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Mainstream news publications in Canada operate on very tight, near-zero profit margins, as total industry revenues have contracted sharply over the past two decades. But, unlike the tenuous profitability of mainstream media, social media platforms are highly profitable. As I write this, my concern is that social media content while ‘democratized’, has no perceptible link … Read more
The grey (time) zone of academia The growing cohort of aging professors is raising intergenerational tensions on campuses The Editorial Board The Globe and Mail Published September 13, 2026 Here are the core points from the Globe and Mail editorial, distilled clearly and structured for quick understanding. (As summarized by Microsoft’s CoPilot service) Main Argument … Read more
Were there parallels to contemporary micro-firms and today’s global corporate behemoths? by Rob Farrow, SBA (www.sba-canada.com) Both Dr. Luke Kemp – author of Goliath’s Curse – and Dr. James C. Scott – author of Against the Grain – two political scientists – paint an interesting portrait of early human civilization. I can’t help but draw … Read more
by Rob Farrow, SBA (www.suttoninnovation.com) As an SR&ED tax specialist working with micro-businesses doing eligible experimental development, I have noticed a tendency among practitioners at small and medium-sized CPA firms to rely on traditional income-versus-dividend analyses for tax planning. However, because eligible salaries for development teams can typically result in refundable investment tax credits of … Read more
KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID by Rob Farrow, SBA (www.suttoninnovation.com) The accounting strategy we recommend for small, high-tech startups is to use naturally-generated information prepared by others during the year, as an accurate source of cash-basis accounting data. This includes bank and credit card accounts, PayPal, and supplier accounts (e.g. BestBuy, Staples or Amazon) as the … Read more
Marketing vs. Reality Gap by Rob Farrow, SBA (www.the-hatchery.org) While software vendors market management insights heavily to sell subscriptions, industry usage data shows a distinct gap between marketing and adoption: The software packages constantly highlight managerial accounting value because it serves as a powerful sales pitch, even if the owner’s primary day-to-day value remains operational … Read more
Management Tool or Wishful Thinking? by Rob Farrow, SBA (www.the-hatchery.org) I’ve worked with tech startups and small businesses in Canada for decades. As a former tax auditor with Canada’s tax department, a manager and senior manager at two of Canada’s largest audit firms, and as an independent tax professional, I’ve consistently seen issues with the … Read more
In 2015 the Big 4 accounting firms employed about 75,000 staff in low-cost delivery centres (i.e. India, Philippines, Poland, Argentina, etc.). By 2025 that had increased to a headcount of more than 285,000. According to Microsoft’s CoPilot AI service: “A typical audit file for a Vancouver-listed issuer might be staffed 30 % in Canada, 50 … Read more
In some ways, the leverage model in a professional service firm resembles a standard markup function in an automotive repair business. There is an important difference, however. Professional service firms like our big four audit firms use a markup of at least 7 times the wage cost and often 10 times or more. This compares … Read more
Canadians log more hours than other countries but the workforce is less productive. What gives? CLAUDE LAVOIE PUBLISHED DECEMBER 12, 2023 Claude Lavoie was director-general of economic studies and policy analysis at the Department of Finance from 2008 to 2023. He has represented Canada at OECD meetings and has received many honours, including the Queen’s … Read more