About This Column
This monthly column 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 a 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 July
The following bite-size tips reveal fast ways to grow your Canadian small business online this month.
TIP 1: What is Your Ideal Customer Doing This Summer?
Summer and all of its joys kick into high gear in July. Your customer may be acting out of character in this fun-focused mood, leaving you unsure of how to engage them.
Most companies don’t take the time to dig deeply into the lives of their ideal customer. They don’t consider and address how their behaviour differs with their focus. Doing so will not only boost revenue and facilitate growth, but also give you a competitive advantage that extends well beyond summer. Build on what you learn until you have a more fluid sales & marketing strategy.
Do you know how your customer avatar has fun in the summer? Have you factored in recreation at all? If your business is already focused on fun, what else are they interested in? A new look at your customer avatar can inspire new ideas, innovative products, and a more lucrative season.
Learn How to Find Info for Your Online Customer Profile (Avatar/Persona) and start building a more complete snapshot.
TIP 2: Budget Growth with Subsidies
Hire a student! It’s a fantastic, affordable way to breathe new life into your digital transformation.
There are two ways hiring students will stretch your budget:
- Hiring students usually means entry-level wages, while you provide work experience and training.
- There are government and organization subsidies that can cover a significant portion of student wages.
Bonus: You can try to recruit the best students for fulltime jobs once they graduate.
Canadian subsidy sources include:
Find wage subsidies to hire post-secondary students in Canada
The Canada Summer Jobs (Employment and Social Development Canada) wage subsidy is closed for 2024 applications (January), but it should be on your radar for next year.
Are you an entrepreneur looking for talented and innovative minds to help your small business grow? Discover the benefits of hiring co-op students by attending StrikeUP Connects free webinar in partnership with the University of Waterloo. Learn effective strategies to attract co-op student talent, gain research-backed recruitment insights, and receive a step-by-step guide to initiate your hiring process. There is an info session on July 11th, 2024.
TIP 3: Niche News
Your niche will grow and change over time. Keeping up with these changes can be the edge your company needs to grow and compete effectively. It could be short trends or a more permanent shift in the market.
For example, if you sell energy products you’ll be interested in news about caffeine. However, niche news reveals consumers are increasingly interested in “cleaner” sources of energy that don’t come with negative side effects. You can see how this will allow you to explore a new market within the same niche, perhaps before your competitors are even aware of the trend.
TIP 4: Retail Recession Growth
July is Independent Retailer Month! Etail Canada has published a list of tips to help your store grow while consumers are in a recession mindset, and it relies heavily on digital tech.
“By empowering people through technology, retailers can make a measurable impact on the bottom line and help lead their organizations during difficult economic times,” suggests the article.
Following are their top tips:
- Leverage Digital Channels to Stand Out in the Marketplace
- Use a Multichannel eCommerce Platform
- Invest in Process Automation
- Use Smart Inventory Management Systems
- Build a Stronger Partner Network
Learn how retailers can use these tips to drive sales in their article, Retailer Growth Hacks in the Face of Recession. Etail Canada also offers original Canadian reports, events, and a blog that can inform & enhance your retail growth strategy within this country and beyond.
TIP 5: July 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 July holidays & observances:
Culinary Arts Month
Independent Retailer Month
Grilling Month
Outdoor Month
Water Gardening Month
Self Care Month
UV Safety Month
Cell Phone Courtesy Month
Anti Boredom Month
Dog House Repairs Month
Family Reunion Month
July content themes and slants can include summer, recreation, landscaping, heat safety, travel, and time with family. July 1st is Canada Day, and there are two provincial holidays in July, Nunavut Day on July 9th and Orangemen’s Day on July 15th in Newfoundland.
[DISCLOSURE: We may receive compensation for links to products on this website.]
TIP 6: Business Books Worth Reading
Here we share quick quotes from business books we’re reading.
“The scaling entrepreneur needs a Bruce Lee mindset:
- A can do, will do attitude.
- A ‘win or learn’ mentality. Mistakes are an opportunity for self-improvement and adaptation.
- Being ‘formless,’ that is, not stubborn. As Bruce put it, ‘flexible like water.’
- An insatiable appetite for learning as the sustenance of personal growth.
- Make your best effort each day: ‘Do just a little more than what’s required.’
- Take personal responsibility for the outcome.
- Be a source of uplift. Your positive attitude and positive energy will raise those of your team.”
~ Simple Scaling: Ten Proven Principles to 10x Your Business by Brendan McGurgan
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 July? Please share your ideas or questions in the comments below, or join us in the Online Business Canada Facebook group.
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7 Recession Proof Online Businesses To Start From Home
Expert help to choose, start, and run a successful online business!
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Melody McKinnon is an internet entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in a wide range of online business models, backed by a formal business 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 & brands 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.
The biggest slump I see in July is my own! I don’t want to work in the summer! Maybe some of those motivation tips you mentioned for next month? Haha! 😀