Rule — For Canadian businesses, relax vertical tier where adoption is shallow

Rule: For Candid's Canadian clients, relax the vertical tier (often by one) in verticals where digital adoption is shallow — especially trades, professional services, and small-town local businesses.

Why: CFIB 2025 (Canada — 92% use digital tools but only 10% fully integrated (CFIB 2025)) — only 10% of Canadian SMBs are "fully integrated" digitally; ~1 in 5 has an "advanced digital profile" (BDC). The COMPETITIVE FLOOR is lower than US benchmarks suggest.

How to apply: A Canadian dentist or plumber may face genuine local-pack pressure in Toronto but face a near-empty field outside the GTA. Calibrate the widget tier accordingly when the user provides a Canadian city.