October is Small Business Month, so this episode we're taking the pulse of this important sector in Canada. The challenges faced are numerous, including lockdown-era loans coming due, inflation, persistently high interest rates and labour issues. But there are also reasons for optimism. Dan Kelly, President and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and Jascha Jabes, Vice President of Small Business at Scotiabank, join Perspectives’ Armina Ligaya to break down the hurdles as well as reasons for hope on the horizon. 

Read the full Path to Impact report here for more insights from the small business owners surveyed.

Key moments this episode: 

1:27 — What is the headline from the latest Scotiabank survey of small business owners? 

2:26 — Why the post-pandemic debt load is a key worry for CFIB members 

7:25 — Jascha digs into the data of CEBA loans and small businesses 

9:20 — A few years removed from lockdowns, are small businesses better able to survive? 

10:57 — The stats on how small businesses have embraced technology 

14:50 — An interesting finding from the survey: BIPOC-owned businesses are more optimistic about their future 

16:04 — Final question for Dan and Jascha – what next?