Clickback Ranks No. 106 on the 2017 PROFIT 500

September 22, 2017 | Members in the News

Canadian Business and PROFIT today ranked Clickback No. 106 on the 29th annual PROFIT 500, the definitive ranking of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies. Published in the October issue of Maclean’s magazine and at CanadianBusiness.com, the PROFIT 500 ranks Canadian businesses by their five-year revenue growth. In addition to being ranked No. 106 overall, Clickback also ranked No. 32 in the “software” category.

“It is never easy to earn a spot on the PROFIT 500, but this year’s applicant pool was the most competitive yet,” says Deborah Aarts, PROFIT 500 program manager. “This year’s winners demonstrate the resilience, innovation and sheer management smarts it takes to build a thriving business today. Canada—and the world—needs more entrepreneurial success stories like these.”

Clickback made the 2017 PROFIT 500 list with five-year revenue growth of 689%, due to the success of their B2B email lead generation solution, Clickback MAIL.

“Clickback is extremely honoured to have made the PROFIT 500 ranking,” said Kyle Tkachuk, CEO of Clickback. “This achievement reflects our dedication to our customers, the strength of our B2B lead generation software products and the persistence and effectiveness of our team.”

In addition to their Clickback MAIL software, Clickback recently launched a robust solution for tracking visitors to a company’s website—98 percent of which are normally lost simply because they don’t fill out a form. Clickback WEB is highly effective in capturing these web visitors, who then can be converted to highly profitable leads.

Clickback Inc. anticipates that with the growth of Clickback WEB, along with the continued success of Clickback MAIL, the company looks forward to being in the top 100 of the PROFIT 500 in the very near future.

About PROFIT 500

For 29 years, the PROFIT 500 has been Canada’s most respectable and influential ranking of entrepreneurial achievement. Developed by PROFIT and now published in Maclean’smagazine and at CanadianBusiness.com, the PROFIT 500 ranks Canadian companies on five-year revenue growth. For more information on the ranking visit PROFIT500.com or CanadianBusiness.com.

About Canadian Business

Founded in 1928, Canadian Business is the longest-serving and most-trusted business publication in the country. It is the country’s premier media brand for executives and senior business leaders. It fuels the success of Canada’s business elite with a focus on the things that matter most: leadership, innovation, business strategy and management tactics. Learn more at CanadianBusiness.com.

About Clickback

Founded in 1996, Clickback Inc. is a software as a service (SaaS) company that helps thousands of marketing and sales professionals accelerate their lead growth using cloud-based B2B lead generation products. Clickback is one of the world’s first SaaS companies to offer an email lead generation product (Clickback MAIL) that provides a safe and proven method of securing profitable B2B leads to mid-market and enterprise companies. In late 2016, the company launched their second B2B lead generation product (Clickback WEB), which is software that can identify the companies who came to a website but didn’t make contact with the business (like having caller display for your website). Since launching, Clickback WEB has recovered 743,680 leads for its users. Clickback was ranked #106 on the 29th annual PROFIT 500 ranking of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies by Canadian Business (2017). For more information on Clickback or its software products visit http://www.clickback.com.

Original article: http://www.clickback.com/clickback-ranks-on-2017-profit-500/

Share this:

Niagara College student competes in Invictus Games

September 22, 2017 | Members in the News

For Niagara College student Jason Pulver, injury doesn’t defeat passion for sport.

The Bachelor of Business Administration – Human Resources student is among 90 athletes proudly representing the nation as part of Team Canada at the 2017 Invictus Games. The international sporting event features seven days of adapted sports competition for wounded, ill and injured serving members of the military as well as veterans. This year, 550 competitors from 17 nations will participate in the Toronto Invictus Games, to be held from Sept. 23 to 30.

A long-time resident of Niagara Falls, Pulver graduated from NC’s Police Foundations program in 2003. He served as a military police corporal from 2005 to 2010 at Canadian Forces Base Borden, CFB Esquimalt and CFB Kingston. An ankle injury and post-traumatic stress disorder led him to retire from the Forces. This month, he returned to Niagara College to pursue his new career aspirations in Human Resources.

At the Invictus Games, Pulver will be participating in shot put on Sept. 24, discus on Sept. 25, and wheelchair basketball on Sept. 28-29. For Pulver, the latter is reminiscent of his days playing basketball for the NC team.

“I played basketball at Niagara College when I was able bodied, now not even an injury can stop me from playing the game I love; I just play in a wheelchair now,” said Pulver. “In some strange way, my basketball career is coming full circle through Niagara College.”

Competing in the Games is a first for Pulver. He became inspired by the courage of the 2016 Invictus Games and decided to apply. He has been training in track and field, and wheelchair basketball since November 2016 when he was told he was part of the team.

“I am very excited to compete as this is my chance to show my friends and family that I am on the road to recovery from my injuries,” he said.

Pulver noted he is looking forward to seeing his teammates at the Games.

“Once you leave the military, the sense of the brother/sisterhood is lost as civilians do not understand our culture or our injures,” said Pulver. “Getting to hang out with fellow vets who are struggling with similar injures feels like I am normal again.”

Created by Prince Harry, the Invictus Games began in March 2014 in London, United Kingdom. The second Games took place in May 2016 at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida. For more information about the Invictus Games visit http://www.invictusgames2017.com/

Currently celebrating its 50th year as a College of Applied Arts and Technology, NC is a leader in applied education and a key contributor to the economies of Niagara and Ontario. A regional college with global reach, NC offers more than 100 diploma, bachelor degree and advanced level programs. Visit niagaracollege.ca.

Share this:

Chamber This Week – September 15, 2017

September 15, 2017 | Non-Advocacy

Share this:

Taxation Proposals from Finance

September 15, 2017 | Advocacy, Federal Advocacy, Network News

Policy Brief

Issue:
The government has proposed the most radical changes in the treatment of Canadian controlled private corporations in 50 years, including (1) a new tax (effectively 73%) on investment income in a corporation, (2) a much higher tax rate for compensation in a family business deemed “unreasonable,” and (3) new, tougher rules for converting income to capital gains.

Impact:
There is a significant and growing groundswell of opposition from small business and from local chambers. Small business owners across the country are concerned the tax changes will:

  • unfairly prevent them from building up retirement savings;
  • lead to lower savings within their businesses, eroding sustainability and future investment for business growth;
  • make it more difficult to pass down ownership of family-run businesses to the next generation (an issue that may also affect larger CCPCs); and,
  • result in more intrusive, costly audits by CRA

Business owners are also irate about the “stealthy” approach the government has taken to consultation, its vilification of legitimate small business entrepreneurs as “tax cheats” and the government’s insistence that business owners do not know what they are talking about.

Objectives:
Our ultimate objective is to have the government revise its proposed tax measures so the ability of business owners to save within their companies for purposes of retirement or business growth will not be affected. We want to position the Canadian Chamber as a constructive voice and the chamber network as a communications channel for the government to better understand the concerns of business owners.

Background:

  • On July 18, the government launched a 70-day consultation (ending Oct. 2) with the release of a document entitled, Tax Planning Using Private Corporations. Minister Morneau’s public remarks, as well as our discussions with Finance officials and the fact that the tax proposals contained draft legislation, all indicated the government intended to proceed with the changes irrespective of what it heard in consultation.
  • That is why we launched a campaign asking chambers and businesses to email their members of parliament. We formed a coalition with 58 other business associations calling on the government to put the tax proposals on hold so we could have a more thorough review of the tax policy.
  • Currently, the government is digging in. On Sept. 12, Prime Minister Trudeau said, “A lot of those wealthy folks are really fighting to keep those benefits that they have, and they’re making a lot of noise.” Minister Morneau said his goal is to ensure there are not “two classes” of Canadians facing different tax rates based on whether they have incorporated a small business or they have not. He repeatedly ruled out extending the Oct. 2 consultation deadline.
  • Officials in Minster Morneau’s office have told us they are open to some minor “tweaks” but are firm in going through with all the tax measures because “fairness” is an important issue to them and was a central part of their election platform.
  • Although Finance is moving full steam ahead, the pressure is building on MPs and caucus. Most recently, the Chair of the House Finance Committee said the government should “step back” from the changes and undertake a more fulsome consultation.

Work to Date:

  • Key messages, analysis of tax changes and business concerns were circulated through the chamber network and are available on our website for coordinated communications. These materials are available at http://www.chamber.ca/advocacy/hot-topic-corporate-taxes/
  • Op-ed in National Post—basis for local chamber media
  • Joint letter with other business associations to Minister Morneau
  • Lead for the Coalition of Tax Fairness (56+ associations)—coordinated communications and advocacy. Can be viewed at http://smallbiztaxfairness.ca/.
  • One-on-one discussions with PMO, Minister Morneau, Minister Chagger’s Chief of Staff, MPs and senators
  • Minister Morneau invited to attend AGM
  • Chamber meetings being held across Canada—Finance officials, MPs, Senators invited

Moving Forward: Policy and Advocacy Plan

  • Resolution and media event at AGM
  • Submission to Finance consultations—focus on “unintended consequences”
  • Launch of new website, http://protectgrowth.ca, with messaging on how the proposals will hurt economic growth and job creation—that is what matters to Canadians and small business is the engine of Canada’s economy
  • Local chamber meetings with officials, MPs and senators through to October (25+ planned)
  • Meetings with MPs and senators when parliament resumes in Ottawa
  • Meetings with key departments: Finance, SME, PMO
  • Coordinated communications and advocacy with coalition of associations
  • Messaging shift to how the proposals will hurt economic growth and job creation—that is what matters to Canadians and small business is the engine of Canada’s economy

Additional Details and Questions on Business Impacts:
The government insists it is targeting high-income individuals who are misusing tax “loopholes,” but such sweeping changes will have major impacts on businesses across Canada in a wide variety of sectors, from farming and restaurants, to technology and consultants.

  1. Income sprinkling: Finance expects to raise $250 million by applying a higher tax rate on “unreasonable” compensation of family members. This would require CRA to tax $1 billion of salaries/dividends and audit hundreds of thousands of businesses. In addition, many business owners receive their first capital from friends and family. Tough new “reasonableness” tests could trigger a much higher tax rate on dividends paid to family or “connected parties” if the labour, the capital contribution or the rate of return is not deemed “reasonable.”
    • If a spouse is paid $70K, but CRA assesses the value of his/her labour at $40K, how should a business owner prove the value of the contribution?
    • Imagine a couple that owns a restaurant for 30 years and pays themselves $50K annually in dividends. If one spouse reduces her hours worked because of aging, would she trigger a higher tax rate because of reduced labour contribution?
    • What is the reasonable rate of return for a dividend from a bakery in Nova Scotia? Should we look at the ROI of similar Nova Scotian bakeries, or SMEs in the Atlantic Region, or the success rate of first-time entrepreneurs?
    • Why can investors earn generous returns from public companies, but private companies require a reasonable labour or capital contribution?
    • Is the government worried about discouraging investment in corporations because overly generous dividends might trigger a higher rate of taxation under new rules?
  2. Tax on passive income: Currently, passive (investment) income is taxed upfront at a rate of 50.3%. This is refundable when an investor withdraws it from the business because she will pay personal tax rates. Finance is proposing to make the 50.3% tax non-refundable, and additional tax would be paid when the income is paid out to shareholders, which is why the effective rate becomes 73%.Almost every business in Canada (except those on the brink of bankruptcy) has passive income. Taxing business savings at 73% means there is no incentive to keep money inside the company. In fact, most owners would be better off taking it out of the company. There are very important economic reasons to encourage owners to accumulate a surplus asset cushion in the business: it helps them to make big capital investments or to weather downturns.
    • SMEs account for 70% of job creation. Why does Finance believe removing the incentive to keep money in the business won’t have negative consequences for growth and job creation?
    • Why should Canada become the only country in the world to tax passive income in this manner (no country in the EU or the U.S. or Venezuela or China applies a different tax rate to passive income). Is the punishment of tax cheats worth such an odd experiment in corporate finance?
    • If an investor asked you about comparable technology businesses in the U.S. and Canada, would you feel comfortable telling her that Canada imposes a 73% tax on passive income? Would she be better off just going to the U.S.?
Share this:

Chamber This Week – September 8, 2017

September 8, 2017 | Non-Advocacy

Share this:

St. Catharines set to welcome special guests for Celebration of Nations festival weekend

September 8, 2017 | Members in the News

St. Catharines is preparing to welcome guests from across Turtle Island this weekend for Celebration of Nations, a gathering of Indigenous arts, culture and tradition in downtown St. Catharines from Sept. 8 to 10.

Hosted by the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre and Kakekalanicks Indigenous Arts & Consultancy, the three-day festival begins on Friday evening with the Procession of Nations. The Procession will include a veteran honouring and Kinship, a new dance choreographed by Santee Smith of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, performed by 25 local youth.  The Procession of Nationswill bring together many special guests including the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

“We’re proud to welcome distinguished guests, several Chiefs, Clan Mothers and Veterans from communities across Ontario to our hometown and to welcome Her Honour Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor, to the Celebration of Nations this weekend,” said Mayor Walter Sendzik. “The festival is about celebrating the rich and diverse cultures of our First Nations and learning together as we forge our shared future. I’d like to invite the entire community to join us for this special occassion.”

The Procession of Nations begins on Friday at 5 p.m. at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. The festival weekend includes many free and ticketed events with for all ages. Highlights include:

  • Headlining performances from Buffy Sainte-Marie, DJ Shub Pow Wow Step Dance Party, Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s Re-Quickening and a special RUMBLE Unity Jam Session.
  • The Backyard (Mann Raceway Plaza + Lancaster, Brooks & Welch Pathway) – a free space behind the PAC featuring a Métis Encampment, workshops, Indigenous food and music.
  • A free workshop series that includes opportunities to learn about and make Métis dot art on rocks, a hand-held drum, Unity bracelets and tiny moccasins to be donated locally.
  • The Film Series includes Niagara premiere of the Sundance award-winning RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World (2016), Moose River Crossing (2013) by Shirley Cheechoo, FREE screenings of imagineNATIVE Shorts and Gord Downie’s The Secret Path, and more.

The full Celebration of Nations schedule is available at www.celebrationofnations.ca

Share this:

BALSOM: Federal tax proposals require dialogue

September 7, 2017 | In The News

Canada’s Finance Minister Bill Morneau has released a plan to end what he calls “unfair tax advantages.”

He says that his proposed tax changes, the most radical in 50 years, are about “fairness.” Some Niagara businesses see it differently.

Imagine two individuals, both earning $80,000 per year. One has a comfortable salary with four weeks’ vacation. He has a generous pension and he knows he’ll get a raise next year. The other had to invest $250,000 of her own money to start a business. She needed to pledge her personal assets, her house and car as collateral for an operating loan. She has five employees whose livelihoods depend on her, and if nobody wants her services next month, she doesn’t earn a cent.

Who would begrudge a business owner the ability to invest her profits and earn a decent return after paying corporate income taxes, especially when her savings may be needed to sustain her business through a dry spell? After all, she’ll be taxed at the same personal rate as everyone else when she withdraws the money from her business.

Ottawa says it’s unfair to defer income like that, and they are proposing to impose a high tax rate on profits not reinvested in the business.

The Finance department has also coined a new term, income “sprinkling.” It evokes an image of sums of money given to family members. The reality could not be further from the truth.

There is hardly a farm or restaurant in Niagara that doesn’t have family members working there. These farms and businesses can now expect the Canada Revenue Agency to assess their family members’ labour contributions to determine the “reasonableness” of salary and dividend income. In a small business, it’s often the spouse who answers the phone, helps write marketing material, meets customers, pays bills, solves problems, cleans up and does any of the 50 other things that are needed. What is the appropriate salary or dividend such an indispensable person deserves?

Finance expects to pull in an extra $250 million by imposing higher tax rates on “unreasonable” payments in family businesses. That means that CRA will have to tax a billion dollars of income and audit hundreds of thousands of businesses. This potential administrative nightmare for government and business owners alike, would divert valuable resources away from things that really matter – like economic growth.

Business owners agree that loopholes in the tax system need to be closed and they want to see a fair tax system. In this case, we urge the government to collaborate with key stakeholders on this tax proposal. When the government does, they will have the support of business in designing measures that clamp down on tax evasion without sideswiping entrepreneurs and discouraging job growth.

There is value in having an open discussion about how Canadians are taxed and how to support business growth.

Let’s start that dialogue.

Mishka Balsom is the CEO and President of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce. This column was prepared in partnership with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. 

Original article: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2017/09/06/federal-tax-proposals-require-dialogue

Share this:

Bi-National Meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake

September 7, 2017 | Network News

Join Us For a Bi-National Meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Join the Buffalo Niagara Partnership’s CanAm Council for its fall meeting on September 27th! Have the opportunity to view the beautiful Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, hear from a mix of speakers, and network with Canadians and Americans.

Speakers will discuss the importance of the region to our bi-national economy and how tourism has made a large impact on Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Meeting Agenda:

3:30 – 3:45 pm:    Buffalo Niagara Perspective
Dan Leonard, Senior Director of Economic Development
Buffalo Niagara Partnership
Christine Bonaguide, CanAm Council Chair

3:45 – 4:00 pm:    Greater Niagara Region Perspective
Mishka Balsom, President & CEO
Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

4:00 – 4:30 pm:    Insights from the Shaw Festival
Jim Jennings, Executive Director
Shaw Festival

4:30 – 5:30 pm:    Networking & Cocktail Hour (cash bar)

Don’t miss this opportunity to make valuable connections with business representatives from both sides of the border!

After the event, stay for the 8:00 pm showing of Me and My Girl. Receive a 25% discount on Platinum, Gold, and Blue section tickets by using the code: 18426. Book online or over the phone – 1.800.511.7429.

Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Time: 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
Location: Shaw Festival, 10 Queen’s Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0, Canada

(Please use the Jackie Maxwell Studio entrance at the Festival Theatre)

Cost: Free for CanAm Council & Canadian Associate Members

 

Share this:

Chamber This Week – September 1, 2017

September 1, 2017 | Non-Advocacy

Share this: