Circular Economy: Reducing Ontario’s Food & Commercial Waste

Addressing Food and Commercial Waste Practices in Ontario

Waste has been a growing concern across Ontario for over 40 years. Despite the desire to reduce our garbage output, Ontarian’s generate over 12 million tonnes of food and commercial waste per year. To mitigate this issue, the government has focused its efforts on “waste diversion”, which helps prevent waste from ending up in landfills…

Intelligent Mobility: Automotive Technology Roadmap

Intelligent Mobility is Shaping the Future of Automotive Technology

This article is the 1st of a 3-part series on automotive trends: Part 1: Intelligent Mobility Part 2: Manufacturing Materials and Processes Part 3: Alternative Vehicle Propulsion Systems Vehicle automation, connectivity, and mobility services are automotive technology trends that have been around for decades. The industry has experienced profound advancements from a significant acceleration in…

How to Develop an ‘Always Recruiting’ Strategy

How to Recruit Effectively with an ‘Always Hiring’ Mindset

Building a team of top talent is one of the greatest challenges facing business leaders. Deloitte’s 2017 Global Human Capital Trends report suggests that talent acquisition is the third most pressing challenge for companies to solve, and PLANT Magazine’s 2017 Outlook survey revealed that five of the greatest challenges businesses face all stem from recruiting…

Canadian Small Business Trends: Fall 2017

Canadian Small Businesses Trends: Optimism in Fall 2017

The Bank of Canada’s Business Outlook Survey is a quarterly summary of interviews conducted between the bank and approximately 100 senior managers from businesses across Canada. The report’s purpose is to gather the perspectives of business leaders on topics such as demand, capacity pressures, and other economic indicators. Although it is a small sample size,…

Strategic Partnerships

Growing Canadian Businesses through Strategic Partnerships

How strategic partnerships provide synergistic benefits and access to government funding. When strategizing ways to grow and boost competitiveness, very few companies consider working with external organizations. But whether for short-term projects or long-term relationships, collaborations can build synergistic benefits for all who’re involved and greatly improve the potential for success. Partnering with other businesses…

Canadian Government Grant Resources for Business

Canadian Government Grant Resources and Information for Business

Creating a plan for accessing Canadian government funding is a critical component of proper cash flow planning for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Although this is one of the most important phases of the government funding process, the variety and complexity of programs requires businesses to have accurate, up-to-date information and resources in order to…

Agri-Food Research Grants for Academic Collaboration

Innovating Food with Universities & Canadian Government Funding

Innovation is critical to the long-term success of agri-food producers and processors. Whether it’s developing a new disease-resistant strain of crop, modifying product ingredients, or redesigning packaging, consistently innovating products or processes will help to remain competitive in an increasingly complex marketplace. Although large agri-food companies can innovate internally, smaller food businesses often lack the…

Workforce Development & Skills Shortage Trends in Ontario

Ontario Employers Experiencing High-Skilled Employment Shortage

The Government of Ontario has projected that by 2019 a total of 323,000 jobs will be created, but many of these positions will go unfilled. This is mainly attributed to employers’ inability to find properly trained and/or educated candidates to fill their roles. This growing challenge has made it difficult for business owners to develop…

Startup Branding: 5 Ways to Improve Your Website

Startup Branding: 5 Tips to Create a High Performing Website

If you’re launching a startup or expanding your small business, the ground rules are much the same: you need to be highly visible online, and you must build a brand that people connect with. Instant recognition of a logo and developing global brands can take millions of dollars to achieve, but you can grab a…

3 Small Business Funding Events to Attend in September

Sign Up for a Small Business Funding Workshop in September 2017

The Canadian federal and provincial governments recognize the financial commitment businesses need to make to invest in growth and development initiatives. To help offset some of these costs, business owners can access government funding to maximize the impact of their strategic projects. Business owners and executives can become more aware of these opportunities by attending…