How Local Canadian Businesses Can Compete with Affiliate Marketing

By Robert Skinner | WBN News | June 16, 2025
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Walk into any café in South Delta or North Battleford SK and ask someone how they found out about it — chances are it was a friend who told them.

Word-of-mouth drives a huge amount of local business in towns like ours — yet most small business owners never think to formalize or reward it. Meanwhile, global giants like Amazon, Shopify, and Uber have turned affiliate marketing into billion-dollar channels.

It begs the question: Why not us?

Affiliate Programs: Not Just for Tech Giants

An affiliate program is simply a system that rewards people who send you business. Instead of hoping customers talk about you, you give them a reason to. No big ad budgets. No complicated tech. Just smart, scalable referrals.

Think about it:

A local accountant could reward a client for referring their friend’s startup
A landscaper might pay a neighbour who connects them with a strata manager
A wellness store could thank influencers for sending in new buyers

If it leads to business, why not make it worth something?

It’s Already Happening — Quietly

All across Canada, small businesses are waking up to this model. In places like Tsawwassen, Kamloops, or Truro, shops and service providers are setting up simple systems that track referrals and offer fair commissions. Some do it manually. Others use affiliate software or partner platforms.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution — just a shift in mindset:

Instead of hoping your business spreads, incentivize it.

And yes, there are tools and communities now emerging to support this kind of approach, even for those just getting started.

Competing With the Big Guys, the Local Way

Small businesses will never outspend Amazon. But we can out-relationship them.

Affiliate programs turn satisfied clients into your ambassadors. They give your community a reason to talk about you — and keep talking.

So maybe the better question is: If they’re going to talk about your business anyway… shouldn’t they be on your team?

#Canadian Small Business #South Delta #Affiliate Marketing #Referral Power #Support Local

Publisher note: I have lived in South Delta for over 30 years and am passionate about supporting small business. By taking on the Publisher role for S. Delta on the WBN.digital platform, I can bring local business and the readership factual business news on a daily basis. I am looking for local authors to contribute articles about this market. Let's connect on LinkedIn if you are interested: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rlskinner/

Robert is an experienced 'AI Assisted' business systems developer and coach. Give him a call at +1 604-220-4750 or connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rlskinner/