Andrew Rasheed on Tackling Canada’s HR Crisis: Recruitment, Retention, and the Future of Work

Canada’s workforce is undergoing major changes, leading to new challenges and opportunities for employers?across the country. More recent data suggest an inconsistent unemployment rate and even a significant jump to 6.8% in November 2024, the highest since January 2017 (setting pandemic?years aside). That was in the face of an?increase of 50,500 jobs and an expansion of the labour force by 137,800, so overall job growth failed to keep pace.

Coworkers conversing

By December 2024, the economy?had recovered, with new jobs surging by 90,900, nearly four times the predicted number, and the unemployment rate had dipped to 6.7%. That November job market continuation brought an additional 76,000 jobs in January 2025, and the unemployment rate stayed at 6.6%.…

Continue reading →

Core Drills: A Comprehensive Buyer’s Guide

Drilling precise holes in hard materials is a common challenge during construction and ground drilling. Conventional drills cannot work on hard surfaces, which leads to inefficiency and equipment damage. However, core drills offer an ideal solution, allowing accurate and round cuts.

Core drill

photo credit: Aiden Wilkinson / Wikimedia Commons

Many construction projects depend on core drilling for applications such as plumbing, electrical conduits, and HVAC installations. The core drills are also used in road maintenance, infrastructure development, and geology, where the drills extract rock samples for analysis.

With all these applications, buyers are likely to find many core drills in the market.…

Continue reading →

Who’s Liable for Campaign Rule Breaches When You Outsource Staffing?

Campaign staffing issues discussion

Key Takeaways:

  • Temporary staffing during campaign season introduces unique compliance risks, particularly around campaign finance laws governing in-kind contributions and political involvement.
  • Businesses may still be held legally accountable for the actions of outsourced workers, even when using staffing firms, especially if there’s oversight or benefit involved.
  • Common risks include unauthorized solicitations, misclassification of paid workers as volunteers, and poor documentation of staffing activity.
  • To protect against violations, businesses should vet staffing partners, embed compliance clauses in contracts, provide clear worker training, and establish internal oversight procedures.

You’ve likely tapped into temporary staffing firms during high-demand periods, but campaign season introduces a different kind of pressure — and a different kind of risk.…

Continue reading →

Why More Than 70,000 Small Businesses Trust Hibu: Reviews From Real Local Owners

Small business owners often struggle to balance their core work with building their market presence. The pressure to go digital creates unique challenges for businesses without tech expertise, that’s why over 70,000 American small businesses have partnered with Hibu for marketing help. Hibu reviews reveal how small-scale enterprises have made it a crucial partner for local enterprises across many different industries.

Local business owners

Today’s small businesses need advanced marketing strategies but most owners simply don’t have the expertise to create on their own. Hibu fills this gap by turning what used to be simple vendor relationships into true partnerships that change how companies operate.…

Continue reading →

Human Capital Management: A Strategic Approach to Workforce Success

Human Capital Management

Key Takeaways:

  • Human Capital Management (HCM) is critical in aligning workforce capabilities with organizational goals.
  • Utilizing advanced HR technologies and data-driven insights improves decision-making and enhances employee performance.
  • Strategic HCM fosters a positive work culture, which can lead to greater employee satisfaction and retention.
  • Understanding future trends in HCM is crucial for businesses to stay competitive and adaptive in a dynamic marketplace.

Introduction

In today’s rapidly changing business environment, organizations increasingly recognize the importance of their workforce as a key strategic asset. Human Capital Management (HCM) is a holistic approach that focuses on maximizing the value of human resources by aligning employees’ skills, goals, and activities with the organization’s overall objectives.…

Continue reading →

Facts to Know for Small Jewelry Businesses

The jewelry market is a dynamic and expanding industry, anticipated to achieve significant growth in the upcoming years. According to Statista.com, in 2024, the revenue in the Jewelry market worldwide is projected to reach a staggering U.S. $310.90 billion. This potential for substantial revenue underscores the opportunities available to small businesses looking to enter or expand within the jewelry industry.

Jewelry business

Understanding market trends is essential for small jewelry business owners who wish to navigate this competitive landscape successfully. Rings, in particular, have shown exceptional performance, representing the largest share of revenue among jewelry products in recent times. The prevalence and popularity of rings can serve as a guiding point for businesses aiming to capitalize on emerging trends and consumer preferences.…

Continue reading →

Trust Fund Recovery Penalty: How Small Business Owners Can Protect Their Assets from IRS Action

IRS TFRP business protection

  • Trust Fund Recovery Penalty (TFRP) Risks: Small business owners may be personally responsible for unpaid payroll taxes, risking personal assets like homes and savings. 
  • Common Mistakes: Cash flow issues lead to unpaid payroll taxes, and failing to designate payments properly increases personal liability. 
  • IRS Enforcement: The IRS aggressively pursues responsible individuals, including business owners, officers, and check signers, even in bankruptcy. 
  • Prevention Strategies: Prioritize payroll taxes, correctly allocate payments, verify payroll providers, and seek expert help to avoid severe financial consequences.  

Running a small business comes with financial challenges, but few are as devastating as the IRS’s Trust Fund Recovery Penalty (TFRP).…

Continue reading →

Live Social Shopping is The Future of E-Commerce: Here’s Why

In today’s digital landscape, attention is the ultimate currency. Gary Vaynerchuk, a well-known entrepreneur and marketing expert, highlights this fundamental shift: social media platforms already have users’ attention, and now they are integrating shopping directly into that environment. The result? A seamless experience where users can discover, engage, and purchase—all within the same platform.

Live social shopping

photo credit: Kampus Production / Pexels

Platforms like Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter) are aggressively pushing live shopping features. These social giants recognize that live commerce is not just a trend—it’s a revolution in retail, media, and product marketing. This transformation is happening in real time, with millions of dollars being transacted monthly through TikTok live shopping, Instagram shopping, and other social commerce channels.…

Continue reading →

How Small Businesses Can Use Stickers to Amplify Their Branding and Customer Engagement

Stickers marketing

photo credit: RDNE Stock Project / Pexels

  • Cost-Effective Branding: Custom stickers turn customers into brand ambassadors, offering an affordable way to boost visibility and engagement.
  • Creative Marketing Tool: Stickers enhance packaging, fuel guerrilla marketing, and drive in-person and social media interactions.
  • Community & Cause Alignment: Businesses can use stickers to support social causes, strengthen brand identity, and build customer loyalty.
  • Maximizing Impact: High-quality designs, strategic distribution, and QR codes can make sticker marketing more effective and trackable.

Walk into any coffee shop, co-working space, or city street, and you’ll likely spot a laptop, water bottle, or phone case decorated with colorful stickers.…

Continue reading →

Does Your company Need Device Management? Find Out!

The way businesses use devices has changed. Employees work from different locations, relying on laptops, tablets, and smartphones to stay connected. While this makes daily tasks easier, it also introduces security concerns. A lost phone, an outdated laptop, or an unprotected tablet can become an entry point for unauthorized access, putting sensitive company data at risk.

Device management

Some businesses set rules for device use, while others rely on full-scale management solutions. If your company doesn’t have a structured approach to handling employee devices, it’s worth considering whether the risks outweigh the convenience.

Why Businesses Need to Keep Track of Their Devices

Many companies issue work devices, but plenty of employees also use personal ones for work.…

Continue reading →