COVID-19 Archives - HiveInnovates https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/topic/covid-19/ Mon, 08 Apr 2024 12:59:18 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 https://s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com/app/uploads/sites/114/2019/08/08002146/cropped-Icon-IC-32x32.png COVID-19 Archives - HiveInnovates https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/topic/covid-19/ 32 32 Commerce Leader Shopify Shares the Latest Trends in Retail https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/industry/commerce-leader-shopify-shares-the-latest-trends-in-retail/ Tue, 23 Mar 2021 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/?p=21646 Mediaplanet spoke with Ian Black, Shopify’s Managing Director, Canada, to learn about how Shopify helped small businesses in Canada pivot during the pandemic, current retail trends, and what’s in store for the retail industry’s future.

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Mediaplanet spoke with Ian Black, Shopify’s Managing Director, Canada, to learn about how Shopify helped small businesses in Canada pivot during the pandemic, current retail trends, and what’s in store for the retail industry’s future.

Headshot - Ian Black

Ian Black

Managing Director, Canada,
Shopify


Being a leader in commerce solutions, how have you seen Canadian businesses adapt to the challenges that have been forced upon them due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

Ian Black: Last year accelerated the need for Canadian businesses to adapt to the digital economy, and embracing omnichannel commerce gave new life to retailers. Shopify helped thousands of Canadian businesses by offering them the tools and services they needed to not only survive, but to become resilient in the face of challenges during the pandemic. We supported brands in their shift to online through local programs, including ShopHERE and Go Digital Canada, and provided brick-and-mortar retailers with a lifeline through Shopify’s Point of Sale (POS), which enabled them to provide safe curbside pickup and local delivery options to their customers.

How do you think these pivots in strategy will impact the retail industry in the long term?

IB: The centre of gravity in commerce has shifted from in-store to online, and retailers that pivoted to an omnichannel strategy — selling online, offline, and everywhere in between — saw greater success during the pandemic and will likely see greater success long-term. Shopify’s 2021 Future of Commerce Report also found that omnichannel features and experiences will give new life to physical stores, and allow businesses to take advantage of their proximity to local shoppers, such as offering contactless payments and non-contact pickup options. In fact, the number of shops offering contactless payments on Shopify increased by 122 percent compared to 2019.

With this rise of e-commerce and decline of brick-and-mortar retail over the past year, how should businesses leverage the relationship between online and physical retail?

IB: Building a strong omnichannel retail strategy has never been more important, as physical retail will continue to transform. When the pandemic hit, it was crucial for retailers to either establish or expand their online selling capabilities to offer the best shopping experience possible to their customers. In this new world of borderless commerce, business owners must have the right tools to serve customers anywhere, whether in-store, curbside, or mobile. We launched Shopify’s POS and our Tap and Chip Card Reader, to help bring in-person and online sales into one convenient location and to offer easy contactless payments to Canadian businesses.

Another trend that has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic is the growth of entrepreneurship and direct-to-consumer businesses. How is Shopify helping lower the barriers for entrepreneurship in Canada?

IB: Shopify is focused on helping our merchants, and we’re on a mission to create a new generation of diverse entrepreneurs by continuing to remove barriers to business ownership. Entrepreneurship will be the backbone to economic recovery, and as a Canadian- founded company, helping businesses at home is extremely important to us. Last year, we launched Shopify Capital in Canada to help provide our merchants with quick and easy access to funds, introduced Go Digital Canada to help entrepreneurs get online quickly, and launched our first consumer app, Shop, to help our 1.7 million merchants develop deeper relationships with their consumers. The cost of starting a business has never been lower, and we envision a future where everyone is an entrepreneur.

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Bringing real-time payments to Canada https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/industry/bringing-real-time-payments-to-canada/ Tue, 23 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/?p=21655 The COVID-19 pandemic has led to incredible resilience and motivation for businesses of all shapes and sizes to adapt to Canadians’ digital-first mindset.

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Janet Lalonde, Payments Canada

Janet Lalonde

Senior Director, Real-Time Rail, Payments Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to incredible resilience and motivation for businesses of all shapes and sizes to adapt to Canadians’ digital-first mindset. Whether it’s a gym offering virtual workouts, restaurateurs offering app delivery, or grocers offering tap payments, digital options are forever growing. And Canadians want the level of convenience that “going digital” brings in every facet of our lives.

From a payments perspective, we have seen a continual shift toward digital and contactless payments over the last several years and COVID-19 has accelerated this trend. Canadians are less comfortable handling cash and are therefore tapping credit and debit cards more than ever before. They are also using e-commerce platforms more often and many report that COVID-19 has changed their payments preferences to digital and contactless for the long-term.

Responding to Canadian payments preferences

In response to our ever-growing reliance on digital, Payments Canada continues to build control, speed and convenience into its initiatives for Canadian consumers and businesses. To facilitate faster payments, we are launching Canada’s new real-time payments system, the Real-Time Rail (or RTR), in 2022. Right now, the fastest and most immediate money transfers we see are e-Transfers. However, with this experience, even though I can send you $100 and $100 will show up into your account within a couple of minutes, the money doesn’t move from my financial institution to your financial institution until tomorrow. The difference with what the RTR will enable is that the $100 you send me will arrive in my account within seconds and I can go on – within seconds too – to use that same $100 to pay for something else.

Underpinned by the ISO 20022 data standard, the RTR will also support payments information travelling with every payment and act as a platform for innovation, enabling the introduction of new and enhanced payment products and experiences. Both Interac and Mastercard’s Vocalink, notable players in the payments industry, have been recently announced as our partners to provide the needed technology solution and support for the RTR. 

How can Canadians leverage real-time payments?

The launch of RTR will benefit Canadians in many ways. For example, you’ll be able to pay rent to a landlord immediately. Your landlord doesn’t need to wait for your cheque to clear or for the money to be available for use in his/her account. The bonus is that you’ll also be able to include, along with your payment, the data that you would include on a cheque, such as month and apartment number. The RTR will also make possible the ability to make a down payment on a property in one click instead of having to physically visit the bank to pick up a paper bank draft. In the case of an emergency, you’ll be able to receive money in seconds from your insurer to cover damages – which is such an important benefit in a time of need.

Payments Canada is committed to learning from Canadians and our global counterparts – and sharing our expertise in payments – to continue to innovate and offer the best payments solutions. Join us to learn more about the future-state of payments, register here to attend Canada’s premiere payments conference, The Payments Canada SUMMIT, online May 31- June 4, 2021.

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Don’t Build Back Pre-COVID Red Tape https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/industry/dont-build-back-pre-covid-red-tape/ Tue, 23 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/?p=21635 Like almost everything in the past year, COVID-19 is giving us new perspective on government innovation; the cost of red tape for small businesses and more.

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Laura Jones

Laura Jones

Executive Vice-President and Chief Strategic Officer, CFIB


Like almost everything in the past year, COVID-19 is giving us a new perspective on government innovation. Everything from vaccines to restaurant patio approvals were fast-tracked as we focused on managing the COVID-19 storm. Small business has been clamouring for this kind of “think different” approach from governments for decades. The challenge now is to preserve the best of this new regulatory nimbleness and not, as one government official put it to me, “snap back” to our old way of operating.

This challenge is more important than ever as COVID-19 continues to batter small businesses. Our economy is smaller than it was last year. One in five businesses may close permanently by the time the crisis is over, which puts 2.4 million jobs at risk. Businesses are currently heavily dependent on government support programs, with 70 per cent agreeing that programs like rent and wage subsidies are critical to their survival in 2021.

To be healthy again, businesses need to replace subsidies with sales. But even if sales come roaring back, things will be tough, as many businesses have racked up considerable COVID-19 debt—$170,000 on average.

It seems inconceivable that governments would pile on unnecessary rules or make things more complicated than needed. But small businesses aren’t convinced—over 90 per cent think governments should make red tape reduction a priority, but only 15 per cent are confident the federal government will do that, and only 24 per cent that provincial governments will.

Regulation is now estimated to cost Canadian businesses $39 billion a year– not including COVID-19 compliance. Many rules are worth the price, delivering solid net benefits. But the rotten part of regulation – true red tape – represents about 30 per centof these costs ($11 billion) for very little if anything in societal benefits. Governments looking for low-cost ways to stimulate the economy need look no further.

To some extent, COVID-19 really has shocked regulators into thinking differently. Suddenly, doctors could bill for online appointments,restaurants could include liquor in their takeout orders and meat could cross provincial borders to help prevent food shortages. How long would these changes have taken in normal times?

As promising as this new way of thinking is, there is still a lot of work to do to get to a modern regulatory system that works efficiently, effectively, and respectfully to keep Canadians safe and protect the things we care about.

Confusing language, conflicting advice and contradictory rules serve no purpose. Nor do excessive wait times, poor communication, and officiousness. But none of these things are hard to find – from the accusatory language in basic letters from the Canada Revenue Agency to the municipal black holes that swallow even the simplest applications for construction projects with long wait times and poor communication.

Preserving the best of new-found regulatory agility and building on it should be a priority for all levels of government as we move from COVID crisis to COVID recovery. The cost of red tape was just about intolerable pre-COVID. For Canada’s stressed-out small business owners, it’s now unbearable.

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Renewable Energy for Economic Recovery https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/environment/renewable-energy-for-economic-recovery/ Wed, 16 Dec 2020 00:00:21 +0000 https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/?p=17960 Renewable energy can contribute to economic recovery through investment and job creation that advances Indigenous rights and achieves climate commitments.

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Laureen Whyte, Clean Energy BC

Laureen Whyte

Executive Director, Clean Energy BC

Renewable energy is well-positioned to contribute to economic recovery through investment and job creation that advance Indigenous rights and achieves climate commitments.


An essential service

As the pandemic’s economic impact continues to be felt, there is hope looking forward that Canada’s economic recovery will create a more sustainable and equitable future. With 100 regionally-diverse independent power producers currently operating in British Columbia, the industry already provides many opportunities in employment depressed areas. These BC projects range from wind to solar to run-of-river hydro, and there are ambitions to soon welcome marine and geothermal into the energy mix. Renewable energy is an essential service providing stable jobs while also offering innovative climate solutions.

Advancing Indigenous rights

Numerous BC First Nations have consistently articulated a desire to participate in BC’s electricity system as developers of renewable energy generation assets. This is largely because the sector aligns with many nations’ deeply-held values related to environmental stewardship and self-reliance, and also fosters self-sufficiency and economic reconciliation.

The Province of BC adopted into law the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2019. Guided by this legislation, the provincial government now must evaluate any policy that impacts or restricts Indigenous Nations’ opportunities to pursue self-determination. On Dec. 3rd, 2020, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-15, to implement similar legislation so the rights of Indigenous Peoples will increasingly be recognized and honoured across the country.

Net-zero by 2050

The Government of Canada recently made commitments to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. While how we achieve this goal is still to be determined, one thing is clear: electrification is a clear pathway to decarbonization. We need to utilize our low-carbon electricity across Canada to accelerate the energy transition and shift away from fossil fuels.

In industries that face challenges to decarbonize, there are many cleantech innovations to reduce emissions like incorporating hydrogen and carbon capture, utilization, and storage. To achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, collaboration for deep decarbonization will be vital in creating a paradigm shift to electrify transportation, built environments, and industrial processes.

Power of private investments

The Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, presented at the International Energy Agency’s global conference in June 2020 and touched on a significant aspect of economic recovery. O’Regan stated that, “Public funds alone cannot meet the level of investment required for a rapid and sustainable recovery [and] attracting private sector investment is essential.”

A just future

To help Canada bounce back, the renewable energy sector is here to invest and attract financial capital, enable electrification, push innovation, and deploy low-cost renewables across the country. Renewable energy is an exciting and ever-changing industry that can help us achieve our recovery goals. Many young people, immigrants, and women impacted by the COVID-19 layoffs are still searching for a career that aligns with their values. The renewable energy sector can provide these opportunities — let us tap into Canada’s human potential.

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New Year, New Normal https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/campaigns/new-year-new-normal-2020/ Thu, 03 Dec 2020 01:00:48 +0000 https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/?p=17434 Read about the tools equipping business owners, employees, and consumers to succeed and to safely support Canada's economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

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As new technologies and protocols are being adopted to help Canadians adjust to a new normal amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, read about the innovative tools that are equipping business owners, employees, and consumers with the knowledge and resources needed to succeed and to safely support Canada’s economy.

A Workplace Revolution in the Midst of the Pandemic

As COVID-19 resets how and where we do our jobs, learn how to improve morale and office culture by reorganizing your workforce and accommodating workers.

The Dragons on the New Normal for Small Business

Experts from CBC’s Dragons’ Den weigh in on how entrepreneurs and small businesses have adapted to the new normal and how Canadians can to support them.

Powerful Tech Incubator Works to Support Black Entrepreneurs

DMZ’s Black Innovation Fellowship program provides high-impact and customized programs to help Black founders validate, build, and scale their tech startups.

Transformation in a Time of Crisis

Business leaders believe there’s no going back to our previous normal. How does that affect business culture, and how can employees’ well-being be nurtured?

How to Make Remote Work a Better Experience for Your Employees

ServiceNow can support your organization as you master work from home effectiveness and facilitate a safe return to the workplace.

Small Businesses Get High Value from Samsung Tech Solutions

Innovative IT-ready mobile solutions from Samsung offer the perfect support for SMBs looking to adapt to our new normal.

Innovation in Canada’s Entrepreneurship Community

We need to celebrate the Canadian entrepreneurs disrupting their industries and delivering innovative solutions to consumers — and we need to support them.

5 Tips for Building A Resilient Business

Dwania Peele from Canadian Small Business Women shares top tips and resources to help you build business resilience and manage your new way of working.

Support Canadian Manufacturing with Ontario Made

The Ontario Made program is a new searchable database is making it easy for Canadians to shop local this season and support Canadian manufacturers.

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A Workplace Revolution in the Midst of the Pandemic https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/industry-and-business/a-workplace-revolution-in-the-midst-of-the-pandemic/ Thu, 03 Dec 2020 00:20:52 +0000 https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/?p=16679 As COVID-19 resets how and where we do our jobs, learn how to improve morale and office culture by reorganizing your workforce and accommodating workers.

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Darryl Wright, EY Canada People Advisory Services

Darryl Wright

People Advisory Services, EY Canada

Society is in the midst of a modern-day workplace revolution as COVID-19 completely resets how and where we do our jobs.


What started as a short-term reaction to the pandemic is quickly becoming a long-term shift for many organizations. Flexible work arrangements are likely to be a permanent feature in the future of work. Those already on or beginning their journey of redefining the future of work must consider many factors. 

Reorganizing the workforce in a way that makes sense

Old-school attitudes about productivity continue to persist. A recent EY survey found that 55 percent of organizations believe remote workers are less productive than their in-office counterparts. Remote workers may be juggling personal and professional demands — especially if they have children or aging relatives requiring care at home — so what’s important to measure are deliverables rather than traditional measures of productivity. Leaders should assign clearly-defined tasks and communicate regularly with employees to see if they’re struggling. 

As the pandemic stretches on, organizations must also assess who truly needs to return to the office. Assessing employees’ current responsibilities will help determine which employees should return — for example, employees who are client-facing or who need access to in-office systems and data. If a job must be performed at the office, then the reasons should be clearly communicated to the employee. Otherwise, many workers will expect flexible work arrangements to continue.

Leaders need to be in close virtual proximity to drive greater empathy and support.

Accommodating workers and creating a positive culture

Businesses must also listen to their staff about where they feel most productive and take steps to accommodate them. Each worker is different, and some employees may long to return to the office. If so, organizations can consider hot desking — multiple workers using a single physical workstation during different time periods — while ensuring sanitation and safety protocols are strictly followed. Otherwise, they’ll need to increase office space to allow for physical distancing and to ensure employees’ health and safety.

Workplace culture is another important consideration. It can be tough to build bonds and culture when people are working remotely, but it is possible. Companies must communicate regularly and ensure they’re keeping people engaged. Leaders need to be in close virtual proximity to drive greater empathy and support. In the recent EY survey, a large majority of employers — 75 percent — said they intended to create moderate to extensive changes to professional learning and skills development. Equipping managers and employees with the right skills to be productive in a remote environment, and with access to educational resources to respond to future changes, is a keen focus.

These types of efforts are likely to build positive morale and improve office culture, which can also play a key role in attracting talent. In the new normal, companies that become adaptable are more likely to become those that thrive.

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Innovation in Canada’s Entrepreneurship Community https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/industry-and-business/innovation-in-canadas-entrepreneurship-community/ Thu, 03 Dec 2020 00:20:45 +0000 https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/?p=16662 We need to celebrate the Canadian entrepreneurs disrupting their industries and delivering innovative solutions to consumers — and we need to support them.

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Kayla Isabelle, Startup Canada

Kayla Isabelle

CEO, Startup Canada

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, it’s vital to celebrate the Canadian entrepreneurs who are disrupting their industries and delivering thoughtful, innovative solutions to consumers. However, it’s equally important to support these entrepreneurs through the current crisis and collectively empower them to thrive.             

Startups helping Canadians

Adversity is fuelling innovation in Canada’s entrepreneurial landscape despite the pandemic. These innovations have resulted in a number of new tools that are helping consumers navigate the pandemic, such as:  

  • VitalTracer, co-founded by Azadeh Dastmalchi, launched a medical-grade smartwatch that continuously measures all vital signs and provides cardiac monitoring, while also serving as an early-stage COVID-19 prediction solution.
     
  • Canamasq, co-founded by Audra Renyi, is a transparent face mask that allows people with hearing disabilities to read lips and see facial expressions.
     

Adversity is fuelling innovation in Canada’s entrepreneurial landscape despite the pandemic.

Tools and resources for entrepreneurs

Across the country, individuals and organizations have been working to promote and empower entrepreneurs, their employees, and Canada’s collective startup community. 

Amid growing mental health concerns, platforms like Snap Clarity have pivoted to provide specialized COVID-19 mental health resources for entrepreneurs. Acknowledging the growing importance of local networks, Startup Canada’s Communities program supports the connectivity and promotion of healthy entrepreneur-led communities across the country. Startup Canada also offers a number of supports for underrepresented entrepreneurs, including resource guides for women and Indigenous founders, the THRIVE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs, and weekly Twitter-based #StartupChats, as well as unannounced 2021 programming.  

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Transformation in a Time of Crisis https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/industry-and-business/transformation-in-a-time-of-crisis/ Thu, 03 Dec 2020 00:20:33 +0000 https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/?p=16641 Business leaders believe there's no going back to our previous normal. How does that affect business culture, and how can employees' well-being be nurtured?

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Phil Taylor, Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Phil Taylor,

Managing Director of External Communications, Canadian Chamber of Commerce

If a business didn’t have a digital presence before the pandemic, it more than likely has one now. In fact, Salesforce estimates that the pandemic has led to 10 years’ worth of e-commerce adoption in the past 10 months. Crises, it’s often said, inevitably have a transformative effect on those experiencing them. This applies no less to businesses as it does to societies and individuals.

Today, a consensus among business leaders has emerged. They believe there’s no going back to what we knew as normal. For example, remote work is with us to stay even after the recovery. How does that affect business culture and budgets for remote productivity tools? What do we need from our digital infrastructure to cope with the extra demands of remote work? As work-life integration has accelerated on an exponential scale during the pandemic, so too has the importance of ensuring and nurturing the well-being and mental health of our employees.

As work-life integration has accelerated on an exponential scale during the pandemic, so too has the importance of ensuring and nurturing the well-being and mental health of our employees.

Unique challenges faced by small businesses

For small businesses, adaptation at scale is more challenging in terms of resources, cost, and technical expertise. How will Canada, asa whole, help its national economic engine rise to meet these unique challenges? Small businesses need different tools and resources than medium-sized businesses. How do we create specific solutions for each group?

The pandemic has left profound economic scars upon the Canadian economy, and indeed, the global economy. Looking forward, there are no easy answers. Canada must be bold and innovative, and must avoid the temptation to seek comfortable solutions in an increasingly uncomfortable world.

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The Dragons on the New Normal for Small Business https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/industry-and-business/the-dragons-on-the-new-normal-for-small-business/ Thu, 03 Dec 2020 00:00:27 +0000 https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/?p=16615 Experts from CBC's Dragons' Den weigh in on how entrepreneurs and small businesses have adapted to the new normal and how Canadians can to support them.

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Dragons’ Den’s Jim Treliving, Manjit Minhas, Arlene Dickinson, Lane Merrifield, Vincenzo Guzzo, and Michele Romanow weigh in on how entrepreneurs and small businesses have adapted to the new normal and how Canadians can continue to support our economy as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.


Having just filmed season 15 of Dragons’ Den, how did you see entrepreneurs adapt to the new normal?

Lane Merrifield from Dragons' Den

Lane Merrifield

We definitely had a very different season this year. First of all, there are a lot more entrepreneurs out there. This pandemic has forced a change in so many people’s lives and we saw that in the Den. We saw a lot more people, story after story, saying, “This an idea I’ve thought about for years, this is something I’ve wanted to do for years, and I finally had the time, the ability, and the space to take it on.”

Jim Treliving from Dragons' Den

Jim Treliving

Everyone who came in the Den was a reflection of having had time to think and look at their life in a different way — that’s the biggest change I felt.

Michele Romanow from Dragons' Den

Michele Romanow

The world has done a whole 180 on us! This year, we’ve seen entrepreneurs being more adaptive and resilient than ever.

Manjit Minhas from Dragons' Den

Manjit Minhas

Canadian entrepreneurs have pivoted and adapted with new strategies to not only survive but to thrive. Many are creating new products using existing supply chains to serve their existing customers and finding new customers in creative ways.

Arlene Dickinson from Dragons' Den

Arlene Dickinson

What makes entrepreneurs special is that they see opportunities where everyone else sees obstacles. Entrepreneurs are problem-solvers, so they’re often undaunted — and even excited — by problems.

Vincenzo Guzzo from Dragons' Den

Vincenzo Guzzo

If I look back to past seasons, entrepreneurs were simply pitching their idea or product. Now entrepreneurs are pitching their idea, how they’ve adapted for today, and how they’re going to adapt for tomorrow.


Why is it important for people to continue supporting and investing in small businesses? 

Michele Romanow from Dragons' Den

Michele

Over 40% of Canada’s GDP is from small businesses. Small businesses are the backbone of the economy and our communities.

Jim Treliving from Dragons' Den

Jim

The backbone that we’ve got is now changing daily. Big isn’t necessarily the best anymore. It’s something you have to look at and ask, “Is smaller better?”

Lane Merrifield from Dragons' Den

Lane

Entrepreneurs are on the bleeding edge. They’re the innovators. They’re the job creators in times like these, when our world is rapidly shifting and when the solutions that have worked for decades no longer work.

Vincenzo Guzzo from Dragons' Den

Vincenzo

When you’re small, you’re an idea-minded business. As a corporation becomes bigger, there are efficiencies in those sizes but there are inefficiencies when it comes to innovation. Without small businesses and without entrepreneurship, the economic development of a country is stale.

Manjit Minhas from Dragons' Den

Manjit

Small businesses are important to the economic and social fabric of our society, and we all play a part in their survival. When you shop local, your dollars stay in the community and help local development. This is called the multiplier effect.

Arlene Dickinson from Dragons' Den

Arlene

Think about the restaurants, clothing stores, coffee shops, art galleries, and all the other small businesses that make up the fabric of our communities and add to the rhythms of our daily lives. Lots of these places are at real risk of not surviving the winter. Now is not the time to be shy — call the places you love, the places you picture yourself when this is all over, and ask what you can buy from them now.


What are some of the key challenges your own industries have faced, and how are you working to overcome them?

Jim Treliving from Dragons' Den

Jim

For restaurants, the most important aspect is to make businesses the safest they can be in these times. People still want to get out and socialize but they want to feel safe when they’re there. First, we have to make sure our employees are safe when coming to work and secondly, that the guests are as safe as possible when coming in. Ultimately, we must make sure we’re ready for anything that can be thrown at us. For example, with takeout and delivery, many restaurants didn’t offer this or had to make their existing system better. Restaurants have had to change direction to stay alive.

Michele Romanow from Dragons' Den

Michele

Clearbanc was an entirely in-office team. You could feel the energy when you stepped through the doors. Being together was a big part of our culture — being able to have random encounters that generated new ideas and solving problems in-person allowed us to grow quickly. It’s been difficult to replicate that virtually since we’ve transitioned to a fully-digital workforce. We have three regular all-company calls to try and replicate it!

Arlene Dickinson from Dragons' Den

Arlene

Marketing and communications are always contingent on the success of the companies we work for — if they’re hurting, we’re hurting. If revenue falls, that might mean cutting spending in ads or content creation. I get it, when your company takes a 20% hit, it’s hard to spend money on a commercial. But on the flip side, communication is even more important during a crisis. We’ve seen the most-successful businesses come out strong during COVID-19 and really get the message across — messages of new services, improved products, and enhanced safety measures. The challenge for us is to work with our partners to create a great strategy and creative that addresses the current climate, but also looks ahead and creates brand affinity for years to come.

Vincenzo Guzzo from Dragons' Den

Vincenzo

For the movie business, it’s just a matter of time. Every pandemic, every war, every socially-shifting event has created a return to going to the movies. The truth of the matter is that the first thing people will do — “once the war is over,” as I call it — is wanting to go out and re-socialize. That re-socializing will look different, but people will go back to the movies, they’ll go back to restaurants, and we’ll get a natural upswing from being unconfined.


What surprising changes or opportunities in the business landscape have you seen during the pandemic?

Arlene Dickinson from Dragons' Den

Arlene

I think the most surprising thing is how many Canadians are making the best of a bad situation. People who have been laid off, and maybe have had an idea for a business percolating for years — they’re using their time to form business plans.

Manjit Minhas from Dragons' Den

Manjit

When a new normal begins to unfold, customers discover new needs and we’re all open to trying alternative ways of doing things. In turn, innovation is accelerated and strong companies will emerge even stronger. And for small businesses, this is a moment to take advantage of your innate flexibility. It feels counterintuitive, but I firmly believe there are great opportunities now in all industries — it’s about how agile you are and how quick you can pivot for the future.

Michele Romanow from Dragons' Den

Michele

We’ve seen e-commerce absolutely surge from 14% to 28% of retail sales. It’s an incredible time to digitize your business. Clearbanc has now backed more than 3,300 e-commerce companies with over $1 billion and has continued to as the e-commerce sector has continued to grow.

Lane Merrifield from Dragons' Den

Lane

Moments like these, whether it’s been the World Wars of the past or the pandemics of the current, have always been an instrument for radical change. It moves us from evolutionary businesses to revolutionary businesses. Instead of just trying to reinvent the wheel or create a better mousetrap, we’re having to build a brand-new trap that has nothing to do with mice.


What advice do you have for business owners who want to future-proof their operations?

Arlene Dickinson from Dragons' Den

Arlene

Don’t be reactive, be creative! Entrepreneurs need to be flexible and change with the times, of course, but they also need to shape the times. At the beginning of the pandemic, I saw plenty of businesses scrambling to fill the gaps in their digital offerings, and a lot of them failed to do so effectively. Others got it immediately. I saw it as a difference in mindset — the companies that were already trying to figure out better ways to do business before the pandemic were the ones that were able to adapt the quickest.

Michele Romanow from Dragons' Den

Michele

A digital presence is critical today. We’ve all living in a world now where you can’t meet your customers face to face. It’s so important to switch your focus and be thoughtful about creating a special experience online.

Manjit Minhas from Dragons' Den

Manjit

• Don’t depend on one part of your business for complete success. You must think about other ways to diversify your product portfolio.

• Identify and start managing risks. You won’t be able to predict the problems that might occur in future, but you can certainly take some steps to better prepare yourself. You need to find the risks or possible points of failures for your business. These risks could be in areas like people, system or business processes, legal compliance, or data security.

• Listen to customers and observe their behaviour. Business owners are normally so busy with product development and sales that they completely forget their main stakeholder — the customer. In order to future proof your business, you should start focusing on the changes in customer behaviour that might happen in the near future.

• Watch for influencing factors surrounding your business. If you really want to future-proof your business, you need to keep an eye on your surroundings. You must make yourself aware of the developments happening around you even if they aren’t related to your industry.

• Create a favourable environment for innovation. You can’t always win by following the leaders — at one point, you must innovate to stay ahead of the game. Innovation isn’t easy and you might fail several times but once you hit the bull’s eye, you’ll leap ahead of your competition. To foster the culture of innovation, you need to create a favourable environment for it.

Lane Merrifield from Dragons' Den

Lane

We’re in an era of major revolution when it comes to the workforce, how we manage the workforce, the latitudes we give, how we measure productivity, and how we return that time back to the employee.

Ask yourself: what are you doing to support the changing needs of your employees? How are you changing your policies as a company in order to adapt? How are you changing as a leader and leading differently than you were a year ago? I’m constantly asking myself all of these questions as well because it’s one thing to say, “We’re going to change our revenue model and we’re going to sell our product this way instead of that way.” However, if that’s the only thing you’re looking at, you’re missing major elements of health that need to be addressed in a company.

Vincenzo Guzzo from Dragons' Den

Vincenzo

I think the most important thing that people need to remember is to not beat yourself up too much over this. Nobody thought a pandemic was going to happen and many didn’t plan for this so the fact that you weren’t ready is okay. Don’t panic, keep a cool head, and manage the burn rate!

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5 Tips for Building A Resilient Business https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/industry-and-business/5-tips-for-building-a-resilient-business/ Thu, 03 Dec 2020 00:00:10 +0000 https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/?p=17074 Dwania Peele from Canadian Small Business Women shares top tips and resources to you help build business resilience and manage your new way of working.

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Dwania Peele, Canadian Small Business Women

Dwania Peele

Founder & Executive Director, Canadian Small Business Women

Dwania Peele from Canadian Small Business Women shares top tips and resources to you help build business resilience and manage your new way of working.


“Being an entrepreneur is hard work”. Is that a statement that you’ve heard a lot? I find that most often, entrepreneurs will share the “fun” stuff — you can be your own boss, set your own hours, and hire your own staff. It’s true. You can be and do all those things, but you must also be ready to roll up your sleeves and put in the work necessary to succeed. The #EntrepreneurLife can be whatever you make it — even during a pandemic like COVID-19.

The past 10 months have been challenging for some entrepreneurs and a blessing for others. Despite their experiences, the one certainty is that we all learned valuable lessons. At Canadian Small Business Women, we were forced to analyze our systems and find new resources to help us excel. We also used this time to interact closely with businesses across different sectors and locales to get a grasp of their challenges, their wins, and what methods they used to pivot to success. There was also an incredible number of women who decided to use this moment to take that step into business ownership and soar.

In the spirit of success, let’s share some of our favorite tips and resources to help build business resilience and manage your new way of working.

Implement fluid systems

Listicle 1

The businesses that soared during the pandemic were ones with processes that could quickly change to suit the new needs of their audience during a crisis. As small businesses, many of us didn’t have a pandemic plan or even the knowledge of what a business continuity plan was. What most of us did have was the power to change quickly to adapt to the pandemic. Most of us pivoted to an online model in a matter of weeks. Take note of the processes you put in place and test the rigidity or fluidity of the processes before implementation.

Internship and co-op programs

Listicle 2

Many schools are opening virtual internship and co-op opportunities for their students. With the need to be in a physical space waived, the opportunities are endless in this space. It’s a cost-saver for the employer and a great way to increase diversity in your team. You can have team members represented by different countries who can bring fresh ideas and a new set of skills to your organization.

Government assistance programs for small businesses

Listicle 3

The Government of Canada has launched many funding initiatives geared to small businesses over the past 10 months. Sometimes it can be difficult to ascertain what pertains to you and your business and if you meet the qualifications for funding. Resources can be found via organizations such as BDC, EDC, Futurpreneur, FedDev Ontario, Office of Small and Medium Enterprises or just by making a quick phone call to your local MP.

Say yes to unique opportunities

Listicle 4

The world is open to you. With the majority of events being hosted virtually and most publications introducing virtual options, it’s the perfect time to flex your speaking and writing muscles. Start by making inquiries to your local publications to see if they need contributors. Consider publications, podcasts, and events that you would love to be a part of. Don’t put yourself in a box and only list those in your city. The world is now open to you!

Automate your day

Listicle 5

Spend some time to streamline your processes. With new digital products being released daily, the competition for your subscription is high. Take advantage of free trials and discounted rates to see how new products can help streamline your day. There are automatic social media schedulers, email marketing campaigns, on-line shopping portals, and virtual assistants to name a few.

Here are some of my favourite tools:


Dwania Peele is the Owner and Executive Director of Canadian Small Business Women. A lover of entrepreneurship, volunteering, and networking, Dwania strives to inspire aspiring and current entrepreneurs in Canada. In 2013, Canadian Small Business Women began serving as a platform for aspiring and current small business women of Canada. Dwania continues to make an impact by appearing as a guest speaker at various entrepreneur events and by guest appearances on panels across Ontario to provide valuable insight to those in need. Dwania also champions the success of immigrant entrepreneurs, which is reflected in her new book, The Power Within: Inspiring Stories of Female Immigrant Entrepreneurs.

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