Small Business ToolBOX
The Small Business ToolBOX
Canadian Small Businesses have been on a rollercoaster ride over the past few years. As if owning your own business isn’t challenging enough, our business leaders have had to deal with supply chain delays, staffing challenges, incredible price increases and even more… (notice we didn’t even mention the word COVID?” Shh…)
To assist small business owners, we’ve decided to build The Small Business ToolBOX.
This collection of info, packaged in manageable bites will help you, the business owner, answer some of your most pressing questions, tackle challenging issues and hopefully help your organization thrive. The best part about the ToolBOX is that the info will be useful, practical and realistically applicable to our local market.
We’re working hard to create a collection of resources, while saving you time and thus, money. Every moment you need to spend gathering or searching for info can cut into your profitability. So… we’re going to do some of that research for you.
We are working on things like:
- Cost Effective Marketing Techniques
- Staff Onboarding Ideas
- Financial Grant and Assistance opportunities
- Things to Consider When Completing a Commercial Lease
- Storefront Ideas
- IT Tips and Tricks
- 411-List of Key Local Contacts
- …and more!
The Heart of Orléans BIA works with local businesses to boost their success. We do this by promoting the areas as a district, advocating on behalf of our members, and making improvements to the streetscape.
If you have suggestions about specific tools you’d like developed, please contact [email protected]. We’ll consider your request and see if we can incorporate your recommendations into The Small Business ToolBOX.
The Small Business ToolBOX
Table of Contents
Finance
Human Resources
Law
Marketing
Streetscape and Beautification
Finance
Despite being at the end of the pandemic, there are still a few financial grant and assistance opportunities available for Small Businesses in Ottawa.
Human Resources
There’s been a lot of chatter about employee retention and employee engagement lately, especially over the past few months. Showing your employees that you appreciate them and care about their well-being on an ongoing, year-round basis is key to both keeping good employees and keeping them invested in your small business.
For the past year, it has become increasingly difficult to find employees. There are several factors that contribute to the shortage of labour available: retirement of a large segment of the population, changing demographics, low immigration numbers during the pandemic, as well as more choices of employers for job applicants. The following tactics may help you to reach out to potential employees!
The Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations (OHSA) set the minimum health and safety standards needed to protect workers in their workplace. It applies to almost every employer in Ontario, with a few exceptions. To know if you are covered by the OHSA, visit the OHSA or the OHSA Guide.
Prevention of workplace violence is a legal requirement in Canada for all employers. Regardless of the legislation your business falls under, all employers must ensure that employees and customers are protected against violence while in the workplace or business establishment. This protection is achieved by having a harassment and violence prevention policy in place and most of all a strong prevention plan!
A sample of an emergency contact list that your business can use to train employees on who to contact for which type of emergency.
A “No Violence” Poster for your workplace.
Possible workplace violence triggers, how to respond and key precautions to take.
It is important to know that as an employer you have no legal obligation to offer flexible work options unless it is for a few specific reasons.
As Business Owners you most likely have heard in recent news that there is a deadline to report on the Accessibility of Ontarians with Disability Act (AODA) by December 2023?
Law
As a commercial tenant, when you sign a commercial lease, you are entering into a complex legal contract – usually for a significant period of time. The negotiated terms of the lease may have far-reaching effects, some of which may not be evident at the outset but may become relevant during the lease term.
Marketing
What to include in your newsletter that readers will WANT to read. Email Marketing has a bit of a bad rap. But it is actually an underrated marketing technique with several benefits.
For small businesses who want to spread the word about all the wonderful things they have to offer, a limited marketing budget can present a challenge. Thankfully, there are plenty of cost effective techniques for small businesses to use to expand their reach.
AI is here to stay whether we like it or not. Comprehending the intricacies of AI will help us solve the day-to-day work issues, and leverage it as a strategic asset in conducting our business.
Get a copy of the session
Streetscape and Beautification
We all know that first impressions are important – and hard to change after that initial encounter. That’s true not only of people, but of businesses. The aesthetic of your storefront plays a crucial role in how people perceive both your business your brand.