Craig Gibbs, the owner of a FastSigns, at his new location on Morningside Ave. in Scarborough, Ont. on March 31, 2017. Municipal taxes at his new location are half of what they were at his old location on Kennedy Rd.J.P. MOCZULSKI/The Globe and Mail
Ontario minimum-wage hike expected to squeeze restaurant owners
Steven Mastoras says this is the last summer he'll be hiring seasonal employees.
The owner of Whistler's Grille &The McNeil Room in Toronto says the increase in the Ontario minimum wage announced last Tuesday has forced him to rethink how he staffs his restaurant and events business. He's also pondering how his business will adapt to sweeping changes to Ontario labour law, which will affect how shifts are scheduled, require additional vacation time and make it easier for some types of workers to unionize.
"Things are going to change in terms of scheduling, in terms of hiring practice, in terms of student hires," Mr. Mastoras says. Full story
This is the weekly Report on Small Business newsletter compiled by small business editor Sarah Efron. If you're reading this on the web or someone forwarded this e-mail newsletter to you, you can sign up for Report on Small Business and all Globe newsletters here. Have any feedback? Let us know what you think.
Ottawa freezes anti-spam provision, seeks review of legislation
The federal government has put on hold the implementation of part of Canada's anti-spam law in response to feedback from the business community. The law, which came into effect in 2014, puts restrictions on e-mails and other electronic communications for promotional purposes. That means that marketers wanting to contact consumers directly this way need their explicit consent to do so. Full story
Rising commercial property taxes put small-business owners in a bind
Andrew Feenstra moved his bike store, Cyclesmith, in late 2014, following a redevelopment of the Halifax building the shop had been in for decades. Rather than close during the building's construction, Mr. Feenstra moved, signing a 15-year lease and renovating a building on Agricola Street, an up-and-coming area in the city's north end. Full story
Stop 'growth hacking' – you're embarrassing yourself
I'm in a private Facebook Group for people who advertise on Facebook. Many in the group call themselves "growth hackers", "acceleration gurus", and "ninjas." Full story
Business owner claims victory on Newfoundland iceberg tax
A small-business owner in Newfoundland and Labrador is claiming victory after pressuring the provincial government to reverse a large increase in fees companies would pay to use iceberg water. Full story
More small business news from around the web
Raising B.C.'s minimum wage will kill job growth says small business group
With the NDP-Green alliance signalling it plans to move forward with a $15 minimum wage, some in the business community are raising concerns. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says bumping the minimum wage by such a significant amount could end up meaning fewer new jobs. Full story
Curry with caribou: Budding entrepreneur honoured by Saskatchewan Polytechnic
If Chantel Buffalo gets her way, she'll be serving up bannock and ping kai any day now. Buffalo is currently working towards opening a Cree-Laotian fusion restaurant in Saskatoon. Her mother is from Kawacatoose First Nation and her father was born in Laos. Full story
Entrepreneur in Charlottetown modifies french fry cutter for new markets
The Iranian-born man moved to P.E.I. in August 2007 after living in the United Kingdom for the past 21 years. Full story
Small business owner takes huge hit
A West Kelowna-area business owner is suffering a huge loss due to Okanagan Lake's rising waters. Whiplash Cable Parks sits on the water, just across the Bennett Bridge. Full story
Two Canadian startups land a spot at Google Demo Day
Two Canadian startups have landed a spot at Google Demo Day: Waterloo-based TritonWear, which developed a wearable device that computes over a dozen key metrics to improve athlete training and performance; and Montreal-based Keatext, which is developing artificial intelligence-led technology that aims to boost companies' customer satisfaction using insights from customers' online comments. Full story
Young entrepreneurs in Syria: 'they'll rebuild what the war has destroyed'
It could be any other startup bootcamp. Thirteen teams nervously chatter among themselves, waiting for Dania Ismail, director of Jusoor, to open proceedings. But these entrepreneurs are from Syria and many will have gone to great lengths to travel to Lebanon to take part. "We had a participant coming from Aleppo and it took him 26 hours to get to Beirut," Ismail says. "It's usually a six-hour journey. He got on a bus that drove off the road because Isis was shooting at them … it was a big adventure but he made it." Full story
More grocers may be able to sell alcohol come fall
While selling alcohol at grocery stores has made it more convenient for consumers to purchase beer, cider, and wine, from the business end, the fee to sell alcohol is pricey. Now, the province has announced legislation that would, if passed, reduce the regulatory fee required for grocers to sell alcohol. This price reduction would help small, independent grocers afford to have alcohol available for consumer purchase. Full story