Reconsider capital investment plans
Investing in new assets in a downturn can bleed you of cash when you need it most. Carefully consider your capital investment plans and question the proposed value and timing.
View ArticleGet smarter on tax
Tax, in its various forms, is usually one of the biggest costs for a business, and you need to look carefully at how to manage that cost and cash flows.
View ArticleEvaluate customers and suppliers
The recent challenges in credit markets as well as a general economic downturn have put increased pressure on the purchasing power and credit-worthiness of customers while at the same time resulting in...
View ArticleCash is king
Cash is the lifeblood of any business and matters more than earnings. As the saying goes, “profits are an opinion, but cash is a fact.” More and more, bankers, investors and advisory professionals...
View ArticleDoing business in today’s economy
Small business owners by their very nature are resilient and tough-minded, but, to ensure your ability to respond effectively and recover as quickly as possible to any factors that may affect your...
View ArticleBig deficit spending a no-no: Three reasons why we can’t go down this road -...
Leanne Hachey, CFIB's Vice-President, Atlantic writes editorial on deficit spending.
View ArticleThe gas tax: Seeing the forest for the trees
CFIB editorial on the NDP's announcement considering a "gas tax break" for Amherst.
View ArticleFlaherty draft isn't yet a gift; Credit, debit card industries have not...
In addition to selling the gifts that will be exchanged this Christmas, it looks as if Canadian merchants are about to receive a big present themselves, with help from the Finance Minister.
View ArticleTime for public sector to get real
The first response of the Ontario public sector unions to an extremely polite request from Finance Minister Dwight Duncan to contemplate a two-year wage freeze is, basically - take a hike! What a...
View ArticleIt’s the taxpayer, stupid
I was stunned to read a recent story about university tuition costs where the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour cited "tax cuts" and Nova Scotia's 'eroding tax base' as reasons for tuition levels being...
View ArticleGovernment is marginalizing small, local businesses
There's something happening in Nova Scotia. I doubt it's intentional, but it's happening nonetheless: the slow but steady erosion of small, independent business.
View ArticleWhen grading cities, it comes back to people
Entrepreneurs create more than just businesses, they create communities. In fact, all of Canada’s urban centres can trace their existence to groups of inspired people who made use of their regions’...
View ArticleThere are no bad jobs
Over the past few weeks, editorial columns, news reports and talk radio segments were filled with discussions about “bad” jobs and the prospect for massive changes to the Employment Insurance (EI)...
View ArticleEmployers, workers must achieve better balance within EI system
There aren't many issues that get Atlantic Canadians talking like employment insurance (EI). And, true to form, things have reached a fever pitch since the federal government released some details...
View ArticleCatherine Swift leaves incredibly big shoes to fill
It’s never easy to follow a dynamic leader, let alone two living legends; believe me, I know. As I settle into my new role as President and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business...
View ArticleDavid beats Goliath: Small Business and the Credit Card Industry
Every time you buy something with a credit card, it costs the merchant. Regular credit cards usually cost small business just under two per cent, while some “premium” cards like Visa Infinite or...
View ArticleLocal entrepreneurs are building Africa from the ground up
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to participate in the International Small Business Congress (ISBC) in Johannesburg. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) was a founding member...
View ArticleOttawa red-tape reforms show real commitment
When Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the Red Tape Reduction Commission in 2011, he accurately described red tape as a “silent killer of jobs.” Treasury Board President Tony Clement has released...
View ArticlePrairies’ entrepreneurial spark endures
It is no surprise prairie cities again top the list in 2012. Self-employment has for generations been a strong segment of the prairie economy, which through mentorship and role models built...
View ArticleFederal public sector pension reforms are a good start, but we need to do...
Take a minute and ask yourself a tough question: have you started to save any money for your retirement?
View ArticleIt’s time to think about succession planning
If you’re going to write a history of the twentieth century, you pretty much have to mention the tremendous impact of the Baby Boomers. Everything from popular music to politics to the various...
View ArticlePeg compensation to productivity
The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) released a study this month of the rapidly rising costs of staffing the federal public service. The most prominent figure from that report was the $114,100 spent...
View ArticleSpecial to the Financial Post, Canada’s Red Tape Report with U.S....
CFIB started an annual Red Tape Awareness Week four years ago to raise awareness about the impact of red tape and to encourage governments to take action. This year we kick off the week by releasing...
View ArticleThe big picture: Best, better, not good enough
Good public policy is a necessity for any healthy society. But like many things, perception seems to matter more than reality. How else can one explain the federal government’s sharp course change on...
View ArticleCPP/QPP increases? All signs point to trouble
Late last year, federal and provincial finance ministers met to discuss plans to expand the Canada and Quebec Pension Plans (CPP and QPP). This discussion was largely lost in the pre-Christmas buzz,...
View ArticleBumper-to-bumper taxation has heavy costs for businesses, public
Taxes for transit on small businesses have heavy costs for public No matter where you live, the most popular form of tax is the one someone else pays.
View ArticleCanadian debt levels aren’t as they appear
The federal government proudly touts Canada’s combined government net debt levels as the lowest of any G7 country. Not a bad thing really, but it’s a little short on some important details.
View ArticleMr. Mayor, deductibility doesn’t justify higher property tax rates
Analogies help people understand complex topics. Sometimes, however, suitable ones are tough to construct, which may explain why the so-called benefit of deductibility is among the most enduring myths...
View ArticleSmall firms deeply embedded in Canada’s economy
New information from the 2011 National Household Survey highlights the makeup of Canada’s workforce. Among the data are listings of the number of self-employed people by industry. Overall, about 1.8...
View ArticleMaking hamburger of labour markets
The Dean of Business at the University of Kansas must be slapping her forehead over the attention one of her students is getting. Arnobio Morelix is in the business press regarding a study he produced...
View ArticleThe age of entrepreneurship: Why self-employment may be in your future
Taking a look at slices of the 2011 National Household Survey (NHS) from a different direction shows how self-employment trends are also strongly influenced by the life-cycle.
View ArticleWhat this election means for small business
With a hotly-contested provincial election well underway in Nova Scotia, there’s been much political talk of the importance of small business to our economy. If anything, that’s an understatement.
View ArticleEvery day is a good day to Shop Small Biz
Shop Small Biz is the first uniquely Canadian business directory and deal finder exclusively devoted to independent businesses. Developed by CFIB with the help of Interac and Postmedia, Shop Small Biz,...
View ArticleCities don’t build entrepreneurs; entrepreneurs build great cities
Every town or city has its own colourful history, sequence of progress and random events that ultimately shaped its present form, something worthwhile exploring when you visit a new place. But for all...
View ArticleNew Poll: Canadian workers say CPP/QPP hikes are not the answer
As federal and provincial finance ministers prepare to discuss proposals for increasing mandatory CPP and QPP premiums this weekend, new public opinion data reveal that a vast majority of working...
View ArticleNova Scotia small business confidence drops in December
Nova Scotia’s Business Barometer® index dropped to 58.3 in December, giving back gains made since August.
View ArticleNova Scotia ushers in 2014 with hidden tax hike
If you live in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Manitoba, the new year means that you just fell further behind your fellow Canadians in terms of how much personal income tax you pay.
View ArticleBusiness confidence in Nova Scotia holds steady
Nova Scotia’s Business Barometer index came in at a subdued 58.1 in January—a small -0.2 change from December’s reading. Twenty-two per cent of owners say the state of their business is ‘bad’ versus...
View ArticleCanada-U.S. productivity: perspective matters
The core of Statcan’s study simplistically and rather unhelpfully applies U.S. levels of productivity to Canada’s small-business, big-business employment structure.
View ArticleWho pays the freight for February frolick?
Finance Minister Diana Whalen has been gung-ho for a February holiday for years, but the speed of the announcement and the total lack of consultation with the province’s small business community was...
View ArticleSize matters when it comes to regulations and measuring productivity
Government and economists alike make the mistake of assuming small and big businesses have the same resources and needs, which can pose problems in a country where more than half of all businesses are...
View ArticleAll-season employees a sign of the times
There is no question seasonal adjustments are helpful in highlighting economic changes and the effects of one-time shocks, but in some ways it encourages us to take an overly short-term perspective on...
View ArticleOttawa is right: Economic hit from raising CPP premiums will take years to...
While the Canadian Labour Congress accuses the federal government of providing misinformation on pensions, the government and CFIB have done the work to show the negative impact is real.
View ArticleLike it or not, foreign workers are sometimes the only ones available
Few issues can fan populist fires more quickly than immigration policy, especially if a policy seems to promote the arrival in Canada of low-paid workers who are taking jobs from Canadians. So it is no...
View ArticleMaybe it’s time Canada expands trades training for youth
After years in the wilderness, a lot of federal and provincial time has been spent this year debating Canada’s track record on workplace training. With $2.5-billion alone going from the federal coffers...
View ArticleSpendthrift cities must tackle wage inflation
Municipalities across Canada need to address their excessive spending — and Halifax is no exception.
View Article“Watch” out for fraud
As more consumers rely on credit to make purchases, business owners are exposing themselves to the risk of expensive charge backs. CFIB Vice President, Jordi Morgan, encourages business owners to...
View ArticlePushing for a small business-friendly federal budget
Small business owners across Canada know running a business means making tough choices. Each and every decision you make impacts your ability to not just survive, but thrive. With the upcoming federal...
View ArticleFederal Election 2015 – A call for strong small business policies
The October 2015 Federal Election presents Canadians with a choice that will shape the country’s future. Federal policies affect owners of small- and medium enterprises (SMEs) and their employees,...
View ArticleEighty per cent of small businesses try to go green, without government...
While many suggest that Canada’s business community is not doing enough to protect the environment, a new report, Green Growth, from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business shows that ‘going...
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