Execu-Brief®

Building Certainty Into Canada’s Future 

By: Doug Robbins

“The removal of uncertainty in Canada’s future.”

As a direct result of our government aggressively pursuing new initiatives, Robbinex is now seeing a marked increase in seller / buyer inquiries. The focus is on valuations, consulting, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, refinancing, employee buy-ins, coupled with unique ways of pricing, including earn-outs, timed buyouts, royalty programs, ambassador programs, etc.

New major projects and programs are being announced regularly. We know that it will take time to implement all that is being contemplated, but the change has started. The lack of confidence or certainty in the future is what causes businesses to stop growing, and economies to fall into recession.

Some of the major new initiatives include:

• Major investments promised in Canadian businesses via the Bureau of Research, Engineering and
  Advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science (BOREALIS)
• A new oil pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific Ocean
• A new major shipping port being built on the western shores of Hudson’s Bay
• Capital investment commitments from mid-eastern countries such as Saudia Arabia and the United Arab
  Emirates
• A reduction in provincial trade barriers
• A trade deal with China intending to grow agricultural revenues
• New trade agreements with South Korea and Japan
• Expanded trade agreements with Europe
• A pending free trade agreement with MERCOSUR
• Negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India which includes a 10-
  year nuclear energy deal
• Renewed interest in CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership),
  ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and CUSMA (Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement)
  • And the list goes on
    • and On
      • and On
        • and On

The fact that significant changes are being implemented is reducing uncertainty and is slowly building
confidence in the future.

Uncertainty is always with us. In today’s world of headline-driven market gyrations—tariffs, inflation,
recession, military activity—it is only natural to be concerned about things over which we seemingly have no
control. But to quell this worry, many people often think back to the words of former New York Yankees centre fielder Mickey Rivers:

“If you have no control over something, ain’t no sense worrying about it—you have no control over it anyway!

If you do have control, why worry? So, either way, there ain’t no sense worrying.”

When uncertainty and risk are put in the context of time, much of a business owner’s concern about normal market volatility can often be set aside and turned into an advantage.

Therefore, in our opinion, the time has come for business owners to start planning for the future of their businesses by considering:

• New products, services, customers and markets
  • Securing new employees
    • Additional training for existing employees
      • Broadening supply chains
        • Strengthening your equity to fund tomorrow’s growth

Bottom Line

As a direct result of our government aggressively pursuing new initiatives, Robbinex is now seeing a marked
increase in seller and buyer inquiries. The focus is implementation of the initiatives listed above.

The time is now to start planning and working towards a brighter future so that you can make

the Right Decision at
The Right time, for
The Right reasons®