Every October during Small Business Month, we celebrate the heart and soul of communities across Canada – our small businesses. This also marks one of the busiest times of the year, as businesses prepare for the holiday season. Both my parents were small business owners, so I understand the sweat equity that goes into running a business, particularly during peak sales season.
At Google, we’re humbled to be part of the AI journey of many SMEs across the country. My team is focused on helping them make the most of their marketing with AI. AI can drive profit, and help SMEs navigate the complex, rapidly evolving world of advertising. For example, campaign types like Performance Max use Google’s AI to test audiences, creatives, formats, channels and placements. All you have to do is let us know what your ROI is, and we’ll harness our AI-powered advertising products to deliver that outcome for you. Advertisers who use Performance Max experience an average of 18% more conversions at a similar cost per action. For SMEs, just knowing you can put a $1 into something and get a return on the other end is very reassuring. Creativity is also at the heart of marketing, and SMEs can use AI tools to format, trim, and resize images, or add captions, dub videos, and even generate entirely new ads, providing SMEs with more time to focus on the day-to-day operations.
Navigating new technology can be tough, but I’m optimistic about what lies ahead and at the prospect of AI leveling the playing field for SMEs. Google’s new research shows generative AI has the potential to boost Canada’s economy by $230 billion and could save the average Canadian worker over 175 hours a year. I encourage businesses to start experimenting and learning to grow their business with AI. The best way to get started is with “taking action with 1% every day and to keep going which will have a compounding 37x impact by the end of the year” (James Clear).
Natasha Walji
Managing Director at Google Canada for Google Customer Solutions
Natasha Walji is the Managing Director at Google Canada for Google Customer Solutions focused on helping small & medium businesses grow & thrive. Previously she was a McKinsey consultant and a software developer. Natasha has actively served the community for 20+ years focused on disaster relief, poverty alleviation, public health and co-founded an organization for children with disabilities. Natasha is recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women (WXN).
