Do you remember the story about the little train that could: “I know I Can, I know I Can.” Well, many entrepreneurs think that positive attitude is what will fuel the growth of their small business. Unfortunately, it is not not a lack of positive thinking that stalls business growth; it is not having the right business mindset to look within to change things for the better.

The first step to continuing growth is to see and admit that your small business has reached a growth plateau – and the earlier the better. The second step is not to make uninformed decisions – such as throwing more money behind advertising, aggressive marketing and promotions. Also, avoid trying to pour more cash or investments into your business until you know what is really causing your plateau. You might not need to make a big spend or to invest more money. You might just need to change a few things to get your small business back on the road to growth.

Do you remember when you were trying to start your business? You came up with a business plan. If you did not have a business plan and a growth strategy, that might be the reason why your small business has plateaued. If you did create a business plan, you have to go back and examine it. First, you need to know if you have stuck with the business plan and growth plan, or if you have deviated from it. Then you need to determine if the plan was flawed or is now outdated. If your plan is flawed or out dated, you need to re-write parts of your plan to take into consideration economic, financial, technological and even political changes that have occurred since creating your initial plan. You also have to look at what changes have occurred to your target customers, your products or services and other things that are within your control. But don’t stop there. You need to look at your financial plan to ensure your costs and pricing are relevant.

Are you standing out from your competition or are you just in their shadows? You may need to re-asses how your customers see you as compared to your competition or other companies in your industry. You need to find out if your offering is unique. Your business may not have the resources that could make you out-perform your competitors. But you should at least have a niche strategy to help you stand out while offering something different from your larger competitors. Don’t try to use marketing trends as a unique selling point, because your competitors are either there already or will join that trend. Once your competitors join the trend, you will probably find yourself back in the shadows, fighting to obtain more market share.

Before we go further, we should also tell you to avoid making big technology spends. Some sales experts will tell you that doing this will not keep you ahead of the game. Some of the best evolving technologies that are helping small business growth are either low-cost or even free! Yes, we are talking about the power of social media and how it has begun to level the playing field for small businesses to compete with larger businesses. Big biz may have the money and resources to pour into social media advertising, but they do not have the ability to grow an organic following of “real” potential customers. They stage promotions and giveaways, but they do not always earn the passion from loyal customers that a smaller, unique business can. On a side note, do not pay for customer testimonials. Your current and prospective customers can read through the deception of having 100% positive reviews. Many companies will hire advertising and marketing agencies to generate perfect reviews on social media. But savvy customers know that no business or product is really that perfect.

The other mistake that some small businesses make on the road to growth is thinking that if they capture that big whale of a customer, they will achieve growth. However, chasing that big whale only takes away focus, energy and resources on attracting and servicing the needs of of their smaller and more loyal customer base. In some cases, chasing the whale can be the reason for the boat sinking!

That “can do” approach of doing it yourself may also be holding back your growth. Once you have identified the problems between your plan and your reality, do not be afraid to reach out for help. On a personal note, I remember one of the best lessons that I learned in college: “If in parts of your business you are not an expert, surround yourself with experts.” By bringing in the experts on things you are not an expert on yourself – such as perhaps marketing, sales, web development, social media and other emerging business strategies – you can focus on the key factors of your business that you are an expert on.

One other area that you may be spending time on that takes away from your core business and the growth of your small business, is the management and running of a physical office. Renting a serviced office space at a office business centre can help to free up your administrative responsibilities and functions, allowing you to keep your focus on your business and its growth.

Restaurants

1. Ryan Halsall

CRAFT BEER MARKET (OUTDOOR COURTYARD)

Courtyard backs onto our Telsec building, 18 King St. E

1 Adelaide St E (enter on east side of Yonge St., south of Adelaide)

Toronto, ON

M5C 2V9

Tel: 437-922-BEER (2337)

Website: www.craftbeermarket.ca

2. Michael Pagliaro

Carisma (Italian)

15 Toronto Street

Toronto, ON

M5C 2E3

Tel: 416-864-7373

Website: www.carismarestaurant.com

3. Patti Shaw

Terroni (Italian)

57 Adelaide Street East

Toronto, ON

M5C 1K6

Tel: 416-203-3093

Website: www.terroni.com

4. Declan

Restaurant 20 Victoria – Michelin guide approved

20 Victoria Street

Toronto, ON

M5C 2A1

Tel: 416-804-6066

Instagram for reservations: https://www.instagram.com/twentyvictoria/

5. Mana

Nami (Japanese)

55 Adelaide Street East

Toronto, ON

M5C 1K6

Tel: 416-362-7373

Website: www.namirestaurant.ca

6. Restaurant Lucie

100 Yonge Street

Toronto, ON

M5C 2W1

Tel: 416-788-9054

Website: www.restaurantlucie.com

7. Niam H

Cantina Mercatto

20 Wellington Street East

Toronto, ON

M5E 1C5

Tel: 416-304-0781

Website: www.cantinamercatto.ca

8. Siva Sathasivam

Uncle Tony’s

38 Wellington St E

Toronto, ON

M5E 1C7

Tel: 416-455-6650

Website: https://uncletonys.ca/

9. Pizzaiolo

104 Yonge Street

Toronto, ON

M5C 2Y6

Tel: 416-860-0700

Website: www.pizzaiolo.ca

10. Robin Singh

Woods Restaurant and Bar

45 Colborne Street

Toronto, ON

M5E 1E3

Tel: 416-214-9918

Website: www.woodsrestaurant.ca

11. Amadeusz Domyslawski

GUSTO 501

501 King St. E

Toronto, ON

M5A 1L9

Tel: 416-477-5647

Website: www.gusto501.com

Health and Wellness

1. Thom Tullo

Morpheus8 by Inmode

47 Colborne Street

Toronto, ON

M5E 1E3

Tel: 416-863-6564

Website: www.amanspa.ca

2. Altitude Athletic Training

56 Colborne Street

Toronto, ON

M5E 1E3

Tel: 416-366-3838

Website: www.altitudeathletictraining.com

3. Physioheath Studios

33 Victoria Street, #130

Toronto, ON

M5C 2A1

Tel: 416-368-2525

Website: www.physiohealth.com

Hotels

1. Jennifer Smith

General Manager

The Omni King Edward Hotel

37 King Street East

Toronto, ON

M5C 1E9

Tel: 416-863-9700

Website: https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/toronto-king-edward

2. Mark Perry

General Manager

Executive Hotels and Resorts (Boutique)

8 Colborne Street

Toronto, ON

M5E 1E1

Tel: 416-350-2419

Website: www.spazen.ca or www.cosmotoronto.com

3. Emeline Boul

General Manager

Hotel Victoria (Boutique)

56 Yonge Street

Toronto, ON

M5E 1G5

Tel: 416-363-1666

Mobile: 647-574-5832

Website: www.hotelvictoriatoronto.com

4. Omkar Sawant

Reservations Manager

One King West Hotel

1 King Street West

Toronto, ON

M5H 1A1

Main: 416-548-8100

Reservations: 1-866-470-5464

Website: www.onekingwest.com

5. Van Nguyen

General Manager

Cambridge Suites Toronto

15 Richmond Street East

Toronto, ON

M5C 1N2

Direct: 416-601-3757

Hotel: 416-368-1990

Website: www.cambridgesuitestoronto.com

Our Amenities

We are by far the most experienced and best coworking team in the market – established in 1980

We are the highest Tech centre in the market

We have a very modern, high quality, brand new facility located at:

18 King Street East, Suite 1400

Toronto, Ontario M5C 1C4 Canada

- 18 King Street East is a boutique Class A building – East of Yonge: easy street parking, less traffic, excellent restaurants and lovely parks – St. James Park @ Church & King and Berczy Park @ Wellington East, Scott and Front Streets – Very high energy and engaging area
- A few steps (a few seconds) to the Yonge Street subway/underground PATH network and streetcar available outside building
- Building is located in Toronto's vibrant financial district
- Plenty of parking available in the area including street parking and reserved parking in the 18 King building
- Adjacent to the building huge outdoor food courtyard - Beer Bistro www.beerbistro.com and Craft Beer Market www.craftbeermamrket.ca restaurants and bars with onsite catering services
- Onsite amenities: Tim Horton's, Beer Bistro, Convenience store and Starbucks across the street
- Nearby amenities: underground PATH network, numerous restaurants, banking, Starbucks plus a wide array of nearby shops and services
- New modernized office layout fully furnished with meeting spaces and training rooms plus café lounge area
- We are leaders in the service of training/meeting rooms with full conference facilities, high quality hot and cold catering
- Largest training room and conference facilities accommodate up to 60 people classroom style
- Ultra-high-speed - 1 GIG pipe = 1,000 x 1000 fiber-optic network, which will deliver internet connection speeds faster than most North American services
- Private shower room
- Indoor Reserved Parking at the current building rental rate
- Bicycle parking
- Rent a space to accommodate your team for meetings, training sessions, corporate events or coworking space or flexible office space for one day, one week, one month or one year, or whatever term suits your business
- Telsec has over 650 locations in 40 different countries worldwide available for their clients. Office clients receive up to 8 hours of meeting space per month at no charge at any ABCN member location. Plus, Office and Virtual Office clients may rent a space from any member location at special member rates which varies depending on the location
- King Edward Hotel is located across the street - recently completed a $40 million renovation and boutique hotels close by within walking distance

Dining and entertainment at high quality restaurants only minutes away – Carisma, Terroni, Woods Restaurant & Bar and Michelin Rated - Restaurant 20 Victoria. Plus numerous lunch and takeout eateries nearby

Please check out our 70 second video, click below:

Take a look at our facilities www.telsec.net

Telsec will Customize Your Client’s Office(s) Layout to Meet Their Requirements.

You are welcome to drop-in any-time, a quick call would be appreciated to ensure our availability Vanessa 416-574-1112 or Josie 416-606-4349 or e-mail josie@telsec.net.

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