The Legalmybiz.ca Podcast

This month I had the pleasure of attending and being part of WordPress Accessibility Day 2024 as a moderator, and I was able to attend various learning sessions as well. Accessibility is something that I wanted to learn more about as a small business owner, and through this experience I was able to learn many things about the standards and principles, which is what I share in today’s episode. In today’s episode, you’ll discover:A brief overview of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines [WCAG] international standards and where you can learn more about them.What the four main principles of WCAG are.Best practices for writing web content that is easy to understand and navigate. The importance of sensory awareness in website design to accommodate users with certain disabilities.Anchor text and why it is important to be descriptive in this area. How to incorporate accessibility into your website's design and branding. Insights I gained into real-world examples of accessible website practices.If you are an expert in the accessibility space these might be very basic things to you, but for others that are closer to the beginning of their journey learning more about accessibility, it is my intention that some of what I share today may impact you in a slightly different way and that you gain even more perspective and value from the resources listed below. Mentioned in this EpisodeHave you made yourself clear? Why plain language matters to your business with guest Erin CaseyThe World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)Alice Orru (Speaker at Wordpress Accessibility Day 2024)“Our Commitment to Web Accessibility” Statement  —Listen to Get It In Writing on Apple, Spotify or wherever you catch your favorite podcasts!For more please visit my website at  Legal Mybiz.ca. You can connect with Corinne on Instagram at www.instagram.com/legalguidecorinne/ or by email, corinne@legalmybiz.ca. 

Continuing with this season’s theme, today I’m bringing you another guest to share their tips and best practices around accessibility and inclusion, specifically looking at why plain language matters. Erin Casey is a professional communicator, writer, and editor based in Kjipuktuk/Halifax, Nova Scotia, whose areas of expertise and interest is in inclusion and belonging, higher education, disability, health, entrepreneurship, and business — with an emphasis on equity. She believes we’re all entitled to accessible and clear communication so we can connect with the people, opportunities, services, and information we need. Erin knows a little bit about a million things, making her the perfect party guest.In today’s episode, you’ll discover:The way that Erin’s entrepreneurial journey began and what led to their focus on plain language.A look at how plain language got started in the 1990’s and is defined today.Why it’s important to realize the true role that the information you provide plays for everyone, and the positive impact that plain language brings.Examples of bad language to use and how it could be rewritten either on signs or websites.The reasons for considering plain language sooner rather than later, plus some wins Erin’s clients have experienced in this area.What to be of aware of in terms of plain language and social media.Have you seen bad examples of language being used, on signs or websites? You can send them to Erin on LinkedIn and connect for a quick chat. We thank you for listening, and as always, I want to thank our special guest for sharing their expertise and insights. I’ll see you back here next week with a brand-new episode! Mentioned in this EpisodeErin’s LinkedInProtect Your Business: Understanding Web Accessibility and Legal Risks in Canada with Guest Dominique Dunlop Plain Language: Learn More (This is a short list of resources. Explore each website for links to other resources, including more tools for specific needs and specific communities).More about plain languagePlain language, accessibility, and inclusive communications. This resource from the Government of Canada’s Privy Council Office gives an overview of plain language and why we should use it.Inclusive writing – Guidelines and resources. This Government of Canada resource covers gender-inclusive writing in English, and offers other resources on the topic.International Plain Language Federation. Promotes the benefits of plain language and improves professional practice.PLAIN Canada. Website for the national plain language movement.Writing resources—Plain language. This Government of Canada resource includes links to practical tools.Workplace Literacy. Information from ABC Life Literacy Canada about adult literacy levels.Style guides and checklistsCanada.ca Content Style Guide. This excellent resource covers rules for creating web content that can be easily found, understood and used. These guidelines are useful for all written resources.Research Impact Canada Plain Language Writing Checklist. This checklist from Research Impact Canada is short and easy to use for beginners.Guide on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Terminology. This Government of Canada resource is a searchable glossary of terms to help you write without bias.Plain Language: Clear and Simple. This handbook is a useful resource for anyone interested in producing writing that is more accessible, more exact, and clearer to both experts and nonexperts. Plain language word list. Lists simple words you can use instead of more complicated ones.Readability and accessibility toolsFlesch Reading Ease and the Flesch Kincaid Grade Level. Flesch readability scores are the most popular and are the most widely tested and used. Flesch Reading Ease scores a text between 1 and 100, with 100 being the highest readability score. Scoring between 70 to 80 is equivalent to school grade level 8. This means text should be fairly easy for the average adult to read.The Flesch Kincaid Grade Level assesses the approximate grade level of a text. Hemingway Editor App. This online app highlights problem areas and helps make your writing clearer. You can paste in text or compose in the app.Microsoft Word has a readability tool that can be found under the Review tab > Spelling & Grammar. You may have to click on Word > Preferences > Spelling and Grammar to enable the readability function. The tool gives:Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level scoresaverage sentences per paragraph and words per sentencepercentage of passive sentencesMicrosoft Word has a Check Accessibility tool under Review > Spelling & Grammar that checks documents for features like alt text, image descriptions, contrast, and more.LegislationNova Scotia Accessibility Act Compliance Overview. The Accessibility Act is provincial law. Businesses and organizations will need to comply with new regulations under the Accessibility Act.Summary of the Accessible Canada Act. This summary provides an overview of key provisions of the Accessible Canada Act. It’s also a good example of how to summarize legislation.—Listen to Get It In Writing on Apple, Spotify or wherever you catch your favorite podcasts!For more please visit my website at  Legal Mybiz.ca. You can connect with Corinne on Instagram at www.instagram.com/legalguidecorinne/ or by email, corinne@legalmybiz.ca. 

Did you know that 98% of websites currently online are not fully accessible? This means that many websites are missing crucial elements that ensure they are usable by everyone. In this episode, I’m joined by website accessibility expert Dominique Dunlop, who will walk us through the essential aspects of making websites accessible. Dominique dives into what you need to know about website accessibility, how to conduct an accessibility audit, and most importantly, the hidden costs—both financial and social—of not having an accessible website.Dominique is passionate about creating a more inclusive and equitable online experience, ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can access online content and resources without barriers.With a background in inclusive education teaching and personal experiences with ADHD, she believes accessibility is a fundamental right, not just a legal requirement.She works with organizations to meet compliance standards while prioritizing the needs of individuals with disabilities. Her aim is to foster a culture of inclusivity and belonging in every digital interaction.Dominique’s ultimate goal is to contribute to a world where web accessibility is not only a standard practice, but also a reflection of our collective commitment to diversity, equity, and social justice.In today’s episode, you’ll discover:Dominique’s transition from teaching to entrepreneurship and how her background in inclusive education has informed her work in website accessibility.The common barriers that make websites inaccessible and key WCAG guidelines to keep in mind.The true cost for businesses when their websites aren’t accessible, including lost revenue and other potential consequences.When and how to perform a website accessibility audit, plus the best platforms that offer top accessibility features, particularly for adding alt text.Dominique’s vision for the future of website accessibility and how the digital landscape is evolving in this area.Digital accessibility isn’t just about meeting legal requirements—it’s about prioritizing the people who make your business thrive by ensuring that everyone can access your website, products, and services. To learn more about Dominique and how to make your website more accessible (and more profitable), visit her website or book a free mini website accessibility audit today by clicking here.Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to join us next week when we welcome another expert to share insights on inclusion and accessibility!Mentioned in this EpisodeDominique’s Website & Blog Get a Complimentary Mini Accessibility Audit Download Dominique’s Free Website Accessibility Rapid Assessment for Business  Website Accessibility Standards and Guidelines —Listen to Get It In Writing on Apple, Spotify or wherever you catch your favorite podcasts!For more please visit my website at  Legal Mybiz.ca. You can connect with Corinne on Instagram at www.instagram.com/legalguidecorinne/ or by email, corinne@legalmybiz.ca. 

In today's episode, we conclude our insightful conversation with mental health advocate and expert, Sarah Parker. Continuing our deep dive into mental health in the workplace, we explore the critical role employers and outside agencies like Worker’s Compensation play in supporting employees who face mental health challenges.Sarah is a passionate mental health advocate and public speaker who combines personal experience with professional expertise. She’s dedicated to reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness, focusing on seeing individuals beyond their diagnosis.In today’s episode, you’ll discover:Best practices for managing contract and legal disputes related to mental health capacity.How Worker’s Compensation is beginning to address mental health issues in the workplace, and why there is still much progress to be made.The advantages of offering mental health support and benefits to employees, and the key differences between mental health and mental wellness.What employers should keep in mind when collecting health information, particularly related to an employee’s mental health.Practical steps businesses can take to enhance inclusion and accessibility within their organizations.If you missed the first part of our conversation, be sure to check out last week’s episode, and to learn more about Sarah’s mission to raise mental health awareness, you can visit her website. We've also included valuable resources from Sarah, and you can easily book a free chat with her by clicking here.Stay tuned for next week’s episode, where we continue exploring the season's theme of accessibility and inclusion!Mentioned in this EpisodeSarah’s Website & LinkedInBook a Free 15-Min Call with SarahHer Blog & Free Mental Health Resource Page (Nova Scotia) Personal Directives (Government of Nova Scotia) —Listen to Get It In Writing on Apple, Spotify or wherever you catch your favorite podcasts!For more please visit my website at  Legal Mybiz.ca. You can connect with Corinne on Instagram at www.instagram.com/legalguidecorinne/ or by email, corinne@legalmybiz.ca. 

As I shared in last week’s episode, in this new season of the podcast we’re diving deep into topics of accessibility and inclusion—essential yet sometimes overwhelming areas for small business owners. That’s why I’m bringing in expert guests to break down these important subjects and offer actionable strategies. Today, we kick off the season with our first guest, Sarah Parker.Sarah is a passionate mental health advocate and public speaker who combines personal experience with professional expertise. She’s dedicated to reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness, focusing on seeing individuals beyond their diagnosis.In today’s episode, you’ll discover:Sarah’s inspiring journey into entrepreneurship and the pivotal moments that led her to pursue her mission in mental health advocacy.The empowering aspects of owning her own business and the value she brings to her clients.Key considerations companies must understand about accommodating employees during the hiring process, including the concept of "undue hardship."Why mental health-related liability and workplace safety are critical topics for all employers to grasp.We hope this episode provides valuable insights. To learn more about Sarah’s work and her mission to promote mental health awareness, you can visit her website, and don’t forget to tune in next week for Part 2 of our conversation with Sarah—you won’t want to miss it!Mentioned in this EpisodeSarah’s Website & LinkedInBook a Free 15-Min Call with SarahHer Blog & Free Mental Health Resource Page (Nova Scotia) Personal Directives (Government of Nova Scotia) Season Preview and Wordpress Accessibility Day 2024—Listen to Get It In Writing on Apple, Spotify or wherever you catch your favorite podcasts!For more please visit my website at  Legal Mybiz.ca. You can connect with Corinne on Instagram at www.instagram.com/legalguidecorinne/ or by email, corinne@legalmybiz.ca. 

Welcome to Season 5 of The Legalmybiz.ca Podcast! I’m thrilled to bring you new episodes this Fall. Our mission is to offer practical legal tips to Canadian business owners, and this season, we’re focusing on accessibility.Accessibility has been a major focus for me recently, and I've been working on it for the past few years. As we approach the end of 2024 and look ahead to the new year, I’m excited to delve deeper into this crucial topic.In today’s episode, you’ll discover:An overview of accessibility in Canada and why it’s essential for businesses to address this issue.My personal motivation for enhancing accessibility in my own business and the steps I’ve taken towards this goal.Information about an upcoming free event dedicated to website accessibility—make sure to sign up!What sets this season apart from previous ones, along with a preview of the topics we’ll cover this Fall.A reminder of the business benefits of making your business more accessible.Although accessibility legislation in Canada may not be as advanced as in the US or other countries, it’s on the horizon. Even before compliance becomes mandatory, I firmly believe that striving for accessibility is a smart business move in 2024.I hope this season provides you with valuable, actionable insights to improve accessibility in your business. Join me on this journey to learn how to make your business more inclusive, and don’t miss our next episode featuring our first expert guest of the season. Tune in and let’s get started! Mentioned in this EpisodeWordpress Accessibility Day 2024 Overview of the Accessible Canada Act—Listen to Get It In Writing on Apple, Spotify or wherever you catch your favorite podcasts!For more please visit my website at  Legal Mybiz.ca. You can connect with Corinne on Instagram at www.instagram.com/legalguidecorinne/ or by email, corinne@legalmybiz.ca. 

As with many previous episodes, much of the content for the topics I talk about on this podcast come from questions that I receive from you. In this episode, I discuss legal expense insurance, which is something I haven’t covered yet, but I have been asked about and will be useful to know about as a small business owner. Today you’ll hear about:What legal expense insurance is, what it’s specifically designed for and examples of some of the risks that may come up for a small business ownerLegal disputes commonly faced by small business owners and that may require legal expenses Why it’s so important to understand what coverage you already have under your other insurance policies How often to have the conversation with your insurance broker and specific questions to ask when you do speak with that person The significant financial impact that legal issues can have on a business and the pros and cons to weigh as the ownerWhy more and more small business owners are opting for legal expense insurance right now If you haven’t recently reviewed your commercial insurance policies, I hope this serves as a reminder for you to do that. As well, I wanted to provide you with the list of questions that you can ask your insurance broker when you have the conversation around your policies and coverage, so that you can get a sense of what types of legal risks you may be potential exposed to, and then you can make some more informed decisions about how to protect your small business. Mentioned in this EpisodeEpisode 39 - Three Layers of Liability Protection—Listen to Get It In Writing on Apple, Spotify or wherever you catch your favorite podcasts!For more please visit my website at  Legal Mybiz.ca. You can connect with Corinne on Instagram at www.instagram.com/legalguidecorinne/ or by email, corinne@legalmybiz.ca. 

Today I have a special episode for you, where I’m bringing you a customer success story of someone who has purchased my signature online program, The Canadian Online Legal Template Library, or “COLT” for short. I’ll be talking with them about why they purchased the program, how they use it in their businesses and the benefits they’ve seen for them by using it. I’ve launched this program many times since 2019, but instead of me telling you about this product I’ve developed, I thought it would be interesting for you as a listener to hear from actual customers who have purchased it, in their own words. The first person you’ll hear from is Patricia Dent, a business mentor and owner of Grow Vantage who works with entrepreneurs to design, launch and grow their businesses. She is also a sponsor of The Creative Space, a co-working entrepreneurial incubator in Barrie, Ontario, the community which she adopted in 2009. She is also a co-founder of Small Business Connect, a grassroots organization that fills a gap for low-cost small business networking in her local area and currently serves on the Barrie Chamber of Commerce.Patricia and her team of entrepreneurs teach business owners what they need to know to manage their business effectively and avoid the mistakes that can cost a bundle, or delay success, and their decades of combined experience help people reach profitability sooner. Patricia coaches entrepreneurs one-on-one, in groups or masterminds on top of classes in marketing and sales strategies, marketing tools, money and finance, managing or protecting your business, communications and productivity.Today you’ll hear about:Patricia shares her experiences with lawyers and legal dealings and the exponential cost that is associated with this for business owners [3:08]How The Canadian Online Legal Template Library has become a major tool that Patricia uses when helping the entrepreneurs she and her team work with [3:34]The value of the Q&A sessions that are available when using Legal My Biz templates [5:05]Some of the main benefits early-stage entrepreneurs will see by using the resources that come with the program [8:50]What happens when early-stage entrepreneurs are willing to learn and open themselves up to advice and expert help [10:21]I hope you not only find nuggets of wisdom in Patricia’s experience with the program, but that you’ll also visit her website at https://www.growvantage.com/ to learn more about her team and how they help you to do the work you love, while teaching you to do the rest. If you too are ready to create a solid legal foundation for your Canadian online business with guided legal templates designed by an experienced business lawyer, you can join the Canadian Online Legal Template Library waitlist now at https://www.legalmybiz.ca/canadianlegaltemplatelibrary! Mentioned in the episode:Grow Vantage Website & Facebook Page Ask For Directions Business Training—Listen to Get It In Writing on Apple, Spotify or wherever you catch your favorite podcasts!For more please visit my website at  Legal Mybiz.ca. You can connect with Corinne on Instagram at www.instagram.com/legalguidecorinne/ or by email, corinne@legalmybiz.ca. 

A small business owner, brand is everything. Today’s special guest is here to share his expert insights on all things branding, specifically the key things that you must be focusing on as you’re building your brand in order to gain clarity and maximize your impact. Rich Kozak is The Voice of Impact Driven Branding. After 40 years of languaging and launching brands, he founded RichBrands specifically to serve heart-centered entrepreneurs & professionals evolving their individual brands with a foundation of clarity, energetic longevity and divine purpose. The deep-listening, caring branding expert, Rich's purpose is elevating your unique gifts that impact people’s lives. Today you’ll hear about:What Rick’s definition of a “brand” is and why all brands must have a foundation of clarity His step-by-step process for developing your brand The way that you can use the elements of your marketing to define the brand you wish to become Some of the mistakes from a trademark perspective people are making with their branding Best practices to follow when creating your logo, deciding on your brand’s colours and more…If you are a heart-centered and experienced entrepreneur who knows there’s more for you and the people you serve, what Rick shares in this episode will not only help you gain more clarity for your brand, but it will allow you to  increase the impact that you are making. To learn more about Rick and the ways that RichBrands can assist you in getting your brand right, you can visit his website at https://richbrands.info/.  Mentioned in the episode:Rich’s Website, Facebook & InstagramConnect with Rich on LinkedIn—Listen to Get It In Writing on Apple, Spotify or wherever you catch your favorite podcasts!For more please visit my website at  Legalmybiz.ca. You can connect with Corinne on Instagram at www.instagram.com/legalguidecorinne/ or by email, corinne@legalmybiz.ca. 

Have you ever considered running an online contest in Canada, and wanted to know the legal rules around this? Whether it’s to get new subscribers to your email list or followers on social media, there can be many good reasons to run an online contest, however most times the focus can be on the marketing end of things, and not the legal rules.In this episode, I share the Competition Act of Canada framework, what to know about social media platform rules, short and long contest rules, winner release forms, the skill testing question, and more. Today you’ll hear about:The importance of complying with the Competition Act (Canada) rules and how to get started in doing an online contest How to design a contest with the key aspects of the Competition Act in mind from the startThe second layer of rules that will apply when running a contest on social media from the social media platformsTips and advice for using the winner release form with your contest A few other relevant laws related to contests People can gain many email subscribers and followers from running online contests, so it’s not my intent to discourage anyone from doing them, but I hope this helps provide clarity with contests and more understanding on how to do them properly. I encourage you to check out the resources I mentioned below, and I’ll see you back here soon with a brand-new episode. Mentioned in the episode:Competition Act (Canada) Contest RulesSocial Media Platform Contest Rules —Listen to Get It In Writing on Apple, Spotify or wherever you catch your favorite podcasts!For more please visit my website at  Legalmybiz.ca. You can connect with Corinne on Instagram at www.instagram.com/legalguidecorinne/ or by email, corinne@legalmybiz.ca.