Workplace and small business mediator

Small and mid-sized employers, HR teams, non-profits, condo boards, landlords and tenants, and business owners in a dispute.

A day rate or half-day rate per mediation, or a fixed fee per case, sometimes with a retainer from organizations that want you on call for conflicts. Preparation and follow-up can be billed separately.

• Neutral, structured facilitation
• Understanding of workplace and contract basics
• Writing clear settlement summaries
• Networking with HR, lawyers and business groups

• Professional liability (errors and omissions) and commercial general liability insurance
• Mediation doesn't replace legal advice, so check how you word your agreements and when to tell parties to get a lawyer
• Check whether any province-specific roster or credential is required for court-connected or public-sector work
• If you set up a home office, check your municipality's home-based business rules
• Work can be uneven because organizations often call a mediator only once a conflict is serious
• Quebec has its own rules and French-language requirements, so check them if you work there

Startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $8,000, depending on your training, insurance and how you set up your workspace. These are estimates only, so get quotes before you commit.

Monthly revenue is typically around $600 to $5,000, depending on how many clients you win and your fees. It is an estimate, and work can be uneven because organizations often call a mediator only once a conflict is serious.

Check insurance, how you word agreements and when to tell parties to get a lawyer, since mediation doesn't replace legal advice. Also check whether a provincial roster or credential is needed for court-connected or public-sector work, home-based business rules, and Quebec's rules.