Holding the Liberal Government Accountable to Small Business Promises
In the 2025 federal election, Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberal Party secured a fourth consecutive term, emphasizing a robust agenda to support small businesses amid economic challenges, rising costs, and escalating trade tensions with the United States. Their platform, Canada Strong, laid out a series of key pledges designed to help small and […]
One Day We Will Have to Thank Trump for Imposing Tariffs
At some point in the future, Canada may find itself thanking Donald Trump for imposing cross-border tariffs, not because he sought appreciation, but because his actions forced us to examine our own economic structure and make necessary changes. His tariffs had an unintended consequence: they unified Canadians in their desire to buy Canada. Yet, despite […]
The Succession Crisis: Why Many Canadian Business Owners Aren’t Ready to Sell
As Canada’s baby boomers head toward retirement, a major issue is surfacing in the business world: many of them don’t have a solid plan for passing the torch. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are the backbone of Canada’s economy, and a huge number of them are owned by individuals who are either at or past […]
Are Inaccurate Financials Costing You Investors, Loans, or Growth?
For many small business owners, financial statements are just an annual task, something prepared for tax season, often by an accountant based on the work from a part-time bookkeeper. While this may be sufficient for tax purposes, it falls short when preparing for investors, securing loans, or making informed business decisions. Many business owners are […]
Is AI a Game Changer for Small Businesses?
In April 2024, the Liberal Government announced the launch of two programs to grow Canada’s AI ecosystem. As part of a $2.4 billion package of AI-focused initiatives announced in Budget 2024, there will be $300 million earmarked for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). First, $200 million will be made available to bring new AI […]
Bench Accounting’s Cautionary Tale
For a startup, an institutional market of investors exists for companies that are looking to hit home runs seeking explosive revenue growth and quick exits. However, the trade-off is often loss of control over the business. The collapse of Vancouver’s Bench Accounting at the end of last year is a cautionary tale about the consequences […]
The Devastating Impact of Trump’s Tariffs on Canadian Small Businesses
On Friday, January 31, President Donald Trump confirmed tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China to start that weekend, implementing a 25% blanket tariff on Canadian goods coming across the border, except for oil, which will be taxed at 10%. Business owners across the country cancelled their weekend plans and scrambled to figure out next steps […]
The Resiliency of Entrepreneurs in the Wake of COVID
In early March, we realized a seismic shift was hitting the business world like never before. In the wake of the pandemic, our clients’ tone changed from a rosy expansionary outlook to one of uncertainty and survival. By mid March, after two capital raising engagements cancelled, we came to the realization that traditional capital raising […]
How a Door to Door Sales Job Changed My Life
As a teenager with minimal work experience, opportunities for summer jobs were slim. I ended up taking up a job that required no prior work experience or education: door to door sales. I joined a company called Red Rocket at Yonge and Bloor where we were sent out to various territories to sell $5-10 knick knacks including […]
Do you feel like you’re getting screwed by your accountant?
In the last few months, quite universally, almost every new potential client I have spoken to is not happy with their accounting. On the one hand, there are businesses that have decided to hire bookkeepers. While their $20-30 / hr fee is attractive, they typically do not know how to book complex transactions that require capitalization, foreign […]
