r/canadasmallbusiness

Clover recently added a .30% surcharge to all our Interac transactions, in addition to the base ~$0.07. Are all payment processors moving in this direction, or should I do the math on switching?

Quick question
What’s your bigger complaint and
Whats making you lose customers?

Any GTA businesses that sponsor community walks or nonprofit events?

Hey everyone, running a small landscaping/excavation business in BC. We've been operating for about 16 months, cash flow is healthy, but we need to buy a used Bobcat ($45k) to keep up with summer contracts. Went to our primary bank and got hit with a wall because we don't have 2 full years of audited financials yet. Are there any reliable alternative lenders in Canada that don’t have insane 25%+ interest rates?

Update: I tried going down all the scotia bank, government programs, Moneda, East West, and Equipease.

so far it Kyle at Equipease feels like the most competent person to help me. I'll try to keep you guys updated on when and how it went once we get our equipment.

We're looking to acquire an existing business and have been connected with a business loan broker. They said that they will help us put together a loan application and manage the entire end to end process of securing the loan from the bank. They are connected with a few different loan specialists in the different top 5 banks but they have a preferred partner among them.

They have asked for nearly 3% of the loan amount to help with this transaction, and this is definitely a lot higher than we imagined. They will be compensated from the bank as they are bringing them a client - similar to how residential mortgage brokers operate. Is this 3% of loan amount fee normal?

If anyone knows some business loan broker that they recommend, please share!

Hello, this is going to be the first time I post on reddit and I am doing so because I own a small local business and have been hearing a lot about how new technology is effecting small businesses and I am curious whether I should start learning and getting involved or I continue business as usual and ignore the hype?

Hey everyone! I have been working as a business analyst in the wealth management and retail banking space for 10 years now, and am looking to open my own business. However, one BA works on projects for atleast 6 months plus, any suggestions on how I can provide my services and scale up?

I am 28 and not found a job for over a year since 2024 of NOV.. I am in Canada and am applying a lot but nothing. I have a degree in global development and MA in polisci and have had only one interview last month and got nothing and am feeling stuck and not progressing anywhere

I am doing part time stuff for my parent and they are saying I should start my own company and are really pushing that

So what would y'all say? Pros and cons

Before outsourcing fulfillment I thought scaling just meant selling more. What I didn't think about was that the physical work of packing and shipping scales linearly with sales, and at some point you're just working a warehouse job from home while also trying to run a business.

The shift to using 3PL logistics in BC changed that. Orders come in, they go out, I don't touch them. The cognitive load reduction was something I underestimated, it's not just the hours of packing time, it's the mental overhead of managing that whole side of the operation that frees up.

For BC based shopify and multichannel sellers specifically the richmond area has 3pl logistics options that connect cleanly with the main platforms, and cross-border shipping to US west coast customers from there is actually competitive in both cost and transit time. The research took longer than I hoped because the BC market is smaller and not every provider has the platform integrations that work well for multi-channel sellers.

I would have started the evaluation process earlier in my growth curve rather than waiting until I was already overwhelmed, and that's the main thing I'd change if I did it again.

Hello,

I have been running a company for about 12 years. I have a degree in business / human resources from UQAM, which I completed before joining and later taking over the family business. It gave me a solid foundation.

Over time, I’ve realized I might want to pursue additional training. We are often overwhelmed, we learn on the go, and we manage everything ourselves in our own way, based on what we think is best. But I would like to develop additional skills and strengthen certain areas of knowledge.

I receive emails from a company called Novacorp that seems to offer good short, practical training sessions, for example on employee management, negotiation, and so on. I don’t necessarily want to go back to university for another degree and spend time learning things that may not be directly useful to me. I prefer the idea of focused training programs lasting 2 to 7 days.

Do you know of any good places in Montreal or online? I am looking for recommendations.

Thank you!

Hey r/canadasmallbusiness,

I'm a Toronto-based founder building ClairFlo — a zero-touch AI tool that automates bookkeeping, CRA GST/HST compliance, and real-time reporting for small businesses.

We're launching a Canada-only beta and need 20-50 testers (SMB owners or accountants). Perks: 6 months free access ($174 value), $50 Amazon gift card for completers, and priority features.

If you're dealing with manual reconciliations or tax headaches, sign up here: https://beta.clairflo.com/beta-waitlist/. Quick survey to qualify.

Questions? DM me. Let's make accounting invisible!

(Toronto locals: Coffee chat if interested!)

Running a one person operation. Looked at Square but the monthly costs add up fast and their customer service reputation in Canada isn't great from what I've read.

Is there a point where Square makes sense, or are there alternatives that work just as well for small volume?

Hey guys,

I’m a small business owner from Sri Lanka specializing in premium industrial raw materials (specifically Coconut Shell Charcoal Chips/Granules for filtration and activated carbon industries). Our product is ITI-certified, premium quality with high fixed carbon (87%).

I want to break into the Canadian industrial/procurement market, but as a small business, I can’t afford upfront salaries for a full-time sales team in Canada right now.

Are there any independent sales reps, sourcing agents, or freelancers here who work on a pure commission basis per deal/metric ton? Or is there a specific platform Canadians use to hire freelance B2B manufacturers' reps?

Would love to hear some advice from local business owners here, or feel free to send me a DM if you happen to work in this niche and want to explore a partnership.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone, Just thought i'd ask for some feedback regarding advertising. i was curious if you had more success using facebook ads or google ads. ?What are the pros and cons of both? Thanks in advance

I’m based in Oshawa and started an event decor business late last year. Trying to track down grant opportunities to help fund a van and more inventory.

Quick context on why: I originally launched thinking I’d focus on intimate tablescapes for 10 to 12 people max. But clients kept asking for bigger. Most of what I’m booking now is 50 to 60 person events, where I’m providing full table settings, backdrops, and sometimes furniture on top of the decor itself. That’s a lot of stuff to transport and stock. Backdrops alone won’t fit in a regular car. Renting a vehicle every gig and buying pieces one job at a time is eating my margins. A van and proper inventory are basically the baseline to operate at this scale.

What I’m looking for:
• Links to grants for new small businesses in Ontario, whether federal, provincial, specific to Durham Region or Oshawa, or anything for women, BIPOC, or first time founders
• Advice from anyone who has actually applied: which programs were worth the effort, which were a waste of time
• General tips on positioning a new business for grant applications when you don’t have years of financials yet

Any leads or advice appreciated. Thanks in advance.