Due to the quickly changing impact of this health epidemic, we will do our best to keep current information posted here.

Please note:  CKCA members also have access to a wealth of resources from CFIB (Canadian Federation of Independent Business) as part of your CKCA membership (for those eligible). CFIB has been in the news and recognized by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as they are progressively worked with Government to ensure small business receives the support it needs, including the recent 75% wage subsidy. Our partnership with CFIB ensures CKCA members have access to all their resources. Click here.

Tools for Your Business

  • Are you using the CFIB Vaccine policy and Covid-19 Small Business Help Centre? – CKCA Membership includes CFIB membership where you can access a variety of resources to help your business navigate through the complexities of vaccine policies for your business.
  • Having a hard time keeping social distancing in a noisy shop where staff need to talk and shouting is no longer permitted? This could be a solution – Click here
  • Have an Operational Plan. Click here
  • Notice to Visitors (reminders to customers at doors). Click here

Industry Surveys

  • CKCA Releases survey results for how industry is adapting to change – April 2021 – Email info@ckca.ca to get your copy (members only) – Not a member? Join us today!
  • Woodworking Networks sees solid recovery from pandemic – June 24 2020 – Click here
  • Sales down for 68% of kitchen cabinet industry respondents on our latest survey, 11% holding steady and 7% have increased sales (June 3 e-blast)
  • What’s your new normal look like? Survey results – April 23 2020 – Click here.
  • Who’s open, who’s closed – CKCA Survey results – March 27 2020 – Click here.

CKCA Posts/Updates

Information on COVID-19 and conversations to share and support you – we’re scanning news across Canada and bringing highlights to you to save you time.

  • July 14 E-blast here – Promote Canadian built, Mental Health, What the Industry did to respond and be resilient
  • June 25 E-blast here – Keep going and carry on – ideas on how you can do that
  • June 3 E-blast here – Trends resulting from Covid 19, news and other ideas to help our industry
  • May 27 E-blast here – Manufacturing trends, Covid 19 business tools, business opportunities and more
  • May 14 E-blast here – Canada opens oh so slowly, On-line strategy, Plexiglass and more
  • May 1 2020 E-blast here – Operation plan template, Supply Chain, Hiring back staff and more
  • April 24 2020 E-blast here – CKCA releases new survey results

Stories That Inspire

How are you coping in this challenging time? Many companies are diversifying to keep going. Below are the stories CKCA is collecting to share with you.

Hear from Heidi Boudreault, Denca Cabinets and Selene Yuen, Selenium Interiors (July 9 2020 webinar) on how they built resilience during Covid-19. Slide deck here (watch recorded webinar available to members only – email info@ckca.ca to get the link).

Selenium Interiors – Edmonton based company gets into different product lines. Click here.

Provincial Updates

Want the latest on what’s happening in your province? Click here and select province.

Trends

  • Real Estate sales at record highs in July, but how sustainable is this? – Click here
  • Home Builders article on working from home trend – Click here
  • Canadian Manufacturing Association talks manufacturing sales numbers for June 2020 – Click here
  • Groupe Lacasse offers workplace distancing solutions, CKCA interview them to get more details about how they’re adapting (June 25 2020) – Click here
  • CMHC Releases new report predicting 9-18% value drop in home pricing (June 3 2020) – Click here
  • RBC Housing Forecasts – March 31 2020 – Click here.

Financial Support

  • CFIB offers this handy chart by province on funding programs. Click here.
  • Government of Canada maps out aid to small business here.

Human Resources

  • Advice from the Experts at the Kaizen Institute to improve people and process through a crisis – Click here
  • Mental Health video from Warren Shepell is a great watch for anyone – share with your staff – Click here
  • Workplace safety for COVID – checklist here.
  • Venting Exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace – a guide for employers.  Click here.
  • Mental Health – Choosing sources of information carefully is critical to COVID-19 mental well-being. Click here.
  • Mental Health – COVID-19 resources in response to Covid-19. Click here.
  • Mental Health for you and your employees – Public Service and Procurement Canada offers these tips, feel free to share with your employees. Click here.

TEMPLATES 

Examples to help you from other kitchen cabinet manufacturers

  • Letter to Landlord when applying for CECRA here.
  • CFIB Templates can be found here
  • Triangle Kitchen – Sample here
  • Paradise Kitchens  keeps it simple for their customers – Sample here
  • Avondale Kitchens operational ground rules – Click here

Economic Advice

Conference Board of Canada – is a Canadian not-for-profit think tank dedicated to researching and analyzing economic trends, as well as organizational performance and public policy issues

  • Releases Global Supply Chain report Apr 30 – Click here

BDC – Business Development Bank of Canada – Excellent advice to keep your business going

  • March 25 2020 Webinar – Economic Impact and Coping Strategy for Small Business – click here
  • Read CKCA’s summary of webinar here.

 Insurance – Where Do You Stand?

Cybersecurity – Are You Prepared?

As if you didn’t have enough to be concerned about, given our world has gone more on-line now than ever, you now need to also consider this.

CFIB has also got a section on their COVID-19 page , scroll down this page to find “Fraud and Business Security”.
  • Get your information from valid sources and watch for hacks that include the following:
  • Fake clones of the Johns Hopkins virus tracker.
  • Fake company emails to the millions now working from home to sign documents on line to attend webinars.
  • Anything suspicious, don’t open it.
  • Make sure when Google searching you are landing on valid sites
  • When in doubt don’t open it and get a second opinion if you can from an IT contact

Re-tool/Pivot Your Shop – Can Your Shop Produce Product For Front Lines?

  • What else can you manufacture? Consider other options as supply chain is challenged, sales are down, what other channels are available?  Watch for updates/ideas on CKCA weekly e-blasts.
  • Can you provide supplies or have innovative solutions for front line healthcare workers? Please keep the following in mind.

Face Shields

  • Medical protective equipment must meet Canadian Standards.
  • It is very IMPORTANT you first seek approvals of your design and manufacturing process BEFORE you start advertising and producing your product in quantity.
  • We need equipment on the front lines in health care, that is the priority.
  • Health care workers need access to trusted sources of product that has been vetted through appropriate Canadian channels.
  • In addition, supply chains are strained and plastics used for protective gear will be in high demand. Please DO NOT stockpile face shield type plastics unless you have been approved as a seller of your product to the healthcare community.

What channels can you submit your offer to manufacture PPE?

  • Here’s what we’ve found so far:

  • NGen Supercluster

    An initiative created by the Federal Government in 2018 to bring together Canadian business to collaborate with other innovation partners. Now the Feds are leveraging the Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster and directing funding to mobilize companies that can rapidly respond to COVID-19 pandemic by building a Canadian supply of essential equipment, products and therapeutics.

    • Overview of program here.
    • Financial guide document here.

    Government of Ontario – Click here

    National Research Council

    Has a central registry for businesses who can potentially produce needed supplies.

    • Click here for information. Click here for the registration form (takes 3-5 days for them to respond given current volume).
    • Business Vancouver article that explains further. Click here.

Sources – Useful And Valid Links To Monitor

DUE TO THE QUICKLY CHANGING IMPACT OF THIS HEALTH EPIDEMIC WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO KEEP CURRENT INFORMATION POSTED HERE.

Please note:  CKCA members also have access to a wealth of resources from CFIB (Canadian Federation of Independent Business) as part of your CKCA membership (for those eligible). CFIB has been in the news and recognized by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as they are progressively worked with Government to ensure small business receives the support it needs, including the recent 75% wage subsidy. Our partnership with CFIB ensures CKCA members have access to all their resources. Click here.

INDUSTRY SURVEYS

  • CKCA Releases survey results for how industry is adapting to change – April 2021 – Email info@ckca.ca to get your copy (members only) – Not a member? Join us today!

 

  • Woodworking Networks sees solid recovery from pandemic – June 24 2020 – Click here
  • Sales down for 68% of kitchen cabinet industry respondents on our latest survey, 11% holding steady and 7% have increased sales (June 3 e-blast)
  • What’s your new normal look like? Survey results – April 23 2020 – Click here.
  • Who’s open, who’s closed – CKCA Survey results – March 27 2020 – Click here.

CKCA POSTS/UPDATES

Information on COVID-19 and conversations to share and support you – we’re scanning news across Canada and bringing highlights to you to save you time.

  • July 14 E-blast here – Promote Canadian built, Mental Health, What the Industry did to respond and be resilient
  • June 25 E-blast here – Keep going and carry on – ideas on how you can do that
  • June 3 E-blast here – Trends resulting from Covid 19, news and other ideas to help our industry
  • May 27 E-blast here – Manufacturing trends, Covid 19 business tools, business opportunities and more
  • May 14 E-blast here – Canada opens oh so slowly, On-line strategy, Plexiglass and more
  • May 1 2020 E-blast here – Operation plan template, Supply Chain, Hiring back staff and more
  • April 24 2020 E-blast here – CKCA releases new survey results

STORIes that inspire

How are you coping in this challenging time? Many companies are diversifying to keep going. Below are the stories CKCA is collecting to share with you.

Hear from Heidi Boudreault, Denca Cabinets and Selene Yuen, Selenium Interiors (July 9 2020 webinar) on how they built resilience during Covid-19. Slide deck here (watch recorded webinar available to members only – email info@ckca.ca to get the link).

Selenium Interiors – Edmonton based company gets into different product lines. Click here.

tools for your business

Having a hard time keeping social distancing in a noisy shop where staff need to talk and shouting is no longer permitted? This could be a solution – Click here

Have an Operational Plan. Click here

Notice to Visitors (reminders to customers at doors). Click here

Provincial Updates

Want the latest on what’s happening in your province? Click here and select province.

Trends

  • Real Estate sales at record highs in July, but how sustainable is this? – Click here
  • Home Builders article on working from home trend – Click here
  • Canadian Manufacturing Association talks manufacturing sales numbers for June 2020 – Click here
  • Groupe Lacasse offers workplace distancing solutions, CKCA interview them to get more details about how they’re adapting (June 25 2020) – Click here
  • CMHC Releases new report predicting 9-18% value drop in home pricing (June 3 2020) – Click here
  • RBC Housing Forecasts – March 31 2020 – Click here.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

  • CFIB offers this handy chart by province on funding programs. Click here.
  • Government of Canada maps out aid to small business here.

HUMAN RESOURCES

  • Advice from the Experts at the Kaizen Institute to improve people and process through a crisis – Click here
  • Mental Health video from Warren Shepell is a great watch for anyone – share with your staff – Click here
  • Workplace safety for COVID – checklist here.
  • Venting Exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace – a guide for employers.  Click here.
  • Mental Health – Choosing sources of information carefully is critical to COVID-19 mental well-being. Click here.
  • Mental Health – COVID-19 resources in response to Covid-19. Click here.
  • Mental Health for you and your employees – Public Service and Procurement Canada offers these tips, feel free to share with your employees. Click here.

TEMPLATES 

Examples to help you from other kitchen cabinet manufacturers

  • Letter to Landlord when applying for CECRA here.
  • CFIB Templates can be found here
  • Triangle Kitchen – Sample here
  • Paradise Kitchens  keeps it simple for their customers – Sample here
  • Avondale Kitchens operational ground rules – Click here

ECONOMIC ADVICE

Conference Board of Canada – is a Canadian not-for-profit think tank dedicated to researching and analyzing economic trends, as well as organizational performance and public policy issues

  • Releases Global Supply Chain report Apr 30 – Click here

BDC – Business Development Bank of Canada – Excellent advice to keep your business going

  • March 25 2020 Webinar – Economic Impact and Coping Strategy for Small Business – click here
  • Read CKCA’s summary of webinar here.

 INSURANCE – WHERE DO YOU STAND?

 CYBERSECURITY – ARE YOU PREPARED?

As if you didn’t have enough to be concerned about, given our world has gone more on-line now than ever, you now need to also consider this.

CFIB has also got a section on their COVID-19 page , scroll down this page to find “Fraud and Business Security”.
  • Get your information from valid sources and watch for hacks that include the following:
  • Fake clones of the Johns Hopkins virus tracker.
  • Fake company emails to the millions now working from home to sign documents on line to attend webinars.
  • Anything suspicious, don’t open it.
  • Make sure when Google searching you are landing on valid sites
  • When in doubt don’t open it and get a second opinion if you can from an IT contact

 RE-TOOL/PIVOT YOUR SHOP – CAN YOUR SHOP PRODUCE PRODUCT FOR FRONT LINES?

  • What else can you manufacture? Consider other options as supply chain is challenged, sales are down, what other channels are available?  Watch for updates/ideas on CKCA weekly e-blasts.
  • Can you provide supplies or have innovative solutions for front line healthcare workers? Please keep the following in mind.

Face Shields

  • Medical protective equipment must meet Canadian Standards.
  • It is very IMPORTANT you first seek approvals of your design and manufacturing process BEFORE you start advertising and producing your product in quantity.
  • We need equipment on the front lines in health care, that is the priority.
  • Health care workers need access to trusted sources of product that has been vetted through appropriate Canadian channels.
  • In addition, supply chains are strained and plastics used for protective gear will be in high demand. Please DO NOT stockpile face shield type plastics unless you have been approved as a seller of your product to the healthcare community.

What channels can you submit your offer to manufacture PPE?

  • Here’s what we’ve found so far:

  • NGen Supercluster

    An initiative created by the Federal Government in 2018 to bring together Canadian business to collaborate with other innovation partners. Now the Feds are leveraging the Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster and directing funding to mobilize companies that can rapidly respond to COVID-19 pandemic by building a Canadian supply of essential equipment, products and therapeutics.

    • Overview of program here.
    • Financial guide document here.

    Government of Ontario – Click here

    National Research Council

    Has a central registry for businesses who can potentially produce needed supplies.

    • Click here for information. Click here for the registration form (takes 3-5 days for them to respond given current volume).
    • Business Vancouver article that explains further. Click here.

SOURCES – USEFUL AND VALID LINKS TO MONITOR