Federal government launches hotline to offer businesses advice amid COVID-19 pandemic

The hotline connects small businesses with accounting and tax professionals

The federal government has partnered with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce to launch a hotline to provide free advice to businesses.

The hotline aims to help vulnerable small to medium-sized businesses and not-for-profit organizations by connecting them with accounting and tax professionals.

Businesses can connect with qualified advisors regarding decisions about support recovery plans and guidance on program options and eligibility. The hotline can also direct businesses to the most appropriate support organizations. It can also provide real-time insights and feedback to policymakers.

The program, called the Business Resilience Service (BRS), is run through the Canadian Chamber’s Canadian Business Resilience Network with support from Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) and Imagine Canada.

It will be available for four weeks starting May 25th, and will involve support from around 125 business advisors from the accounting industry.

“We want to ensure they can weather through this period and bounce back once we’re on the other side of this. The Business Resilience Service will help the smallest and most vulnerable businesses in pressing need of finance planning advice amid this pandemic and as they plan for their recovery,” said Minister of Small Business Marg Ng, in a press release.

Businesses can access the hotline seven days a week by calling 1-866-989-1080. More information about the hotline can be found here.

Source: Canadian Chamber of Commerce