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Navigating Change as a Self-Employed Canadian
When the rules keep shifting and you're expected to keep up
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Introduction | New Normal For Trade | Cash Management Strategies | From Financial Stress to Success
Remember, you can see the next step, even when you can't see the destination.Published January 24, 2026 | Edited January 26, 2026
By L.Kenway BComm CPB Retired
This is the year you get all your ducks in a row! Start by starting.
Small Steps Through Shifting Ground
It's hard to focus when everything feels urgent. But most noise isn't signal. Pick one strategy that applies to your business. Build one habit around it. Then close the news tab and get back to the work that actually pays you.
When The Rules Keep Shifting
You just figured out how tariffs affect your pricing. Some banking fees regulations are changing (in a good way). Trade rules are in flux and will be until the CUSMA review is finished. Your accounting software updated again (introduction of AI Agents and moving everything around ... again). Inflation is squeezing your margins. And through it all, you're supposed to stay compliant, profitable, and sane.
It's exhausting.
This page won't eliminate the chaos. But it will help you navigate it without falling apart ... financially or emotionally.
It's organized into three series:
- What's Happening – Understand the changes so you can plan, not panic.
- Protect Your Money – Preserve cash flow and margins while costs shift.
- Protect Yourself – Manage both the numbers and the emotions.
You don't have to read everything. Just pick what's relevant to you right now. Maybe create a new habit to read a bit on this site during your daily coffee breaks. It will help you not feel overwhelmed. Or binge just like you would with Netflix! Now stop holding your breath and exhale.
Table of Contents
1. Dealing With The New Normal of Tariffs Series
What's Happening
This series explains what's changing and how to plan, not panic.
It's 2025 and U.S. trade is rupturing the old ways of doing business between countries. As a result, the U.S. trade policy changes are reshaping how Canadian solopreneurs import, export, and price their products ... sometimes overnight.
New to tariffs? Start with the Primer.
You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Table of Contents
2. Cash Management Strategies To Protect Your Margins
Protect Your Money
Tariffs squeeze margins by raising costs on supplies, packaging, parts, and shipping ... sometimes overnight. These strategies help you preserve cash flow and stay compliant while costs shift.
The Tariff Series explains what's changing. This series shows how to protect your business margins while it does.
Tracking tariffs already? Jump to the autopilot system.
Table of Contents
3. From Financial Stress to Success Series
Protect Yourself
Financial stress doesn't just affect your bottom line. It clouds your judgment, drains your energy, and can lead to business-threatening avoidance. This series gives you practical strategies for managing both the numbers and the emotions that come with them, so you can build a business that sustains you instead of burning you out.
Navigating Change Articles
How Tariffs Impact Canadian Small Business | An Introductory Primer
A practical primer on how tariffs impact Canadian small business. Covers basics, compliance, cash flow effects, and actionable steps to dealing with tariffs.
U.S. De Minimis Exemption Ended | 4 Strategies for Solopreneurs
The U.S. de minimis exemption ended after 87 years. Packages under $800 USD no longer enter America duty-free. Here are 4 strategic options to survive.
Canadian Small Business CRA Compliance | 30-Day Admin Reset
Build a simple 30-day admin routine for CRA compliance. Choose no tech, low tech, or affordable tech. Canadian solopreneurs - get audit-ready fast.
