Corporate · Consulting
You Made It Here. Now Let Someone Local Show You How Business Actually Works.
Born and raised in Ontario. I will tell you the things nobody bothers to explain.
The problem
What this usually looks like
You arrived with twenty years of experience and a real business behind you, and here you are treated like you are starting from zero. Your credentials get waved off. Suppliers quote you higher because you do not know the market rate. Meetings end with 'we'll be in touch' and silence. People are polite and nothing happens. Nobody is being cruel; they are just not explaining the unwritten rules, and you are paying for it in time, money and dignity.
How I approach it
I am a Canadian, born and raised here, who has spent twenty years selling, hiring, dispatching and negotiating in this market. I sit down with you and explain how it actually works, how meetings really run, what 'interesting' means when a buyer says it, what a fair price is, who is worth knowing and who will waste your time. Then I make the introductions myself, so you walk in as someone's contact instead of a cold email.
Scope
What I actually do
Explain Canadian business culture honestly: how meetings run, how decisions get made, what silence means, how follow-up works, when to push and when to wait.
Translate your experience into Canadian business language so twenty years abroad reads as twenty years of experience, not a blank page.
Tell you the real market rates, what suppliers, contractors, rent, wages and services should cost, so you stop being quoted the newcomer price.
Make warm introductions from my own network: accountants, lawyers, bankers, insurance brokers, suppliers, contractors and customers. Introduced by name, not a link.
Sit in on your first meetings and negotiations if you want backup, then debrief afterward on what actually happened in the room.
Help you build a customer base from zero when you have no Canadian references yet, including how to get the first three.
Coach business communication: email tone, phone manner, quoting, invoicing and following up in a way Canadian buyers respond to.
Point you to the free government and non-profit programs you are entitled to and that nobody told you about.
Deliverables
What you get
- One-to-one orientation sessions on Canadian business practice
- A written 90-day local action plan
- Warm introductions to vetted professionals and suppliers
- Market-rate benchmarks so you can price and buy with confidence
- Meeting support and post-meeting debriefs
- A list of free programs and grants you may qualify for
Outcomes
What changes
- You stop overpaying because you now know the going rate
- Doors open through introduction instead of cold outreach
- You read Canadian business signals correctly and act at the right moment
- Your experience is finally taken seriously
Engagement
How we work together
One-time orientation and action-plan session
90-day integration program with introductions
Ongoing monthly advisory as the business grows
Questions
Straight answers
Is this an immigration service?
No. I am not an immigration lawyer or a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant and I cannot advise on visas, permits, permanent residence or sponsorship. This service is for people who are already in Canada or already authorized to be here, and who need help with the business and cultural side once they arrive. For immigration matters, use IRCC or a CICC-licensed representative.
Why would a Canadian bother helping me?
Because it is my business and I charge for it, which is exactly why you can rely on it. This is not a favour that runs out when I get busy. You are a client, the scope is written down, and I am accountable for delivering it.
My English is not perfect. Is that a problem?
Not at all. I work with people in slow, clear English every day, and I put important things in writing so you can read them at your own pace. Being hard to understand and being unintelligent are completely different things, and I have never confused the two.
Can you introduce me to actual customers, not just advice?
Yes, where there is a genuine fit. I will not burn my own reputation introducing something I do not believe in, so I need to understand your product first. When it is right, introductions are the fastest thing I can do for you.
What does it cost?
A single orientation session is a fixed fee. The 90-day integration programme and ongoing advisory are quoted after a free first conversation, so you know the number before you commit to anything.
Related
Services that usually go with this
Sales Management Consulting
For owners and executives whose sales team is busy but not closing, and whose forecast is fiction.
Sales Training & Enablement
Delivered by someone who still sells, not a trainer who read about it.
Canadian Joint Venture & Operating Partner
A working partner who runs the Canadian side. Not a nameplate, not a shortcut.
Hiring instead of contracting? See the full-time roles, or the ATS-formatted resume.
Contact
Tell me what you are hiring for
- Call: +1 519 278 5085
- Email: tim@timarmstrong.ca
- Based: London & Southwestern Ontario, Ontario, America/Toronto (Eastern Time)
- Availability: Available nationally across Canada, on-site, hybrid or remote
- Serving: London · Stratford · Woodstock · Kitchener: Waterloo · Cambridge · Guelph · Brantford · Sarnia · Chatham-Kent · Windsor · Toronto · Mississauga and Canada-wide