Just Good Business 🍁

Just Good Business Digest: June 2026 Edition Chapter 1:  Tracey McLennan of Edward Jones on Smart Financial Planning for Small Business Owners In this episode of the Just Good Business Podcast, Al sits down with Tracey McLennan, Director of the Client Consultation Group at Edward Jones, to talk about what small business owners should be doing after tax season ends. From connecting personal goals t...

Just Good Business Digest: May 2026 Edition Chapter 1: Canadian Premier League: From Grassroots to Greatness Join Al in conversation with Michael Beckerman (Canada Soccer Media & Entertainment) as they explore the growth and impact of the Canadian Premier League (CPL). Michael breaks down how the CPL is: Building credibility in a competitive global soccer landscape Strengthening community engageme...

Just Good Business Digest: April 2026 Edition Chapter 1:  How Economic Development Organizations Help Canadian Small Businesses Grow, Export, and Attract Investment Al speaks with Traci Simmons, CEO of Opportunities New Brunswick (ONB), a provincial economic development agency, about how economic development organizations across Canada support small and mid-sized businesses. They explore how these...

Chapter 1: Trust in Canadian Business: Key Findings from the CanTrust Index and Insights from Bruce MacLellan Building trust isn’t just a goal—it’s a business strategy. 🏆 Al welcomes Bruce MacLellan back on the podcast to discuss the 2026 CanTrust Index and explain how small businesses can leverage trust to drive growth. Do you know your trust strategy? Chapter 2:   AI Driven Fraud in Canada: How...

Chapter 1:  Music Licensing for Your Business Demystified: A Conversation With SOCAN 🎶Dive into the world of music rights with SOCAN's Kit Wheeler! Discover why music licensing matters for businesses and how it supports artists. Chapter 2:  Is Valentine’s Day A Bigger Shopping Event Than Black Friday? Dive into the numbers behind this year's Valentine's Day spending! 📊 Discover why it outshone e...

Chapter 1: Economic Forecast 2026: Insights from BMO's Chief Economist Al sat down with Douglas Porter, Chief Economist at BMO, to unpack the top 3 economic stories of 2025, and to look at the year ahead in Canada’s economy. He also offers some helpful insights for Canadian small business owners. Chapter 2: Reflecting on 2025 with Sean McCormick: A Flat Holiday Spend and Its Implications Data Expe...

Chapter 1: Small Business & Charity: How Communities Support Ronald McDonald House   Al is joined by Kate Horton from Ronald McDonald House Canada. She shares stories of how the organization supports families during their child's medical treatments. Ronald McDonald House Canada has supported more than 500,000 families across Canada since inception in 1981. Learn how you can help make a difference....

Chapter 1: Maximizing Your Restaurant’s Profitability: Insights from David Hopkins Canada's restaurant industry is grappling with rising food and labor costs, shifting consumer habits, and economic uncertainties. David Hopkins , President of The Fifteen Group , discusses how restaurants can maximize profits and create new concepts. Hopkins emphasizes the importance of detailed business planning fo...

October Baseball’s Economic Impact On Spending Across Canada Al is joined by Sports Expert and VP of Business Development at Moneris Data Services Sean McCormick to discuss the excitement of October baseball as the Toronto Blue Jays enter the postseason, examining the impact on local and national spending. Sean shares insights on how playoff rusns boost restaurant and bar revenue, referencing data...

Discover how Canadians are embracing domestic tourism more than ever before! In this insightful episode, Al sits down with Sean McCormick , VP of Business Development at Moneris Data Services , to discuss his findings.   Learn about the reasons behind the increased focus on local travel, how the exchange rate and political factors are influencing travel decisions, and get a sneak peek into the upc...

Canada’s economy has had a wild ride this year—but is it as bad as it seems? In our latest episode, BMO Chief Economist Douglas Porter returns to break down the numbers behind the headlines. From inflation and interest rates to the surprising strength of domestic tourism, Porter shares insights that every small business owner should hear. 💡 Why hasn’t Canada hit a recession? 📉 What economic myth...

With the average age of business owners at 58 and many lacking succession plans, Canadian small businesses are facing climbing rates of closure. Al is joined by Dr. Sarah Burrows , Assistant Professor at Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business , to discuss the growing concern of succession planning in Canadian small businesses. Dr. Burrows discusses the "Silver Tsunami" and the impact of cha...

This month, Al is joined by Jeff Calderwood , CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) , to discuss the economic impact of golf in Canada and how the industry reflects this year’s tourism trends.  Jeff also delves into how golf courses are adapting to changes in travel due to tariffs and the various programs and services offered by the NGCOA to support its members. Also in this e...

Al welcomes Douglas Porter , Chief Economist at the Bank of Montreal , to the podcast to discuss Canada’s current economic landscape. They delve into topics such as Canada's economic performance in the first quarter of 2025 and the effects of trade wars with the U.S. on Canadian businesses and consumers.  Porter shares valuable advice for small business owners and entrepreneurs navigating this unc...

Rising costs, labour shortages, sustainability, and yes, tariffs, these are just a few of the challenges facing the food service industry in Canada. What is being done about it? Al sits down with Max Roy , VP of Federal and Quebec at Restaurants Canada to talk about it. Also, we all know how important trust is in business, but how do you measure trust? Bruce MacLellan , Chair at Proof Strategies h...

It’s March, and the #1 topic on the minds of most Canadians is tariffs. How will this affect purchasing decisions moving forward? Al welcomes Gary Sands , Senior VP @ Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) to the podcast. They talk about how independent Canadian grocers are already preparing for the imminent tariffs and what this could mean for consumers. March is also Fraud Prevention...

This month, Al welcomes back Sean McCormick , VP Business Development at Moneris Data Services to talk about consumer spending data in the first half of the tax holiday in Canada. Was it worth it for Canadians? Obviously every bit of savings helps. But what about Canadian Businesses? Did it change anyone’s shopping behaviour? Listen now to find out. Also This Episode: Daniel Stranges , Senior Even...

In the first episode of 2025, Allan welcomes back Sean McCormick , VP of Business Development at Moneris' Data Services , to discuss holiday spending trends from 2024 and their implications for 2025. They touch on the significance of Black Friday sales, regional differences in consumer spending, and predictions for economic recovery. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:46 - Featured Interview...

In this episode, Kate Horton , President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada (RMHC) , pays Al a visit to discuss the organization's mission to support families with critically ill children. She shares insights into the history and impact of RMHC , including the challenges faced by families and their need for support. Kate also highlights heartwarming stories of families helped by RMH...

One of the victims of moving to a more cashless society in the past has been charitable organizations that rely on people’s generosity during in-person donation opportunities. There are many people who simply just don’t like carrying cash with them. For the past few years, we’ve been following the progress of Canadian startup tiptap as they’ve grown from a conversation-starting curiosity, to a fix...

Over the past few months we’ve talked a lot about grants and programs, both from the government and corporations, but how do you apply for these grants? This month, Al speaks with “Grant Angel” Stephanie Sang , Founder at Granted Consulting . As her nickname implies, Stephanie knows all about grants and shares her expertise with us.   Also in this episode: Sean McCormick , VP Business Development...

What came first? Your brick and mortar business or your ecommerce business? Whichever one you chose, one thing is almost certain, if you have a brick and mortar location, you most likely have a way to sell your product or service online as well. You may have noticed some challenges with keeping both channels synchronised, whether its with inventory management, scheduling, or sales. In this month’s...

We’ve taken a look at government support for small business in Canada, but what about corporate support? Al is visited by Gerardo Welter , Vice President – Marketing & Business Insights Canada and Latin America at American Express . They talk about Amex’s Shop Small campaign, and they also share some promising trends for shopping small in Canada based on consumer shopping research. Another great e...

As an entrepreneur in this country you may not be aware of all the help available to your business, and frankly, who has time to research?  In this special bonus episode of Just Good Business we do the work for you. James Hicks, President and CEO of Moneris has a sit-down with the Honourable Rechie Valdez, Federal Minister of Small Business to talk about the state of small businesses in Canada, an...

Al meets with 4 members of Team Moneris. All of them have represented Canada in international competition, all of them elite athletes, and all of them are part of Moneris’ sales team. What is it about sales that attracted them to a career in sales? What is it about their pursuit of athletic excellence that makes them good sales professionals? How can you apply this knowledge to your sales process?...