Ottawa Small Business Summit: Ten Key Takeaways
The Ottawa Board of Trade, Invest Ottawa, and the Ottawa Coalition of Business Improvement Areas proudly hosted the Ottawa Small Business Summit 2025 on Monday, October 20 during Small Business Week, bringing together entrepreneurs, community leaders, and experts dedicated to strengthening Ottawa’s small business ecosystem.
Small businesses are the backbone of Ottawa’s economy, accounting for approximately 98% of all businesses in the region and employing nearly half of the local workforce. These enterprises drive innovation, create jobs, and foster economic resilience by adapting quickly to changing market needs. In Ottawa, small businesses contribute billions annually to the city’s GDP and are crucial in supporting local supply chains, nurturing talent, and enriching the unique character of Ottawa’s diverse neighbourhoods.
From economic resilience and digital innovation to mental health and workforce strategies, this year's sold-out summit sparked powerful conversations and offered actionable insights for attendees from across the local community.
Here are the top ten takeaways from this year’s summit:
- City Support for Small Business: In his welcome remarks, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe proclaimed October 19–25, 2025 as Small Business Week in Ottawa and launched the Small Business Navigator, a new online one-stop resource to help small business owners at any stage access the programs and tools they need to thrive.
- Longevity through Adaptation: A panel of long-standing Ottawa businesses shared that longevity comes from embracing innovation, maintaining company culture, and nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset across generations.
- Leadership and Resilience: Local business owners emphasized that “leadership can be lonely,” but strength comes from flexibility, authentic communication, and building teams grounded in trust. Retaining talent now means supporting staff as whole people, not just employees.
- Prioritizing Wellbeing: A mental health panel focused on honest dialogue about the emotional toll of entrepreneurship. Attendees were reminded that vulnerability is not weakness; it’s a leadership strength that builds deeper team trust and combats isolation.
- Modernizing Through E-commerce Retail: E-commerce entrepreneurs revealed that while online sales are essential, physical retail is far from obsolete. In-person interactions remain critical for building trust, with hybrid models like buy-online-pickup-in-store gaining traction.
- Smart Marketing and Local SEO: Marketing experts stressed the importance of maintaining a complete, accurate Google Business Profile. Verified profiles with updated photos and reviews see 45 percent more direction requests and 31 percent more website clicks from local searches.
- Responsible Use of AI: Digitally-savvy leaders encouraged businesses to start small by using AI to automate simple weekly tasks or validate marketing strategies. They cautioned against the “we’ve always done it this way” mindset, urging owners to embrace AI as a competitive advantage and create a GPT themselves to understand how to use AI tools.
- Employment Law Readiness: The HR and Employment Law session highlighted new legislative requirements, including pay transparency and AI disclosure in hiring. Employers were reminded that every worker, family included, needs a contract and that documentation is key to compliance. [add in link here to ESA requirements from province]
- The Human Side of Networking: Networking isn’t just about collecting business cards, it’s about connection. Speakers emphasized the value of curiosity, generosity, and authenticity in relationship building, both online and in person.
- Community and Collaboration Drive Growth: Across all panels, one theme was clear - Ottawa’s small businesses thrive when they support one another. From mentoring new entrepreneurs to sharing hard-earned lessons, the strength of this city lies in the people behind its businesses.
The Ottawa Small Business Summit 2025 served as a reminder that success today is not about size but about connection, compassion, and adaptability. Thank you to all participants and partners for joining us at the event and helping shape a stronger, more resilient business community.