Keynote Speaker for Business Owners
Building a successful business is rarely just about working harder.
After decades as a CPA working with thousands of Canadian businesses, Jean-Guy Talbot, FCPA, FCGA, has seen firsthand what separates companies that struggle from those that thrive.
Over the years, he has reviewed financial statements, business models, pricing structures, and growth strategies across countless industries. While helping clients with accounting and tax planning, he also gained a unique perspective into how successful business owners think, operate, and make decisions.
Jean-Guy saw many owners struggling with the exact same challenges he personally faced while building his own accounting firm from a basement operation into a national firm with nearly 100 employees.
Jean-Guy’s presentations focus on practical business realities, not just theory. His sessions combine real-world experience, financial insight, humour, and actionable ideas that business owners can immediately apply to improve their company and their quality of life.
Whether speaking to entrepreneurs, family businesses, leadership groups, or industry associations, his goal is simple: Help business owners build stronger businesses, create more freedom, and prepare for a successful future, both professionally and personally.
Presentation Topics for Business Owners
Each topic can be delivered as a keynote, workshop, or training session, and adapted based on your audience, industry, or event objectives.
Profitability & Pricing
How to determine the value of your services and confidently price them in a way that maximizes profitability while maintaining strong client relationships.
- Determining the true value of services
- Communicating and selling value to clients
- Improving client perception of pricing
- Discussing billing with confidence
- Training teams to support pricing conversations
- When to use hourly billing versus fixed pricing
A focused approach to understanding what truly drives profitability, helping prioritize the actions that have the greatest impact and turn financial information into better decisions.
- Key drivers of profitability in a business
- How to prioritize efforts for maximum impact
- Using financial statements as a management tool
- Identifying the most relevant information for decision-making
- Recognizing strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities through financial data
A practical overview of how to increase the value of a business in preparation for a future sale, including how value is determined and how to improve it over time.
- Five strategies to increase business value
- How businesses are valued when setting a selling price
- Key factors that influence valuation
- Ways to minimize tax consequences on sale
How to build strong and lasting partnerships by selecting the right partners, establishing clear agreements, and managing communication and conflict effectively.
- Selecting the right partner
- Communicating effectively within a partnership
- Key elements of a partnership or shareholder agreement
- Resolving conflicts constructively
- The role of core values in a successful partnership
A practical overview of buying and selling a business, helping both buyers and sellers understand what to look for, how value is determined, and how to approach negotiations.
- What to look for in a buyer
- How to evaluate if a business is the right fit
- Key factors that influence price
- How to negotiate a fair purchase price
Team & Leadership
A practical look at the value of building a team, addressing common concerns about hiring, and how the right employees can support growth and profitability.
- Advantages of building a team
- How to select the right employees
- When is the right time to hire
- How to determine appropriate compensation
- How employees impact profitability
How to identify and select the right candidates by asking better questions, presenting opportunities effectively, and making informed hiring decisions.
- Tailoring interview questions to uncover key attributes
- Positioning the opportunity to attract strong candidates
- Evaluating candidates more effectively
- Negotiating fair and appropriate compensation
How to effectively leverage your team’s time and abilities by improving delegation skills and avoiding the most common pitfalls that limit growth and efficiency.
- The value of effective delegation
- Common delegation pitfalls to avoid
- Practical solutions to delegation challenges
- How to better leverage team capacity
How to create an environment that keeps team members engaged, productive, and committed, while reducing turnover and improving overall team performance.
- Increasing employee productivity
- Improving team engagement and satisfaction
- Reducing turnover
- Creating a more positive and effective work environment
Operations & Workflow
Practical approaches to managing time more effectively, helping prioritize tasks, reduce stress, and improve overall productivity in a demanding environment.
- How to prioritize effectively
- What to delegate and what to retain
- Improving productivity and output
- Managing interruptions and distractions
- Identifying and reducing time-wasters
Communication & Culture
How to build a consistent, relevant, and memorable presence in your market, with practical approaches to promoting your firm and measuring results.
- Why marketing is essential for firm growth
- How to create an effective marketing plan
- Setting and managing a marketing budget
- Measuring the results of marketing efforts
- The role of company culture in marketing
- Practical ways to promote your firm
An introduction to effective negotiation, focusing on practical techniques to improve outcomes, build confidence, and achieve better results in everyday business situations.
- Key principles of successful negotiation
- Improving negotiation skills and confidence
- Techniques to achieve better outcomes
- Approaching negotiations more strategically
How to handle challenging interactions with difficult individuals while maintaining control, reducing stress, and improving communication outcomes.
- Recognizing difficult behaviours early
- Identifying situations that trigger stress
- Staying calm and maintaining control under pressure
- De-escalating tense conversations
- Encouraging more constructive dialogue
Mindset & Performance
How to develop resilience in a demanding business environment, strengthening mindset, habits, and perspective to better navigate challenges, setbacks, and uncertainty.
- What resilience means in a business context
- Staying focused and positive during difficult periods
- Turning setbacks into learning opportunities
- How habits influence mindset and decisions
- Practical ways to build long-term resilience
An exploration of how the subconscious mind influences decisions, behaviours, and outcomes, and how adjusting thought patterns can support better performance, clarity, and long-term success.
- How the subconscious mind influences daily decisions and behaviours
- Recognizing and challenging limiting beliefs
- The role of habits and repetition in shaping outcomes
- Reframing thinking patterns to support success
- How perception impacts outlook and overall well-being
- Practical ways to build confidence and consistency
Journaling can be used as a practical tool to organize thoughts, improve clarity, and support both personal and professional growth through structured reflection and intentional habits.
- Using journaling to organize ideas and priorities
- Different types of journals and their purpose
- Turning thoughts into clear actions and decisions
- Building consistency and discipline through journaling
- Using journaling to improve clarity, focus, and well-being
A practical approach to maintaining balance in a demanding professional environment, drawing from real experience to manage stress, protect mental health, and build sustainable habits.
- Communicating effectively in both work and personal settings
- Setting healthy boundaries and guardrails
- Delegating to reduce pressure and workload
- Strategies for managing stress
- Protecting mental health over the long term
Presentations Are Always Tailored
Every firm is different. Topics can be adapted to match your audience, whether partners, managers, or staff, and aligned with your firm’s current priorities.
“I work closely with organizers to ensure the content is practical, relevant, and immediately useful.”
Book Jean-Guy
If you’re planning an event for business owners or leadership teams, Jean-Guy delivers practical insights your audience will recognize and use.