B.C. sales slump, AI for local firms, & India trade reset.

About this edition

Illuminating possibilities.

This week on the SMB Pulse, we focus on a recent private-sector report about B.C.'s business community — and how it could spell disaster if the government is unable to provide the support business leaders require. AI tools have revolutionized operations for all businesses, becoming essential infrastructure for most; we explore 10 tools small businesses can use to maintain a competitive edge.

Ottawa has also struck a landmark agreement with India, marking a transformative step towards economic cooperation and stability for Canadian businesses in the global market. Read on to learn more about this week’s news.

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British Columbia faces economic headwinds

Small businesses are being hit the hardest.

A concerning economic trend is emerging in Canada's westernmost province. While economic pressures are being felt nationwide, British Columbia is experiencing a particularly sharp downturn that demands immediate attention from policymakers and business leaders alike.

The numbers: Xero Small Business Insights' latest quarterly report delivers sobering news: small business sales in B.C. dropped 8.2% in Q4 2025 — exactly double the national average of 4.1%. This marks the province's steepest quarterly decline since the pandemic recovery period.

The perfect storm: Two key factors are driving this decline. Rising operational costs continue to erode margins, while consumer spending has contracted noticeably. This is creating a tough environment for small enterprises that form the backbone of B.C.'s economy.

Policy under fire: Business advocacy groups are raising serious concerns about recent fiscal decisions. The provincial government’s expansion of PST to cover additional services adds to existing challenges, which is troubling given current provincial debt levels and market uncertainty.

While government officials point to Statistics Canada data showing B.C. still leads in total active businesses and retail volume, these high-level indicators fail to capture the daily struggles and sentiment reported by business owners across the province. We created Vistera for this reason: an integrated business package that supports your business across foundational departments — HR, legal, finance, and operations.

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AI tools for local businesses

10 game-changing tech that level the playing field.

We've discussed extensively how AI has become integral to modern business operations, transforming everything from customer service to financial management. However, the landscape has changed dramatically in recent months. What began as an optimization opportunity has evolved into something far more important — a competitive imperative.

To help local businesses compete effectively in this new era, we've compiled a comprehensive list of AI tools that can immediately impact operations, customer relations, and growth potential.

Birdeye: Customer interaction can set your business apart from local competition. Birdeye streamlines interactions by consolidating all messages — texts, web chats, and Google reviews — into a single dashboard. The AI automatically requests reviews after job completion, helping build your online reputation without manual follow-up.

Rosie (or Goodcall): Rosie provides 24/7 phone coverage with an AI voice agent that handles basic inquiries, takes detailed messages, provides business information, and books appointments. Perfect for contractors and service providers who can't afford to miss leads while on job sites.

Vistera.ai: We’re bringing new tech to the industry — a revolutionary SMB co-pilot that will help businesses scale, pivot, and drive results faster than ever before. Stay tuned to our LinkedIn page and website in the coming months for the big reveal.

ManyChat: Managing socials as a local business owner can feel like a chore. ManyChat instantly responds to Instagram and Facebook comments with pricing information or booking links when customers use trigger words like "Book" or "How much?"

Claude 3.5 Sonnet: Claude excels at crafting professional, human-sounding communications. Ideal for writing first drafts for social media, client emails, newsletters, and more. Although Claude is one of the leading generative AI writing platforms, ensure you always review the output to keep the human element in your communications.

Canva (Magic Studio): Canva is the all-in-one graphic design and video creation platform. Use it’s AI-power resizing, background expansion, magic eraser, and design automation features to effortlessy edit consumer-facing graphic content. 

Photoroom: Photoroom elevates smartphone photography by removing backgrounds and placing products or before/after work samples in professional studio settings. An essential for creating polished product images.

Opus Clip: OpusClip converts long-form content — service explanations, testimonials, or educational videos — into multiple short-form clips optimized for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. If you have a marketer, this can help them repurpose content with just a couple of clicks.

Dext: One of the premier bookkeeping AI softwares currently on the market. Photograph receipts with Dext and use the AI to extract amounts, categorize expenses, and integrate directly with accounting software. Eliminates the burden of manual data entry for business expenses.

Zapier: The modern LEGO building block of AI tech stacks. Zapier creates seamless workflows between different business applications. For example, automatically send welcome texts through Podium when Facebook Ads generate new leads, then add contacts to your CRM — all without manual intervention.

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India trade rebirth

Canada cuts a landmark deal.

A decade of diplomatic friction ended this week with a landmark bilateral agreement between Ottawa and New Delhi, unlocking a $2.6 billion deal for Cameco. The Saskatoon-based firm will supply Canadian uranium to fuel India’s growing energy grid, delivering 22 million pounds of concentrate through 2035.

As part of Canada’s Indo-Pacific trade strategy, both nations share a common goal: reducing economic exposure to aggressive U.S. trade tariffs. For Canadian energy firms and miners, this deal presents an opportunity for long-term, stable exports outside of North America.

Trade targets are ambitious, aiming to reach $50 billion in bilateral trade by 2030. However, deals are yet to be locked in — negotiators are working to finalize a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement by the end of 2026 to formalize these ties. Canadian business leaders should note that the focus is not just on commodities but also on high-tech cooperation in semiconductors, supercomputing, and artificial intelligence.