There are a number of events throughout the year that support local business owners. These events are great opportunities to meet other business leaders and learn best practices. Be sure to also check out our News page.
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How to Start a Food Business: A General Overview
Learn how to get your food business started with our how-to webinar.
Delivered by Eric Wood, the City of Toronto’s Food & Beverage Sector Development Officer, this webinar will show you the practical steps to take to develop your food business in Toronto. You will learn about evaluating your food business idea; finding a market and opportunities for your food products and/or services; planning, funding, and branding your food business effectively and why that matters; understanding pricing and how channels of distribution can have a serious impact; finding commercial kitchens in Toronto; and what you should do and know before you launch your small business. By the end of this presentation, you will be prepared with the knowledge and resources to start your own food business. What you will learn: • Where do I find customers for my food business? • What’s a SWOT analysis? Why do I need to do that? • Where can I get funding for my food business? • Where can I find a commercial kitchen in Toronto? • Where do I find equipment and ingredients to run my food business? • How do I find someone to package and label my food correctly? • What licensing and regulatory requirements apply to food businesses? • Why does my logo matter? • Why do I need insurance to run a food business? • How do I make sure I’m setting my price high enough to make money and still be competitive? • What’s a food incubator? Why might that help my food business? Join us to learn all about how to start a food business. |
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Accounting for Non-Profits: Understanding Financial Statements
CPA Canada will help you learn to understand the information received when overseeing a not-for-profit’s finances.
This financial literacy webinar will help you to understand the responsibilities of a non-profit board member in relation to the organizational finances. In addition, you will understand the financial statements of non-profit organizations by the end of the presentation. What you will learn: • What are the roles and responsibilities of the board, management, and the auditor in financial reporting? • What are the key concepts and terms for financial reporting in the non-profit sector? • What are the ways in which donations to the organization can be accounted? • What are the various financial statements you might encounter as a non-profit director? Join us to learn about understanding financial statements for non-profit small business. |
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Leveraging the Canada Small Business Financing Loan to Grow Your Business
Join the WE-CAN community of women entrepreneurs to learn how the CSBFL can help you access government funding to scale your business.
Ready to scale your business but need the right financing to make it happen? The Canada Small Business Financing Loan (CSBFL) is a government-backed program that helps small businesses access funding for major purchases—including equipment, real estate, and leasehold improvements—with loans of up to $1.5 million. Because the government guarantees up to 85% of the loan, you benefit from reduced collateral requirements and flexible repayment terms of up to 10 years. To qualify, your business must operate in Canada, generate under $10 million in annual revenue, and meet standard lender criteria. Join Valerie Watts-Dafoe from RBC to learn how this program works, what lenders look for, and how the CSBFL can help take your business to the next stage of growth. Learn how RBC can support your business with a CSBFL and what steps to take next! |
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Costing & Pricing to Make Profits
This session is for you if you want to know how to price your food or beverage product appropriately. In this free 60-minute online seminar learn about:
If you want to run a successful business it’s important for you to know the ‘numbers’. Learn how to cost and price your products and services for profitability and how the decisions you make about your operations and production processes affect your bottom line. Understand how to budget and spend money so you can pay all your bills and still have money left in your pocket at the end of the year. Each participant will receive an Excel Financial Forecasting spreadsheet (blank) and completed examples for both a product and service business to assist you through the process. Use the spreadsheet to develop your individual timeline, operating and capital costs, and pricing calculator to create a cashflow projection and income statement for your business. You will leave with a better understanding of how to properly cost and price your product to make a profit in the food and beverage industry! Next Session: Thursday, January 29th, 2026, at 10:00am (This session is offered 4 times per year.) |
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Everything You Need to Know About SR & ED
Find out what’s new and how you can make the most of SR&ED incentives. This is a must for businesses looking to innovate and grow!
SR&ED continues to be a powerful tool for Canadian companies—and recent updates make it even more accessible. Join me during this workshop as I unpack what’s new and how you can make the most of these incentives. This is a must for businesses looking to innovate and grow! What You’ll Learn:
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Marketing and Branding your Food Product
This session is for you if you have a food or beverage product that needs the perfect brand to suit the right market. In this free 60-minute online seminar learn about:
Amanda DeVries of Eye Candy Design specializes in branding food and beverage companies. In this webinar, Amanda will share her expert insight, from how to create your brand, how to retain and grow your brand to what sort of colours and typography styles are right for your product. You will learn the difference between designing for store shelves vs. food markets vs. digital spaces. She will also cover tips for working with a graphic designer and determining exactly who your product is for. As Amanda advises, “if your product is for everyone, then you are selling to no one”. Know your target market. You will leave with a better understanding of how to brand and market your product in the food and beverage industry! Next Session: Thursday, February 5th, 2026 at 10:00am |
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T1 General Small Business Tax Literacy Seminar
This seminar is offered to owners of small businesses and self-employed individuals who need help in understanding their tax obligations.
Presented by the Canada Revenue Agency’s Liaison Officer Service Program This seminar is offered to owners of small businesses and self-employed individuals who need help in understanding their tax obligations. The presentation is geared towards unincorporated businesses and will provide participants with the basic principles and resources needed to navigate the tax system. During the seminar, the Liaison Officers will:
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Health & Safety Basics for Small Businesses
Join us to learn how Workplace Safety & Prevention Services can help small business owners reach their full potential.
As a small business owner, you have legal obligations when it comes to the health and safety of your workplace. But it’s not just about the law. A sound workplace health and safety program will also ensure the growth of your business. Don’t know how to start? This webinar will guide you through the journey. What you will learn:
Join us to learn how Workplace Safety & Prevention Services can offer health and safety expertise and resources to protect Ontario workers and businesses. |
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Labelling & Packaging your Food Product
This session is for you if you have a food or beverage product that needs an accurate and compliant label. In this free 60-minute online seminar learn about:
Packaging and labelling your food product is where marketing meets regulatory compliance and food safety. You know you want your product to look great on a store shelf, but what are you required to put on the label? How do you choose the right package for your product? For this session, we will be joined by Nicole Haney, former Founder & CEO of Boho Bars. Nicole will guide us through what to consider when choosing a package for your food product, what to include on your label, and what mistakes to avoid when packaging your food product. You will leave with a better understanding of labelling & packaging in the food and beverage industry! Next Session: Thursday, February 12th, 2026, at 10:00 am |
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Food Safety Fundamentals for Startups
This session is for you if you are starting a food business and want to make sure you are producing safe products right from the start. In this free 60-minute online seminar learn about:
When you’re launching a food product, understanding food safety is essential not only for protecting your customers, but also for meeting regulatory expectations and building retailer trust. In this session, Lisa Cove, Food Safety Consultant and Founder of Shelf Ready Inc., will walk you through simple, actionable steps you can take to build food safety into your business from the very beginning—without getting overwhelmed by regulations. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of basic food safety expectations, practical steps you can implement immediately, and the confidence to move your food business forward safely! Next Session: Thursday, February 19th, 2026 at 10:00 am |
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Business Law 101
Legal foundations every entrepreneur needs — business structures, contracts, IP, employment law, and how to work with lawyers.
Starting or growing a business means facing a variety of legal decisions — from choosing the right structure to protecting your brand and managing workers. This workshop offers practical legal insights for business founders and operators at an early stage of business start-up and development. You’ll get a clear, working understanding of essential business law concepts to help you avoid costly mistakes and work more effectively with legal professionals. We’ll cover business structures, contracts, intellectual property, employment obligations, and more —all tailored to the startup and small business context. What you will learn:
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When & How to Pivot Your Startup
This workshop helps founders recognize when it’s time to pivot, how to do it without losing momentum, and how to test new directions quickly
Event Description: Most startups fail not because founders don’t work hard enough, but because they keep pushing a plan that’s no longer working. This workshop helps founders recognize when it’s time to pivot, how to do it without losing momentum, and how to test new directions quickly before burning more time and cash. We’ll go through real examples of successful pivots, identify common blind spots that delay tough decisions, and teach a framework to evaluate whether your startup should double down, adjust, or completely change direction. This session is designed for early-stage founders who already have a product or MVP in the market and are struggling with slow traction, customer churn, or unclear product/market fit. Expect candid discussions, practical frameworks, and clarity on your next move. You’ll learn How To:
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Why Financial Ratios Matter: How to Know if You’re Turning a Profit
Learn from CPA Canada about the calculation and interpretation of financial ratios.
This financial literacy webinar will show you how to calculate key financial ratios and understand the meaning of the calculations. By the end of the session, you will be able to interpret the results to become better managers of your small business. What you will learn: • How profitable is my business? • How do my profits compare to the industry? • What’s the trend in my profits? • How quickly are we growing? • Can we pay the bills? Can we pay the bank? • Am I getting a return on my investment? Join us to learn why financial ratios matter. |
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From Clicks to Customers: Email Marketing That Actually Works
Are your emails getting ignored? Not sure what to say or how to say it to actually drive sales? If you want your emails to finally work the way they should, this workshop is for you. In this 90-minute session led by Melissa March Crowley of Rediscover Marketing, you’ll learn strategies top-performing businesses use to turn casual readers into paying customers without sounding salesy or sending daily emails. In this workshop, Melissa will cover:
Whether you’re just starting your email marketing journey or ready to level up your strategy, this session will give you actionable steps you can use immediately. If you’re ready to finally turn your email list into a revenue-producing asset, don’t miss this session! |
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International Women’s Day High Tea
Cornwall SDG Business Enterprise Centre (CBEC) and The Cornwall & Area Chamber of Commerce are proud to announce the return of their International Women’s Day celebration on March 5th, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM at the Best Western Parkway Inn & Conference Centre. This year’s event features the provocative and engaging theme “Spill The Tea,” designed to break the silence on essential topics surrounding women’s health and wellness. The “Spill The Tea” theme encourages an environment of radical honesty and support, moving past polite conversation to address the real wellness challenges women face today. The event will kick off with a powerful keynote address from Karen Brunet, founder of CNTRL+, followed by a dynamic fireside chat featuring four guest speakers who will anchor the afternoon’s discussion on health and resilience. Please click here to learn more, and here to purchase tickets. |
