Welcome!

Welcome to our PwC Private Business Exchange blog page!  PwC's Private Business Exchange program helps drive long-term success for private companies.

Thinking of growing your business? Listen to one company's advice

Weatherhaven is a Vancouver-based company that builds shelter systems and camps for a variety of customers around the world. In the following video, Weatherhaven CEO Ray Castelli talks about their strategic plan to break through the issue of scalability, including their need to develop their supply chain to build the revenue and growth potential of the company globally. 

Growing your business: A webinar series for leaders of private companies

With more private companies focused on growing in an increasingly complex global economy, we have created a five-part series of short webinars for leaders of private companies. Each session will focus on a key area that supports your growth strategy and can help you build enterprise value.

We’ll share what we see the most successful private companies doing, challenge you with some thought-provoking questions, and leave time for an open discussion to answer your specific questions. Beyond the webinar series, we will always be happy to continue the conversation with you.

We invite you to register for the whole series, or just the sessions that are most relevant for your business, by clicking here.  

Top 10 things to consider for your will and estate plan

Planning today for your future tomorrow can reduce taxes during your lifetime, lessen income tax and probate fees and help ensure that your estate planning objectives will be met. Do you know the top things you could be doing now to make this happen?

Click here to download this brochure and read more about the 10 steps.

Wealth and tax matters for individuals and private companies

2011, Issue 2

 

Hot off the press, the latest edition of Wealth and tax matters, a periodic publication written by PwC's team of high net worth advisors, is now available. The easy-to-read publication has developed a loyal following of high net worth individuals, business owners, bankers and tax practitioners looking for ways to preserve wealth and minimize tax liabilities.

 

Features in this edition include:

• family matters, such as the basics of will planning and issues that arise during business succession
• new initiatives proposed by the Canada Revenue Agency with respect to high net worth individuals
• changes to the "kiddie tax" regime
• tax traps involving shareholders' agreements
• cross-border tax matters, such as owning a US rental property and considerations for individuals departing Canada

To read the latest edition of Wealth and Tax Matters, click here. To subscribe to receive the publication regularly, or to view previous issues, visit www.pwc.com/ca/wtm.

 

What individuals and owner-managed businesses need to do now to save tax

Year-End Tax Planner 2011 - Now Available!

The Year-End Tax Planner is designed primarily for individuals who have accumulated some wealth or who own their own businesses. This edition is current to November 1, 2011, and provides tax planning tips for owner-managed businesses, employees, investors, parents and spouses, students, seniors and individuals and businesses with international (including US) connections.

Introducing the Business Insights Survey of Canadian Private Companies 2011

Embracing the new

How have private companies fared through the volatile business landscape of the past year? What are they doing to position themselves for growth in the long-term? At a time when uncertain economic indicators are keeping everyone guessing on a daily basis, the seventh annual Business Insights Survey of Canadian Private Companies provides valuable insights for the private company community.

Wonder what it is like to work with PwC?

Archie Campbell is the former Senior VP & Chief Operating Officer of Golden Boy Foods Ltd., a private company and one of North America’s largest manufacturers of private label peanut butter, baking nuts, snacking nuts and dried fruit. He provides an inside view of what it is like to work with PwC and why he takes PwC wherever he goes.

Have a family business? A family council could be the key to success

Here are three things to keep in mind when creating a family council:

• Start with a family meeting to really look at the family’s vision, its values and needs. Why are these important to you, and your family? How will you manage disagreement as a family on business issues?
• Set out very clear objectives and guidelines for each meeting. A facilitator can also help challenge the family to make sure they are adhering to identified values and goals. It is a best practice to have facilitation, for that non-biased support. The goal is to equip the family council with tools and skills and structures to ‘self manage’ effectively
• Keep in mind it’s a long-term process. A good family council doesn’t happen instantly. This is something that needs to evolve and develop over time, and it will grow and evolve as the family and business does.

Read the complete article featuring Sharon Duguid, director, Centre for Family Business and Entrepreneurs at PwC.

Laying the foundation for BRICs

More and more private companies are setting their sights on emerging and fast-growing markets (EFGMs), but don’t know where to start or what the risks might be. The present emerging markets landscape is dominated by the BRICs – Brazil, Russia, India, and China – but a second tier of rapidly developing markets, including Indonesia and Mexico, is catching up. Download the detailed report and country snapshots to read more about the opportunities and challenges of expanding into growth markets.

Is CSR on the radar for private companies?

Results from the latest PwC Pulse Survey found that social responsibility and sustainability are low priorities for Canadian private companies.

• 21% of respondents currently have a corporate social responsibility (CSR) plan aligned to their business goals
• 53% of respondents view a CSR plan as a “nice-to-have”
• None of the private companies that have CSR plans are communicating them through recruitment initiatives


Insights into corporate social responsibility and sustainability provides a summary of the key findings from the latest PwC Pulse Survey and offers advice from Mel Wilson on what private company owners can do to stay ahead of the curve and position themselves for future success.

Also check out our Let’s Talk article, A business case for sustainability, as well as an As I see it piece, Responsible for success, that dive deeper into the issues discussed in the Pulse Survey report and demonstrate how CSR and sustainability can be integrated into your business plan.