Notes
Plain notes on getting customers.
Short, practical pieces for Ottawa business owners: leads, follow-up, CRM, AI, websites and the tech underneath. No jargon, no fluff.
7 October 2026 · 7 min read
How much does a small business website cost in Canada?
Honest ranges for 2026: do-it-yourself builders, freelancers, agencies, and what you pay every month after launch. Plus the four things that actually move the price.
Read →7 October 2026 · 6 min read
Why is my website not showing up on Google?
The seven reasons a new or rebuilt site is invisible on Google, how to check each one in five minutes, and what to do about it. Works for Wix, Squarespace, Shopify and custom sites.
Read →7 October 2026 · 7 min read
How to get more leads for a construction or trades business.
The lead sources that actually work for contractors in Ottawa, in the order to build them: Google Business Profile, reviews, a fast site, search ads, and a follow-up system that doesn't leak.
Read →7 October 2026 · 5 min read
How to get Google reviews for your business.
Your direct review link, a QR code for the counter, the text message that gets replies, how to answer bad reviews, and the two things that will get your profile penalised.
Read →7 October 2026 · 6 min read
Is SEO worth it for a small business?
A straight answer on SEO timelines, what it costs in Canada, when it's worth doing, when it isn't, and the part most agencies won't tell you about local search.
Read →7 October 2026 · 6 min read
Google Ads or Facebook Ads, and how much to spend?
Which platform fits which kind of business, a sane starting budget per month, what a lead should cost, and the three mistakes that waste most small-business ad money.
Read →7 October 2026 · 6 min read
Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace: which one for a small business?
A practical comparison for a 2 to 50 person company: email, files, meetings, security, cost in Canada, and the question that usually decides it.
Read →7 October 2026 · 6 min read
Do I need a firewall? A small business security checklist.
The ten things that stop almost all small-business breaches, in order of payoff: MFA, backups, updates, email protection, a real firewall, and what to do about staff phones and Wi-Fi.
Read →7 October 2026 · 6 min read
How to use AI in a small business, without the hype.
Nine uses of AI that pay for themselves in a small company today, the ones that don't yet, and a simple way to start that won't embarrass you in front of customers.
Read →7 October 2026 · 5 min read
What is a sales funnel? In simple terms.
A sales funnel is the path from stranger to paying customer, drawn so you can see where people drop out. Here is what it is, how to find yours, and how to fix the leaks.
Read →7 October 2026 · 6 min read
Build it on Wix, WordPress, or hire someone?
A fair comparison for a small business in 2026: when a builder is enough, when WordPress makes sense, when to hire, and the hidden costs of each path.
Read →7 October 2026 · 5 min read
How to automate a small business: the first eight.
Eight automations that save real hours every week in a small company, in the order to build them, with the tools that connect them. No code, no hype.
Read →7 October 2026 · 6 min read
You get leads. You don't get customers.
Five places Ottawa service businesses lose the people who already wanted to buy — and the plain fix for each. No new ad budget needed.
Read →7 October 2026 · 5 min read
Do you actually need a CRM?
What a CRM really does for a small Ottawa business, the three signs you need one, and what to set up first.
Read →7 October 2026 · 6 min read
An AI receptionist: what it can and can't do yet.
Honest notes from setting up AI phone and chat assistants for small businesses: where they shine, where they fail, and how to roll one out without annoying customers.
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