--- title: Blog | Advice for Canadian Small Business Owners, Chartered Accountant | Donald Cameron (3) description: Advice for Canadian Small Business Owners, Financial Results, Business Results, Big Data, Cloud-Based Systems, Investment Strategy (3) --- [Home](https://www.inhousecfo.com/) [Contact Us](https://www.inhousecfo.com/contact/contact-us/) [Blog](https://inhousecfo.hs-sites.com/blog) [![InHouseCFO logo](https://www.inhousecfo.com/hubfs/inhousecfo/inhousecfo_logo1.jpg)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/) ![inhousecfo](https://www.inhousecfo.com/hubfs/inhousecfo/header-images.jpg) - [Home](https://www.inhousecfo.com) - [About Us](https://www.inhousecfo.com/about-us/our-people) - [Our People](https://www.inhousecfo.com/about-us/our-people) - [Philosophy](https://www.inhousecfo.com/about-us/philosophy) - [History](https://www.inhousecfo.com/about-us/history) - [Future](https://www.inhousecfo.com/about-us/future) - [Our Services](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-services) - [Special Projects](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-services/special-projects) - [CFO for Canadian SMB's](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-services/business-oversight) - [Risk Management & Insurance](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-services/risk-management---insurance) - [Investment](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-services/investment) - [Planning](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-services/planning) - [Our Solutions](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-solutions/overview/) - [Overview](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-solutions/overview) - [Small Business Software](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-solutions/information-systems) - [Accounting solutions](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-solutions/information-systems/online-accounting-software-for-small-businesses-in-Canada) - [Marketing Software](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-solutions/information-systems/marketing-software-for-Canadian-SMB) - [CRM Software](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-solutions/information-systems/crm-software-for-SMBs-in-Canada) - [Investment](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-solutions/investment) - [Insurance](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-solutions/insurance) - [Structural](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-solutions/structural) - [Banking](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-solutions/banking) - [Pricing](https://www.inhousecfo.com/pricing-for-services) - [Blog](https://inhousecfo.hs-sites.com/blog) - [Contact](https://www.inhousecfo.com/contact/contact-us/) - [Locations, how to reach us](https://www.inhousecfo.com/contact/contact-us) - [I'm interested, let's talk](https://www.inhousecfo.com/contact/why-did-you-visit-us-) - [Partner Sites](https://www.inhousecfo.com/contact/partner-sites) # InHouseCFO's Small Business Blog ## Donald Cameron ### Recent Posts ## [Do You Need a Part Time CFO for Your Canadian Small Business?](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/319634/Do-You-Need-a-Part-Time-CFO-for-Your-Canadian-Small-Business) Posted by [Donald Cameron](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/author/donald-cameron) on Wed, Jul 24, 2013 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://www.inhousecfo.com/hs-fs/file-232474959-jpg/images/competitive_edge-resized-600.jpg)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/319634/Do-You-Need-a-Part-Time-CFO-for-Your-Canadian-Small-Business) ### The CFO role has changed To be able to answer the question whether you, as the owner of a small business in Canada, "need" a CFO, it's important to note that, like many other aspects of business, digital processing, the use of the Internet to make buying decisions (90% of all buyers now use it for research before buying), online computing ( the Cloud"), and new software applications have permanently altered the way business is being done. In turn, so has the role and the affordability of the CFO for small businesses. [Read More](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/319634/Do-You-Need-a-Part-Time-CFO-for-Your-Canadian-Small-Business) 1 Comment [Click here to read/write comments](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/319634/Do-You-Need-a-Part-Time-CFO-for-Your-Canadian-Small-Business#comments-listing) Tags: [Picking a Professional](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/picking-a-professional), [CFO for small business](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/cfo-for-small-business) ## [Choosing a Lawyer for Your Small Business in Canada](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/318691/Choosing-a-Lawyer-for-Your-Small-Business-in-Canada) Posted by [Donald Cameron](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/author/donald-cameron) on Mon, Jul 22, 2013 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://www.inhousecfo.com/hs-fs/file-232518881-jpg/images/lawyer-resized-600.jpg)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/318691/Choosing-a-Lawyer-for-Your-Small-Business-in-Canada) A big part of running a  small business in Canada  effectively is choosing the right professional advisors to work on your behalf. When a legal need arises, whether by an issue arising that requires resolution, or through day to day activities of your small business, choosing the right lawyer is a lot like picking a medical specialist. [Read More](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/318691/Choosing-a-Lawyer-for-Your-Small-Business-in-Canada) 12 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/318691/Choosing-a-Lawyer-for-Your-Small-Business-in-Canada#comments-listing) Tags: [Picking a Professional](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/picking-a-professional) ## [Software Gives Canadian Small Business Owner's Intelligence](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312501/Software-Gives-Canadian-Small-Business-Owner-s-Intelligence) Posted by [Donald Cameron](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/author/donald-cameron) on Wed, Jun 12, 2013 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://www.inhousecfo.com/hs-fs/file-215731989-jpg/images/xero_logo-resized-600.jpg)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312501/Software-Gives-Canadian-Small-Business-Owner-s-Intelligence) While there are always technology solutions that are business specific, there are certain ones that all small to mid-sized businesses (SMB's) must have today. At InHouseCFO we see these must-haves falling into 4 main categories: [Read More](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312501/Software-Gives-Canadian-Small-Business-Owner-s-Intelligence) 1 Comment [Click here to read/write comments](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312501/Software-Gives-Canadian-Small-Business-Owner-s-Intelligence#comments-listing) Tags: [SMB Systems](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/smb-systems), [Cloud Reporting](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/cloud-reporting), [Business Intelligence](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/business-intelligence) ## [What Does Inbound Marketing Mean for a Canadian Small Business CEO?](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312493/What-Does-Inbound-Marketing-Mean-for-a-Canadian-Small-Business-CEO) Posted by [Donald Cameron](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/author/donald-cameron) on Mon, Jun 10, 2013 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://www.inhousecfo.com/hs-fs/file-209837050-png/images/inbound_marketing_1.png)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312493/What-Does-Inbound-Marketing-Mean-for-a-Canadian-Small-Business-CEO) [Read More](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312493/What-Does-Inbound-Marketing-Mean-for-a-Canadian-Small-Business-CEO) 3 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312493/What-Does-Inbound-Marketing-Mean-for-a-Canadian-Small-Business-CEO#comments-listing) Tags: [SMB Systems](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/smb-systems), [Marketing](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/marketing) ## [Big Data - A Threat and an Opportunity for Small Business in Canada](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312221/Big-Data-A-Threat-and-an-Opportunity-for-Small-Business-in-Canada) Posted by [Donald Cameron](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/author/donald-cameron) on Wed, May 15, 2013 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://www.inhousecfo.com/hs-fs/file-233765541-jpg/images/big_data_rectangle-resized-600.jpg)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312221/Big-Data-A-Threat-and-an-Opportunity-for-Small-Business-in-Canada) On the plane this week I read an ad in the Wall Street Journal by IBM all about "Big Data". What they said in the ad, and have dedicated a whole web presence to ([IBM Big Data](http://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/bigdata/social.html)) is that, while available data about a business and its operations is exploding, it's "the analysis and use of the right data" that's important. [Read More](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312221/Big-Data-A-Threat-and-an-Opportunity-for-Small-Business-in-Canada) 1 Comment [Click here to read/write comments](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312221/Big-Data-A-Threat-and-an-Opportunity-for-Small-Business-in-Canada#comments-listing) Tags: [SMB Systems](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/smb-systems), [Cloud Reporting](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/cloud-reporting), [Big Data](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/big-data) ## [How Every Canadian Small Business Should Use the "Cloud"](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312213/How-Every-Canadian-Small-Business-Should-Use-the-Cloud) Posted by [Donald Cameron](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/author/donald-cameron) on Wed, May 01, 2013 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://www.inhousecfo.com/hs-fs/file-289086936-jpg/images/the_cloud_-_smaller-resized-600.jpg)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312213/How-Every-Canadian-Small-Business-Should-Use-the-Cloud) I've spoken about emerging things and how to benefit from them in my blogs on investments (see [HERE](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312198/Boosting-Portfolio-Returns-from-Emerging-Markets)). Now I want to address another very important emerging thing, and how it should and can be capitalized on by small businesses in Canada. [Read More](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312213/How-Every-Canadian-Small-Business-Should-Use-the-Cloud) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312213/How-Every-Canadian-Small-Business-Should-Use-the-Cloud#comments-listing) Tags: [Cloud Reporting](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/cloud-reporting) ## [A Guide to Business Processes for SMB's - Marketing & Sales](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312205/A-Guide-to-Business-Processes-for-SMB-s-Marketing-Sales) Posted by [Donald Cameron](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/author/donald-cameron) on Tue, Apr 16, 2013 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://www.inhousecfo.com/hs-fs/file-208922878-jpg/images/sample_marketing_bp.jpg)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312205/A-Guide-to-Business-Processes-for-SMB-s-Marketing-Sales) #### Marketing and Sales All businesses, of any size and nature need to start their business plan execution with marketing activities, which, in turn generate leads that turn into opportunities, and hopefully sales. From this, administation, finance, HR, and other stakeholder relations follow.It's a well known fact that identifying the processes that the business should follow in all of these areas in a disciplined way, and memorializing them in an easy to follow manner increases results faster. Our experience, however, has been that small and mid-sized business (SMB) owners, while they have interest, they don't have the time and frankly the training and experience to do this. [Read More](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312205/A-Guide-to-Business-Processes-for-SMB-s-Marketing-Sales) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312205/A-Guide-to-Business-Processes-for-SMB-s-Marketing-Sales#comments-listing) Tags: [Marketing](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/marketing), [Business Processes](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/business-processes), [Sales](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/sales) ## [Boosting Portfolio Returns from Emerging Markets](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312198/Boosting-Portfolio-Returns-from-Emerging-Markets) Posted by [Donald Cameron](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/author/donald-cameron) on Tue, Apr 09, 2013 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) Many investors continue to think to their peril that the term emerging markets refers solely to foreign "evolving " economies. You only need to look at the results of investing in most things Africa these days with a whole new meaning to the term political risk, and the folly of that choice ([NY Times Egypt News - Revolution and Aftermath](http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/egypt/index.html)). [Read More](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312198/Boosting-Portfolio-Returns-from-Emerging-Markets) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312198/Boosting-Portfolio-Returns-from-Emerging-Markets#comments-listing) Tags: [Investments](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/investments) ## [Does a Small Businesses in Canada Need an MIS?](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312197/Does-a-Small-Businesses-in-Canada-Need-an-MIS) Posted by [Donald Cameron](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/author/donald-cameron) on Sun, Apr 07, 2013 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) Management Information Systems, or "MIS" have, with everything else as a result of digital media and the Internet, evolved to a point now where the smallest of businesses can operate like the biggest of businesses gathering key operational data that is relevant, available in real time, and very useful in making business decisions. So much so that for any business NOT to have the information at its fingertips puts it at a very competitive disadvantage. [Read More](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312197/Does-a-Small-Businesses-in-Canada-Need-an-MIS) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312197/Does-a-Small-Businesses-in-Canada-Need-an-MIS#comments-listing) Tags: [CFO for small business](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/cfo-for-small-business), [SMB Systems](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/smb-systems) ## [Choosing a Public Accountant for Your Small Business in Canada](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312193/Choosing-a-Public-Accountant-for-Your-Small-Business-in-Canada) Posted by [Donald Cameron](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/author/donald-cameron) on Fri, Apr 05, 2013 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://www.inhousecfo.com/hs-fs/file-234877295-jpg/images/financial_statement-resized-600.jpg)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312193/Choosing-a-Public-Accountant-for-Your-Small-Business-in-Canada) A big part of running an effective small business continues to be choosing the right professionals to work on your behalf, and that includes choosing your Public Accountant. We provide an 8 point checklist to use in going through the process. [Read More](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312193/Choosing-a-Public-Accountant-for-Your-Small-Business-in-Canada) 2 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/bid/312193/Choosing-a-Public-Accountant-for-Your-Small-Business-in-Canada#comments-listing) Tags: [Picking a Professional](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/picking-a-professional) [Previous](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/author/donald-cameron/page/2) [All posts](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/all) [Next](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/author/donald-cameron/page/4) ### Subscribe by Email ### Latest Posts ### Browse by Tag - [Big Data (2)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/big-data) - [Budgeting (2)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/budgeting) - [Business Intelligence (5)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/business-intelligence) - [Business Processes (3)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/business-processes) - [Business Reading (1)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/business-reading) - [CFO for small business (8)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/cfo-for-small-business) - [Cloud Reporting (7)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/cloud-reporting) - [Investments (2)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/investments) - [KPI (2)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/kpi) - [Marketing (2)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/marketing) - [Picking a Professional (9)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/picking-a-professional) - [Remote Working (1)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/remote-working) - [Sales (3)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/sales) - [SMB Systems (8)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/smb-systems) - [Tax Planning (1)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/topic/tax-planning) ### Follow Us ### Posts by Month - [May 2020 (1)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2020/05) - [September 2014 (1)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2014/09) - [May 2014 (2)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2014/05) - [March 2014 (1)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2014/03) - [February 2014 (1)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2014/02) - [January 2014 (2)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2014/01) - [December 2013 (1)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2013/12) - [November 2013 (3)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2013/11) - [October 2013 (1)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2013/10) - [September 2013 (3)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2013/09) - [August 2013 (3)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2013/08) - [July 2013 (3)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2013/07) - [June 2013 (2)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2013/06) - [May 2013 (2)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2013/05) - [April 2013 (5)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2013/04) - [January 2013 (1)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2013/01) - [September 2012 (1)](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/archive/2012/09) - [Home](https://www.inhousecfo.com/) - [About Us](https://www.inhousecfo.com/about-us/our-people) - [Our Services](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-services/) - [Our Solutions](https://www.inhousecfo.com/our-solutions/overview/) - [Pricing](https://www.inhousecfo.com/pricing-for-services/) - [Blog](https://www.inhousecfo.com/blog/) - [Contact](https://www.inhousecfo.com/contact/contact-us/) © 2015 InHouseCFO