How to unlock small business investment

Jan 16, 2025
By Farms.com

Small business investment - A call for action

A new report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) reveals that 32% of Canadian small businesses expect their capital investments to decrease over the next two years. Many farmers would agree.

Alarmingly, only 40% are making investments aimed at boosting their productivity.

CFIB’s findings show that over two-thirds (69%) of businesses are deterred by high equipment costs, with 56% citing the overall high cost of doing business and 50% mentioning cash flow constraints as additional barriers. In certain provinces, such as British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, nearly 40% of businesses report that the inability to write off Provincial Sales Taxes limits their investment potential.

To address these challenges, CFIB urges the federal government to make the Accelerated Investment Incentive and Immediate Expensing measures permanent, allowing faster write-offs. Additionally, it calls for the abandonment of the capital gains inclusion rate increase to 66.7%.

CFIB also recommends that governments reduce corporate income tax rates to allow businesses to reinvest more of their income, prioritize faster permitting and assessments for large infrastructure projects, especially in sectors like energy, and create policies that encourage investment. By supporting small businesses with the right tools, Canada can boost productivity and strengthen the economy.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.