Canada’s small business owners have a lot to think about these days. In the aftermath of the pandemic labour shortages, regulatory requirements, and cybersecurity remain key concerns for half of Canada’s 1.2 million small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Given how significant SMEs are to the Canadian economy — they contribute over half of GDP and employ 63% of all employees — small businesses need to fully recover. Since many are still reporting below normal revenue streams the challenges are recognized. According to John Stoker, Paul Davis Central Nova Scotia, he shares the pain. “Fortunately our company’s reputation as a good place to work has helped us attract and retain skilled workers. Navigating provincial rules, Canada’s cultural differences and business licensing requirements are also topics that concern me. Savvy business owners that I speak with consider these real challenges, too.
After so many years of ultra low interest rates that party is over, too. New and growing concern with rising interest rates has taken a front seat. Like so many small business owners, Stoker experiences these worries as he operates his Paul Davis franchise. “All of these business hurdles set a high bar to success. And we’ve got to recognize that while these are mostly out of our control, I also focus a great deal of energy internally among our staff and in a phrase expressed widely by Paul Davis. We want to be seen as ‘The Difference Makers’ and to achieve that distinction we pay great attention to what we do control.” This is how Stoker explains it.“We believe in caring cultural within our company. We work hard to build a great team. We hire great people as we need them and we charge them with delivering great service to customers. We expect our employees to be proud of Paul Davis when they wear the uniform and show up for work. My most vital job is to show people that our top priority is how we care for our customers and employees. We want our customers to realize that the hard work we do makes their homes and businesses whole again after a disaster and we encourage them to review their insurance policies and develop emergency plans in conjunction with us for their business. In short, The Difference MakersTM at my Paul Davis operation make a positive difference in the lives of every customer we touch. By doing that we overcome the other obstacles and we don’t worry so much.