Wealth inequality is one of the greatest threats to a stable society. Without a solid balance, local businesses & our workers suffer. Great video by Bravos Research detailing what has happened historically under similar conditions to what Canada and the US are going through now.

Ontario's minimum wage went up on Oct 1. Good for workers, good for small businesses. What's actually killing biz? Toronto retail rent jumped 142% in 5 years. That's an extinction level increase. Here's how we save good jobs and businesses: betterwayalliance.ca/the-fixed-co...

I spent last month analyzing Toronto business costs to figure out what's actually squeezing small businesses. Turns out commercial rent jumped 142% over 5 years while wages went up 23%. For a typical 3 employee micro-business, rent increases cost $1,540 MORE per year than wage increases. 👇👇👇

A constant hiring cycle b/c you can't retain staff is expensive & exhausting. BWA Director Lili Locke breaks down our approach to ethical employment on TIAO's Forward Motion podcast: more than minimum wages, paid sick days, stable scheduling. 👂👂 to the full ep: www.tiaontario.ca/cpages/forwa...

We KNOW business can be done better. Good jobs create resilient businesses - which in turn build thriving neighbourhoods. We're empowering Canadian business owners who care about community. Join a network rooted in values, good ideas, and shared success. betterwayalliance.ca

Bill Zheng isn’t a typical entrepreneur. While studying nursing, he co-founded RadiCare. Creating jobs for folks facing barriers. Now it powers free Pop-Up Care in Calgary. Business at its best. https://calgaryjournal.ca/2025/04/15/from-nursing-student-to-up-and-coming-calgary-entrepreneur/

A $100M fund is helping Indigenous communities buy local businesses across Canada. Corner stores, auto shops, restaurants and more that already employ people. This is economic development that really works. Skip the unicorn startups & focus on proven businesses with real cash flow.

Apps like Doordash and Ubereats are like casinos for businesses. Exciting at first - but over time they manage to eat more of your $$$ and eventually become purely extractive. Great to see @keldonb.bsky.social in this @cbcnews.ca article. www.cbc.ca/news/busines...

Retailers are facing a fixed-cost crisis across Canada. Skyrocketing rent, spiking insurance and uncontrolled utilities are hindering the ability to create good jobs and even keep the doors open. We're hopeful that @toronto.ca and @jasonthorne.bsky.social can push for right-sized retail.

Yeah, it's the rent. Businesses are getting bounced from main street because of giant rent increases. So next time you go to your favourite sandwich joint and wonder "why did this delicious panini go up in price?" Yeah, it's the rent.

Yeah, it's the rent. Businesses are getting bounced from main street because of giant rent increases. So next time you go to your favourite sandwich joint and wonder "why did this delicious panini go up in price?" Yeah, it's the rent.

MEC is back in Canadian hands. It's not quite a co-op but the new ownership group has a "vision of reshoring some manufacturing to Canada." Personally praying for the return of a co-op model down the road. @cbcnews.ca | www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

A new Canadian study links precarious jobs to early death. This isn’t just unfortunate - it’s the result of policy that allows low wages & unstable work. BWA members are proving better jobs are possible & good for biz. 🔗 | betterwayalliance.ca/ In SafetyMag | www.thesafetymag.com/ca/topics/ps...

My business does better when my team isn’t burned out, broke, or sick. It’s good business to: - Pay people properly - Give them PAID time to recover - Provide predictable schedules Do this & watch turnover drop while performance rises. We’ve been doing it for years & it works!

Missouri just voted in a $15/hr minimum wage and paid sick days. Not just a win for workers — this is a win for smart business. Our Director @aaronbinder.com runs two businesses that already offer both. What's the outcome? Lower turnover. Better customer experiences. Stronger teams. 1/2

Congrats to PM @mark-carney.bsky.social + all elected MPs. Our 3 priorities at the @betterwayalliance.bsky.social: ✅ Fix small biz financing so entrepreneurs can start, grow & buy businesses ✅ Create paths to commercial property ownership ✅ Get runaway "fixed" costs (rent & insurance) under control

Helllooooooooooo 👇👇👇👇👇👇

An Ottawa (CHEO) hospital is using hybrid work to free up beds and support staff. Good management finds new ways to stretch resources while building stronger long-term systems. In this case, flexibility is infrastructure, too. Read in the @ottawacitizen.com | ottawacitizen.com/news/cheo-ve...

I spend maybe an hour a week on Instagram. And lately half my feed is local Canadian businesses shutting their doors. Cafés. Bakeries. Small manufacturers. Not because they weren’t making money - they’re just burnt out after 5 years of chaos and the last 6 months of being kicked again. 1/3

Minimum wage increases aren't causing Canadian businesses to close. It's the giant rent hikes, skyrocketing insurance, and uncertainty caused by Trump tariffs. We've got a plan that benefits workers, businesses & communities: betterwayalliance.ca/advantage-ca...

Indigenous leadership is essential to Canada’s economic future. New report from OCC & CCIB shows how: • Indigenous youth = up to 15% of the future labour force • Skills-based hiring makes business stronger • Flexible work is key to retention in remote communities 📘 Read it here: bit.ly/4jtILmQ

We always have fruitful discussions with @kristynwongtam.bsky.social & @chrisgloverndp.bsky.social on the challenges and opportunities facing Toronto & Ontario businesses. Read our ideas to build better through good jobs, biz owner support & systemic change: betterwayalliance.ca/advantage-ca...

Trump's tariffs aren't actually helping US manufacturers. But they are crushing border-city tourism businesses & stifling good businesses in Mexico, US & Canada. One more reason for Canada to diversify + bolster our global trade. @businessinsider.com | www.businessinsider.com/made-in-usa-...

This video is auto-posting on Friday April 12. We don't know if tariffs are on/off today. But we know Canada's businesses are struggling. Rent & insurance = skyrocketing. We need fundamental changes, not tax cuts. Our #AdvantageCanada series has solutions | betterwayalliance.ca/advantage-ca...

Culture is THE 2025 growth strategy for Canadian business. As some U.S. companies gut DEI & slash investment in people, it's Canada's time to invest in workforce & unlock productivity + stability. Read in the @betterwayalliance.bsky.social blog | betterwayalliance.ca/advantage-ca...

Why are so many Canadian small businesses stuck or shutting down? It’s not a mystery: 👉 Commercial rent hikes (100-300%) 👉 No access to capital 👉 Rising costs + stagnant supports We unpack it all in our new video. 🎥 Full convo here: youtu.be/eBWCFhmcKWU

@dxcsummit.bsky.social 2025 was stellar. So glad to hear a vision for community wealth building from @mendelmatt.bsky.social and Claire Trottier. A strong Canadian economy starts with fair business rent, investment in local biz, and - yes - taxing the wealthy. @scpartners.bsky.social for more!

Canada is going through a tough time. But what do we have going for us? Find out at Advantage Canada. @lilianac.bsky.social & I wrote short essays on how Canadian governments can rise to the moment by supporting small biz. Read @betterwayalliance.bsky.social | betterwayalliance.ca/advantage-ca...

HOVR is a Toronto based ride-share company that believes "100 Fare is 100% Fair". Their drivers receive the full amount you pay in app - and many are direct shareholders in the company. It's time Uber & Lyft are held to account by a better real-life option. www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art...

I'm technically on vacation but have to talk about this one. In 2024/25 I've spoken to many biz owners forced out when landlords jacked rent by 10s or 100s of percentage points. Their spaces are increasingly filled by US chains. Why won't these landlords support Canadian businesses over dollars?

Golden Wheat Bakery on Toronto's College Street is gone after 32 years because of a giant rent hike. Toronto retail rents have jumped 130% in 5 years - what business can afford this? In some towns, increases hit 300%. Unaffordable rent hike are killing small businesses across Canada. 1/2

Wages. Rent caps. They're way more tied together than most people think. Most businesses want to pay more - but in a city like Toronto, landlords have raised retail rents almost 130% on average in 5 years. Making it impossible to even keep the doors open. Fair rent = better wages. Listen 👇👇👇

Let's not call a giant rent increase unprecedented. Retail rents in Toronto have jumped 130% since 2020. This is SUPER precedented in every neighborhood across TO. Worse? Like many locally owned businesses, Golden Wheat will likely be replaced by an American chain. www.blogto.com/eat_drink/20...

Imagine being the landlord that tells Glenda her rent is going up by 120%. It's easy to assume that giant rent increases are something that only businesses in Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary experience. But it happens everywhere, including Cowichan BC. www.cowichanvalleycitizen.com/home/lake-co...

Want to know why big American tech is so hard to compete with? Toronto is promoting 'Buy Canadian' while reimbursing staff Uber & Lyft rides. It's time for them to ditch the US techbros and support local companies like Beck + HOVR. @thestar.com | www.thestar.com/news/gta/tor...

Coming soon from our team at the @betterwayalliance.bsky.social... If you own a business or run a BIA/Chamber, dm me for more details.

Tariffs just hit Canada. Does your biz need to save $$$ while keeping staff employed? The Canadian government's Work-Sharing Program lets businesses reduce hours instead of jobs, with EI helping cover lost wages. Keep staff. Stay stable. Ride this out. Learn more: www.canada.ca/en/employmen...

Canada can supercharge small business with smart investments: ↗️ NextGen Ownership Fund – Help local entrepreneurs buy retiring businesses 🏡 Biz Owner Mortgages – A path to property ownership 💰 Business Insurance Reform – More competition, lower costs 🏢 Fair Commercial Rent – Stop predatory leases

Political parties that care about small businesses and Canadian sovereignty should be making commitments on commercial rent. Our economy is being transformed. We are losing independent Canadian businesses. We own less of our economy. There are real solutions.

Wondering why your favourite small businesses keep disappearing? It's often not bad luck - it's bad rent. To stop main street chainification - Ontario businesses need better this election. Fair rent, insurance & pathways to owning instead of renting. Discover | betterwayalliance.ca/ontario-elec...

🚨 68% rent increases. Soaring insurance costs. Lingering debt. Tariff threats. Ontario’s small businesses don’t need band-aid fixes—we need real solutions. Here’s how the next government can supercharge local businesses: 1/3 👇👇

What's the difference between Made in Canada & Product of Canada? With Trump tariffs looming, shoppers are looking for Canadian-made goods - knowing what’s truly local takes work. @taradeschamps.bsky.social has a helpful guide so you can figure it out: www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/business/fro...

Tariffs are here - and as Trudeau said, it's time to refocus on Canada's incredible tourism, homemade products, and local businesses. Here's where to start:

5 restaurants I frequent have dropped delivery apps in the last year. The latest? ēst in Leslieville, fed up with poor delivery quality & the GIGANTIC 25-30% cut these apps take. www.blogto.com/eat_drink/20...

If Trump slaps tariffs on Canadian goods, we'll see high costs, lost jobs & mega uncertainty. Ottawa talking short-term relief is helpful. But Canada's businesses need long-term solutions for stability. @theglobeandmail.com | www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

Long-term biz failures are up over the last 5 years. If you enjoy saying words like "let's skip Starbucks & go to the locally owned, charming hole in the wall that creates good jobs in OUR community, and also they make living in the neighborhood more fun" Then go support local Canadian businesses.

Hello new people! Jumpstart your bluesky feed with Canada's best, smartest & gooiest brains 🤤

The 4-day work week is an overwhelming success. Findings from Germany suggest a compressed work week drives efficiency through better time management & workflow optimization. Canada next? @euroweeklynews.com | euroweeklynews.com/2025/01/12/g...