Hotline provides help to 25,000 businesses yearly
For Pieter Debruin, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is a partner and ally that helps him focus on the business of running a business.
Debruin is the owner of Devan Greenhouses Ltd., of Abbotsford, B.C., a wholesaler of seeds, cuttings and bedding plants. His products are available at retailers across B.C. and the Prairies, in Washington state and Oregon, and at his onsite retail outlet.
A member of CFIB for 14 years, Debruin joined for the resources and discounts available to independent business owners. “We’re busy trying to make a living,” he says. “CFIB gives us the opportunity to have a voice without necessarily having to be active in all the things that affect our operation. It also brings direct financial advantages.”
Debruin appreciates the information on updates to labour and other laws that he receives, and for the lobbying activities that the organization does on our behalf, he says. “We also have regular contact with a business counsellor who helps us navigate new regulations and provides support when challenges arise.”
Most recently, CFIB assisted Debruin following a truckers strike at the Port of Vancouver. He was unable to get vital business supplies out of the port, yet was billed for storage by CN Rail and the container company. “We approached CN to see if they could look into the situation but received no response,” he says. “That’s when we called CFIB, who were able to get $5,000 in charges reimbursed – something we were not able to achieve on our own.”
“That’s the power of having 109,000 members behind you: There’s strength in numbers,” says Laura Jones, CFIB’s executive vice-president. “Whether we’re lobbying, negotiating to resolve issues, or seeking discounted services such as payment processing and shipping, organizations and governments care about the number of members we have. That’s why we encourage other independent business owners to join us – every additional voice makes a difference.”
CFIB’s business resource services are available from coast to coast, adds Jones, and counsel- lors receive about 25,000 calls each year. “Calls are on a wide ranges of issues including human resources, scams, payment processing, and contract negotiations. We help business owners avoid the pitfalls of unscrupulous suppliers and offer constructive feedback in handling on-the-job challenges with an employee.”
The business resource function fits well with CFIB’s lobbying work, with one story from a small business often making a big difference for all, she says. “A few years ago, a member from B.C. called because she had received a $93,000 bill from the province as a result of a provincial sales tax audit. To pay it, she feared she would have to sell either her home or her business,” says Jones. “We dug deeper and discovered that while she was following a provincial tax bulletin that stated that any material suitable for clothing was exempt from sales tax, she was selling the material for quilts. According to the auditor it was not being used for clothing, thus the exemption did not apply.”
While it took almost a year to resolve, CFIB was able to completely reverse the audit.
“This member’s story created a ripple effect across provincial and federal governments,” she adds.
In B.C., CFIB helped develop the Taxpayer Fairness and Service Code that affirms taxpayers’ right to receive information from the government in writing and that it will be honoured even if the advice received was incorrect.
At the federal level, CFIB lobbied the minister responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), which now honours written advice provided online through its My Business Accounts. “This was a major step forward and caused the CRA to focus more on how it works with small business owners,” she says. “Since that time, a number of additional initiatives have been implemented by the CRA including a liaison officer pilot project to help businesses become compliant before an audit is triggered.”
“When businesses tell us they don’t know if joining CFIB will make a difference, I recount this story,” notes Jones, “and remember the Dalai Lama, who says if you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”