About This Column
This monthly column on Online Business Canada is intended to inspire action. You know digital transformation is critical to growing your business, but there are so many moving parts and so much to learn! It’s easier to navigate if someone points you in the right direction so you can take the first steps. You don’t have to master anything right now, you only need to move forward and learn as you go.
If one growth tip doesn’t work for your business, pick another one and try that. If you do that over the course of a year, you may be surprised at how much your business has grown and how clear your path is to further growth. A custom strategy will naturally emerge from your efforts, all from trying something new every month.
Content for this column will vary from month to month. We’ll cover what’s trending, motivation, tools, diversification, funding, actionable Canadian data, expert quotes, and how & where to grow your business online over the following month. New posts will be announced in our newsletter, so sign up to ensure you don’t miss a single month of growth.
Grow Your Canadian Small Business Online in August
The lazy, hazy, crazy days of August find business owners and marketers laying the foundation for the fourth quarter (such as booking influencers and submitting products for gift guides). Some are winding down from their busy season, while others are happy to see their Summer slump begin to dissipate. If you’re promoting back-to-school products or services, your ads will be running at full throttle this month.
The following bite-size tips reveal fast ways to grow your Canadian small business online this month.
[DISCLOSURE:Â We may receive compensation for links to products on this website.]
TIP 1: 2025 Back-to-School Shopping Journey
The back-to-school shopping journey moves through several retail formats & channels in 2025, and it isn’t at all linear. Their top destinations, according to Deloitte, are mass merchants (83%) and online retailers (68%), both of which have grown from last year. While a Canadian Caddle/RCC report predicts far more in-store shopping this year.
“The back-to-school shopping journey is not linear — it’s emotional, multi-trip, and value-driven,” concludes the report by Caddle/RCC. “Parents begin planning early but face ongoing complexity: price sensitivity, shifting priorities by grade, and high expectations for both online tools and in-store support.”
The Deloitte report also found 41% of back-to-school shoppers will use social media on their shopping journey, and they’ll spend more than those who don’t. AI makes an appearance on the 2025 back-to-school shopper’s journey, with 33% planning to use it. That number jumps to 67% for GenZ.
Chasing trends isn’t always effective in marketing & sales. However, trends are highly relevant when it comes to specific shopping events like back-to-school, and they contribute to your annual growth rate. When you’re targeting a specific sales event, you need to know what shoppers are doing and where they’re going in real time.
Here are 20 Ways Canadian Online Retailers Can Win Back-To-School Sales.
Speaking of schools, check out Computers for Schools Plus (CFS+) to donate digital devices & accessories to Canadian Schools via Industry Canada. It’s safe, environmentally friendly, and tax deductible.
TIP 2: Back With the Old, In With the New
Social network popularity can change over time and there’s a constant influx of new platforms. Reddit is enjoying a surge in popularity, for example, and Pinterest maintains a strong presence in Canada. It (literally) pays to keep an eye on what’s trending within social networks. For instance, social media statistics will tell you Pinterest is one of Canada’s most popular networks, and they have an internal trend tool that’s searchable by country.
Social networks are also a valuable source of news and growth tips for their respective networks, like Pinterest sharing tips with Social Media Today on how to align your pin listings with visual search. They provide solid information because your success, is their success.
Always be on the lookout for new social networks, but only join those that you believe will be the best use of your time. Keep an eye on them too, because some will surprise you. A couple of new Canadian networks coming this year are Eh! and Gander Social.
TIP 3: Grow With Multiple Steams of Income
If you have a website and/or a solid social media presence, you have opportunities to grow with additional streams of income. Diversifying revenue streams supports scalability and puts you in front of new audiences.
The Kit State of the Creator Economy Report found that professional creators are the most likely to have at least six income streams. More than half of full-time creators have at least three different streams of income.
“Adding more income streams grows your revenue and diversifies your business,” suggests Kit. “The trick to making each income stream a success, though, is choosing the right mix for your audience.”
The report details a successful strategy that includes:
- Finding the right new revenue stream
- Mixing active with passive income sources
- Selling multiple digital products at different price ranges
- Mixing recurring and one-time revenue streams
- Making offers for different audiences
An easy option to start with are printables. Selling a printable product might not sound as flashy as launching your signature course or high-ticket membership program, but it can be one of the easiest and most effective ways to grow your business. Printables are relatively quick to create, easy to sell again and again, and often come at a lower price point, making them a perfect entry point for new customers. Consider these 10 Ideas For Printables You Can Sell Online (+ Real Creator Examples).
TIP 4: Grow With Video
Video is bigger than ever, and there are more platforms for showing it. According to a Leger study, 68% of Canadians said they have a YouTube account and 33% have a TikTok account. Daily use of YouTube was at 40% in 2025, and half as many for TikTok.
“The power of video cannot be underestimated in today’s marketing strategies,” says HubSpot’s State of Marketing in Canada report. “Our survey revealed that platforms such as YouTube (89% increase in usage) and TikTok (49% increase in usage) have been key drivers in connecting with audiences and boosting ROI for brands in Canada, with this influence projected to further increase.”
If you (like myself) don’t like to be in front of the camera, there are several options online. Synthesia AI Video Production, for example, facilitates the easy creation of studio-quality videos with AI avatars and voiceovers in 140+ languages.
TIP 5: August Content
Grow your traffic, grow your business! Timely content can differentiate your business while generating traffic that converts.
Note: We post a list of holidays & observances (monthly, weekly and daily) for marketers in the Online Business Canada Facebook group. There’s a lot of them! You’re bound to find some that are a perfect fit for you business.
Here are just a few August holidays & observances:
Back to School Month
Home Business Month
Foot Health Month
Wellness Month
Family Meals Month
Canning Month
Shop Online for Groceries Month
August content themes and slants can include summer, recreation, landscaping, heat safety, fire safety, water safety, travel, and time with family. Canadian civic holidays on August 4th include NT, Nunavut, and Ontario, along with Saskatchewan Day, New Brunswick Day, British Columbia Day, Heritage Day (Alberta), and Natal Day (Nova Scotia). Terry Fox Day is observed in Manitoba.
TIP 6: Business Books Worth Reading
Here we share quick quotes from business books we’re reading to help your knowledge grow with your business.
With SEO transforming before our eyes, I’ve been reexamining options and considering all of the latest information. I’ve yet to have a client or colleague regret launching a loyalty program. Any problems usually stemmed from mismanagement.
“Best-practice loyalty program operators utilise a complex combination of design principles, loyalty psychology and behavioural biases, desirable rewards, appropriate design frameworks, games and gamification, technology, analytics and personalisation, lifecycle management, security and fraud protections, and efficient operations to drive industry-leading member engagement.
There appears to be sufficient academic research and empirical evidence to suggest that loyalty programs, when designed and executed correctly, can work to generate increased acquisition, spend, retention, advocacy and brand affinity.” ~ Loyalty Programs: The Complete Guide by Philip Shelper, Stacey Lyons, Scott Harrison, Max Savransky, Lincoln Hunter and Michael Smith
Incremental Change
Changes spread out over the year will combine into powerful results. When growth based on technology overwhelms us, we can make small changes to continue growing and develop further as we feel our way through it.
How will you grow your online business in August? Please share your ideas or questions in the comments below, or join us in the Online Business Canada Facebook group.
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Last Updated on August 28, 2025 by Melody McKinnon, Online Business & Marketing Manager
Melody McKinnon is an internet entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in a wide range of online business models, backed by a formal business/marketing education and enhanced by training and mentorship. She has owned or managed both educational and ecommerce websites. Her book, 7 Recession Proof Online Businesses to Start From Home, is available from all major ebook retailers.
Melody has worked with many businesses in a multitude of capacities. She can often be found on CanadianDigitalMedia.com, CanadiansInternet.com, CanadianFamily.net, and AllNaturalPetCare.com, as well as other quality digital publications. Her content has earned reference links from highly-respected websites, magazines and university textbooks.
