The Top 4 Small to MediumSized Business Trends in 2019

The business landscape is always evolving. In the last few weeks, the situation for many businesses in Ontario has changed drastically. You may be wondering where you can turn to find support in these challenging times.The good news is that there are plenty of supports for business owners operating in Ontario. If you’re looking for answers, try some of these tips and resources.

Federal and Provincial Support for Business Owners

Both the federal and provincial governments have announced funds designed to help business owners keep their doors open and their lights on during this time. If you’ve faced slashed hours or needed to lay employees off, then you may be eligible for business support funds.These funds could help you pay your employees during this time. Other funds are available to help businesses n Ontario manage their day-to-day operating expenses.

Check Government Websites for Resources

You may also want to look at the provincial government’s website, which has lists of programs and services for business owners like you. You can find one-on-one small business consulting and guidance, as well as workshops and more. You may also qualify for consultations with lawyers or accountants. Support is also available if you need grants, permits, or licenses. There are even resources to support mentorship and networking, available through Small Business Enterprise Centres.

Connect with Your Peers

Networking resources may be available through government-run resources. You may also find support through local small business organizations or trade federations. Even social media can help as you connect with your colleagues and peers.

Great Options for Creating Liquidity

In an uncertain market, business owners like you need financial options to help you create liquidity. Check in with your financial institution about measures they can provide to help you. You may also explore other options, like a merchant cash advance. The right funding options will help you create stability and flexibility when your business needs it most. Curious to learn more about your financing options? Get in touch with the experts and discover what a merchant cash advance could do for your business.

As a celebration of Small Business Month, 2M7 Financial Solutions is proud to announce its team will be featuring its simple, flexible funding alternative at the 2022 Small Business Summit in Toronto to help more Canadian companies succeed. Since its inception, 2M7 has been dedicated to providing small business owners in Canada with a simpler and faster borrowing solution – providing the cashflow they need to run and grow their operations, even if they don’t qualify for traditional business loans.“

It’s getting exponentially harder for small business owners to qualify for loans from banks and other financial institutions, so 2M7 strives to provide the fastest and least complicated alternative to help support our Canadian entrepreneurs,” said Avi Bernstein, CEO of 2M7 Financial Solutions. “We believe it’s more important than ever to help small Canadian businesses grow, and our team is excited to take part in this year’s summit to meet the small business owners who are the true backbone of our economy.”

2M7 has helped thousands of businesses get funding to hire staff, buy inventory, repair equipment, expand to new locations, and more. Designed specifically for Canadian small business owners, 2M7’s merchant cash advance solution gets companies the funding they need – faster. Based around simple terms and flexible repayment structures, small businesses can easily get the cashflow they need, while having peace of mind that repayments are based on their month-to-month sales performance. Unlike banks, 2M7 provides its clients with fast funding, depositing funds directly into their bank accounts within 24-48 hours to invest almost immediately in their operations, however they see fit.“

In this fast-paced era, 2M7 has been proudly helping Canadian companies bring their businesses online to establish a global reach, as well as financing the digitalization of their processes in order to streamline operations, so our team is excited for this year’s summit theme of Embracing Digital Disruption,” said Avi. “With an increasingly competitive business landscape, and the ease of accessibility to a global market, we’re proud to give small businesses the competitive edge to grow even faster.”

To learn more about 2M7’s merchant cash advances for small businesses, please visit the 2M7 Financial team at booth #014 in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, on Wednesday, October 26^th, or to see how much funding your business qualifies for, click here.

About the 2022 Small Business Summit

The Small Business Summit is an annual event in Toronto that celebrates Small Business Month and focuses on helping entrepreneurs grow and succeed. The summit will bring together start-ups, business owners, and experienced professionals for a day of networking. Hosted in Toronto, the third-largest tech hub in North America, the 2022 event will be themed “Embracing Digital Disruption” and feature major keynote speakers.

The world has moved into a brand new era of retail. COVID-19 has forced many businesses to move their operations online or risk bankruptcy. Such a drastic change in the global world of retail begs the question, do customers really want to visit retail stores in 2021? Well, let us be the first to tell you, yes they do. Online shopping might be convenient, but it can never offer the same experience as a retail store. So, with COVID-19 becoming more manageable in certain parts of the world, businesses have once again opened the physical doors for their customers and begun selling in stores. If you need to refresh your memory on how to attract customers to your stores in 2021, here are a few tips to help you out.

Cut Down on Customer Waiting Times

The number of COVID-19 patients may be decreasing, but the pandemic is far from over. People are still taking some precautionary measures, and the general public doesn't want to hang around your store waiting for their turn at the cashier. You should optimize the customer experience to make sure that individuals can come in, buy something, and leave within the span of a few minutes. This might not bring in new customers, but it will keep older ones returning.

Offer Incentives to Customers

E-commerce might not have the same feel. But, it's still superior when it comes to convenience. You need to give the shoppers an incentive to drive out to your store and actually spend time indoors. The world has gotten accustomed to shopping online, and you have to drag them out of their houses by offering incentives. This can be a coupon, a discount code, a buy one gets one free deal, etc. An example of this would be the Costco hotdogs. The store has been selling its hotdogs with a price tag of $1.50 since 1984. The company is honest about the fact that they're losing money annually because of the hotdogs, but it does give an incentive to individuals to visit the store and eventually buy products while they're there.

Curb Appeal

If you haven't opened your store in the past year or so, there's probably some cleaning to do. That's not all. You should definitely consider doing some renovating to offer customers a welcome sight. Also, keep your store clean and hygienic and make sure that your customers know that. Your visitors will always appreciate you abiding by COVID-19 SOPs even while the pandemic is declining.

Conclusion

Regardless of what strategies you employ to attract customers, it’s going to cost you and your business money. If you’re trying to get back up on your feet and regain some financial stability, 2M7 Financial Solutions can help you out. 2M7 offers merchant cash advances that can help businesses bounce back post-shutdown. We can provide your business with a merchant cash advance when you need it. Contact us today to learn more.