Canada Runs Like a Bad Business

What if Canada wasn’t a country... but a business?

I’m not talking about the flag-waving, maple-syrup identity stuff. I’m talking raw economics, productivity, incentives, investment decisions—and how utterly broken they are.

Today, I figured it out:
Canada operates like the average underperforming business.

Think about it:

Productivity is stagnant
No reinvestment in better tools
No clear leadership vision
Employees (citizens) left to figure it out alone

And when you realize that Canada’s 10-year productivity growth is a miserable 10%, you can’t unsee it.

That’s 1% per year. If your business only grew 1% annually, you'd shut it down or sell it to someone who actually gave a damn.

What the Numbers Say (And Why They Should Scare You)

From 2003–2023, U.S. productivity grew 148% faster than Canada.

Let that sink in.

In that time, Canadian businesses have:

Invested 30% less per worker than U.S. counterparts
Lagged 17th globally in robot adoption
Fallen into a holding pattern of doing nothing—and calling it “stability”

“Canada is the guy in the gym using rusty dumbbells while the U.S. has a personal trainer and supplements.”

The Big Three Productivity Levers (That Canada Isn’t Pulling)

Machinery
Buy a better tool, get better output. It's not rocket science. But in Canada? Business owners cling to outdated gear because there's no tax incentive to upgrade fast.
Electronics & Mobile Access
Our construction company’s project management platform works from the field, not just a desktop. That’s a productivity advantage. Most don’t have it.
Software & Automation
Canadian businesses are finally waking up to AI, but it's a whisper compared to what’s happening in the U.S. Meanwhile, Dubai’s government just bought everyone ChatGPT Plus access. Canada’s giving us… silence.

So, Why Aren’t Canadian Businesses Moving?

Two words: No vision.

There’s no North Star.
No stated goal.
No incentive structure.
Just regulatory sludge and a fear of rocking the boat.

“The government in Canada acts like a goalie playing forward—blocking progress while pretending to lead the play.”

What the Government Could Do (But Won’t)

Immediate full write-offs for capital investment
Buy a $100K machine? Write off the full thing in year one. That would move the needle—fast.
AI subsidies or national licenses for businesses
Dubai did it. Why can’t we?
Smart employment incentives
Tie summer student grants to productivity-based roles like automation, reporting, or AI integrations—not just random placements.

These aren’t pipe dreams. They’re just intentional choices not being made.

So Where Does That Leave Entrepreneurs?

In Canada? Stuck with the shovel while America uses a backhoe.
And worse, being told we’re “doing fine.”

That’s why I’m splitting our time and building our business plan in the U.S. and Spain—not because I’m running away, but because I want to build in a country that still believes in vision and scale.

I’m not abandoning Canada. I’m just not waiting for it anymore.

If You’re a Canadian Business Owner…

Ask yourself:

What’s your productivity strategy?
Are you investing in automation?
Do you own your tools—or are you owned by your payroll bloat?

And if the answers are fuzzy, you're not alone. But the longer we wait for “the system” to fix it, the worse it gets.

The best we can do right now?

Lead by example. Build anyway. Invest anyway. And document it. Loudly.