What does a vegan bakery, a clothing store for transgender women, and an unfinished wood furniture retailer have in common? No, they’re not all Smart Foundations’ clients (although two of them have been) and, no, it’s not a set up for a bad joke. They’re all successful niche businesses. If your business is in a […]

Choosing which platform to build your business website on can be overwhelming because there are many options available. You can choose from open-source platforms like WordPress or Joomla (meaning that their software is freely available online), or you can pay to use a proprietary software. One of the most popular choices which we use for […]

Networking is a must-include in every small business owner’s marketing plan. Doing so is the most effective way to expand your business and find new clients. But networking must be so much more than simply joining a local networking group (such as your local Chamber of Commerce or BNI chapter) or attending large networking events. […]

You walk into a room full of strangers at a networking mixer, start with one of these great networking event pick-up lines and mentally pat yourself on the back for being the first one to strike up a conversation.  Now what?  Because lets face it, you rarely ever have someone at ‘hello’ and a conversation […]

Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) has been around for a few years now — since 2014 to be exact — and it has been confusing business owners large and small ever since. Last week, the federal government tossed another confusing wrench into the pile by suspending the final provision that was due to take effect this […]

We’re all told not to judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to websites, doing so is almost second nature. A website that is slick, polished and easy to navigate is likely to keep visitors around; one that is vague, confusing and unattractive is likely to get the snub by those same […]

Newsletters are an effective way to build brand credibility, nurture leads and gather customer information. Really, they should be a staple of every e-marketing strategy.  But they’re only effective if they’re actually being looked at. Having a high open and click through rate is dependent on sending timely, relevant, interesting and helpful content. Otherwise, rather […]

As a small business owner, you always want to be putting your best foot forward. Whether it’s when you’re networking or showing off your good work, you always need and want to be projecting your best image.  And, your website is part of this image. In fact, your website is probably the first place your […]

Whenever we talk social media marketing, the question of whether it is an effective tool for B2B businesses always comes up. That’s because many B2B businesses are skeptical of the benefits of social media, often because they once tried and failed to reap rewards through this medium.  And so, in the minds of these business […]

The era of “Mad Men” advertising has long since disappeared. Emotional marketing that assumed the audience was both naïve and easily persuaded has been replaced by a savvy audience that is up on social media and down with personal branding.  In fact, research shows that more than 85% of all business-to-business purchasing decisions are made […]

Regardless of whether you’re a small business or a multinational company, blogging should be an integral part of your online content marketing strategy. A blog drives traffic to your website, increases your SEO, positions your brand as an industry leader and helps you develop better customer relationships.  How often you blog is up to you […]

Every business owner wants the same thing – to run a successful and profitable business. But for small businesses running on a tight budget, owner-managers have to be extra imaginative with their marketing efforts in order to make some noise and get noticed.  The good news is that not every effective marketing technique requires a […]

Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) has been around for just over a year now but only recently has the Canadian government started handing out fines for non-compliance. This past summer, for example, Porter Airlines was hit with a $250,000 fine and the government has warned that even small companies could see fines of up to $1 […]

There are distinct differences between men and women – obviously. But in this case, we’re referring to the differences in how each gender responds to marketing techniques. Men and women need to be addressed differently when it comes to marketing products and services – if they’re not, you’re wasting your time and efforts. Knowing this […]