CanadianSME Small Business Magazine October 2022 Edition

CANADIANSME

This October, we’re celebrating the small business month with a diverse issue that includes exclusive interviews and top insights from industry experts. Our mission is to empower entrepreneurs by providing the most valuable content available on current entrepreneurship trends and tips for growing your own enterprise!

This month, CanadianSME is focused on small businesses in Canada. In this issue, we have featured small business stories, 50 promising small businesses, the small business environment in Canada, Govt initiatives for SMEs, small business advice and more This issue will also feature the business women of the month, interviews, and specialist advice from industry experts. Read “Painting a picture of success: Reflecting on entrepreneurship for Small Business Month by Stephanie Dexter, President, UPS Canada. “October is All About Supporting Canadian Small Businesses” by Cubeler. Read “Hiring or firing: The role of payroll in the staffing story” by the National Payroll Institute and “Short term hires with long term payouts: Waterloo co op students elevate start up” Learn how “The Right Technology Can Take Your Business to the Next Level” with CDW and What are the main interruptions SMEs are facing today? by Capterra And read our exclusive interviews such as “What businesses are missing in their company culture” with Jenna Bayuk, Founder of Kinship Kollective Consulting and “Attracting And Retaining Talent” Leah Pearson, Director of Global Talent Acquisition at First Onsite Property Restoration.

The CanadianSME Small Business Summit is coming on October 26th. Join us at the biggest gathering of Canadian small and medium enterprises on October 26, 2022, from 8 a m to 5 p m at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto Register today by visiting our website at smesummit ca!

Our nominations for the annual CanadianSME National Business Awards 2022 have opened. We are delighted to continue to serve the business community and bring recognition to small and medium sized businesses from across the country. Follow us on our social media for more information.

Don't forget to subscribe to our magazine to get the latest trends and stay up to date on our events

wwwcanadiansmeca

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ISSN2562 0657(Online)

ThecontentsinCanadianSMEMagazinearefor

All

By Stephanie Dexter

Indigenous ownedbusinesses

RBCbolstersbank’shealthcare

MDBilling.ca

BANKING

TheacquisitionsupportsRBC Healthcare‘sstrategytoprovide innovativesolutionsforphysicians ateverystageoftheircareer journey MDBillingcaclientswillalso benefitfromaccesstomorethan 1,100RBCHealthcareSpecialists trainedtoprovidespecialized adviceandsupportfortheunique financialneedsofphysiciansand otherhealthcareprofessionals

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Basedontheeligibilitycriteria, HydroOneandCCABselecteight businessestoreceivea$7,500

receivea$2,500grant All recipientsalsoreceiveaCCAB membership.Indigenous owned businessesareinvitedtoreview theeligibilitycriteriaandapplyfor theHydroOneIndigenous EntrepreneurshipGrantat wwwHydroOnecom/CCABgrants

October31,2022

INSURANCE

(IBC)researchhasfoundthatsmall andmedium sizedCanadian

toincreasinglyfrequentand sophisticatedcyberattacks The resultsarefeaturedinIBC’sfirst CyberSavvyReportCard,which assignedCanadiansa“C”letter gradeforcybersafetyactionsand knowledge

NextPathwaytoPartnerwithMicrosofttomigrate customerstoMicrosoftAzure

TECHNOLOGY

NextPathwayInc,theAutomatedCloudMigrationcompany,todayannounceda collaborationwithMicrosofttoacceleratethemigrationfromlegacydata warehousesanddatalakestoMicrosoftAzure

40PerCentofCanadianCompaniesPlanToAdd

DespitetalkofapotentialeconomicslowdowninCanada, skilledprofessionalsremaininhighdemandwithmany companiesplanningtohireduringthesecondhalfofthe year, ”saidDeborahBottineau,districtdirector,RobertHalf Canada “Inadditiontohiringforcriticalfull timefunctions, employersarerelyingoncontracttalenttostayagileinan ever changinghiringlandscape

Arewethrivingormerelysurviving?NewCPA CanadastudyexaminesthestateofCanadians’ financesintoday’sturbulenttimes

FINANACE

Beingindebtisfrighteningandcanmakeyoufeellike there’snowayout butthereis,”saidDorettaThompson, CPACanada’sfinancialliteracyleader “Ifyouare strugglingfinancially,there’snoshameinaskingforhelp andthereareseveralfreeCPACanadafinancialliteracy resourcesandnon profitorganizationsthatexisttohelp Canadiansthrivefinancially

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RESTAURANTS

KFCisknownforitsfamousfriedchicken,butourhistoryandinvestmentin ourpeoplegoesbeyondouriconicfood,”saidJanetJoubran,ChiefPeople Officer,KFCCanada “KFCstartedasasmallbusinesswithColonelSanders asourfounderand,tothisday,ourbusinessisbuiltonentrepreneurs throughourfranchisemodel.

Painting a picture of success:

ReflectingonentrepreneurshipforSmallBusinessMonth

Every October, we pause to celebrate small businesses across Canada and recognize how important they are to our society as an economic engine and the backbone of our communities. But you know who doesn’t stop to pause? Small business owners and entrepreneurs

They come in all shapes and sizes, but what they have in common is their passion for their products and services and their unwavering commitment to deliver day in and day out on their brand promise

In my more than 30 years at UPS, I’ve met countless entrepreneurs who came to us looking for logistical solutions to challenges ranging from packaging concerns to supply chain disruptions and global trade barriers, but never have I encountered one at a loss to describe the purpose and meaning behind what they do

In 2014, Ontario based Jennylyn and Loree Pringle, co founders of Fusion Mineral Paint, saw an opportunity to create a company that unleashes the therapeutic benefits and restorative power of painting For the Pringles, it’s all about harnessing their creativity and growing their sense of community by supporting small, local and independent businesses

Their mantra is that “paint is good for the soul” and their business philosophy is centered around the notion that anyone can “paint it beautiful.” They started as a small, family run business and have grown globally, with their hand crafted, locally batched paints now available in over 30 countries

At UPS, we also believe anyone can take an idea and make it flourish— through steadfast belief, a lot of sweat equity, and a little help.

When I first met this dynamic mother daughter duo earlier this year, after two grueling years of navigating the existential roadblocks that came with a global pandemic, I was struck by the pure joy they exhibited in simply wanting to enable others to achieve their goals

By bringing an old piece of furniture back to life or giving people an outlet to express themselves and find a soothing escape from reality, they empower their customers and create positive experiences by making it a bit simpler and easier for folks to take on DIY projects

And that, to me, is the epitome of the entrepreneur’s mindset That confidence some might call defiance in their idea and a need to bring it to life For some, that attitude is rooted in “I can do it on my own; ” my view is that it doesnt and shouldn’t have to be that way.

That’s where we come in: we make it our business to grow their businesses

My conversation with the Pringles, which you can view online at https://fusionmineralpaint com, has stayed with me for many reasons, as much for the can do attitude they embody as the humility and vulnerability they showed in acknowledging they could not have achieved this level of success by doing it for themselves, or by themselves

As Jennylyn told me, the best piece of advice she received about building and growing a business is that you must “understand it’s going to be a slow build, but you have to stick with it Don’t give up You will figure it out ” And that’s the mindset she embodies to this day

Steadfast Mindful Empathetic For companies like Fusion Mineral Paint, there’s more than one meaning to the acronym SME

Don is the Vice President Small Business, Business Financial Services, Strategy and Partnerships at RBC He is responsible for leading RBC’s Small Business segment and teams In his role, Don provides strategic oversight in delivering market leading client experiences through innovative partnerships and differentiated, beyond banking solutions to help aspiring entrepreneurs and Canadian business owners start, manage and grow their ventures. He also leads the strategy development for RBC’s Business Financial Services portfolio, including its client experience, CRM (client relationship management) and data analytics strategies

‘MICRO-ENTREPRENEUR’ EXPLORING THE ECONOMY WITH DON LUDLOW

Vice President Small Business, BFS Strategy & Partnerships Royal Bank of Canada

Don is an experienced leader and manager with 20 years of experience at RBC, including senior sales leadership, corporate strategy and marketing He enables exceptional performance through a focused, collaborative and motivational leadership style Prior to joining RBC in 2001, Don served as an Infantry Officer with the Canadian Army, where he led soldiers on a number of domestic and international operations, and worked in both staff and training roles.

Don has an MBA from McGill University, an MSC from the London School of Economics & Political Science and a BA from the Royal Military College of Canada (Kingston)

Don also believes in giving back to the community, and helped co found the Treble Victor Group (3V), a network of ex military leaders who work to support one another in their post service careers, as well as help military leaders transition to new careers He’s also on the Chair of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the Chair of Northstar Trade Finance Corporation and a Board Director of Goodwill Industries (Ontario Great Lakes)

Rising costs and inflation are creating a challenging environment for small businesses. Yet your recent RBC Small Business survey found that this is spurring interest in entrepreneurship among Canadians – can you dive deeper into this finding?

We found that today’s economic environment motivates Canadians to start small, nimble businesses that can adapt to rapidly changing conditions, giving rise to a ‘micro entrepreneur’ economy

Several factors are setting the stage for this shift First, the rising cost of living and inflation are spurring Canadians to explore other paths outside traditional employment Our survey found that 74 percent of Canadian small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs are motivated to start a small business or side hustle due to the increasing cost of living, and eight in ten reported that one income isn't as viable of an option as it used to be and a side hustle provides a secondary income which gives more financial freedom and security.

At the same time, the accessibility of new technologies and digital solutions is lowering barriers to entry and allowing Canadians to quickly and easily start small businesses

Finally, among consumers, we ’ re also seeing an increased hunger for more localized, customized, and authentic goods and services a preference that small businesses by their nature are well positioned to meet This recent shift in customer preferences is creating fertile ground for small and micro businesses

The survey found that younger generations of Canadians are more likely to eye entrepreneurship to adapt to this changing economic environment. Why do you think that is?

While 74 percent of the aspiring and current business owners surveyed stated that they are motivated to start a small business or side hustle due to the increasing cost of living, this number rises to 84 percent among Gen Z respondents Similarly, 86 percent of millennials say that their chief aim in starting a small business is to create a source of income to support themselves, compared to 77 percent of Canadians overall

Indeed, there’s no doubt that economic conditions today remain uncertain, and that younger Canadians are coming of age in a time of great change Technology is rapidly reshaping the way we do business, traditional modes of employment are being transformed, and there’s increasingly a strong drive for ‘grassroots’ experiences whether in the businesses we frequent or in the companies we work for

Can you speak more to the role of technology – how exactly is it enabling Canadians to start businesses and supporting the emergence of the microentrepreneurship economy across the country?

Millennials and Gen Z are digital natives –meaning that they’re uniquely attuned and positioned to capitalize on the new opportunities that come from emerging technologies. Moreover, they’re also at the forefront of changing consumer preferences and attitudes about employment. All of this creates an environment where microentrepreneurship is more viable and desirable for younger Canadians – and our survey shows that they remain keen to tap into these opportunities, explore entrepreneurship, and take the reins for themselves.

Nearly half (47 per cent) of the current and aspiring entrepreneurs that we spoke to in our survey reported that emerging technologies allow them to reach new markets and explore new ways of doing business, and the same number said that being able to conduct their business or ‘side hustle’ online remotely lowers the overhead costs associated with starting and running a business In addition, 42 per cent of Canadians say that digital solutions reduce the efforts for administration and back office aspects of running a business

In short, the accessibility of new technologies and digital solutions is the key factor that makes ‘micro entrepreneurship’ possible It enables the emergence of these new, nimble small businesses by lowering barriers to entry and reducing the costs and effort associated with getting a business off the ground, allowing more Canadians to make that critical step into entrepreneurship

Has there been a shift in consumer preferences and behaviors? How will that impact small businesses?

Canadians are increasingly craving authentic, localized, and customized goods and services and they think that small businesses are uniquely positioned to provide this experience

In our survey, 71 percent of Canadians were more likely to support businesses with an active presence in their local community To this end, 89 percent also agreed that small businesses are better able to provide products and services tailored to local needs, and another 72 percent stated that they believe small businesses have the ability to innovate at a more rapid rate than larger organizations Indeed, we know that small businesses are the backbone of Canada’s economy and of our communities and these findings from our survey confirm that Canadians truly do see them as such

What advice would you give to small businesses looking to remain competitive amidst rising costs and inflation?

First and foremost, the old adage ‘cash is king’ has never been truer For a business, closely monitoring and forecasting your cash flow is even more important in an economic environment affected by rising costs, interest rates, and inflation That means daily monitoring of cash balances and reconciliation with your accounting It's a good idea to implement a cash flow forecasting process on a 13 week cycle to help drive your short term decisions as they relate to payables, receivables, and inventory

To help you monitor your cash flow, RBC offers tools like NOMI for Business, which offers a snapshot of the money going in and out of your accounts, as well as the RBC Business Cash Flow tool which small business owners can use to get an analysis of your current cash flow position

At the same time, it can also be beneficial to explore digital and e commerce solutions to enhance your customer experience and streamline operations Customer needs have changed dramatically at this time, and it can pay dividends to take the time and truly understand how their needs may have evolved What problem can you solve for customers in this environment?

For this, online tools and platforms like RBC Insight EdgeTM for Small Business that provide real time intelligence on client activity, preferences and spending patterns can be invaluable to dig deeper into your customers’ wants and needs, and to tailor your inventory accordingly To further boost sales and enhance their customer experience, businesses of all sizes may want to consider solutions, like Moneris, that make it more convenient for customers to pay with digital payments

You can also invest in digital solutions to streamline your back office activities like invoicing, payroll, and cash management Digitally enabling your operation can help you save on time and costs, allowing you to reinvest those resources into what really matters: your customer experience

Finally, the one thing we emphasize to every entrepreneur is: don’t go it alone Beyond digital tools, the most important resources are often the people around you Your accountant, lawyer, mentor or other trusted members of your professional network can all be valuable for honest feedback, advice, and support. Don’t hesitate to reach out! At RBC, our advisors are always happy to help you manage and grow your business, offer solutions to simplify your day to day processes, and connect you with other professionals to help you achieve your business goals

Entrepreneurs can also access many of our tools, resources and business advice at RBC’s Starting a Business hub online

TheImpactOfInflation OnSmallBusinesses: AConversationWith

Aaron Doucet,

We got the chance to speak to Aaron Doucet, Partner Success Manager at Xero, who shared his valuable thoughts about his experience working in tax at ConnectCPA prior to joining Xero, Xero’s Small Business Insights Report, its objectives and contribution towards small businesses, the impact of inflation on small businesses, the new product updates with TaxCycle and the impact they will have on small businesses

Aaron Doucet, CPA, is a partner success manager at Xero and a former tax accountant in Ontario Aaron joined Xero in 2020 after working in tax at ConnectCPA, an accounting firm fully based in the cloud, and then at MNP where he helped launch a national cloud bookkeeping program Through his career of driving cloud accounting change, both at the firm level and now at Xero, Aaron has deep knowledge on cloud accounting technology and is passionate about how it can enable small businesses across Canada while also empowering their advisors.

Now I help advise firms on best in class workflows, which might include setting up a digital scanner in the back of restaurants so that when these invoices come in, they can immediately be sent to a document management system like Hubdoc. The cook can become the first bookkeeper Every interaction with an accounting workflow has built my foundation of what I see our industry going towards

When did you start your career? And how was your experience working in tax at ConnectCPA prior to joining Xero and what are you hoping to achieve through your work at Xero?

I started my career when I worked as a cook at a diner in Ottawa in high school While this sounds odd to say as a CPA, a major part of my role is coaching accountants on revolutionizing workflows When I was a cook, I signed for deliveries, received the invoice, and put it on the “accounting pile”

Joining ConnectCPA as a tax accountant was a truly mind opening experience for me I got to see firsthand what a fully cloud set up can do for accountants supporting their small businesses I got to perform sales tax audits without asking my client for a single piece of documentation Small business owners need to focus on running their business the more the advisor can do for them by filling that back office functionality, the more time they have to grow their business

This has all prepared me for my role at Xero Coming from a Xero first environment was the ignition needed to bring me to Xero itself. While I didnt know it then, it makes sense today. Within Xero I am known as our product fanatic, a title I find honourable I hope to pass along my passion to accountants across the country, get them excited about the work they perform in Xero, so that the passion can be passed along to small businesses across the country

I often am asked why move to the cloud, why Xero? It's a simple answer Xero was born in the cloud system which makes our flexible financial reports second to none Being able to tell a story to financials for an SMB is a truly great opportunity The Canadian advisors embracing the cloud, can provide value added reporting, and analysis for their clients Now our advisors can pair this with insights into economic trends and metrics to give us a fulsome understanding of small business health in Canada.

What are your thoughts on the Xero Small Business Insights Report, which was released for the first time ever?

The Xero small business insights report has had great success in New Zealand, Australia and the UK It's really exciting to see this launch as a milestone moment for Xero in Canada and the US Xero’s mission is to be a champion for small businesses in Canada The report is a key way we ’ re able to do that, through empowering small businesses with real time data and insights on their financial health and performance As a CPA, it’s crucial for accountants to have a deep understanding of the financial health of their clients especially when navigating tough economic times and helps us truly advocate for our clients

What is the objective of Xero Small Business Insights, and how will they contribute to the support of small businesses?

In Canada, small businesses employ 88 percent of our workforce, make up 99 8 percent of employing businesses, and contribute more than 52 percent of our GDP Understanding the health of small businesses means understanding the health of our economy and helps us all navigate the unpredictable economic environment This information can be used to help inform government policy, and help progression of cloud adoption in Canada.

What effect did inflation have on small businesses? What are the report's key findings?

The data gave us a fulsome picture of small business health from January 2017 until March 2022 In Canada, Xero Small Business Insights focuses on three core performance metrics: sales, time to be paid, and late payments, which all help determine the financial health of small businesses What we saw was that although small businesses had started a slow recovery from COVID managing 15 4% growth YoY the impacts of increased inflation hindered that growth Sales are up a modest 5% year over year However, when you account for price impacts including inflation, Canadian sales actually fell 1 7% year over year the only country to experience negative sales when accounting for inflation in all countries where Xero’s Small Business Insights are available

Another key finding is that late payments which can cause a SME high financial stress and impact cash flow improved in 2021 compared to pre pandemic SMEs waited 28 1 days to be paid in 2021 compared to 30 8 days pre pandemic, and late payments averaged 6 7 days versus 8 8 days pre pandemic

Having access to these insights and reports in the Canadian market now can also be tied to adoption of cloud technology We saw an overall growth in cloud adoption, and it doesn’t surprise me that overall late payments went down at the beginning of 2022.

What are some of the new product updates with TaxCycle and what is the positive impact some of these new products will have on small businesses?

TaxCycle has excellent tax optimization While small businesses won’t themselves use TaxCycle, their accountants will TaxCycle will help accountants across the country tax plan for their clients, so that small businesses have the best and most strategic tax plan

Xero and TaxCycle are better when paired together; we launched an integration last year for corporate tax returns Using this, accountants can save time on each return, and ensure that data is accurate This is a key process in compiling a complete and accurate return

Xero and TaxCycle just launched a new integration for Xero and personal tax returns

Think of an Uber driver that is working as a contractor. The income and expenses that the driver has throughout the year can be easily reconciled and coded within Xero. Then at year end, that can be seamlessly sent over to TaxCycle and show up on their statement of business activities By enabling these typical disconnected processes into a seamless data flow, the accountant can ensure accuracy across the return for an efficient year end

What specific recommendations would you offer to small businesses impacted by inflation?

Businesses need to prepare to weather many storms Whether it's an off season for a seasonal business, flipping to ecommerce when in store shopping isn't allowed during a pandemic, or dealing with rising costs of materials and goods, having strong financial data sets gives you line of sight into your business performance, your cash flow, and your overall profitability We have seen price increases at the grocery store, and many other industries How can an SMB confidently raise or change their prices without accurate understanding on how that good or service is performing? You wouldn't want to raise your price, and it is not enough to recover the impacts of inflation

By having a strong financial system and process, SMBs can have more fact based pricing analysis, to ensure that they are best set up to weather any storm SMBs with direct line of sight into cashflow can ensure, regardless of the business system they are operating in, they are ready for it

IsAllAboutSupporting Canadian Small Businesses October

As the Canadian economy is emerging from struggling for 2 years after the pandemic, the importance of October as Small Business Month is more imperative than ever Not only is it a time for SME entrepreneurs to come together and learn from each other and take needed or supplementary classes to update their skill sets, but this month is also the time when everyone can take extra care to help support those budding SMEs in their communities. While SMEs make up about 97.9% of the businesses in Canada, contributing roughly 52.3% of the Canadian GDP, it’s important to recognize what supporting your local SMEs can do to help your community “SMEs represent such a significant portion of our GDP it’s shocking how little support they receive across Canada They aren’t only what allows our economy to run, but when supporting SMEs youre helping real people earn a living,” Marc Pearson, VP, of Global Channels and Alliances at Cubeler, frames the entire idea behind the “raison d’etre” of the company

With that in mind, Cubeler would like to announce that by the end of 2022, we will be launching our Cubeler Business Hub for all SMEs across Canada On the hub, we are planning to offer SMEs who join Financial, Advertising, and Marketing advice and help, in addition to statistical based Insights All of these are the pillars on which Cubeler is based around For the moment, as we near the launch date, we will unroll each of the pillars aforementioned, starting late in 2022

More than the obvious of supporting your local businesses, it’s been reported time and time again that SMEs tend to pour a lot of their earnings back into their own community, supporting local events, people, other businesses, etc. For a more concrete example, it’s “estimated that for every 100$ spent on your local businesses, 68% of that remains local, and is redistributed amongst the community ” Supporting your local vendors also supports you The statistics suggest that the more profitable and prosperous your local SMEs are, the more job opportunities they can offer to the growing Canadian population Another aspect to add to the increased job opportunities provided to the local population is that the local infrastructure supports the local people, and shopping local VS online via Amazon or at big box retailers, for example, ensures that all the sales tax you put into your purchases gets redistributed amongst your community

Local businesses tend to recirculate 63% of their earned revenue within their communities compared to a minuscule 14% from chain retailers It also means money into local infrastructure, and more money to beautify where you live The added benefits to a community are astronomical, and you will also be helping your neighbours support themselves.

It's important to note that it takes much longer for your local shops to recover from economical challenges. During the global recession of 2007 2009, many SMEs ended up trying to recover and pay debts back to lenders as much as 10 years later. Compared to that crisis, and according to McKinsey & Company, coming out of the pandemic, those same SMEs could still require an additional 5 years minimum on the back of this latest crisis. Coming out of the recovery phase from the recession, this is an added blow to many SMEs Canada wide.

When it comes to supporting our local shops, you need to look at how it impacts the individual, your neighbor, and the cascading effect it can have on your neighbourhood. Not to be a doomsayer, but oftentimes, when local shops start dying out, and nothing comes in to replace them, you end up left with vacant storefronts, and that generally doesn’t bode well for the area as a whole Less commerce, and less local spirit, mean less foot traffic, which leads to less business for those storefronts that remain open and are already struggling to survive Ultimately, leading to even those remaining few need to board up and either shut down altogether or move to a trendier area which again, is not good for your neighbourhoods Taking advantage of this now, a 16 year old tradition that started in 2006, as an offshoot of the Small Business Week which started even longer ago in 1979, this is an ongoing tradition that has lasted 43 years, and now more than ever is needed to help keep SMEs thriving What’s important to remember though, is that despite it only being an SME month, shopping at your local stores should be an ongoing habit, one that carries forth throughout the year, and the best thing about shopping local is what you can find in your local shops comes down to more than just the truly personal service you receive, but the products you can purchase tend to be much more specialized and unique, perhaps fitting whatever reason you ’ re shopping for much more than a generic brand “dinglehopper ”

Buying locally also contributes much more to overall Canadian employment In 2020 SMEs were responsible for generating 92.1% of the net employment across Canada. Another key aspect that reflects the ongoing issues with supply chains in Canada, just as with the rest of the world, is that buying locally often reduces the need for extensive supply chains that can get stoppered due to shipment issues The current rise in costs for most goods from people’s grocery bills to anything bought over the counter is due to shortages of shipping containers and the number of people who are returning to their jobs within the shipping industry When you buy locally, not only are you contributing to your local economic wealth, but often, because local vendors tend to source their wares and goods locally as well, the cost of transportation decreases drastically There is less need for as much fuel to be used for that transportation, and less time between where products are sourced from to the store shelves, which again comes with added reductions in fuel costs, and so on

The more people continue to buy locally, the more they will contribute to reducing the overall cost of goods, while supporting and helping to grow the local economy, accounting for more readily available employment, which would then further allow more people to spend more money accordingly. The entire process has a vast cascading effect which leads to richer local markets, vendors, and people as a whole.

Many non directly economic effects can benefit from buying local as well Buying from local vendors means that merchandise or food, for example, doesnt have to travel as far to arrive at its destination, be it on your plate or simply in your hands for daily use Some arguments can be made saying that in the short term, purchasing locally can be slightly more expensive, however, consumers need to look at why that is Your local producer needs to charge more because of the volume of sales versus their stock They can only produce a limited quantity of any item since most local providers do not have the means to produce in mass quantities equivalent to that of your nearest Walmart or national chain Another aspect that mass production of goods such as foodstuffs has is the lessening of product quality This applies not only to food, but individual local vendors will take extra time to ensure that all their goods are in much better condition as they have more time to review all their stocks, while the mentality of larger chains tends to be simply the sheer volume of stock sold Higher quality goods mean that yes, while the cost of acquisition may be slightly higher in your local shops, it means that you will not need to replace things as often, you will get better customer service, more customized service, and save money in the long run as you will not need to replace what you purchased as quickly Moreover, the more people buy locally, the more products that the same vendor can then produce and or offer which will in the long run end up reducing the cost, but because they are still not producing in the enormous quantities that large chain retailers are producing still means that the quality of all your goods purchased, no matter the type of good, will be of a higher quality and result in more bang for your buck

All these facts not only work to strengthen the Canadian economy as a whole, but keep in mind that the slightly higher price point you pay today, will not only help your neighbors eat and put a roof over their heads, but you can rest assured that the more people continue to purchase in this way, means that the prices will eventually go down, even if marginally, while still maintaining a much higher quality of goods and services Remember this, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, only 40% of SMEs are back to earning their normal reported revenues since before the pandemic, with 65% of them having had to take on a debt that averages out to about 160,000$ only to survive the fallout of the Pandemic, which was reported by Dan Kelly the President and CEO of CFIB As the economical recovery for Canadian SMEs is still very much underway, we need to ensure that we do what’s possible to keep this business sector, SMEs, alive and well as they are supporting the majority of our country. So, even if only for October, the long term benefits will have massive ramifications! More details are to come as SMEs continue to recover, but rest assured that our goal at Cubeler is to offer direct support for all SMEs across the country If you’d like to remain in the know, and help out this recuperating sector, be sure to keep up with us at Cubeler com to keep up to date on how things progress, and the various ways you and other businesses can support one another

The incorporation of digital technologies into business operations is becoming an inevitable part of small business development Small businesses can easily and effectively integrate new technology into their everyday operations due to their organizational structure and smaller workforce

Though many small businesses have adopted these technological infrastructures, a majority of them have not yet realized the potential that digital technologies have to enhance their business possibilities For example, the hardware and software that small businesses use to run their businesses can store large data, which can be analyzed to strategize marketing and business plans

CDW Canada is a leading multi brand provider of information technology solutions to thousands of business, government, education, and healthcare customers across the country Their broad array of products and services ranges from hardware and software to integrated IT solutions such as security, cloud, hybrid infrastructure, and digital experience

CDW caters to small businesses needs by providing them with hardware requirements like laptops, desktops, and other technology It also serves as a trusted tech advisor, helping clients design, deliver, install, train employees, or even manage their environments

CDW understands the importance of data and helps small businesses protect and optimize their data by enhancing their technology.

As small businesses increasingly start using digital technologies in their operations, it is crucial to keep the data backed up and protected There is also a need to keep the network and technical infrastructure efficient and hassle free to ensure quality customer service and smooth functioning of the business

Small businesses might not necessarily have the technical knowledge behind data storage and analytics, nor is it cost effective to employ a technical staff. Instead, small businesses can outsource a technical consultant or service provider as an easy and affordable solution

CDW Managed Services takes care of all these issues and complexities by helping small businesses upgrade their existing infrastructure and supporting their business to ensure the systems are available and running optimally around the clock.

CDW supports its partners at all stages of cloud adoption, whether they are on premises, migrating to the cloud, or already there

CDW

offers services that help small businesses grow by providing technology services that take away some of the team's burdens and allow them to focus on growing the business.

Think of CDW as an extension of your IT team

The specialists at CDW provide years of experience to assist you in designing, implementing, and managing your technology environments, in everything from roadmaps and adoption to project deployment and lifecycle management

Optimization01

When preparing for growth, small businesses choose the cloud as most digital optimization is initiated through the cloud easily and affordably However, the CDW 2022 Cloud Report found that more than half of Canadian organizations lack confidence in their infrastructure to support digital transformation initiatives and next generation workloads Furthermore, it also found that 79% of IT administration time is spent on non value added activities.

As the business grows, so does the complexity associated with its operations The complexity of the cloud based infrastructure only increases with business expansion and with small businesses becoming increasingly digitalized As small businesses have a small workforce, it is not often that their team of employees includes experts in technologies like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure

Customers expect a constant presence and accessibility from trusted brands in the digital age But small businesses with limited resources and few IT staff can't scale their business and ensure customer satisfaction if they cant provide coverage round the clock

Through optimization, CDW helps you save on bottom line costs and be more profitable They deal with not just hardware optimization but also focus on team optimization, where they take tasks away from your in house team to help them focus on business growth initiatives

CDW supports small businesses by covering services from network management to managed security services

Scalability02

CDW helps small businesses grow existing infrastructure and to meet their growing business needs They understand that most small businesses build the business in the cloud, and start ups no longer buy servers Therefore, they support business operations that revolve around the cloud and take care of data backup and security considerations, where 24/7 support is crucial.

Flexibility03

Current hiring practices are oriented toward remote work, and the modern workplace is largely at home So even if a company still rents office space, it's more of a collaborative area than a traditional cube farm

The change in the workplace and work culture means better audio and videoconferencing solutions, which are now more cost effective than the clunky solutions of the past CDW partners with all the leading vendors in this space and helps you and your team find the right technology to work flexibly and effectively from anywhere

Financing04

CDW helps small businesses find the best financing solution by working with Pitchbook and other funding tools to understand your current funding situation at any time They understand that most SMBs don't have net 30 payment terms because they dont have any credit history CDW can establish these terms right from the beginning for a start up that has been funded They also work with multiple lease and financing partners with various funding sources.

CDW provides comprehensive IT solutions by understanding the requirements and constraints of small businesses For SMBs that don't have the real estate to hold technology equipment, CDW holds devices for you in their warehouse and ships them directly to new employees as soon as they join the team.

CDW provides services to small businesses with big ambitions. As a company that understands small businesses' unique challenges, they provide guidance from their IT experts and the right technology from their partners to prepare small businesses to think big.

CDW is a dedicated IT service provider to small businesses To learn more about their solutions and services, please visit CDW.ca/smallbusiness.

Small businesses must integrate digital solutions and collaborate with service providers to optimize their operations affordably. To read more on these service based businesses, subscribe to CanadianSME Small Business Magazine https://lnkd.in/dbqmSKN For the latest updates, visit our Twitter page at @canadian sme.

Reach new customers

Advertising your business online allows you to deliver ads to people who are likely to be interested in your business Google Ads uses targeting options such as keywords, location, devices, and more, to actively reach potential customers Along with reaching new customers, you can be seen at the top of search engine results pages, control your spending, track results and grow your business Read on to learn more about the benefits of Google Ads Google Ads utilizes keywords to help get your business seen when people are searching (ie ‘Google ing’) for products or services that your business provides This allows you to be seen by potential customers who are actively searching for what you have to offer

If your business provides a service, you can also use Google Ads to target people locally within your service area

Be seen at the top of search results

Working on your website’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can take a while to reach the top of the search results Google Ads can get your business seen at the top of search results faster (Note that it isn’t guaranteed that you will be at the top every time so it’s important that you ’ re bidding on the most relevant keywords for your business)

Control spend

There is no minimum spend to run ads on Google You also have the ability to choose how much you want to spend per month It is also a pay per click platform which means you only pay when someone clicks on your ad

Track results

Since Google Ads is a pay per click platform, you ’ re able to track clickthrough rates, cost per click, ad spend, conversion rates, and your return on investment (ROI)

By being able to track which ads are resulting in clicks and conversions, you can easily see where to invest your efforts for your ad campaigns This will also help increase your ROI

Grow your business

Google Ads allows you to be seen by people who may not have known about your business. The ability to land at the top of the search results helps increase your awareness which in turn helps you to grow your business

Whether you are an eCommerce business or a local service provider, Google Ads can help you reach the right people at the right time To learn more about how Google Ads can help grow your business, check out our 6 week Digital Marketing Program

The Best Small Business Stories In Canada

Small businesses are created out of necessity or when business owners identify a gap that needs to be filled in the market Their tales may be motivated by personal instances, a chance discovery, a desire to reform the existing system, or a simple wish to be a business owner

Here are five small business stories that are revolutionizing their respective fields

Inc.

The founder of Attabotics Inc, Scott Gravelle, comes from a background in manufacturing and experience in implementing digital strategies into backflows One day, he watched a documentary called Chain Reaction, which inspired him to think innovatively about storage and fulfillment requirements

Attabotics, Inc is the 3D robotic automation warehousing and fulfillment solution for modern commerce that takes inspiration from the framework of ant colonies They replace the rows and aisles of traditional fulfillment centers with a patented single vertical storage structure, and robotics shuttles that store and pick goods for workers on the outside perimeter to ship them cost effectively and environmentally friendly

If you are a small business looking for professional fulfilment service and warehouse requirements, visit Attabotics at https://www attabotics com/

SmartSweets

Tara Bosch founded SmartSweets with a mission to offer smaller portions of candy and smarter choices of lower sugar rates with a high taste. She initiated this food movement due to her addiction to candy, which turned into an unhealthy relationship with food

Excess sugar had a negative effect on her health, which led her to eat less sugar, but that only led her to crave candy even more This triggered her to start a quest to Kick Sugar, Keep Candy After spending months of recipe testing in her kitchen with a gummy bear mould from Amazon, she innovated the first delicious candy without all the sugar

Health conscious but sweet teeth people can check SmartSweet at https://smartsweets com/ for healthier candy options

SoilFLO

Co Founders of SoilFLO, Kevin Goldberg and Adam Matyja, experienced the challenges of earthmoving projects first hand This led him to develop an essential and valuable player to help sites manage loads in and out from progress tracking, ticket reconciliation, and lack of information.

Two years after its launch SoilFLO has developed into an earthwork ecosystem Developers, contractors, and consultants use their software to manage risk, reduce repetitive processes, and track progress Their work help construction and environmental teams save time and reduce tracking, record keeping, and compliance costs In addition, they use their data to make smarter judgments as field foremen and project managers in the office to finish excavation on schedule and within budget

For better and more efficient earthmoving services, visit SoilFLO at https://soilflo com/

Bridgit Solutions

Having grown up in the construction industry, Mallorie Brodie and Lauren Lake took up the family tradition and decided to revolutionize the industry. In 2014, they started Bridgit as a workforce intelligence platform for the construction industry, which has since grown into a team of over 64 employees and secured over $10 2M in funding

Bridgit's venture simplifies construction by bringing modern workforce management and resource planning solutions to the construction industry Taking a people first approach, they help the construction industry maximize profits Their intelligence transforms workforce data into valuable, actionable insights that guide an organization's strategic and tactical business decisions

For construction companies looking for insightful information and strategic workforce management, visit https://gobridgit com/ for more information

RANOVUS Inc

RANOVUS manufactures optical transceiver communications hardware for usage in telecom networks and data centres for high speed communications Since its inception in 2012, Hamid Arabzadeh has served as Chairman, President, and CEO of RANOVUS With operations in Canada, the USA, and Germany, they develop and manufacture advanced solutions for the next generation of interconnects for the telecommunications and information technology industries

RANOVUS technology significantly reduces power dissipation, connector size, and cost compared to traditional solutions Their world class team of scientists and engineers has years of professional experience developing optoelectronics parts and transceiver subsystems for the information technology sector.

For faster and more effective telecommunication services, visit RANOVUS at https://ranovus com/ for more information

Small businesses should always familiarize themselves with the stories of fellow entrepreneurs to help them chart a course of action and learn the dos and don'ts of running a successful enterprise Sharing their stories and experiences of tenacity, adversity, and strategic preparation guides aspiring business owners to initiate, execute, and succeed in their business endeavors and contribute to the community's development

The success of small businesses serves as motivation for the community to work toward taking the same course To read more of these inspiring stories, subscribe to CanadianSME

Small Business Magazine https://lnkd.in/dbqmSKN. For the latest updates, visit our Twitter page at @canadian sme

he tone for the my. With so much ed by the g p ctor for small businesses to thrive, it is no surprise that several small businesses are venturing into new markets and industries

Here are five promising small businesses

Canada

creating waves

Ada Support Inc.

industry

Ada Support Inc is the brand interaction platform that bridges the divide between you and the people trying to talk to you Ada's brand interaction platform has everything a team needs, such as support, marketing, sales, and IT, with a no code builder and a suite of out of the box integrations Using AI and advanced NLU, Ada automates thousands of conversation topics across the most popular digital channels within a single platform.

It is a brand new vision for brand interactions that provides an opportunity to build trust, deliver value, and, ultimately, drive growth

Ada helps automate conversations with each customer and employee, saving costs and growing revenue without betraying the brand you promised to be

Carebook Technologies Inc.

Carebook Technologies Inc is leading the digital health revolution It is built on a powerful health platform that creates highly engaging, customer centric digital products for employers, pharmacies, insurance providers, businesses, and more It is the future of care, providing services like self assessment and surveys, connecting to virtual care, recommendations and education, medication adherence, real time vital signs scanning, preventative health and wellness, health records, lifestyle tracking, reminders, and communication

They believe in a world where everyone is empowered to be actively engaged and fully supported in managing and improving their overall health Carebook's enterprise health platform is patient centered, can be white labeled, and is an intersection between health tech and human engagement.

Digital health is the future of the healthcare industry, and Carebook Technologies Inc is leading that trend To know more about their services, visit their website at https://www carebook com/

Eclipsys Solutions Inc.

Eclipsys Solutions is a consulting organization providing tailored mission critical services to help customers maximize their complex IT environments performance, availability, and security With top talents and experts with around a decade's experience and a strong Oracle base, they continue to add key support and deliver experts across all tiers of the Oracle stack

Since 2009, Eclipsys has been helping its clients optimize their technology investments They focus on database and engineered systems and are rapidly growing in the cloud and data analytics They help address the most complex business challenges through innovative, flexible, custom solutions and services that seamlessly integrate business processes and IT strategy

Eclipsys Solutions, Inc ’ s custom IT services are designed to help your business succeed in the digital age. To know more about their programs, visit their website at https://eclipsys.ca/.

Briteweb Ltd

Briteweb is a social impact agency and strategic partner specializing in branding, digital, and marketing solutions for nonprofits, foundations, and purpose driven companies As experts at designing and guiding tailored processes that deliver tangible results and powerful insights, always leading with empathy and emphasizing collaboration, communication, and trust

Briteweb offers a combination of expertise, values alignment, and passion in their work Their services include strategy, branding, digital and creative services, brand strategy & communications, logos and visual identities, impact reports and annual reports, naming and taglines, mobile responsive websites, web and mobile apps, donation tools and CRM integrations, content strategy, and copywriting

For small businesses wishing to discover the possibilities of digital solutions for their growth, visit the Briteweb website at https://briteweb com/

Keirton Inc.

Keirton Inc. is a solution engineering expert. They had humble beginnings as small businesses and have grown to become one of North America's most respected names in specialty solution engineering Their outstanding team of designers, technicians, engineers, and support staff are dedicated to producing the tools and technology that improve the environment and provide expertise and experience for the betterment of their clients

Founded on innovation and a dream, they believe in providing an atmosphere where their staff can reach for the same thing In addition, they support personal and professional growth and encourage it through mentorship, courses, and training

Artificial intelligence is driving the innovations of Keirton Inc To know more about their services, visit their website at https://www.keirton.com/.

Small businesses have entered and explored various industries that seem unconventional for small enterprises and more closely align with the idea of a multinational corporation Yet, they have accomplished and managed these tasks through their efficient structures and with the aid of technology

With small businesses traversing beyond their conventional boundaries, it is an exciting time to look at what small businesses achieve and contribute to the economy To know more about small businesses creating waves in the market, subscribe to Canadian SME Small Business Magazine https://lnkd in/dbqmSKN For the latest updates, visit our Twitter page at @canadian sme

A combination of world events have presented labour shortages, supply chain issues, and cybersecurity weaknesses that can cause SMEs to slow, suspend, or even shut down their work. To help business owners understand the risks on the horizon, as well as how to approach them, Capterra surveyed over 500 managers in Canada on the topic.

The business landscape has undergone many changes since the arrival of the “ new normal ” SME owners don’t need to be reminded of the challenges that COVID 19, labour market shifts, and overall digitization trends have brought to their door; many have experienced them firsthand.

Expert advice from those in similar positions can help small business owners prepare for and manage these challenges To collect relevant opinions on business disruptions into a resource decision makers can use, we surveyed 514 managers of SMEs in Canada on their experiences managing a business over the last two years (for a full methodology, scroll to the bottom of this article)

Global supply chains were thrown into disarray with the arrival of the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020 However, many managers of companies that sell products are still struggling with supply chain disruptions Over three quarters (76%) of those surveyed have experienced this problem in the last year

Most surveyed managers (61%) describe this interruption as a “moderate” one, though 17% say they’ve been impacted significantly Causes of supply chain disruptions varied, but many were connected to the current instability of supply chains (i e supplier enforced order limits, uncertain fulfillment/delivery times, or relying on a single supplier).

Business owners have little to no control over the operations of their suppliers, but they can prepare themselves in case of emergency Considering the possible effects of supply chain disruptions can help managers create a strategy for handling them, minimizing potential consequences

In addition to creating a risk management plan for supply chain issues, SMEs can maintain an up to date database that unites information from suppliers, warehouses, and their own organization Staying on top of supply chain information provides oversight and can even be used to predict upcoming issues Investing in the right digital network is key, such as inventory management systems that enable real time tracking and reporting

Aside from digitizing the inventory process, businesses can also take other measures to offset the supply chain related bottlenecks. The majority of decision makers experiencing such setbacks (39%) reported adjusting their product offering based on availability, which helps minimize unfulfilled orders as well as unsatisfied customers Among other actions taken to address supply chain issues:

34% purchased products so as to ensure sufficient inventory

33% ordered larger upfront quantities in advance

32% worked with local suppliers

22% extended lead times

For those experiencing supply chain disruptions, increasing your retail prices is also an option While many companies would consider this an unwelcome change, the reality is that 78% of managers surveyed have planned to or have already increased their prices to offset rising supply chain management costs

The unemployment to job vacancy ratio in Canada is at an all time low, posing an obstacle to businesses in all industries. Over a third of SME leaders surveyed (38%) said this issue has affected their business

The negative implications of the labor shortage go beyond empty desks in the office

More than half of those struggling to recruit talent (58%) said they experienced an overload of work on their existing employees, and nearly half (44%) reported a decline in revenue

With undesirable effects on both company culture and their overall profitability, SMEs everywhere are wondering how to address the labour shortage Half of the respondents facing this disruption (50%) have increased their salary offerings to attract more talent Among the more creative solutions companies employed to combat hiring challenges:

35% considered candidates they would not normally consider

32% improved the benefits related to the job

30% advertised open positions on new platforms

26% worked with HR agencies

With many economic experts predicting continued inflation and perhaps even a recession in the future, non salary based solutions to the labour shortage are exactly what SMEs need Seeking advice from human resource professionals is a great place to start, though it can require an investment Free internet resources such as the Capterra blog can also offer expert advice on HR related issues

Seeing as over a third of managers surveyed (36%) say their company has experienced a phishing email over the last year, email security managers are a great option for cyber protection However, careless employees were cited as the most common security vulnerability, exposing a need for specific training to ensure compliance with best practices

In addition to using digital tools and training to keep your organization protected, companies can also create incident response plans to stay focused on business continuity in case a cyberattack should occur

Consumer concerns surrounding data protection are on the rise, as are the risks of ransomware, malware, and other cyber attacks. Although 31% of decision making respondents say they don’t currently have any security concerns, the majority (69%) reported at least one vulnerability

To protect against cyber attacks, most company leaders surveyed are using at least one type of security software tool. The most commonly adopted tools are antivirus software (67), firewalls (56%), data backup tools (51%), and email security managers (43%).

Predicting upcoming challenges

as an SME often requires much forethought and planning, which some may not be able to carry out Nearly one in five companies surveyed (19%) thought their companies weren’t investing enough resources in achieving business goals

When focusing on risk awareness and creating an incident response plan, its vital to plan for the possible interruptions that could happen here in Canada Local risks and compliance requirements can even depend upon the province; seek out advice from local resources when trying to monitor and manage potential disruptions

For more research reports focused on Canadian SMEs, visit the Capterra Canada blog.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO KEEP YOUR SMALL BUSINESS SUSTAINABLE IN CANADA?

Sustainability is a key element of a successful and ethical business It is a practice where business operations cause a minimal negative impact on the environment, and eco friendly policies and practices are prioritized Small businesses should be at the top of the list when it comes to sustainable practices since consumers value companies that promote sustainability and seek out brands that practice sustainable practices

Here are the best and most affordable ways small businesses can become sustainable

Choosing Sustainable Resources And Ethical Practices

A sustainable and ethical business prioritizes conducting business by ensuring its impact on the environment, society, and the economy Businesses should adopt a policy where they use sustainable resources for their operations, such as employing environmentally friendly resources, practicing animal cruelty free operations, and using sustainable materials, given the current situation of escalating environmental challenges

Businesses should adhere to moral standards, such as free trade, to guarantee that their local producers, suppliers, and partners are paid fairly for their products and services This guarantees a healthy, long lasting, and trustworthy collaboration that greatly benefits enterprises. Small businesses should constantly take precautions to ensure a positive impact on the neighborhood and environment

Making Business Operations Eco-friendly

Small businesses should adopt eco friendly operational practices to ensure sustainability Minute details like choosing non toxic raw materials, using biodegradable materials for packaging, creating a workspace eco friendly, and practicing an environmentally safe work culture should be carefully considered.

Plastic waste in packaging and shipping is one of small businesses' greatest waste management issues Instead of using plastic, small businesses should make use of biodegradable alternatives like cardboard, paper, bagasse paper made from pulp from sugarcane, and biodegradable bubble wrap These materials have a minimal environmental impact as they break down quickly and effectively and do not contain toxic or ozone depleting substances

Partnering With Sustainable Businesses And Organizations

The majority of supply chains today are not constructed according to ethical and sustainable principles, and upholding these standards in a competitive market is also a challenge Hence, finding partners who adhere to ethical and affordable business practices becomes all the more difficult

Small businesses can partner with local suppliers who follow sustainable product and service practices Localizing the supply chain benefits the environment by cutting down on emissions and energy use, as well as on shipping and storage. It also ensures an ethical and sustainable business culture and practices and promotes and supports local businesses, local suppliers, and the local economy

Creating Modern and Digital Workspace

Small businesses can adopt many modern and digital practices that help them reduce their negative environmental effects and build a sustainable workplace. Establishing an environmentally friendly workplace culture that deals with paperless business transactions and processes, building workspaces with natural materials, and adopting policies that reduce resource use and energy consumption are all significant steps in this direction

Using LED bulbs, encouraging the use of permanent mugs and cups rather than paper cups for office work, and using recycled paper and biodegradable pens are all simple but effective initiatives These small but significant changes make small businesses go beyond being profit making entities to being institutions that contribute to and work to better society

Supporting Sustainable Initiatives In The Community

Small business sustainability methods also involve actively supporting local and community efforts to restore the environment They must support environmental initiatives like tree planting campaigns or bicycle competitions, which can aid in promoting and raising brand awareness They can donate a portion of their proceeds to programs or organizations that promote environmental causes Small businesses might organize fundraisers for community programs that support environmentally friendly practices

Small businesses' social and environmental participation will help gain customers' confidence and trust It carries the reputation of a business that goes beyond the objective of generating a profit and is socially responsible.

Small businesses should take on greater social responsibility, work to better their local community, the economy, and the environment, and support causes that are important to them They should incorporate sustainability and ethics into every aspect of their operations by collaborating with ethical supply chains, using environmentally friendly packaging, or making charitable donations These initiatives prove their integrity as well as help them reach a wide and engaged audience cost effectively

Customers concerned about sustainability will actively seek out and promote goods produced by ethical brands To know more about these sustainable practices and businesses, subscribe to CanadianSME Small Business Magazine https://lnkd in/dbqmSKN For the latest updates, visit our Twitter page at @canadian sme

Employer Branding Is The New Way To

MARIE-JOSÉE GAGNON

CEO and Founder, CASACOM

We recently had the opportunity to speak to Marie Josée Gagnon, CEO and Founder of CASACOM, who shared her thoughts regarding CASACOM's second annual Elevate Study, how employer branding is essential for attracting, engaging, and retaining employees since most businesses rely on it to meet increasingly labor driven priorities, how helpful is the implementation of ESG/CSR budgets, in assisting businesses with their strategic planning, her views on the majority of businesses that have hired external PR and communications consultants in the past two years, apparently to supplement inadequate internal resources, followed by the benefits businesses will receive from the diversity, equity, and inclusion principles

Marie Josée is recognized by peers and clients alike as one of Canada’s most progressive PR leaders An alumni of Harvard Business School, she brings innovation and entrepreneurial flair into all she does. She is known for her creativity, sincere engagement and thoroughness, as well as for her leadership, and impeccable judgment.

Marie Josée provides strategic counsel to support the business strategy of some of Canada’s and the globe’s best known brands, including Etsy, Kiewit, Ultima Foods (iögo), Aimia, and Toyota to name a few.

Marie Josée began her career in 1990 as a journalist (Montreal La Presse) and then as the press attaché at the Québec Government. Thereafter, she held several key positions within major organizations (Quebec General Delegation in Paris, Laurentian Bank and AXOR). She founded CASACOM in 2001.

Over the years, she received many awards whether from the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montréal, Women of Influence, Profit Top 100, RBC or the communication industry associations

In 2017, Marie Josée launched Brave, a series of interviews with women who dared recorded during networking events and broadcast in podcasts.

How will you describe your journey, having held several key positions in major organisations and being the recipient of multiple awards over the years?

I’ve had a fantastic career, so far the journey is far from over : ) After beginnings in politics, diplomacy and private businesses, I opened CASACOM in 2001 and never looked back I have spent the past two decades helping to elevate my clients, my staff as well as myself Weve never been satisfied delivering the status quo We’ve continually pushed the boundaries in communications, helping our clients increase their presence in their markets among the audiences that are most important to the actual success of their business

My journey has been one of continuous learning, and I employ that in every interaction I have Professionally, we take the time to really learn about our clients and their compelling reason for seeking communications support and question them in a way that removes the vain reasons some organizations are seeking awareness to help them get the most from their communications activities We are committed to generating value

What are your thoughts regarding CASACOM's second annual Elevate Study? How well did the study analyse the Quebec and Ontario public relations and communicationslandscape?

We did this study because we wanted to provide the leaders of our profession with a portrait of the trends and priorities in the industry, so that they can benchmark themselves and, above all, make better decisions and grow within their organizations

Among the top priorities for communications professionals this year, we found that digital communications and social media (54%), media relations (41%) and corporate branding and strategic positioning (38%) are top priorities for the leaders surveyed Over three quarters (76%) of businesses have used external PR and communications consultants in the past two years Sixty six percent of them indicated that this was to complement insufficient internal resources Among those that do not have an employer branding strategy, over three quarters (77%) plan to implement one in the future and most executives said that they integrate diversity, equity and inclusion principles in their images and videos (90%) and use inclusive language (76%).

Why do you believe employer branding is essential for attracting, engaging, and retaining employees since most businesses rely on it to meet increasingly labordrivenpriorities?

Employers need to walk their talk and talk is not defined by a few taglines or stock images This kind of branding requires in depth audits and interviews with key employees to understand what attracts them and makes them stay

Thisyearwehad177respondentsfrom OntarioandQuebec,withover80%from leadershiporVicePresidentpositions CapturingthefeedbackofsomanyPR andcommunicationsleadershasmade thisyear’sfindingsextremelyrelevant, reflectingmanyofthekeyissuesand concernsbusinessisfacingrightnow.

Then their feedback is aligned with the vision, mission and values of the organization, ensuring a consistent organizational brand that is presented both internally and externally

People are every business's greatest asset Employer branding helps businesses stand out among their competition and creates a motivation for current employees to stay. Think about your customer facing brand online. A poor product description or a poor review will deter customers The same holds true for your business’ brand as an employer Poor reviews and an unclear employment offering will have the best talent looking elsewhere We’re in an employees’ market, so it is the company with the best branding that is going to attract the best people

This is also true for keeping employees A brand is not only a theme or a design, it is how a business lives the promise that it makes to its employees everyday Today’s employee is looking to work for a company they support and believe in, and that offers fulfillment beyond a paycheque

Since the majority of surveyed organizations prefer to increase their ESG/CSR budgets, how will their implementation assist businesses with their strategic planning?

ESG is at the core of strategy planning When an ESG strategy is well defined and communicated to all relevant audiences inside and outside of the organization, it becomes the special signature of a business The organizations who come to us for ESG strategy will have to incorporate it into their overall strategic planning It needs to become core to the business and part of the priorities

What are your thoughts on the majority of businesses that have hired external PR and communications consultants in the past two years, apparently to supplement inadequate internal resources?

That’s one reason Communications teams are overwhelmed with today's needs Everyone expects more from their brands and brands now need to comment on public issues, provide content for multiple social feeds, communicate regularly with their current and future employees, manage their ESG practices and promote the products and services they offer

We are engaged by our clients for all of the above as well as to provide a different perspective on a challenge or an unbiased opinion on a crisis or offer expertise in an area not available internally

However, you asked what I think about it? I think it is great, and recommend that any communications department that is feeling overwhelmed reach out to me directly at mgagnon@casacom ca!

How will the diversity, equity, and inclusion principles benefit businesses, as the majority of executives have incorporated them into their images and videos using inclusive language?

All of these are great practices, but they need to be more than simply following the demands of the public They need to be authentic Businesses need to truly believe that diverse insights and innovative solutions come from a variety of voices It should be part of every organization, but not as just a badge of honour, but a best practice in their business’ operations In Canada, we are such a multicultural society that we have the opportunity to lead the way in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for the world

Externally, DEI also makes brands more appealing

There is a far greater variety of voices, faces and lifestyles appearing in all media and it is moving people to make choices that they never thought were for or available to them. But again, motives need to be authentic. Promises that are not backed up with action, ring hollow and will do more damage to a brand than good

Mallory McGrath Founder & CEO Viive Planning

CAN’T BUY ME LOVE. OR CAN YOU?

Mallory McGrath founded Viive Planning in November 2020 to help families plan collaboratively for the aging and end of life process Her experience as an estate litigation law clerk made her realize that families were battling over small amounts of money due to lack of communication from parents to adult children before their death She was inspired to fill a gap in traditional estate planning and established Viive Planning to enable families to plan for their future holistically and collaboratively

She firmly believes that families need to avoid the destructive cocktail of grief and greed and have open conversations that prepare them for the future stages of life Her mission through Viive Planning is to normalize conversations around death and change societal mindsets about aging and end of life planning. She wants to positively impact clients by educating them as she understands the complexities of family dynamics and the road ahead

Mallory has obtained a Bachelor of Music Performance degree at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University She is also a Certified Executor Advisor, has trained in meditation, studied thanatology and grief literacy

For several hundred years, financial legacy and inter generational wealth have been the threads that connect and sustain many families However, while that transfer of wealth can bring joy and relief, it can also be extremely complex legally, financially and often, emotionally destructive for a family

There are good reasons to gift assets based on equity (situation specific), and not equality (equal values, ex. split 50/50). Having a disabled child is a perfect example of a good (and typically well understood) reason.

That child may not be able to work and make an income, so they are gifted more money to ensure that they are taken care of But what if one child is more actively involved in a parent’s care in the later years of their life? What if one child makes less money than their siblings? Are these reasons enough to gift based on equity and not equality?

These key questions should be addressed by families as they plan

Thankfully, according to the Advance Care Planning Canada 2021 National poll, 70% of Canadians (compared to 63% in 2019) felt comfortable having advanced care planning conversations This is a significant increase, but it doesn’t mean that these conversations are necessarily happening yet we still need more

Grief & Greed Destroy Families

Grief & greed are a destructive cocktail of emotions

You can never predict how grief will impact a member of your family There is a no one size fits all approach to losing a parent If your children find out after your death that you chose to bestow your legacy based on equity and not equality, they will likely think: “Mom and Dad didn’t love me as much as my brother ” This is not unreasonable because even though your children might be in their 60s by the time you die, there is still a child like connection to your parent/child relationship that cannot be ignored. Ultimately, children want to feel equally loved by their parents and want to know that there are no favorites. One way you can ensure they are all on equal footing in your eyes is by talking to them about your wishes and plans so that there is never any confusion or doubt as to how much you love them and how much you ’ re leaving to them

According to a BMO InvestorLine Study, 63% of Canadians expect to receive an inheritance in the future Many also assume that their inheritances will be larger than they turn out to be, with the average inheritance in Canada being just under $100,000

The last act that you will do after you die is to gift money and assets to your family

If you choose to give more money to one child than the other without having discussed it before your death, you run the risk of your children thinking that you don’t love them equally This absence of clarity and communication among families is the crux of estate litigation

Whether we want to admit it or not, for surviving children, Money is Love and Love is Money.

This fact is consistently proven in our society There are many prominent estate litigation lawyers who have built successful businesses on the fact that we associate our parents’ love with the amount of money they give to us when they die

To ensure that your legacy is one of love and harmony, show your dedication to your children by opening a conversation about your legacy wishes, and give the gift of clarity and fairness, so that they continue to feel that love long after you ’ ve gone You never know what one of your children may expect or assume, and it’s always best to share with everyone what the emotional reason was behind each of your choices

You love your family You owe it to them to have at least those conversations

Mallory McGrath is the Founder and CEO of Viive Planning, a company dedicated to helping families design and communicate their legacy plans, to ensure positive outcomes and harmony

Digital Strategies For SMEs

By Mostafa Sayyadi

Designing and implementing strategy in today's turbulent digital world is more complicated In a competitive environment, where SMEs are constantly seeking emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and capitalizing on data driven customer preferences, the importance of emerging digital technologies must be embraced Ignoring the importance of these technologies leads to a reduction in complexity and, as a result, competitors become more capable of imitating and taking a larger chunk of the market share Thus, fatal neglect is often the result of a lack of a complete strategy that provides the right course of action with adequate analytics for SMEs This article will outline the main elements of a complete strategy in the digital age to show managers how to develop and implement this effective strategy

A Formula For Success

Success Factor # 1: Detailed Analysis of the External Environment

This component includes the analysis of the external environment, sometimes referred to as a SWOT analysis It examines all the trends and changes in the external environment so that the SME can make the best proactive changes For example, what opportunities and threats does climate change create for your business and how can you prevent potential threats and make the best use of opportunities?

Success Factor # 2: Disseminating Data

After careful analysis of the external environment and recognizing the existing opportunities and threats, SMEs should incorporate all the necessary mechanisms in the form of a business model so that they can prevent threats and make the best use of the opportunities This business model should be structured in a precise way with a detailed delineation of all tasks, resources, costs, and revenues An example of this is creating teams in SMEs and creating a flatter organizational chart

Success Factor # 3: Applying a Clear Tactical Vision

After designing the business model and data dissemination, SMEs should add a clear tactical vision to the strategy by creating a competitive advantage and attracting customers by creating unique value for them in the short term. Creating digital transformation and developing appropriate technology infrastructures to create the required complexity This factor will prevent competitors from imitating and data dodging

Success Factor # 4: Applying a Flexible Long-Term Approach

Along with applying a clear tactical visionary approach (usually six months to 2 years out), SMEs should also add a flexible long term approach (3 to 10 years out) to their strategy to ensure they are identifying the capabilities needed in the future. This long term approach must be flexible so that the newly required capabilities can be added for unforeseen environmental changes Gradual changes and tweaking the strategy to better respond to the new conditions of the external environment

In Conclusion

Having a strategy that is complete in the digital era is an important source of competitive advantage for SMEs The effective design of this strategy will increase the probability of success and may keep SMEs from falling into the abyss of destruction

Management Thinker. Consultant. Former Leadership Team Member of San Diego based The Change Leader Consulting, Inc. Associate Fellow of Australian Institute of Management. Book Author. SHRM's Best Blog Author ISE Writer's Badge Holder, still learning how to be a

leader

SHORT-TERM HIRES WITH LONG TERM PAYOUTS: Waterloo co-op students elevate start-up

When the world of work suddenly shifted to remote, companies had to act quickly to retain employees and keep motivation strong in uncertain times Hypotenuse Labs mastered engagement in the virtual world to become a favorite employer to many co op students

Founded by two Waterloo co op alumni, Matthew Reyes (BMath’19) and Anthony Zhang (BMath’19), Hypotenuse Labs builds high impact web, blockchain, and artificial intelligence (AI) products for other start ups The company hires multiple co op students every term and gives them a unique work term experience where they can develop technical and communication skills in a fast paced environment

Through prioritizing positive student co op experiences, Hypotenuse Labs has developed a hybrid system, hosting events and meetups to create in person bonds that help strengthen their remote work Through this dedication to staff and student well being, Hypotenuse took home the award for Impact on Student Experience at the 2021 Co operative and Experiential Education Employer Impact Awards This is an especially esteemed honor as it is voted on by the students

“Waterloo students that we ’ ve hired are consistently very skilled, very motivated, and are very good at what they do,” says Zhang (he/him).

Co-op students crave working at small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

Waterloo co op students note that working at SMEs increases their exposure to leadership and working on a variety of tasks makes their work term fulfilling

At the beginning of each work term, Hypotenuse Labs schedules a goal planning and career mapping session where co op students each meet with one of the co founders

Throughout the term, they work with the students to track their goal progression By working directly with the leadership team, co op students learn more about entrepreneurship, leadership skills, and how to run a business

“We have a pretty open door policy in terms of anyone being able to ask anybody else for help,” says Reyes (he/him) “Anyone in the company is just a message away ” Thanks to this policy, students will collaborate with staff and clients to provide innovative and attainable solutions

What a Waterloo co op student can do for your business

Cooperative education (co op) students are uniquely positioned to be an incredible asset to SMEs The short term commitment of the four or eight month work terms makes them perfect candidates for projects or daily tasks Their skill range paired with work experiences ensure they can be flexible and handle different tasks, situations, and roles

“One constant draw for us is that Waterloo students always deliver and they bring a lot of street smarts and experiences from other companies They help us grow as a company because we are always learning from them,” says Reyes.

Ability to learn quickly co op students learn new tasks and skills at lightning speed and can apply their learnings just as quickly

Digitally skilled students can help your organization thrive in the digital world from web design to digital marketing and e commerce

The Waterloo Advantage

With over 25,000 co op students available each year, Waterloo is the largest co operative education program in the world Rated #1 in experiential learning by Macleans Magazine and the most innovative Canadian university for 29 years, Waterloo provides outstanding support and guidance when hiring a co op student.

Technical skills whether you ’ re looking for general help or someone to do a specific skill, with over 120 programs at Waterloo, there’s a student that can help with their technical skills and specific training

Flexibility hire talent when you need it Students are available for four or eight month terms

Fresh perspectives students offer innovative and diverse solutions

The Waterloo co op team includes dedicated service members to help employers through the entire recruitment process, from recruitment strategies to funding to help subsidize hires “We want to ensure our employers have every advantage That’s why weve created Co op Fundamentals: a series of virtual info sessions which cover the key aspects to hiring a co op student,” Emily Burgess, Business Developer and Industry Strategist at University of Waterloo said The sessions center around general hiring information, funding opportunities and writing an engaging job description to attract the targeted set of candidates

At Waterloo we do talent differently, and so can you Ready to start hiring? Contact Emily Burgess today!

What a co-op student can bring to your business:

GreaterTorontoExecutiveCentre

OfferingAffordableRentalOptionstoSmallBusinesses

Since the onset of the pandemic, many business owners are evaluating their office space needs with more scrutiny. Especially with work getting more digitalized, an office space is being viewed as an option rather than a necessity for many. Flexible office space solutions have become popular among businesses as a cost effective means of acquiring a great location with little maintenance requirements Greater Toronto Executive Centre offers a solution to companies looking for flexible and affordable office space in the Greater Toronto Area

BusinessYourWay!

Founded in 2009, Greater Toronto Executive Centre offers flexible workspace solutions for business owners of small to midsize who seek a full time office space, part time office space or a virtual office (business address) with great meeting room options It is a great solution for businesses who are expanding their presence or starting their business within the Greater Toronto area

As the market for commercial space and office rentals is at an all time high, many business owners are opting to find locations that give them quick access to downtown Toronto as well as allow them to access other parts of GTA, such as Mississauga, Etobicoke, Brampton as easily as downtown With two locations to service its clientele and its proximity to Toronto Pearson International Airport, as well all the 400 series highways, Greater Toronto Executive Centre is the ideal location for entrepreneurs, startups, small to mid sized businesses, satellite offices for international businesses and professional services

Ritu Kohli-Sethi

Managing Partner,

Greater Toronto Executive Centre

Sam Kohli

Founder and Chair,

Greater Toronto Executive Centre

Moreover, with the recent construction for the Eglinton Crosstown West extension, right across from Airport Corporate Centre location, accessing downtown Toronto will become more efficient for business owners, who do not wish to have an office in the downtown core

TheManagerialStory

Founded by Sam Kohli, Greater Toronto Executive Centre’s started with a single location north of the Airport with a goal to offer virtual and full time office needs for small and growing businesses. After several years, the original location grew to double its size and the client base grew along with it At this time, Ritu Kohli Sethi joined the team in 2013, following the completion of her EMBA with Ivey School of Business, with the intent to restructure the operations in order to scale up the business In 2015, the Airport Corporate Centre location was opened and together Sam and Ritu have expanded into managing commercial spaces for others as well as growing the meeting room rental aspect of the business

Greater Toronto Executive Centre is a socially responsible enterprise that strives to make a meaningful contribution to the community Sam Kohli is the founding and current chairman (three terms) for the

Malton Business Improvement Area (Malton BIA), the vice chair for Tourism Mississauga and has been appointed to the Mayor’s Innovation task force (Mississauga) Ritu Kohli Sethi is a part of several business and community organizations such as Mississauga Board of Trade and also serves on the Steering Committee of 100 Women Who Care, Mississauga Chapter

TheGTECServices

Along with flexible office and workspace solutions in the Greater Toronto Area, Greater Toronto Executive Centre offers a variety of services that align with the requirements of business owners today

OfficeSpaceSolutions:

Whether a single office user or a team of 20, Greater Toronto Executive Centre has workspaces with modular furniture to configure according to the needs of the client, including state of the art amenities such as meeting rooms, coffee lounge, kitchen with free coffee and tea as well as complimentary parking and office cleaning Services clients really benefit from is the front reception service which includes greeting clients, managing mail and courier Whether the client is in the office or not, their business keeps running smoothly

Executive Suites

Another key advantage for business owners paying for squar footage they use with a flexible office solution Whether a business is scaling up or down, GTEC works with their client’s add or reduce their workspaces, without having to change th business address etc

Greater Toronto Executive Centre also offers independent suites, which can be single and multi room units with signag This is a flexible alternative to a traditional lease while enjoying the privacy of a personal office and the amenities o a business centre, such as furniture options, internet access, and more

VirtualOfficeSolutions–Anofficeaway fromoffice

Not everyone needs or requires an office space Many work from home or operate out of their client’s site However, they wish to have a space to meet their clients or have their mail sent to or even have a business phone service that can answer their calls They are looking for an office without an office A virtual office option is a great solution

Virtual plans include a professional business address, an array of up to 10 meeting rooms, including a day office, where clients can come in and meet clients or just work for however long they need

Greater Toronto Executive Centre’s Business Identity Plans even provide the choice for the clients to add a business phone number with an extension, where calls are redirected to their number of choice with complete records of calls in and out The advantage of a Business phone plan is that a business owner can simply forward their extension to any device and clients can call out or receive calls using their business number from the same device, without having to give away their personal contact information, anywhere in North America

Additional features such as live reception call answer and toll free number add ons can really help with maintaining a professional image while maintaining operational costs

Ritu Kohli-Sethi

Operations Manager at Greater Toronto Executive Centre

Business can reach out to Greater Toronto Executive Centre on Sales@gtexecutivecentre.com to know more about available suite or to know more about their virtual plans

MeetingRoomRental

Greater Toronto Executive Centre offers up to 10 meeting spaces, between both their locations, which include day offices, boardrooms, small conference rooms as well as a training space with breakout rooms for up to 30 Users These meeting rooms can be used for seminars, training, corporate programs, interviews, conferences, board meetings etc

All meeting room rentals include parking, coffee and tea for all guests, WiFi as well as screen for presentations. To accommodate users, spaces can be reserved hourly, for half day, full day for multiple days including evening and weekends or evening

Not everyone can physically attend meetings today and that’s ok Greater Toronto Executive Centre offers the ability to make any meeting room a hybrid space for virtual attendees as well

With great catering partners, Greater Toronto Executive Centre can assist with all catering needs for your important meetings

To more about any of the above spaces or to inquire about the rates please reach out to them on meeting@gtexecutivecentre.com.

GreaterTorontoExecutiveCentreFacility

Features

Greater Toronto Executive Centre is a Canadian company that provides economical workspace solutions with flexible terms and amenities to support businesses, helps expand business presence in the greater Toronto area physically or virtually, and gives professional space to companies to meet clients and host their meetings

and workspace solutions, GTEC offers service in two highly central locations with state of the art and modern amenities for small to midsize companies, start ups, and worldwide organizations seeking a local presence. To know more about their services, visit their website at https://gtexecutivecentre.com/.

Operations Manager at Greater Toronto Executive Centre

Office rental spaces are cost effective for companies that offer hybrid work options To read more about companies providing such services, subscribe to CanadianSME Small Business Magazine https://lnkd in/dbqmSKN For the latest updates, visit our Twitter page at @canadian sme

BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE MONTH: MAKINI SMITH

HELPINGWOMENFIND PEACE,CLARITY,AND CONNECTION

Makini Smith works on a mission to be an agent of transformation, helping you discover that no darkness in your life is too dark for God to shine through.

Smith is an author, international speaker, and mindset coach who helps and coaches frustrated, confused, or isolated women to find peace, clarity, and connection

Life Leading to Service1

Makini Smith wasn't always the powerful woman she is now; neither did she know such a persona existed inside her

Smith was dealing with the hardships of being a teen mother, going through a tough divorce, and losing her sister It was a period of feeling broken and defeated She had lost her sister, who was her best friend and the one who set the perfect example of what it meant to live a service life Her sister was a source of support and inspiration for many, and Smith knew she was being called to do the same.

Smith describes the period as her lowest moments when life had brought her to her knees That was also when she realized she needed to stop living by fear and start living by faith

Beginning Career as a Mindset Coach2

Makini Smith is a mindset coach and a Proctor Gallagher certified consultant She helps turn goals into accomplishments by coaching frustrated, confused, or isolated women. She helps them find peace, clarity, and connection.

In addition, she found Legacy Leaver's Media, which gives female business owners access to the same tools and resources as established publishers without needing their validation or approval to self publish

She is a social media influencer and a five time published author She also hosts the 5 star rated "A Walk in My Stilettos" podcast, which is among the top 1 5% of popular podcasts globally and encourages women to face their fears, own their stories, and build resilience Her passion is to help you find the confidence to turn your dreams into a reality

She believes authenticity is key, and every woman has strength and purpose that are as distinctive as her experiences. Hence, she always speaks the truth, whether it be to a group of women in a group coaching session, teenage girls, corporate audiences, or women ' s shelters

She is passionate about helping people improve the quality of their lives She has contributed her knowledge to numerous international media outlets, including Chatelaine, xoNecole, iHeart Radio, CBC, Vice News, and more As a speaker who travels the world, she wants to raise awareness of the importance of mindset

She is an award winning entrepreneur who has created a successful business focused on personal development and helping women thrive She was a five time nominee for the RBC Women Entrepreneur Awards and was nominated for the People's Choice Award for Best Black Canadian Podcaster in 2018 In addition, she ran for Provincial Parliament in the 2018 Canadian Election to enact positive change and lead by example.

Gracing Platforms With Positivity3

Makini Smith is an international speaker who has delivered talks in Canada, the US, and Africa with transparent storytelling of real life testimonies She aims to empower women through relatable messaging that gives them the confidence to walk boldly with their heads held high She encourages people to overcome self limiting thoughts and achieve their goals by cultivating confidence, courage, and faith

She deals with topics in 'self love or self image' that emphasize confidence as extremely important for success in your personal/business lives 'Getting through adversity' deals with the understanding that resilience is not avoiding life's issues but facing them head on and bouncing back from them quickly The topic of 'transparency/ vulnerability/ authenticity' calls for being genuine, authentic, and unashamed and encourages you to own whom you were created to be

Smith finds joy in seeing women use her lessons as tools to overcome obstacles and become their most powerful selves She is grateful for the journey she has been gifted with and wishes to give back in gratitude

Her greatest fulfillment has come from sharing her life's good, bad, and ugly to motivate and enable other women to start their healing processes and let go of shame and fear

Makini’s initiatives instill confidence and courage in women, empower them to be self sufficient and resilient, and serve as role models for women

Makini Smith's mind coaching is about you, with a powerful woman inside you that's yearning to be set free To know more about her sessions and programs, visit the website at https://awalkinmystilettos com/

Entrepreneurial ideas and motivation can come even in the hardest times To read more about these inspiring women ' s entrepreneurial stories, subscribe to Canadian SME Small Business Magazine https://lnkd in/dbqmSKN For the latest updates, visit our Twitter page at @canadian sme

Hologenix as a global marketing leader?

We recently had the opportunity to chat with Charlotte Pratt, the Global Marketing Director at Hologenix, who shared her thoughts on how can a fully remote team foster connection and collaboration because the majority of employees experience distractions while working remotely, signs that your remote team lacks productivity and motivation, strategies that can be implemented to keep them motivated virtually, the establishment of the ideal environment for remote work, the most common obstacles faced by remote workers followed by the incentives that will be effective in enhancing work performance.

Charlotte Pratt leads global marketing at Hologenix, a materials science company dedicated to developing products that amplify human potential, where she manages a decentralized team across five time zones CELLIANT®, its flagship technology, is an infrared ingredient brand that enhances textile based products with health and wellness benefits across performance, recovery, and sleep Charlotte comes from over a decade of marketing experience in the global fashion industry

When did your career begin? How would you describe your experience at Hologenix as a global marketing leader?

My career began when I was at university when I started working retail to help fund my double major in Clothing & Textiles and Communication Studies When the company discovered I was pursuing a career in the apparel field, they fast tracked me into a management position, and what had begun as just a part time job became the launch pad for my career By the time I graduated, I had helped open several new stores, train new employees, and learned a great deal about managing and motivating teams of sales advisors while balancing the day to day of opening, operating, and closing a high volume department store. From this foundation I entered the corporate world of the apparel business after graduating, where I held a series of positions with various global companies, elevating in responsibility and complexity, leading up to my current role leading the marketing team at Hologenix

My experience at Hologenix has been exciting and enjoyable Our flagship product, CLIENT, is a textile based infrared ingredient brand While we are a B2B business, our technology also needs to be understood by the B2C audience to whom our brand partners sell their products So, all things considered, our marketing is nuanced and complex, with many moving parts and simultaneous priorities, which I find to be an energizing environment The entire team is highly skilled in their fields, wonderfully supportive cross functionally, and I have been impressed with everyone ’ s drive and passion for helping bring the health and wellness benefits of CELLIANT to the forefront of society.

How can a fully remote team foster connection and collaboration because the majority of employees experience distractions while working remotely?

I would point out that distractions happen not just while working remotely. In an office environment, you may find yourself taking a long lunch with coworkers, getting caught in conversation in the office, or worrying about traffic patterns. Rather than scheduling your time in advance, co workers are prone to pulling you away from your desk and your focus to collaborate on a more ad hoc basis which can interrupt productivity Ultimately, whether you are in an office or working remotely, the more engaged you feel with your work, your company, and the mission at hand, the fewer power distractions have over you; and, when distractions arise, you understand the responsibility required to remain committed and dedicated to getting the job done regardless

Our organization has a very camera on culture as part of our virtual meetings, which encourages professionalism and engagement This keeps participants accountable for getting distracted We begin each week with an all staff meeting in which we debrief our weekends and answer a thought starter question of the day to help us learn about each other Thus, we feel like we have a connection and the sensation of office chatter even while remote We are respectful of each other’s calendars and schedule a time to collaborate, as well as host recurring meetings that provide routine and structure to the remote environment. Rather than being a culture of suspicion where productivity is being strictly monitored and surveilled, which can be a pitfall of some organizations operating remotely, we are trusted and encouraged when it comes to completing our work We believe in a holistic wellness approach, and that when your work life and life outside of work are in balance, you will be better equipped to tackle the challenges of your work day

What are the signs that your remote team lacks productivity and motivation, and what strategies can be implemented to keep them motivated virtually?

Signs that can be red flags include lack of responsiveness for example, if someone who is typically quick to reply to emails or confirm and execute tasks is taking longer to respond Similarly, if the quality of the tasks they are executing starts to decline, or they seem to be lacking effort or passion in their work; perhaps more errors or oversights. I also pay a lot of attention to attitude and demeanor. Someone who is on their way out will be a lot more negative, possibly spreading their negativity to other members of the team, and thus creating a toxic environment

Often when a team member’s motivation seems to decline, it may be because they don’t see the larger purpose or greater value in the work that they are doing, or they don’t feel that their work is being recognized Ensuring that each team member knows the part they play in the overall mission and that teams come together periodically to contribute ideas and input to the shared mission, is crucial When everyone understands each other’s contributions, it leads to a shared sense of purpose, support, and value, creating a stronger team and strengthening motivation

How, in your opinion, can the ideal environment for remote work be established? And how will it contribute to boosting productivity?

Without any limitations, the remote work environment can be endlessly flexible Developing a degree of structure and consistency ensures that flexibility is not counterproductive Some flexibility allows employees to work when and how they are best equipped, rather than fitting into a 9 to 5 cubicle shaped box; too much flexibility leads to the inability to set expectations and hold employees accountable.

Having a stipend for employees to create their ideal work from home space with all the amenities of a modern day office is important in creating that physical environment not to mention, a fraction of the overhead required for a physical space

Another tip would be to use project management software to track deadlines and progress toward them It may be easier to have an idea of who is working on what when you are all in the same location; project management tools take this to the next level and are perfect for a remote workforce They help manage the flow to ensure there is neither too much nor too little happening, preventing both overwhelming burnout and the underproductive lack of motivation

What are your thoughts on the most common obstacles faced by remote workers? Can we overcome these difficulties?

With remote work, social connections and team dynamics can be the hardest elements to replicate virtually, so this is something to pay extra attention to A lack of connection can be detrimental and does not make for strong teams. Overcome these difficulties, it takes intentionality. Be sure to encourage time on calls to check in about items not related to work, such as asking about hobbies, families and more Hosting a virtual lunch, holiday celebration, activity or game can enhance employee engagement and connectivity

What are the incentives that will be effective in enhancing work performance? How can they be implemented?

Organizations need to see their employees as human beings and people, not just seats to fill or cogs in the machine Looking holistically, there are many dimensions of wellness occupational, financial, physical, intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual, and environmental. Offering incentives that relate to each of these dimensions helps address the employee as a whole person and communicates that you not only value who they are at work, but you value their comprehensive wellness both in and outside of the workplace When a person feels like they matter at work, they will ensure they are doing work that matters, effectively enhancing performance

A few examples of incentives related to these various dimensions include:

· Robust healthcare offerings that take into account both physical and mental health

· Flexible holidays that employees can take on particular cultural or religious observances individual to their spirituality that may not be observed company wide

· Allowances for professional development and continued learning opportunities

· Company-sponsored social outings such as interacting as a team with arts and entertainment

· Discounts on fitness services

· Financial planning resources and 401K plans

WhatBusinesses aremissingintheir

Company Culture

How will you describe your journey with over 15 years of experience in business development and many other operations, and working with multiple fast growth, fast paced tech startups across the globe?

I would compare it to a rollercoaster! There have been lots of ups, downs, and in betweens but overall it’s been an amazing ride Hindsight is always 20/20

Looking back, I can see how all the moments that I felt not smart enough, or that the pressure was too much, or the moments of immense gratitude all shaped who I am today, who I work with, and my understanding of what lights me up so that I can bring that passion to the people around me

Jenna Bayuk

Founder of Kinship Kollective

We had the chance to speak to Jenna Bayuk, founder of Kinship Kollective, who shared her motivation behind starting Kinship Kollective, her valuable thoughts on why execution focused consulting with heart is the only way to truly provide support to entrepreneurs, the challenges she faced on her journey to entrepreneurship, followed by her first hand experience in working with struggling entrepreneurs and the way she navigates them to their success

Jenna Bayuk, founder of Kinship Kollective, the business support service, has over 15 years' of experience from business development, marketing, events, to talent acquisition and operations She has invaluable experience and knowledge that she has gathered whilst working with multiple fast growth, fast paced tech startups across the globe

What was your motivation behind starting Kinship Kollective? And what are you hoping to achieve through the work you do?

Initially, it was about taking everything I had done in my career and leveraging that in a way that was impactful for entrepreneurs I knew I had a diverse skill set, and the right mindset to create a set of services that would add meaningful impact to them and their business The key piece for me was that I got to choose whom I work with, ensure the alignment of our values, and ensure I was as committed to their vision as they were As Kinship Kollective gained some traction, it solidified any doubt I had about what I was trying to create which allowed me to expand my vision of what this all meant.

At the end of the day, I love seeing things come to life and being a part of that build from vision to reality The focus is to continue that through both the Business and Individual Excellence programs As the Kinship team grows, my blue sky vision is to focus on Legacy & Philanthropic initiatives with entrepreneurs within their companies and outside of that leave a lasting impact within their communities and more

Since you are very passionate about your work, why do you think that execution focused consulting with heart is the only way to truly provide support to entrepreneurs?

From my perspective, it is truly tough to add value if there’s no alignment from deeper than a surface level agreement. Entrepreneurs generally have a much higher risk tolerance that most, in terms of risking it all to achieve it all They need people around them where there’s a high degree of trust and accountability to help make it all happen! They can’t do it all, nor do they have the skill set to do all leadership roles well, so advising them on ‘what to do vs ‘I will make it happen is very different Having been through the rollercoaster of high growth, the intensity of that journey allows insight and ability that not everyone has experienced It also creates a space of truth, this might not work if it doesnt, we may fall flat on our faces, but we will rebuild and come back stronger and better for it! That’s a special dynamic

What were the challenges you faced on your journey to entrepreneurship? And what factors helped in overcoming those challenges?

I think with any idea, the toughest critic you have to overcome is yourself. Deciding to take that leap and risk failure tests your ability to work through and persevere through self doubt This is where doing the personal work I feel is a must, if you haven’t worked through your own “stuff” it will come out in ways you didn’t expect and potentially cause less than ideal outcomes in certain situations That being said, I’m a big self care advocate Therapy, meditation, fitness, and courses/reading, to expand your self awareness and abilities is a complete game changer! Ensuring self care is a daily practice is a non negotiable

How was your first hand experience in working with struggling entrepreneurs and how did you navigate them to their success today?

Growing up I was always quite competitive, I liked being challenged, and a thrived under pressure. I didn't realize that it would be the thing that entrepreneurs responded well to and would turn out to be my superpower Working with entrepreneurs isn’t for the faint of heart, they have extremely high standards, they are relentless in their pursuit of the end goal/vision, they love to work, and they will push your limits because they don’t see limits From that perspective, it’s an experience and education in personal growth, performance, and boundaries Through hitting my ‘ max ’ and burning myself out, I learned a lot I learned how to get clarity in priorities, delegation, asking for help, and when to say yes, but not now right now I have to go work out, or I have plans which are important because they allow me space to be my best This wasn’t easy, but learning to say no and creating boundaries on times that are no deals, is still at times something I struggle with, but I have to tools now to catch those things, reframe, and communicate expectations

I feel like the younger generations have been part of a time where success seems readily available at the touch of a button or a post of a picture There’s this illusion that success happens overnight and is easy It’s not! It takes a lot of work, fails, wins, and lots of iterations to get it right

My best advice would be to create a strong network of mentors, ask questions, ask for feedback, never stop learning, and always do what you say you’re going to do.

What specific recommendations do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs out there that will help them achieve their entrepreneurial goals?

This month, Mitacs launched the Mitacs Skills for Innovation project which will deliver a series of reports examining the skills needed for different innovation activities across the Canadian economy

In the first report, Sharpening Canada’s Skills Advantage, expert authors Craig Lamb and Dr. Daniel Munro (Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship and Shift Insights) take a deep dive into Canada’s biggest innovation advantage: our talent Drawing on surveys of organizations and interns involved in Mitacs’s Elevate and Accelerate programs, the report looks at the general and specialized skills that Canada needs to innovate

Despite a highly educated population and a labor force of skilled and motivated people, Canada’s innovation performance continues to lag behind its global peers This report seeks to better understand the specific skills that Canadian talent needs to develop to address this gap and complete the full suite of activities and tasks that comprise the continuum of innovation These can be broadly divided into two categories: general skills, required across all types of innovation; and specialized skills, which some but not all people on innovation teams must have to succeed

General skills are things like curiosity and creativity; basic data and digital skills such as statistical literacy and the ability to navigate online research; scientific principles and methods such as the ability to develop a hypothesis; and certain social and emotional skills like collaboration, listening, and communication

More specialized skills are things like advanced data and digital skills such as programming, computer science, and statistical analysis; management skills; and design skills, including prototyping, testing, and solutions design.

Sharpening Canada’s Skills Advantage is now available for download.

Mitacs empowers Canadian innovation through effective partnerships that deliver solutions to our most pressing problems For over 20 years, Mitacs has assisted organizations in reaching their goals, has funded cutting edge innovation and has created job opportunities for students and postdocs We are committed to driving economic growth and productivity and to creating meaningful change to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

Our mission is to build a world class, diverse community of innovators through our collaborative model, attracting and deploying top talent to the industry, and matching needs with expertise to create ambitious solutions to real world challenges

We believe that increasing Canada’s productivity and prosperity will be driven by successful innovation and we ’ re passionate about developing the next generation of researchers who will work to fuel Canada’s knowledge based economy

Discover us at mitacs.ca

Hiringorfiring: Theroleofpayrollinthestaffingstory

Talent recruitment, engagement, and retention have remained core challenges for organizations of all sizes throughout the pandemic, leaving no sector unscathed Traditionally all businesses are likely to experience staff turnover at some stage, but for small and growing businesses, the last two and a half years have seen a drastic change

For some SMEs, growth has been unprecedented during the pandemic, resulting in the need to scale operations and bring new hires on board For many others, the pandemic has meant scaling down their employee count to reduce costs In fact, according to research from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, SMEs were responsible for 92 1 percent of net employment change in 2020 This represents a massive shift in the labor market, as small businesses employ 67 7 percent (7 7 million) of working Canadians, compared with 20 6 percent (2.3 million) for medium sized businesses and 11.7 percent (1.3 million) for large businesses.

Hiring and firing are a necessary part of all business operations but can be particularly tricky for SMEs to navigate without the proper knowledge and resources The various legal, operational and financial implications of employee changes are critical to understanding chief among them is payroll

Payroll professionals are a critical resource for employees because they deal with one of the most sensitive aspects of work: compensation. From navigating the complexities of compliance to being a source of trust and knowledge for employees, and even leveraging data to support business operations, payroll entails more than most expect

Payroll

For these reasons and many more, the role of payroll cannot be understated. It has significant impacts on overall business performance, productivity, and efficiency as well as employee engagement To ensure you have the compliance and legislative expertise you need to manage your payroll during these times of transition, here are some payroll best practices that you can apply during the hiring or firing process

Closing a payroll as an individual’s employment ends can be complicated, especially when considering the additional sensitivities that come with it. It can be navigated by maintaining transparency throughout the process and following the steps below

As your business grows, so do your responsibilities as an employer When it comes to managing your staff’s money, having a seamless payroll setup avoids potential conflicts and enables you to focus on other areas of your business

The first step is giving notice When termination of employment has been initiated by the employer, the employee must either be given legislated working notice or receive a payment instead of this notice

However, the amount of notice varies by jurisdiction as well as the employee's length of service

Determine each worker's status, as either self employed or employed This is important as incorrectly assessing a worker's status can lead to costly repercussions or penalties

Create a clear employment contract, outlining salary rate, overtime rate, commission, bonus, stocks, vacation, statutory holidays, personal days, hours of work, overtime, summer hours, and more

Validate the employee's Social Insurance Number (SIN) within three days of the start date Employers should adhere to best practices surrounding the collection, usage, storage, and destruction of an individual's SIN to ensure legislative compliance and avoid the risk of identity theft

Ensure the employee completes all payroll forms to determine income tax withholdings

Receive a void cheque(s) and/or authorize electronic pay statements and tax forms

Establish a payroll account, begin withholding payroll taxes, and remitting and reporting to various levels of government

Following notice, employers need to crunch the numbers on any final payments owing This includes vacation pay, banked overtime, substitute holidays, legislated severance, and retiring allowance Final payments must be paid within a specific period.

Lastly, a Record of Employment must be completed and filed This will allow the employee to apply for unemployment insurance benefits if needed

The National Payroll Institute is your go to payroll team before you even have a payroll team To learn more about how payroll best practices can support your business’s health, you can download a full e book, Payroll Wellness Checkup for Small and Growing Businesses, from the National Payroll Institute at payroll.ca/payrollcheckup.

Did you know that the Government of Canada and Public Services and Procurement Canada are striving to increase the participation of smaller and diverse businesses in federal procurement? Are you interested in learning how to sell your goods or services to the Government of Canada?

Procurement Assistance Canada (PAC), part of Public Services and Procurement Canada, can help! We are here to help smaller and diverse businesses access federal contracting opportunities

Through the Supplier Diversity Action Plan, we are committed to supporting supplier diversity and inclusive socio economic growth

We have six regional offices across Canada that provide a range of services, including seminars and one on one consultations, to businesses who need support navigating the federal procurement process

Small Business Month is here, and Procurement Assistance Canada is excited to participate in events to support businesses across Canada Interested in learning how to sell to the Government of Canada, explore small business support services, and find opportunities to grow your business? Check out these October events in our national calendar. Below is a sample list of events led by the Ontario Region PAC team Many of these events are open to businesses across Canada

Recently, PAC launched a coaching service to support business owners from diverse groups who have had limited success bidding on federal contracting opportunities The coaching service allows them to connect one on one with a Procurement Assistance Canada coach and receive personalized support in navigating the bidding process The goal of the coaching service is to provide the tools these businesses need to find, understand, and respond to procurement opportunities with the Government of Canada.

Check out the coaching service to learn more about business eligibility and the application process.

On November 24 25, 2022, Procurement Assistance Canada Ontario Region will host the annual event: Government to Business (G2B) Information Fair and Workshops This two day virtual conference, which is open to businesses across Canada, will focus on small business support services, innovation, new programs and services, and supporting women led businesses, through a mix of interactive presentations, panels, and networking opportunities

Interested in attending the G2B 2022 conference? Registration will be available soon

Similar events are taking place across Canada Make sure to see our national calendar for more details

PAC can help you understand how the government buys goods and services and how you can navigate the process to bid on federal contracting opportunities and grow your business

Contact Procurement Assistance Canada by email or using our national hotline (1 800 811 1148) if you have any questions To reach the Ontario Region office, call 1 800 668 5378

Saviez vous que le gouvernement du Canada et Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada s ’efforcent d’accroître la participation des petites entreprises, des entreprises diversifiées et des entreprises dignes d’équité à l’approvisionnement fédéral? Voulez vous apprendre comment vendre vos biens ou services au gouvernement du Canada?

Soutien en approvisionnement Canada (SAC), qui fait partie de Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada, peut vous aider! Nous sommes là pour aider les petites entreprises et les entreprises diversifiées à accéder aux possibilités de marchés fédéraux.

Au moyen du Plan d’action pour la diversité des fournisseurs, nous nous engageons à soutenir la diversité des fournisseurs et la croissance socio économique inclusive

Nous comptons six bureaux régionaux partout au Canada qui offrent une gamme de services, y compris des séminaires et des consultations individuelles, aux entreprises qui ont besoin d'aide pour s ’ y retrouver dans le processus d'approvisionnement fédéral Récemment, SAC a lancé un service d’encadrement pour soutenir les propriétaires d’entreprises issus de groupes diversifiés qui ont eu peu de succès dans les possibilités de marchés fédéraux Le service d’encadrement leur permet d’entrer en contact individuel avec un encadreur de Soutien en approvisionnement Canada et de recevoir un soutien personnalisé pour s ’orienter dans le processus de demande de soumissions Le service d’encadrement vise à fournir aux entreprises les outils et les réponses dont elles ont besoin pour trouver et comprendre les possibilités de marchés publics auprès du gouvernement du Canada et pour bien y répondre

Le mois des petites entreprises est arrivé, et Soutien en approvisionnement Canada est heureux de participer à des événements pour soutenir les entreprises de tout le Canada Vous souhaitez apprendre comment vendre au gouvernement du Canada, explorer les services de soutien aux petites entreprises et trouver des occasions de faire croître votre entreprise? Consultez ces prochains événements du mois d’octobre dans notre calendrier national Vous trouverez ci dessous une liste des événements organisés par l’équipe de la Région de l’Ontario de SAC Bon nombre de ces événements sont ouverts aux entreprises partout au Canada.

Les 24 et 25 novembre 2022, l’équipe de la Région de l’Ontario de Soutien en approvisionnement Canada sera l’hôte de l’événement annuel : Foire d’information et ateliers Gouvernement à entreprise (G à E) Cette conférence virtuelle de deux jours, qui est ouverte à toutes les entreprises au Canada, portera sur les services de soutien aux petites entreprises, l’innovation, les nouveaux programmes et services, et le soutien aux entreprises dirigées par des femmes, au moyen de diverses présentations interactives, de tables rondes et de possibilités de réseautage

Vous souhaitez participer à la conférence G à E 2022? L’inscription sera bientôt ouverte

Des événements semblables ont lieu dans tout le Canada Assurez vous de consulter notre calendrier national pour plus de détails

SAC peut vous aider à comprendre comment le gouvernement achète des biens et des services et la façon dont vous pouvez vous orienter dans le processus pour répondre aux possibilités de marchés fédéraux et développer votre entreprise

Communiquez avec Soutien en approvisionnement Canada par courriel ou au moyen de notre ligne d'assistance nationale (1 800 811 1148) si vous avez des questions Pour contacter le bureau de la Région de l'Ontario, composez le 1 800

5378

We got the chance to speak to Leah Pearson, the Global Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition at First Onsite Property Restoration, who discussed her role as the global senior manager of talent acquisition for First Onsite Property Restoration, her opinion regarding the best solution to many executives joining the great resignation, steps employers should take to effectively support their employees, in view of the negative impact the pandemic had on their well being, strategies for overcoming heavy workload or stressful job and a lack of time due to long work hours, followed by her advice for employers that will assist them in retaining their employees and maintaining a balanced work environment.

Leah Pearson is the Global Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition at First Onsite Property Restoration. She is a knowledgeable Human Resources professional, with over 15 years of experience

And Retaining Talent Attracting

LeahPearson

When did you start your professional career? And how will you describe your role as the global senior manager of talent acquisition for First Onsite Property Restoration?

I started my professional career in 2006 and have been with First Onsite Property Restoration since 2015.

In my role, I am responsible for the global talent acquisition strategy to attract and retain the best talent By leading the recruiting team in establishing and executing a talent acquisition strategy for the global organization, ensuring that the hiring needs of the organization are supported effectively

What, in your opinion, is the best solution to this problem, since Canada is facing a very difficult hiring climate and that many executives are joining the great resignation?

The ‘great resignation’ has presented employers with a great opportunity to reevaluate what they can be doing to provide a positive work environment for their employees Companies are in a position now where they need to act in retaining their employees Conduct “stay” interviews with employees to understand what they are looking for and places your company can improve The other solution that First Onsite has employed is being competitive in the wage structure, making sure that the employees are fairly compensated for the valuable work that they do

According to a recent Deloitte report, more than three quarters of C suite employees say the pandemic has negatively impacted their well being. What should employers do to effectively support their employees in this regard?

The number one thing we do at First Onsite, and companies should always do is listen Taking the time to understand someone ’ s situation and then providing unique and individualized support is crucial, to making employees feel heard and supported This can include ensuring there is a strong life/work balance, providing specialized programs to create psychologically safe environments, and ensuring that employees are taking advantage of their own and family assistance programs First Onsite has access to wellness apps, such as Headversity, which we offer to provide support to all team members

Since the top obstacles cited by respondents were a heavy workload or stressful job and a lack of time due to long work hours, what are the most effective strategies for overcoming these obstacles?

Some of the best ways to help avoid team members from getting ‘burnt out from a stressful workload are, discussing alternative work arrangements or schedules with your team members to find a better balance, advocating for yourself, and asking for help if you are overwhelmed or need help, or possibly considering other opportunities within the company that may be more suitable for that specific team member

What specific advice do you have for employers that will assist them in retaining their employees and maintaining a balanced work environment?

The most important piece of advice I can give is to take the time to appreciate your employees Employees always want to feel valued and showcasing your appreciation for their contributions to the company will help keep a positive relationship Another important piece of advice is to make sure that there is two way communication within your team, allowing you to discover what their long term goals are and how you can best support their development

A new, larger 6 7 inch size joins the popular 6 1 inch design, featuring a new dual camera system, Crash Detection, a smartphone industry first safety service with Emergency SOS via satellite, and the best battery life on iPhone

Apple today introduced iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, featuring two sizes 6 1 inches and 6 7 inches in a sophisticated design with impressive camera upgrades and groundbreaking new safety capabilities iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus take stunning photos and video with a powerful camera system featuring new Main and front TrueDepth cameras, the Ultra Wide camera for unique perspectives, and Photonic Engine an enhanced image pipeline Both models include the A15 Bionic chip with a 5 core GPU, which offers incredible performance and efficiency for demanding workloads, and is designed with privacy and security built in iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus introduce critical safety capabilities such as Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via satellite, a first in the industry

And with amazing battery life, industry leading durability features, and super fast 5G, this iPhone lineup is more advanced than ever before iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will be available in midnight, blue, starlight, purple, and (PRODUCT)RED finishes Pre orders begin Friday, September 9, with availability for iPhone 14 beginning Friday, September 16, and availability for iPhone 14 Plus beginning Friday, October 7

“Our customers rely on their iPhone every day, and iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus introduce groundbreaking new technologies and important safety capabilities. With the new, larger 6.7-inch display on iPhone 14 Plus, users can enjoy more content onscreen when browsing the web and even more text,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing “Both phones have a powerful new Main camera with a huge leap in low light performance, advanced connectivity capabilities with 5G and eSIM, and the incredible performance of A15 Bionic, which helps enable even better battery life. All of this, tightly integrated with iOS 16, makes iPhone more essential than ever.”

Available in the popular 6 1 inch size and a stunning new 6 7 inch size,2 iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus feature a durable and sleek aerospace grade aluminum design in five beautiful finishes The larger display of the iPhone 14 Plus is great for streaming movies and playing games, and iPhone 14 Plus boasts the best battery life ever in an iPhone.3 Both models have an updated internal design for better thermal performance, gorgeous Super Retina XDR displays with OLED technology that supports 1200 nits of peak HDR brightness, a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and Dolby Vision

A15 Bionic brings incredible performance to iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus Still faster than all the competition at any price, the 5 core GPU enables even smoother graphics for video apps and high performance gaming, and powers incredible camera features like Photonic Engine and Cinematic mode, all while delivering impressive battery life, and protecting privacy and security with the Secure Enclave. The 6 core CPU handles demanding tasks smoothly and efficiently, and the 16 core Neural Engine is capable of 15 8 trillion operations per second, enabling even faster machine learning computations for features in iOS 16 and third party app experiences

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus feature iOS 16, offering a reimagined Lock Screen along with new communication, sharing, and intelligence features that together change the way users experience iPhone The Lock Screen is more personal, beautiful, and helpful than ever with a multilayered effect that artfully sets subjects of photos in front of the time and newly designed widgets that offer information at a glance. For Lock Screen inspiration, the wallpaper gallery offers a range of options, including Apple collections, a Weather wallpaper to see live weather conditions as they change throughout the day, an Astronomy wallpaper for views of the Earth, moon, and solar system, and many more With Messages, users can now edit or recall recently sent messages, and mark conversations as unread to revisit them later 9 iCloud Shared Photo Library makes it even easier to share a collection of photos with family 10 Live Text gets more powerful with the ability to recognize text in video and quickly convert currency, translate text, and more, and Visual Look Up adds a new feature that allows users to tap and hold on the subject of an image to lift it from the background and place it in apps like Messages

Fitness+ users will see onscreen trainer guidance and interval timing, and estimated calories burned will be used to make progress on their Move ring Fitness+ will be fully integrated with the Fitness app coming with iOS 16 and located in the middle tab, where users can stay motivated to close their Move ring through awards, activity sharing, and more Users only need an iPhone to sign up, and can then experience Fitness+ on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV

We recently had the opportunity to chat with Steven Karan, the Vice President and Head of Insights & Data for Capgemini Canada, who discussed his journey as a leader with more than fifteen years of experience in a variety of senior roles, the role of emissions data in achieving both sustainability and business objectives, means by which organizations can make up for their inadequacies in achieving their self imposed goal of net zero emissions, the benefits of incorporating emissions data into a company's decision making, followed by his suggestions for organizations regarding the use of emissions data to drive business decisions.

Steven Karan is Vice President and Head of Insights & Data for Capgemini Canada. He is an experienced leader with more than fifteen years of experience in a variety of senior roles within technology, data and analytics functions Steven has a blend of management consulting and IT expertise and enjoys helping clients to increase their organizational capacity and gather key strategic insights though the humanization of data Prior to joining Capgemini, Steven held leadership positions with GHD Digital, Deloitte and PwC Canada

Emissions Data: HowItCanHelpCanadian BusinessesMeet

Net-Zero NGoals et-Zero Goals

How will you describe your journey as a leader with more than fifteen years of experience in a variety of senior roles within technology, data and analytics functions?

I have spent the entirety of my nearly 20 year career focused on unlocking value and insights from data From the early 2000s where I started my career helping business lines derive KPIs from ERP data, into the late 2000s where I built out Data warehouses, moving onto BI & Reporting in the early 2010s, to migrating cloud data platforms & advanced analytics as the decades progressed, to more recently focused on standing up data science teams to derive predictive insights through the adoption of practical AI & ML solutions Despite taking a few pivots in terms of tools, and technologies, the one aspect that has remained consistent is my passion of coaching, mentoring and developing talent in the field of technology

What are your thoughts on a new report by Capgemini that emphasizes the growing role that data can play in facilitating the transition to net zero for Canadian organizations across all sectors?

With sustainability goals becoming a business imperative over the past decade, it is apparent that many organizations lack the tools they need to bridge the gap between their net zero aspirations and their business objectives Our Capgemini report shows that only 36% of Canadian organizations are using emissions data for business decision making In addition, only 8% are highly equipped to use emissions data to drive their business decisions

Mitigating carbon emissions should be a factor for business decisions across the value chain, and this starts with having visibility into the necessary data This report comes at a pivotal time where organizations are being urged to take serious climate action, and require the knowledge, insight and tools needed to effectively address carbon emissions and meet their net zero sustainability goals

As Canadian organizations continue to implement net zero strategies to combat climate change and meet global net zero emissions targets, what is the role of emissions data in achieving both sustainability and business objectives?

Emissions data can play a significant role for companies working towards meeting sustainability targets as well as business objectives

From a sustainability standpoint, emissions data allows organizations to accelerate their transition to net zero and make a significant impact on the fight towards climate change by providing visibility to emission hotspots such as Scope 3 emissions, which tend to be the greatest contributors to an organization's carbon emissions In general, organizations that have leveraged the full scope of their emissions data have seen a reduction by 4 6% annually

As a result of emissions measurement and analytics efforts, Canadian organizations have also acknowledged the business value that insights driven by emissions data provide. In fact, our Capgemini report found that 78% of Canadian organizations believe that emissions data measurement, analytics and reporting help create additional business value for their organization

What are the means by which organizations can make up for their inadequacies in achieving their self imposed goal of net zero emissions?

To meet self imposed net zero emissions goals, organizations need to embed emissions data in their decision making processes across an organization’s value chain, from procurement and product development to logistics and IT and everything in between For example, Scope 3 emissions, which includes emissions produced throughout the supply chain, tends to be overlooked despite it being the largest contributor to an organization’s emissions footprint To make meaningful strides in the net zero emissions journey, emissions impact needs to be viewed as a critical factor in the decision making process

Since data is a significant lever in accelerating the journey to net zero, what, in your opinion, are the benefits of incorporating emissions data into a company ' s decision making?

Incorporating emissions data has the power to enhance organizational decision making in three key ways:

Increasing the visibility of baseline emissions levels and identifying emission hotspots. The insight gained from this visibility is a critical first step towards mitigating emissions and driving action.

Improving the existing business processes by streamlining carbon intensive activities. This can be achieved by selecting suppliers, optimizing logistics and redesigning products with the goal of minimizing carbon intensive activities.

Predicting and prescribing business outcomes to identify further emission reduction opportunities by using forecasting and scenario analysis.

What specific suggestions do you have for organizations regarding the use of emissions data to drive business decisions?

To accelerate the transition to net zero, organizations must establish the necessary data management capabilities The success of this transition requires organizations to do the following:

Establish strong leadership support, backed by a clear governance structure and data strategy globally, only 13% of organizations have done this to scale

Establish a robust foundation for emissions data management

Drive usage of emissions data across business functions 8% of Canadian organizations are upskilling employees at scale on sustainability and climate change

Establish mechanisms to ensure accountability for decarbonization across the organization only 72% of Canadian organizations use carbon KPIs to evaluate the performance of their business teams at varying frequencies (rarely, sometimes, often), while 2% always use them

Collaborate with the wider ecosystem to expand access to reliable emissions data to help suppliers better measure their emissions globally, only 14% of organizations have scaled initiatives aimed at upskilling suppliers on carbon accounting, and less than a third (32%) are participating in data ecosystems initiatives to share emissions data

Kevin Cochran CEO and Founder, CASACOM

Over the last 15 years, Kevin has been one of the most sought after speakers on the necessity of financial wellness programs for HR leaders Having been featured on radio and television programs (including CBC’s Dragon Den) across the country, Kevin has spoken to well over 100,000 people including professionals, students, schools, communities and corporations on the importance of financial wellness and how HR leaders can support their staff

How has your career developed over the past 15 years as one of the most in demand speakers on the necessity of financial wellness programs for HR leaders, and as a national radio and television personality?

Fifteen years ago, organizations and people did not understand the importance of wellness for their staff Today, more and more organizations are offering mental health and wellness programs However, one topic that continues to be overlooked is Financial Stress When we speak to leaders, they are often surprised to hear that financial stress is one of the leading causes of workplace distraction, staff turnover, and mental health issues.

Organizations of all sizes are starting to realize that a well designed financial wellness program can improve staff well being and add more money to the organization’s bottom line

Since municipalities offer mental health and wellness programs for their employees, but financial stress continues to affect all employees, and their families, what do you believe are the most effective methods for addressing this issue?

An effective solution is to ensure your wellness program has a comprehensive financial wellness component You can analyze a financial wellness program using these three factors

How effective is Enriched Academy at assisting thousands of Canadians in enhancing their financial wellness, being Canada's leader in financial health?

The average EAP (Employee Assistance Plan) is between 4% 11%. Enriched Academy works to engage over 50% of staff in their Employee Financial Wellness Program.

We define effectiveness in several ways: program utilization, ROI, cost containment, measurable employee results, satisfaction scores and knowledge level increases

We have a team of client success experts that work with organizations to implement proven processes that increase engagement Whether it is launch and rollout processes, live events or one on one coaching Our team strives for exceptional usage rates that deliver meaningful results for organizations

What are the primary causes of financial stress among employees and the obstacles to implementing a successful financial wellness program? How can we overcome these obstacles?

The top financial challenges Canadians are currently facing are:

Increasing inflation and cost of living

Interest rate increase The monthly payment for a new mortgage on a typical home in Canada increased by nearly $800 a month between October and April.

Dealing with high levels of debt.

Uncertainty with their retirement plans.

Canadians lack the knowledge and awareness on how to manage their finances because it is something they never formally learn

The obstacle we have repeatedly been hearing from organizations is that they want to provide resources to help their staff Still, they do not have the resources, expertise, or time to run a successful financial wellness program An organization must create or curate up to date and trustworthy financial information to run a successful program The next step is to get staff engaged in the content To wrap it up, organizations must have clear metrics on usage rates and strategies to keep increasing staff engagement

What negative effects does financial stress have on workers? And how does it affect the bottom line of a business?

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada recently did a study highlighting financial stress as the leading cause of stress for Canadians, more than work, personal health, and relationships In their research, they found:

48% of Canadians say they’ve lost sleep because of financial worries

If you are dealing with financial stress, you are twice as likely to report poor overall health

Almost half of working Canadians admit that stress related to personal finances has had an impact on their performance at work

The two most significant impacts financial stress has on a business’s bottom line are distracted staff and staff turnover The Canadian Payroll Association calculates that financial stress deducts nearly $16 billion yearly in lost productivity from the Canadian economy. Another study of 14,000 employees from FinFit found that organizations that provide financial wellness programs save $1,855 each year in turnover cost savings per employee

What specific recommendations do you have for employers that will assist them in promoting the financial wellness of their employees?

Organizations that create a culture of financial wellness see major improvements in their staff’s well being Running a lunch and learn or a webinar will not have a lasting impact on staff and their families It’s like a firework that has a big bang at first but slowly fizzles off Organizations and leaders need to commit to acting with purpose in creating a long term and effective wellness initiative Realizing financial health is a significant pillar of mental health should help leaders prioritize it because it is too important to neglect