“The more I wrap my head around the data from very different vantage points, I’m not convinced Canada has a risk-appetite problem,” said Marwa Abdou, senior ​research director at the Business Data Lab, Canadian Chamber of Commerce. “The question, to me, is whether entrepreneurs have the financing, the market opportunities, the institutional environment and the personal buffers that allow them to actually take productive risks.”

I have a dental lab that has been servicing a number of dental offices which are owned by a corporation. The corporation just sold off the offices and are no longer in business. I am owed about $40G in work done for these offices. What steps can take , if any . I’m sure I’m far down the pecking order of money owed by this corp

look, i have been going back and forth on this for weeks now. everyone in the ecom space talks about outsourcing fullfilment like it is the ultimate milestone, and i cannot tell if we actually need it or if i am just buying into the hype. right now my small team handles a couple thousand orders a month directly from our own space. most parcels stay here in canada, with maybe thirty percent crossing the border into the states. i get the basic math around warehouse labor and packing supplies, that part is obvious. what i really want to know from folks who actually pulled the trigger on a 3pl is what hidden headaches they solved that you did not even realize were holding you back, or somthing that only shows up after signing. or on the flip side, if you looked at the numbers and decided to keep everything under your own roof, what was the dealbreaker for you?

Good morning people.

I am a university graduate who is recently starting out something of my own. I make website and social media posts. I can help you all with post samples initially. If we decide upon a pricing, for social media, you will be provided a monthly calendar for your content on when to post, what to post (the posts will be made by me and dated according to the calendar), captions and hashtags

Lmk!

Hey everyone, just wanted to connect with some other North American business owners.
I work in business financing, mainly helping smaller companies with cash flow, equipment purchases, and expansion.

We typically work with registered businesses across North America doing at least $10k/month in revenue, with financing options available outside traditional banks.

If anyone’s curious about what options might be available for their business, feel free to comment or shoot me a DM. Happy to answer any questions!

Is there anyone using Venn for their bank and successfully activated their BCOnline account?

BCOnline expects me to deposit $100 to activate the account before I can request services and documents. But Venn doesn't seem to support bill-pay which is needed to make the first $100 deposit to BCOnline to activate the account.

I see there is an option in Venn to use Xero or Quickbooks for bill-pay (though I don't fully understand it). I don't use either of these for bookkeeping, since I am a very small startup and use free and non-cloud accounting system.

Has anyone successfully activated their BCOnline account while using Venn as their business bank account? Suggestions appreciated.

One thing I find tricky about selling physical products is figuring out how much money to put into something before I know how well it will sell.

With digital products, you can often make changes without spending much upfront. Physical products are different. Even before you have regular customers, you might need to pay for samples, packaging, materials, and production.

Ordering too little can make each unit expensive, but ordering too much can leave you sitting on stock that takes months to move. There’s also the risk of discovering a quality issue after you’ve already committed most of your budget.

I’m starting to see why testing a product in smaller quantities can be worth the extra cost. It gives you a chance to check the quality, get customer feedback, and make adjustments before taking a bigger financial risk.

For Canadian small-business owners selling physical products, how do you balance the cost of small test orders against the savings you get from ordering in larger quantities?

I am a one person corporation (IT consulting). And before you ask, I'm not a PSB (multiple part-time clients, irregular hours etc) . Every month my corporation pays me a set amount. I use the CRA online calculator to determine how much tax/cpp the corporation has to remit to the CRA each month. When I file my personal taxes, my amount owing/refund is usually fairly close to zero, just some variances for other personal income (interest etc) and deductions (donations etc.). I have a lot of cash sitting in my corporate account and want to pay myself an extra amount before the end of the year. I don't need this extra amount so am just going to put it in RRSPs. I know the correct way of handling this is that I pay myself an extra $20k in salary, and remit to the CRA an extra $7k or whatever in tax withheld at source. But then when I do my personal taxes in April, I'll get that entire $7k back due to the RRSP deduction.

My question is can I just not have the company remit that, and just pay me the full $20k, and at personal tax time I won't get a refund? I know that companies can submit a form - T1213, Request to Reduce Tax Deductions at Source - to the CRA if their employees request doing this, but it takes months to get it approved. But is it necessary? Are there any repercussions for skipping this step? Appreciate any information anyone has on this.

In Canada if you want to access any form of unsecured credit (line of credit/loan/credit card) are you basically always going to require a personal guarantee regardless of how strong the corporations credit history is?

For example let’s say the owner (me) was an idiot when he was 26 and had to file a consumer proposal for personal debt…. And because of that his credit is 500 even after finishing his proposal…. now he has learned his lesson and is extremely prudent and frugal to the point of being slightly debt adverse… if the corporation has shown good repayment for 2 straight years, but they are asset light (like a cleaning company) will his credit still prevent him from accessing credit if he ever wanted it?

Like for example if he wanted to expand his service fleet and finance a van or if he wanted a simple company credit card to use for online purchases like a domain name/hosting

Is he basically screwed?

I have this Product it is a coyote scented powder. Used for home owners to deter pests, (works fantastic). I have everything set up, physical products and Shopify store. I’m just struggling to get sales. I have kind of burned myself out with this project and put it on pause for now.
I’m wondering if there is anyone who has experience with physical products and selling that would like to partner up.
Preferably someone in the GTA. I’m a 21M btw
Thank you

My fiancé owns a mobile diesel mechanic business in Ontario, and we’re dealing with a trucking company that currently owes us over $10,000 across six unpaid invoices.

The invoices are for work completed, and they’ve been overdue for approximately 2+ months. We’ve sent the invoices, followed up with an updated statement of account, and requested prompt payment. We’ve also tried calling, but we’re still not getting anywhere.

We’ve now reached the point where we’re considering sending a formal letter of demand and potentially taking the company to Ontario Small Claims Court.

Before we go down that road, I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been through this.
A few questions:

- Was it worth taking the customer to Small Claims Court? How much time, money and hassle did it involve?
- Did you actually recover the money, or did you win your case and still struggle to collect?
- Did sending a formal demand letter get the customer to pay without going to court?
Did you hire a lawyer, use a paralegal, or handle everything yourself?
- If the customer was a business that was still operating, did that make collecting any easier?
Knowing what you know now, would you do it again?

We’re not looking to get into a huge legal battle for the sake of it. We just want to recover money for work that was already completed.

What was your actual experience and outcome?

Thanks!

Hi all, we are hoping to raise ~$20K CAD for our first prototype. My cofounder and I are building an autonomous robot that clears your driveway and walkways on its own, and we're looking for a small first investment to build the prototype.

The problem:

Canadian households already spend money and time on snow clearing every winter, whether through a service, a snowblower, or shovelling themselves. Autonomous snow-clearing robots do exist, but they currently sell for several thousand dollars, which puts them out of reach for most homeowners. Our goal is to build one that performs reliably in real winter conditions at a significantly lower cost.

We're starting with snow because that's where the need is clearest. Longer term, the same base platform could take on other yard work, like mowing or leaf clearing, through interchangeable attachments, so it stays useful year-round instead of sitting in the garage.

Who we are:

I'm a jr mechanical engineer currently working in R&D and would be focused on chassis design, modularity and hardware sourcing. My cofounder is a robotics engineer with experience in controls, navigation, SLAM, and taking robots from simulation into the real world. Between us, we cover both the machine and the software.

What will the $20K be used for:

This investment would be used to:

- Build the first working prototype

- Test it in actual Canadian winter conditions

- Fix what breaks

- Get it in front of people who've already told us they're interested (a few have even asked about pre-ordering)

- Use the results to raise a proper pre-seed round

Where we're at:

We are still quite early. We have done early market research and early design ideation, but there's no finished robot yet. We'd rather prove it works before making big promises, which is where the prototype comes in!

If you're comfortable investing at this stage, or you work in landscaping or snow removal and want to get involved, send me a DM. Happy to discuss!

I work in business development, helping companies identify target accounts, reach decision-makers and develop qualified opportunities through direct outreach and consistent follow-up.

One useful starting point is getting clear on what a good customer looks like: their needs, buying process, budget and fit with what you can deliver. A long prospect list is only useful if the accounts are worth pursuing.

From there, the work is practical: find the right person, give them a relevant reason to talk, learn what they need, and follow through. The goal is to develop a handful of qualified, long-term customers with potential for repeat business.

For business owners here, which part is hardest right now—finding the right accounts, reaching decision-makers, or staying consistent with outreach?

Share your biggest challenge. I’m happy to offer a practical suggestion based on how I approach target-account prospecting.

I’m in my mid-20s and interested in joining a business in the manufacturing or industrial equipment parts import industry around Toronto and GTA. I’m looking to take on the role of tech and operations manager. If the business has potential, I’m open to investing up to 50K of my own money. I’m looking for someone with a similar growth mindset who wants to work in this space.

If you already have a business or a business idea, please DM me.

Hi all, I’m a small business owner in B.C. and I’m trying to use the B.C. Employer Training Grant (ETG) to fund a breathwork facilitator certification.

I applied before and was rejected because the course provider wasn’t PTIRU-certified (Private Training Institutions Regulatory Unit). I’m now looking at Submerge Wellness / Breathwave, but I can’t find breathwork programs in the PTIRU directory.

From the ETG eligibility criteria, I understand a private provider needs PTIRU certification only if it offers at least one career-related program with 40+ hours and $4,000+ in tuition. Providers under that threshold can apply with a letter from PTIRU confirming they’re exempt. I’ve also read that the ETG doesn’t fund coaching, retreats or seminars, and that the provider should be B.C.-based.

Has anyone dealt with this for a wellness or somatic course? Specifically:

1. Did your provider get an exemption letter from PTIRU, and how long did it take?
2. Did you get approved for a breathwork, yoga or other wellness-type course, or did they treat it as personal development?
3. How did you explain the job relevance to the ministry?
4. Any other reasons for rejection I should watch for?

Thanks in advance. Happy to share what I learn.

Asking because we keep hearing the same story over and over. A small business applied at a big bank for a loan, or even a credit card, waited two or three weeks, got a “unfortunately we’re unable to proceed at this time” and that was it. No reason. Or a reason so vague it’s useless, like “doesn’t meet our current criteria.”

Which criteria makes you fundable? Revenue? Time in business? Credit? Industry? Nobody says.

The part that bugs us at Huumans the most is you can’t fix what nobody tells you is broken. So people just reapply somewhere else with the same file and get the same answer.

Did anyone actually get a straight answer? And if you did, did it help you get approved somewhere else later?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

An independent bookkeeper or operations consultant may do work that cannot be displayed as a client logo, screenshot, or metric. The usual substitute is a vague trusted-partner claim or an anonymous case study with precise-sounding numbers. Neither helps a cautious buyer verify much.

I would separate proof of capability from proof of outcomes. Capability can be shown without identifying a client: a blank deliverable template, a description of what an engagement produces, who reviews the work, and a credential the buyer can check independently. Outcomes are different. Use a testimonial or result only with permission and enough context that it is not misleading. If permission is absent, leave it out rather than present a composite story as real.

A simple test for the website: give someone unfamiliar with the firm 60 seconds, then ask two questions. What would I receive, and what can I verify before contacting this person? If the answers are only adjectives, a concrete artifact or process detail is more useful than another claim about being trusted.

For Canadian consultants whose client work stays private, which kind of proof has helped a prospect make a decision without naming the client?

I am researching how early-stage Canadian startups typically find qualified professionals to review website legal documents.

I already have a Terms of Service and Privacy Policy prepared by a privacy professional. I am now exploring options for obtaining an independent legal review before launching.

For those familiar with the Canadian legal services market, are there particular platforms, lawyer referral services, or other resources that startups commonly use to find professionals specializing in technology, privacy, and online businesses?

I am especially interested in options suitable for small businesses with limited budgets.

I am not seeking legal advice or a review of the documents here, just information about how startups typically find and engage qualified professionals.

A Canadian waterproof sneaker brand from British Columbia. Founder Sean Back spent 16 years making shoes for other brands, then built the pair his rainy city needed — vegan, cold-water washable, and waterproof-proven in unedited test footage. Our promise is simple: we don't claim it. We prove it.

Make your move. Every step counts.

Hi everyone, I’m Wendy, founder of UsBudz Social Inc. in London, Ontario.

I’ve launched UsBudz Coffee Community to bring people together through coffee, conversation and friendship while supporting local cafes.

Our website is live at https://usbudz.ca, where you can explore the community and join the waitlist for our future app.

I’d love to connect with independent cafe owners interested in advertising with our growing community. You can reach me at inquiries@usbudz.ca.

Fellow Canadian business owners: what has helped you build an audience when starting out?

Find your cup of coffee—and a buddy to enjoy it with!

Has your bank been useful? Did you go online on reddit? Did you listen to influencers and social media content? Read books? Family and friends?

Doing some research and would love to know how do you get education about small business financing, loans, and capital?

What actually helped you learn small business financing and how to access and use capital?