Canadian Business

20/10/2023

Last fall, Montreal-based shoe retailer Aldo partnered with influencers for a TikTok marketing campaign that became an unmitigated success.

Its performance is partly a sign of the times—influencer marketing is a growing focal point for brands of all sizes—but the scale of its success is down to Aldo’s marketing team zeroing in on what resonates with its Millennial and Gen Z consumers.

Click the story below to read about what Amanda Amar, Aldo’s global director of marketing and PR, and her team focussed on to make both campaigns a hit.

Illustration: iStock

Influencer marketing is becoming an integral part of Aldo's marketing strategy. Here's how they ensured their campaign's success

19/10/2023

Before the pandemic, May Flowers, then a two-year-old floral business, operated like many of its competitors. It focused on wedding and occasion bouquets, and its shop in Toronto’s west end functioned primarily as a depot to fulfill orders.

This past spring, owner and creative director Annie Tran-Shuttin embarked on a revamp. She wanted to create a modern, welcoming space, and envisioned customers shopping for plants, flowers and a curated selection of gift items while enjoying a cappuccino from the in-house café.

Click the story below to read about how Tran-Shuttin got it done and what her shop is doing to make the floral industry more sustainable.

The newly reopened May Flowers aims to change the way we shop for bouquets.

13/10/2023

On top of his bustling country music career—which includes multiple Canadian Country Music Association Awards and three Juno Awards—Brett Kissel is also an avid businessman. In 2020, the 33-year-old Alberta native became co-owner of Deuce Vodka and Back Country Spirits and founded the lifestyle brand Keeping It Kissel with his wife, Cecilia.

We asked the father of four about the 10 things he can’t live without, from his cowboy hat to his (surprising) favourite album. Click the story below to see his full list.

Not only is Kissel a decorated musician, he's also an avid businessman

13/10/2023

During Oct. 16-24, join us for CB Evolution—our inaugural summit focusing on the evolution and intersection of , and .

Check the link below to learn more about event details, featured speakers and what to expect at .

https://canadianbusiness.com/insider/what-to-expect-from-cb-evolution/

08/09/2023

Faced with prohibitively expensive costs and limited funding, startup founders are opting for a more direct route to collect feedback: talking to customers directly.

By listening to customers, these Canadian entrepreneurs were able to build better products—and speed up their company’s growth.

25/08/2023

Food-app delivery workers are becoming more and more frustrated with the tips they are receiving from customers.

Many gig workers are being paid below minimum wage, so they can’t make a livable income when customers don’t tip, an increasingly common situation. But with inflation and the rising cost of living, customers are less inclined to tip on top of the app’s service fees and the cost of the food.

“The blame is with these companies for allowing customers to opt out of tipping—or tip very little—and for making tips an increasingly large part of our income,” says Brice Sopher, the vice president of Gig Workers United CUPW, a union that supports food delivery workers in the Greater Toronto Area.

See the story below to read about how food delivery workers are being forced to rely on tips from consumers to make a living, and what needs to change to make the system work for everyone.

On social media, people who work for apps like Uber Eats are posting videos of their daily earnings, revealing they can make as little as $3 per order.

22/08/2023

For a decade, Canada Goose had called a sprawling manufacturing facility in north Toronto. During that time, the company grew rapidly, opening over 50 retail stores, launching new categories like footwear and knitwear, and surpassing $1 billion in annual sales for the first time in 2022. Even after a few expansions and renovations, it became clear that they had outgrown the place—both in terms of space and style.

Canada Goose started exploring a move before Covid hit, but eventually signed a deal for four floors of a shiny new downtown waterfront building in the summer of 2022. See the story below to view their new space.

The aesthetic of the new space is inspired by the Arctic wilderness with an illuminated ceiling in the reception designed to look like the Northern Lights.

18/08/2023

LinkedIn isn't a dating app.

However, according to a July survey, 91 per cent of women had received romantic advances or inappropriate messages over the platform at least once.

See the story below to read how some men use LinkedIn to find potential dates and why that creates a minefield for women who just want to use the platform as intended.

Some men are using LinkedIn as a dating app, and it's making the networking site a much worse place for women

17/08/2023

In April 2022, Ryerson University was officially renamed Toronto Metropolitan University, ending the institution’s 73-year commemoration of Egerton Ryerson, a 19th century Methodist minister who founded Canada’s public school system—but who was also instrumental in designing Canada’s genocidal residential school system.

But the name change introduced a new problem: what to do with the thousands of pounds of campus merchandise with the old name?

See the link below for more about the project they created to sustainably deal with the old merch and how they engaged the university community to get the job done.

When Ryerson University changed its name to TMU, the school had to figure out what to do with old uniforms, merchandise and branded swag.

16/08/2023

Luanne Ronquillo, founder of small-batch custard-based ice cream producer Ruru Baked, has always been inspired by people, food and experiences.

Starting with "drops" on Instagram during the pandemic, Ruru Baked's limited-edition pints—containing various ice cream flavours such as Vietnamese coffee, pandan and banoffee pie—gained enough popularity for Ronquillo to open a store front in the west end of Toronto. Since then, she has collaborated with major brands such as Adidas, Reebok, Nike, The Kickback, Soho House Toronto and more.

Here are the 10 sources of inspiration that keep Ronquillo motivated to lead her growing business and come up with new unique ice cream flavours.👇

“For me, onigiri is the perfect snack."

15/08/2023

Winnipeg-based entrepreneur Kathy Tran-Riese founded KayTran Eyewear in 2012, not long after finishing her MBA. The company was a passion project: Tran-Riese, who has a low nose bridge, had never been able to find glasses that fit properly.

She wanted people with the same face shape—many of whom are of Asian and African descent—to have better options, so she created those options herself.

We spoke to Tran-Riese about the gap she spotted in the eyewear market, and why giving her business time to grow was the key to her success. See the story below for more.👇

After dealing with glasses that didn't fit her face because of her low nose bridge, she decided to make them for herself—and others like her.

11/08/2023

Canadian workers are (rightfully) fed up. From wages that haven’t kept up with inflation to toxic workplaces and mounting stress, employees are becoming disillusioned with hustle culture.

And now, they’re doing something about it: Loud quitting. Unlike quiet quitters—who do the bare minimum at work—loud quitters are actively disengaged and not afraid to show it.

See the story below to read more about this trend and what workplaces can do to win back their employees.👇

Almost 65 per cent of Canadian workers dream about quitting their jobs with an aggressive resignation letter.

08/08/2023

Did you know? A whopping 95 per cent of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error, like failing to install software security updates or having weak passwords.

Luckily, there are simple ways to protect your data from cybercriminals, starting with freshening up your personal web hygiene. “Don’t make it easy for cybercriminals to learn about you,” says Claudette McGowan, CEO of Protexxa, a Toronto-based cybersecurity platform that uses artificial intelligence to help companies secure their data.

Check out the story below to read McGowan’s top tips on protecting yourself on the internet.

Last year, NordPass reported that "123456" is the most popular password among CEOs and executives.

04/08/2023

With rent hikes, rising interest rates and inflation, it’s a well-known fact that the cost of just about everything is skyrocketing right now. At the same time, however, wages are staying stagnant—and Canadians are increasingly finding it difficult to make ends meet.

But can the rising cost of living be used as a bargaining chip to negotiate a raise? According to experts, it might not be the most effective argument.

However, bringing up inflation to your manager might be a good way to negotiate for non-salary perks, like flexible hours or remote work. Read more on how in the story below.

Wages are not keeping up with inflation.

04/08/2023

Mergers and acquisitions can be one of the fastest ways to scale your business. But to ensure you're acquiring the right one, you need a plan. Here's how to develop a solid strategy.

With rising interest rates, inflation and wages, many business leaders are looking to acquisition as a growth strategy.

03/08/2023

JJ Walsh has always been a bit of a calculated risk taker. After leaving the world of fashion magazines and moving to Vancouver, she eventually launched Formula Fig, a chain of skincare boutiques rapidly expanding across North America.

The idea for Formula Fig came after Walsh visited a medispa that was recommended to her by one of her new friends in Vancouver. “There was all this shame around women getting Botox,” Walsh says. “I wanted to create an environment where there was absolutely no shame because that’s one thing I won’t stand—people’s judgements.”

Her idea was a membership-based, technology-led treatment “bar” where people could go for an express lunchtime facial or injectable treatment. Today, there are six Formula Figs in operation, including locations in Vancouver and Toronto, and a West Hollywood location in Los Angeles. See the story below to read about how she made it all happen.

"There was all this shame around women getting Botox. I wanted to create an environment where there was absolutely no shame, because that’s one thing I won’t stand."

01/08/2023

Novartis Canada honed in on a spot at Place Gare Viger—a new mixed-use campus in Old Montreal spanning over a million square metres. The plan for the campus was to renovate a historic train station into offices, then construct new office buildings, retail, rental apartments and a hotel nearby.

Here's a look inside Novartis's new office:

Novartis honed in on a spot at Place Gare Viger—a new mixed-use campus in Old Montreal spanning over a million square metres.

27/07/2023

"I don’t care as much about the money. The flexible work structure counts for a whole bunch."

"Vacation is a wild card at the negotiation table."

26/07/2023

"Pivoting does not mean you’ve failed. To try something new and to take on different challenges doesn’t mean you’re not smart or good enough to cut it in a particular field. It might just mean that you’ve outgrown a position or a workplace or an industry," writes Anne T. Donahue.

The generation now entering the workforce knows that nothing is certain anymore.

25/07/2023

We're all living in a world.

Brands know that diversity is good for business, and Barbie is bringing it.

25/07/2023

has rebranded to "X" after buying the company for US$44 billion last year.

But he isn't the first to rebrand a social media platform. We asked the experts back in 2021: What effect can a name change actually have on a business and its bottom line, and how much cost and risk is associated with rebranding?

Facebook, now Meta, is not the first big tech company that changed its name to signal a new direction—a move that comes with risk.

21/07/2023

If it feels like is everywhere right now, that’s because it is.

Inspired by Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, which lands in Canadian theatres July 21, , the ultra-feminine and overwhelmingly pink aesthetic, has taken over as the biggest trend of 2023. Searches for pink are at an all-time high, skyrocketing to peak popularity in July of this year, according to Google Trends, and the online obsession has seeped into the real world.

Are you buying into the Barbiecore aesthetic?

Brands know that diversity is good for business, and Barbie is bringing it.

21/07/2023

Gen Z, those born between 1997 to 2012, are graduating university and landing jobs—and in huge numbers: By 2030, will make up 30 per cent of the workforce.

And, after years of stay-at-home orders and work-from-home policies, these young people are stressing over every aspect of the in-office experience, from what to wear, how to ask for feedback face-to-face and how to socialize with their colleagues.

Check the link below to read about what workplaces can do to support their Gen Z employees as they enter these professional spaces for the first time.👇

It's the first time Gen Z-ers are experiencing IRL work and they're anxious about professionalism, socializing and expectations.

20/07/2023

How do you feel about annual performance reviews?

Spencer Saunders, president and CEO of Art & Science, will be the first to tell you that performance reviews at his firm often used to be “dreadful for everybody involved.”

That's why he decided to throw out the outdated process and introduce a new one. Here's what he did 👇

Here's how one company overhauled its process to be less painful for everyone.

17/07/2023

Can help with writing résumés and cover letters?

This month, a reader asks our advice columnist Emily Durham, senior recruiter at Intuit, about using to help with the job hunt:

Q: I’m searching for a new job, and am curious about using ChatGPT to help me write my résumé since it’s something I really struggle with. Is it OK to use ChatGPT for writing—or at least helping me write—my résumé? Or will it be obvious to hiring managers, and negatively affect me?

When ChatGPT is used to develop a generic résumé or cover letter template, it works wonderfully, says recruiter Emily Durham.

13/07/2023

For many young Canadians, climate change is transforming how they think about their financial futures: They’re opting for eco-conscious investment options and researching individual companies that better align with their climate beliefs.

"Young people want to feel like their money isn’t doing anything bad."

12/07/2023

For years the vacant Holy Angels Convent in Sydney, Nova Scotia’s historic North End neighbourhood was a reminder of a community in decline. But in 2013, New Dawn Enterprises, Canada’s oldest community economic-development corporation, purchased the convent with a lofty vision for the space: a mixed-use creative hub for local artists.

Construction began in 2018, and after two years, at a total cost of $17 million, the former convent reopened as Eltuek Arts Centre in February 2020. The new name “Eltuek” is a Mi’kmaw word meaning “we are making ‘it’ together.”

Take a look inside our Workspace of the Week below. 👇

Against the backdrop of a former steel city in a seemingly perpetual economic crisis, the state-of-the-art centre is giving hope to the local creative community.

11/07/2023

Employee retention has been on Purolator’s radar since before the pandemic. In 2019, the 63-year-old Canadian courier was going through what president and CEO John Ferguson calls “a period of significant change.”

Ferguson realized Purolator was increasingly becoming a “people-focussed” business, where despite automation and technology, the health of the company was directly tied to the wellbeing of the humans who got a package from A to B. “How you treat people can define you as a company. It can differentiate you and build long-term success,” says Ferguson, who saw investing in employee wellbeing initiatives as a proactive step, rather than a reaction to any issues attracting and retaining workers.

See the story below to read about how Purlator curbed employee attrition by putting a focus on mental health.

“If we had not done this, and just said, ‘We don’t care what you’re going through, you’ve got a job to do,’ we could have lost half our workforce.”

10/07/2023

Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour whirled through Toronto this past weekend, and some experts say her shows—and other huge world tours—are boosting local economies wherever they go.

World tours like Beyoncé’s and Taylor Swift’s have been singled out for their outsized economic impact.