Blog

Many entrepreneurs don’t take the time to understand their numbers, in fact, most ignore them altogether!! They rely on their bank balance to tell them if they’re doing well or not and just get the bookkeeping done for the sake of taxes.  That may work for you, but how are you going to make informed decisions if you live in obliviousness of your numbers? They tell you the story of how your business is doing Read More

So, recently I was at a crowded cafe typing emails, quite literally rubbing elbows with two people sitting beside me. I heard one word that really caught my attention; a word that due to my profession was impossible to ignore … it was nepotism. “They don’t respect me, Mom. I have no authority over them because I’m just the boss’ daughter. And you know what? Sometimes I think they’re right! How do I let them Read More

You may not want to think about the holiday season quite yet, but with the introduction of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, you know it’s coming. That means you should be in holiday planning mode for your marketing strategy. What are you doing with your media relations? Being included in holiday gift guides can be a great thing for your business, but you need to do it right. While you can take any approach and make it Read More

“Join a nonprofit board” We’ve all seen this listed in someone’s LinkedIn Profile but just why is it so important?  Volunteering is a great way to make new connections and expand your network and being part of a board can provide you with valuable skills and experience. Unlike corporate boards which are notoriously difficult to join and often rely on private appointment of board members, nonprofits often recruit volunteer board members to help with governance Read More

For over 15 years, Laura Bilotta has been helping singles find love through the thousands of events she has hosted and with the thousands of matchmaking consultations she has offered through her company, Single In The City. With this, Laura has garnered the title as one of Canada’s top Dating and Relationship Experts. Her company Single In The City is a frontrunner in the matchmaking and speed dating industry. Her services are made for today’s Read More

  In light of current undertones towards immigrants in Canada, the expo promotes peace, hope and success for all business women   Toronto…Now in its fifth year, the one-day, experiential Immigrant Women’s Small Business Expo (IWSM Expo) celebrates the aspirations and achievements of immigrant women, taking place in Toronto on Sunday, September 17th, at Daniels Spectrum. Under the theme “The Changing Face of the Immigrant Community,” IWSBE offers women an opportunity to get informed, empowered and enlightened, while providing access Read More

As I find myself in both familiar and foreign territory visiting family overseas I have been appreciating the differences in the entrepreneurial rhythm of a different culture and society. Small business tends to dominate the economic fabric of most societies and in many places growing a small business beyond the local area it initially is set up to serve is just not be part of the plan. When there is a clear vision to serve Read More

  The number one concern most business owners have – especially in the beginning – is how to manage their cash flows. It’s not just about generating the sales – but getting those clients to pay. Pay on time. So you can pay your bills on time. And just because you aren’t getting paid doesn’t mean that your vendors will excuse your late payment. And so we find ourselves in this cash flow paradox of Read More

Done correctly, going into business with a partner can be a great way to grow quickly as each partner brings expertise or assets that the other party is missing but which are crucial for business success. Yet, according to some studies, 80% of business partnerships fail. When you consider that the failure of a business partnership can often lead to loss of valued relationships, financial struggles, lawsuits and even complete business failure, those are eye-wateringly Read More

Over the past six to 12 months, I have worked with a number of franchise owners who plan to sell franchises. In all cases, they had sold franchises in the past and had seen mixed results. Sometimes it had worked out. Other times, not so much. This time, all of them wanted to make sure that they sold to someone who was likely to succeed. They all recognized the risks associated with selling to the Read More

Do you blog for business? Many businesses feel that blogging isn’t worth the time it takes to draft articles and post them on the website. I get it. Blogging can be time consuming. It is even worse if you have writer’s block. That being said, writing a blog for your business can have extremely positive effects on your success. Here are four things that should convince you that writing a blog is in your best Read More

Written by Canadian Small Business Women on behalf of our sponsor, Just Energy.   Households and small businesses in Ontario pay time-of-use prices for electricity that change according to the TIME OF DAY and DAY OF THE WEEK. The peak periods also change by SEASON. What this means though, is that households have to pay attention to the on-peak and off-peak schedule for Electricity rates and schedule their appliance use in the home around this Read More

Let’s start off by admitting that as much as we love what we do, as small business owners, we do this to make money. Let’s also admit that we have clients who have not really grasped this concept and who Just. Don’t. Pay. Us. On-time- or at all. How do you deal with it? As always, prevention is better than cure. Here are my top three tips to getting paid on time.   Get it Read More

Okay, we’re halfway through 2017. It’s time to get real because there are goals that you set for yourself at the start of the year and now’s a good time to check on the progress you’ve made. I know that there were probably some rough patches and things you wish you had done better. The question is, what are you going to do differently in the second half to get the results you want? It’s Read More

Where is the Real Threat? In the internet world festooned with apps we know it’s important to use strong passwords to secure our own email, social media accounts, and electronic devices. On the corporate side, another important consideration is the role that humans play in cyber threats. People with access to big data, personal information, intellectual property (IP), and critical infrastructure (e.g., power supplies, water treatment, hospitals, railways) can sometimes be the weak link in the chain. HR as Read More