Business as usual? Helping women entrepreneurs move forward in a time of uncertainty.
This is an uneasy time for all Canadians. For entrepreneurs, there are many additional layers of uncertainty around things like supply chains and export, business closures, remote working and employee illness. This page includes links to timely information about available financial supports, as well as tools for those who work with women entrepreneurs on a variety of relevant topics.
All resources are listed in English, then in French (as available)
New Report: Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub – The Impact of COVID-19 on Women Entrepreneurs
Report summary: The Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub has been sharing information with its network on the new programs launched by the Government of Canada and collecting
feedback on what is working and what could be improved to meet the needs of diverse
women entrepreneurs. This report reflects the feedback from more than 200 organizations
in the ecosystem supporting entrepreneurs as well as more than 100 individual
entrepreneurs.
English and French links to all Government of Canada resources can be found below.
Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada
- Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Online Calculator (August 2020)
- Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan – Support for Businesses
- Plan d’intervention économique du Canada pour répondre à la COVID-19 – Soutien aux entreprises
Government Support Benefits Available to Entrepreneurs:
- Canada Emergency Response Benefit / Prestation canadienne d’urgence
- Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) / Subvention salariale d’urgence du Canada (SSUC)
- Applying for CERB with CRA / Demander la PCU auprès de l’ARC
Latest Government Support Updates:
- Supporting Canadians Through the Next Phase of the Economy Re-opening: Increased Access to EI and Recovery Benefits / Aider les Canadiens au cours de la prochaine étape de la reprise économique : accès accru à l’assurance ‑ emploi et prestations de la relance économique
- New funding for women entrepreneurs in Western Canada (July 17) – $8.3M in federal funding targeted for female entrepreneurs
- CEBA Regulations (June 15) – More small businesses can soon access the Canada Emergency Business Account / Un plus grand nombre de petites entreprises pourront bientôt accéder au Compte d’urgence pour les entreprises canadiennes
- Indigenous Business Support (June 11) – Government of Canada announces additional support for Indigenous businesses and the Indigenous tourism industry / Le gouvernement du Canada annonce un soutien supplémentaire destiné aux entreprises et à l’industrie touristique autochtones
- Women Entrepreneur Support (May 16) – Minister Ng announces more support for women entrepreneurs amid COVID-19 / La ministre Ng annonce des mesures pour soutenir les femmes entrepreneurs dans le contexte de la COVID-19
- Wage Subsidy Extension (May 15): Government extends the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy / Le gouvernement étend la Subvention salariale d’urgence du Canada
- CBRN (April 27): Canadian Business Resilience Network / Réseau de résilience des entreprises canadiennes
- Rent Assistance (April 16): Prime Minister Trudeau announces additional supports: Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) / Le premier ministre annonce du soutien supplémentaire pour les petites entreprises: Aide d’urgence du Canada pour le loyer commercial (AUCLC)
- CERB Expansion (April 15): Expanded access to Canada Emergency Response Benefit Announced Today / Qu’est-ce que la Prestation canadienne d’urgence?
- Wage Subsidy Eligibility (April 8): Small businesses take note: Updates to eligibility requirements to Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy / Le gouvernement offre plus de souplesse aux employeurs relativement à la Subvention salariale d’urgence du Canada
- CERB Application (April 6): Today’s the Day: Apply for Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) with CRA / Demander la Prestation canadienne d’urgence (PCU) auprès de l’ARC
Key Links / Liens clés
- Government of Canada Resources for Businesses/Ressources pour les enterprises canadiennes
- Find an outline of the Federal Government’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, which includes specific information for individuals, businesses and sectors/Plan d’intervention économique du Canada pour répondre à la COVID-19
- BDC – Supports For Entrepreneurs/BDC – Du soutien pour les entrepreneurs touchés par le coronavirus COVID-19
- Canada Revenue Agency/Agence du revenue du Canada
- Find financial help during COVID-19 – 10 questions/Trouver de l’aide financière pendant la COVID-19
- Work-Sharing Program/Programme de travail partagé
Resources by Audience / Ressources selon les destinataires:
Small Businesses / Petites entreprises :
- Financial Support: Small Business Relief Fund #canadaunited
- Visit: COVID-19 financial support, resources and expertise, EDC
- Tools: Useful workplace safety printable signs
- Read – 6 Best Practices for Small Businesses Affected by COVID-19
- Opportunity – “Expression of Interest” now accepted for Atlantic Canadian Women in Growth Partnership program.
- Watch – BDC webinar COVID-19: How to adapt your business to thrive in the new normal/BDC webinar COVID-19: Comment adapter votre entreprise pour réussir dans la nouvelle normalité
- Attend: Resiliency for entrepreneurs – why is this topic so important right now? Take a deep dive during a 5-day free program from Forum for Women Entrepreneurs launches June 8.
- Watch: EDC: COVID-19: Get financing and support for your business Join a panel of experts will provide guidelines on how you can access the financial relief and safeguards available to you.
- Watch: AmberMac – A Conversation with Small Business Minister Mary Ng
- Read/Watch: Canadian Chamber of Commerce – The Five Things SMEs Need to Know/COVID-19 : Les cinq choses que les PME doivent savoir
- Watch: BDC – COVID-19: Economic Impact and the Way Out (En/Fr)
- Read: Women’s Enterprise Centre of Manitoba – 8 Business Tips to mitigate the COVID-19 disruption
- Consult: CFIB – Coronavirus and Small Business, Keeping You and Your Business Safe/COVID-19: Centre d’aide aux PME
- Consult: Canadian Franchise Association Resources
- Consult: MNP – Business Advice Centre
- Tools: BDC – Business Continuity Plan and Templates for Entrepreneurs/Guide de la continuité des opérations et modèles pour les entrepreneurs
Manufacturers / Fabricants:
- Opportunity: Government of Canada – Calling all suppliers – Help Canada combat Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)/Appel à tous les fournisseurs – Aider le Canada à combattre la maladie du coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Consult: Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters – Daily Update
Non-Profits and the Arts / Secteur à but non lucratif et des arts :
- Read: $60M in advance funding to help stabilize backbone of arts sector as it faces COVID-19 crisis/60 millions de dollars en financement anticipé pour stabiliser le cœur du secteur artistique face à la crise de la COVID-19
- Consult: Imagine Canada – Resources for Canadian Fundraisers
- Consult: Canada Council for the Arts – Important Info Related to COVID-19/Informations importantes relatives à COVID-19
Freelancers and Start Ups / Pigistes et entreprises en démarrage:
Resources by Topic / Ressources par sujet:
Business Pivoting & Planning / Pivotement d’une entreprise et planification des affaires:
- Read: WEOC –Colour touch-up drop-offs and call-in to order take-out: Business planning during COVID-19
- Read: WEOC – Entrepreneurs convert travel budgets to tech money
- Read: Local brewery to produce hand sanitizer
- Listen: 411 – How to Pivot Your Small Business from Biz Chix Podcast
- Watch: Learn to Flourish – How to Rapidly Transition Your Live Classroom Instruction to Online Learning
- Watch: Career Contessa has made all of its webinars available for *free*
- Read: Professional Meetings and Conventions Association – Take My Event Online: Where Do I Start?
- Tool: BDC – COVID-19: Business planning tools for entrepreneur / COVID-19: Outils de planification d’entreprise pour les entrepreneurs
Funding and Finances / Financement et finances:
- Watch: Webinar – EDC – COVID-19: Manage your cash flow and ramp up for business; COVID-19 : Gérez vos liquidités et prenez de l’expansion
- Accessible sur demande – EDC – COVID-19 : Gérez vos liquidités et prenez de l’expansion
Wage Subsidies and Payroll / Subventions et masses salariales:
- Watch: The Canadian Payroll Association – Payroll Continuity Planning
- Consult: Government of Canada – Temporary Wage Subsidies for Employers FAQ/Foire aux questions – Subvention salariale temporaire pour les employeurs
HR and Staff Management / Gestion des RH et du personnel:
- Read: Pitblado Law – COVID-19 and Waivers: Considerations and Practical Tips
- Read: WEOC – Ground beef, good deeds and transparency: Building customer loyalty during a pandemic
- Read: The Practical Guide to Working from Home as a Team
- Watch: Ultimate Software – Get Your HR Questions Answered
- Read: KPMG – Leading Successfully in Turbulent Times
Commercial Leases and Rent / Baux commerciaux et loyer:
Logistics, Workspaces and Return to Work Policies and Guidelines / Logistique et espaces de travail:
- Office Preparation / Préparation des locaux:
- Watch: People First HR Services – Returning to Work
- Tool: BDC – Best practices for the prevention of COVID-19 in the workplace
- Read: WHO – Getting Your Workplace Ready for COVID-19
- Read: How to Develop a Company Emergency Response Plan, Skills Training Group (UK)
- Tool: WEOC Emergency Preparedness Checklist / Liste de préparation aux urgences de WEOC
- Tool: Canadian Chamber of Commerce – Pandemic Preparedness Plan for Businesses
- Technology / Technologie:
- Remote Working / Télétravail:
- Read: Purdue University: Working From Home: 5 Environmental Factors Affecting Your Well-Being
- Read: Inc: Creative Ways to Build a Strong Company Culture Remotely
- Read: Catalyst: I’ve Worked from Home for 12 Years. Here’s What I’ve Learned.
- Read: The Cut: How Am I Supposed to Focus on Work Right Now?
- Read: The Story Co., How to Engage and Lead Your Team Remotely
- Read: The Verge Guide to Working at Home
- Read: New to Working from Home? Here Are Some Tips to Help You Meet Like a Pro
- Read: 10 Tips for Entrepreneurs to Actually Get Work Done While Homeschooling Kids
- Read: Working from home: A guide to creating a healthy and productive workspace at home
- Read: A Guide To Working From Home
- Read: Working from home: How to design a home office with productivity and comfort in mind
Export and Business Supply Chains
- Watch – UPS and Startup Canada Webinar – Small Business Road to Recovery from COVID-19
- Watch – EDC – Global Economic Outlook with Peter Hall
- Watch – EDC – Coronavirus (COVID-19): Managing the impact on global supply chains/ Coronavirus et chaînes d’approvisionnement mondiales
- Read: FITT – Guide: How COVID-19 delays could affect your supply chain from contracts to insurance and custom clearance
- Read: EDC – How EDC is Helping Exporters During COVID-19/ COVID-19: aide aux exportateurs
- Consult: Trade Commissioner Website/ Service des délégués commerciaux
Wellness / Bien-être:
- Read: WEOC – Walks, yoga, “Quarantunes” — there are many ways entrepreneurs and business advisors can manage their mental health
- Read: Canadian Mental Health Association – COVID-19 and mental health – Includes many relevant Canadian resources / COVID-19 et la santé mentale
- Read: Canadian Mental Health Association – Navigating the
New Normal:A COVID-19 Supplement to CAMH’s Mental Health Playbook for Business Leaders - Read: Canadian Mental Health Association –6 tips to respond to employee anxiety about COVID / 196 conseils pour répondre à l’anxiété des employés reliée au COVID-19
- Read: Gouvernement du Québec – Mon enfant est inquiet en raison de la pandémie. Comment le soutenir ?
- Read: Canadian Paediatric Society- How can we talk to kids about COVID-19? Be “realistically reassuring” / Comment parler aux enfants de la COVID-19? Soyez « rassurant, mais réaliste »
- Read: Coronavirus: Guidance for Better Mental Health
COVID-19 PROVINCIAL UPDATES
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WEOC is committed to providing a safe space for employees, vendors and visitors. Read more about the POST Promise.
