Small Business Challenges

"Shop Local" is obviously the best thing you can do to support your community's small businesses, but lately, shopping for anything may just not be in your budget. It's getting tough out there with not many signs of things improving in the near future. Watching your local shops and businesses start to slow down feels terrible. The truth? You don't always need to spend money to offer valuable support to others. If you are wondering how to support small businesses for free, you

People have spoken out passionately about their opinions on AI shaping the future of business. And the reviews are mixed, as they should be! Artificial Intelligence has boldly stomped its way into our lives, and more predominantly, the business world. Its grand promises of streamlining everything and making people tons of money with little effort are an easy selling point. It claims to help solo entrepreneurs be able to run an operation that looks like it has a small army beh

If you've ever asked ChatGPT, Gemini, Co-Pilot, or Claude for a recommendation or used voice search on your phone, you've used an Answer Engine. In the old days (not so old), you'd type a word into Google or Bing and get a list of links. Today, there are many more ways to find what you're looking for. People just want a quick answer. AEO for small business (Answer Engine Optimization) is simply the art of making sure YOU are that answer. Here is what the AEO looks like in Goo

Many business owners believe that scaling is strictly about marketing budgets or sales funnels. And yes, while those are very important tools, they are secondary to the most influential factor in any company: you. As a leader, your venture is an extension of your own energy. When you hit a ceiling in revenue, it's rarely because the market is over saturated. Usually, it's because you've reached the limit of YOUR current perspective. This is a normal experience in business; I

TL;DR: Scaling a side hustle or small business in Canada shouldn't mean you have to go it alone. Leveraging "Micro-Networking" can help you build deep connections with a few great peers. This is a valuable way to share resources, trade and teach skills, and grow your Canadian small business through authentic community support. Micro-Networking is a great way to find a supportive community for your small business. Running a small business in Canada in 2026 is about more than j

If you're tired of scrambling for content every day, batch-creating your social media visuals is a game-changer. It saves time, ensures...

Registering a Business Has Never Been Easier. OWNR has helped over 85,000 Canadian small businesses get registered. I remember years ago when I was setting up my first business and needed to register it, before the internet made everything accessible. It was a nightmare - probably because I admittedly struggle with paperwork. I get overwhelmed by it, and Government paperwork is the worst. Back in the day, we had to drive out of town and pick a number, wait in line for someone

This is why being in business can be scary in a world of online content. You have to show up everywhere as the face of your business. Yes, it's scary, and yes, you should do it anyway.