Your go-to spot for Business Updates
Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the tragedy that occurred in Nova Scotia last weekend. Words cannot begin to describe the immeasurable loss that this community has suffered. We send our thoughts, our prayers and our love as the nation grieves.
Nova Scotia Strong - Canadian cartoonist Michael De Adder captures the grief felt after the mass shooting.
Each flag honours one of the 22 lives lost in the Nova Scotia shooting. 
You can show your support and solidarity for Nova Scotia by wearing the Province’s iconic blue and green tartan – it is a symbol of unity and a reminder that we are stronger together.
As always, Federal updates first
Beginning with a change in eligibility for the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) to help smaller businesses. Now, Businesses that paid between $20,000 and $1.5 million in total payroll in 2019 are eligible, as opposed to the previous range of between $50,000 and $1 million.

Canada has also announced $9 billion in support for students and recent graduates
  • The Canada Emergency Student Benefit – this will provide $1,250 per month for eligible students or $1,750 per month for eligible students with dependents or disabilities.
  • The new Canada Student Service Grant will provide up to $5,000 to students who carry out national service to serve their communities. The funds will be put towards the students’ education in the fall.
  • They will also expand existing federal employment, skills development, and youth programming to create up to 116,000 jobs, placements, and other training opportunities to help students find employment and develop their skills.
 
They’re setting up a $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund , which will help charities and non-profits. The funds will support activities like increasing volunteer-based home deliveries or helping vulnerable Canadians access benefits.

Further, the Federal Government has announced their intent to introduce a Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses. The program would provide loans (including forgivable ones) to commercial property owners who in turn lower or forgo the rent of small businesses for the month of April (retroactive), May and June.

Targeted Funding for Organizations - Trudeau has announced a series of measures designed to keep businesses, non-profits, and entire industries afloat.
And some key Provincial notes...
Alberta
Frozen tax rates. Education property tax rates will be frozen at last year’s level and will not reflect the 3.4% population and inflation increase that was added in Budget 2020. In addition, collection of non-residential education property tax for businesses will be deferred for 6 months.

Payment deferrals.
British Columbia
Commercial Property Tax Reduction. The Province of British Columbia is reducing most commercial property tax bills by an average of 25%. They are also postponing the date that late payment penalties apply for many commercial properties. More details are available here .
 
School Tax Reduction . School tax rates for commercial properties (Classes 4, 5 and 6) will be reduced by 50% for the 2020 tax year .
 
Small Business Support Service. The B.C. government has launched a small business support service . Operated by Small Business BC (SSBC), it will act as a “one-stop resource” to answer questions about what kind of supports are available from both the provincial and federal governments, as well as industry and community partners.
Nova Scotia
Deadline Reminder! The deadline to apply to the Small Business Impact Grant is April 25 th , 2020. You can apply here .
 
Commercial Rent Deferral. Landlords are encouraged to defer rent payments from their commercial tenants for 3 months, spreading the deferred rent amount over the rest of the lease term. This is to support small and medium-sized businesses. Here is the rent deferral form – gross lease and the rent deferral form – net lease .
Ontario
Corporate Tax Credit . The Ontario government is proposing a Regional Opportunities Investment Tax Credit . This 10% refundable credit would be available for private, Canadian-controlled corporations making qualifying investments that become available for use on or after March 25, 2020 (in specified regions of Ontario).
Québec
Support for essential workers. The Québec government is offering financial assistance to those working essential jobs, whereby they will provide $100 for each week of qualifying work beginning on March 15, 2020 (for a max of 16 weeks).
 
Emergency support for small businesses . Québec’s Emergency Assistance Program for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses will provide eligible businesses with loans or loan guarantees of up to $50,000. Details on eligibility are available here .
Plus… the Province has an online tool where Québec businesses can check which financial supports they are eligible for. You can find it here .
Saskatchewan
Small Business Support . The government of Saskatchewan is introducing the Saskatchewan Small Business Emergency Payment Program (SSBEP), which provides funding for small businesses impacted by government public health orders related to COVID-19. Businesses will receive a payment, which will be paid based on 15% of a business’ monthly sales revenue in either April 2019 or February 2020, to a maximum of $5,000.
Round 2: Post-Covid Prep
As the economic situation changes rapidly, so do the strategies for success. Read on for this week’s roundup of critical insights for crisis management through the pandemic.
 
Manage corporate risk . Donna Glass, the Deloitte Global Risk Advisory Leader, shows us how to navigate a changing risk landscape with a people-first approach.
 
Execute a digital-led recovery . McKinsey Digital predicts that COVID-19 will spur a shift to digital and transform the business landscape. Read on to discover how to accelerate your own digital transformation .
 
Cyber scams - protect your organization . Cyber attackers all over the world are using the pandemic to carry out scams and hacks. Make sure you’re doing everything to protect yourself with these tips from E&Y .
 
Force Majeure Clauses. This article offers an overview of the law relating to force majeure clauses and their role in allocating the risk of the unexpected.
 
Make a Business Continuity Plan . The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has a 15-page Flu and Infectious Diseases Business Continuity Plan , outlining what exactly a business continuity plan is, what to include it in, and what businesses can do in the event of a pandemic.
 
Navigate contractual relationships. Download this extremely detailed report for insights into a critical question facing businesses through the pandemic: how to manage contractual relationships in the face of disruption.
 
Maintain customer loyalty. Read on for a thorough guide on maintaining customer loyalty and trust through the crisis . This 5-page document features 12 essential tips that you don’t want to miss.
 
Spot the trends. Did you know that Disney, AT&T and Hewlett Packard were all born in a recession? Jeremy Gutsche does. Join Jeremy Gutsche, CEO and founder of TrendHunter.com for 20-minute podcast on innovating through chaos and what to expect as we move forward.
 
Expert Panel – legal and financial advice. The American Chamber of Commerce in Canada (AmCham) Pacific Chapter is presenting a free call-in panel of leading Canadian legal and financial experts . They’ll provide insight on developments, practical strategies and best practices related to the pandemic.

And to help you digest all of this info….

Popular meditation app Headspace is launching their Headspace for Work collection, with meditations, articles and a webinar designed to help those in the workplace lead with kindness and understanding through the pandemic.
Mindful Leadership
Learn from the successes of others – when we know better, we do better.
Struggling with perfectionism? This article discusses the need for agile leadership in times of crisis. Read on to explore the merits of compassion over empathy, selflessness over ego , and framing your leadership work as a series of small sprints.
Communicating with awareness. A lot can come from being mindful about what you say and how you say it. Read 15 leaders from Forbes Coaches Council offer their input on how leaders can embrace mindful communication with their teams.
Speed over precision. “Those in charge will be tested in areas where they have not fully developed their leadership muscles” – strengthen your leadership muscles with these four behaviours that help leaders manage a crisis.

Move beyond the ‘visionary’ leader. Understand the limitations of visionary leadership and embrace what our author terms ‘holding’: a way of containing and interpreting the events around you during times of uncertainty.

Non-profit Leadership. Discover HBR’s 5 steps non-profit leaders can take to keep their organizations afloat - Anticipate, Create, Nurture, Pivot and Ask.
Women at the helm. Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, Taiwan – female heads of state are showing us what decisive leadership in a pandemic looks like .
The How-To Series: Life at Home
From the practical to the proactive, here are some excellent how-to guides for optimizing life at home.
 
How to stay sharp at your home office.  Feeling that quarantine fog? Try freewriting, visualizing and time tracking to keep yourself innovative and creative.
Image credit: Westend61 | Getty Images
How to thrive in close quarters. A Navy SEAL (and Entrepreneur) teaches us how to apply the R.E.M.O.T.E. approach to life in isolation, a strategy designed to help Navy SEALS live in small, isolated submarines. As he puts it, it will transform your quarantine experience.
Image credit: 10'000 Hours | Getty Images
How to improve your zzz’s. As part of the TED Connects series, sleep scientist Matt Walker discusses why we need our sleep now more than ever. He discusses the powerful effects that sleep has on mind, body, creativity, immune health and memory.


How to get your goods delivered. A Canadian guide for the best and most reliable places to order delivery groceries, meals and medication from.



How to make a CDC approved cloth mask. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends people wear a cloth face covering in public spaces where social distancing is difficult to maintain (such as the grocery store). Find out how to make one yourself!


How to disinfect yourself, your home & your things. Here is a guide on how to properly clean & disinfect . You’ll find answers to questions like should I sanitize my mail or does the laundry machine work to disinfect clothes?
How to keep the kids busy. Another activity book has been released by the Mothers Matter Centre. This Week 4 schedule has great activities for all hours of the day (for children and parents both!).
How to take care of yourself. Here are some tips for pampering at home (including tidying your relaxation space, aromatherapy, scalp scrubs, face peels, foot soaks & CBD creams).
Business in the front, party in the back
Following official mullet guidelines, we’re ending this week with our own version of ‘party’. Find funny poems, upcoming events, noteworthy perspectives and some great channels to follow.
 
Music - Canada in Concert. Catch Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Bryan Adams and more on the "Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble" broadcast airing this Sunday, April 26 th . The one-hour show is a benefit for frontline workers, and will premiere on on CBC, Citytv, CTV, Global, and V network at 7 p.m. across all markets/7:30 p.m. NT.
Humour - Poems for Anxious People. “We Have Met so Many Times, /you and I. /And yet I have no idea/what your name is” read the first few lines of these humorous excerpts from NYT bestseller John Kenney’s Love Poems for Anxious People.
 


Food - Chef it up . This one’s a double win – you get to make something delicious and hang out with the Bon Appétit team. Check out their channel for videos of gourmet makes, test kitchen episodes, and Pro Chef features like their favourite cooking tools or tours of their kitchens.



Pandemic realities - Virtual haircuts. It’s official – virtual haircuts are here. This writer takes us through her experience of cutting her husband’s hair while their hairstylist walked them through it over video call. Can anyone relate?
Jacoblund/iStock, via Getty Images

Ideas - Less really is more. After being deprived from her cappuccinos, hair colorist, Pilates and facials, New York Times columnist Trish Hall does some self-reflection, realizing, I don’t really need all of this.
That's all folks!
While we’re away… don’t forget our free trial virtual advisory board . Sign-up to share your current business challenge with like-minded women leaders – facilitated by our amazing GYB Chairs Marg Hachey and Marla Kott. Sorry April is full, but we are now taking registrations for May 14, 20, 27, and 28.  Click the link here to register.
And as always, our webinars will continue, each offering tailored advice for managing through the crisis. Learn new strategies on team building , decision making and finding and following your North Star.
Can’t wait to see you back here next week.
#togetherathome #togetherweshare #togetherstrong
#excelsior
GroYourBiz Ltd.
Barbara Mowat, President
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