Small Business | Big Insights
You’re busy. We know! We cut through the BS and give you straight talk advice whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out. Small Business | Big Insights dives straight to the point on key topics and features interviews with industry experts and successful small business owners who share their deep insights. Tune in each month to gain new ideas and inspiration for your own business.
Send us any questions you've got to podcast@zenbooks.ca
Check out our website at https://Zenbooks.ca/podcast
Episodes
24 episodes
Stop Overpaying Your Taxes: Give to Charity Instead with Flow-Through Shares (with Albert Labelle, PearTree Canada)
Today, Eric sits down with Albert Labelle, partner at PearTree and a pro in strategic philanthropy.Albert breaks down flow-through shares—a powerful but often overlooked tax strategy that can help small business owners and individual...
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42:07
Why Montfort Hospital is More Than Just a Hospital (with Robert Rhéaume – Chair, Montfort Foundation)
This special episode is part of the Podcasthon initiative, a global movement harnessing the power of podcasts to drive conversations around important causes. Podcasthon brings together creators, thought leaders, and change-makers to amplify voi...
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36:33
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Cutting Costs Without Compromise: The Secrets to Slashing Business Expenses Well! (With Shawn Stratton from Schooley Mitchell)
In this episode, Eric sits down with Shawn Stratton from Schooley Mitchell, a business optimization pro who helps small businesses cut costs—on average by 28%—without sacrificing quality. Drawing on his background as an expedition l...
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34:53
Avoiding Common Tax Mistakes: Lessons from an Accountant with Tara Robertson (Zenbooks)
In this episode of the Small Business Big Insights Podcast, Eric welcomes Tara Robertson, a senior accountant at Zenbooks. Tara shares valuable insights on business taxation, her journey in the industry, and even some tax horror stories. ...
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32:47
Navigating Business Law and Succession Planning with Expert Steve Parr
Steve Parr shares his journey from founding and selling a vacation rental company to starting his own law firm, Parr Business Law. In this episode, he breaks down the essentials of business succession planning. Steve highlights why it’s so impo...
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38:48
From Flour to Power: The Surprising Strategy That's Revolutionizing the Bakery Industry with Kayla Rochkin at Bond Bakery Brands
In this episode, Eric interviews Kayla Rochkin, the Chief Growth Officer at Bond Bakery Brands. Bond acquires family and founder-run bakeries without succession plans, helping them continue their legacy. Kayla dishes on everything from keeping ...
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37:59
Pitfalls and opportunities of world class SaaS Businesses (Drew Millington from Nmbr)
Drew Millington is the co-founder of Nmbr, Canada’s first embedded payroll provider. With deep expertise in SaaS and startups, Drew offers insights into key metrics that startups and small businesses should monitor, including the distinction...
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41:01
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Leadership and Innovation in Payroll: Interview with Wagepoint CEO Shrad Rao
Shrad Rao is the CEO of Wagepoint, a payroll software designed for small businesses in Canada. The company, known for its friendly team, aims to make payroll simpler and less intimidating. Wagepoint serves over 25,000 customers and processes pa...
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48:45
Mastering Business Acquisitions and Roll-Ups with Brian L. Shields
In this episode, we dive deep into the world of business acquisitions with Brian Lee Shields, a seasoned business development and acquisition expert based in LA. With 15 years of experience, Brian has a rich background in private equity and has...
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43:27
Avoiding Common Financial Mistakes: Pro Tips from a Seasoned Planner (With Alex Hadjisophocleous from Forest Financial Planning)
Alex Hadjisophocleous is a fee-only/advice-only financial planner at Forest Financial Planning Inc., helping individuals and business owners grow wealth through financial literacy. His unbiased advice is a refreshing contrast to financial advisors...
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45:18
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From Obscurity to Icon: Unveiling Secrets to Crafting a Memorable Small Business Brand (With Robert Smith from Greenmelon)
What are the key attributes of a polished brand? To tackle this question, Eric invites Robert Smith for an insightful conversation on branding. Robert, a branding expert, Adjunct Professor, author, and Chief Creative Officer at Greenmelon Inc...
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45:51
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Secrets to Building a Team That Fuels Your Success: What Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know!(With Zach Montroy from The Intention Collective)
Growing and scaling a small business takes strategy, innovation, and above all, great leadership. Zach Montroy, the Founder & CEO of The Intention Collective—a group of consultants specializing in small business growth and scaling—is a Harv...
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36:37
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Unlocking Business Success: How a Punk Rock Lawyer Turned Startup Guru is Transforming 125,000 Businesses(Shane Murphy from Ownr)
Starting a small business involves various legal considerations, many of which can be conveniently addressed online. Shane Murphy, the CEO of Ownr, brings a legal background to the table and shares his entrepreneurial journey, including success...
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41:00
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Unlocking Small Business Potential with IT (With Jeremy Irving from IC360)
Small businesses should not shy away from new technology, but rather use it as a secret tool to drive employee and customer satisfaction and engagement. Jeremy Irving is the Managing Director and Senior Technical Analyst of IC 360 S...
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45:07
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Wealthsimple’s radical employee experience (with Gren Austin from Wealthsimple)
Employee retention is crucial for small businesses, and providing benefits to alleviate financial worries can be instrumental in avoiding turnover. Gren Austin serves as the Head of Wealthsimple Work, overseeing the day-to-day operatio...
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40:44
Using emotions to improve team performance (with Ange MacCabe from Intuity Performance)
In this episode our guest, Ange unpacks the concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and its multi-dimensional influence on interactions within teams. Emotionally intelligent leadership is revealed as a catalyst for trust, collaboration, and inno...
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40:18
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Pragmatic view to people management (with Andrea Bartlett)
Managing people for YOUR small business, join me with guest Andrea Bartlett, she has been Vice-President of People at Humi for 3 years. In this episode we talk in depth about how you can make sure that HR plays a pivotal role in nurturing your ...
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55:02
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Exclusive advantages for LGBT friendly businesses (with Darrell Schuurman from CGLCC)
Understanding the intersection and dynamics of the 2SLGBTQI+ and business community. Join me with guest Darrell Schuurman co-founder and CEO of the CGLCC, Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce as we explore questions that many small business owner...
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42:30
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Are you missing out on M&A Opportunities? (with Colleen Kelley from Stratford Group)
Mastering mergers & acquisitions for small businesses, join me with guest Colleen Kelley president at Stratford Group. In this episode we explore the strategic reasons why small and medium-sized businesses should consider acquisitions. Coll...
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45:38
Top Tactical Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses (with Riaz Sidi from Sidi.io)
Join me with guest Riaz Sidi from Sidi.io, a distinguished sales and marketing leader, sharing game-changing insights from his 20+ years of experience as he champions collaboration over competition and unveils the secrets of customer engagement...
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48:23
Top Unexpected Recruiting and Retention Tactics (with James Baker - Keynote Search)
Small businesses can thrive by maximizing talent, fostering a dynamic culture, and adapting to the evolving business landscape. Eric, and guest James Baker discuss the challenges and opportunities that small businesses often overlook, from recr...
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44:37
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Secrets to Smart Revenue Growth (with Anastasia Valentine)
Today’s conversation is with accomplished technology leader Anastasia Valentine. Join me as she reveals her strategies for smart revenue growth for small business owners and entrepreneurs. We explore the pivotal roles of CROs and CMOs in aligni...
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40:52
Evolving Beyond the Traditional Business Mindset (with Rob Dale - Rhapsody Strategies)
Self-awareness, the ability to adapt in times of uncertainty, and building trust with clients and team members are this episode's focus. Eric and guest Rob Dale explain thought-provoking topics that help business owners expand beyond the tradit...
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44:18
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Improved marketing with real research (with David Coletto - Abacus Data)
Polls, surveys, and focus groups aren’t just for big business; small businesses can gain big insights and win a competitive edge. Diving into this topic, Eric interviews one of Canada’s best known and most respected pollsters, David Coletto. Da...
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37:09
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