Market Fresh builds community—and a strong team—with help from Bensol
By Michele MactaggartFor nearly three decades, Market Fresh has been more than a corner grocery store in Guelph. Co-owned by Dayle Toscan, the locally rooted market has built its reputation as a place where neighbours gather—drawn in by top-quality, fresh groceries, unique food and home décor items, an in-house butcher and bakery, and a wide selection of […]
Top Dog Leadership: Coaching Support That Has Your Back
By Michele MactaggartRunning a small business can sometimes feel like you’re expected to have all the answers, all the time. You’re managing people, navigating tricky conversations, trying to keep everyone motivated, and still making space for the day-to-day demands of the business itself. It’s rewarding, but it can also be a lot to carry, especially when there […]
Spring Cleaning? Give Your Benefits Plan a New Leash on Life
By Michele MactaggartSpring has a way of making everything feel a little lighter. Windows open, routines reset, and suddenly the things you’ve been putting off all winter feel doable again. That same energy can apply to your employee benefits, too. Because here’s the thing: you don’t need to tear everything down and start from scratch to make […]
Build the Business you Want and let your Benefits Keep up
By Michele MactaggartRunning a small business means constantly adapting. One year you might be operating solo, the next you’re hiring your first employees and thinking seriously about how to support them. Growth rarely happens all at once, and the systems you put in place need to reflect that reality. Employee benefits are often where business owners feel […]
Why benefits that support real life help you attract and keep great people
By Michele MactaggartIf there’s one thing the last few years have made clear, it’s that work and life are not neatly (or easily) balanced. People bring their full selves to work. Their health, stress, families, aging parents, hormonal shifts, mental load, travel plans, and the curveballs no one could ever schedule. It all shows up, even when […]
Chicken Farmers of Ontario: Putting People First with Flexible Benefits
By Michele MactaggartChicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) supports farmers with ongoing education, resources and tools so they can produce the best products possible—products enjoyed by millions of Ontarians every day. To deliver that mandate, at CFO, caring for their 50-person staff team is at the heart of everything they do. “Without our people, we wouldn’t be able to support our farmers,” says Krysta Palmer, Senior HR Generalist at CFO. “It’s important for us to […]
Wellness is more than a resolution! Fewer ruff days and more support when it matters
By Michele MactaggartWith 2026 on the horizon, we can expect the influx of “new year, new you” wellness onslaught that comes with the drop of the ball. And while a focus on wellness is important, it’s essential that wellness remains a priority beyond January 31st. Thankfully, there are ways to keep wellness at the forefront of your […]
Is it really “savings”? Chasing a few dollars a day can cost you more in the long run
By Michele MactaggartThere’s no shortage of headlines right now about cutting costs. When you run a small or mid-sized business, those headlines can hit even harder. Every dollar counts and every line item on your budget needs to be justified. It is why many owners take a second look at their employee benefits plan and wonder if […]
Show Your Pack Some Love: Fighting Burnout with Better Benefits
By Michele MactaggartBurnout is no longer just a buzzword. It’s one of the biggest challenges facing workplaces today, and it’s costing employers more than they realize. When people are mentally checked out, productivity drops, mistakes rise, and the best employees quietly start looking elsewhere. But the solution isn’t just about telling people to take a day off; […]
What are the benefits of offering virtual healthcare to my employees?
By Michele MactaggartWell, let’s start with this: sometimes the hardest part about going to the doctor isn’t the appointment; but the process. Waiting weeks, or even months, to see a physician, to then have to leave work, organize childcare, or book the day off. Virtual healthcare cuts that out entirely, giving employees access to care that fits […]
