CanadianSME Small Business Magazine August 2021

ISSUE NO. 33 AUGUST 2021

CANADIANSME Empowering Canadian Small & Medium Businesses Banking partner

PASSION

KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES:

A CAPTIVATING TALE Adrianne Fekete Founder and CEO, Star Quality Private Investigations

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Welcome to the August issue of CanadianSME, a magazine directed towards helping the small and medium-sized businesses in Canada! In our bid to be Canada’s top business magazine, we bring you the most exclusive insights, top interviews, and the latest news from the Canadian business industry. In doing so, we chat with reputable industry experts to deliver the most valuable content to our readers. It’s important to stay up to date on all the latest business trends and developments and the CanadianSME Small Business Magazine brings that very information to your virtual doorsteps.

Empowering small and medium-sized businesses is our prime and ultimate goal. In line with this, this month we also have some of the most exciting business news that can definitely help you ramp up your business growth. Are you wondering how to protect your small-scale venture with the ever-growing cybersecurity concerns? Well, don’t stress because our magazine will give you a detailed outlook into the intricacies of developing a cybersecurity strategy that is suitable for your startup.

Additionally, we are encouraging you to ask certain questions and find answers to them through the help of our magazine. So, is your organization resilient enough to survive the next disruption? Have you made your small business future-proof? If the answers to these questions put you in a tight spot, trust us when we say we have the very solution you are looking for. Furthermore, we have some top-notch insightful articles that will help you immensely in recognizing the areas that you may need to work on in growing your small business.

In the pipeline, we have some unparalleled strategies about the new business culture and how your small business can make little changes to adapt to these changes. We are excited to announce that CanadianSME’s Editorial team has chosen Adrianne Fekete as the Business Woman of the Month. You can read an empowering short Q/A with Adrianne in this issue that’ll not just help empower all the women entrepreneurs but also boost their confidence as we move to the re-opening stage amidst the current situation.

Next on our list, we are featuring some exclusive content and excellent pieces from the likes of many business experts. Furthermore, we have lined up premier interviews with Tim Mobley President at Connext Global Solutions; Charles Finley Chief Experience Officer, Futurpreneur; George Shchegolev VP of Operations at Route4Me; David Masson Director of Enterprise Security at Darktrace; among others. To top it all up, we have a very exclusive interview with Fatima Zaidi, the CEO, and Founder of Quill Inc. as our inspiring women entrepreneur to follow!

We, at CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, understand that during this reopening phase after a disastrous sixteen to eighteen months of pure chaos, small and medium-sized businesses need more support than ever before. They need a fool-proof plan and strategy to help them survive in their journey ahead! Therefore, we are dedicated to providing our small business leaders with the latest trends in small business startups, along with exclusive interviews and advice from industry experts on any measures or processes to help their businesses meet the daily challenges and hurdles of running a successful enterprise, These articles provide insights into the tools and resources available and startup trends to keep top-of-mind this year. We hope that this month’s issue will help give you the knowledge and information you need to stay ahead in the market. Until next month, happy reading!

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IN THIS ISSUE CanadianSME small business magazine

50 A Black Woman Entrepreneur’s Road to Success and What We Can Learn

31

33 Prioritizing Cybersecurity is essential for SMB growth

Fatima Zaidi, CEO and Founder of Quill Inc. Inspiring Woman Entrepreneur to follow

25 Passion knows no boundaries: A captivating tale

67 EA Role is the Backbone of the Transformational Workplace

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IN THIS ISSUE CanadianSME small business magazine

35

81

Xero Analytics Plus helps small businesses

The Need of the Hour: Cybersecurity for Small Businesses

17 Top 10 Canadian Women Entrepreneurs to follow

23

65

Why small businesses need to get serious about information security

Visa Canada’s She’s Next Grant Program

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IN THIS ISSUE CanadianSME small business magazine

52

76

The Dos and Don’ts of marketing to Canadian small businesses

Leading a Small Business With Resilience and Ultimate Will

29 Global Trade is Entering a New Era and Canada’s Exporters Need to Take Hold of it

79 A Seven-figure Interior Design Business Born Through Trial and Error: What Can You Learn?

39

Canada Visa Installments: What Should You Know?

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IN THIS ISSUE CanadianSME small business magazine

45

60

An All-In Guide To a 100% Remote Company

Sustainability in a Diverse and Inclusive Business: What Can You Learn?

54

Navigating the Sustainable IT Revolution released by TCO Development

89 The New Workplace Culture With Workplace Trends Expert Rick Grimaldi

57 Diversity and Inclusion are essential to new ideas and innovation

63 How To Develop a Cybersecurity Strategy Suited For Your Startup

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

GoDaddy Features Canadian Small Businesses in New Campaign with Andre De Grasse GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE: GDDY), the company that empowers everyday entrepreneurs, today announced its new marketing campaign to highlight the unstoppable spirit of small business owners. The first phase of the new campaign features three Canadian small business owners and encourages entrepreneurs to "Don't Stop Being Unstoppable", like Canada's fastest man Andre De Grasse.

The campaign follows a challenging seventeen months of pandemic closures that pushed Canadian small business owners to their limits. Like professional athletes, small business owners continued to prove their strength and perseverance over the last year, and pushing through to the finish line as the country comes out of the crisis with more resilience than ever.

As Andre De Grasse represented Canada earlier this month, his grit, determination, and persistent spirit has been further inspired by these same qualities shared by the Canadian business owners he worked with on the GoDaddy Campaign.

More than 2000 pharmacies ready to provide rapid COVID-19 tests to small and medium employers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario Throughout the pandemic, pharmacists and pharmacy teams have been playing an essential role in keeping Canadians safe and healthy. From administering over 8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to date and providing COVID-19 testing in some provinces to answering daily questions from patients about the virus and helping to allay concerns about vaccine hesitancy, pharmacists have been there when Canadians needed them.

Now, pharmacies are once again stepping up to support their communities by providing rapid tests to employers.

The Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) has been working with Health Canada and its partners in the pharmacy community to make rapid test kits available in pharmacies for workplace testing by small and medium-sized enterprises. Increasing access to these tests is an important step in Canada's COVID-19 screening and recovery strategy, and pharmacists are ideally positioned to aid with distribution. About 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not have symptoms, so regular rapid testing can help reduce the likelihood of spreading COVID-19 to others in the workplace.

Over the past several weeks, well over 2000 pharmacies in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario have signed up to be part of this federal initiative. In doing so, pharmacies are supporting employers in keeping employees and customers safe and helping to reopen the economy. Every day, more pharmacies are signing up to make these rapid test kits as accessible as possible.

As part of the program, small and medium-sized enterprises can sign up on the Government of Canada portal and view a list of participating pharmacies in their communities. Once registered, we encourage employers to contact their local pharmacies to order the tests before they pick them up. As highly trained healthcare professionals, pharmacists will show employers how to use and interpret the tests and provide advice on what to do in case of a positive result.

NEWS

Government of Canada to launch a new Regional Development Agency for the Prairie Provinces From the outset, Canada’s regional development agencies have played a key role in helping businesses and communities weather the effects of the pandemic. They have delivered a suite of direct support programs to help mitigate the financial pressures caused by COVID-19, ensuring that businesses and their employees are not only able to survive the crisis, but positioned to come back stronger in our recovery. The Government of Canada has laid out a plan, through Budget 2021, to set businesses on a track for long-term growth, and ensure that Canada’s future will be healthier, more equitable, greener, and more prosperous.

Hundreds of World’s Brightest Young Minds are Advancing Leading-Edge Research in Canada this Summer – Virtually Border closures and international travel restrictions aren’t stopping some of the world’s top talent from collaborating with Canadian researchers this summer. Relying on video calls and other advanced technology tools, more than 1,000 students from 12 countries are working on leadingedge research at 54 Canadian universities through a unique internship program called Mitacs Globalink. One of those rising young stars is an engineering researcher from France who is helping a Polytechnique Montréal lab to design the flight deck of the future, creating a unique cockpit touchscreen that is easier and safer for aircraft pilots to use — all from the comfort of his home near Paris, France.

Interac e-Transfer® for Business supports critical finance transformation as corporate Canada pursues recovery and growth Interac Corp., with the support of 13 leading Canadian financial institutions, is launching Interac e-Transfer for Business, an innovative solution that builds on the widespread adoption of the Interac e-Transfer service. The solution enables real-time digital payments to personal and commercial bank accounts with confirmation of funds received within seconds. With more than eight in 10 (83 per cent) business leaders calling for new commercial payment products as part of their post-pandemic digital transformation, according to recent research from Interac1, this allows Canadian businesses to send and receive payments faster and more efficiently than ever before from the safety and security of their financial institution.

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters: The Canadian Economy Cannot Afford Another Trade Disruption Dennis Darby, President of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, made the following statement on the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers’ announcement: “In the midst of our economic recovery efforts, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers announced they have voted in favour of a strike starting August 6th. Canadian manufacturers cannot take another hit at the border and our economy cannot afford another trade disruption especially now.

IBM Report: Cost of a Data Breach Hits Record High During Pandemic 1. Data breaches cost surveyed companies $4.24 million per incident on average; highest in 17-year report history 2. Adoption of AI, hybrid cloud, and zero-trust approach lowered data breach costs Higher data breach costs are yet another added expense for businesses in the wake of rapid technology shifts during the pandemic,” said Chris McCurdy, Vice President and General Manager, IBM Security.

NEWS

Heinz donates $100,000 to help local restaurants promote their patios this summer Outdoor dining is back from coast to coast, but many local restaurants are struggling to ensure customers know their patios are now open. To help vocalize their reopening, Heinz announced today it will be donating $100,000 in free digital advertising to help independent restaurants promote their patios this summer. “It’s no secret restaurants have been hit hard by the lockdowns, struggling to keep their doors open. Now that summer is here and outdoor dining is open, they need to maximize sales during this period. That’s where Heinz can help,” said Lucy Abbruzzese, Director, Food Service Marketing, Kraft Heinz Canada. “

Tax Tip – Making changes to your business? The Canada Revenue Agency is here to help!

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) understands that many businesses are going through changes as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. We are available, year round, to help small and medium businesses with their unique needs. As you go through business changes, you may face different requirements as you manage your tax affairs. We are here to help. Make updates online: Visit the Changes to your business and Canada Revenue Agency program accounts page to get the information you need for your next steps when your business is going through changes. You can easily make some business changes online through My Business Account, a service that will protect your information as it is more secure.

Digital literacy resources aim to keep seniors safe and connected during pandemic Connectivity has never been more important than in this last year when the pandemic separated people from their friends and families for an extended period of time. With the older population being so much more vulnerable to COVID-19, they are likely to spend more time physically distancing for longer than the rest of the general population. Sadly, this isolation can have major repercussions. A recent study showed that social disconnection puts older adults at greater risk of depression and anxiety, and can even lead to health problems such as cognitive decline and heart disease. People with strong social bonds are 50 percent less likely to suffer negative effects from isolation than those who have fewer social connections.

Lanterra Developments Reshapes Toronto’s Iconic Skyline with 47-Storey High-Rise Natasha The Residences Renowned for contributing to Toronto’s skyline and culture, Lanterra Developments are pleased to unveil their much-anticipated and newest project, Natasha The Residences. Adding to their portfolio of award-winning buildings such as Maple Leaf Square, The Britt Residences, and 50 Scollard, this will be yet another Lanterra development shaping the city’s most prominent neighbourhoods. In the heart of Toronto’s Cultural District (formerly known as the Entertainment District), the condominium will be inspired by lauded style and ethos of respected public relations powerhouse, NKPR founder Natasha Koifman.

Government of Canada to launch the new Regional Development Agency for British Columbia The Government of Canada has laid out a plan, through Budget 2021, to set businesses on a track for long-term growth, and ensure that Canada’s future will be healthier, more equitable, greener, and more prosperous. This includes supporting regional economies. As Westerners move towards their economic recovery, the Government of Canada is building a more focused, locally informed approach, putting people first to foster innovation, business growth, and resilience in urban, rural, and Indigenous communities.

NEWS

BMO Extends Wellness Services to Canadian Business Owners and Entrepreneurs BMO has been a major proponent of championing mental health in the workplace, providing resources and support, and seeing it as part of someone’s overall health,” said Mike Bonner, Head, Canadian Business Banking, BMO Bank of Montreal. “We saw the challenges and strain that the pandemic was putting on clients and recognized that, in order to help businesses thrive, we needed to do more than just support them financially. We’re providing our wellness services to our clients to support Canada’s main street businesses more holistically.

Moneris partners with tiptap to offer touchless giving™ for non-profits and charities We’re excited to be working with tip-tap, a great Canadian scale-up that helps non-profits and charities help others,” says Malcolm Fowler, Chief Strategic Partnership Officer, Moneris. “The payments industry has made great strides in improving and expanding contactless payments to better protect Canadians during the pandemic. However, a convenient technological equivalent to support charities and non-profits has been a gap. tiptap has really created a solution that will help charities continue to raise funds for their important work.

What Canadian Businesses Should Consider When Expanding to Singapore

Nespresso Voted World’s Most Sustainable Coffee Company Sustainability is at the heart of what we do. I’m proud of the achievements we have already made in scaling sustainable coffee farming and recycling provision, in enabling industry-wide capsule recycling, in reducing the Nespresso carbon footprint per cup and in agroforestry efforts in the coffee-producing regions. I am very happy to see these recognized by the World Finance Magazine.

Innovation and collective actions will help us accelerate in this decisive decade. Businesses must be part of the solutions and Nespresso will continue to focus on being a force for good to preserve the future of our planet and the lives of people”, said Nespresso Global Head of Sustainability, Jérôme Perez.

GuideMeSingapore by Hawksford is the leading Singapore-focused business information portal that provides a host of resources for entrepreneurs and corporates who are looking to set up a business in or relocate to Singapore. Singapore’s reputation as a strategic gateway to Southeast Asia makes it an attractive hub for Canadian companies looking to establish or consolidate their business in Asia.

If your company is not already based in Singapore, it may be useful to look at engaging the services of a professional business administration provider to register your company in Singapore to take care of all the back-end work.

Canadian Business Students Step in to Help Organizations Impacted by COVID-19 This is welcome news for both organizations impacted by the pandemic as well as the students, many of whom lost job opportunities they had lined up when COVID-19 hit, and the majority of them facing an uncertain future in a deteriorating job market,” said Mitacs CEO and Scientific Director John Hepburn. He added that Canada’s economy stands to gain from the internship program.

Since launching in May 2020, the BSI program has placed about 1,000 interns in business positions across Canada.

Top 10 Canadian Women Entrepreneurs to follow Follow these ten amazing Canadian women entrepreneurs today! You will be inspired, motivated, and entertained.

Enjoy the read!

You can be successful in anything that you put hard work and dedication into and these ten Canadian women entrepreneurs are living proof of this statement. Sitting at the top-most pedestal of success, these buoyant entrepreneurs were not just able to realize their dreams and passion but have helped in making the lives of many people much easier through their business ventures. There’s a lot to learn from their adventurous yet hurdle-laden stories. So, if you are a self-starter looking for some ideas and motivation, below we have created a list of the top 10 Canadian women entrepreneurs you must follow. Let’s get started!

Michele Romanow

President & Co-Founder, Clearco Romanow was the only Canadian to be featured in the "Millennials on a Mission" list and is among the Top 100 Canada’s most powerful women. It was in 2015 that Romoanow collaborated with a few other people to lay the groundwork for Clearbanc, as it was formerly known. The idea was to “capital solutions for e-commerce, mobile apps, and SaaS founders as well as access to a powerful global network, insights, and data, and recommendations.”

The Vision and Mission of Clearco The company’s LinkedIn mentions “Clearco is a suite of performance financing products & services tailor-made to help founders win. A pay-as-you-grow pioneer and the world’s largest eCommerce investor, our mission is to remove the barriers between brilliant ideas, and brilliant businesses.” Clearco is a company aimed at helping other small-scale companies in realizing their dreams. In a bid to stand true to its mission, Clearco has invested a whopping $2 billion-plus in more than 4500 companies.

Alisha McFetridge

Co-Founder and CEO of RainStick Alisha McFetridge, the Co-Founder and CEO of RainStick is on a very important mission, one to bring an effective solution in combating climate change. RainStick is an attempt in that direction, an inventive and innovative way to lead a more sustainable lifestyle by using a recirculating shower technology. Sounds interesting? Well, that’s what we thought!

The Vision and Mission of RainStick Everyone thought that there will always be an endless supply of water until finally realizing that it was all a sad mirage. As per the United Nations, “by 2025 around 1.8 billion people will be living in areas with water scarcity.” And this is just the beginning of how bad this problem can get if we don’t act upon it quickly enough. In order to help the future from not looking grim, RainStick uses an effective technology that helps in saving about 80% energy and water by using a unique technique that circulates a shower. How cool is that!

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Mikayla Wujec and Naomi Blackman Co-Founder of Alder Apparels

What happens when a National Geographic explorer and a Fashion Marketing leader come together? Well, a boom in fashion but with a twist! That’s what Mikayla Wujec and Naomi Blackman aimed at with their business venture Alder Apparels. The brand focuses on creating a more welcoming outdoor space for women by offering them comfortable yet trendy fashion choices, the very thing they found frustrating while growing up as best friends together.

The Vision and Mission of Alder Apparels As per the official website of Alder Apparels, the brand offers “inclusive sizing, community-informed design, sustainable and ethical production and a playful brand that starkly contrasts with the performance-driven, hard-core athletic brands that currently dominate outdoor space.” Believing that outdoor recreation and happiness are only possible simultaneously, the pair came up with an effective yet innovative line of outdoor clothing for women that is fun, inclusive, and sustainable.

Rachel Bartholomew Founder of Hvivy Health

From her personal experience of pelvic health issues that led to several therapy sessions and surgeries, Rachel Bartholomew decided to bring awareness among the women around her by launching Hvivy Health. About 1 in every 3 women deals with complaints of pelvic health and many of their questions regarding aftercare go unanswered. In a bid to help these women, Bartholomew came with a unique idea that has placed her amongst the top ten Canadian entrepreneurs to follow.

The Vision and Mission of Hvivy Health The official website of Hvivy Health states, “women need a trustworthy, informative, comfortable, and safe set of products that are built with them in mind at a time when they are most fearful and vulnerable. Your concerns, stories and experienced have not gone unnoticed by our team and we have seen the gaps and inconsistencies in research, attention, and understanding of the complexities of pelvic health issues for women.” Therefore, Hvivy Health aims at providing a better quality of life for such women and help them go back to a positive, and welcoming home.

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Connie Stacey

Founder and President

of Growing Greener Innovations How can we not mention Connie Stacey, the Founder and President of Growing Greener Innovations when it comes to the top Canadian women entrepreneurs to follow! Stacey has been an advocate for clean energy-based solutions for a long time and that was one of her founding ideas behind her successful business venture. Felicitated with Global Woman of Vision and other honorary titles, Stacey has also been nominated in Mail’s 50 Top Changemaker’s list of 2021 for her visionary step in bringing about a positive change in the environment.

The Vision and Mission of Growing Greener Innovations Growing Greener Innovations’ mission is to “end global energy poverty by providing world-class battery energy storage solutions for community, commercial and residential use,” as per the company’s socials. They have been successful in building state-ofthe-art technologies that help them optimize and organize renewable energy generation systems. This not only helps in cutting down the emission of greenhouse gases but also promotes a sustainable way of living.

Libi Berenson

Founder of Geenees Libi Brenson, the Founder and CEO of Geenees founded the company along with her husband, Sergei Berenson in 2017. With an experience of over 15 years as a mentor and a coach, Libi has been an established name with a burning desire to help people discover their strengths and as she quotes, “the best version of themselves.”

The Vision and Mission of Geenees As per the company’s profile, “Geenees is an online platform that partners with nonprofits and charities to help them attract new donors and facilitate a meaningful donation process. Our social gifting app connects donors directly to families in need through wishlists the families create.” Since many families around the globe live without the most basic necessities, Geenees helps in providing a more efficient solution in getting such people/families what they need.

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Eve Laird

Co-Founder of Eve’s Crackers In 2016, Eve was suffering from eczema, and trust us it’s not a pretty sight. However, for Eve one thing was certain - she’d make the thing go away, not by some medicines and chemicals but by solely changing her eating habits! Sure, she had taken upon something that was not the least bit easy but that did not deter her! She was determined, and her dedication gave birth to what’s Eve’s Crackers today!

The Vision and Mission of Eve’s Crackers At Eve’s crackers, the idea is to make snacking healthy. And that vision started taking shape when the product was first introduced in the local farmer’s market. From there, it took little time for Eve’s Crackers to move to the grocery stores and then become a successful family-run business.

Melodie Reynolds

Founder of Eluma Beauty Inc. Reynolds has extensive numbers to show for her experience in the beauty industry, nearing about two glorious decades. During the past twenty years, Reynolds has worked actively in furthering her knowledge and using that for the benefit of a more sustainable society.

The Vision and Mission of Eluma Beauty Inc. Reynolds is passionate about her choices in even the simplest of things as she knows it can bring about a huge difference. Her passion to make a global impact led her to establish a company that is directed towards creating quite innovative beauty products.

Therefore, at Eluma Beauty Inc., the team works day in and day out to make cosmetic products that are vegan, refillable, and sustainable.

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Katherine Homuth

Founder & CEO of Sheerte Katherine Homuth is not new to the business world. Before establishing Sheertex, Katherine has already “founded, led, and sold two other business ventures. As per her official LinkedIn bio, her first business venture called “ShopLocket, a pre-order platform for hardware, raised over $1M in venture capital and was sold to PCH International in 2014. Female Funders, an online education program for female investors, was acquired in 2017 by Highline Beta.” It was then Homuth moved on to something so innovative that made the lives of women all across the globe much easier!

The Vision and Mission of Sheertex In less than two years Sheertex, a company offering a sustainable and comfortable hosiery and pantyhose solution for women, has raised over $60M USD in fundings. Under the leadership of the dynamic Homuth, the company has grown from 5 to 175 employees in a very short period of time, and onboard are likeminded people who believe in the power of the patented and the unbreakable material that Homuth launched.

Shahrzad Rafati

CEO of BroadbandTV Corp The CEO and Founder of BroadbandTV Corp, Shahrzad Rafati has had quite a remarkable journey spanning different countries and a plethora of hurdles, only to emerge at the very top of the game. An active investor and an entrepreneur, Rafati laid the foundations for BroadbandTV Corp in 2005. Ever since then, the company has only grown under the hands of its able leader and has been able to help people realize their dreams.

The Vision and Mission of BroadbandTV Corp Decades ago, Rafati had a passion for the democratization of the content. Going by the information available on the socials of the company, BroadbandTV Corp is helping “to advance the landscape of how creators, brands, and media companies tell their stories online; empowering creators and inspiring audiences worldwide.”

Rafati’s dedication and passion led BBTV to become the “secondlargest video property worldwide in terms of unique viewers following only Google, reaching tens of billions of monthly impressions.” Quite a feat!

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Why small businesses need to get serious about information security It seems that many small businesses have a “bigger fish to fry” mentality concerning information security. Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) tend to think they’re safe from data security threats because hackers and digital criminals surely must have more to gain from targeting large firms, financial institutions, and corporations. Unfortunately, they couldn’t be more wrong. In fact, small and midsize businesses are quickly becoming hackers’ favorite targets — precisely because many believe they’re not in any danger.

SMBs are unprepared for security breaches In a way, small business is a misnomer – because small businesses make up the overwhelming majority (97.9 percent as of December 2019)1 of employer businesses across Canada.

And the customer information and financial data they possess, and process is just as vital and valuable as it is in any other organization. The customer that has their data exposed ultimately won’t care how large or small the breached company was.

There is a combination here of wishful thinking and practical limitations. On the one hand, SMBs often tell themselves a security breach isn’t likely to happen to them. On the other, even if they do respect the danger, they don’t have the resources to mount an adequate defense.

The reality today is that SMBs are facing the same cyber threats as large enterprises but have a fraction of the budget to deal with them. At a small company, IT duties might fall to someone whose primary role is something entirely different; that person ends up handling the company’s data security because, well, someone has to. Even when there is a dedicated IT staff, it can be just one or two people, charged with everything from fixing the faulty Wi-Fi to keeping all company software up to date to making strategic plans for the company’s data foundation, to ensuring data security.

And with a massive to-do list, defending against data-stealing and unseen criminals on the other side of the world may not seem like a top priority. Not to mention the skill set required – large companies have a difficult enough time finding and retaining top-notch data security resources, let alone an SMB. The writing is on the wall: if they rely on wishful thinking or meager protection, businesses will simply remain unsecured and prime targets.

Partners can help with data security The first step for every small business is to understand and accept the risk: Breaches are definitely possible – you might even think of them as inevitable – and preparation is, absolutely necessary.

The next step is to assess your data security capability. Do you have the staff and budget to make security a priority? And can you keep track, in the midst of your ongoing work, of software patches and anti-virus updates? New breeds of malware emerge every day. Is your security platform equipped to detect them?

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It takes powerful, skilled, and high-demand resources along with steady monitoring and maintenance to confront today’s threats.

For businesses who find it hard to carry the data security load on their own, an outside partner in IT services can be a critical resource. A Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) can handle round-the-clock network monitoring and crucial patches and updates – precisely the kind of IT work that can easily fall through the cracks (even at large companies). With an MSSP on the job, small businesses don’t need to become IT, experts. A third party can leverage their expertise to find security solutions that fit a company’s needs, allowing the owner and staff to focus on the duties and ambitions that make the business one worth protecting in the first place.

Investing in a partnership can be less expensive than doing it all in-house – and it’s certainly less expensive than watching your data walk out the door and dealing with the financial fallout.

SMBs are not immune to data security threats. Preparation, support, and knowledge are all necessary.

Ricoh’s got your back when it comes to IT Security. Whether you want to: train your employees on current security practices with Cybersecurity Awareness Training take IT management completely off your plate with we fully managed IT Services Bundles or even just start with an IT Health Check For more information about our other products and services, check out RicohChangeMakers.ca.

PASSION

KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES:

A CAPTIVATING TALE Adrianne Fekete Founder and CEO, Star Quality Private Investigations

When someone is as driven, passionate, and fiercely independent as Adrianne Fekete, owning a business is a natural career choice. Adrianne is one of the first women to venture into running fully licensed, private investigations and security businesses in Canada. She is, certainly, the lady with the longest tenure in the role to date. She has led her agency to success repeatedly as a straight-talking, transparent and compassionate leader committed to ensuring safety and uncovering compelling evidence that reflects the truth. She supports individuals and corporations as they are forced to face their truth and the impact that it brings into their life. Her company, Star Quality Private Investigations, is award-winning.

Adrianne credits this recognition to her dedication to helping others, her intense work ethic, and her entire team, which is composed of former police detectives.

Adrianne began her career as a Public Relations Specialist in the Music and Film Industry. She worked for some of the most creative professionals in the industry and they quickly identified her broader scope of capabilities. They guided her experience and success beyond public relations to executive protection. Rising quickly to the challenge resulted in her working alongside some of the world’s most legendary celebrities.

What inspired you to start your own private agency, Star Quality Private Investigations?

The passion to heal others ignited the launch of my business.

The roads that led me to the investigation industry were littered with loss and suffering. At the young age of 8, I witnessed our family friend’s son, Simon, vanish without a trace from Etobicoke, Ontario. The love and commitment shown during the investigation, by the entire community, coupled with the police efforts, affected me deeply for years. The unimaginable pain his family and friends endured will stay with me for life. I was struck by the realization that so many people were going through tremendous pain in personal situations. Trapped in confusion and uncertainty, they had few options to turn to or seek support.

I knew I could help. My private investigation business provided people with clarity, truth, empathy, and support.

Growing up my father always supported my entrepreneurial spirit, and after his sudden passing, I vowed to honor everything he taught me.

My ever-present passion for helping others in their personal growth and achievement has always been my inspiration. The combination of my background, in tandem with a fearless mindset and business acumen, culminated in me stepping into a male-dominated industry; and launching Star Quality Private Investigations.

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And what would you say is the biggest challenge of being a female entrepreneur in the business industry that is largely male-dominated.

I admire all entrepreneurs, regardless of their gender. I find any self-made entrepreneur's story interesting and full of potential lessons that may align to enhance my own personal growth.

In the beginning, it was challenging not having an industry mentor to be able to draw wisdom from. When obstacles got in the way, I solely had to navigate the way with little to no guidance from any of my fellow peers.

I am proud that I accomplished my goal in creating a role model that other female entrepreneurs, interested in the private investigation industry, can look to as a mentor.

With this journey, I have reached success with my personal code and rules of engagement not being sacrificed. They have certainly been tried, pushed, and threatened; but never broken. Stepping into a wholly male industry in Canada, and building a trusted business that has remained committed to reflecting my core values, has always been paramount to what I consider success.

What do you find is most important to working professionals today? Are priorities changing?

The impacts of the pandemic have made very evident the fragility of life itself. Covid-19 secured a validation for most working professionals, that putting family first is very important. I feel that people’s priories have definitely changed and that personal achievements were now becoming more important that professional accomplishments. Individuals are taking inventory of their personal lives and have deemed putting themselves as well as their families first.

Tell us who your female role model is?

“A wise girl knows her limits, a smart girl knows that she has none” – Marilyn Monroe – My mother is my touchstone of success. She survived the Hungarian revolution and immigrated to Canada by herself. She role-modelled resilience, strength, internal focus and solution building my entire life. Over the years, I have learned from watching her celebrate and love life, as well as witnessed her suffer so much loss and manage so many hardships. Always with so much grace and love for others.

How can women better enable each other instead of competing? What needs to change in your opinion?

Become a woman of inspiration!! A woman of inspiration is authentic, trustworthy and there for her crew. She celebrates other women and does not compete. She loves unconditionally, is empathetic and is not afraid to show her emotions. She is committed to her journey, regardless of the external impacts or inputs. Her independence is not steeped in, anger or hostility, but an internalized confidence. Her efforts leave a legacy road map for others to achieve. She might even use the occasional curse word because poo-poo doesn’t always cut it.

In my opinion, to make a change, we all need to lead with love. Always be authentic and true to your beliefs, not others.

What advice would you give to young women who want to improve their presenting skills?

Be your own Rockstar. When presenting always focus on your truth. Who you are. Where you have been and how far you have come. Wear it proud, it is your badge of courage and never, ever apologize for who you are. I would share and remain committed to always listen to what you feel or know in your gut…that is your truth. A women’s intuition is very powerful when harnessed and cared for.

Make the choice to listen to your inner voice over the expressed judgement, and often negative action from others. Accept being supported by the continuous love and support of your family and friends. Face your fears and if presenting is one of them, then do it often. Stay out of your comfort zone as much as possible because that is where growth comes from. Tweak what you feel is necessary and build on what works. Applaud your bravery. Even rockstars have certain levels of performance anxiety…that’s what makes them shine so bright.

Society often lures us away from this simple source of self-guidance to external guidance filled with labels and noise; none that serve the power innately within a young woman who will one day elevate herself into a thriving adult.

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How we adjust our trade policies in the coming

months will be critical in reshaping Canada's

prospects for prosperity in a post-pandemic world. A new RBC report offers a roadmap forward.

Global Trade is Entering a New Era and Canada’s Exporters Need to Take Hold of it

By Naomi Powell

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Success won’t be automatic. Other countries too, will vie for a role in the supply lines supporting the world’s largest economy. But Canada can draw on powerful advantages, including deep integration in U.S. auto manufacturing, a free trade pact with the U.S. and Mexico, expertise in cleantech, and a natural resource endowment that includes every critical mineral used in the manufacture of EV batteries.

It will require a comprehensive review of existing trade, tax, and regulatory policies to ensure the right mix is in place to capture more than a fair share of any reshaped manufacturing base. It will mean coordinating with other nations to ensure Canadian industrial policies are competitive.

And it will mean making new investments in the skills training and strategic immigration essential to retaining higher-value aspects of supply chains.

Pandemic-driven factory closures, shortages of masks and PPE, and port logjams have exposed dangerous weaknesses in global supply chains. For the U.S., Canada’s largest trading partner, it has set the stage for critical supply networks to be reengineered around new priorities: national security, labour rights, the environment, and geopolitical issues. These reimagined supply lines are at the heart of a U.S. industrial strategy designed to “reshore” or return production to U.S. soil, reverse decades of job losses and vie with China for the global leadership of the technologies of the future including electric vehicles, batteries, and semiconductors.

For Canada, they represent an opportunity to regain lost ground, according to Trading Places, a new report from RBC Economics and Thought Leadership. A new continental trade strategy that secures a foothold in emerging and reshaped American supply chains could re-establish Canadian exports as a key driver of economic growth. It could also help industries at the core of Canada’s export strength—auto manufacturing, energy, and metals and minerals, worth more than half of our exports or $227 billion in 2019—pivot to new growth opportunities in a greening economy. The payoff could be sizeable, helping Canada push toward an ambitious but reasonable target of $1 trillion in additional exports by 2030.

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To compete for investment, Canada will also need to consider modern policy tools to support strategic goods like EVs and batteries, particularly as other countries offer incentives and subsidies. It will need to establish priority sectors for investment, build out its infrastructure, and develop more robust R&D and skills strategies. It will need to work closely with key international partners in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region to ensure its policies are competitive and aligned with like-minded trading partners.

And as new alliances and partnerships are formed, Canada must be careful not to alienate China, a major buyer of Canadian agriculture and natural resources. Continuing this trading relationship, while simultaneously seeking a significant role in a U.S. agenda designed to curtail Chinese economic power, may be difficult. Canada risks being caught in the middle.

Read the full Trading Places report from RBC Economics and Thought Leadership.

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

Fatima Zaidi

CEO and Founder of Quill Inc.

An Inspiring Woman Entrepreneur to follow

Women in business are doing miraculous things while spreading the word, that nothing can bog them down. They are not just paving a path for themselves but also inspiring many other women who wish to be like them. One such inspiring female entrepreneur is Fatima Zaidi, the Co-Founder, and CEO of Quill Inc. Fatima is a podcast aficionado and saw the promise that the podcasting industry offered quite early on. There was an unforeseen opportunity and her experience in a marketing agency gave her an amazing idea, an idea that became the foundation of Quill Inc.

Train to Canada …

Born and brought up in the Middle East to Pakistani parents, Fatima moved to Canada in early 2007. For Fatima, Canada was the land of dreams, where there were opportunities for everyone despite their class, color, ethnicity, or gender. Canada was the place where hard work was awarded and Fatima was ready to give in her everything, all her effort. She worked three part-time jobs while she was in college, knowing that it will all add up one day. Finally, she graduated without a single penny in debt and with big, brave, and bold ambitions.

She soon jumped on the startup bandwagon, running a marketing agency for six years before establishing Quill Inc. Fatima is a member of the National Speakers Bureau and she has spoken at various events around the world on media and tech trends, leading her to keynote on world stages alongside speakers like Gary Vaynerchuk, and, most recently, Richard Branson. In addition to being a commentator for BNN Bloomberg, she is a frequent contributor to publications, including The Globe and Mail and Huffington Post. Over the past few years, she has won two Top 30 under 30 awards and been recognized as one of Flare Magazine's Top 100 Women.

About Quill Inc. The vision of Quill Inc. is to facilitate connections to the trusted resources that podcasters need in order to better inspire, educate, entertain, and engage audiences everywhere. Quill Inc. also identified and solved 3 main challenges with generalist marketplaces which makes our platform unique: (1) a focus on quantity over quality (2) the minimal vetting of the so-called freelancers, with the onus for vetting and selection of a freelancer falling primarily onus on the consumer (3) the lack of restrictions with regards to service pricing.

Podcasters have very specific needs that are currently unmet on these platforms, with most freelancers providing unrelated services or, if related, providing work of uncertain quality.

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Quill Inc. launched in February of last year, right before the lockdown started. However, they easily navigated through that year and closed the very year with a record million dollars in sales. Their profit margins on revenue were almost 50% and they had already landed an impressive roster of international clients including Sick Kids Hospital, RBC, CIBC, Globe and Mail, etc. This has all been possible because of the able leadership of Fatima and the excellent team at Quill Inc. For more such inspiring stories subscribe to the CanadianSME Small Business Magazine now!

If you need more information about the same, you can subscribe to the CanadianSME Small Business magazine, the perfect place to clear all your doubts!

Fatima has over ten years of experience in Business Development, Marketing, and Strategy.

Fatima Zaidi is the CEO and Founder of Quill Inc. a fullservice podcasting hosting platform and production agency that supports brands in launching their podcasts. She is also the owner of the Listen In Conference held in Los Angeles that supports brands moving into podcasting. As a member of the National Speakers Bureau, Fatima has spoken at various events around the world on media and tech trends leading her to keynote on world stages alongside speakers like Gary Vaynerchuk, and most recently Richard Branson.

She also teaches podcasting at the University of Toronto. In addition to being a commentator for BNN Bloomberg on the challenges that female and BIPOC founders face in entrepreneurship, she is a frequent contributor to publications including The Globe and Mail, and Huffington Post. Over the past few years, she has won two Top 30 under 30 awards, the Young Professional of the Year by Notable Life, Veuve Clicquot’s Bold Future Award, and one of Flare Magazine’s Top 100 Women. Fatima is the Co-Chair of the #Tech4SickKids council for SickKids Foundation & Hospital on track to raise $25 million with her team, and her career highlight is being on a panel with Beyonce's dad!

Prioritizing Cybersecurity is essential for SMB growth

By Mary Ann Yule President and CEO, HP Canada While we are not out of the woods yet, Canadians are beginning to move out of survival mode and back into thinking about the future with renewed optimism. Getting our economy and communities back on track postpandemic will mean ensuringourCanadian backbone – small and medium-sized businesses – can successfully navigate the next wave of challenges.

Small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) have proven their adaptability and openness to technology over the course of the pandemic. In fact, SMB Group reported that 54 percent of SMBs plan to increase tech spending this year. Growing SMBs are also 65 percent more likely to accelerate the pace of investing in technology due to the pandemic. The pace at which companies have adopted digital tools is remarkable and ultimately, a transformation I believe will fuel innovation and future growth.

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At the same time, the rapid uptake of digital tools and pivoting business models has left many SMBs vulnerable to new threats. The growing number of ways to connect online has opened doors for businesses, but also for cybercriminals.

According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, nearly a quarter of small businesses have experienced a cyberattack since March 2020. This reinforces the need for strong security solutions, from network security, VPNs, and firewalls to securing end-point devices in a disparate workforce.

With remote work converging personal and professional lives under one roof, many people began using their technology for multiple purposes out of convenience. In the HP Wolf Security Blurred Lines &BlindspotsReport, 35 percent of Canadian office workers admitted to using their work devices for both professional and personal purposes since working from home. While we can hope many businesses enhanced their cyber protection as they adopted more technology endpoints to meet their ongoing needs, SMBs are challenged with not having the time nor resources to deal with growing threats that come with it.

Technology experts must help small businesses equip themselves with the tools to help them navigate this evolved and dynamic security landscape. This is one of the reasons our new HP Wolf Pro Security platform is tailored to meet the needs of small and mid-sized businesses. As SMBs rethink their approach to how they can safeguard their operations, secure-by-design solutions will be crucial to enhancing threat containment, malware prevention, and identity protectionfrom surfacing cyber risks.

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And make no mistake – investing in security is investing in the future of a business. Data breaches are devastating for even large corporations but for small businesses, they could be the difference between survival and closing your doors. In the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s survey, 37 percent of the small businesses who had experienced a data breach said it cost their organization more than $100,000 and one in five had no idea what the cost was. In any case, the cost is simply too high. Cyberattacks are a threat to financial security and data privacy, but also productivity, customer confidence, and the future potential to innovate.

Cybersecurity is an opportunity to build resilience among small businesses. Hardship forces us to rethink what we do, why we do it, and how we can make it better, and this new era of security challenges is no exception.

Pivoting to the online world and partnering with other organizations were key to helping some SMBs see another day– and will be crucial to surviving the future. We may not be able to predict what is next, but we can put the tools in place to operate smarter and more securely, together.

Xero Analytics Plus helps small businesses make confident decisions by

providing a greater overview of their

cash flow and business performance in an easily accessible and understandable way.

A business to make the small-scale businesses even more beautiful? Well, that’s what Xero aims to achieve and we landed the amazing shot at interviewing Faye Pang, who is Xero’s Country Manager for Canada. In this segment, Pang gives us an insight into her own journey in the Canadian technology industry and what has she learned over the span of her career. She also touches upon the various steps that smallbusiness owners can take to make an impact on their individual ventures.

Faye Pang is the Canada Country Manager for Xero, the global small business platform with more than 2.7 million subscribers worldwide that are dedicated to making business beautiful. Faye brings nearly 15 years of experience building businesses from the ground up. Prior to joining Xero, Faye helped launch Uber Freight into the Canadian market. She also helped launch the Uber Eats app in Toronto in December 2015, scaling the business from 80 restaurants on launch day to 20,000 partners by the end of her tenure.

As a leader, Faye prioritizes growth above all else, and practices authenticity, transparency, and empathy in the way she manages her team. She strongly believes that we all have a set of values that we have to live by at all times (rather than keeping our work and personal lives separate), and keeps this consideration top-of-mind when championing her team’s growth, both personally and professionally. She is passionate about creating systems that lift women up, while tackling the hierarchical barriers that have disproportionately affected women in the workplace.

Faye Pang

Canada Country Manager, Xero 35 - CanadianSME I August 2021

What is your mission with Xero Analytics Plus?

At Xero, we believe every small business should have access to trusted, insightful data that helps them understand where they are now, and where they might be in the future. Xero Analytics Plus helps small businesses make confident decisions by providing a greater overview of their cash flow and business performance in an easily accessible and understandable way.

Why do Canadian SMBs need access to trusted, insightful data now – so they can understand where they stand today, and make decisions with confidence based on their future potential?

Small businesses have told us that understanding and managing cash flow is one of their toughest challenges and critical to keep them running.

When COVID-19 first hit, we released our short-term cash flow and business snapshot tools to all customers free of charge. These tools help businesses visually project their potential bank balance 7 or 30 days into the future and get insights on their business performance, so they can spot opportunities and mitigate risks ahead of time.

It can be really stressful for business owners when they employ people and have bills to pay. By using these tools, they can see whether they’re going to have enough money to cover everything, which can reduce their anxiety or empower them to take action.

How can SMBs leverage technology, including AI and predictive algorithms, to derive forecasts and actionable insights that will help them plan for business longevity?

Depending on their business, we know it's really essential for owners to understand their short-tomedium term, including their runway of cash and the impact of what-ifs. It’s important to get a firm grip on your cash flow baseline — what happens if nothing really changes? At the same time, being able to look at profitability, margins, and trends over time is really important to get a more complete picture.

How can tools like Xero Analytics Plus provide Canada’s SMBs and their advisors with deeper insights into how their business is performing?

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We’ve heard from advisors that they want to deliver insights from Xero to their small business clients to help them plan ahead with even greater accuracy. Small businesses want to understand how well their business is performing at a glance.

With Xero Analytics Plus, businesses can now see their future potential cash flow, project the impact of upcoming expenses, and discover opportunities to bring cash into the business by invoicing customers sooner, changing payment times, or requesting a deposit. Owners can also plan for multiple scenarios by manually adding transactions to see how they might affect their cash position in the future.

A more powerful business snapshot tool gives small businesses a quick, easy-to-understand summary of their business performance to help them have meaningful discussions about their plans with their advisor. In Xero Analytics Plus, businesses can see their performance over multiple years, drill into the details to analyze trends, and identify areas for improvement.

How do you feel the business environment has changed since the pandemic?

Digital transformation has driven the growth of many new small businesses in the past decade. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen new business models emerging and established businesses adapting, relying on the broad benefits that financial systems like Xero provide.

They all have the same thing in common – they need quick access to financials to keep an eye on cash flow and bills.

Sole Proprietors like freelancers, gig-economy workers, and tradespeople have all taken advantage of digital business models and cloud-based working.

advisors all over the world. When we started, we could not have foreseen the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic would have on small businesses everywhere, so we’re grateful to the members of the broader Xero community for all the invaluable feedback they provided as we put Analytics Plus through the rigorous testing and development that got it over the finish line.

Our Xero Small Business Insights Pandemic Insights Report showed that more tech-enabled businesses had 40% fewer job losses and those using apps saw revenue declines during the crisis that were 12% smaller than other small businesses.

What we learned is that when your project has a larger purpose—in Xero’s case that was building on our commitment to being the most insightful and trusted platform for small businesses—you can weather the storms and disruptions that an uncertain world will inevitably throw your way. I think that’s a pretty powerful takeaway for any aspiring entrepreneur.

We know the current environment is incredibly challengingyet it also provides opportunities for people starting and growing small businesses to do so in a different and more beautiful way. We are dedicated to helping these green shoots develop into thriving small businesses.

What suggestions do you have for small-scale businesses that are finding it hard to pull through during these challenging times?

Can you elaborate on some of the challenges you faced while mapping this unknown territory and what can other aspiring entrepreneurs learn from them?

We developed Xero Analytics Plus over the past two years by working closely with small businesses and

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In a recent survey that we conducted among 1,200 Canadian small business owners, the data showed that twothirds (67%) agree that the pandemic showed them the value of remaining flexible and adaptable. Moreover, 73% stressed the importance of mastering digital technology in uncertain times.

In my mind, those two things go hand-in-hand.

Staying flexible is certainly important; there’s a reason why so many businesses felt compelled to pivot during the pandemic in order to survive.

However, in order to make those key decisions on things like pivoting or cutting back on spending, you need information, and you need it in realtime.

Digital technology like cloud-based accounting platforms can help you get a clear picture of where your business stands, giving you the data you need to keep your business adaptable during times of uncertainty. An online accounting dashboard can provide insight into all of your key information in one place so you can track things like balances, invoices, and bills. This puts you in a better position to prepare for whatever pivots you may need to make.

So, the right technology is important, but don’t forget about that other amazing resource: people. If you’re struggling, tap into your network.

Ask your fellow business owners what strategies have helped them get through these tough times, and also what hasn’t worked so well. And, when in doubt, ask your accountant!

Possibly the best piece of advice I can offer, however, is to keep your eyes on the prize and prepare for an occasionally rough ride. As a child of entrepreneurs. I grew up with a front-row seat to all the challenges it can entail—which is why Xero’s mission of supporting small businesses is so important to me. On any business’s journey, there will be unforeseen disruptions and detours; the best thing you can do is arm yourself with the right tools so you’re prepared to weather whatever comes your way.

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Canada Visa Installments: What Should You Know?

Brian Weiner

Vice President, Head of Product and Digital, Visa Canada

Brian Weiner is the Vice President and Head of Product for Visa Canada and is here to discuss more about Visa Installments and the Canadian visa market. Brian touches on some of the major factors contributing to the acceleration of installments as a payments trend. Additionally, he also describes the offerings available through Visa Installments and how can these offerings contribute to the financial well-being of merchants and consumers.

Brian Weiner is the Vice President and Head of Product for Visa Canada. His organization is responsible for the development and rollout of Visa’s full Canadian product suite, including its traditional credit, debit, and prepaid products, as well as its expanding array of digital products and capabilities.

Since 2006, Brian has been an active member of Visa’s leadership team, responsible for shaping the organization’s strategy through one of the most dynamic periods in the history of the payments business in Canada.

Looking ahead, Brian and his team are focused on reimagining the future of payments in collaboration with many partners across the payments ecosystem in Canada and around the world. Brian has won multiple awards for his work in evolving electronic payments in Canada, and he was recognized as a global winner of Visa’s Go Beyond program.

Brian has been in the Canadian financial services industry since 1997. He holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and a Bachelor of Commerce from Carleton University.

What are the major factors contributing to the acceleration of installments as a payments trend?

Installments are a rapidly growing segment of the payments market, with adoption further fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic. This payments trend currently represents over $1.7 trillion of global payment volume, and in Canada, the opportunity is expected to be about $50 billion annually.

In markets like Canada, where installments represent a new way to pay, adoption is growing in the double digits. Canada has seen 30 percent growth in the last year alone. Globally, installments have grown 2.5 times as fast as traditional credit cards and it is rising approximately 20 percent year-over-year.

Visa began tracking installments use in 2017 and we were surprised at the level of interest at the time. Fast forward to 2019, and the numbers just became stronger. We have observed that the growth is happening in two key buckets: • Gen-Z and Millennials are a new class of consumers, one who seeks experience and convenience, flexibility and choice. They have been a catalyst for growth in installments.

• Pandemic-driven spending habits. COVID-19 has driven installments adoption, similar to other digital payments shifts, across new demographics.

For example, in the US since July 2020, those aged 54+ were the fastest growing segment with a 98% growth in usage.

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What are Visa Installments?

Visa is helping to bring greater payment flexibility to Canadians with the launch of Visa Installments – a new option to convert qualifying purchases made on a cardholder’s existing credit card into smaller, equal payments over a defined period of time.

Canada is one of the first to launch Visa Installments globally. What I’m most excited about is that this launch is in collaboration with three of Canada’s leading financial institutions, Scotiabank, CIBC, and Desjardins with Global Payments, and this is just the beginning. Visa Installments plans to continue to expand with partners in Canada and beyond to provide more choices to consumers and businesses.

Can you describe the offerings available through Visa Installments?

Thanks to our collaborations with CIBC, Global Payments, and Desjardins, Visa Installments will be available to eligible Canadian cardholders as early as this summer. This includes expansion to participating Canadian merchants, giving eligible cardholders the option to pay for qualifying purchases in a set of predictable installment payments.

This month, Scotiabank rolled out SelectPay™ leveraging Visa Installments.

Eligible Scotiabank Visa credit cardholders can choose to take advantage of the new payment installment plans with Scotia SelectPay™ where they can convert qualifying credit card purchases of $100 or more into fixed monthly installments payments in this after purchase solution.

Later this year, in collaboration with Global Payments, Visa Installments will be available for participating Canadian merchants and eligible cardholders. Global Payments is enabling its merchant customers to offer Visa Installment options to their eligible consumers. With a single integration, merchants will have the ability to enable installment offers for eligible cardholders, without them having to sign up for a new service.

In turn, eligible cardholders can choose at the point of purchase whether they wish to pay for the transaction in smaller, equal payments with their existing credit card.

Desjardins will also be launching Visa Installments to its cardholders later this year, enabling them to opt for more flexible payment options at the checkout.

The anticipated CIBC launch in early 2022 will provides the option for eligible Canadian CIBC cardholders to use Visa Installments on qualifying purchases at the online checkout stage of their shopping experience at participating merchants. Then cardholders can pay for the purchase in installments as part of their monthly credit card payments.

This new offering builds on CIBC's existing post-purchase installment solution, CIBC Pace It™.

Our global vision is an installment solution built on the foundation of trust and responsibility—one that benefits both consumers and merchants alike—and it’s coming to life right now with Visa Installments.

We’re excited for these launches and for what’s to come. We’ll have more news to share soon as we work with our financial institutions and other partners to roll out even more options in the growing installments space.

What puts Visa in a good position to lead the installments space in Canada?

Canadians are looking for flexible payment options and Visa understands installment solutions and the importance of customer trust.

Installments aren’t new – we know they’ve been around for a long time, but they are seeing a modern resurgence in a new economic context, and here at Visa we are in the great position of being present in and observing numerous markets.

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Visa is bringing a trustworthy solution to Canada built on the cardholders’ longstanding relationship with their issuer and designed with long-term ecosystem health and the long-term financial health of consumers and merchants in mind. Visa is helping the global payments ecosystem meet the demand for installments in new markets around the world, by providing technology and partnership to players in two key areas: Aligning with partners around the world, both fintech’s and financial institutions, to help enable their customers to use installments as a payment option.

Building installment capabilities that are available to consumers on their existing Visa cards.

How do these offerings contribute to the financial wellbeing of merchants and consumers?

Our goal is to deliver choice to consumers, sellers, and financial institutions.

Eligible Canadian cardholders will be provided more choice in how they pay for items with a provider they already trust. The solution will provide shoppers with the ability to divide their total purchase amount into smaller, equal payments made over a defined period of time, with transparency as to when and what they will be asked to pay.

Consumers will be able to leverage their existing credit accounts with their banks, instead of needing to submit a credit check, download an app or open another line of credit.

Visa Installmentsmay also bring benefits to Canadian merchants.

When installments are available as a payment option at checkout, there is a proven increase in the average ticket size of purchases and a rise in the average conversion rate for shoppers. Visa’s API-based solution is also simple to integrate for face-to-face or eCommerce merchants. With a single integration, participating merchants can enable installment offers for eligible customers, without customers being required to sign up for a new service.

Euromonitor International 2020 Installment Sizing Report, commissioned by Visa Euromonitor Consulting Data Compilation for Visa Inc. $CDN Ipsos survey: Visa Credit Installments Research - September 2020 Transunion Canada Industry Insights Report- Q1 2019 Source: Euromonitor research, Interbank Cards Center of Turkey

THE TOP 10 MISTAKES SALES MANAGERS MAKE (AND HOW TO

Most sales managers trip over two big stumbling blocks: 1) hiring the wrong candidates, and 2) motivating

salespeople incorrectly.

AVOID THEM) Here’s how to stop the revolving door for good.

Hiring and managing salespeople are the most important things you will do as a sales manager; yet, they are also the most difficult.

Finding effective salespeople can feel like a never-ending cycle of hiring, training, and inevitable disappointment. Even worse, this revolving door costs your company thousands with every turn. The big problem, says Dr. Chris Croner, is that traditional hiring techniques are terrible at identifying the most crucial quality a salesperson can possess.

“Less than 20 percent of the population has Drive, the non-teachable personality characteristic that enables a salesperson to succeed,” says Dr. Croner, the psychologist, sales retention and recruitment expert, and principal at SalesDrive, a content-rich resource center overflowing with educational articles, podcasts, Masterclasses, science-based sales psychology strategies, and other tools and techniques aimed at helping companies maximize their sales teams’ performance. “And you can’t depend on interview performance or past job history to reveal these rare birds.”

Dr. Croner—who is also coauthor along with Richard Abraham of Never Hire a Bad Salesperson Again: Selecting Candidates Who Are Absolutely Driven to Succeed (The Richard Abraham Company LLC, ISBN: 978-0-9741996-1-0, $19.95)— says it is possible to identify and retain Driven salespeople. The first step is realizing that the industry’s so-called ‘best practices are, more often than not, sales management misconceptions.

“Traditional hiring practices have not been refined and tailored to suit sales, so the managers who employ them are often faced with disappointment,” says Dr. Croner, who developed the DriveTest®, an assessment based on 90 years of research on the subject as well as his company’s own work, to help businesses identify Drive in candidates before they hire one.

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By Dr. Christopher Croner Here are ten sales management mistakes and misconceptions and how you can avoid them.

Thinking “I have a golden gut.” A sales candidate is typically on their best behavior during the interview, and someone who is likable for a short period of time can deceive your gut instinct. This brief interaction won’t tell you if your candidate can sustain high performance in the tough world of sales. So, it is critical to implement a scientific hiring process that consists of a sales assessment and a well-conducted behavioral interview to get past the initial impression and at what is really under the surface.

A sales presentation during an interview predicts success. A sales presentation during the interview can tell you if your candidate did their homework, is able to put together and deliver a presentation, and how well they communicate. What it will not tell you is if the candidate will be able to consistently bring in new business. A sales presentation will show you if the candidate can sell, not if they will sell. It’s important to know the difference.

Salespeople from big companies are better. Small to medium-sized companies and/or managers hiring their first salesperson may think that if they just hire a salesperson from a large company, surely they’ll be successful. This is not always true. Sometimes, a wellknown brand brings in its own customers, rather than requiring salespeople to go out and source new business. Instead, look for salespeople who have: Two to three years of sales experience, to ensure they know the selling basics.

Experience selling for a company that is similar in size to your company.

A score of four or five in Drive.

“A highly Driven individual with two to three years’ experience at a similarly sized company is much more likely to sell successfully for you than one from a large company,” says Dr. Croner.

Churn and burn is the best approach to hiring. As a hiring manager, you may have been disappointed one too many times and concluded that churning and burning through salespeople is the best approach. Unfortunately, a bad salesperson has a ripple effect. Their presence and lack of performance could negatively affect your client relationships, company culture, and bottom line. So, while it takes a little bit more time up-front to develop and implement a strategic hiring process, the payoff is far greater than the risk.

Anyone can be trained to hunt. To be a successful “Hunter,” aka new business developer, your candidate needs Drive, which consists of three traits that cannot be taught or changed past the age of 21-22: Need for Achievement, Competitiveness, and Optimism.

Unfortunately, research shows that only about 20 percent of the population is high in Drive. The difference between a salesperson who can sell and a salesperson who absolutely will sell is Drive.

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Money is every salesperson’s top need. A common belief among sales managers is “I need to hire a salesperson who is motivated by money.”

But external financial pressures like mortgages and student loan debt are temporary. A salesperson motivated only by money will flatline once those motivations are gone. This is why you should hire salespeople based on their core personality traits and not their current motivations.

High Drive salespeople look at sales as points on the scoreboard, so they will never be okay with hitting a certain number and quitting.

A motivational speaker can increase my team’s Drive. Remember, Drive is the non-teachable personality trait shared among successful Hunter salespeople. Hiring a motivational speaker to increase your team’s Drive is wishful thinking. They may boost performance for a day or two, but over time salespeople will resort back to normal behavior.

“Consider bringing in a skills trainer instead,” advises Dr. Croner. “This person can assess the team’s current skills and help them improve from there.”

A great salesperson will make a great sales manager. Many sales execs want to give their high-performing salespeople a sense of career progression, so they promote them to sales managers. This can be hazardous as these top performers who are used to bringing in their own business are now reliant on the success of others.

No longer being in control of their success can make them miserable, and it may even mean a pay cut due to a lack of commissions. So, before promoting one of your best salespeople to a sales management position, know that this role requires an entirely different skill set and personality.

Generalized personality tests are sufficiently predictive of sales performance. Measuring someone’s overall personality can be important and is ok to look at when hiring in other roles. But when hiring Hunters, you need to be using a sales-specific assessment that is calibrated to measure personality traits that will impact sales performance. Instead of asking “How personable are you?” with a one to ten answers, a sales assessment will produce an in-depth sales personality profile.

A cheap assessment is good enough. One common misconception about assessments is how much they should really cost. In doing research, you will find that assessment prices vary drastically, with generalized personality tests starting as low as 20 dollars. When shopping for an assessment, it is just like buying anything else . . . you get what you pay for. Safeguard your company from wasting thousands on an underperforming salesperson by taking the initial steps at the beginning of the hiring process to implement a sales-specific assessment.

Hiring effective salespeople can be a frustrating task, but you can stick a stopper into the revolving door by learning to successfully identify candidates with Drive.

“Identifying Driven candidates will save time and money while relieving managers from the headaches of constant hiring and training,” says Dr. Croner. “Once you start taking a strategic approach, it’s a huge relief.

Your life will definitely improve, and obviously so will your sales.”

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About the Author: Dr. Christopher Croner is principal at SalesDrive and coauthor (along with Richard Abraham) of the book Never Hire a Bad Salesperson Again, which details his research and practice in identifying the non-teachable personality traits common to top producers. Dr. Croner received his BA in psychology from DePaul University and his master’s and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He developed the proprietary DriveTest® online sales test and The Drive Interview®, both used for hiring “Hunter” salespeople. Using this methodology, he has helped over 1,200 companies worldwide to hire and develop top-performing salespeople. To learn more please visit https://salesdrive.info.

About the Book: Never Hire a Bad Salesperson Again: Selecting Candidates Who Are Absolutely Driven to Succeed (The Richard Abraham Company LLC, ISBN: 978-0-9741996-1-0, $19.95) is available from major online booksellers.

An All-In Guide To a 100% Remote Company George Shchegolev VP of Operations at Route4Me

Canadian SME got an incredible opportunity to get into chit-chat with the VP of Operations at Route4Me, George Shchegolev. Leading a 100% remote company ever since its inception, George talks about the challenges they faced and what other small businesses can learn from their journey. Additionally, he has some insightful tips for small business owners who are finding it difficult to manage a remote business amidst the face of a volatile market after the pandemic.

According to a recent survey, more than 40% of employees say they would start looking for a new job if their company does not provide long-term options to work from home. Why do you think this is more important now than ever before?

Put simply, remote work allows us to get work done better. Not too long ago, the idea of “remote work” was achieved by a relatively small percentage of professionals. As with every wave in technology, there are always the first adopters who typically pay greatly for, and can afford to pay for, a luxury. The second and third waves of adoption then further fuel wide-scale adoption. If you think of a luxury good or service from 30 years ago, for example, the Personal Computer, or PC. The adoption waves started out very expensive with only a few able to attain them. However that “luxury” slowly became more affordable and eventually, with enough adoption it became cheap, standard, and inarguably a necessity. Could you imagine starting a company or even surviving in a company in today’s world without a computer of any kind? Interestingly enough, when luxuries become necessities, it tends to spawn new obligations. Today everyone has email and that's become a new obligation. The ability to “remotely work” is a natural byproduct of ever-increasing productivity and efficiency that allows us to be better and manage more while still maintaining balance in our everyday lives.

Your company has been 100% remote ever since you started back in 2009? Why did you choose a remote model of work?

It’s simple really. We wanted to build the world’s best product and to do that we knew we needed the world’s best people. For a company that’s on a mission to save the world, we realized on Day 1 that we had to think differently and that it would be insane to think we could recruit the best talent from around the world and expect them to change their lives, uproot, and move to “our office”. There’s no benefit in the world that we could give to people, no amount of “free lunch” or “foosball table tournaments” that can replace someone’s “home”. Being where you love and want to be is about choice and freedom. If we want the best people in the world, why would we ever ask them to choose?

How has the experience of working remotely been?

Working remotely is often cited by our team members as one of the greatest benefits of working at Route4Me.

How do you feel the business environment has changed since the pandemic?

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Prior to the pandemic, there was a certain negative stigma associated with being remote, as if we weren't taken as seriously as we should have because we didn’t have some physical office location. Now, it’s seen as a shining example of “changing with the times” and “being ahead of the curve”. It’s pretty normalized now whereas prior to the pandemic it was the exception.

Can you elaborate on some of the challenges you faced while mapping this unknown territory and what can other aspiring entrepreneurs learn from them?

TImezones are often a challenge so having set work hours for different parts of your organization enables greater productivity and collaboration. Much like a factory works different shifts this can all be managed and systematized.

What suggestions do you have for small-scale businesses that are finding it hard to pull through during these challenging times?

Ask yourself the hard questions. Are you an early adopter or a laggard? If you were selling fax machines in the year 2000 you were a laggard. In the year 2020, if you are selling a commodity good or service you might be at risk of becoming a laggard in 10 years with slowly declining sales. Look to the luxuries of today to see what will become the new necessities. Become an early adopter and ride the wave.

BEST RESOURCES FOR INDIGENOUS ENTREPRENEURS As per the official Government of Canada statistics, Canada accounts for more than 1.6 million indigenous people living in more than 600 indigenous communities.

Although there are quite varied schemes available for the indigenous people now, however, that was not always the case.

Indigenous people in Canada had to face societal bias, systematic discrimination, and oppressive governments over the years. Therefore, when it came to academic and business circles, they were hugely at a disadvantage. complex problems.

Because of all these disadvantages and inequitable funding, only about 48 percent of Indigenous people graduate high school. And that is why the Canadian business world, which is highly reliant on a person’s educational background remains inaccessible to these indigenous groups.

Thankfully, provinces like British Columbia have taken it upon themselves to address these issues and find a way out to provide equal opportunity and access to indigenous people as well. And, it is working! Notably, British Columbia accounted for a stark 81% graduation rate among indigenous people in 2016. However, there’s a lot to be done and the Canadian government recognizes this. Therefore, they have several tools and resources in place to encourage and support the indigenous people, especially the indigenous entrepreneurs.

Why Become an Indigenous Entrepreneur?

Before we talk about the best resources for indigenous entrepreneurs, let us take a look at why you should consider starting your own business as an indigenous entrepreneur. Well, first things first, to be an entrepreneur means to take your destiny into your own hands. Not only that, but you’ll also be in control of your future. Additionally, you can bring all your ideas to life through planning and careful execution.

Yes, it’s not an easy road, but the journey is worth the trouble as it will not just be full of learning experiences but also give you several opportunities to grow. Remember, all thriving economies have small businesses as their backbone, and as we build a resilient business community today, we lay the foundation for a strong business ecosystem for the next generation.

And the numbers speak for themselves as Small business BC writes, “Fortunately, the process of reconciliation has brought about some change. A 2018 survey from Vancity reported that 48% of Indigenous entrepreneurs say they experienced systemic barriers five years ago, compared to just 21% now. NonIndigenous Canadians and businesses are also starting to recognize and acknowledge the historic and legal challenges confronting Indigenous communities.”

Best Resources for Indigenous Entrepreneurs in Canada While starting a business, you need to take care of several aspects. From coming up with a seller's business idea to the business plan and funding, there are many challenges in the way. If you need more information on the same, the CanadianSME Small Business Magazine will definitely clear all your doubts. Having said that, the Government of Canada has some great tools and resources at the disposal of indigenous entrepreneurs and we have listed them down below:

Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) functions as a bridge to connect aboriginal people with businesses in Canada. The official website states, “CCAB builds bridges between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples, businesses, and communities through diverse programming, providing tools, training, network building, major business awards, and national events.” For more information on the same, please click the link provided above.

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Native Women’s Association of Canada Working towards representing the indigenous women in the community, the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) talks about inclusivity and a gender-diverse Canada. Additionally, it also works on several issues like women in business, justice and human rights, labor, health, childcare amongst others.

Advanced Business Match Small Business BC writes, “Advanced Business Match (ABM) is the most powerful Aboriginal-Driven business event in Canada. ABM connects Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal decision makers to create opportunities for business. ABM Delegates choose to meet one-on-one through the selection of potential business matches using profile information.”

BDC Indigenous Entrepreneur Banking Animikii Indigenous Technology Animikii is a digital agency owned by an indigenous business owner who is working towards providing support to upcoming entrepreneurs in the indigenous community.

Providing support in custom software to web designing, Animikii is a great option to consider if you are looking to start your own business.

Canadian Centre for Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Dedicated towards the growth and promotion of indigenous entrepreneurship in Canada, the Canadian Centre for Aboriginal Entrepreneurship provides support in training, writing and speaking services, project management, etc.

Indigenous Business Development Services Established in 2017, to explicitly help the indigenous people in British Columbia, the Indigenous Business Development Services provides a platform for indigenous businesses to grow and develop. Additionally, it also hosts regular workshops to expand the reach of programming.

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BDC Indigenous Entrepreneur Banking is a financial institution dedicated to the indigenous entrepreneurs in Canada. In their bid to help the indigenous community, they offer a unique $350,000 loan for indigenous entrepreneurs who want to step foot in the business world.

To Wrap It Up If you are an indigenous entrepreneur, hoping to start your business but do not know where to begin, these tools and resources can definitely help you find your way.

Additionally, they can also provide you with all the support you need whether it is financial or anything else. You can learn more about such tools specifically meant for indigenous entrepreneurs by subscribing to the CanadianSME Small Business Magazine!

A Black Woman Entrepreneur’s

Road to Success and What We Can Learn Lola Adeyemi

Founder, Chief Souper Woman - It's Souper We also got the chance to interview Lola Adeyemi, a Nigerian Canadian Immigrant who launched her Food & Beverage Company “It’s Souper” in a bid to fill a vast gap in the market where she found there was no space for African inspired ethnic recipes. In this segment, Lola talks about what led her to lay the foundation of It’s Souper and how her journey has been till now. Additionally, Lola also elaborates on some of the challenges she faced and what other aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women, can learn from them.

Lola a Nigerian Canadian Immigrant launched her Food & Beverage Company “It’s Souper” which currently produces Afro-Fusion Soups & Sauces, because she felt there was a need to fill the void in the mainstream Retail space for African inspired/ethnic recipes made “By Us for All”. Her brand is the first African & Black owned line of Soups sold in mainstream Canadian Retail and was nominated by the Retail Council of Canada for a Best New Product of the Year Award in 2019. It’s Souper is currently sold online Canada wide, and across Ontario Canada via retailers such as Sobeys, Whole Foods, Ambrosia Natural Foods, McEwan’s, Healthy Planet, and other Indie retailers. With two new sauces launching in the Fall of 2021 in addition to the current West African Pepper Sauce, adding more shelf stable options to the product line – the brand is set and ready for National and International distribution.

What is the mission of your organization?

Its Souper’s mission is to fill a void that exists in Canada for African-inspired meals and expose Canadians to a whole new world of food.

What was the motivation behind coming up with the idea for Its Souper?

As an African immigrant, I was often looking for food that reminded me of home. I also wanted food that was fast, convenient but still healthy. I realized there was a gap in retail for this kind of cuisine, so I created something with the nostalgia of home. I wanted to fill that gap emotionally for myself by seeing a brand that represented me and my culture on the shelves. I also wanted to provide access to heartier, spicier, and healthier products that were easy to prepare.

How has the Cassels Black Owned Small Business Grant changed your business?

The grant has changed my business significantly. It has given me the opportunity to grow my business without having to apply for loans, which are difficult to get in the food and beverage industry as banks consider the industry high risk. Plus, being a Black woman and a firstgeneration immigrant still building my credit profile in Canada, I am not seen as an attractive person to lend to. The grant came at a really good time because I was planning to scale, and I was able to do so without having to deal with the loans process.

For me, the most effective approach has been separating myself from those feelings, focusing on the work, and not letting anything distract me from my goal.

Can you elaborate on some of the challenges you faced and what other aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women, can learn from them?

The biggest challenge I faced was not having another Black female entrepreneur in this industry and that I could look up to.

When you see someone successful who looks like you, you feel like it’s attainable. Now I can inspire others, but I have also made mistakes along the way because I was the one who created the path.

The pro bono legal services have also been extremely valuable. Cassels has provided me with guidance on all legal aspects such as evaluating my trademark, improving my corporate documents, and reviewing contracts with partners and vendors. This has taken an immense amount of stress off of me and getting access to such a large and well-known firm as a small business has been such a great opportunity.

I felt so alone, but if you don’t limit yourself to your race or gender, you can find amazing mentors. It is human nature to go to someone who is familiar, but for me in this industry, it was hard to find someone. So my advice is to broaden your horizons and go to unfamiliar territories because that’s where I have found amazing mentors. Just put yourself out there – you’d be surprised how many people just want to help.

Sometimes the factors that make starting a business more difficult – such as being Black or female – are the reasons that people want to help. There are also many organizations that have been created to help people like me, so I encourage you to seek them out.

How do you feel being a female entrepreneur in a quite stringent and competitive business environment?

What suggestions do you have for small-scale businesses that are finding it hard to pull through during these challenging times?

I try not to look at myself as a female entrepreneur, but rather just as an entrepreneur. It does occur to me that it would have been easier for me if I had been male – I have experienced being spoken over, not being heard, and not being taken seriously for my business idea.

One of the things I tell myself is to take it a day at a time because there are so many challenges when it comes to running a small business in the Canadian landscape. So many external challenges, like the pandemic, are beyond your control, so focus on the things that you can control. Think big, have a big dream but plan in small increments. Plan in a way that doesn’t overwhelm you and take it one step at a time. Set up short-term smaller goals to achieve your big dream – this has always helped me feel less overwhelmed.

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Miki Velemirovich

President of Cargo

THE DOS AND DON’TS OF MARKETING TO CANADIAN SMALL BUSINESSES

What if small businesses are actually doing better in the wake of the pandemic? For more than a year now, we’ve heard about their hardships. But what if that wasn’t always the case? And if not, how would it change the way marketers address potential small business customers?

These are some of the questions we wanted to answer in our latest study on the State of SMB, called Heads Up. Here at Cargo, we have long prided ourselves on the insights we uncover and use when helping our big-brand clients target small business customers. So, we launched a study of Canadian small businesses with the help of our research partner, Phase 5. Connecting with over 1,000 owners and decision-makers across the country, we asked how they’re coping, how big brands are helping, and what they could be doing better.

The results: the new Dos and Don’ts of marketing to small businesses now.

TO HELP REMOVE BARRIERS Pivot, pivot, pivot! It’s been the word on many a small business owner’s lips this past year. In order to survive, they’ve had to come up with new ways to sell to customers who can’t leave the house, adjust their offerings in a touchless world, and implement tools that allow employees to work from anywhere (some permanently).

So, what’s stopping them from fulfilling this digital transformation? Here are the most common barriers they cited: • • • •

The steep learning curve The cost of implementing new technology Cybersecurity and fraud concerns And simply not knowing where to start

As a big brand, you have the chance to help them remove some of these barriers. Some small businesses are feeling paralyzed. They know they need to do something, but they may not know where to start, whom to turn to, or what they need to make it happen.

DON’T TREAT SMALL BUSINESSES WITH BROAD STROKES In the same way that we, as individuals, have each had very different responses to the pandemic and lockdowns, the same is true of small businesses. Some have thrived, while others have struggled.

And the results of our study revealed mixed feelings across the board. A promising 45% of respondents said they felt optimistic and feeling good about the future of their business—not bad, all things considered— while 29% felt pessimistic. (Another 25% didn’t feel one way or the other.)

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And when it came to the impact COVID-19 had on their business, 49% said it had no negative impacts, while one in three said their business has actually improved.

So, what should this tell you as a marketer? Show them that you understand their unique concerns, struggles, and successes. Firmographics will become critical to identify the target groups with the same needs. And then apply the most appropriate messaging to match the mindset.

DO REALIZE BRANDS MATTER MORE NOW THAN EVER Where are big brands falling short? When we asked small businesses if they felt valued by their big brand partners, the answers were…concerning. Only 24% said they felt truly valued by the big brands they work with, and 41% said they didn’t feel valued at all.

Why does it matter now more than ever? Small businesses have been through it this past year. Endless waves of shutdowns, constantly changing rules, and promises of support that perhaps never came to fruition. It should be no surprise they’re cautious about whom they trust. Do you really care about your small business customers? And, even more importantly, do they feel it?

Developing and maintaining a level of trustworthiness needs to be a part of your plan. That means sharing your knowledge, expertise, and services with your customers. It can prove to be invaluable as small businesses are driven into a new age at breakneck speeds.

We have the opportunity to truly behave like a business partner, which is what they have wanted all along: someone that cares about their success as much as they do.

Want to read Cargo’s full Heads Up study? You can check it out here.

Navigating the Sustainable IT Revolution released by TCO Development Clare Hobby oversees purchaser engagement programs worldwide for TCO Development, the organization behind TCO Certified, the global independent sustainability certification for IT products.

TCO Certified is used by procuring organizations and the IT industry worldwide as a tool for driving environmental and supply chain responsibility into the IT ecosystem.

A dynamic communicator and sustainability advocate, Clare brings her global experience to a number of sustainability initiatives in the IT space. She is a board member of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council and the International Green Purchasing Network and is active in the multistakeholder Clean Electronics Production Network and UN Environment’s One Planet Network. She holds Masters degrees from Northwestern University USA and the University of Melbourne and Executive Education in Sustainability Leadership at Harvard.

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Clare Hobby Director Purchaser Engagement Global, TCO Development

Can you highlight the key findings from the latest report Impacts & Insights: Navigating the Sustainable IT Revolution released by TCO Development?

This year’s report is really about shining the light on greenwash. We want to give IT purchasers the tools for avoiding it, and increasing their impact in the supply chain, where the majority of the social and environmental risks are located.

The IT supply chain is vast, complex, and inaccessible for the majority of end-users, which makes issues like working conditions and chemical use almost impossible to assess. As a result, too many IT purchasers are expected to rely on unverified sustainability claims and declarations issued by the electronics manufacturers.

Doing so raises the risk to reputation and negative findings connected to the electronics you buy. We’ve seen the many shortcuts and loopholes in IT manufacturing during our almost 30 years of certifying hardware, so we want purchasers to better understand the critical importance of independent verification of sustainability claims so that they can avoid this greenwash risk. This work is core to our certification, TCO Certified.

What are some ways to avoid green- and bluewashing through independent verification organizations?

Ecolabels and certifications are popular among purchasers wanting to make more sustainable product choices. The problem is there are literally hundreds to choose from, making it difficult to know which labels actually have an impact, or expose you to a higher risk for greenwash. It all comes down to three main factors working together: criteria, verification, and accountability.

Our advice is to ask these questions of an ecolabel or certification you’re considering: Criteria - Does the label include criteria for both environmental and supply chain responsibility in combination?

Independent verification - Is independent verification of all criteria mandatory, for products and manufacturing?

Accountability - Is there a system in place to hold manufacturers and brands accountable for compliance with all criteria?

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How to communicate product sustainability to customers in a trustworthy way, cutting through the noise?

Again, this is where independent verification is critical. Actually being on the ground, assessing factories and testing products is vital for delivering documented proof to product buyers, but it also helps manufacturers avoid greenwash when communicating with their customers.

Being able to refer to an independent system of verification, such as TCO Certified, that includes product testing, chemical and factory assessments, gives buyers and suppliers the credibility to stand behind their sustainability efforts.

What are some strategies to replace bad practices with safer alternatives, such as ensuring fair labour conditions, safer chemicals, and low emissions?

We have to move from simply ” banning the bad” to “finding the better”. This is a paradigm shift we’ve developed in TCO Certified, especially around chemicals of concern and labor conditions. Again, independent verification is essential for being able to do this work.

For chemicals used in products and manufacturing processes, only around 1% of the thousands of chemicals in use today have been independently assessed for environmental or human health hazards. This is alarming. And while legislation has largely banned the worst, we have to make sure that the substances replacing them are actually safer. So we’ve developed the TCO Certified Acceptance Substance List, which lists independently assessed flame retardants and plasticizers that are benchmarked as safer, and are the only substances approved for use in certified products. By making our List publicly available, we’ve seen a shift to verified, safer substitutions becoming the mainstream choice industry-wide.

We’ve now expanded the Accepted List approach to final assembly factories. Based on the compliance track record of compliance with our criteria, we’re able to assign a risk category to each final assembly factory making certified products. This risk category determines the frequency of auditing and additional follow-up monitoring that the factory will be subject to. In short, the better a factory shows compliance over time, the lower the monitoring burden. It’s an effective way of making sustainability performance good business practice.

What is your key advice to small businesses to help them define their sustainability goals?

Don’t be afraid to start small - but do get started.

There are really good things you can do, that are often low-hanging fruit.

A good place to start is to buy less and use products you already have for longer.

Share, repair, and give them a second life through redeployment for example. This is especially true for technology, where the majority of the sustainability impact already happens in the supply chain before it lands on the desktop! When we buy less often, we are not perpetuating that same impact.

And of course, when it comes to buying new products, put good ecolabels and certifications to work for you!

Diversity and Inclusion are essential to new ideas and innovation Tony Reda

Founder, President, CEO & Director, Tectonic Metals Inc.

Why is it more important than ever before to have a diverse and inclusive work environment? How do Tectonic Metals promote this?

Diversity and inclusion are essential to new ideas and innovation. Businesses from all sectors must leverage their talent’s diversity to remain current. At Tectonic Metals, we strongly believe in a workplace environment that genuinely encourages inclusivity, innovation, leadership, and growth. Our work is improved when diverse perspectives and strengths are focused on shared goals. The minerals and mining industry has the unique opportunity to be a leader in diversity and inclusion. Companies (large and small) can take critical actions to alter business practices and processes that perpetuate inequality. At Tectonic Metals, we mandated our entire team to undertake professional development specific to cultural competency and anti-racism Awareness.

What is the role that ESG plays in talent retention and attracting the next generation leaders in the mining and exploration industry?

ESG indicators are central to a firm's reputation and financial performance and are increasingly on all stakeholders’ radars, including potential employees. For example, in research conducted by LinkedIn, “nearly nine out of ten of millennials (those between the ages of 22 and 37) would consider taking a pay cut to work at a company whose mission and values align with their own.” This is especially relevant in our industry, where companies must speak the language of millennials and represent their values. We at Tectonic Metals understand the new generation of industry professionals and address their needs by maintaining a work environment that is innovative, sustainable, and ethical—all while also maximizing shareholder value and building communities.

Why are a company’s values important in driving not just investors but also future employees?

Values are extracted, lived, and felt – not scripted. They come from what is shared and often unwritten; they create identity and belonging, and, together, they act as a compass. At Tectonic Metals, we live and breathe by our values. Respect, integrity, accountability, transparency, honesty and fairness is what we live by. We believe that these core values have helped shape our company culture and impact our business strategy, which truly aligns with those of our investors. We must do more in reaching out to the public and demonstrating passionate teams with outstanding values in our

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industry, so that it is truly be seen as a rewarding career path for the next generation of leaders.

Can you tell us a bit more about your partnership with Doyon Limited and the importance of early engagement and community support before working on a project?

Through a somewhat novel approach to exploration, we sought this partnership and established production agreements on the onset. In 2018, we secured exclusive rights to explore, develop and mine all minerals, ores, and mineral products at the Seventy miles and Northway Projects (situated on Doyon’s 12.5 million acres of land) and maintained a relationship with Doyon based on trust, respect, and shared values. That prompted Doyon to take the relationship a step further in April 2020 and to acquire a 22.3 percent ownership of Tectonic on a partially diluted basis. This is an unprecedented deal that now benefits over 20,000 shareholders who are Doyon members.

Can you elaborate on some of the challenges you faced while mapping this unknown territory and what can other aspiring entrepreneurs learn from them?

We are honored to have received the blessings of Doyon from the onset of our exploration process from the onset, which equipped us with added vigor to create value for our shareholders. Most of the challenges we experience with our operations in Alaska are that weather conditions limit fieldwork. Nonetheless, our expert team ensures that we are two steps ahead and are at the peak of our products throughout the year.

My advice to entrepreneurs is to be armed with an open mind and lots of patience. Soil and rock sampling, surveying, as well as exploratory drilling, take time because explorers cover large, district-scale areas in determining what lies beneath. Understanding risk and managing expectations are also important because conversions in our industry are rare. Still, a sense of optimism goes a long way.

What suggestions do you have for small-scale businesses that are finding it hard to pull through during these challenging times?

My advice to small-scale businesses at this time is to maintain optimism, plan ahead, and invest in their talent so that they can efficiently tackle challenges as work returns to normal in most industries.

Tony takes a vision and makes it a reality through hard work, tenacity, perseverance and sound strategy development. His passion, enthusiasm and drive are infectious, motivating and empowering the people around him. As Founder, President, CEO and Director of Tectonic Metals Inc., Tony is all in, working solely to create value for the company’s shareholders and stakeholders.

His loyalty and commitment to his work are undeniable, as demonstrated by the fact that he was the longest-serving employee of Kaminak Gold Corporation from inception in 2005 to the sale of the company, including the Coffee Gold Project, in 2016 to Goldcorp Inc. (now Newmont Goldcorp) for $520 million. Tony served as Vice President, Corporate Development for Kaminak executing the company's strategic planning, financing, business development and marketing while overseeing the public relations and investor communications of the company. Tony was pivotal in orchestrating capital raises totaling over $165 million to primarily fund the acquisition and advancement of the Coffee Gold Project in the Yukon Territory from a grassroots discovery through to the completion of a bankable feasibility study. He was also involved in monetizing Kaminak’s other projects by forming strategic alliances, joint venture agreements and creating public and private companies resulting in over $35 million being spent by third parties directly on Kaminak’s projects.

During his tenure with Kaminak, the company was ranked 8th best performing mining company from a peer group of some 1,200 mining companies, was listed as a 2015 TSX Venture 50 Company and was one of four companies selected out of 1,971 companies listed on the TSX Venture Exchange as Best IR by IR Magazine in 2015.

Tony personifies Tectonic’s belief that responsible mineral exploration and development can positively impact the communities in which the company lives and operates and its commitment to early and ongoing community engagement, best practices in environmental stewardship and the development of a strong safety culture.

What is the mission of Tectonic Metals?

Tectonic Metals’ goal is to challenge industry standards and to be ‘The Shift in the Game’. Our mission and constant endeavour are to create transformational wealth for our shareholders by identifying, discovering, and developing world-class gold districts in North America, while also prioritizing high standards of environmental stewardship and positively impacting communities in which we live and operate.

How is your company helping the indigenous community and increasing their engagement in business?

In 2018, Tectonic Metals Inc. entered a partnership with Doyon, Ltd, one of Alaska’s largest Native corporations on several Tectonic projects, and in 2020, Doyon made a strategic investment in Tectonic making them Tectonic’s single largest shareholder. Native Alaskans have now empowered shareholders who have an active voice in influencing our business operations, while also enjoying the financial rewards of their resource-rich ancestral land. This marks one of the few instances in our industry whereby a native corporation owns a significant share in a mineral exploration company and creating economic wellbeing among the local community for generations to come.

Sustainability in a Diverse and Inclusive Business: What Can You Learn?

Charles Finley

Chief Experience Officer, Futurpreneur

Charles oversees Futurpreneur’s entrepreneurship and mentorship programs, helping the mission-driven national organization meet the evolving needs of diverse young entrepreneurs launching companies across Canada. In this segment, Charles has some unparalleled tips for small businesses, especially young and emerging entrepreneurs on how to find their path in the very competitive business world.

What is the mission of Futurpreneur?

Futurpreneur has been fueling the entrepreneurial passions of Canada’s young entrepreneurs for 25 years.

We are the only national, non-profit organization providing financing, mentorship, and key resources to aspiring entrepreneurs aged 18-39. Our mission is to help these Canadian entrepreneurs launch successful businesses that contribute to sustainable and inclusive economic development in their communities and for Canada.

Your RBC Rock My Business Start-Up Awards is an amazing initiative to recognize the efforts of small business owners making a difference with their enterprises. How did you come up with this idea?

What was the driving force behind it?

The idea began with Futurpreneur’s already existing Rock My Business workshop series. In 2020, we redesigned the program – partially in response to the pandemic – by making it virtual and moving to a three-part series to better prepare entrepreneurs for launching a business.

The pandemic has given people a reason to rethink what they want to do next. Starting a business is a path many young entrepreneurs contemplate, but since they have different levels of business experience and preparedness, bringing their business idea to life is no easy task. This workshop series is a comprehensive, accessible resource for aspiring business owners to gain foundational skills.

We are constantly exploring how to make entrepreneurship more accessible, and our partnership with RBC enables us to offer this workshop free of charge.

The new virtual version proved so popular that RBC suggested we find a way to provide additional recognition to standout entrepreneurs through the RBC Rock My Business Startup Awards.

There has been an ever-increasing focus on the importance of working from home. Many companies have followed this route especially since the pandemic and have gone 100% remote.

What do you think about the remote way of working? Do you think it is viable in the long run?

With the onset of the pandemic we, like other organizations, were faced with moving operations fully virtual overnight. The pandemic also accelerated existing trends towards remote or hybrid work environments. For Futurpreneur itself, we moved to work from home relatively seamlessly and are now planning what our return to office will look like. There is value in both in

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in-person collaborative work and a virtual workforce and we will consult with our team members to see what works best. Our entrepreneurs are also seeking this balance as some measures put in place during the pandemic opened up new ways for companies to engage with their customers, and these measures will endure long after the pandemic ends.

How do you feel the business environment has changed since the pandemic?

Small businesses faced significant challenges during the pandemic. These challenges have increased the pressure to undertake massive digital transformation, develop new fulfillment frameworks, and in some cases pivot to new products or business models. We can’t understate the impact this has had on small business owners, and unfortunately, some businesses have not survived. However, new businesses have also launched during the pandemic, and many, if not most, of our small businesses, have found a way to survive. We don’t know what the long-term impacts of the pandemic are yet, but we can predict that digital transformation and eCommerce will continue to be important. Another change has been a much greater awareness of the need to overcome systemic barriers to a diverse and inclusive environment for entrepreneurs. In response to these changes, new support networks and programs have been put in places such as Futurpreneur’s redesigned Rock My Business Plan and the RBCsupported Black Entrepreneurship Startup Program. The pandemic highlighted the vital role that small independent businesses, and the entrepreneurs who have created them, play in communities across the country. We believe that entrepreneurship is still alive and well in Canada.

Can you elaborate on some of the challenges Futurpreneur has faced during the pandemic, and how the organization has overcome these?

What suggestions do you have for small-scale businesses that are finding it hard to pull through during these challenging times?

All of our flagship workshops, including the Rock My Business series, have only ever been in-person. There was an initial challenge of pivoting to a virtual setting while maintaining the networking portion, however, there was no shortage of software available to help. We leveraged existing technology and budgeted time to train and equip staff members to succeed through the change. In fact, moving to virtual provided more access to our workshop. We witnessed an influx of entrepreneurs who found this series to be relevant and helpful.

On a broader scale, Futurpreneur also put extra support in place for our entrepreneurs through additional financing, webinars, and another programming to help them adapt.

Reach out to us! In addition to our financing and mentorship programs, we have several valuable resources available to all aspiring business owners, as well as multiple tools available through our network of over 100 partners across Canada.

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How To Develop a Cybersecurity Strategy Suited For Your Startup A research found that 43 percent of all data breaches target small and medium-sized businesses, while 83 percent of them aren’t financially prepared to recover from a cyberattack. Therefore, you should take precautionary measures to mitigate potential threats and keep your business up and running.

Jack Warner

Cybersecurity Expert, TechWarn

CYBERSECURITY RISKS FACING STARTUPS Data breach tends to be every small business’s worst nightmare.

It could shut down your business in seconds, and it can take up to six months to even detect it. Furthermore, the origins of data breaches in small companies can be traced to compromised credentials. Forgotten and stolen passwords can be an opportunity for criminals to harvest your valuable data.

Moreover, another significant threat every small business faces on a day-to-day basis is phishing attacks. These kinds of attacks are designed to lure victims into believing that the party involved in communication is a legitimate one when in reality, you’re communicating with a hacker who’s trying to steal your valuable data. The most common phishing attacks are carried out through legitimate-looking emails with malicious links and attachments.

5 WAYS TO SECURE STARTUPS Risk assessment Assessing possible risks facing your business should be the first step in creating any security plan.

Determine how valuable your assets are, the chances of losing them, and the potential consequences. If you conclude that it could severely endanger your business, consult with an expert and invest in proper insurance.

Use a VPN router to secure all devices in the office If you want to secure all devices in the office, you should subscribe to a VPN service and install a VPN on your router. Virtual Private Networks use encryption to scrabble the data in traffic and make it unreadable to any third party. VPN services are easy to use, which means you’re not going to need much additional staff training, and it can be set up in just a few minutes.

Use a password manager Considering that human error contributes to a considerable portion of cyberattacks, reducing the human component in dealing with your business

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Conduct a proper staff training No matter how sophisticated technology you use, it's not going to protect you if your employees don't know how to use it correctly and if they're not aware of potential security risks. Thus, organize regular staff training and encourage them to ask for help if they face any challenges.

Use built-in device encryption If you want to adequately protect the data stored on your company’s devices, start encrypting it. Devices running on Windows have a BitLocker feature, while Mac users can protect their files with FileVault. These features will ensure full disk encryption, and in case some of your devices get stolen, no one could obtain your company’s sensitive data.

Running a business while knowing you have good chances of becoming a cyberattack victim can be stressful. Therefore, communicate with your employees regularly and put cybersecurity at the top of your priority list. Also, implement these tips into your security strategy, and if you still feel uncertain about your protective mechanisms, consult with a professional. Better safe than sorry!

Jack is an accomplished cybersecurity expert with years of experience under his belt at TechWarn, a trusted digital agency to world-class cybersecurity companies.

A passionate digital safety advocate himself, Jack frequently contributes to tech blogs and digital media sharing expert insights on cybersecurity and privacy tools.

VISA CANADA’S

SHE’S NEXT GRANT PROGRAM Sarah is an awardwinning financial professional, with over 15 years of experience leading product strategy, complex projects, and thought leadership. Her accomplishments and experiences are varied, spanning the consumer and institutional groups, front and back office, consulting and product management.

Sarah Steele

Senior Director, Small Business, Visa Canada

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As Senior Director of Small Business at Visa Canada, Sarah is responsible for the development and rollout of Visa’s products, platforms, and resources in the Canadian marketplace.

What is the She’s Next GrantProgram about?

Visa Canada’s first Grant Program was launched earlier this year in partnership with IFundWomen, resulting in ten Canadian women entrepreneurs being awarded a grant of $10,000 CAD each and a one-year mentorship to support growing and expanding their business.

On July 15, 2021, building on the success of the first program, Visa Canada announced the expansion of the She’s Next Grant Program. Ten additional women entrepreneurs in Canada will be awarded grants of $10,000 CAD each and receive business coaching for one year to support growing and expanding their business. The application window for this expansion is now closed and we look forward to announcing the recipients in the near future.

Since March 2020, Visa has awarded over a quarter of a million dollars in grants and coaching scholarships to women across the globe through its She’s Next Grant Program.

Even as the country gradually reopens, women-owned small businesses here continue to struggle and remain disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. According to StatsCan, only 13% of women-owned small businesses expected sales to increase by the second quarter of 2021.

A mere 8% expected profitability to increase, and a full 42% expected profitability to decrease.

As a strong supporter of small businesses well before the pandemic, we at Visa understand that these businesses need our support now more than ever to continue recovering and to thrive in the future – this grant program is one way in which we can help to make this happen. We were so inspired by the success of the first round of the program – and the chance to support such an amazing, diverse group of businesses, right across Canada – we had to launch it again and continue to help fuel the collective recovery of the small business community.

What is the mission of Visa Canada?

Visa was founded on the idea that safe, fast, and reliable digital payments should be available to everyone, everywhere. Our mission at Visa Canada is to ensure that we are truly inclusive in our support for our communities in Canada, including small businesses, and to help provide access to the most innovative, reliable, and secure payment network.

With the expansion of the She's Next Grant Program, Visa Canada aims to bolster its long-standing commitment to supporting small businesses, particularly those led by women entrepreneurs. Other examples of our support of small businesses include our#MySmallBizReco campaign that encouraged Canadians to recommend their favorite small business when they needed it most during an ongoing global pandemic, and the Visa Canada Small Business Hub which provides programs and solutions to help enable small businesses to drive efficiency and sales through the acceptance of digital payments as well as digital transformation.

I encourage all small businesses to visit Visa’s Small Business Hub. It is a localized online resource center, providing tools, partner offers and information on how to start, run and grow yourbusiness in a digital age.

What was the motivation behind coming up with the idea for this grant?

Across all Visa’s global markets, it was clear that the onset of COVID-19 hit small businesses hardest – and particularly those run by women. This spurred the creation of Visa’s global She’s Next Grant Program. We knew the situation for small businesses in Canada was also incredibly difficult and that we had an opportunity to support them, so there was a natural – and necessary – opportunity to introduce the program here in Canada too.

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What suggestions do you have for small-scale businesses that are finding it hard to pull through during these challenging times?

Small businesses are the heart of local Canadian communities, and they have shown tremendous resilience since the onset of COVID-19, despite a severely challenging environment. One thing the pandemic has highlighted is the importance of evolution, from adopting e-commerce to adapting payments.

Visa’s Back to Business Study: 2021 Outlook revealed contactless penetration grew to 43% of all face-to-face transactions around the world in the fiscal year 2020. In response, Visa worked with payments industry partners and governments in more than 50 markets to increase tap-to-pay transaction limits so that consumers are less frequently prompted for a signature and touchless payments can be made even more frequently. Additionally, Visa’s Back to Business Study: 2021 Women’s Edition revealed that 60% of women-owned Canadian small businesses took measures such as offering contactless payments (30%) and offering alternative payment solutions (12%).

It is Visa’s mission to support small businesses at this time and help them get back on their feet but, as we move beyond the pandemic, the capacity for flexibility, agility, and innovation remains crucial to any small business.

EA Role is the Backbone of the Transformational Workplace Since founding Indispensable Recruitment in 2013, Vanessa has been recognized as a determined entrepreneur, having quickly established the firm as a prominent leader in the recruitment community for executive assistants. In addition to dedicating herself to the growth and management of the company, Vanessa is actively involved in strengthening Indispensable recruitment processes and customer relations. Passionately driven by the role of the executive assistant, Vanessa also conducts conferences, hosts exclusive events, manages an EA mentorship program, and frequently shares information to promote the profession. As President of the Board of Directors for the Association of Administrative Professionals of Quebec since 2016, Vanessa aims to improve the profession in every possible way. As an HEC alumnus, she combines both a focused and warm approach that appeals to both her candidates and clients.

Vanessa Mongeau President and Founder

L'Indispensable

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As the President of Indispensable, how is your firm helping the business community transform their workforce and improve the effectiveness of leaders or teams?

At Indispensable, being singularly focused on the Executive Assistant (EA) role, our mission is to not only promote the role but also help leaders get the most out of the unique synergy that exists between an Executive & their EA. We focus on the “FIT” so Leaders can become more efficient and have a greater impact on their role. I consider the EA role as a business accelerator when the “FIT” provides a leader with an EA that is their right hand as well as their eyes & ears.

In your opinion, why is it important for companies to transform digitally to adapt to the new normal?

The new normal is just an acceleration of the digital transformation that existed before the pandemic. Today’s reality has made the use of Business Intelligence & Automation tools critical for day-to-day operations as well as maintaining competitive advantage. Having clear KPI’s at a glance provides invaluable insight to leaders and is key for establishing objectives and accountability within a transforming organization. Online team collaboration tools such as Teams, Slack, Zoom as well as a myriad of online task/project management tools are an absolute necessity in order to maximize efficiency and remain competitive in this age of business intelligence & process automation.

Why is it important to recognize that virtual leadership during significant disruption requires very different skill sets?

Disruption is the new status quo; we have come to understand that Leaders today require great Organizational change management skills to ensure their teams remain effective & aligned on corporate strategy. We believe that the EA role is the backbone of the transformational workplace as effective change champions for their organizations, enforcing communication channels as well as tech-savvy resources for executive leadership.

Why is the participation of women in the workforce, especially the leadership pipeline, being disproportionately impacted?

Today’s reality, the generational shift as well as the growing focus on employee experience and EQ provides a great opportunity for all men and women to continue to make their space in the workforce & leadership. Year after year the gap is closing, and I am extremely excited to say that today almost 50% of our EA recruitment is for women leaders.

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Now more than ever in entrepreneurial & corporate settings we see visionary women leaders forging ahead. I am extremely proud of my female peers, alumni, and friends for what they have accomplished as well as their continued significant impact in the world.

On a final note, what advice will you give to our audience that can help them see the possibilities in their careers?

Understanding what motivates you and aligns with your core values, should drive your career, that is what I have found most rewarding on a personal and professional level. Keep in mind that possibilities are everywhere, remain focused and invest yourself 100% in what you are passionate about, improve daily and commit to what you are great at... apply “the Hedgehog concept” to your career.

How to improve employee engagement Employee engagement is more important today than ever.

Why? Well, the following numbers are self-explanatory and quite concerning, to say the least, and maybe an answer to all your queries. Forbes writes, “According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, only 15% of employees worldwide are engaged in their jobs – meaning that they are emotionally invested in committing their time, talent and energy in adding value to their team and advancing the organization’s initiatives.

More Gallop research shows that employee disengagement costs the United States upwards of $550 billion a year in lost productivity.

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Now you can understand why disengagement of employees is such a serious problem. However, the situation is still not out of hand as with the use of certain measures, not only can you turn this into an opportunity but also a stepping stone for the growth of your organization. In the business world, challenges and competitions are more rampant than ever. In order to excel and stand at the top of the pedestal, it is imperative to have a workforce that is not only engaged in what they do but also willingly satisfied with their roles.

The Benefits of Employee Engagement

Keep Checking In on Your Employees

As per Forbes, in any organization, there are three types of employees - engaged (15%), not engaged (67%), and actively disengaged (18%). Yes, those numbers are shocking and that is why it is all the more important to instill proper employee engagement measures as it can yield fantastic benefits for your workforce and organization.

A mid-term evaluation or review is now a thing of the past. If you want your workforce to be engaged, you will need to give them regular feedback. It is absolutely mandatory to check in on them and let them know what you think of their performance and if they should stick to how they work or improve in certain areas. Regular review sessions and frequent discussions work wonders and always go a long way.

Higher Productivity Higher Retention of Employees Lower Absenteeism Better Employee Satisfaction Happy Employees is directly proportional to increased loyalty.

Increased productivity improves the company’s revenue.

The quality of work increases exponentially.

Cost-effectiveness Innovative employee How to Improve Employee Engagement?

Now, if you are a small-scale business or any other organization finding it hard to keep your employees engaged, you have come to the right place. Below, we have curated a detailed guide for how you can improve employee engagement to generate a positive output for your business.

Perfect Fit Happens When Employees are Placed in the Right Roles One of the key aspects of increasing employee engagement is placing your employees in roles that are absolutely perfect for them.

This will keep them interested and engaged because of their expertise in that specific role. Otherwise, not just the employee’s talent goes to waste but they do not provide any input to the ultimate aim.

Training is an Absolute Must You really can’t expect a new joiner to know how things work around your organization just because HR gave them an overview. Training is an absolute must whenever you have a new addition to your workforce. Additionally, if someone is changing roles internally, even then you must absolutely train them in their responsibilities. This will give the person a rough idea of what’s expected of them, how things work, and how should they function in order to generate maximum output.

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Physical and Mental Health is a Priority Whenever an organization makes an effort to enhance the overall well-being of each one of its employees, it always helps in keeping them engaged. Amidst all the unpredictability, meaninglessness, and existentialism, it is natural for your employees to have certain mental and physical breakdowns. Prioritizing their overall wellbeing by conducting outdoor sessions, meditation classes, mental health workshops, where they can just focus on themselves, is always a good idea to keep your employees happy. Remember happy employees = happy customers.

Reward the Top Performers When a top-performing and hard-working employee is recognized and awarded for their dedication, it gives them a reason to keep doing well, thereby keeping them engaged. Make a point to recognize the top performers of the month across all departments. And don’t just stick to the ones winning the awards but also appreciate the hard work that the others are putting in.

At last, be thoughtful and empathetic to their problems since your employees, too, are human beings. By employing all the aforementioned measures, you’ll surely reap the benefits that an engaged workforce can bring in for your organization. So, what are you waiting for?

THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS Starting a small business isn't easy. Here are five things you should consider before taking the plunge and starting your own company in Canada.

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Small-scale businesses are the backbone of the Canadian economy. As per the official website of the Government of Canada, “As of December 2019, the Canadian economy totaled 1.23 million employer businesses. Of these, 1.2 million (97.9 percent) were small businesses, 22,905 (1.9 percent) were medium-sized businesses and 2,978 (0.2 percent) were large businesses.”

Bringing aboard quite sustainable, ingenious, and creative concepts, small-scale businesses have taken the Canadian market by storm. However, there is a reason behind the immense success and widespread market share of the smallscale industries - proper planning and execution. Without this, it is impossible to survive in an uncertain economy and amidst tough times. Therefore, before starting a small business in Canada, here is a list of five things that you must absolutely consider.

Determine Your Budget To build something from the scratch not just takes time but also money. While there is no limit to how much one can spend, however, as an entrepreneur it is important to determine your budget before starting a business. Because you will require to spend a number of things, without strategically planning this aspect, all your effort will be wasted. You will have to accept that it may take years before you become profitable and you receive your first paycheck. So you will have to cut down on all unnecessary expenses. Ask yourself - are you ready for this?

Look, research, find an answer, and then proceed.

Understand the Basics of Funding Business and its various aspects is an expensive task and it’s natural that everyone does not have that kind of money. What to do then? Well, that’s where funding comes in. As jumpstart puts it, “Start with your personal finances. Know your credit score because good credit may help you secure loans at a lower rate and allow you to get small business loans if needed.

Have a budget for your personal finances.

Next, consider your business finances.

Prepare a budget and financial projections to help avoid financial pitfalls and to determine the scale of your initial offerings. Then decide how you’ll fund your business.

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The Power of a Powerful Marketing Strategy So you have a plan ready, the funding is done and you’re about to start. But have you wondered how will people get to know about your business? Well, that is where the importance of marketing comes in. Additionally, it’s not the local market where you have to spread the word. Be ambitious and target a global audience which can only be done when you have an online presence. To excel in the snickets and ginnels of the world wide web, you will need to consider a properly placed marketing strategy around your business.

There Will Be Legal Responsibilities A business comes with its own set of responsibilities and the legal ones are amongst the most important. You have to ensure that you are not violating any laws put down in place for your municipality, state, city, and country. Projectmanager.com rightly explains “you’ll want to seek counsel to make sure you’re not opening yourself up for a lawsuit. There are different ways to approach the legal issues of a new business depending on whether you’re a large corporation or a small business, a nonprofit or working with the government.”

Get Proper Support From a Mentor or an Expert Naturally, you may be setting foot in the completely unknown territory while starting a new business. In such a space, support from a mentor or an expert can help you choose the right path. It is a good thing to admit that there is a problem where you need help and seek guidance from the right sources. So, when you feel like your progress has plateaued, trust in that an expert or mentor to provide an outside viewpoint to help surmount the problem.

Helping Small Businesses Grow With Automation Tim Mobley

President at Connext Global Solutions Tim Mobley is the President of Connext Global Solutions that’s aimed at helping small businesses find their footing by providing them remote staffing and process automation solutions. Here, with Mobley, we touch upon the challenges in enforcing a more flexible company culture and the elements needed for it to be a bashing success.

In addition, Tim Mobley also has some unfiltered and quite helpful advice for the small-scale businesses that are trying to make it during this challenging time.

Tim Mobley’s passion for helping businesses grow by solving their staffing, management and governance challenges serves him well as President of Connext Global Solutions, a leading business process outsourcing firm. Founded in 2014, Connext helps mid-sized businesses build, train and manage remote teams and implement technology solutions to solve staffing challenges.

Tim’s career began as an officer in the US Army, first as a medical platoon leader in a light infantry battalion then transitioning to health care administration. He used that invaluable experience as a springboard towards a successful 25 years of progressive experience in general management including serving as the President of Hawaii’s largest dental group and as the VP of Operations at an integrated clinic and hospital. Tim also has experience in marketing roles at Silicon Valley technology firms.

Currently, Tim serves as a board member for The Emergency Group, an emergency medicine physician group treating over 130,000 patients per year, and Genesis Unicorn Acquisition Corp, a special purpose acquisition company.

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, Tim studied economics and mechanical engineering earning the distinguished cadet honor (top 5%) each year. He earned a master’s in business administration from Harvard Business School. During his military training, Tim graduated from multiple military schools and training programs including the Army’s Ranger School.

When not at work, you can find Tim finding the best spots in his home state of Hawaii to read, swim, or practice yoga.

Tim and his wife of 27 years, Katey, are the parents of two teenage children, Josie and Duke.

What is the vision of Connext Global Solutions?

To enable the growth of our clients by providing remote staffing and process automation.

Growth in the value of business starts with productivity growth or increasing output per employee. For the most valuable companies in the world, the revenue and profit per employee are quite high.

Increasing productivity growth helps businesses accomplish more with their existing workforce. We do this at Connext in two ways: building automation tools providing remote staffing

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Connext works in a SOC2 compliant environment, which is important for regulated industries such as financial services, healthcare, and insurance. (Service Organization Control 2 (SOC2) is a standard for security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, or privacy)

The beauty of our model is that it allows us to work hand in hand with our clients to build high-functioning outsourced teams for companies who have never outsourced before or have had a previously poor outsourcing experience.

We have the unique ability to thrust local and regional companies into the national stage so they can compete with significantly larger counterparts. Our long-term vision is to provide that opportunity to small and mid-sized businesses around the world.

As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 9.3 million vacant job openings. How is Connext Global Solutions helping to fill that gap?

The pandemic has created an inflection point that is causing businesses to think differently about how they serve their customers and manage their teams. The preferences and expectations of both customers and employees have quickly evolved. Most middle-market businesses have limited experience and don’t know how to approach these challenges. We help them take the first steps and work collaboratively on the journey to business growth through higher productivity.

Why is it more important than ever for more and more companies to adapt to the remote way of working?

Challenges can often be reframed as opportunities.

Currently, many businesses face similar challenges.

Those businesses that restructure and redefine their workflow to increase productivity, create an advantage relative to competitors. In tight labor environments, something as simple as actually answering the phone and providing timely responses to customer inquiries can be a huge differentiator.

How do you feel the business environment has changed since the pandemic?

Necessity is the mother of invention. We are seeing all types of businesses trying different things, which has created an accelerated evolutionary cycle. Some of these experiments will work and those that adapt quickly will thrive. For change-ready businesses, even failed experiments create learnings that will help with the next experiment. Unfortunately, those businesses that are unwilling to change will bear the brunt of the consequences.

Can you elaborate on some of the challenges you faced while mapping this unknown territory and what can other aspiring entrepreneurs learn from them?

Thirty or forty years ago, there was extraordinarily limited access to capital for entrepreneurs with unproven ideas. Today’s financial markets are completely different, and the developed economies are awash with cash-rich investors looking for opportunities. The availability of venture capital has led to an explosion in entrepreneurship. What is difficult to obtain now is expert guidance and wisdom. Think about the truly innovative businesses — no one had done it before.

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There is much to learn from senior executives and thought leaders, of course, but there are a few issues: the experiences by definition are not completely analogous, incumbents may not want to help disruptors, and only a subset of people will “see” the vision.

What suggestions do you have for small-scale businesses that are finding it hard to pull through during these challenging times?

First, manage cash flow. On the first day of corporate finance class at Harvard Business School, the first thing the professor said was “cash is king.” It took me about 10 years of working experience to truly internalize that message. Without sufficient cash to meet obligations, there is no business.

Second, keep your eyes and mind open. There have been many successful pivots from which we can all learn. Even those of us with limited imaginations can quickly implement innovative concepts.

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Leading a Small Business With Resilience and Ultimate Will Sherry Shannon-Vanstone

President & CEO, Profound Impact Corporation Sherry Shannon-Vanstone is the President and CEO of Profound Impact Corporation as well as a wellknown serial entrepreneur, mathematician, innovator, philanthropist, and mentor. In this section, Shannon discusses the future of work including the ever-growing stress on automation, digitization, and remote working. Additionally, Shannon also has some resourceful insights for small businesses who wish to take the pandemic in stride and move forward with a refreshing approach.

As a well-known serial entrepreneur, mathematician, innovator, philanthropist, and mentor, Sherry Shannon-Vanstone has made a significant contribution to the spectrum of digital industries from electronic commerce to security for the smartphone to driverless/connected vehicles, while also making a major contribution to the advancement of all women.

Throughout Sherry's career, she has been a trailblazer in the fields of STEM, business, and philanthropy. She holds several active roles as the Founder and CEO of Profound Impact Corporation, a cofounder and co-chair of the Waterloo Region chapter of Women in Communications and Technology (WCT-WR), and as the cochair of Perimeter Institute’s Emmy Noether Council.

Sherry founded Profound Impact in 2018 — a next-generation social engagement and interaction platform for use by organizations and their stakeholders to engage, discover, and measure the impact that the institution and its community have on the world. It also aims to build a sense of community for global groups such as women in STEM and entrepreneurs.

Her range of accomplishments include the prestigious Leadership Excellence Award in Entrepreneurship for 2020 from Women in Communications and Technology (WCT), an Honorary Doctorate of Laws (LLD) from Western University in June 2019, and the World Waterloo Region’s Female Innovator of the Year in 2015.

Sherry holds a Master of Science degree in mathematics from the University of Tennessee and was a cryptologic mathematician with the US Government.

Sherry has resided in Canada for 27 years and holds citizenships In both Canada and the US. Sherry is an extraordinary leader and visionary who has made a material difference to the roles women play and their influence in the digital economy.

What do you think is the future of work?

The future of work — rooted in employee/employer relationships — will largely be centered around a more humanistic/employeecentric approach to the labor market and workforce. Technology, combined with the advent of the pandemic, has created a massive shift in the workplace, making remote work and flexible schedules a viable and desirable option for many occupations.No longers is approach to career and workplace experiences a one-size-fits-all mentality. Rather, the next generation of employees and employers will expect career personalization and flexibility as key components in the future of work. By some estimates, 30% of the skills that employees use today were unknown to them a year ago and this trend is expected to continue. Business needs and strategies are changing, and it’s important for organizations to understand how they can effectively develop and leverage the unique skill sets of employees and approach professional relationships differently.

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Do you think it is a drastic change or one that’s subsequent and takes its time?

The pandemic has significantly accelerated preexisting trends in remote work, e-commerce, automation, and digitization, forcing the global population to rethink many of the structures and assumptions about how we work and learn and the socio-economic systems that dictated much of these notions. All of these factors have played some sort of role in how employees are rethinking their career choices, and how employers are adapting their talent acquisition, working, and retention strategies to better support this shift. I believe that the future of work and the changes that will dictate it will take place over periods of time—influenced by the acceleration of preexisting trends in our labor market, those that have been disrupted, in addition to those that have been created due to the pandemic.

What do you think was the one defining factor behind this change that became apparent during the pandemic?

The pandemic gave us a chance to re-evaluate all aspects of our lives — including the relationship we have with our work and careers. Factors related to our socioeconomic systems and our assumptions about how we work and learn seemed to significantly influence our attitudes, behaviors, and motivations when it comes to work — and I think left a lot of individuals questioning, “how do I want to spend my time?” These factors have highlighted the importance of talent resilience and a future-ready talent framework to help better equip the workforce of the future.

Can you elaborate on some of the biggest challenges that entrepreneurs faced during the pandemic and what can we learn from them?

Some of the biggest challenges faced by entrepreneurs during the pandemic included creating and maintaining cohesive teams in remote work situations, finding and hiring employees with suitable skill sets, and the difficulty of reaching anyone on the telephone! With these new technologies, the need for upskilling in our workplaces has never been more important. We have learned that adaptation for the future of work requires responsibility from all levels impacting the workforce — we need government recognition and support, we need organizations to invest in their people, and we need individuals and employees to acknowledge the importance of continuous skills and opportunity assessment.

Further, the shift to remote and hybrid work has undoubtedly been a challenge for entrepreneurs as they have been forced into adopting their operations, adopting new technologies, rethinking employee engagement, and more. If we have learned anything, it is that the key components of running a successful business are developing and strengthening relationships, communication, collaboration, and intercultural effectiveness.

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What suggestions do you have for smallscale businesses that are finding it hard to pull through during these challenging times?

Digital communities and establishing a culture of feedback are two of the most important tools we can leverage during these times to help our businesses continue to innovate, scale and strengthen as we come out of this pandemic. In a world that is rapidly changing, creating a tighter-knit communications loop among people who are aligned in what you are trying to accomplish will help us through these transitions.

The workforce ecosystem is evolving — and rather than fight it, businesses can view the future of work as a unique opportunity to embrace the change and use it as a tool to drive them to success.

A Seven-figure Interior Design Business Born Through Trial and Error:

What Can You Learn?

Rebecca Hay is the CEO of Rebecca Hay Designs which she built into a seven-figure interior design business just through trial and error. With a uniquely organized process, Rebecca elaborates on what she aims to achieve by launching her business venture in a field that is already filled with so many options. In addition, Rebecca also talks about what makes her enterprise different from the competition and she also has some highly insightful advice for small business owners.

Rebecca Hay is CEO of Rebecca Hay Designs, podcast host, international speaker, and business coach. She helps driven interior designers who are frustrated, time-strapped and spinning their wheels to eliminate the chaos of running a design business so that they can achieve focus and clarity. She helps them implement systems and strategies to inspire their confidence and streamline their business, taking them from chaos to coordination. Her methods and experience prove that anyone can uplevel their business without working around the clock & missing out on precious family time.

She’s built her own seven-figure interior design business through trial and error and has eliminated the chaos giving her the freedom now to focus only on the parts that she enjoys most.

Her goal is to disrupt the traditional elitism and secrecy that has been a cornerstone of the Interior Design industry for far too long. Rebecca believes in collaboration over competition and given the right tools & truly authentic marketing, any designer can be successfu

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What are Rebecca Hay Designs about? What is your mission?

At Rebecca Hay Designs we believe that our clients' homes are the gathering place where memories are made. We tell their story through a sophisticated blend of classic and contemporary design, curating a mix of old and new. With a commitment to the environment, we are mindful of our design choices and strive to be as environmentally responsible as possible. We have a uniquely organized process and specialize in full-service design. With a focus on exceptional quality and sustainable products, our team manages complete decor and design projects from start to finish. We aim to deliver outstanding, hands-on service, and beautifully creative solutions to turn our clients’ homes into fresh & inviting gathering places where memories are made.

What are you aiming to achieve by launching your business venture in a field that is already filled with so many options?

Our goal is to transform the interior design industry with our dedication to sustainable design. We aim to transform our clients' lives through their homes and provide exceptional customer service experiences from design conception to project completion.

Why should people consider Rebecca Hay Designs instead of some very well-established player in the market?

We pride ourselves in our established process that allows our clients to let go of the reins and get through a design and construction project with as little stress and frustration as possible. Rebecca Hay Designs is a fullservice design firm, that's all about teamwork, problemsolving, and transparency in the way we work.

How are you different from your competitors?

We follow a very streamlined 7 step process and offer fixed fee proposals. We don't charge hourly the way other design firms do. This makes it easy for our clients to budget the costs of their project and eliminate surprises at the end.

What is it like to be a woman entrepreneur in current times? How did you realize your goal and laid the foundation for Rebecca Hay Designs?

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I think this is an incredible time for female entrepreneurs. Social media has democratized an outdated and old-fashioned industry allowing designers to get noticed. There are a lot more women taking center stage these days than ever before. I am also a firm believer in collaboration over competition and think women especially can benefit from being in community with each other which is why I started my Designer Meet-Ups that has now transitioned online to Facebook. It's a safe place where designers can share and help each other.

Do you have any advice for small-scale business owners who are finding it difficult to pull through in these challenging times?

Continue to learn and invest in yourself. Your business is dependent on your strengths and innovation. If you keep working on yourself as a business owner, you will find the solutions that will help you propel your business forward.

The Need of the Hour:

Cybersecurity for Small Businesses David Masson

Director of Enterprise Security at Darktrace David Masson is the Director of Enterprise Security at Darktrace and is here to talk about the looming cybersecurity concerns and what steps small businesses must take to future-proof their enterprises. Masson also talks about various cybersecurity challenges and has much important advice for small business owners.

David Masson is Darktrace’s Director of Enterprise Security, and has over two decades of experience working in fast moving security and intelligence environments in the UK, Canada and worldwide. With skills developed in the civilian, military and diplomatic worlds, he has been influential in the efficient and effective resolution of various unique national security issues. David is an operational solutions expert and has a solid reputation across the UK and Canada for delivery tailored to customer needs. At Darktrace, David advises strategic customers across North America and is also a regular contributor to major international and national media outlets in Canada where he is based. He holds a master’s degree from Edinburgh University.

How did you become involved in cybersecurity?

Having been in the industry for over a decade, how have things changed for you?

I have spent most of my career in national security work, first with the British Government, and then in the Canadian public and private sectors. In this space, I have watched the conversation on cybersecurity change rapidly over the past decade.

Chief among these shifts is that we have entered a new era of cyber-threat. We are facing faster and more furious attacks on an unprecedented scale, accelerated by expanding software supply chains and the proliferation of remote work. This challenge of cybersecurity has fundamentally gone beyond the one which is humanscale and has led several organizations to turn to advanced technologies, like AI, to augment their security teams. This technology has been essential to returning the upper hand to cyber-defenders and allowing them to manage cyber-threats not only if but when they emerge.

What’s the most challenging part of your job as a privacy professional?

I am a security professional rather than a privacy advocate. For me, there is no privacy unless there is security – security tools, protocols, and regulations ensure that the privacy of our data and personal information is protected by both our governments and private companies every day.

This means that no one person or organization is immune from attack. The days of small businesses thinking they are too small/unimportant to be of interest to a threat actor are gone. If a small business or organization values its business and the privacy of its data, it must value security regardless of size or vertical. To this end, small businesses should be constantly reevaluating their cybersecurity strategies and turning to advanced technologies, like AI, to protect against these threats.

How is Darktrace addressing these concerns for small businesses?

Recently, there has been a strong movement to have privacy built into digital infrastructure by design (privacy by design), and this needs to be supported at every stage by security by design. This means that security is baked into an organization’s digital infrastructure and constantly at the forefront of employees’ minds across the entire enterprise, from the IT team, to the C-suite, and even to the lower level.

Darktrace has been supporting small businesses since we brought our self-learning AI solutions to the world market in 2013, including here in Canada. AI is agnostic to business size or complexity and can detect, stop and investigate anomalous behavior that is indicative of malicious activity without the need for human intervention. This AI frees up that scarce human resource for the business solutions that will drive a small business forward.

Can you discuss the evolution of small businesses' concerns about cybersecurity? What do you think has changed in terms of those concerns? Where are we now and where we are going?

What is your advice for moving forward productively for individuals and also corporations, government, large institutions, and other holders of data?

Small businesses have been impacted by the sudden digital transformation workforce shift caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This digital transformation was already happening, but the pandemic turbo-charged it by forcing us to work from home, making the digital environments of businesses around the world even more complex and inter-connected.

Look to the future of cybersecurity technology to secure your organization's data. Self-learning AI is able to learn what is normal for an entire digital infrastructure, detect changes to that “normal,” and assess the impact of these changes. It can then alert security teams to the early stages of an attack and stop this activity in real-time – before the damage is done. This puts the advantage back in the hands of the defender where it belongs.

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Is Your Organization Resilient Enough to Survive The Next Disruption?

All organizations are at risk for unforeseeable challenges, threats, and crises. You can’t control everything, but here are seven ways to mitigate the damage and start the healing process.

By Diana Hendel, PharmD

Eventually, a major crisis will impact your company. It’s not a matter of “if” but of “when.” And while COVID-19 is the most obvious disruptor, it’s certainly not the last.

We all face a new era of uncertainty, volatility, and disruption. Organizations are rocked by technological shake-ups, shifting consumer habits, and political and social unrest, not to mention internal upheavals like harassment, violence, scandal, and more.

Diana Hendel, PharmD, and Mark Goulston, MD, coauthors of Trauma to Triumph: A Roadmap for Leading Through Disruption and Thriving on the Other Side (HarperCollins Leadership, March 2021, ISBN: 9781-4002-2837-9, $17.99) say the most resilient organizations are those that prepare to deal with traumatic events.

“Organizations that will stand the test of time are those that put a plan in place to deal with the kinds of disasters that could create traumatic stress in their people and destabilize their culture,” says Dr. Hendel.

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What does such a plan look like? While it varies from company to company and is too comprehensive to describe here, Hendel and Goulston share a few of the “must-haves” of resilient organizations.

Get a firm grasp on the difference between trauma and stress.

While stress upsets our balance at the moment, we still maintain a feeling of control over our lives. Most of us deal with routine stress daily and are able to manage it (up to a point, anyway).

Trauma, on the other hand, overwhelms our self-protective structure and sends us scrambling for survival. It leaves us vulnerable, helpless, groundless. It shatters our sense of safety and security and changes how we look at the world. And unaddressed, it can result in long-term harm.

Launch a Rapid Response Process the moment a crisis occurs.

You might think of this as a “Code Blue.” It’s a standardized, preplanned approach for dealing with disruption. Getting one in place helps everyone know exactly what to do so that decisions can be made quickly, efficiently, and with a focus on safety. Here are the components to focus on:

Gather your Rapid Response Team. Appoint people to this team before a crisis happens and make sure they know their respective roles. It should include all senior leaders and leaders of key functions such as operations/logistics, security, finance, HR, communications/PR facilities, etc.

“Meanwhile, leaders may behave in distinctively un-leaderly ways as well,” notes Dr. Goulston. “They might hide out in their office instead of jumping into action, or else make rash, kneejerk decisions when they were previously known for levelheaded steadiness.”

Allow the leader in charge to delegates. You need a central commander to manage response activities such as assigning personnel, deploying equipment, obtaining additional resources, etc. This leader must be fully present, visible, and available in the heat of the crisis.

Get super focused on communication. (Think: “VITAL.”) In times of crisis, employees need frequent, real-time, transparent communication more than ever. The acronym VITAL will help you remember the tenets around communicating in the aftermath of trauma:

Have the team report to the command center. This is a pre-determined location (physical and/or virtual) for monitoring and reacting to events. You should also select a CODE WORD that puts the Rapid Response Process into action.

Gather relevant information. In a crisis, it’s critical to centralize information, facts, and data. What’s known? What isn’t known? The goal is to organize and coordinate response activities, ensuring that the most pressing needs are met and that resources are properly allocated.

Promote a unifying message. It is vital to deliberately shape and disseminate a message of unity. Make sure your message is one of “we are all in it together.” This helps people transcend the impulse to split into factions.

“Name, claim, and frame trauma” from the onset. This helps everyone understand what is happening to individuals and to the group. It gives us the language to talk about it so that everyone is on the same page. It helps people say “Aha, this is why I am feeling so bad!”

And it gives everyone permission to finally seek real help.

Know the “red flags” of traumatized employees. When people are traumatized, they experience the “fight, flight, freeze” survival response. This is the body’s natural response to danger that enables us to defend ourselves or flee to safety or freeze as a means of survival (much like playing dead in the animal kingdom). Fight, flight, the freeze can manifest in different ways. Some people might become hostile, belligerent, aggressive, or otherwise “difficult”—often seemingly without adequate cause. Others might cling to their “competence zone,” blindly doing what they’ve always done even though it no longer works. People dig in and resist change. Or they may insist they are “fine,” even when it is clear they are struggling.

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Visible. Leaders must be highly visible and take the lead in communication. Don’t hide behind a spokesperson.

Communicate quickly and clearly to reduce ambiguity.

“In it Together.” Double down on messages connected to teambuilding, camaraderie, purpose. Acknowledge fears and worries as normal. Let people know what to expect.

Transparent. Align leadership in how they see the external environment and make sure everyone agrees on what “success” looks like so messages are cascaded consistently.

Don’t create voids by waiting to communicate. Tackle rumours head-on. Share bad news the minute you have it.

Accessible. Use all modalities (video, email, intranet, text, town halls, etc.) to convey messages from the senior leader. Have a central repository/FAQ where people can get info and ask questions between regular communication sessions.

Listening. Ask questions and leave room for inquiry. When listening, stop talking. Resist the temptation to just listen for what you want to hear (your job is to hear and deal with the hard stuff too).

Leverage the power of the 4th F. You already know about the Fight/Flight/Freeze response. You may not know about the lesser-known “fourth F.” This stands for a friend. It represents the bonding that occurs in response to trauma due to the presence of oxytocin (the “love” hormone that fuels friendships). This hormone causes people to bond in the aftermath of trauma. If leaders can leverage this camaraderie early on it can bring the entire organization together. However, if they fail to do this, the fourth F can work against your organization as individuals bond with like-minded coworkers and end up splitting into factions. People begin to question other peoples’ motives and start taking sides. This division can lead to deep polarization.

Use “both/and” to stop post-trauma polarization. When a traumatic event occurs, opposing views can divide the organization. People believe the right course of action is either “A” or “B.” They see themselves as right and the other side as wrong. Leaders succumb to pressure and choose one option over the other (say, Choice A). When the downsides of that action appear, they reverse courses and go to the other extreme. Naturally, the downsides of Choice B then appear…and leaders swing back to Choice A. With every swing of the pendulum division deepens. This is incredibly damaging to your culture.

“A ‘BOTH/AND’ mindset helps us manage polarization,” says Dr. Hendel. “Instead of approaching issues with an either/or mentality, organizations can leverage both sides of these polarities with a both/and approach. The idea is to maximize the effects of both sides and minimize the downsides of each. For example, in a crisis, effective leaders can BOTH take charge AND build consensus. They can be direct and candid AND diplomatic and tactful.”

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It actually is possible to recover and go on to thrive in the aftermath of trauma, assert the authors. But it’s a process— and the process starts long before the disruptive event occurs.

Don’t be caught unprepared,” advises Dr. Goulston. “When trauma shows up at your front door, the sooner you take action, the sooner you can make things right—and the sooner your employees can be on the road to healing.”

About : Diana Hendel, PharmD Dr. Diana Hendel is the coauthor of Trauma to Triumph: A Roadmap for Leading Through Disruption and Thriving on the Other Side (HarperCollins Leadership, Spring 2021) and Why to Cope When You Can Heal?: How Healthcare Heroes of COVID19 Can Recover from PTSD (Harper Horizon, December 2020).

She is an executive coach and leadership consultant, former hospital CEO, and the author of Responsible: A Memoir, a riveting and deeply personal account of leading during and through the aftermath of deadly workplace trauma.

As the CEO of Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital, Hendel led one of the largest acute care, trauma, and teaching hospital complexes on the West Coast. She has served in leadership roles in numerous community organizations and professional associations, including chair of the California Children’s Hospital Association, executive committee member of the Hospital Association of Southern California, vice-chair of the Southern California Leadership Council, chair of the Greater Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, board member of the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and leader-in-residence of the Ukleja Center for Ethical Leadership at California State University Long Beach.

He is the author or principal author of seven prior books, including PTSD for Dummies, Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming SelfDefeating Behavior, Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone, Real Influence: Persuade Without Pushing and Gain Without Giving In, and Talking to Crazy: How to Deal with the Irrational and Impossible People in Your Life.

About the Book: Trauma to Triumph: A Roadmap for Leading Through Disruption and Thriving on the Other Side (HarperCollins Leadership, March 2021, ISBN: 978-1-4002-2837-9, $17.99) is available from major online booksellers.

She earned a BS in biological sciences from UC Irvine and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from UC San Francisco. She has spoken about healthcare and leadership at regional and national conferences, and at TEDx SoCal on the topic of “Childhood Obesity: Small Steps, Big Change.”

Mark Goulston, MD, FAPA Dr. Mark Goulston is the coauthor of Trauma to Triumph: A Roadmap for Leading Through Disruption and Thriving on the Other Side (HarperCollins Leadership, Spring 2021) and Why to Cope When You Can Heal?: How Healthcare Heroes of COVID19 Can Recover from PTSD (Harper Horizon, December 2020).

He is a board-certified psychiatrist, a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, former assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA-NPI, and a former FBI and police hostage negotiation trainer. He is the creator of Theory Y Executive Coaching that he provides to CEOs, presidents, founders, and entrepreneurs, and is a TEDx and international keynote speaker.

He hosts the My Wakeup Call podcast, where he speaks with influencers about their purpose in life and the wakeup calls that led them there, and is the co-creator and moderator of the multi-honored documentary Stay Alive: An Intimate Conversation about Suicide Prevention.

He appears frequently as human psychology and behavior expert across all media, including CNN, ABC/NBC/CBS/BBC News, Today, Oprah, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, Business Insider, Fast Company, Huffington Post, and Westwood One, and was featured in the PBS special Just Listen.

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Diana Hendel, PharmD

NEW BOOK

The Culture puzzle – helps leaders build strong, resilient organizations by harnessing the four forces that drive success With A Combined 75 Years of Experience, Authors Moussa, Newberry, and Urban Provide Cutting Edge Solutions That Nurture Engagement, Innovation, and Growth “Whether you are trying to execute a bold new strategy, make your business more agile and creative, or pull off a major acquisition, culture will make or break your efforts. But culture baffles even the smartest leaders. All too often, they assume it will take care of itself. Yet it never does,” warn experts Mario Moussa, Derek Newberry, and Greg Urban in their new book THE CULTURE PUZZLE (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, June 22, 2021). The three authors draw on their 75 years of combined experience as anthropologists, professors, and business consultants to help leaders solve the puzzle and create healthy, productive workplaces.

Derek Newberry

Greg Urban

Moussa

What is culture? It’s a process of learning and adaptation that begins when any group of people—a “tribe,” as the authors put it—comes together to get things done. Tribes are everywhere: work friends, teams, companies, associations, and nations. The authors urge leaders to cultivate culture the same way they would grow a garden.

The Four Forces that drive culture – vision, interests, habits, and innovation – function like the natural forces of soil, water, and sunlight, combining to produce a thriving, diverse organization.

The guidance provided throughout THE CULTURE PUZZLE can be applied by leaders at any level of an organization – from global CEOs to team captains, managers, and supervisors, and even small business owners. The authors support their advice with dozens of examples from corporate America as well as stories about a wide range of characters including athletes, social reformers, rogues, scientists, novelists, and business executives, all of whom illustrate “the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to culture.”. According to General Stanley McChrystal, author of Team of Teams, this book is “a must-read for leaders who want to understand how their organization actually works – and why.”

THE CULTURE PUZZLE dedicates chapters to each of the Four Forces and uses stories to reveal how they shape workplaces in settings as varied Fortune 500 companies, sports teams, and small start-ups. Throughout, New Yorker cartoonist Kendra Allenby illustrates the living, pulsing energy behind people going about their business and trying to get ahead: 87 - CanadianSME I August 2021

Moussa, Newberry, and Urban also help readers assess the health of their organizations’ culture. By using the proprietary “Culture Evaluator” tool, they will discover which aspects of their company culture need attention. Critical questions include: 1. Envision. Does your organization’s culture embrace a clear and compelling vision?

2. Listen. Do your leaders invite and listen closely to the stories people tell about their essential interests: relationships, achievement, and purpose?

3. Reflect. Do your leaders engage in constructive dialogues with everyone in the organization about aligning the desired culture with people’s needs in order to create new habits?

4. Experiment. Do you consistently organize and launch innovative small-scale projects designed to harness the controlled chaos of innovation?

Based on the authors’ extensive field research and real-world experience. THE CULTURE PUZZLE will help readers build the kinds of companies that serve all stakeholders and thrive amid the constant transformation. As Annie McKee, author of Primal Leadership says, “Through riveting story-telling and insight into human motivation, this book will help you build a culture that will support people—and your business—to be able to soar to new heights.” The Culture Puzzle offers the definitive playbook for creating healthy, successful companies

Derek Newberry is an organizational development consultant and an Affiliated Faculty member in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. His work has appeared in Fortune, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Quartz, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. He is the co-author of Committed Teams. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

About the authors Mario Moussa is president of Moussa Consulting and an Affiliated Faculty member in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. His work has been featured on NPR and in Time, Businessweek, U.S. News and World Report, Fortune, Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, the Economist, and the Financial Times. He is the co-author of the bestseller The Art of Woo and Committed Teams. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago's Committee on Social Thought.

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Greg Urban is the Arthur Hobson Quinn Professor of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania and the current editor of the Journal of Business Anthropology. He has authored and edited several books, including Metaculture and Corporations and Citizenship. He received his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.

The New Workplace Culture With Workplace Trends Expert Rick Grimaldi

The right culture is everything. It determines how happy, productive, and engaged employees are. It allows you to attract and retain high performers. It determines how well you perform financially: not only does a strong culture motivate employees to give it their all, increasingly it impacts consumer attitudes toward your brand.

But culture isn’t static: as the world changes, and as attitudes change along with it, cultures need to shift in response. That’s the point of workplace trends expert Rick Grimaldi’s new FLEX: A Leader’s Guide to Staying Nimble and Mastering Transformative Change in the American Workplace (Wiley, 2021, ISBN: 978-1-11979510-0, $28.00).

A quick conversation with Grimaldi on what the new workplace culture looks like:

How would you describe the workplace culture of the future?

A: I think of it as a patchwork quilt. So many disparate pieces are having to come together so quickly, and the result is sort of dizzying. We’ve got this sudden immersion into remote work. We’ve got amazing technological advances. We’ve got massive social and political changes that are reshaping workplace policies and employee attitudes. We’ve got a huge spectrum of generations and ages working together. All of these factors and more are transforming cultures. Leaders need to understand and respond creatively to all of these factors if they’re to attract talent and succeed.

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What are the biggest shifts you’ve seen over the past 15 months?

A: Obviously, the biggest change has been where employees do their jobs. Remote work in some fashion is here to stay. As a result of the social movements of the last year, good employers are more attuned to the importance of social responsibility. Another big one I’d pinpoint is a focus on psychological wellness. The pandemic has taken a major toll on employees’ mental and emotional well-being. It’s now become obvious this is a space that employers do need to get involved in—that’s a major shift from the hands-off approach companies used to take.

As a lawyer, what do you see happening in terms of legal implications for employers?

A: Quite a bit. The past year and a half forced companies to walk a tightrope to balance worker safety with individual rights and preferences; for example, they’ve had to figure out where the boundaries are in terms of persuading people to come back to the office. There are legal issues to navigate pertaining to gig workers and employment status. That’s been heating up for over a decade. There are lots of diversity, inclusion, and sexual harassment issues to consider.

It’s all very complex. And how you handle these issues, and others have a huge impact on your culture.

What can a company do to shape a culture that creates a competitive advantage?

A: You start by knowing what potential employees want. It may be the flexibility to work remotely. Studies show Millennials and Gen Z-ers have a strong preference for good work-life integration, and they’ve gotten used to working this way over the last year and a half. As an employer, you may realize fully remote doesn’t work for a particular position, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work out a hybrid arrangement or that you can’t let people adjust start and stop times. Solutions have to work for both parties. Companies can no longer just say, “This is how it is here.”

They have to say, “Here are our needs but we want to meet your needs too.”

Also, today’s job candidates want to see a workplace that reflects the cultural norms they have come to know. Winning organizations build in rules and systems to remove inherent bias and promote healthy and flexible workplaces where diversity can thrive by embracing a multitude of genders, races, sexual orientations, religions, and disabilities.

In general, businesses must stay nimble, flexible, and embrace not only the disruption of the pandemic but the inevitable and rapid change that is still to come. The market will reward them.

What challenges come with a hybrid workplace?

A: People sometimes ask me, “Can it really work to have some employees at home and some in the office? What about having different employees toggling between home and office on different days?” My answer is, yes, it can work, but it’s certainly not easy. Leaders need to get very deliberate about meeting the challenges that pop up. Strong hybrid cultures can be tricky to get right. They require a different way of thinking about leadership.

For example, you have to create conditions that replicate those cool “happenstance” moments of collaboration or breakthroughs that occur at the coffee machine or in the hallway. It’s harder for magic like this to happen when half the team is at home. You’ve also got to make sure working mothers and other employees who are in the office less don’t become second-class citizens.

These are solvable problems, though, and hybrid is here to stay— so really, you have no choice but to work them out.

What are the keys to prioritizing employee engagement?

The big factors are an emphasis on communication, regular interaction, and complete transparency. I’d say another big

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one is getting intentional about creating a sense of belonging. When you have a workplace that’s a mix of generations, races and cultures, men and women, and LGBTQ individuals, you must move beyond diversity and inclusion. You must move toward what DEI expert Tristan Higgins calls exclusivity. You need to cultivate a true sense of belonging. Feeling that they belong is what gets people engaged and allows them to do their best work.

How do leaders get everyone aligned working toward the same goals?

A: Leaders and businesses that flex recognize the key to getting everyone on the same page are to have them feel invested in the workplace. This can occur through mentoring between more seasoned and less experienced teammates and by constantly providing a seat at the table. The old command and control mindset is gone, and good riddance! An organization that seeks active input from all levels of an organization is a much stronger, more engaged one.

Can you give an example of exceptional workplace culture?

I think the best story is from my book. Saxbys is the perfect example of what I call the new American capitalism. It’s a Philly-based coffee company that has continuously evolved. The CEO constantly asks himself and his team, “How are we unique?” “What are we truly great at?” and, “What do we want to be?” It was this kind of thinking that allowed Saxbys to flex during this last, very difficult, year. It actually changed its core focus to better educate its team members on diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as the critical importance of emotional intelligence in leaders. It put these issues front and center in its training programs. It paid off. After a rigorous qualification process, Saxbys recently earned the coveted “B Corp Certification,” as a company dedicated to reducing inequality and poverty, making the environment healthier, strengthening communities, and creating quality jobs with dignity and purpose.

Can a company truly change its culture?

Of course! It’s all about being sensitive to trends; keeping your finger on the pulse of employee needs, preferences, and attitudes; and responding quickly and appropriately. It’s not easy. You have to be intentional and relentless about it. You have to stay open to constantly learning. But your culture is everything, so if you want to stay viable into a rapidly shifting, and ultimately unseeable future, you’ve got to be willing to flex.

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

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

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

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All About Rebuilding a Secure Credit With Karim Nanji Chief Executive Officer at Marble Financial In our next segment, we have the Chief Executive Officer of Marble Financial, Mr. Karim Nanji. We sit down with Mr. Nanji and try to understand more about a secure credit card and the pros and cons of rebuilding credit. Mr. Nanji, also, has some insightful advice and information about how people can avoid the grasp of unwarranted credit scams. Furthermore, a flurry of truly beneficial advice for small business owners who are finding it hard to future-proof their businesses amongst the current scenario.

Mr. Nanji is an accomplished senior growth, strategy, product and technology leader with a proven track record for building and commercializing world-class financial technology. He has a significant background in retails financial services for underbanked, underserved and credit-challenged consumers in Canada, the United States and international markets. Mr. Nanji is a concept through execution leader with over 25 years of experience across start-up, growth, enterprise and Fortune 500 organizations. Karim has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from The University of British Columbia and a Master of Business Administration in the Management of Technology from Simon Fraser University.

What is a secured credit card? And what are the pros and cons of rebuilding credit?

A secured credit card is a type of credit card backed by a cash deposit. This deposit acts as collateral or security on the account, so it gives lenders the confidence to issue a card to someone who might not qualify for a traditional credit card. Secured credit cards are often issued to borrowers who may have a below-average credit score.

Proper credit utilization and regular payment behavior on the secured credit card leads to an improved credit and credit score. In time, with improved credit, the borrower can apply for a traditional credit card.

Who should consider applying for one? And How to apply?

Secured cards are ideal for anyone who is actively looking to improve their credit, but who lacks the required credit score to obtain an unsecured credit card.

How to find a legitimate card? How to spot and avoid credit scams?

When shopping for a secured credit card, make sure to choose a well-known brand/financial institution that you’ve heard of – and choose a secured card only from a creditor that reports your payments to both credit bureaus. Some card issuers may not do this, which will not help you improve your score. It’s important to remember that, just like an unsecured credit card, if you miss payments, lenders will report delinquencies to the credit reporting agencies, which won’t do your credit score any good.

What are the worst financial “myths” you and your team of financial experts hear from your clients?

People often feel like there’s no hope and they are alone – and that’s just not the case. With support, a clear plan, and hard work, it’s possible to start improving your financial picture over time. And, the great thing is that there are tools that can help you, like our MyMarble personalized financial fitness tool, which can help you assess your current financial situation, make a plan to get back on track, and measure your progress.

What is your special advice to small businesses during these challenging times?

When the first wave of COVID hit, many businesses were financially unprepared which resulted in

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struggle across many fronts. This time, we feel it’s at the forefront for many businesses to make sure those same struggles are not duplicated.

We feel our successful transition in working remotely has ensured we’re prepared for when challenging times hit. We firmly believe that the implementation of our new products like MyMarble as a pay-as-you-go product alongside our legacy programs will provide us with the opportunity to maximize revenue on a broader spectrum no matter what comes our way.

As a financial technology company, we are constantly growing and evolving. I highly recommend designing a strategic plan that corroborates with all product implementations will not be hindered in the case of unexpected and unpreventable events. With or without COVID, I believe our company is looking forward, becoming thought leaders in our space and ensuring our customer experience is always positive.

Does Corporate Strategy Really Build Corporate Culture In SMEs?

By Mostafa Sayyadi

Management Consultant | Business & Technology journalist

Executives focus on individuals as the major source of knowledge and show how follower’s ties together so that they can affect the sharing, storage, transfer, and apply knowledge within SMEs. Executives, therefore, see these connections, and the related shared knowledge and memory, as central to the effectiveness of corporate culture. Executives know that corporate strategy through sharing individual knowledge around the SMEs can positively contribute to building a strong corporate culture. Therefore, executives should build an atmosphere of trust and openness and use corporate strategy to convert individual knowledge into valuable resources for their SMEs to close the performance gap and help SMEs prosper.

The key is for executives to inculcate corporate culture within SMEs so that information can be found and used instantaneously.

Corporate culture enables SMEs to promote the depth and range of knowledge access and sharing within SMEs.

Corporate culture is enhanced by providing further opportunities and information sharing. Executives can enhance knowledge sharing by providing access to knowledge, and stimulate new ideas and knowledge generation, transfer an individual’s knowledge to other members and departments and improve knowledge capturing, storing, and accumulating, aiming at achieving organizational goals.

Executives that employ corporate strategy can propel knowledge sharing in the SME to generate more innovative ideas and solutions for new and demanding issues that come up constantly in our hypercompetitive economic environment. In doing this, executives can employ corporate strategy through implementing coaching and mentoring practices by sharing experiences gained by imitating, observing, and practicing. Executives that use corporate strategy have found that it builds a strong corporate culture by facilitating knowledge sharing throughout all levels of the SME. Corporate strategy focuses on defining and recognizing core knowledge areas, coordinating expert opinions, sharing organizational knowledge, and scanning for new knowledge to keep the quality of their products or services continuously improving. Corporate strategy, therefore, is an essential requirement of corporate culture by which knowledge is shared among people.

However, executives may lack the required corporate strategy to interact with other organizations or distrust sharing their knowledge.

Executives are, therefore, clearly the right focal point for developing networking with environmental components by adopting a corporate strategy to develop relationships and interactions. The key here is to inspire their SMEs as a whole to develop networking with more effective enterprises through employing corporate strategy directed at connecting knowledge with other companies.

Executives are finding that corporate strategy creates a shared understanding of problems which can develop an effective corporate culture that enhances the knowledge sharing process.

Through the corporate strategy, executives could build a climate inspiring followers to share their knowledge, and facilitate the knowledge sharing process. Thus, executives can apply corporate strategy to enhance knowledge sharing among human capital and stipulate knowledge to be shared around the SME and with other companies.

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