According to our recent survey, over 500 Canadian business owners, accountants, and financial professionals are optimistic about the economy in 2025, with 81% expecting stability or improvement. Reflecting this optimism, businesses are not scaling back; instead, they’re prioritizing technology investments to drive growth and efficiency.
In fact, 60% of Canadian businesses plan to increase their use of fintech to replace manual tasks and fuel strategic initiatives.
But where should you start when choosing the right technology for your business? Here are the top 3 factors you should consider, based on feedback from our survey.
1. Automates tedious, manual tasks
Efficiency is key—especially when you need extra bandwidth to focus on the ways you’re growing your business. Automating repetitive, time-consuming processes allows businesses to reallocate resources toward innovation and expansion.
The survey revealed that 35% of businesses plan to invest in AI to streamline core financial operations, focusing on:
Automation tools like AI are already helping businesses manage expenses, reconcile transactions, and process payments more efficiently. For example:
- 34% of businesses automate expense management
- 28% focus on automating reports
2. Consolidates multiple workflows in one platform
The modern business tech stack is often bloated and inefficient. Small businesses juggle an average of 172 tools, while mid-sized companies manage a staggering 255 different solutions. Building your tech stack strictly around point solutions creates complexity and hampers efficiency.
The survey shows that 60% of businesses are prioritizing tools that consolidate multiple workflows into a single platform. Streamlined solutions help businesses simplify operations, reduce costs, and improve collaboration.
By adopting tools that combine features like payments, expense management, and reporting, businesses can save significant time and focus on what matters most: growth.
3. Reduces risk and improves accuracy
Manual processes inherently come with risks: human error, data inaccuracies, and delayed payments can all damage vendor relationships and a company’s reputation.
Automation minimizes these risks by improving accuracy, securing payment workflows, and ensuring timely transactions. Tools that automate accounts payable (AP) and receivable (AR), for example, deliver immediate ROI by:
- Enhancing cash flow clarity
- Reducing errors in payment processing
- Strengthening vendor and customer relationships
Freightzy’s President and Founder, Sean Freedman,
highlighted this impact:
“Making manual payments made it hard for us to track and reconcile our payments… I now have clarity on cash flow, which has allowed us to make more informed decisions for the business.”
Why start with payments 
More than half of businesses (60%) are increasing their fintech usage in 2025, with 77% prioritizing real-time payments and 53% shifting to digital payment methods.
Why? Because digitizing payments delivers quick wins:
- Fast results with minimal disruption
- Immediate cost and time savings
- A strong foundation for future automation initiatives
As businesses move away from traditional methods like checks, digital payments provide enhanced security, simplified tracking, and improved reconciliation—key benefits for any growth-focused organization.
By focusing on tools that automate tasks, consolidate workflows, and reduce risks, Canadian businesses can set themselves up for sustainable success in 2025 and beyond. Don’t get left behind—your competitors are already embracing these changes.
