Linda Ockwell-Jenner and Opeyemi (Yemi) Okunbor discussed the importance of financial planning, particularly for immigrants and young adults who may not receive adequate guidance. Yemi explains her business, Experior Financial, which helps individuals, families, and businesses build a stronger financial foundation through protection, debt strategies, and long-term planning. She highlights a common issue – a lack of proactive financial planning driven by a focus on day-to-day living and a desire to maintain cultural values of leaving a legacy for future generations.

SBCN Co-Founder and host of the Small Biz Podcast Linda Ockwell-Jenner interviews Janet Benedict about her new "Diaries" project, which empowers seniors to share their life stories and wisdom. Alongside her 'Diaries' partner Will, Janet uses Substack to publish free, short stories from the senior community. The initiative preserves valuable memories and nostalgia. Janet plans to compile these stories into a future anthology, offering royalties to participating writers to ensure these unique perspectives are never lost. Small Business owners are very interested in this resource.

Linda Ockwell-Jenner hosts Chris May, who discusses Service IQ, his consulting firm for small trades businesses. Chris helps owner-operators map their workflow and information flow to identify inefficiencies, risks, and opportunities. The pair discuss how implementing small process changes saves massive time and boosts profit. Chris emphasizes that networking and authenticity drive his success, advising business owners to recognize which tasks they can automate or offload to manage stress and improve capacity.

Joining Linda Ockwell-Jenner this week... Ian Inglis, a RE/MAX agent and SBCN Member Expert discusses the current state of the real estate market, primarily focusing on the impact of the unusually prolonged winter on the spring market. He notes that the typical spring surge hasn’t materialized due to severe weather conditions and broader global events impacting buyer confidence. While entry-level homes (under $750,000) remain active with significant buyer demand and multiple offer situations, the overall market has slowed.

Glenn Poulos, the president of ProgUSA, joins Linda Ockwell-Jenner on the SBCN Small Biz Podcast to share tips for growing small businesses. He emphasizes four key areas: showing up creates opportunity, building relationships over transactions, protecting margins, and consistently bringing value to the conversation. Glenn stresses the importance of understanding a client’s needs, advocating for speed, and avoiding generic sales pitches. He highlights the “Punch Perfect Pitch and Close” guide available on his website (glennpoulos.com) which uses a three-point structure for presentations.

Peter Piluk, from Creative Minds Accounting, discusses his networking journey over 30 years, emphasizing its crucial role in his business success. He highlights two key networking types: connecting with potential clients and building relationships with industry peers. Peter shares anecdotes, like securing a major software development contract through a referral from a network administrator, demonstrating the value of diverse connections.

Linda Ockwell-Jenner interviews SBCN member expert: Peter Piluk, Creative Minds Accounting's founder, on small business tax tips. Peter emphasizes the correct tax order: current payroll taxes first, followed by HST, then income taxes. He warns against common mistakes like claiming non-eligible expenses (e.g., clothing) and stresses the importance of keeping digital and physical receipts. Peter shares that business owners can claim 61-62 cents per kilometre for mileage.

Ashley Griffin, our Member Expert, and a network specialist operating under the company Griffcomm Inc. in Canada, discusses Voice over IP (VoIP) with SBCN Co-Founder Linda Ockwell-Jenner. VoIP, essentially a technology replacing traditional phone systems, allows for internet-based calls. Initially developed in the late 1990s, it faced challenges due to slow network speeds – around 10 megabits per second – making it difficult to handle multiple voice conversations. As networks improved in the mid-2000s, VoIP became viable, allowing businesses to connect hundreds of users.