Most Canadian SME owners want tariff relief in next federal budget
A quarter of respondents say they are developing multiple financial scenarios to plan for different outcomes, while another 24 per cent are regularly updating financial plans in response to new data or shifting conditions. Only nine per cent report doing no financial planning at all.
Still, the limits of planning are evident: just 54 per cent of those surveyed believe their business can absorb a sudden increase in costs caused by tariffs and inflation. That gap – between those who plan and those who feel genuinely protected – points to where adviser conversations may need to deepen.
“Behind every small business is someone who has invested their time, energy, and ambition into building something that matters,” said Joanne Modugno, general manager of Dext North America. “Yet many are telling us they feel overwhelmed by uncertainty and circumstances beyond their control.”
For advisors working with business-owner clients, the intersection of tariff exposure, cash flow risk, and long-term financial planning has become one of the most consequential planning conversations of the current cycle. Helping clients stress-test their financial plans against multiple tariff scenarios – and revisit growth timelines, reserve levels, and succession assumptions – may be among the most valuable services an adviser can offer right now.
The Dext survey was conducted by Censuswide between October 2 and October 6, 2026, among 250 Canadian SME owners and leaders.
