These Are The Essentials Your Small Business Needs To Survive

Julie Starr • March 16, 2023

One out of every two small businesses fails—challenging odds to say the least. However, there are ways you can maximize your small business’s chances of succeeding and thriving. Read on to find out what they are. 

Human resources

Whether you have your in-house team or outsource human resources to a consultant, having someone managing the most valuable resource in your small business will increase your chances of success.

Human resources can help you with all sorts of things such as recruitment, and retention as well as disciplinaries, and even letting people go if it comes to it. All, while leaving you free to dedicate your time and focus on the rest of the tasks that need to be completed for your business to thrive. 

Marketing and advertising

Every business needs to make use of marketing and advising if they are to reach their true potential. This is because marketing and advertising make sure that the people that most want your product or service know that it and your business exist. 

 

Of course, the type of marketing and advertising you use will depend on a range of factors including your budget, and what will most appeal to the target market you are trying to attract. Whether you are looking for more sales in the short and long term will play into this as well with PPC advertising being better for the former, and SEO marketing for the latter. 

 

Quality control procedures

If you want your business to be successful, then you must have quality control procedures in place. Such procedures aim to check the quality of each unit of product or service to ensure it remains high, and customers stay satisfied. 

 

Generally, quality control tends to be easier to check when you are making a physical item as there will be some manual actions you can do to test the product. However, quality control testing is still possible when you are offering a service, you just need to focus more on employee attitude and performance.


If you have a product-based business, then the quality control procedure is something you must do at all points of your manufacturing process. You must be proactive and consider what items and procedures you need in place not just to properly check your products, but to also prevent any issues. This also means considering the things you are doing before and after product development. A good example of this is the packaging process. Not only do you need to have high-quality packaging to store your items and pass the quality process, but it also matters how you look after the packaging. There are many things you can use, for example, un packaging containers that will keep them protected and ready for use and shipping.

 

The right equipment 

Another essential that your small business needs to thrive and survive is the right equipment. Although, what equipment is right will very much depend on the type of business you are running. 

 

For example, a sales-oriented business will need registers and card payment terminals, as well as stock bar code scanners. However, the manufacturer business will need items like this   ball nose end mill  which is a specialist tool that can be used to create mold and dies and turbine blades, and every business will need the best fiber internet provider in the area. Indeed, without these very epics list items some businesses would just not be able to function, so investing in good quality, and making sure you have a secure supply chain is well worth your time if you want your business to succeed. 


A fully optimized website


Also, investing in a professionally designed website is a strategic move that can significantly contribute to the growth of your business with minimal hassle. A well-crafted site not only establishes a strong online presence but also serves as a 24/7 virtual storefront, reaching potential customers around the clock. Experts like Cullen Fischel can provide you with a website with intuitive navigation and user-friendly features to boost your customer engagement and conversion.

 

Risk management

Another thing that every small business will need to be successful is a good grasp of risk management. Risk management is all about identifying the things that could pose a threat to the success of your business and coming up with proactive ways to deal with them, if not avoid them altogether. 

 

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.