■ Small Business is Smart Business™

Discover Common Ground Between Business Goals and Meaningful Impact.

We help small businesses strengthen business practices, improve stakeholder relationships, and create practical solutions that support long-term growth.

About Lucy

Common Ground Impact was founded by Lucy Horvath, a communications, stakeholder engagement, and business operations professional who believes that meaningful change begins by meeting people where they are.

Lucy's career began in customer service and front-office administration with several small and medium-sized businesses, where she developed a strong appreciation for the importance of relationships, communication, and exceptional client service. Those early experiences taught her that every conversation is an opportunity to build trust and that strong businesses are built one relationship at a time.

She later joined Glendon Campus of York University, where she served as a Liaison Ambassador, helping prospective students and their families navigate the admissions process, while also working as a Research Assistant for the Work and Studies project at YorkU Research department. Alongside her academic roles, Lucy contributed to campus and community initiatives, including the Women's Advisory Committee at St. Christopher's House Outreach. These experiences strengthened her skills in research, stakeholder engagement, public communication, and collaboration across diverse communities.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature, Lucy joined a third-generation family-owned landscape design-build company, where she spent nearly twenty years helping support the growth of the business. Her role evolved from administration into finance, operations, communications, and strategic business support.

As Treasurer and Administrator, Lucy managed cash flow, financial reporting and analysis, payroll, compliance, client relationships, human resources support, communications, and the day-to-day operational needs of a growing small business. As the business evolved, she recognized that the way the office operated needed to evolve as well. She led the transition from manual, paper-based processes to cloud-based business systems, streamlining administrative workflows and creating greater operational capacity.

By modernizing office operations, Lucy was able to provide more direct support to sales and production, improving communication, responding quickly to operational challenges, and allowing leadership to focus more of its time on clients, business development, and project delivery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these operational improvements helped the business remain agile and resilient while continuing to grow. Through the combined efforts of leadership, production, and strong operational systems, the company surpassed $1 million in annual revenue, a milestone that reinforced Lucy's belief that sustainable growth begins with strong operational foundations.

Living with a visible physical disability has further shaped Lucy's perspective on accessibility, inclusion, and resilience. It has strengthened her commitment to designing practical solutions that work for real people in real-world environments and deepened her understanding that removing barriers benefits everyone—not just those who experience them directly.

Today, Lucy combines more than two decades of practical business experience with advanced studies in Social Responsibility & Sustainability at the University of St. Michael's College, University of Toronto, along with specialized training in Supply Chain Integrity from the Institution of Innovation and Advanced Learning. Through Common Ground Impact, she helps small and growing organizations strengthen operations, engage stakeholders, improve communication, and identify practical opportunities that support sustainable growth.

Outside of her professional work, Lucy remains committed to serving her family and community through volunteer leadership with the Catholic Women's League, Hope House Community Hospice, Campus Church Aurora, and other local initiatives.

Lucy's approach is grounded in a simple belief:

Meaningful impact begins with listening. By taking the time to understand people, honour different perspectives, and discover common ground, organizations can build trust, strengthen relationships, and create practical solutions that deliver lasting value for the people and communities they serve

OUR Approach

How We Support Small Business Growth

Practical support designed to help small businesses move from ideas to action. Our approach focuses on communication, relationships, accessibility, and sustainable growth.

01 / COMMUNICATION

02 / STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Are your customers hearing the message you want to send?

Do you know what matters most to the people who impact your business?

Strong communication helps businesses build trust, strengthen relationships, and connect more effectively with customers, employees, suppliers, and communities.

Build stronger relationships with the people who matter most to your business and create opportunities for meaningful feedback and collaboration.

03 / ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION

04 / SUSTAINABILITY & VALUE

Is your business welcoming and accessible to everyone you serve?

How can your business create value today while preparing for tomorrow?

Identify practical ways to improve accessibility, strengthen customer experience, and create more inclusive workplaces.

Explore practical opportunities to reduce waste, improve efficiency, stay competitive, manage risk, and support long-term business success.

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Small Business is Smart Business™

START WITH A CONVERSATION

The Engagement Funnel™ begins with understanding your business, your goals, and what matters most to you.