You Have Questions. We Have Answers.

• Who is Gauvreau?

  Gauvreau is a CPA firm that was founded in 2008 with the focus on creating a client focused experience specifically for entrepreneurs by supporting them with tax, financial reporting and bookkeeping services. What started as a team of 2, has evolved into a professional services firm with 100+ team members and has added cross border and US tax, complex corporate restructuring, business valuations, cfo services, business coaching, migration services, and an Ontario based law firm. As the firm has evolved, a 'one stop shop'  model for professional services has been established. 

• Who is ONBusiness?

  ONBusiness was founded in 2004 with a focus on servicing entrepreneurs with a holistic approach to professional services, working with those that are just starting all the way to their eventual exit. The business was built on the needs of these entrepreneurs, focusing on providing bookkeeping, tax planning, succession planning, retirement planning, consulting, and business growth strategies. Ultimately, supporting entrepreneurs to work ON their business and to realize success.

• Why does this make sense?

  As you can see by the descriptions of 'who is Gauvreau' and 'who is ONBusiness' the vision for supporting entrepreneurs has been aligned since day one - to empower entrepreneurs with the financial confidence to succeed, from start to finish. Together, we bring more resources, expertise, service offerings, and momentum of growth as we become the most powerful professional services firm in Canada focusing on supporting entrepreneurs.

  What does this bring with it? More solutions for our clients, more opportunity for our team, better support for our team, more resources for our team, better mentorship, training, and synergistic and collaborative expertise that can make a huge impact in the lives of our clients. This is a winning combination that will allow us all to go to the next level together.

• What is actually happening?

  Two firms on a mission to support business owners are joining forces to become one of the most powerful CPA firms in Canada. ONBusiness is joining Gauvreau on the mission to empower entrepreneurs with the financial confidence to succeed. All of the partners of ONBusiness will continue to be financially invested in the future of the combined entities and both leadership teams are fully invested in building something remarkable for everyone involved.

• What is the name of the business going to be?

  The two businesses both have a great history of brand identity, both having great reputations in their respective markets, and both having brands that are symbolic of the entities that we want to be part of. 

  At this point we are going to keep and retain both brands. We will be working toward having a united front in the future for marketing, recruitment purposes, etc. but our long-term plan will be to utilize both brands, and have some preliminary ideas of how to do that. We will continue to work together to ensure the unique brands are retained, but with some form of united front.

• Are all of the existing partners going to be partners of the firm going forward?

  Yes. We are excited to have the entities combined, maintaining the leadership of all of the existing partners in place. With the combination of resources, there will be more support provided to all of the partners and their respective teams, allowing them to continue to focus on being the experts, client relationship mangers, leaders, mentors, and thought leaders that make them who they are and bring out their greatest value.

  In addition, with all of the partners now under one roof, these partners bring a wealth of combined knowledge which allow our team to be positioned as a national leader in our space.

• Who is in charge going forward?

  The partners and the leadership team will continue to drive the direction of the firm. The experience, expertise, vision, and commitment of everyone in this group is world class. All decisions going forward will follow a collaborative approach to decision making. With that said, for anyone who has researched success and accountability, in order to achieve great things, there ultimately will need to be a definitive leader who is responsible for final decisions and in leading the strategy of the firm heading into the future. The managing partner/CEO of this team moving forward will be Bob Gauvreau. 

  Bob is the founder of Gauvreau and is an experience leader who is committed to building a world class organization focused on client and team success, founded on trust, transparency, care, innovation, and opportunity. With that said, Bob will be working with the partners on setting the future direction, but for all other positions, the current manager/leaders of every role will continue to be so.

• What we will see change from an ONBusiness perspective?

  One change that you will see is that Gauvreau has some leadership roles in place that are here to support partners, managers, and leaders of ONBusiness with day to day items such as recruiting, operations, marketing, tech implementation and management, legal services, business development, etc. These resources will now be available to support where needed. 

  As part of the recruiting process at Gauvreau, we have successfully created the environment to recruit and hire experienced professionals working in a remote environment across the country. This increase in resources will help support the ONBusiness partners focus more on client success, and will allow for the investment of new resources to create capacity and support for the rest of the team. 

  Marketing is another major function that will be added to ONBusiness. A full in house marketing team will bring new awareness and brand recognition to the team at ONBusiness. 

  Any changes observed in the short term will be those of support of the ongoing operations of ONBusiness to provide additional resources for the team and to alleviate some of non-client obligations of the partners and management team.

  Lastly, you will see that the opportunity for growth for ONBusiness will no longer be limited to the Winnipeg market. As part of the new combined group, we will have the ability to continue to focus on growing across Canada, which will continue to provide opportunity for growth for all members on the team.

• What will we see change from a Gauvreau perspective?

  From a Gauvreau perspective, you will see a few changes. You will certainly see some new friendly faces joining our team, joining our calls, and expanding the physical office presence outside of Ontario. In addition, we will see the addition of some extremely highly respected experts who will make our team stronger and more experienced. This experience will be transformed into learning and adapting best practices across the entire organization.

• What is going to change about my job?

  There is no change to your existing roles, responsibilities, team, clients, etc. This is a combination of two independent teams that will combine resources and best practices, but will continue to operate under the management and direction that is in place. 

  One of the major benefits of bringing these two teams together is to learn from each other. With the combined resources, we will be able to continue to invest in the business, in the team, and in our collaborative growth. This will result in eventual opportunities arising across the organization and will ensure everyone is set up for success in their current roles.

• Is anyone being replaced?

  We are expanding not contracting! There are no plans to replace or remove any roles or people, and in fact we are expecting this expansion to bring further future opportunities for the team.

  In addition, we are looking forward to finding synergies within the business which allows capacity to remain manageable as we continue to experience a growth in client base. The plan will be to continue to grow together and exceed 200 team members in the coming months which will continue to bring future growth and opportunity to everyone involved.

• Will my compensation or benefits change because of this acquisition?

  No changes to compensation, benefits or vacation will take place. As has been in the past, any changes to compensation will be reviewed during the formal performance evaluation process. We will continue to provide enhanced direction as to how individuals can earn compensation adjustments and positional advancements as we move forward together.

• Who will I report to?

  There are no immediate changes to organizational structure. You will continue to report to your current manager. As mentioned, there will be future opportunities for growth and transitions within the business. As individuals continue to grow and look to seek additional opportunities, this will potentially result in a change in a direct manager and/or direct reports.

• Is my title or responsibilities changing?

  In the short term, no. Part of a smooth integration of the two teams may mean standardizing some of the departmental labels and role labels used for everyone (for example, we currently have different names for departments such as accounting/financial services and small business services/bookkeeping).

  As can be expected, we will constantly be looking at innovative titles and processes with the intended outcome of bringing additional meaning and efficiencies to everyone's role. This will not change responsibilities, but may find ways to improve efficiency and use of technology with best practices.

• What changes will there be to the work environment?

  This will not change the arrangements for work environments that currently exist. We have 3 formal offices, one in Peterborough ON, one in Steinbach MB, and one in Winnipeg MB.

  We are proud of these physical spaces and look forward to many years of success and growth here.  We also have a number of team members work exclusively in a remote environment, with some of our team working in a hybrid environment. Whatever the arrangement that is currently in place will continue into the foreseeable future.

  Should any team member wish to move from one location to another or go from a remote environment to an in person environment, that will be accommodated and welcomed.

  We will continue to work with everyone to ensure that they have the greatest flexibility available to complete their role.

• Will there be any changes to our systems?

  Our team prides itself on innovation and the use of cutting edge technology. It is inevitable that systems will continue to evolve as we learn and grow, especially as we combine best practices and shared learnings. 

  We have many shared programs such as QuickBooks, CaseWare, Taxprep, Microsoft Office tools, etc. that we will continue to use unless we will find a better future solution. There are other solutions that slightly differ for each organization and we will be reviewing the benefits of each and eventually migrating into one platform. 

  However, there is no immediate need to change systems as each entity can continue working independently on their existing platform unless there are clear advantages to switching, which may or may not happen down the road. 

  Should any change in solutions be reviewed and agreed upon that a change makes sense, full training and implementation support will be provided at that time.

• Will clients be informed of this?

  We will be sending communication to the clients about the excitement of the two brands, Gauvreau & ONBusiness, and the benefits of this new combined entity. 

  We will be sharing this message as a notification of enhances services being offered, and that there are new regions that are being served, but that this will not have a change in any of the team, managers, or partners that anyone works with. 

  We are planning to share this message on Monday, February 24th and are trusting the confidentiality of this information will be maintained until we have the opportunity to craft and release the optimal messaging.

• How do I address questions from clients about this?

  Ultimately, you can share with the clients that this combination of entities will not change, disrupt or alter the existing relationships in place. Rather, will allow for the combined entities to better support our mutual clients through expanded service offerings and additional resources. Any client concerns should be directed to your manager for their review and support.

• Are the two businesses going to be managed separately?

  No, we are now one united team. It will, however, take some time to properly integrate the business, the systems (into one working program as opposed to two) and ensure workflows are optimized. We are committed to making sure the full integration is completed as quickly as possible.

• Will my payday change?

  Payroll will be maintained on the same schedule that is currently in place.

• Will my email change?

  We are in no rush as we are wanting to make sure that we have answered all questions for the team first before we introduce and announce the changes with clients and the greater business community. Any use of the new email before we make this external announcement would just cause confusion. We do plan on having a united front when it comes to communication, but we are in no rush and want to approach this when the time is right.

• What are the opportunities for advancement?

  This is one of the most exciting areas of the integration of both teams. There are numerous opportunities to grow. A few areas for growth and advancement are as follows: Different areas of expertise (cross development in areas of law, tax, coaching, accounting, bookkeeping, virtual cfo services, valuations, and whatever else gets created in the future), different internal departments such as HR, marketing, business development, client service, etc., different levels of experts from entry level, junior, senior, managers and partners, as well as opportunities for C-Suite executive roles.

  All in all, there are always opportunities for advancement, and new positions continue to be created frequently as we continue to grow and scale the business and build the team.

• What about vacation time that has been approved?

  Any vacation time that has been previously approved will be honoured post integration. We are excited for you to continue to enjoy your hard earned time away.

• Will training or professional development be available?

  We will continue to support in the development and training as has been the case in the past. We will ensure that everyone gets access to professional development and there will be an available budget for every team member to investment in their personal and professional growth going forward. 

  Currently at Gauvreau we have an established budget for each team member. That will be available to all ONBusiness employees going forward as well.

• Does the acquisition limit or slow down the possibility of career advancement?

  Quite the opposite. The combined entity will be the home to 160-170 people effective March 1st. The objective of the business is to continue to grow organically at a rate of 20% percent, with the need to continue to train and mentor a significant group of high performers to ensure they are ready for new opportunities. As the entity continues to grow and add valued team members, we will need new managers, directors, leaders and partners. The opportunity is endless, and new roles at the senior level will continue to be created as we grow.

• Are there any redundant roles?

  No. Every single role on the team is being retained and is required. There are a number of roles that are the same between the two entities, but with the combined volume of activity between the combined businesses, every role will continue to be necessary. 

  Our goal will be to continue to introduce technology to support team efficiency which will create capacity with the existing team members so that we have room for growth. As mentioned earlier, we are planning for expansion not contraction.

• Will this transaction change any of the benefits and/or vacation policies in place?

  No. Whatever you currently have in place will be maintained. There are some circumstances where one group has extra benefits over the other, and our plan is to continue to transition to a combined/aligned benefits/vacation/ policy in the future, but one where benefits received by one will be introduced to both, but this will take time as it will add additional costs to the firm. There will be no elimination of existing benefits for anyone.

• Are there any plans for team building/integration? Will there be an opportunity to get to know the new team members?

  Yes. Departments will be introduced to each other ASAP so that we can begin cross collaboration and support. 

  Please note though that in the short term, there is no plan to disrupt reporting and workflow.  Your partners will be your partners. Your manager will be your manager. Your leader will be your leader.

  However, we are aware of the incredible people we have as part of this combined team, and we want to get everyone to know each other as soon as possible. We also have some great tools that we will be introduced to enhance the cultural experience of our combined teams.

• Will there be a further breakdown or clarity provided on goal distributions based on firms? Ie., Winnipeg responsible for 40% Peterborough responsible for 60% etc.

  Each team has their own individual targets in place as of the current moment. No goals are being expanded upon and/or unexpected changes happening here.

  However, in the future, we will continue to move towards combined goals by department with teams that are represented either as one formal group: example 'tax department goals', 'accounting department goals', etc. and broken down as 'accounting team 1 with manager A, accounting team 2 with manger B, etc.' This will not change the individual goals, roles, responsibilities, etc., but rather will focus on giving a more united approach to our company goal setting in the future.

  Stay tuned on this one as it will come with time.

• Do I get to keep my current clients?

  Yes. This combination will not impact who your clients are, who your team members are, or what you are doing on a day to day basis.

• Am I expected to take on new clients from the other team?

  There is no expectation that we are going to increase the workload for any role due to this combination. However, as a continuously growing business, we will constantly be looking for ways to attract and retain new clients, so we will need to be prepared to continue to take on new clients as necessary and within capacity of our roles.

• Are our processes changing?

  No. You will continue to operate as status quo. If we find ways to improve and/or there are best practices that enhance the existing processes, we will work through those together.  However, there are no intentions to alter the processes of your role at this time.

• What are the opportunities for remote, hybrid, and in person roles?

  The current environment that exists for each team member will not change in the short term. We currently have some purely remote employees, some hybrid roles, and some exclusively in person roles. As an organization we have two main objectives related to the working environment. 

  First, to provide the greatest amount of flexibility possible for our team to live their best life.  I can assure you that we will encourage the best structure/situation for every person on the team. 

  Second, is to ensure that every person on the team is set up for success and that they are being supported in the best way for each individual. 

  With that, different roles and different levels of experience provide for adjustments to that flexibility. We will continue to work with every individual to ensure their arrangements are the best fit for them to be successful. As for now, everything will remain status quo.

• Will my OT requirements change?

  Many individuals, depending on their roles and teams, have individual agreements relating to OT, banked time, Friday's off, and other such arrangements. None of these items will change for 2025. We will continue to review 'the best practices' in the future to determine if we can support in making any of these arrangements more favourable for the team.