r/SmallBusinessCanada

I have finally hit my breaking point with RBC and am ready to switch banks. I don't want to write a 5,000 word reddit post detailing all of my issues with RBC, but one in particular is that I find the online banking platform very frustrating to use. It is half RBC Edge (which is reasonably modern and functional) and half RBC Express (which is ancient). We spend far too much time on the phone with RBC Express Client Support getting assistance with things that should be easy to do in a few clicks.

Do any of the major banks have a decent online banking platform? I am considering TD, BMO, Scotiabank, or National. We left CIBC a long time ago over a gigantic f-up on their part.

Not considering anything more modern like Venn or similar options.

Hi everyone, I’m looking to grow my network and would love to connect with other Canadian small business owners.

About me: I own a shipping company, and I might be able to help with Can Post, UPS, Puro, etc., questions if you have any. I live in Vancouver, BC. I love to go out and explore nature any chance I can. I’m an open book and will answer any questions you have about me or my business.

Not looking to sell you anything or do an advert. I’m genuinely looking to connect and would love more acquaintances who understand the challenges of owning a business.

Please DM if you’re looking for this too.

We run small (3 person) real estate law office in North York, mostly helping with closings / title transfers / property-related stuff. For several years we persistently trying to get more leads, but our own marketing attempts been kinda all over the place.

Now I want to try working with legal marketing agency (ideally Toronto based), or someone who specifically does SEO for law firms, but not sure how to tell who actually knows what they’re doing vs who just throws buzzwords, so want to hear some experiences and cases here. Also very-very curious what red flags to watch for, like long contracts, guaranteed rankings, weird backlink promises, etc.

I’d rather hear from people who’ve actually been through it, not agencies trying to pitch me.

Not looking for DMs please, just real feedback or lessons learned. Thanks!

I'm in Quebec, but my clients are in the US and they pay in USD. Currently, I'm using stripe to process their USD payments into a Canadian USD account at RBC, then I'm converting it to CAD by just transferring it into my CAD account at RBC. I thought this would be the simplest way, but now it feels like the worst way to do it, and the fees are staggering. What is the better/cheaper way handle this situation? My profession is regulated, and the client payments are going into a trust account, so the place where payments are deposited does have to be an actual bank account, not a Wise account or anything like that, unfortunately. Thanks for you advice.

I always wanted to start a small stationery online store. I finally am at a place where I could try out some products I want to share, I think I’m ready now to start my store. I want to sell my products online and in markets over the weekends.

I also have a full time 9-5 job. I’m confused if I should let my company know about my side small business? I kinda don’t want to but not sure how it would look like for me

okay so I went down a rabbit hole last night and now I can't sleep so you're all coming with me

Canada has zero AI laws. not like "oh they're working on it" zero. ZERO zero. we had a bill. they pulled it. our AI minister has been in office for a year and has done nothing. his reason is that laws would "slow down innovation"

bro. sir. ma'am. miss. bonjour. hello.

some of the people who worked in that same minister's office quietly went to go work for elon musk's companies late last year. no consequences because there are literally no rules. and when grok was out here generating images of children our government said absolutely nothing. the minister whose whole job is protecting Canadians from this stuff. said. nothing.

so who's protecting us? corporations. big companies had to write their own internal rules because our government didn't. that's where we are.

and here's the thing that actually scares me as a canadian small business owner...

not using AI might actually be the thing that kills our businesses. if your competitor figures out how to run their whole operation for half your budget using AI tools and you didn't, you're not losing to AI. you're losing to a person who used it. your storefront. your employees. gone. not because of robots. because of budget.

we're in the wild west up here. no sheriff. no rules. no protection.

is anyone else actually paying attention to this or is it just me?

EDIT: hey all. so people keep saying that I'm afraid of AI and just to work harder. That's not it. I'm excited to see what AI does in the future because its literally so damned cool! A LOT of people over the past 15 years have said that regulation would mean a stop to innovation. it's not. its an agreed boundary that our morals and values are saying that we all agree we won't step over. Here's my wish list and I'm going to tell you the reason for each wish too. All of this is real information very much verifiable and happened within our borders.

- data sovereignty to Canadians. in september of last year, the US sunsetted their data transparency laws that were for Big Business. the law was SUPPOSED to be for incidents of data breaches and cyber attacks to those Big Businesses. the companies would give the information to the government and there would be communication between the government and the company to better the risk. now? silence from the White House. and that included the data of Canadians since our information doesn't stay in our borders. we only have laws that say that the company needs to have reasonable control on Canadian info. sucks... i know. feel free to google.

- IP protections. most of our IP rights get stolen or taken. some of Canada's best and brightest companies have lost their IP rights, the talent that built it and the companies that pushed it forward. we suck and we need to do better to protect our own ideas and talent.

- BASIC protections on image generations of children. late last year the criminal convictions of 2 PDFs were overturned for 2 reasons. they held hundreds of thousands of images of children in compromising positions. 1. many of the images that they had were generated therefore counting as "art" and protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms 2. imposing a min sentence on child p*rn was also deemed a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Claiming that the images aren't real isn't good enough for me personally and i will physically fight anyone who says otherwise. like i will headbutt them. test me. i'll do it. then i will laugh afterwards and take the charges against me.

- requirements for AI training on the job so that people don't lose their jobs. kpmg has ranked canada 3rd last out of 47 countries for AI training with 1 in 4 people getting training at work. this means that people who are willing to learn would have to do it on their personal time and still risk losing their jobs. we are now behind developing nations and our job cuts in favour of AI or outsourcing is growing. it sucks too. i remember when my mom had to take computer classes when i was a kid to learn Lotus Notes (omg im old) and Word in 97. unfortunately, we're all going to need to do that to buff up our skillsets.

I'm not afraid of AI. I want an easy life in the Great White North. I want a life that we see in movies and television and the ONLY way to do that is with innovation (bi*ch i want to TELEPORT TO PARIS ON WEEKENDS. Claude can definitely use up my tokens if we could do that! Imagine fighting with Expedia about your teleporting travel tokens.🤣) That's the future that I want to see being built. it's idyllic...yes but it sounds fun! But people are CRAZY and we all know that. they do crazy things with their bodies and other people's bodies, the jobs aren't being replaced once the jobs are cut, medtech is expanding and Canada is holding on to coattails hoping we don't fall off.

We have 12 staff across two locations and labor laws require training records, emergency contacts, and signed policies on file. It’s all in a binder and we find missing forms during inspections.

I need new hires to get a digital packet, upload signed docs, and complete training, with reminders if overdue. If someone’s certificate expires in 30 days, text them and me. At audit time I need one export with everything. Staff don’t have company emails, so it has to work on their phones. Paper is failing us.

Curious if anyone is able to just use Wise as their sole bank for their incorporated company? I'm expecting my clients to be mostly in US, so I would invoice in USD. If I use Wave for invoicing and get paid into my Wise account, pay myself into my bank with Wise transfers, then can everything government related be handled with Wise as the bank account? Thanks for your input!

I started working as a contractor. My invoices get paid into the business chequing account. Then I pay myself a salary. I accumulated some cash on that business account. I need a buffer for when I am in between projects. But that cash is just sitting there. No interest. Not invested. Are there any options?

We have 12 staff across two locations and labor laws require training records, emergency contacts, and signed policies on file. It’s all in a binder and we find missing forms during inspections.

I need new hires to get a digital packet, upload signed docs, and complete training, with reminders if overdue. If someone’s certificate expires in 30 days, text them and me. At audit time I need one export with everything. Staff don’t have company emails, so it has to work on their phones. Paper is failing us.

Honestly curious how many small brands are still spending huge budgets on shoots when AI visuals are getting this realistic now.

I’ve been experimenting with AI-generated product shots, fashion visuals, UGC-style videos, and restaurant content lately, and the quality jump in 2026 is honestly wild.

Feels like small businesses can finally create premium-looking content without massive production setups.

Would you use AI visuals for your brand, or do you still prefer traditional shoots?

I have been using them for over a year now. Early this evening, someone was able to logged into my Venn account. I didn't get any "verification code" email from them.

They managed to empty my USD account by converting and sending funds via email transfer. After the limit, they put two charges via credit card to Ziina. Its an app to transfer funds to UAE. I was alerted by a decline email from Venn but funny enough it went through on their second try.

Have filled a report with Venn. They suggested that someone must have gotten hold of my email account but no such indicators as I have checked with my email provider.

Hopefully they can get to the bottom of this.

Main issue is how they accessed my account without that verification code??

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some help with branding for a startup clothing company based out of Canada.

The brand is focused on outdoor clothing and equipment, with inspiration from companies like Patagonia, Columbia, and Arc’teryx. I’m still in the early stages, but I’m looking to build something proudly Canadian & premium.

I’m looking for help with:

• Logo design
• Typography
• Brand colours
• General brand identity direction

This could be a design agency, freelancer, student, or individual designer. I just started the company and have a very limited budget, but I’d love to find someone who is excited about the project and open to growing and learning together as the brand develops.

If you or someone you know might be a good fit, feel free to comment or send me a message. I’d be happy to share more about the brand and what I’m working on.

Thanks!

Hi all, my business partner and I operate small renovation & design company in GTA and most of our work comes from people updating kitchens, improving condos, doing home upgrades etc. For a long time, referrals kept us busy enough, but inquiries have dropped recently, so curently we’re starting to consider whether paying for proper digital marketing would make sense.

We’ve already tried handling some of it ourselves: posted on social media, kept our Google profile active, tested a few paid campaigns on Meta - but none of it brought in much quality work. We also put money into a couple of traditional local advertising options, including print and a community event, but the return also was pretty weak.

At this point we’re researching agencies that offer online marketing for Toronto/GTA area, but choosing one feels difficult. Almost every agency says they’re among the top SEO firms in Canada, and it’s hard to separate people with real experience from ones who just strong at pitching services... We’d rather hear from other business owners than rely on agency claims.

Anyone who has hired SEO professionals or a local digital marketing company, was it worthwhile? Did you notice an improvement in lead quality or volume? How long did it take before anything changed (if something changed)? Also, what signs helped you recognize a trustworthy agency, and what warning signs should we watch out for?

PLs no promotional messages or DMs, I’m just hoping to hear experiences from dudes who have already gone through this.

Hello,

I am looking for some advise on obtaining a small business loan (or line of credit) for my father’s business to cover operating costs for a short term.

Some background. The business has been operating for more than 5 years in the field of predictive maintenance using thermal and ultrasound technologies to complete inspection on industrial facilities such as factories.

Currently, the business has obtain a large contract to be completed in the coming 2 months, however the contract pays net 120 days.

The funds would be used for calibration of equipment, accommodation, transportation and cost of an apprentice as it is a large job either several thousand points of inspection. We are looking for 15-20k. We have an exact number as the costs have been projected in comparison with the contract size, which is roughly 3 times the amount of the loan needed.

We are speaking to the bank where the business bank account is held, however interested in other options in the event that this does not work out.

For some context, the business has been profitable every year, other than 2025. It was still in the positive however lesser than other years due to ceasing operations in the US. Due this, it has given time to focus on the Canadian market and obtain contracts in Canada. (The business is Canadian owned, however in the past there seemed to be a higher demand for this type of inspection in the US) The business has never had to use credit, and has always been net positive. The business I believe does credit as there were work trucks financed solely under the business in good standing.

I am looking for advice on where else to look for financing with quicker turn arounds as the work is set to start within a couple weeks.

To summarize: looking for 15-20k loan to cover operating costs until contract pays out.

I'm running a free 1-hour virtual session on May 13 covering essential communication skills that are important to build effective teams and to deal with complex situations.

Link in comments!

Hi, I’m looking to buy a small business in the GTA that I can run alongside my 9–5. I’ve talked to a few brokers and looked at some listings, and also spoke with a banker about financing.

They said I’d need an offer + the business financials to get a proper approval, which makes sense. But right now I’m just trying to get a ballpark of what I could afford and use that when during a conversation with sellers.

Are there any lenders who will review personal finances and provide a rough pre-approval or range before I have a specific deal in place?

Hey everyone,

I recently registered my e-commerce business as a sole proprietorship here in Ontario. I handle my banking entirely online, and because of the nature of the shop, I deal with a high volume of small deposits and expenses. I'm trying to decide on the best banking and accounting setup.

Ideally, i would like to have these features:

• Zero monthly/annual fees: Need to keep my overhead low.
• Good FX rates: Essential since I deal with cross-border shipping and expenses.
• Free e-Transfers: A must-have for day-to-day operations.
• Interest on the balance: It would be ideal if the money sitting in the account could generate a little bit of interest.
• No-fee cash back credit card: I’d like a $0 annual fee cash back credit card from the same provider to keep things simple.
• Accounting software Integration: I'm considering Wave.

I'm currently debating between Venn, and Loop.

Here is my dilemma:

• Venn: I've seen a lot of positive feedback about them, but they don't integrate with wave.
• Loop: It looks like they have a direct integration with Wave, which is a huge plus, but I've come across some negative reviews about the platform.

Does anyone have experience running an e-commerce setup with any of these, specifically while using Wave? Does one stand out as the clear winner, or is there another option I should be looking at entirely?

Thanks for the help!

I co-own a small management consulting firm in Toronto. We hire ~5 new college graduates per year, mostly from engineering and business programs at ON universities.

Over the last three hiring cohorts, we’ve noticed a real decline in oral communication, written communication, and general workplace professionalism among new hires. This is anecdotal so far, and I’m just starting to look into it more formally. Thought it was an interesting issue so wanted to share here for input.

My initial hyp is that this may simply be normal variance given our small sample size. Or could be a minor knock-on effect from COVID-era schooling.

Not yet assuming this requires major changes to our recruiting or onboarding process, but I’m wondering whether other owners are seeing something similar.

For those hiring recent graduates: have you noticed any of these trends over the last few years?

Hi,

I'm interested in buying a small family owned grocery store. The listing has been active for 2 months already. They originally listed at 450K and it has come down to 398K now. They're only selling the lease opportunity and their shelving basically. No stock.

The sellers realtor stated that they would only be interested in accepting an offer if it is over 200K.

The listing claims they did 500K in renovation and make over 500K a year.

They have rejected our first offer at 120K but we feel like that's how much its worth.

We had a regular realtor (not business broker or commercial realtor) come with us the first time but we want to try and approach them one more time before we totally give up on this opportunity.

The question I have is should we approach them again with the same realtor and leave in a written offer this time? Last time we only gave a verbal offer and they rejected us right away. Or should we wait until another month passes by and then reach out again?

Thanks