Business Ownership
Bold & Black: Valrie Grant
Name: Valrie Grant Business: GeoTechVision and Marlie Technology Park Industry: Technology Tanya: So, question one - what was your path to entrepreneurship? Valrie: I kind of got there a little bit around about. I was a senior manager in government. I'm a...
How To Start An Online Business
So you want to learn how to start an online business? While this used to be a novel idea, most businesses are now online businesses of some sort — but unfortunately, only 16% of Canadian businesses are owned by women. And despite an increase in female-founded startups...
How to Start a Business: A Step-by-Step Guide
Starting a business can be incredibly exciting, and also incredibly daunting. There are so many things to consider, steps to follow, and it all rests on your shoulders. That’s a lot of pressure for new entrepreneurs or even seasoned pros. Thankfully, enough business...
13 Tips for Starting and Managing a Small Business
Managing a small business is not easy. Without the resources that large corporations have come to rely on to make business run smoothly (think HR departments, finance, legal, etc.), it can be difficult to learn how to start and manage a small business. Between...
10 Meaningful Sustainable Business Practices
What does it mean to be a sustainable business? And how can you easily adopt sustainable business practices into your day-to-day operations? Read on for 10 meaningful ways you can adopt environmentally friendly and sustainable practices for your business. It’s easy to...
Building & maintaining a relationship with your banker
As a business owner, your Relationship Manager is one of the most valuable people to have on your team of trusted advisors. Open communication and a collaborative approach are key to ensuring you get the best advice to help build, and continue to grow, your business....
They are all entrepreneurs but they are not all the same
Surely, there are some differences between male and female entrepreneurs. A number of small but statistically significant differences among male and female entrepreneurs were found in the types of businesses that they established, their self-reported measures of...
Gender and Funding the Business
Research recently commissioned by BMO Wealth Management found many similarities between male and female entrepreneurs, while some differences challenged more than a few misconceptions. This study, conducted by Carleton University researchers in conjunction with The...
Bold(h)er: Sustainable Beauty – More Than Just Skin Deep
Lisa Mattam named her business after the Hindi word for “intuitive” – Sahajan. Her beauty business is based on Ayurvedic traditions her family and generations before had used. They knew it worked, and Lisa set out to prove those claims with modern science. As she...
Bold(h)er: Swagger – Tap into Your Personal Power
Unleash everything you are and become everything you want – that’s a big statement, but that’s what Leslie Ehm promises you’ll gain if you develop Swagger. It’s not that bold, brash idea of the word that you used to have. Instead, as she told Lisa Bragg in this...
Bold(h)er: You Belong in the Room
A mentor can see in you what you don’t see in yourself. Vivian Pickard says her successful 40-year career at General Motors was thanks to mentors who took the time to propel her forward. As she tells Lisa Bragg, walking in as your highest self is the secret to...
Bold & Black: Christine Channer Auguste
Name: Christine Channer Auguste Business: The Channer Group Inc. Industry: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Management Consulting Tanya: So, what is the name of your company? Christine: My company is The Channer Group Incorporated. That is the parent. That's...
Bold(h)er: Evolving to Chief Enthusiasm Officer
Sink or swim was how Robin Howlings had to learn business and to become a manager. Then one day, someone told her, "everyone hates you… and they’re all going to quit.” Harsh, but as Howings tells Lisa Bragg, that was a transformative moment that not only changed her...
10 Meaningful Sustainable Business Practices
What does it mean to be a sustainable business? And how can you easily adopt sustainable business practices into your day-to-day operations? Read on for 10 meaningful ways you can adopt environmentally friendly and sustainable practices for your business. It’s easy to...
Bold(h)er: Beauty and Reconciliation
Cheekbone Beauty has its roots in a dream founder and CEO Jenn Harper had of little girls in lipgloss. In this episode, Jenn chats with Lisa about how she turned that dream into a successful, Indigenous-owned cosmetics company that gives back to its community, the...
Bold(h)er: How a Pandemic Changes Employee Engagement (And What Stays the Same)
Employers and employees alike have a unique opportunity in the COVID era: to take stock of what they’re doing and decide if it’s right for them. This episode of a special Bold(h)er series on women leading innovation in the face of the coronavirus features recruitment...
Bold & Black: Laura Williams
Name: Laura Williams Businesses: Williams HR Law LLP; Williams HR Consulting, Inc. Industry: Law/ Human Resources Tanya: So, the first question, an easy one, what is the name of your company, and what does it do? Laura: I have two companies. So, the first one...
Bold(h)er: Encore – Opportunity from Disruption
Encore presentation. Originally aired June 2021. Your career is a long game. There are lessons, pivots, losses, wins and maybe some gaps. In this episode of Bold(h)er, BMO’s Chief Human Resources Officer and Head of People & Culture Mona Malone and Dr. Talia...
Bold & Black: Jessica Yamoah
Name: Jessica Yamoah Business: INNOVATE INC Industry: Technology Tanya: All right, so what is INNOVATE INC? Jessica: INNOVATE INC provides awareness and access to underrepresented communities at the intersection of business and entrepreneurship as well as...
Bold & Black: Brittney King Brock
Name: Brittney King Brock Business: King Creative Group Industry: Music/ Entertainment Tanya: Hi and welcome! So, you are the Founder and Operator of King Creative Group. Tell us about your company. Brittney: King Creative Group is a multi-faceted entertainment and...
Bold & Black: Leigh Butler
Name: Leigh Butler Business: Akina Technologies Industry: Technology / Community Tanya: The first question is an easy one. What was your path to entrepreneurship? Leigh: Gosh, you think that's an easy question? Tanya: I mean, a simple question. Maybe not an...
Bold & Black: Roushelle Reign
Name: Roushelle Reign Business: Roushelle Reign Design Haus Industry: Branding/Graphic Design Tanya: Hi! I know the next 45 minutes are going to fly by because you are always so fun to chat with. Tell me about your path to entrepreneurship? Roushelle: I knew...
Bold(h)er: Opportunity from Disruption
Your career is a long game. There are lessons, pivots, losses, wins and maybe some gaps. In this episode of Bold(h)er, BMO’s Chief Human Resources Officer and Head of People & Culture Mona Malone and Dr. Talia Varley of The Cleveland Clinic join Lisa Bragg to talk...
Bold & Black: Kimberlee West
Name: Kimberlee West Business: Kids Swag Industry: Retail/Children’s Goods Tanya: Let's get right to business: what was your path/journey to entrepreneurship? Kimberlee: Oh, that's a good question. I don't think people have asked me that. I would say that the...
Bold(h)er: Opportunity from Disruption
Your career is a long game. There are lessons, pivots, losses, wins and maybe some gaps. In this episode of Bold(h)er, BMO’s Chief Human Resources Officer and Head of People & Culture Mona Malone and Dr. Talia Varley of The Cleveland Clinic join Lisa Bragg to talk...
BMO Hosts Women Business Owners for Resilience Retreat
Paulette Jagers, Chief Inclusion Officer, and Sheri Griffiths, Regional President, Business Banking, recently hosted women entrepreneurs at the BMO IFL for a retreat focused on developing the skills and strategies needed to grow resilience in business and life. The...
Succession planning is key for small business owners
Nearly two in five business owners are wondering who will take over their business and how they will transition it to a successor. However, the majority of them do not have a formal plan to exit their business or preserve the continuity of the business upon...
Receiving an unsolicited offer to sell your business
Many successful business owners have had the experience of receiving an unsolicited phone call from someone offering to buy their business. On occasion, these unsolicited calls lead to a successful transaction, but more often than not the discussions go sideways for a...
Management Succession Planning
When we speak of “business succession planning” for private companies, some people think only of tax and estate planning, while others may only consider a transition in the share ownership of a business. While those are each important elements of succession planning,...
Five must-dos for entrepreneurs
Ready to launch your own startups? Make sure you know these five must-dos for entrepreneurs. Read more
Creating a Business Plan
What does a business plan look like? Here's how to write your plan and the key components to include. Read more
Building your business through social media marketing
Social media is a marketing gold mine for small businesses. And understanding the nuances of each social network can help you optimize your efforts and get the most bang for your buck. The best place to start is finding out where your customers are. Each site attracts...
What do I need to know about starting a franchise?
If you don’t want to start a business from scratch or buy an existing business, franchising may a good choice for you. Franchises employ over 1 million Canadians and generate approximately $68 billion in revenue every year.1 Franchising can reduce some of the risks of...
How to import goods into Canada and grow your business
It goes without saying that exporting your goods or services to another country or importing goods into Canada are great ways to grow your business. But with any great opportunity there are risks. So before you start to do business across borders, there are a...
Cash Flow Management
Have you thought about the five key areas of effective cash flow management for your business? This short video outlines what you should be thinking about to help ensure your business stays liquid.
Registering your business
Your decision to start a business is an exciting one. While many business owners start with a plan to inform and attract potential customers, one thing you’ll also need to do is register your business with various levels of government, for many reasons. Click on the...
Choosing the ideal business structure
Sole proprietorship, partnership, incorporation, cooperative? There are so many business structure options that it can be hard to choose what option is best for you and your business. Click on the image below to read more about the various options, the pros and cons...