Articles
Maximize your marketing efforts with ChatGPT
AI technologies have revolutionized the marketing landscape for small businesses, providing new opportunities and challenges in equal measure. However, with the sheer volume of tools available, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. Enter ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot that opened a world of opportunity for business owners who may have previously overlooked the potential…
The art of managing customer reviews
Suppose a new restaurant opened in your neighbourhood, wouldn’t you look up reviews of their business online before trying it out? Nowadays, online reviews are an integral part of the customer journey. As consumers, our decision to try out a new restaurant, book a hotel, or purchase a product is often influenced by the opinion…
Should you incorporate your small business?
It’s the age-old question for small business owners: to incorporate or not to incorporate? Incorporation may have seemed like a distant dream when you started your business, but as your business grows and evolves, you may find yourself considering this option more seriously. It can be tempting to put off this decision, but the truth…
Top trends affecting SMBs in 2023 – Part 2
Small businesses face a unique set of challenges in 2023 when it comes to staying ahead of emerging trends. With limited resources and a constantly evolving marketplace, it can be difficult to know where to focus your efforts. However, staying on top of the latest trends can be crucial to the success of your small…
Top trends affecting SMBs in 2023 – Part 1
Over the past few years, small businesses have faced an enormous set of challenges, undergone an incredible amount of change, and have had to practice adaptability to new emerging trends. Unfortunately, there’s no reason to believe this will subside anytime soon, as the Canadian economy is set to face a mild recession. Still, small and…
Valentine’s Day: A Holiday for SMBs
While it has evolved over the years, Valentine’s Day still holds a special place in hearts across the globe. For small businesses, it’s mostly seen as a great opportunity to boost sales. In fact, over the last 5 years, Canadians spent an estimated 3 billion dollars on February 14th. Whether it’s through creative marketing campaigns,…
Understanding personal & business credit
When it comes to managing your finances, understanding the difference between personal and business credit can help you make informed decisions about your business and ensure that you are making the best use of your resources. Good personal and business credit scores are vital for any small business owner to access the financing they need.…
A small business guide to podcasts
It seems like everyone is starting their own podcast these days. They’ve gone from a niche market to mainstream in only a matter of years – and with good reason. As of January 2023, there are over 5 million podcasts with over 70 million episodes between them. Canadians are giant consumers of podcasts, with more…
Leveraging artificial intelligence for your SMB
Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ve probably heard about the newest Artificial Intelligence viral sensation, ChatGPT. Created by a company called OpenAI, this software was designed to generate humanlike responses to a wide range of questions. Unlike humans, ChatGPT has all the world’s knowledge. It can write essays, poems, scripts, or even translate…
Small business checklist – Planning for 2023
For most small business owners, this time of the year is dedicated to getting ready for the Holiday rush and ending things on a strong note. However, it’s important to plan for what’s to come. After all, 2023 is just a few weeks away. Having a small business checklist at your disposal gives you a…
Building a business for Generation Z
With most of Generation Z now in their late teens and early twenties, a new wave of consumers, employees and proprietors is emerging. According to a survey from RBC, challenging economic conditions have strengthened the desire for entrepreneurship in Canada, especially among younger people. Known as a tech-savvy generation, Gen Zers are leading the way…
Recession-proof your small business
Is Canada currently in a recession? Although some small businesses have seen a pullback in sales, technically speaking, we aren’t in a recession just yet. And in most cases, we don’t know we’re in a recession until it’s over. A new study from RBC suggest that a recession is almost inevitable, and we could see…
Black Friday for small businesses – Should you care?
Holiday sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are incredibly important for all businesses across Canada. But, let’s not forget about Small Business (November 26), which is conveniently nestled between both and was created with SMBs in mind. Every year, Canadians gear up for these peak days of shopping on and offline. We’re here…
Small Business Week: Tell us your story
Small Business Week is finally here! Although it’s a great opportunity for education and networking, more importantly, it’s a time of celebration. This year, we’re taking the opportunity to celebrate Small Business Week by highlighting some of our favorite small business success stories. Hear from six small business owners who started their businesses from scratch…
Small Business Week: How to get involved
Small Business Week is right around the corner, but what does this mean for Canadian small business owners? For the past 43 years, BDC has organized an annual celebration of small businesses where entrepreneurs gather to learn, network and celebrate what it means to be a small business owner in Canada. From October 16th to…