board members and industry professionals confirmed that there are two particular barriers that make it difficult for small businesses to find a starting point when dealing with their own cybersecurity needs. First and foremost, there is a growing shortage of qualified resources in the Cybersecurity space. According to (ISC)2, the shortage of professionals around the globe is just under 3 million, with roughly 500,000 of those positions located in North America1. The laws of supply and demand tell us that a shortage of this nature and magnitude is going to lead to higher, not lower costs, and consulting engagements around cybersecurity are already priced beyond the reach of many small-tomedium sized businesses. The other barrier faced by founders and small business owners is confusion in the marketplace. I guarantee you have seen some inflammatory article or headline on a nearly hourly basis vilifying the management at some poor organization who has been the most recent victim of a successful cyberattack and data breach. Combine that with more than a dozen accepted frameworks, a similar number of cybersecurity micro-credentials, and thousands of technology companies on soapboxes shouting about how their particular software is able to protect you from the very scary bad guys who are out to get you. That’s a lot of noise. The combination of expensive consultants and a noisy marketplace has unfortunately paralyzed many small businesses today when it comes to cybersecurity. According to the Ponemon Institute, almost half (47%) of the companies

Jeff Dawley President and Founder Cybersecurity Compliance Corp. they surveyed have no understanding of how to protect themselves against a cyberattack2. Breaking through these barriers means finding a place to start that everyone can understand. All companies should conduct an assessment of their cybersecurity environment against a globally recognized framework, regardless of size. Some of the leading frameworks include NIST CSF, COBIT, ISO 27000, PCI DSS, HITRUST. This is not comprehensive, but you get the idea. Implementing a framework-based approach to cybersecurity doesn’t mean investing tens of thousands of dollars in consulting engagements. There are assessment solutions available that provide businesses with the ability to self-assess, providing a starting point for remediation and an immediate lift to the security of the organization. Whether you are taking your first cybersecurity step, or re-evaluating your environment, make sure you take aim at the entire target, your full cybersecurity environment, before spending money on something that might not be the right first step for you.

In 2018, Jeff co-founded Cybersecurity Compliance Corp. to address a communication gap in the cybersecurity space. The Cybersecurity PulseTM solution was created to provide board members and non-IT executives with a complete view of their cybersecurity environment, while equipping IT professionals with a framework-based assessment and roadmap for future improvements. Jeff’s career has seen him operate as a CFO, CTO and CIO spanning across many different industries. Jeff holds a Chartered Professional Accountant designation in Canada, Certified Public Accountant and Certified Information Technology Professional designations in the US and a Chartered Global Management Accountant designation, recognized in the UK and US.

1. Cybersecurity Workforce Study, (ISC)2, 2018 2. 2018 State of Cybersecurity in Small & Medium Size Businesses, Ponemon Institute, November 2018

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

Thoughts on Innovation MATTHEW BOGART Vice President of Marketing at NexJ Systems

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Matthew Bogart is Vice President of Marketing at NexJ Systems. He is responsible for directing corporate, product, and content marketing, as well as marketing operations. Prior to NexJ, Matthew was responsible for Marketing at Viigo (acquired by BlackBerry), Bioscrypt (acquired by L1 Identity Solutions), Triple G (acquired by GE) and Janna Systems (acquired by Siebel Systems).

1 What is your definition of “innovation”? Our focus at NexJ is to deliver software that empowers bankers and financial advisors to save time, optimize customer value, and enhance client engagement. To be innovative in these areas, we work directly with our customers including Wells Fargo, UBS and RBC, to understand their future vision of customer management. We blend that with our research and development efforts to develop best-in-class product. To us, innovation means being steps ahead of the current standard and introducing new product to market that offers tangible incremental value.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

2 Why is it important for companies to innovate and invest in modern technologies? We are currently in what is referred to as the “age of the customer”. Individuals now have access to the same information about the products and services they want as the firms they do business with. A company that chooses not to innovate and leverage technologies that will allow them to differentiate is one that will face significant challenges addressing the shift in customer expectations

3 What advice can you give to Canadian businesses looking to make the most out of their investments in innovation? Patience is probably an underrated virtue, because expectations of quick returns often drive investments into short-lived buzzwords rather than technologies that can transform a business. Having said that, the best way to make the most out of any investment is to try and incorporate that innovation into every facet of how a business is managed. The change management required within a business is just as important as the technology that gets introduced.

WHY YOU NEED TO

STRESS-TEST YOUR SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE

BY WINSTON STEWART, PRESIDENT AND CEO Wincon Security

Winston Stewart is the President and CEO of Wincon Security, a Scarborough, Ont.based security firm that has delivered property monitoring and protective services to retail, commercial, industrial and condominium clients across the Greater Toronto Area for more than 25 years. For more information, visit www.wincon-security.com

rom healthcare to income data, every day Canadians entrust millions of pieces of personal information to various levels of government. We assume those agencies have the necessary security infrastructure in place to keep that and other sensitive information safe and in the right hands. But new revelations only underscore how we may be clinging collectively to a false sense of security. Information disclosed during a recent Parliamentary hearing highlighted more than 5,000 instances across 38 federal agencies last year where sensitive information was mishandled and employees failed to meet government security standards. The number is likely far higher because not every agency was able to provide complete information detailing potential data-handling shortcomings across their respective department.

This begs the question: if even Ottawa can’t be trusted to build and maintain robust security protocols, how can small to medium-sized organizations—with far more limited security budgets—be expected to lock down and protect the data and other sensitive information of its clients and key stakeholders? The simple answer: it starts by developing and implementing a customized security strategy that accounts for potential security vulnerabilities across your organization in an integrated way. In other words, analyze and assess every potential risk, determine threat levels and assign solutions to address each one, taking into account all available technology tools and people-focused strategies (in particular, training). Then invest in stress-testing. Organizations from governments to SMEs will often design security strategies that are

comprehensive, but sit on a proverbial shelf and are never implemented, or become outdated because they aren’t updated on a regular basis. That’s why it’s crucial to constantly put your strategy to the test. On the cybersecurity front, for example, most reputable IT security companies will have the capacity to regularly stage a mock hack of your systems to search for vulnerabilities, then suggest patches to reduce the risk of successful attacks by real cybermalfeasants. If yours is a retail organization, your security provider should put guards undercover (assuming you aren’t already using plainclothes personnel as part of a theft-deterrence protocol) to case your stores and highlight vulnerabilities. If it’s easy to walk in and walk out with bags full of merchandise, you know you have a major security problem. Even if your business is based in an office environment, remember that one of the most common forms of crime are physical thefts of sensitive information contained on laptops, USB sticks or even documents left on employees’ desks. Thieves posing as couriers, employees or maintenance workers often walk into offices and walk out with multiple portable devices. How they got into the building in the first place is another major issue. Tightening access at key entry points is a relatively simple, but important, tactic to reduce risk. Building stress tests into your protocol is the only way to ensure your organization’s security infrastructure is robust enough to prevent breaches, both in cyberspace and in the real world. Invest the necessary resources to stresstest your security systems at least annually, but ideally semi-annually, and then be ready to address any cracks that become evident.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

Air Canada Salutes Achievements of Present and Next Generation of Women in Aviation

our aspiring young Canadian women aviators

The winners of the inaugural Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship, awarded in partnership with the Northern Lights Aero

named as inaugural Captain Judy Cameron

Foundation, each receive $5,000 toward their studies in aviation.

Scholarship recipients Historic flight from

(CNW Group/Air Canada)

Toronto-Edmonton operated with all-female crews, guided and coordinated by all-female

“

“We see diversity as an important strength for

“We actively advance diversity through several

“This scholarship will help other women overcome

a global company like Air Canada. Women here

initiatives, and we are especially thrilled to champion

financial barriers to pursue their dreams, whether

have shattered glass ceilings throughout, holding

the next generation of women in non-traditional

flying airplanes or fixing them. Thank you to Air Canada

professional careers ranging from commanding

aviation careers by announcing the winners of the

for making it possible for me to experience the most

the most sophisticated aircraft globally, overseeing

Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship, named in honour

amazing career in the world and for encouraging other

technical,

operations,

of our trailblazing, accomplished first female pilot. Our

young women in their passion for aviation. I admire the

occupying C-suite and the most senior international

message to young women is to follow your aviation

determination that these four amazing young women

leadership positions, and in leading and providing

dreams and know there are rewarding careers for all

have to pursue their flying. Their accomplishments

customer service,” said Calin Rovinescu, President

qualified people.”

to date are outstanding. One day, I expect to be

airline

“

multidisciplinary

and Chief Executive Officer at Air Canada. “We

a passenger on an Air Canada airplane and hear

proudly salute and celebrate the achievements and

them make the announcement, ‘This is your Captain

contributions of the nearly 16,000 women who

speaking’,” Judy said.

work at Air Canada around the world today.

The winners of the inaugural Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship, awarded in partnership with the Northern Lights Aero Foundation, each receive $5,000 toward their studies in aviation. All four are also pursuing their commercial pilot’s licence. They are : Yasna Taieb - second year aviation student at Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre and Conestoga College, Canadian Armed Forces reservist and first-generation Afghan Canadian. Urooj Ali – studying Geography and Aviation at the University of Waterloo, joined the Royal

may not have the financial means to do so.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

Growth Oriented Marketing Begins with Strategy Over Reliance on Traditional Sales Techniques Are Hurting the Bottom Line

By Karen Hayward Many CEOs have been with their mid-market companies since before the Internet age and while they may run fantastic companies, they often struggle to grow with the economy. Their companies are typically structured to deliver operational excellence but lack the growth strategies required to accelerate revenue. They keep moving, trying to find the answer, but they often feel lost. That’s because when you want to get somewhere, you don’t just get into your car and start driving. You need a plan since there are many roads and only a few---perhaps even just one---that will get you to your desired destination. Once you’ve identified where you want to go, you must develop the strategy that becomes the road map to your destination. Systematic Roadmap for Growth Every CEO must have a systematic plan, aka a roadmap, to grow their business. They need a clear path for sustainable growth based on systematic use of data and market insight. This plan will lead to execution, i.e.. getting into the car and driving with a purpose. But the reality is that most CEOs don’t respond in a meaningful way to the opportunities identified in their marketing plan. In a dash for results, they initial activities and bypass the required steps of insight gathering and development of a roadmap. Before a company starts advertising, doing tradeshows or sales presentations, it is important to know if the messaging will resonate with target audiences. The plan must be based on market insight and the voice of the customer. Marketing and Sales Strategy Archimedes once said, “Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I will move the world”. In today’s mid-market B2B world, CEOs have access to a sales lever and a marketing lever, but most mid-market companies allocate significant time and resources to sales, often at the expense of marketing. Naturally, they emphasize the importance of the sales cycle, which is a series of sales steps used to win business. In many scenarios, the marketing lever is given some thought but is still not positioned optimally

within the business. Mid-market CEOs have an immediate opportunity to bring this picture into balance with a clear strategic plan. After all, both marketing and sales are essential business drivers, but it needs to be understood that sales is the execution of a marketing strategy and hence a subset of marketing. What’s more, if they want to win in a market where the power has shifted to the buyer, their focus needs to be on the “buyer’s cycle” versus the “sales cycle.” Market Research and Insights Meanwhile, many CEOs are so focused on operations and achieving quarterly sales results that they struggle to see the competitive landscape, the customer’s point of view and emerging market trends. When they launched their companies years ago, marketing outcomes were fuzzy and less measurable, so CEOs scaled by growing their sales forces and expanding channels of distribution. Prospects got all information from salespeople and all feedback to the company came through the sales force. But times have changed a lot in the past quarter century and CEOs must adapt. Only by understanding how their product or service (and those of their competitors) is

perceived by the marketplace, the options available to buyers and how they actually go through the buying process, will the mid-market CEO realize the criticality of needing to first optimize marketing. And only then can they make their sales initiatives scale more effectively.. So why don’t mid-market companies strategically set up their marketing first? Why do they keep moving full steam ahead with most or all their focus on the sales force, while doing random acts of marketing? The answer is that they haven’t innovated the way they do business. Bottom Line Today, virtually all prospects are well informed, having conducted their product or service research online prior to seeing or communicating with a sales representative, or clicking on “Place your Order”. With access to full information, often gleaned from a company’s website, competitors or other online sources, customers control the buying process. This digital transformation has significantly impacted the way prospects shop or choose vendors with whom they want to engage for further evaluation. These mid-market companies’ long standing habit of direct sales continues to impact the way they run to this day. And it’s impeding their strategic growth. They must step back from their traditional approach, or else they will not be able to scale cost-effectively with how the marketplace operates today. Karen Hayward is a Chief Outsiders Managing Partner and CMO based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She helps technology companies accelerate growth by building and executing strategic marketing programs while driving sales and marketing alignment to deliver breakthrough revenue. More info at www.ChiefOutsiders.com.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

The new E-Class:

Intelligence is

getting exciting Automotive intelligence is now exciting and dynamic: the E-Class Sedan and Wagon are the first in the model series to undergo a comprehensive update. Both models will arrive in the showrooms of our Canadian dealers in late-summer 2020.With over 14 million models delivered globally since 1946, the E-Class Sedan and Wagon is the best-selling model series in the history of Mercedes-Benz. Perceived by many as the “heart of the brand”, the tenth generation of the E-Class set styling trends in 2016 with its clean yet emotionally appealing design and an exclusive, high-quality interior. The E-Class also set a benchmark in the areas of driving assistance systems through a wealth of innovations. This emotionally appealing and intelligent combination is extremely successful: to date, more than 1.2 million customers around the world have bought a current-generation E-Class Sedan or Wagon.

Photo credit: Mercedes-Benz

More dynamic design The enhanced dynamics and the upgrade of the E-Class are reflected in the model range: The standard AMG body styling with a new bumper in the style of the AMG Performance models looks even sportier. In addition, all models now feature a hood with pronounced power domes. The E-Class features all-LED headlights as standard. MULTIBEAM LED headlights including ULTRA RANGE high beam are available as an option.The designers also updated the Sedan’s rear end with a new bumper, split tail lights and a new trunk lid. The inner design of the tail lights were revised for all models.The All-Terrain is visually more similar to the SUV models. In addition, signature All-Terrain components such as the radiator grille or the stylised skid plate sport a mirror chrome finish. Next-generation driving assistance systems: better assistance in tailbacks and when parking The new E-Class has the latest generation of Mercedes-Benz driving assistance systems CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

designed to provide cooperative support to drivers. This results in an especially high level of active safety: the E-Class Sedan and Wagon are able to react if the driver doesn’t. The hands-off recognition now works on a capacitive basis. This enhances userfriendliness when driving in semiautomated mode. A steering moment – that is to say a slight steering movement – was previously required as feedback, now drivers must only place their hands on the steering wheel. The new steering wheel features a pad with the appropriate sensors in the rim. These register whether or not the driver is holding the wheel. If the system detects that the driver does not have their hands on the steering wheel for a certain time, a warning cascade is started, which finally activates Emergency Brake Assist. Even more comfort in the interior: MBUX, and ENERGIZING comfort control As part of the model update, the E-Class is fitted with an entirely new steering wheel. It is available in two versions on the Sedan and 36

Wagon: as an all-leather steering wheel or in a wood-leather combination. The control surfaces sport a high-gloss black finish, while the trim elements and surrounds have a silver shadow finish. The instrument cluster and the media display are controlled by swiping along the Touch Control buttons. The operating principle of the Touch Control buttons changes from optical to capacitive. A mechanical system was no longer needed, and the touch surfaces also are less susceptible to fingerprints. Whether the driver has control of the steering wheel is now determined by means of capacitive detection (see chapter on the driving assistance systems).

Photo credit: Mercedes-Benz

E as in efficiency: electrification of the powertrain

Depending on mood or to match the particular interior, the user has a choice of four different styles:

•

Modern Classic is a further development of the classic display style in an elegant and light material mix. Sport has a high-tech turbine look with decidedly sporty black/yellow contrasts. Progressive stages the digital realm in reduced form. In the Discreet style, all displays are reduced to the absolutely necessary.

The electrification of the powertrain takes another major step forward with the model update of the E-Class. For the first time in the Canadian market, a plug-in hybrid electric E-Class Sedan is expected to be available.The inline six-cylinder gas engine (M 256), available for the first time in the E-Class Sedan and Wagon, is also fitted with an Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) producing up to 21 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque to assist with linear power delivery. Models equipped with this engine will have a 48-volt on-board electrical system. Thanks to energy recovery and the ability to “glide” with the engine switched off, the gas engine is highly efficient. About Mercedes-Benz CanadaMercedes-Benz Canada is responsible for the sales, marketing, and service of Mercedes-Benz and MercedesAMG passenger vehicles and MercedesBenz Vans. Headquartered in Toronto,

Ontario, Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. employs approximately 1,200 people in 14 locations across Canada. Through a nationwide network of seven Mercedes-Benz own retail operations and 52 authorized dealerships, MercedesBenz Canada sold 46,090 vehicles in 2019. This positioned Mercedes-Benz as the top luxury manufacturer in Canada for the sixth consecutive year.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

GOOD CYBERSECURITY

is Crucial for SMB Growth

BY: Sean Forkan, Vice President and Country Manager for VMware in Canada.

s a small or medium-sized business owner, you already know that it’s not unusual for you or your staff to wear many hats within the organization. IT and cybersecurity are no exceptions.

Think of a typical $50-$60 million Canadian company. Businesses of this size very rarely can assemble an IT Staff that includes experts in all the various technology disciplines required to support the business – in fact, it’s frequently just one person who is responsible for solving all Network, Security, Server, Desktop, Operating System, Print, and Application issues. Security is a particular challenge for SMBs. In recent years malicious actors have started to target more and more SMBs with knowledge that their security tools, processes and personnel are, in many cases, not as robust as in large enterprises. Just ask the fifth of Canadian businesses who told Statistics Canada in 2017 that their operations had been affected by a cybersecurity incident. Hackers know that SMBs are challenged in significantly investing in this area and they are taking their attacks down-market as a result. Out of those businesses impacted by a cybersecurity incident, over half (58%) experienced some downtime. When systems go down, companies are often left scrambling to resolve several costly consequences that impact their bottom lines and growth. Ready to assess your cybersecurity readiness? Start with these three guidelines:

Is your organization depending Is your business getting the help too much on one person to be the it needs externally? This is the person responsible for making all the expert on everything? This is the person responsible for making all the technology work. They might be full-time or parttime. Chances are they spend a lot of their day helping to resolve IT issues for employees. They are also responsible for protecting the business from a cyberattack or responding to a security breach. If this sounds like your business, it’s time to re-evaluate your IT resources. No one employee can protect a mid-sized business from an evolving array of security threats and also advise on how best to use technology to support business strategy. The cracks will eventually show in the business’s security and growth.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

technology work. They might be full-time or parttime. Chances are they spend a lot of their day helping to resolve IT issues for employees. They are also responsible for protecting the business from a cyberattack or responding to a security breach. If this sounds like your business, it’s time to re-evaluate your IT resources. No one employee can protect a mid-sized business from an evolving array of security threats and also advise on how best to use technology to support business strategy. The cracks will eventually show in the business’s security and growth.

Has your business implemented baseline security controls?

When it comes to cybersecurity, change is the only constant. To stay ahead, Canadian businesses must actively work to decrease their cyber risk. Start by assessing your baseline – what is your business doing now to keep the data of the organization safe? The federal cyber certification program CyberSecure Canada was created with small and medium enterprises in mind, promoting standardization and helping to position Canadian SMEs to compete globally. It is a helpful resource for those businesses which have yet to address their points of security weakness, requiring organizations to implement a baseline of security controls developed by the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security to gain certification. Small and mid-sized businesses must practice good cyber hygiene all the time. The notion that hackers only target big corporations is an urban myth – businesses of all sizes are at risk. Taking a proactive stance on security measures including: password management, multi-factor authentication, patching, monitoring, intrusion detection and backups don’t have to be a burden. In an extremely competitive and customercentric business environment where a company’s reputation takes years to build and seconds to destroy, having an updated and efficient IT security framework is a step in the right direction.

THE ENTREPRENEURS JOURNEY ropertyGuys.com was founded in 1998 in Moncton, New Brunswick by a group of university students who saw a flaw in traditional, offline real estate and wanted to do something to organize and change it for the better. PropertyGuys.com’s mission is to create clarity around real estate, put buyers and sellers in control of their experience from coast-to-coast, and become a platform that encompasses “everything real estate.” PropertyGuys.com is Canada’s largest private sale franchise network, with 85 franchisees across the country who have helped nearly 90,000 Canadians discover a smarter way to sell.

Ken LeBlanc - President & CEO

Walter Melanson - Director of Partnerships

Ken LeBlanc is a Canadian entrepreneur, franchising expert and real estate visionary born in Moncton, New

Walter Melanson, Lead Market Analyst and Director of Partnerships with PropertyGuys.com, uses his disruptive voice to challenge old ideas.

Brunswick. In 1998, LeBlanc co-founded PropertyGuys. com. As President and CEO, LeBlanc has overseen the company’s growth from a single Moncton location to an organization with 120 franchises serving over 600 communities from coast-to-coast. LeBlanc is the youngest person ever named to the Atlantic Business Magazine Hall-of-Fame, and one of the first New Brunswickers. In November 2009, LeBlanc became the first known “honorary dragon” of the Canadian version of the television program Dragons’ Den during an event promoting Global Entrepreneurship Week. Ken is considered one of the Top 5 people in Canada who are changing Real Estate - http://business.financialpost. com/financial-post-magazine/canada-real-estateindustry-leaders.

He is excited by consumer-driven change, and believes that real estate is ripe for absolute transformation. His commentary style often reflects his groups’ thesis that the industry as a whole is headed towards a real inflection point thanks to advances in technology and a changing consumer attitude towards industries that no longer effectively serve their modern wants and needs. With this customer-centric lens, Melanson champions the needs of buyers and sellers which are at the heart of everything at PropertyGuys.com. With a background in franchising, internet marketing, finance and real estate, he brings a fresh perspective to his role that aligns perfectly with PropertyGuys.com’s mission of becoming “everything real estate.”

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

What was the inspiration behind the founding of PropertyGuys.com? Over 20 years ago, my co-founder Jeremy Demont and I noticed many people in our hometown trying to sell their homes without a real estate agent. They would go to the hardware store, buy a black and orange FSBO sign, add their phone number, and hope for a call. We saw the need for a way to centralize private sale and home seller efforts with a website and a system in place to make the process easier. Twenty years later, we’re still introducing and innovating ways to simplify real estate to make it easier for buyers and sellers to connect directly.. PropertyGuys.com has been very successful and become Canada’s largest private sale franchise network. What do you believe are some of the strategies that contributed to the company’s success? I believe three key core strategies have led to our success over the years. First, we’re always asking ‘what’s next?’ This means innovating, adding services, optimizing existing programs, and looking at trends to ensure we’re on the right path to continue to grow. Next, we decided early on to go all-in on the franchise model and to this day we continue to partner with the local, passionate, and entrepreneurial franchisees growing our brand from coast-to-coast. Last but certainly not least, we’ve gotten this far by being customer-centric. We put our sellers at the core of their transaction, surrounded by a team of experts. We’ve been able to develop a network, an ecosystem of real estate professionals who share our vision for changing the industry for the benefit of Canadian homeowners. Ken LeBlanc, you were mentioned in the Financial Post as being one of the Top 5 people in Canada who is changing Real Estate. Why do you believe that is? I think it’s largely due to the fact that more often than not, most real estate ‘innovations’ are focused on designing a “better mousetrap” to make a real estate agent’s jobs easier and more efficient. We’ve created a new category within the industry – one that doesn’t rely heavily on the agent. It’s much easier for us to innovate outside of the existing parameters and confines of traditional real estate. It’s not just thinking outside the box, it’s creating a circle and innovating from a different point of view.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

How have advancements and new discoveries in the technology industry impacted PropertyGuys.com? What role does it play in the success of the company? Technology plays a major role in the success of our business. We use it to make life for our franchisees and more importantly our customers easier and better connected. We consider ourselves a high tech, high touch company. What this means is we leverage a combination of people and technology to empower our users to take control of their real estate experience, with support always only a click or call away. What do you believe sets PropertyGuys.com apart from other real estate companies? What makes it different? First and foremost, we firmly believe in putting the customer at the core of the transaction, whereas in the traditional model, it’s the agent. This is important for many people who want transparency in the process, to gain more control, and to get the most out of their transaction. Our services are also based on a flat fee, instead of a percentage of the home’s value. Perhaps you’ve also noticed how we stand out from the crowd with our iconic round signs! PropertyGuys.com has more than 86 franchises across the country. What has been the biggest challenge in franchising the business? Like any franchise system, the challenge will always be to find the best people in the right location. Our concept is as unique as our owners are and that’s part of the secret sauce. We hear from our franchisees all the time that they appreciate the balance of proven systems along with the flexibility to adapt campaigns and strategies to fit their personality and community. One thing’s for sure - real estate is hyperlocal. That means that we’re always looking for candidates who are active and engaged in their community, share our vision, and are passionate about helping people. Many types of people are attracted to and thrive in our business so it’s about finding the perfect (mutual) fit. We do this through an extensive awarding process, which includes calls with our franchise development team, current franchisees, and a profile assessment to name a few. We’ve learned to maintain a full-funnel of potential franchisees and make a point to communicate with them often. As a franchisor, you have to be comfortable with ebbs and flows in the sales cycle, but you can put measures in

place to keep a steady pace. Depending on where they are in their journey, some franchisees are ready to roll in a couple of weeks; others can take a year before they officially enter the system. Layering your marketing activities on an ongoing basis ensures that you always have an active funnel and are onboarding a keen group of new franchisees every quarter. What advice can you give to entrepreneurs who want to franchise their business? What successful tips can you give them? First and foremost, you have to prove the model. Once we saw early success as a single operator, we knew we were onto something that could be replicated. That early experience to see that the business works, made it easier for us to create the operations manual that enabled other entrepreneurs to be successful. I tell entrepreneurs who are getting into franchising to be very selective about their first 10 locations (and franchise owners) as these will be the most important in your entire journey. Get the right 10 franchisees off the bat who share your vision and the rest will quickly fall into place, get the wrong 10, and you’ll be done. I also ensure they understand that when they start franchising they will essentially have two business divisions – sales and support to attract franchisees as well their direct to consumer offering. It’s a balance of resources, programs and marketing that need to be deployed for those two different customers to connect with our brand. On a final note, where do you see the future of PropertyGuys.com? What are some of the projects or initiatives you have planned in the near future? Our future is all about continuing to expand, especially south of the border. For franchise development, we have our sights set on awarding 10 more Master Franchise agreements in the U.S. over the next 3 years. To put that into perspective, each Master Franchise territory can have hundreds of franchise units to develop. On the consumer side, we are striving to become a platform for everything real estate. We believe that the ability to visit a one-stop-shop for not only residential, but also commercial, rental and vacation properties, is something that people should have access to. A platform where no matter what road they want to take and what services they choose, they’ll always be exactly where they belong – at the centre of it all. connect with our brand.

Everybody loves a company that gives back. Especially millennials. J. Denise Castonguay is the Executive Director and CEO of Canada Gives, a federally registered not-for-profit organization committed to helping philanthropists build and grow highimpact foundations. For more information,

visit - www.canadagives.ca

They’ll wear a company’s t-shirts, eat its food, embrace its services, recommend its products and sing its graces if they think a brand is going above and beyond to make the world a better place. Sometimes a company is so big and so different and so seemingly monumental in its offering, that people simply want to buy whatever it is the company might be selling, whether it has a philanthropic bent or not. Apple comes to mind. But consumers will especially go out of their way to support the little business that makes a concerted effort to create positive change. Brands such as Tentree are a great example. The casual apparel maker founded an entire business on a simple concept: planting 10 trees for

every piece of clothing it sells. Or how about Vancouver-based office supply store Mills Office Productivity? They turned community-based hiring, community support efforts and a focus on sustainability into a key value proposition in a highly-commoditized, highly competitive industry where it takes more than a little creativity to stand out. In another example, Toronto’s Endy Mattresses donates mattresses returned by customers before the end of their 100-day trial to furniture banks and women’s shelters across the country. It’s a simple solution to help those in need, while diverting mattresses from landfills. These Canadian SME success stories stand out because they not only walked the philanthropic walk, but talked about their efforts. That’s right—they turned their giving strategy into a key brand component and then publicized the fact. Turning corporate philanthropy into a marketing tool is perfectly acceptable if it’s done in an authentic, genuine and non-self aggrandizing way. That means informing clients about what your organization is doing to support a particular cause or movement in factual terms, highlighting the stories of those who benefit from your acts of generosity—maybe even inviting them to donate—then letting the goodwill speak for itself. Suppliers, customers and prospects will all take note. And make no mistake, at a time when large corporations are working sustainability and community support mandates into their supplier requirements, a spotlight is being shone on the philanthropic work being carried out by smaller organizations. Doing good is no longer a nicety. Nowadays it’s an expectation. It’s important to remember that while making a one-time donation to a charity or non-profit is commendable and worth discussing, the companies noted above—and there are many more SMEs doing equally admirable work across this country—have all built giving into the core of their brand identity. They

hire employees based on a desire and willingness to support key causes. Those employees in turn drive the organization to continue its great work, fuelling what becomes a perpetually virtuous cycle. Customers do business with brands like these not only because they provide great products and services, but so those clients can feel good knowing they’re doing more than simply consuming products. They get to do business with a company that cares and is taking steps to show it. So, how do you effectively communicate your organization’s philanthropic efforts? A simple approach is best—perhaps a blog post, an e-newsletter, a podcast that talks about a successful fundraising drive or effort to help a local charity, for example. Maybe a quick email or even a note slipped into a shipment, letting the client know that their purchase is helping to support a specific charity or non-profit. If you are really committed, add a new page to your company website profiling the activities and organizations you’ve supported. It’s good for you and for the charitable organization. One thing is for sure: giving back adds an engaging, fulfilling aspect to entrepreneurialism that simply can’t be quantified. And if you’re doing it, you may as well talk about it. Added bonus: your employees and clients will, too.

CANADIANSME MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 I

LAUNCHING SOON

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