Joel Schlesinger © Postmedia Network Inc.
There are more than 1.2 million small and medium-sized businesses across Canada, and all are recognizing the importance technology can play in determining whether their business will flourish or not.
“Every small business needs to be a digital business and technology can be the differentiator,” says Navin Arora, executive vice-president of TELUS and president of TELUS Business Solutions and TELUS Agriculture and Consumer Goods. “Ambitious owners understand that technology is a critical investment to make rather than a cost to be minimized.”
TELUS supports small businesses on this journey.
“We’re driven by our purpose to help owners connect to the things that matter most to them — their business, team, family and community — which enables them to grow and thrive in this new digital age.”
Day-to-day technological support
Navigating the digital landscape can be challenging and small businesses are in need of guidance now more than ever when it comes to technology. Managing the day-to-day needs of IT — from resetting passwords, to managing equipment and setting up users, to understanding the growing risk of cybersecurity threats and whether they should be moving to the cloud — can be a source of stress. Integrating new technologies into operations adds even more pressure.
“These IT concerns should not be part of an entrepreneur’s job,” he says. “Their talents and passions are better served in other critical parts of their business.”
Alleviating these worries for small business clients is a top priority for Arora and the Business Solutions team, which is why he has been prioritizing a variety of products designed to fully manage IT for busy small business owners. But their support for small business doesn’t stop there.
TELUS’ further commitment to supporting small businesses
Understanding how important small businesses are to our economy and community, TELUS launched the #StandWithOwners program, something it hadn’t seen before in the industry.
“We wanted to do something remarkably different to recognize the importance of these owners, leaders and teams, and that was the idea behind #StandWithOwners,” he says.
Since 2020, TELUS has committed $3.5 million to #StandWithOwners, a program created to celebrate the critical role small business owners play in propelling economic growth and driving social change. Through it, TELUS has supported the transformation of numerous businesses across Canada, including Calgary-based ones such as Leftovers Foundation, Calgary Heritage Roasting Co., Ellie Bianca Beauty, Strike Group, Espy Experience, Core Spin Club and Made Local Marketplace.
Among the past winners is Shift Accessibility Contractors (Shift), which specializes in universal-access construction for homes and businesses to make them more accessible for people with disabilities and seniors looking to age-in-place.
“Thanks to TELUS’ support, we’ve implemented key technologies as enablers to help grow our business and help even more people enjoy their spaces and community in a safe and accessible way,” says Griffin Simony, Shift’s co-founder.
TELUS’ #StandWithOwners initiative provides businesses such as Shift with the financial resources and expertise to integrate new technologies that enhance the way they run their business, enabling them to expand services, create new jobs and put Canada on the global stage for innovation.
“Every day, these small business owners are doing incredible things,” Arora says. “That entrepreneurial spirit is worth recognizing and we’re deeply honoured to put the spotlight on them and help them leverage technology to do great things that move our economy and society forward.”
This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of Calgary Economic Development.