I have always been a downtown person. I choose to live in Toronto and for years my identity has been based in proximity – to school, to work and to the energy that defined Canada’s startup scene in 2015. This was when being “in the room” meant being in the office.

But the world changed and so did the definition of showing up.

The COVID-19 pandemic redefined where and how we work. Canadians traded downtown condo living in major cities for more affordable homes in suburban and rural communities. We learned that with the right tools, technology and ergonomic setup, employees working from home are just as productive as their office peers and less likely to quit.

Now, nearly six years later, that progress is slipping. Across Canada, businesses are requiring workers to return to their desks full-time or for additional days each week. The Ontario and Alberta governments are ordering staff back to the office while other provinces are reviewing policies. Employers insist that office culture, the spirit of collaboration and revitalization of downtowns and business districts depend on this.

These rigid work policies undo the hard-won gains in productivity and inclusion, of which women and working parents were major beneficiaries. Work flexibility gave them the ability to juggle appointments, child care and other responsibilities. But with the rising cost of living and many fearing the loss of their jobs during economic uncertainty and high unemployment, people may not feel like they have a choice but to return to the office.

A survey of Canadian workers by recruitment firm Hays in 2024 found that 71 per cent of respondents wanted to leave their jobs and look for better opportunities. Many of those workers said they would look for a new job if the economy and unemployment rate improved.

Finding a better fit

What if these converging factors — job dissatisfaction and a desire for better work-life balance — are motivating employees to quit and build something outside the office that better fits their lives?

As workplaces become less accommodating, more Canadians are looking for exits rather than enduring burnout. In a poll released by RBC in October, 59 per cent of those surveyed had thought about building their own business, up 13 per cent in two years.

More Canadians building their own businesses could spark a powerful shift in our economy. The most recent (2024) federal government key business statistics show small- and medium-sized enterprises already generate most private-sector jobs. With return-to-office mandates pushing talent out of rigid corporate environments, we’re on the brink of a wave of new entrepreneurship.

That’s a good thing. When more people build businesses, our economy shifts toward creativity, real problem-solving and a healthy appetite for risk. That mindset fuels everything from climate transition solutions to helping small firms adopt artificial intelligence (AI). This in turn has major implications for our lagging productivity. Entrepreneurship doesn’t just build companies. It builds a more resilient and innovative Canada.

Women are at the heart of this trend. Businesses owned by women already contribute $150 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP), employ 1.5 million people and account for 40 per cent of self-employed Canadians. Rather than watch women leave their jobs because of rigid office policies, governments can avoid losing that untapped potential by recognizing that a transition is underway in the workforce.

Missing infrastructure

Canada’s approach to supporting entrepreneurs through a one-size-fits-all  lens assumes that most business founders have access to capital, child care and a network of professional contacts. For women, that’s rarely the case.

Startup financing remains uneven between genders. Research by the Founders Forum Group found that, globally, only 2.3 per cent of venture capital funding went to women-only initiatives in 2024. Many women rely on personal savings, which limits growth potential for their companies and exposes them to financial risk. Affordable child care and other caregiving supports remain fragmented across provinces, further constraining the time women can dedicate to their businesses.

If the government wants to strengthen overall productivity and innovation, it must fund initiatives that allow more business-minded women to build and lead on their own terms. One way to do this is to double down on its funding under the Women Entrepreneur Strategy (WES) introduced in 2018 to further gender equality and advance women’s economic power.  

Another is to ensure equal representation in formal AI planning and advisory committees. Women-owned businesses are less likely to adopt technology, often because they are smaller and face financial constraints. A report done for Statistics Canada in 2024 said 12.7 per cent of women-owned firms indicated they used emerging technologies compared with 16.5 per cent of firms owned by men. The government should focus on closing the digital divide by making capital and training in digital fluency and AI more accessible. This would help women founders lead the next phase of economic growth by ensuring a level playing field with male-owned businesses.

Building toward women’s entrepreneurship

If we want more women to take the leap into business, be it in an office setting or through e-commerce, it needs to be a realistic option for them. That means ensuring women have the time and financial support to get started.

Expanding micro-grants and low-interest loans to support women-led startups would help reduce capital shortages. There’s also a need to ask pointed questions as to why the latest federal budget did not include any new measures to address inequities when women do start their own businesses. For example, in 2023, businesses in which the majority of owners were women had the lowest debt-financing approval rate.

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National mentorship networks could play a parallel role by connecting emerging founders with experienced CEOs and like-minded peers. Lessons learned could translate to commercial success in building businesses.

These measures are not radical reforms. They are the scaffolding for a modern economy — one that values adaptability, creativity and inclusion as drivers of national prosperity.

Fresh momentum

The recent federal budget has provided some fresh momentum by committing $382.5 million over five years to support women’s economic, democratic and social equality. But broad funding for time-limited projects only scratches the surface. Future budgets must target the barriers holding women back: limited access to capital and insufficient digital and AI training. More support is also needed to make it possible to participate in the economy while managing caregiving responsibilities.  

Having to return to a bricks-and-mortar office will undoubtedly push some people from the workplace. But it is also kickstarting a rise in entrepreneurship that includes more women.

Canada risks wasting that wave of economic opportunity. Women don’t need to be persuaded to work hard. But they do need support and policies that reward adaptability, creativity and ingenuity.  

Innovation has never been born in cubicles. Nor is it exclusively a man’s domain. If we’re serious about having a strong and prosperous economy now and in the future, we must invest in the women already trying to build it — whether it be in or outside an office.