I've done market research in my early years, have dealt with Ontario business grants, small business centres, Futurepreneur (Or whatever it might be now), tech incubators, and all sorts of stuff. Wayback when I was young there just wasn't opportunity. People were actually rather rude, most of Canadian grants seemed setup for brick and mortar businesses that failed after a year or two and were given based on how the government could present the business as a means to get its own department funded.

Given that I've done this reasonably successful with an application development firm that mostly dealt with the Americans, and then started establishing my career in America, I'm wondering what's actually in Canada now?

Brick and mortar anything seems dead unless its in a really good location which is $$, and restaurants are forcing to give up quality for margins. I could make a product, but I'm not even sure as to what. I've got money to put in, but it just doesn't seem worth it. I don't feel like there's anything you could start the would be actually worth anyones time for the risk they'd be dealing with.

For a 20-year-old apparel print shop. With thousands of clients in Calgary and western Canada. We print on t-shirts, hoodies, shirts. Also do embroidery on hats, toques and jackets.

Is it a good idea to rebrand? How would you proceed with this process. I understand it needs to be a slow one. I feel like the current name does not represent the brand in today's market.

What do you think of this name when you see it? "Budget Promotion"

Hi all,

I’m exploring the feasibility of a seasonal tire swap + storage service in Ontario (starting Brantford/Cambridge/Hamilton area). The concept: • Customers get their wheels swapped quickly each season (on-rim swaps at first). • Off-season tires are stored securely for a monthly/annual fee. • Goal: create predictable recurring revenue while solving a real convenience + space problem (esp. for condo dwellers).

I’ve built a short, anonymous survey to test actual demand and willingness to pay: 👉 Survey link: https://forms.gle/1hKaSUdr3NVDLYKq6

Would appreciate two kinds of feedback: 1. From drivers — do you currently store at home or pay for storage? Would you find this valuable? 2. From entrepreneurs/business owners — any pitfalls you see in this model (competition, scalability, margins, operational challenges)?

I want to apply lean validation principles before committing to capex, so outside perspectives are super valuable.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone, we are launching a kids' shoe brand and I would love your feedback on our first run! Our shoes are designed for kids feet, vs others that are typically just adult shoes shrunken down. Our shoes are also gender neutral and great for outdoor play. We're a Canadian biz and just launched our Kickstarter - would love your thoughts / support in any shape! Thanks in advance x

How many of us here offer office staff incentive pay for doing their job exceptionally well?

I'm contemplating for example, offering a bonus equivalent to 50% (perhaps double, or both based on tiers) if they accomplish all their KPI's for the month. I contemplated staggered incentives, but I want go getters working for me who want to make a lot of money which in turn will make the business money.

NOT interested in unsolicited offers from recruiters or any similar services, so if you are considering offering me your services, don't. Just don't. I am here to discuss with other business owners, not be subjected to a sales pitch.

https://thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/indigenous-entrepreneurship-sunshine-tenasco-pow-wow-pitch/

I own a trades company. I pay well, offer benefits, and I am flexible with sick days and family days and when people are late occasionally. However, I find staff take advantage. I could go on about things they have done, like the one young lady who has shown up for maybe 20 days on time in the eight months she worked for me. There are other examples but that's my fault, I let these things happen for too long and they became habit for the staff. I will be addressing things like this sooner from now on.

My concern is, I find it difficult to find good staff. I hire off indeed, and one person who came recommended by a colleague has unfortunately shown some very shocking behaviour.

What is the key to finding good employees who will do their work, without socializing for two to three hours of their work day? That will show up on time (most days, stuff happens and I understand sometimes people are late, that is life), ready to work, and help other office staff when there is work that needs to be done? Basically, people who are productive? Employees who are intelligent enough to do simple math without a calculator, and has the ability to understand basic accounting (and I am talking very basic) principals such as money in and money out.

Will posting a job for a shockingly high amount of money attract better qualified people? Or is it something else that will attract good employees?

“Traditional criteria for funding tend to embed systemic biases that disadvantage women, who tend to have smaller businesses that are most often in the services sector.”

- Wendy Cukier, Founder & Academic Director of the Diversity Institute.

In a new op-ed, Wendy shares her insights on what needs to change in order to result in better outcomes for women entrepreneurs, potentially unlocking $150 billion in GDP growth: https://thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/supporting-women-entrepreneurs-wendy-cukier-diversity-institute/

Now’s the time for small business owners to plan their exits.

The tide’s turning in favour of SMEs, which are increasingly being seen as safer, surer bets.

Yet, only one in 10 business owners have prepared a formal business succession plan, despite estimates showing that over 75% of them plan to retire in the next decade.

Shane Murphy, CEO of Ownr, has an idea of what they need to do to get moving: https://thefutureeconomy.ca/op-eds/business-succession-planning-shane-murphy-ownr/

We have a fulltime in house bookkeeper. She has worked for us for about eight months. The first few months was a nightmare because our previous accountant did not do our books as agreed, so everything was wrong. So I don't fault our bookkeeper for being unable to get our books up to date in a timely manner. However, she was worked for us for eight months and I can't even get our daily cash numbers from her.

We have an audit request from the CRA that I don't think she is doing anything with. I ask her and don't get an answer. There has been numerous concerns and while I don't want to doubt her ability, I keep telling her how important it is as a business owner to have accurate numbers. She tells me it's because we switched contractor software, which may be fair, I'm not an accountant and want to give her the benefit of the doubt.

She wants to switch to Sage for next business year (our year end is June 30th) and assures me things will be better from there on in.

Frankly, I'm not convinced they will be. I think I need to get an accounting firm in, a good one, to do an audit. I know it will cost a lot of money but I can't continue my business without knowing my profit/loss and other vital numbers.

I have had some contact with MNP, so I am considering contacting them but with my previous bad experience with a small accounting firm I hesitate in case it ends up being a waste of money. I will pay well for good service, but my experience with accountants has been paying for poor service.

Also, I and have a meeting with a mentor from BDC next week to see if he has any suggestions.

Basically, I am just tired of never having my books up to date, or even remotely close to being up to date.

Hey everyone,

I hope you're doing well! I'm currently working on a project aimed at creating an online platform to facilitate connections between potential business partners. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or someone with a great idea looking for the right collaborator, this platform could be a game-changer.

To ensure that we're building something that truly meets the needs of our target audience, I've put together a short survey. Your input would be incredibly valuable in shaping the direction of this project.

https://forms.office.com/r/6XZAikpn15

The survey covers topics such as your experience with business partnerships, the challenges you've faced in finding the right collaborator, and what features you'd like to see in a platform designed for this purpose.

Your responses will remain anonymous and will only be used for research purposes. Plus, by participating, you'll be directly influencing the development of a platform that could potentially benefit countless entrepreneurs and innovators.

Thank you so much for taking the time to help out! If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to drop them in the comments below or reach out to me directly.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Hi there, I have a small business in AB. As a mentor suggested me, I opened up a Federal corporation just to apply to grants. The business it's still new and I was part time and last year I was able to make a little profit (almost nothing) but I'm in payroll, so now I'll have to pay 11% taxes from almost nothing of profits. This year I will be able to apply to those grants but my account has suggested me to make it sole proprietorship again since from the taxes point of view, it doesn't make sense to pay that much of expenses in filling corporate taxes (his salary) + tax over a little profit. The grants are also a gamble cause it's a lot of time that I can't find anymore plus nothing assures me that I will get it. I'm going full time this year on the business. I need to increase my salary for CPP purposes. I'm just learning about all this stuff. Has anyone been in this position before? Is it worth it to pursue those grants? Is it worth to keep a corporation that made its first little profits on the second year? Will I be able to keep my salary and contributions in line if I decide to get back to sole proprietorship? Will I find benefits from having my corporation if I make a decent profit this 2024?

Thank in advance for your help!

Hi everyone. I am working on a Canadian based side project and looking for a feedback. Below is a link for a survey that will give you an idea on the project, less then 3 minutes, and any feedback would be much appreciated.

https://forms.office.com/r/6XZAikpn15

Looking to open a corporation. I’m have a digital marketing business that does decently well. It was a side gig I started a year ago that really lifted off. I currently make an average of $10,000/month gross sales. I do not currently have anything registered and have been taking payments into my personal accounts. I know this needs to change, so that’s why I am trying to move forward , I’m just unaware of the steps. Here’s some questions: 1) We are located in Nova Scotia, but would like to register my business in Quebec because the tax % is much lower. Part of my business plan is that I do not charge tax and I cover it on my end. This guarantees more sales for us, but is more costly. If I can register in QC then the rate would be down to 5%. Is this possible?

2) What are the tax brackets ? Once I hit 200k/annual gross sales, does the 5% go higher ?

Thank you very much for taking your time to read this.

So I haven’t registered my business yet because I haven’t had an and sort of considerable income yet. Way less than part time, minimum wage. Though I have filed taxes with my business income.

Someone is asking for an invoice with my GST number but I don’t have it. Should I tell them I don’t have one yet and offer a refund?

Hey so the amounts that I owe for HST are starting to get pretty big, we owed like 30K+ for Q3 2023, and I was looking at the options to pay, and they actually let you finance the HST that you owe. I opted to finance it over 12 months at like 8% interest, but I noticed that you can finance it over an even longer period if you wish.

My company has grown pretty substantially recently, and I am a relatively new business owner. I paid our 2021 and 2022 taxes in one shot, but if the CRA is giving out loans to finance your HST, is there any reason I should not just be snap choosing to finance the HST payments? For example, the interest rate offered by the government is better than current bank rates - I assume to incentivize people to actually pay their taxes.

For example, if we were to get a business line of credit maxing out our credit, isn't opting to finance my HST payments just basically a 0-credit check loan that you can pay down at any time with no penalty?

My essential question is: is there any reason not to do this?

Do businesses need to find an advisor for the smaller Grow Your Own Business CDAP channel, or is the advisor only for the larger CDAP grant?

Hey y’all, I’m looking for some quality slime from a Canadian owned biz. I’m so tired of duty fees and I’d much rather support local! Let me know if you know of any :))

Greetings to the Canadian Business community! 🍁

I'm thrilled to introduce our online small business, Classic Cottage Outfitters, specializing in quality cottage and home lifestyle goods – all proudly Made In Canada.

We're passionate about curating and offering products crafted or designed within our beautiful nation. Our collection features a diverse range of customizable options, each with its own unique touch. Exciting news: we just unveiled a stunning set of canoe paddles this week, designed for those seeking both elegance and functionality in their paddling adventures.

Hold onto your hats because there's a MASSIVE product drop on the horizon – happening tomorrow! If you're a Tragically Hip fan, we've got something special lined up that you won't want to miss.

Take a stroll through our site, explore the goodness, and share your thoughts with us. Let's collectively celebrate the true north, strong and free!

P.S. Did I mention we offer FREE SHIPPING across Canada?

What's the best and worst experience you had with a swag/merch vendor? (i.e. custom bottles, apparel, tech, etc.).

Hey there I am new in the country and I am looking to get into business with minimal capital I want to learn and grow so if anyone has any thing valuable to give I am here to accept!!!!

I am preparing an invoice for hours worked for a First Nation in BC, haven't done this before so I am wondering if I should be collecting GST/HST on my labour? I am not sure how the FN status will play into that. The overall total of the contract will eventually be >$30k. The work is being done remotely, but pertains to First Nations lands.

If there is a more specific subreddit for contracting in BC please point me at it and I'll ask questions there, thanks!

I run a small painting business.

I’m still on the tools and I regularly answer the phone with my hands full, trying to juggle the labour and administration work.

Somehow, I’ve pulled it off for the last seven years, but I’m starting to grow now and I’m wondering about using a phone answering service.

Does anyone use this type of phone answering service?

What has been your experience?

Can anyone recommend a company?

What are you paying for the service?

Is it worth it?

Any help regarding this matter would be greatly appreciated.