Facing obstacles, Canadian women are succeeding in the small business space
Many women small business owners overcome extreme adversity to chase their dreams
As a child, Daycion Reid developed a deep and abiding passion for food.
She started cooking at age seven, standing on a stool in her single father’s kitchen so she could help as he made meals. But as she got older, culinary pursuits took a backseat to practical courses in business management and social work.
At the time, she didn’t believe life as a chef would be lucrative or rewarding.
“The passion was always there,” said Reid, 36, who now lives in Brampton, Ont., and runs Dacy’s Gourmet Kitchen, her self-owned personal chef business.
“People always saw it … and where there’s a passion, you’ve just got to try.”
As a single mother of two boys, Reid struggled to find a job in the culinary world that made sense for her family. Typically, restaurants had strict schedules that weren’t flexible enough to allow for getting the kids to school in the morning or picking them up afterward.
“That in itself is difficult,” said Reid. “And that’s one of the reasons why I decided I’ve got to do something for me … then I can put in my time here and there for my
kids. Because at the end of the day I’m doing it for them. I’m trying to build a legacy for them, for us.”
In 2017, Reid decided to go to back to school and study to be a chef. After two years of study at Humber College — including about three months online due to the pandemic — she graduated with honours, at the top of her class.
The need for flexibility and lack of quality restaurant jobs during the pandemic prompted Reid to
start her own business, a personal chef service.
“I put a menu out and said, this is what I’m offering this Friday and Saturday,” she said. “And then I got — I think it was like, 15 orders … and every week I get more.”
Soon the demand for her services was so high she felt overwhelmed, but it was also encouraging. It validated the idea her passion could be a viable business.
“My name got out, people started ordering, I developed a customer base, and it went from there.”
Today, Reid utilizes Mastercard’s tools, products and resources to help support her in day-to-day business matters.
“It’s been my lifesaver,” Reid said.
As a leading global payment and technology company, Mastercard has a suite of services that enable and protect e-commerce platforms, provide near-instant transfer of earned wages with Mastercard Send, and many other products that help Canadian small businesses thrive.
“Mastercard has a proud history of supporting small businesses in Canada by putting its network, insights, technology, products, tools, cybersecurity solutions, digital resources, and partnerships to work for them every day,” said Nishant Raina, Small Business Lead for Mastercard Canada.
“Through this commitment, we’re able to help address some of the biggest challenges small businesses face like access to capital, expanding their online presence and ongoing skills training.”
Small businesses are the backbone of the Canadian economy, making up 98 per cent of all employer businesses in Canada, and while every business has been impacted by the pandemic, studies show women-owned small businesses have been disproportionately affected.
On average, research shows, women entrepreneurs have less capital, have a lower income, and their businesses have been slower to recover from the effects of the pandemic.
To help Canadian small businesses persevere during turbulent times, Mastercard
provides free support from the SHOPHERE program, in partnership with Digital Main Street.
“Since the pandemic, the way Canadians shop, bank, and work has evolved to largely occur online,” said Nishant Raina from Mastercard.
“Digital Mainstreet offers educational resources and content so that small business owners will be able to evaluate their level of cybersecurity protection, learn how to improve it and equip themselves with the right tools to address any threats.”
In October, during Small Business Month, Mastercard is highlighting the success and resilience of women entrepreneurs in the culinary industry through its “Secret Sauce” campaign.
The company has also partnered with Pier Five, a platform that uncovers creative entrepreneurs and helps tell their stories, while
also funding and supporting women-owned small businesses in Canada.
“To help further develop their businesses, Mastercard will provide five womenowned small businesses with $10,000 CAD each in funding and a Priceless Experience that will bring them together for a unique community-building event,” said Raina. “Canadian women small business owners across all sectors can apply online until the end of October.”
That sort of support has been, and continues to be, crucial for women entrepreneurs like Dacyion, who continues leverage partnerships to grow
her thriving business with an eye on the future. Her longterm goal is to start a non-profit drop-in centre for single parents, in honour of her father.
“I know the hardships and the struggles and how overwhelming it gets at times, being a single parent,” she said. “So I think it would be a good initiative. It will be a legacy.”