Small Business Summit 2022 - Event recap

Hon MaryNg

Hon VictorFedeli

PaulGaspar

RobertBigler

KarenSvendsen

SMALL BUSINESS SUMMIT 2022

TheCanadianSMESmallBusinessSummitwas biggerthaneverinitsthirdyear!Theeventwas heldattheMetroTorontoConventionCentreon October26,2022,from8a.m.to5p.m.andwas broughttoyouincollaborationwitheBay Canada

Thesummitexploredhowbusinessescan embracedigitaldisruptiontodrivegrowthand success,with"EmbracingDigitalDisruption"being itsthemethisyear

AttheCanadianSMESmallBusinessSummit,a groupofrespectedexpertsdiscussedawide rangeoftopicswhilesittingonapanel The eventalsofeaturedanexclusivepanel discussionbyourpresentingpartnereBay Canada's“EntrepreneuroftheYearPanel"We hadeBayCanada’sgeneralmanager,RobBigler, alongsidethethreewinnersofits18thannual EntrepreneuroftheYearawardsforanin depth discussiononhowtheirbusinessesusedonline marketplacestoaccessnewglobalcustomers andgrowtheirbusinesses.

Sometopicswecoveredincludeddigital disruptioninapost COVIDworld;women's entrepreneurship,cloudcomputingand technologythatcantransformyoursmall business;andblackentrepreneurshipsponsored byFuturpreneur

Presentedby

Inadditiontothegreatpaneldiscussions,theattendeesalso hadtheamazingopportunitytohearfromMinisterMaryNg, MinisterofInternationalTrade,ExportPromotion,Small Business&EconomicDevelopment,Hon VictorFedeli,Minister ofEconomicDevelopment,JobCreation,andTrade,Ontario; RobBigler,GeneralManager,eBayCanada;DarcyRichard, VicePresidentofSMBMarketingforBellMobility,PaulGaspar, DirectorofSmallBusinessatUPSCanada;RoccoRossi, PresidentandCEOattheOntarioChamberofCommerce; andMarieCaron,President,InternationalMarkets,Thryv,as theydeliveredtheirwelcomeremarksattheevent

Morethan1400smallbusinessesfound theeventtobebeneficialandattendedin largenumbers Thisyear'ssummitwasan eventthatwedidnotwantouraudiences tomiss!Wehadafantasticline upof keynotesthatmadethisevent unforgettable PaulGaspar,Directorof SmallBusinessatUPSCanada,also reviewedtrendsininternationalmarkets, supplychainmanagement,and internationalgoodsmovementtogetpast complexitieswithknowledgeand preparationforSMEstogrowinnew markets "TheBestOffenseisaGreat Defense:HowToSucceedDigitally"was anamazinginteractivekeynotewithSai Huda,thechairmanandCEOof CyberCatch Also,wehad“Bringingyour businessonline,bringingyourbusinessto theworld,”anexclusivekeynotebyRob Bigler GeneralManager,eBayCanada, tolearnbestpracticesforomnichannel marketing,tolistyourproductsto maximizethelikelihoodofsales,and shippingacrossborders

Finally,theeventcametoasuccessful conclusion Butthiswouldnothavebeen possiblewithoutthehelpofourgenerous sponsorsandpartners,whomadethis eventahugesuccess Wewouldliketothankourpresenting partnereBay,ourexclusivebanking partner,RBC,ourexclusiveshipping partner,UPS,ourexclusiveaccounting softwarepartner,Xero;ourplatinum sponsor,Bell,ourgoldpartner, CyberCatch;businessgrowthpartner, Thryv,oursilverpartners,iContactand Futurpreneur,andourbronzepartners, PeninsulaCanada,MIRDigitalSolutions, andCDWCanada,fortheirgenerous support

BankingPartner

ShippingPartner Accounting SoftwarePartner

PlatinumPartner BusinessGrowth Partner

HON.MINISTERMARYNG

HON.VICTORFEDELI

PAULGASPAR

MARIECARON

KARENSVENDSEN

Hon. Victor Fedeli

Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Ontario

Meghie President

Michelle

at Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce (CBCC)

Rob Bigler General Manager, eBay Canada

Helen Cooper Director of Marketing, eBay

Karen Svendsen Senior Director Small Business Client and Business Strategy, RBC

Michael Cascone Head of Government Experience for Canada at Xero

Luc

Godard VP of Marketing & Communications, Cubeler

Marie Caron President, International Markets, Thryv

Sai Huda

Founder, Chairman and CEO, CyberCatch

"Our vision is to empower Canadian Small and Medium Enterprises"

SK Founder CanadianSME

Organised by CanadianSME Business Magazine

Moving From Retail First to Digital First

It was a pleasure to have Darcy Richard, VP SMB at Bell Canada, who educated small business owners at the Small Business Summit 2022 about Moving From Retail First to Digital First

He provided insights into how Bell is overcoming these challenges and the best practices small businesses can learn as they shift towards adopting digital means to drive growth and sales

The emergence of e commerce is not a new trend, and for years, businesses with strong retail presences have been investing in digital while still maintaining success in more traditional channels More recently, many retail dependent businesses were given no choice but to accelerate their digital plans

Darcy Richard

Vice President of SMB Marketing for Bell Canada

The Head of Government Experience for Canada at Xero, Michael Cascone, came to the Small Business Summit 2022 with an in depth discussion on Small Business Digitization Trends and Government Game Changers

Xero knows those small businesses that successfully digitize their operations and scale more effectively, but many of them scramble for support in an uncertain macroeconomic situation

Small Business Digitization Trends and Government Game Changers

Michael Cascone

Head of Government Experience for Canada at Xero

Time to Think Global

With years of experience in the industry and insights, Paul Gaspar, Director, Small Business, UPS® Canada, stressed that its Time to Think Global in the dais of the Small Business Summit 2022

At a time when international markets are opening their doors to opportunities and the government is supporting small businesses to explore overseas markets, there is no doubt that SME success improves for those that sell and/or source from international markets

As a process that is often viewed as complex, Paul reviewed how to start and who can help small businesses on this journey. He offered several tips and tricks on international trade, supply chain management, and eCommerce growth to help businesses grow in new markets

Paul Gaspar Director, Small Business, UPS® Canada

Sai Huda, CEO of CyberCatch and author of the best selling book, Next Level Cybersecurity graced the dais of the Small Business Summit 2022 with an enlightening session on The Best Offense is a Great Defense: How To Succeed Digitally

With cybersecurity raising a serious threat to small business operations that can cost your small business millions or even shut it down permanently, the session highlighted an actual attack and gave insights on how to stay safe by adopting Canada’s new Cyber Security Standard, CAN/CIOSC 104, to succeed digitally. He shared a practical, proven roadmap to digital success.

Sai Huda

Founder, Chairman and CEO, CyberCatch

In a rising period of automation, Luc Godard, VP of Marketing and Communications, Cubeler, provided the Small Business Summit 2022 with an educational session on The Evolution of AI with Canadian SMEs.

In 2015, the Information and Communications Technology Council came up with the idea that SMEs could use AI Mr Godard talked about how Cubeler is the type of AI ecosystem that the ICTC first discussed seven years ago, and how they are bringing AI to SMEs through a variety of researched and practical methods to help their growing SME partners reach new levels of success

When the ICTC was established, there was not much data outlining exactly how much AI was being used by the Canadian SME community, and there were discussions of bringing together a hub of sorts to help SMEs come to a better understanding of the practical applications AI could be used for their business practices Since then, much has improved as most, if not all, companies, regardless of size, are using artificial intelligence in a variety of ways, even if they do not fully realize it

Luc Godard

Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Cubeler

The Evolution of AI with Canadian SMEs

Rob Bigler alongside the three winners of eBay Canada’s 18th annual Entrepreneur of the Year awards discussed the ways their businesses used online marketplaces to access new global customers and grow their businesses

Panelists also shared their knowledge and experience as business owners who have leveraged eBay as a key sales channel, grew their business through economic uncertainty, and built trusted relationships with buyers within Canada and abroad

Exclusive

eBay Canada Entrepreneur of the Year

Dorina Pasca

President at The Swiss Watch Parts Dist Ltd

Rob Bigler General Manager, eBay Canada

Christian Kentie Owner, The Frugal Dutchman (Moderator)

Gabriel Burman Operations Manager at A Lectron Inc

Embracing

Digital Disruption

Shiraz Siddique

(Moderator)

Media Host & Consulting Editor

Cascone

Head of Government Experience, Canada Xero

Rupen Seoni

Chief Revenue Officer at Environics Analytics

Erin Knese

Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Thryv

Nishant Raina

Director of Product Management for Small Business at Mastercard in Canada

Author, Speaker, Podcast Host and Strategic Insights Manager at iContact

By embracing digital disruption, small businesses can stay ahead of the curve and compete with larger businesses A business owner needs to know how to use the latest IT technology

This panel discussed the importance of digital disruption for small businesses, as digital disruption is happening in the marketplace and within businesses themselves Small businesses must embrace new technologies and use them to their advantage The panelists also focused on some of the challenges that small businesses face regarding digital transformation and offer tips on overcoming them

Hank Hoffmeier

Michael

Black Entrepreneurship Panel by Futurpreneur

This panel discussion explored the intersection between business leadership and black identity The panelists discussed the challenges and opportunities for black entrepreneurs and ways to promote black entrepreneurship It was a great opportunity to learn from some of the country’s most successful black business leaders and gain insights into creating successful businesses They also shared their experiences as black business leaders and encouraged the audience to pursue their dreams

Mona Lisa Prosper

Director, Black Entrepreneurs at Futurpreneur

(Moderator)

Mekisha Banks

Founder of EVERBELLA

Janelle Hinds Founder of Helping Hands

Damian Allen Business Account Manager, RBC

a

Cloud & Tech for SME's Tech Adoption

Tech experts across Canada gathered to discuss Tech adoption for Small Businesses through COVID 19 and beyond The panelists discussed the most important available technologies to help small businesses succeed post COVID They also shared how to manage employees working remotely and how to address this with a creative approach

Shiraz Siddique

(Moderator)

Theo van Wyk

Head of Solutions Development and Cybersecurity at CDW Canada

Ted Williamson

President of Accountants 2.0

Shawn Ostheimer

Founder and President of The Answer Company

Anne De Aragon

Vice President and Country Manager, GoDaddy Canada

Namit Garg

Chief Technology Officer, MIR

Business Manager at BrightHR

Natalie Shallow

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs

Women’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, now more than ever, is strengthening with many powerful ladies taking charge of important roles in various industries and launching their own ventures

The Summit had top female experts to help audiences learn why women led ventures will be the backbone of recovery as we move along in the pandemic This panel also gave the confidence to face any challenges with their expert advice, knowledge, tools, and tips to thrive in the industry

Panel Discussion

Nancy Wilson

Carmen Sandor

Founder and CEO of Green Owl Vodka

Anna Sinclair

Christelle Francois Founder, Untold & Co Agency

Founder & CEO of the Canadian Women’s Chamber of Commerce

EXHIBITORS - 2022

EXHIBITORS - 2022

EXHIBITORS - 2022

EXHIBITORS - 2022

GetyoureBaybusinessUpandRunning. For25years,smallbusinesseshavehelpedpower eBay'ssuccess We'reheretohelppoweryours

BellCanada

CountonBellforyourbusiness. Backyourbusinesswithareliableconnectionandenjoy exclusiveSmallBusinessMonthoffers

ebay.ca/upandrunning cybercatch.com

eBayCanada Cybercatch

Smallbusinesssolutionstohelpyouthrive. BeUnstoppable Keepgrowing,evolvingandscalingwithoursuiteoftools andexpertadvice Offer:Getupto50%andmoreoff shipping

https://solutions.ups.com/beunstoppable ca page.html

CyberCatch'spatentedtechnologyofferedasaSoftware as a Servicecybersecuritysolution,combinedwithateam ofgloballyrecognizedriskandcyberexpertshave reinventedcybersecurityforsmallbusinesses

UPSCanada Futurpreneur

Wearecommittedtoremovingbarriersto entrepreneurshipbytailoringourprogramsandservices toadiverserangeofaspiringbusinessownersages18 39 acrossprovincesandterritories AllFuturpreneur programsareapackageoffinancingandone on one mentorship

futurpreneurca

PeninsulaCanada

PeninsulaCanadaisaleadinghumanresource(HR) andoccupationalhealth&safety(OHS)firm Weare committedtohelpingCanadianbusinessowners simplifytheirHRandOHStoensuretheystaycompliant withever changinglegislation

peninsulacanada.com

Xerooffersaccountingsoftwareforsmallbusinessesthat canhelpthemmanageanumberofsmallbusiness accountingandbookkeepingtasks includingbank reconciliation,reporting,invoicing,expensemanagement, andsomuchmore

wwwxerocom

https://business.bell.ca/shop/small business wwwicontactcom

iContact

Since2003,smallandmediumbusinessesworldwide haveturnedtoiContact’sbest in classemailmarketing solutionsandexpertsupportteamtodrivegame changingresults

Xero Thryv

Thryv’ssmallbusinessmanagementplatformgivesyou serioustoolstorevolutionizeyourbusiness Letushelp youputyourcustomersatthecenterofyourbusiness andgetbacktowhatyoulove

thryv.ca

CDWCanada

CDWisaleadingprovideroftechnologysolutionsforbusinesses, government,educationandhealthcare Wehelpcustomers achievetheirgoalsbydeliveringintegratedtechnologysolutions andservicestohelpthemnavigateincreasinglycomplexIT markets CDWmakestechnologyworksopeoplecandogreat things.

cdw.ca

Presentedby

MIR

MIRisaprogressivedigitaltransformationpartnerthat focusesonempoweringinnovationandestablishinglong termpartnerships Ourmissionistoassistourclientsin achievingsuccessbyleveragingourproventrackrecord ofsolvingcomplexproblemsforawiderangeof industries,allwithaneyetowardautomation

mir services.com

Trytheall in oneexpensemanagementplatformbuilt fromthegroundupforyourglobalcompany Nofees, andnohassles Builtbyentrepreneursforentrepreneurs

Zoho

Softwareisourcraftandourpassion AtZoho,wecreate beautifulsoftwaretosolvebusinessproblems We believethatsoftwareistheultimateproductofthemind andthehands

wwwzohocom

CubelerBusinessHub

AbusinessecosystemdedicatedtohelpingSMEsreach theirfullpotentialDevelopedbyagroupoftech entrepreneursandfinancialexperts,CubelergivesSMEs easyaccesstomultiplesourcesoffunding,theabilityto advertiseandpromotetheirproductsandservices

wwwcubelercom/en-ca tryjeeves.com

RieVaxInc

TheRieVaxteamboasts20 plusyearsinInformation TechnologyindustrycontinuallysolvingcomplexIT problemswithsimplerobustsolutions OurteamofIT expertsspecializeininnovativeITsolutiondeployments

www.rievax.com

SPExpress

SPexpressisatech driventhird partylogisticsand fulfillmentcompanyonamissiontorevolutionizethe logisticsindustry InCanadabybuildingastrong fulfillmentnetworkwithexperiencedandqualified logisticsserviceproviders

spexpressca

Customerization

CustomerizationisaToronto basedtechnology consultingandimplementationcompany Ifyouare lookingtoautomateyoureverydayworkandalwaysstay aheadofyourcompetitors,we’vegotyoucovered At Customerization,our#1goalistoseeyourbusinessgrow toitsfullestpotentialusingdigitaltechnologysolutions!

www.customerization.ca

Jeeves BestBuyCanada

DHCSTECH dhcstechcom

Usingacollaborativeapproach,DHCSTechdevelops lastingcustomerpartnershipsanddeliverspioneering, secureandreliablesolutionsdesignedtoadvance businessgrowth

BestBuyBusinessisBestBuyCanada'sbridgetotheB2B marketandhasquicklyestablisheditselfasareliable andinnovativebrand Offeringdedicatedaccount management,alargeassortmentofconsumerand commercial gradetechnology,andtailoredsolutions

www.bestbuy.com

BlackChambers-CBCC

TheCanadianBlackChamberofCommerceisacultural non profitorganizationformedasachamberof commerce Itwascreatedtogeneratecommercefor Black ownedbusinessesandentrepreneurstocreate economicdevelopmentwithinourproudBlack communitiesacrossCanada

wwwblackchamberca

FilionWakelyThorup AngelettiLLP.

FilionWakelyThorupAngelettiLLPisoneofCanada’s largestandhighest rankedlawfirmspracticing exclusivelymanagement sidelabour,employment,and humanrightslaw CGLCC

Overtheyears,BreezeMaxWeb®hasevolvedtobecome anexpertinSearchEngineOptimization,Digital Advertising,WebsiteCreation,andTechInnovation

breezemaxwebcom

filion.on.ca

CGLCCisCanada’snationaladvocatefortheover100,000 LGBT+businessesinCanada Generatingover$2billionin grosscorporaterevenueandover400,000full timeand parttimejobs

wwwcglccca

ModaxConsultingInc.

ModaxisaCloudERPsolutionprovidercompanymade upofseniorconsultantswhoprovidetimely,expertand cost effectiveconsultingandsupporttoclients

modaxerp.com

Spotify

Spotifyisadigitalmusic,podcast,andvideoservicethat givesyouaccesstomillionsofsongsandothercontent fromcreatorsallovertheworld Basicfunctionssuchas playingmusicaretotallyfree,butyoucanalsochooseto upgradetoSpotifyPremium

wwwspotifycom

CCAB

CCABbuildsbridgesbetweenIndigenousandnon Indigenouspeoples,businesses,andcommunitiesthrough diverseprogramming,providingtools,training,network building,majorbusinessawards,andnationalevents.

wwwccabcom

TheCanadianFederationofIndependentBusiness(CFIB) isthecountry’schampionofsmallbusiness Withover 95,000members,we’reCanada’slargestnon profit organizationdevotedtocreatingandsupportingan environmentwhereyourbusinesscansucceed

www.cfib fcei.ca/en/ www.webworxlabs.com

WSIBontario

Weprovidewage lossbenefits,medicalcoverageand supporttohelppeoplegetbacktoworkafterawork relatedinjuryorillness

hstartedthecompany helpinglocalbusinessesthatweredoinggreatthingsfor theircustomersbutwerestrugglingtogaintractiondue totheirchallengesinadaptingadigitalstrategy What startedasawaytohelpfriendsquicklybecameaglobal brandservingcustomersacrosstheworld

CFIB WebWorxLabsInc. Riipen

Immersingstudentsinindustryprojectsequipsthemwith work readyskills Riipenbringsindustryandacademia together,withrealcompanyprojects Projectsare embeddeddirectlyintothecurriculum,orcompletedas remoteinternships

www.riipen.com

EOSistheEntrepreneurialOperatingSystem EOShelps entrepreneursandtheirleadershipteamstohelpthem getmoreofwhattheywantfromtheirbusiness

TheGrantMatchteamisadiverseandgrowinggroupof individualswhoareunitedintheirexpertiseofthe governmentfundingandincentivelandscape

FedDevOntariodeliversprogramsandservicestosupport innovationandeconomicgrowthinsouthernOntario Canada'smostpopulousregion FedDevOntariodelivers programmingtohelpgrowbusinesses,cultivate partnershipsandbuildstrongercommunities

HeadquarteredinMississauga,Ontario,weareafull servicefinancial,accounting,andconsultancyfirm, committedtohelpinglocalbusinessessurviveand thrive

Since2008,2M7FinancialSolutionshasbeenhelping small mediumCanadianbusinessesgetquickandeasy accesstofinancingsolutions Unlikeotherlenders,our merchantcashadvancespecialiststakegreatcareofour customers

Forover13yearsnow,WRMSafetySolutionsConsulting Inc hasbeenprovidingcompaniesofallsizes,that specialpartnershipof“withyoueverystepoftheway” specializinginOccupationalHealth&SafetyPrevention andSystemsManagement

TheYorkEntrepreneurshipDevelopmentInstitute(YEDI)is aCanadiancharitythat,since2013,hassoughttoidentify andpropagatetheleadersoftomorrow free thinkers andoutliersthatbringaudaciousandtransformative ideaswiththem

cagrantmatchcom www.clover.com

TheCloverMerchantPlatformprovidesthesoftware, hardware,andservicesthatrestaurant,retail,and servicemerchantsneedtorunallaspectsoftheir businessmoreeffectively

BrandVisionisanaward winningfull servicemarketing agencybasedinTorontothatspecializesinWebDesign andBranding High endcustomprofessionalwebdesign services,aswellascustombrandingpackages,helpyou showcaseyourbrandinanattractiveway

Accountants20knowsthataccountingandbookkeeping canbeoneofthelargestdrainsonacompany’s resources,especiallyifyouhaveyourownin houseteam That’swhyweoffercomprehensive,360°visibilityinto yourfinancialdatathroughourinnovative,web based bookkeepingservices

yedi.ca www.brandvm.com accountants20.com

CityofToronto

TorontoisCanada’slargestcityandaworldleaderin suchareasasbusiness,finance,technology, entertainmentandculture

wwwtorontoca

NourPrivate WealthInc

NourPrivateWealthisaboutiquewealthmanagement firm Workingwithindividualsonapersonalandcorporate levelimplementingcomplextax,alternativeinvestment andwealthplanningstrategies

www.npw.ca

OfficeofSmallandMedium EntreprisesOSME

ProcurementAssistanceCanada,aspartofPublic ServicesandProcurementCanada(PSPC),ishereto makeiteasierforsmallerbusinessestobidonfederal contractingopportunities

www.tpsgc pwgsc.gc.ca

Parta

partacaisanewCanadianonlinejobplatformtargeted atpart timeandshift focusedjobs Itallowsapplicants toputintheiravailabilitytimes,whichwilllaterhelp themfindabettermatchingjob.

parta.ca

IcebergDigitalMarketing

IcebergDigitalMarketingisafull servicedigitalmarketing agency Wehelpbusinessesnavigatetheirdigitalmarketing journey'sinvisible(andvisible)aspectstoattractandretain customers.

wwwicebergdigitalmarketing

TheOfficeoftheProcurement Ombudsman

sman(OPO)isa neutralandindependentorganizationoftheGovernment ofCanadathathelpsresolvecontractingdisputes betweenbusinessesandthefederalgovernment

opo boa.gc.ca

PrivacyCommissionerofCanada

ThePrivacyCommissionerofCanadaisanAgentof Parliamentwhosemissionistoprotectandpromote privacyrights

www.priv.gc.ca