Hello Readers: In the past I have addressed this column to ordinary people, but in this article I am focusing on businesses.

This epidemic has caused a significant upheaval and in lots of ways has forced one to rethink the business model as to how one delivers the products and services offered.

This rethink should look at all aspects of your business model. Let us start up by looking at all cash outflows. It is the expense necessary to maintain and enhance your business.

Can some capital expenditures be deferred to some future date without sacrificing the busi-
ness?

Does your business have on-line presence? Online buying; online banking? Inventory levels are they inline with the peaks and valleys of your business? Are you availing
yourself to the discounts without compromising cash flow?

Is your floor space too big or too small? If you have a website is it working for you and are you soliciting reviews from your customers or clients. Are you active on social media?

Get professional help if needed. Evaluate on your business on an ongoing basis.

Now let me focus on the various programs that are offered by the various levels of government to help during this epidemic.

To avail these programs one needs to have online account with Canada Revenue Agency.

The Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy or CER, is retroactive from September 27 and available until December.

Depending on the revenue decline, the subsidy ranges from 20% to 65% covering commercial rent, commercial property taxes, property insurance and commercial mortgage interest.

The CRA website has a worksheet with all the details. This replaces the expired CECRA, whose net cost to the business was 25%.

The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, or CEWS, is effective from March 15 to December 19, with a deadline of application on January 31, 2021. This program provides employers with 75% of the employees’ renumeration and requires a 15% to 30% year-over-year revenue reduc-
tion.

Under Canada Emergency Business Account, or CEBA, businesses can apply for a loan for $40,000 and an additional $20,000 through your bank. If the $40,000 is paid by De-
cember 31, the remaining $20,000 is forgiven

In addition there is the Ontario Government/ Municipality which announced a Property Tax and Energy Cost Rebate Grants in the 2020 Budget along with a PPE grant up to $1,000 with certain businesses with 2 to nine employees. Details are
available on the Government of
Ontario web page.

The City of Toronto has a Digital Transformation Grant of $2,500 available through Digital Main Street to establish or enhance your company’s online presence.

Rattan Gandhi is owner of Quick Refund Tax, 133 Sixth St. His opinions stem from 15 years of experience in helping clients in the tax area. If you have ques-
tions, he can be reached at 905- 616-5253 or rattangandhi@gmail.com.

Police are warning local car dealerships to be aware of theft rings in which members use the ruse of taking a test drive to steal upscale vehicles.

Police say they are probing more cases in which thieves are using fraudulent identification and the current COVJD-19 precautions to secure unescorted test drives to steal a vehicle.

Members of Halton Regional Police say expensive cars are selected and “this time primarily Mercedes products were targeted.”

“When the test drive was escorted by a sales representative,” police said in a release. “A staged collision was orchestrated in order to complete the theft.”

Two men have been charged by police and face a list of auto theft offences.

Azad Sandhu, 18, of Brampton, is charged with three counts of theft of motor vehicle and possession of a counterfeit mark, false identity documents.

Steven Singh, 20, of Mississauga, is charged with eight counts of theft of motor vehicle, eight counts of utter forged documents and more.

A Toronto home was searched and police found a Mercedes stolen from Hamilton, stolen Ontario dealer plates and fraudulent Ontario and Quebec Driver’s Licences.

A third man was charged in connection with those seizures.

Detectives warn that there are a number of measures the dealerships can take to reduce having a vehicle stolen in an alleged test drive.

If a person provides you with a contact phone number, police say to call it before they leave the lot to verify that it is valid.

If an individual requests a test drive, charge a security deposit to their credit card before they leave the lot.

Consider asking for suitable collateral before handing over vehicle keys to a patron and be aware of someone who arrives on foot or is dropped off for a test drive, with no other means of leaving.

The investigation was conducted by Halton Regional Police (HRPS) Oakville Criminal Investigations Bureau in collaboration with the Peel Regional Police and Hamilton Police Service.

 

 

Macho is an ailing Boxer that is like a child to its owners and in need of medical help.

A Go Fund Me campaign was launched on December 3 to help Macho, who according to his Etobicoke organizer, has been diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure, or Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a genetic disease that Boxers can develop.

So far more than $2,940 has been raised from dog lovers online to meet a $3,000 goal.

Campaign organizer Erik Napoles says ARVC affects the heart muscle and caused replacement of the normal heart muscle with fatty and fibrous tissue.

“This change cause electrical instability in the heart muscle resulting in arrhythmias,” Napoles writes. “An arrhythmia is an irregular heart rhythm which can lead to episodes of sudden fainting or worse, sudden death.”

He says fluid was drained by a vet from his pet’s abdomen and Macho lost weight.

“He went into the appointment weighing 99-pounds and came out weighing 88-pounds,” according to a post on social media. “He has an appointment with an emergency cardiologist on December 7 to assess him and provide proper treatment.”

He says Macho is his life.

“He is our child and never has been a dog or a pet,” Napoles insists. “He has always been healthy so I have no doubt this will be nothing but an inconvenience.”

He says it will be an expensive road ahead to cover regular checkups to ensure ‘his heart is OK.’

The funds raised will go towards Macho’s treatments and medicine and other needs.

He was able to raise almost $3,000 in three days.

“Fur babies are still our babies, sending love,” wrote Sydney Campbell-Balagus as she made a donation to help Macho.

“Sending all of the positivity to you guys, and cuddles for sweet Macho!” says Amelia Clark as she dipped into her purse to make a donation to save Macho’s life.

 

 

It will be a good Christmas for a man living in a little red sailboat in Humber Bay.

More than #4,000 has been raised in a Go Fund Me by Humber Bay Shores residents to help a man, identified as Tate, who has several dogs living with him in a small sailboat.

Area residents have been monitoring the man as it gets cold to ensure he is fine.

Residents who have spoken to Tate says he lives in the sailboat rather than staying in homeless shelters.

“He was able to save up enough money to buy this inexpensive boat to live on with his doggies rather than going in and out of shelters,” writes Melanie M., who is organizing the fundraiser.
“We are hoping to raise funds for him to get the boat winterized and at a safe place to dock for him and the doggies.”

Area residents say the man spends most of his time in the Lakeshore Blvd. W., and Windermere Blvd. area.

Donors are trying to find the man a place to store his boat for the winter, but most places are filled.

“Tate wakes up with a smile on his face knowing there’s enough good in this world for him to keep him going every single day” writes Melanie, who says he has had a hard life.

Some residents from Humber Bay Shores have been buying Tate and his dogs food and supplies.

“For as long as he can remember he has only eaten one meal a day,” Melanie writes on social media. “He is quite happy being able to have an extra snack at night.”

Tate plans to use some of the funds donated to help others at Christmas who are living on the streets.

“He usually has to stand at the corner to make that money, but this year he feels a weight off his shoulders,” she says. “He doesn’t have to be out there begging.”

She says since the news broke she has received e-transfers totaling more than $835 and people are leaving items at her condo.

“As well as supplies, food and essential items which are being dropped off at the concierge desk at my building,” she says.

She says Tate is ”truly filled with joy by the generosity and gestures of kindness everybody in this neighbourhood is showing him.”

Some of the funds will be used to purchase materials and items as gas for his boat and food for his dogs.

Donations can be made at Go Fund Me.

A new community barber and a long-time organization that assists seniors are among those selected as LAMP Award of Merit Winners for their work in helping others.

Bruce Buchanan and volunteers Millie, Patricia, Kathy, Carol, Shanty and Tina from Storefront Humber have been selected for their important work in helping our seniors.

Village Mosaic-Fontbonne Ministries and Sisters of St. Joseph were also named as top organizations.

Barber Andy Dinner, of Your Neighbourhood Barbershop, is being honoured by LAMP Community Health Centre for his work in the community. He is named in the business section, even though his shop is now closed for 28-days in a fight against COVID-19.

Corin De Sousa, of Mindful Awareness, a local business was selected to make the respected list compiled by the Fifth Street agency.

Their list includes Andrea Linton, Gill Dugas, Kathy Dow, Lee Shimano, Russel Job Unandap and Wayne O’Brien.

Honorable Mention goes to Home Hardware Mimico, Nelson Certified Auto Repair and a Special Shout Out is extended to Kinsi Warsame.