If one thing has become certain through all the economic uncertainty of the past six months, it is this: Canada is in recession. That?s not news or of much comfort to Canadian business owners who now want to know when we will get out of this recession, what the business landscape will look like once the economy rebounds and governments have deployed their massive stimulus programs. In this episode, Ian talks to Sherry Cooper, executive vice-president of BMO Financial Group and chief economist of BMO Capital Markets, to help us cut through the recession fog.

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Most businesses are feeling the pinch of recession these days and that means they can?t always find the cash to support their business plans or simply to meet their various payment obligations. Who can help them and what can they do to help themselves? In this episode, Ian addresses these questions with Larry Ginsberg, president of GinsOrg International, a management consultancy based in Toronto. In addition to running his full time consulting practice, Larry lectures at the Schulich School of Business in Toronto in strategic management, family businesses and entrepreneurship.

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You have to spend money to make money is an adage most entrepreneurs would agree with until the economy tanks. When recession hits, managers across the business spectrum begin to question the value of any investments that don?t benefit the bottom line in the short term. But by doing so, they could be sacrificing the long term competitiveness of their companies and maybe even diminishing their long term fortunes. In this episode, Ian talks to Mark Wardell, founder and President of Wardell Professional Development, about the best strategic investments businesses can make in a recession.

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Companies these days are looking for every advantage they can get, but one they might be overlooking is workplace diversity. There is a growing course of business people and academics who say that a diverse employee base can give added strength to a company. But how do you manufacture diversity in your company if you don?t already have it? And how do you leverage diversity once you do have it? In this episode, Ian discusses these questions and more with Lisa Mattam, founder and Managing Principal of The Mattam Group, a Toronto-based management consulting firm that counts workplace diversity among its specialties.

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How do you sell more in a recession? Even though a recession is symptomatic of a diminished desire among consumers and businesses to spend money, you can?t convince them to buy whatever it is you are offering: You just have to work harder and smarter at it. In this episode, Ian talks to Dominic Rubino, Vancouver-based sales and management trainer and CEO of FocalPoint Business Coaching, about smart selling strategies for recessionary times.

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Canada?s Conservatives recently tabled the federal budget for the 2009 / 2010 fiscal year, and its defining feature would appear to be deficit. In the hopes of at least keeping the Canadian economy above water through the global downturn, the government brought forth a stimulus plan that will run $34 billion into the red in its first year alone. In this episode, Ian talks to Catherine Swift, President and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, about what the federal budget means for small business.

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A weak economy spells trouble for any business that doesn?t manage its finances closely. For the cash-starved entrepreneur this sometimes means bankruptcy; however, this doesn?t have to be the case. In this episode, Ian discusses the protections available to companies with Michael MacNaughton, a Toronto-based partner in the Insolvency and Restructuring group of Borden Ladner Gervais.

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If you have worked in a large corporation, there is little doubt you have watched amazing employees promoted into management where they end up failing miserably. It?s an error smaller businesses can?t ill-afford to make. So how can you avoid it? In this episode, Ian puts that question to Dan McDonald, a co-founder of Business Improvement Solutions and the co-author of three books simply entitled Management, Leadership and Success.

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In this episode, Ian interviews Cameron Herald, founder of BackPocket COO, a coaching and mentoring practice founded in 2007 to help entrepreneurs grow their companies. Cameron talks to Ian about the manic-depressive cycle that all entrepreneurs go through as their companies expand and identifies tactics for managing your business and yourself at key points in this cycle.

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For many entrepreneurs, November and December are the months they roll up their sleeves and draft their strategic plans for the following year. But that?s a tougher task than usual going into 2009 given the current volatility of equity, commodity and currency markets and the rapidly deteriorating economic outlook. In this episode, Ian discusses ways to overcome all of this uncertainty in the planning process with Michael Epstein, managing partner of Fuller Landau LLP, a mid-market accounting and advisory firm based in Toronto.

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With the 2008 tax year drawing to a close, it?s a good time to review some of the ways your business can pay less tax. In this episode of the Business Coach, Ian discusses last minute tax strategies with Stephen Pasquale, senior tax partner with Fuller Landeau LLP, a mid-market accounting and advisory firm based in Toronto.

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In this episode, Ian talks to Boyd Neil, senior vice president and national director of corporate communications at Hill & Knowlton Canada, about how effective communication with stakeholders in the event of a crisis can help to minimize damage to a company?s operations and reputation.

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How do you start a business successfully and then turn it into a successful business? In this episode of the Business Coach, Ian talks to two winners from this year?s PROFIT HOT 50, a ranking of Canada?s emerging growth companies that identifies the fastest growing young businesses in the country. In part two of this two-part podcast, Ian continues his interview with Neil Spivack, the founder and CEO of Toronto-based Direct Sales Force, and Alex Haditaghy, founder and CEO of MortgageBrokers.com, discussing why and how they launched their own companies.

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How do you start a business successfully and then turn it into a successful business? In this episode of the Business Coach, Ian talks to two winners from this year?s PROFIT HOT 50, a ranking of Canada?s emerging growth companies that identifies the fastest growing young businesses in the country. In part one of this two-part podcast, Ian chats with Neil Spivack, the founder and CEO of Toronto-based Direct Sales Force, and Alex Haditaghy, founder and CEO of MortgageBrokers.com.

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In this episode, Ian talks to Sal Guatieri, Senior Economist with BMO Bank of Montreal, about the state of Canada?s economy and what businesses can expect over the coming months. Sal provides his outlook on what we can expect in terms of Canada?s housing market, commodities and inflation rates over the next year.

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In this episode, Ian talks to Marnie Kinsley, executive managing director of Global Treasury Management for BMO Capital Markets, about some of the financial challenges of exporting. Together they discuss how to navigate changes to corporate finance when you are doing transactions in multiple countries and multiple currencies.

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The ?baby boom? generation is huge, and the one that follows it ? Generation Y ? is relatively small. In this episode of the Business Coach, Ian talks to Dave Aplin of Edmonton-based David Aplin Recruiting, which conducted a survey of Canadian workers to get a better sense of their wants, needs and how to get the most out of the various generations that make up today?s workforce.

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There has been a lot of talk lately about recession and whether or not various regions of Canada or the country as a whole will experience it, and when. In this episode, Ian talks to Mark Wardell, the founder and president of Wardell Professional Development in Vancouver, who shares tips and tactics that will help SMBs ?recession-proof? their business.

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With a softening U.S. economy and the rising price of oil, companies across the business spectrum are starting to feel the squeeze. In this episode of the Business Coach, Ross Pinkerton, president of ERA Canada, takes some time to chat with Ian about how entrepreneurs can reduce their expenses and keep costs under control.

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Every company likes to get paid for their product or service, and the more promptly you are paid, the better. In this episode of the Business Coach, Ian talks to Brian Green of Moneris Solutions Corporation about the importance of payment processing for small businesses, and what card-based payment tools are available to help speed up the process.

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In this episode, Cheryl Sylvester, president of Toronto-based Beyond Brand Thinking and co-founder of yourbrandmakeover.com, talks to Ian about the value of creating, maintaining and evaluating a strong brand from a small business perspective.

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In this episode, Ian interviews Paul Klein, founder and president of Impact in Toronto, which advises companies in the areas of community investment and corporate responsibility. Paul talks to Ian about what these terms mean and how small and mid-sized businesses can take advantage of them.

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In this episode of the Business Coach, Ian talks to Claudio Popa, founder and president of Toronto-based Informatica, a provider of information security services and privacy consulting. Claudio discusses how to keep your company safe from hackers, computer viruses, malware and other IT threats that lurk in cyberspace.

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In this episode, Ron Rylott, director of business development for foreign exchange products at BMO Capital Markets, explains to Ian the "art" of currency hedging and how it can help minimize currency risks in a volatile market, especially if you?re importing or exporting.

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Steve Cone is the New York-based author of Powerlines: Words that Sell Brands, Grip Fans and Sometimes Change History. He talks to Ian about how small business owners can go about developing a good slogan or tagline that will put marketing efforts to good use.

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In this episode, Ian talks to Gord Hotchkiss, the president and CEO of Enquiro Search Solutions, about Search Engine Optimization (SEO): the art of modifying a website to make it rank higher in search engine results. Gord discusses the massive role that web searches play today, especially for small businesses whose websites just aren't being found by the major search engines.

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Though perhaps the most important move any entrepreneur can make is selling their business, many entrepreneurs leave planning the sale until it?s too late. In this episode, Ian talks to Trevor Lwin, Managing Director of Mid-Market Investment Banking at BMO, about how entrepreneurs can maximize the value of their business before they have to sell.

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Ian?s guest in this episode is Mark Stacey, Senior Cash Management Specialist with BMO Bank of Montreal. With talk of economic troubles on the horizon, Mark chats with Ian about some of the ways in which entrepreneurs can avoid cash crunch situations and how to manage cash flow in a small business environment.

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In this episode of the Business Coach, Ian chats with Dianne Buckner, host of CBC Newsworld?s Fortune Hunters, a new show that explores hot business trends and the entrepreneurs who are chase them. Dianne gives Ian an overview of the show and discusses some of the best business trends to come out of Fortune Hunters.

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In this episode, Ian interviews Michael Gregory, Managing Director and Senior Economist with the Economics Department at BMO Nesbitt Burns. Michael speaks to Ian from his office in Toronto about how the U.S. recession will affect Canada?s businesses, and what the forecast looks like over the short- and the long-term in 2008.

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In episode 18, Ian talks to Tina Di Vito, Vice-President and Managing Director of BMO Nesbitt Burns in Toronto, about how Canadian entrepreneurs can start putting their retirement plans into action and ensure they?re on-track for reaching their retirement goals.

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In this episode, Ian looks at how Canada?s businesses need to look beyond their own backyards and reach out into foreign markets in order to tap into their full potential. Justine Hendricks, Regional Vice-President of Small Business Sales at Export Development Canada (EDC) talks to Ian about export prospects for small to mid-sized businesses and why they should engage in global trade.

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Episode 16 finds Ian talking to Peter Merrick of RRSPUpgrade.com, who discusses tax and retirement planning for entrepreneurs. Peter talks about how the recent Federal mini-budget has affected entrepreneurs, how they can pay less taxes, build a bigger nest egg and plan more effectively throughout the year.

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In episode 15, Ian interviews Bob Bissett, BMO Bank of Montreal Senior Vice President of Commercial Banking for the Greater Toronto Area. Bob talks to Ian about how banks come to their lending decisions and what business owners can do to help those decisions fall more often in their favour when applying for credit.

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In this episode, Ian talks to Andrij Brygidyr, president of Toronto-based A&A Merchandising, a provider of various services for retailers, including merchandising, point-of-sale display design and secret shopping. Andrij takes some time to discuss trends in the industry and how retail service in Canada is stacking up compared with a decade ago.

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In this episode, Ian explores the underappreciated sources of government capital with James Perly, a Toronto based government-funding consultant. Given all the struggles that private companies have with raising adequate financing, James demonstrates how there are millions of dollars available to Canadian businesses free of charge and just for the asking.

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In this episode, Ian speaks with Mitch Joel, a leading blogger and podcaster on digital marketing. Mitch is the president of Montreal-based Twist Image, an award-winning digital marketing agency. Together, they discuss what defines social media and the relevance of sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Flicker and Twitter for entrepreneurs.

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In this episode, Ian speaks with Doug Porter, Deputy Chief Economist of BMO Capital Markets, about the impact of the Canadian dollar achieving parity with the greenback. They also discuss how the US subprime mortgage market will impact the US economy in 2008.

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In this episode, Ian interviews Sean Wise, Managing Partner of Wise Mentor Capital and special advisor on the critically acclaimed CBC Television show the Dragons Den. Sean offers expert advice for entrepreneurs who want to raise capital as well as behind the scene secrets from CBC?s business reality show.

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The Value of Advisory Boards In our ninth episode, Ian interviews Toronto entrepreneur and venture capitalist Greig Clark, founder of College Pro Painters: North America?s original and most successful student painting company. Greig discusses the benefits of advisory boards and how they can help entrepreneurs make better business decisions.

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The Value of Business Partnerships ? The "human side" of partnerships Ian interviews Dr. Marvin Snider, a psychologist and organizational consultant, and the author of "Compatibility Breeds Success: How to Manage your Relationship with your Business Partner." Dr. Snider discusses how to find and build a strong relationship with a business partner, as well as some of the challenges and opportunities partnerships present when running a small business. The Value of Business Partnerships ? Shareholder agreements In our second interview, Steve Westfield, a partner with Miller Thompson LLP, talks to Ian about the value of shareholder agreements as a critical partnership tool for businesses. Steve outlines the key components of shareholder agreements, when and how they should be created, and how they can help business partners overcome disputes to better manage their business.

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Running a Family Business ? Day-to-day management In our first interview, Ian talks with Lawrence Barnes, CEO of the Canadian Association of Family Enterprise (CAFÉ), about family business trends and statistics in Canada. Lawrence discusses how the family dynamic can strengthen a business?s day-to-day operations, but also looks at some of the pitfalls of running a family business. Running a Family Business ? Creating an exit strategy Our second interview features Martin Guestier, Senior Manager of Structured Succession and Acquisition Financing with BMO Bank of Montreal. Ian and Martin discuss the important financial issues of passing a family business from one generation to the next and how to build a succession plan. Martin also explores the technical and financial aspects of developing a plan.

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Investing for Entrepreneurs ? The wealth-building fundamentals Our first interview features Steve Bang, Regional Sales Leader, BMO Term Investments, who discusses the importance of financial planning for entrepreneurs, including an overview of several wealth-building fundamentals. Investing for Entrepreneurs ? Specialized retirement vehicles for business owners In our second interview, Ian speaks to John Fabbro, Associate Partner and leader of the Private Client Advisory Services at KPMG. John provides a primer on developing a retirement strategy through individual pension plans (IPPs) and retirement compensation arrangements (RCAs).

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Great Workplaces - Why it pays to offer employees a great place to work In our first interview, Ian talks with Graham Lowe, a partner of the Great Place to Work Institute Canada, about the changing face of the Canadian workplace. Ian and Graham also discuss the importance of creating a work environment that is inspiring, engaging and productive. Great Workplaces ? The age of intellectual and emotional capital Our second interview features Dr. Steven Stein, CEO of Multi-Health Systems and author of Make Your Workplace Great: the 7 Keys to an Emotionally Intelligent Organization. He talks to Ian about the critical link between intelligence quotient (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ), and its value in the workplace.

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Succession Planning ? A pressing issue for Canadian small business owners In our first interview Ian talks with Richard Fahey, Vice-President at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business about the increasing focus on succession planning for small businesses in Canada. Succession Planning ? Ensuring a happy ending for your business Our second interview features Doug McKay, Partner, KPMG. He discusses ways to maximize succession planning and the reviews the dos and don?ts for those just starting to develop a strategy. Succession Planning ? The personal implications of exiting a business In our third interview Ian talks with Sean Foran, Vice-President of Succession Planning, BMO Harris Private Banking about wealth management issues that relate to selling a business to a third party.

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Franchising ? Opportunities and Challenges for the Aspiring Entrepreneur In our first interview Ian talks with Ken Pattenden, Chairman of the Canadian Franchising Association and President, Taco Time Canada Inc about the rights of Franchisors? and Franchisees?. Franchising ? Finding a Franchise that works for you Our second interview features John McGavin, Strategic Franchise Advisor with Frannet ? The Franchise Network. John explains the importance of finding a franchise that fits with the needs of the entrepreneur.

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Secrets of effective business planning In our first interview Ian talks with Peter Wright, career strategist and President of The Planning Group about business planning strategies. Business Planning - Building a more fruitful relationship with your bank Our second interview features Derral Moriyama, Senior Vice-President, BMO Bank of Montreal and examines what financial lenders are looking for when they review a business plan.

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2007 Economic outlook In our first segment Ian talks with BMO's chief economist Rick Egleton about the prospects for business in 2007 and some of the core indicators businesses need to pay attention to. Employment Trends Our second segment features and interview with Lara Dodo, Vice President, Robert Half International. Lara shares her thoughts on some of the key issues revealed in the firm's recent hiring and compensation survey.

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