Business Innovation & Networking Blog
It’s Time to Make Diversity a Hiring Priority
The facts are clear: diverse teams are more innovative and better problem-solvers. So why do we keep hiring people who are like ourselves? When hiring, the topic of diversity might get pushed to the backburner. It’s the kind of buzzword that makes you think, “I would...
Isn’t it time to start thinking outside the cliché?
*Originally published as a Guest Column in The Globe and Mail on April 9, 2016: click here to access. Every time I hear somebody use the phrase, "Let's think outside the box," my frustration boils over. Such statements remind me why so many businesses today struggle...
5 Ways Innovation Helps You to Scale Your Business
Growth is one of the key goals of any successful business – but it can be a double-edged sword. As companies scale up, they experience growing pains that, if not handled deftly, can result in a downward spiral. Indeed, Neil Patel writes in Entrepreneur that premature...
6 Ways to Create a Culture of Innovation
Reward employees with time to think, while providing them with the structure they need. *Originally published on Co.Design: click here to access. Every organization is designed to get the results it gets. Poor performance comes from a poorly designed organization....
Is Attitude Obstructing Innovation for Canadian Businesses?
We’ve talked before about why businesses need to innovate – so if it’s so important, what’s stopping Canadian businesses from taking advantage of all of the innovation opportunities we have? A recent article in the Globe and Mail argues that the Canada’s biggest...
Join Us at Fresh Thinking Shared 2017 on June 13th!
What’s in your business toolbox? How do you keep up with change? Join us for a day of discovery! Fresh Thinking Shared 2017 is designed to provide you with the tools required to navigate the rapidly changing business landscape. Through our workshops, peer learning,...
Canadian Federal Budget 2017 Focuses on Business Innovation (Good News for Ontario SMEs!)
Ontario – particularly southern Ontario – is one of the most competitive business environments in the country. This landscape forces businesses to improve constantly to stay alive, through innovation in areas like customer service, market diversification,...
How a hackathon can encourage your employees to innovate
*Originally published as a Guest Column in The Globe and Mail on March 16, 2017: click here to access. Everyone in business has heard the expression that if you’re not disrupting your market, someone else will soon be disrupting you. But this raw challenge doesn’t...
Strengthen Your Trademark, Strengthen Your Business
When choosing a trademark that will be the face of your brand, it is important to remember that while a trademark may be strong from a business perspective, building its value in the marketplace will depend on your ability to protect it. The goal of any good trademark...
5 Strategy Questions to Ask to Discover WHERE You Need to Innovate
Innovation is all about finding new ways to do things, whether you are implementing a new process, building a culture of innovation, creating innovative products and services, changing your business model, or applying new technologies. In today’s marketplace,...
