Speaker application and Sponsor information for the N6 series available. Please contact Donna Bogers Miller 905-898-5900 ext 232
Bringing Business Innovation in Changing Times to the Business Community. YSBEC and Northern York Region (N6) municipalities join forces with Business Knowledge Initiative (bki) to bring local businesses and professionals valuable education and information.
IT World Canada's staff sat down to debate where they think the technology is going in 2011. When all was done, ITBusiness.ca boiled down the four most salient predictions for Canada's small business community. Read more...
Small Businesses are targeting investments in technology and their web and social media presence as they ring in the new year of 2011. Read more...
With the rise of internet usage throughout Canada, more small businesses than ever before have begun to allow employees to work offsite, at home.
In order to survive in changing times, small business owners need to know how to adapt Read More
NEBS Newsdesk
Small business owners in Canada aer significantly more positive than their southern neighbours, according to a recent survey.
The study, commissioned by the BMO Financial group found that, when compared with entrepreneurs in the United States, small business owners in Canada wer more optimistic. Nearly nine out of 10 entrepreneurs ...read more
NEBS Newsdesk
According to one recent small business survey, connectivity is among the most important issues to entrepreneurs throughout Canada. The lastest Angus Reid survey, which queried 1,005 small business owners throughout the country, found that 69 percent of small and medium business professionals ahd connectivity outside of work. Read More
Ottawa, Industry Canada, rob Moore, Minister of State Small Business and Tourism, issued the following statement to kick off Global Entrepreneurship Week in Canada:
From November 15 to 21, countries around the world will be celebrating Global Entrepreneurship week. I would like to thank all Canadian entrepreneurs who have helped our country rise above the challenges faced during the recession and moved us toward economic recovery and growth. Read More
Globe and Mail Update:
Four Part Series, Michael Redding describes cloud computing for small and medium sized businesses as a form of opportunity cost. "If you have five guys dedicated to running your e-mail system, is that really the best use of those five guys?" Read More
Toronto Sun, Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised the country's small businesses Sunday as the "backbone" of Canada's economy to kick off the 30th annual Small Business Week organized by The Business Development Bank of Canada.
"Through their hard work, dedication and vision, small business owners are generating the jobs and economic growth that are making Canada a competitive and modern economy", Harper said in a statment. "They are helping to ensure that our economy emerges from the global economic recession stronger than ever." ...read more
Backgrounder: Investing in Business Innovation program The Government is committed to creating jobs and making Canada's economy more robust, diversified and competitive. In keeping with these objectives, the Government will allocate up to $190 million over the next four years to FedDev's Investing in Business Innovation program (Full details)
Minister State Moore Celebrates Small Business Week - Market Wire Oct 17th.
This year's theme is "Power Up Your Business, Invest, Innovate, Grow." Creativity and innovation are two important drivers of successful small businesses. Was the message delivered to announce Small Business Week by BDC. Read More
Richmond Hill, Ont. Is small business month and a Staples Canada survey of their small business panelists found that the three biggest concerns keeping business owners up at night are:
"36 percent of entrepreneaurs told us they need help with online marketing and 27percent said they could use help with time management. ...read more
The younger the Canadian Entrepreneur, the more likely it is that wireless technology plays a key role in how their business is run, a survey released Wednesday found. Among the yourger respondents (those aged 18 to 34) virtually all of them (93%) leveraged mobile internet technologies such as laptops and smartphones to manage and maintain their business. Read more...
Why do Investors say 'no?' What sparks their interest?
Here's your chance to find out. Connect with venture capitalists, angel investors and media by submitting an "Elevator Pitch" with your small business idea and have it reviewed by a panel of judges and your peers. (note: open only to Canadian Entries)
The two best-rated video submissions will be revealed on a live webcast by Direct Engagement Show on Oct 19th. One of them will be selected by viewers and the other by the judges who include: read more...
Financial Post Sept 28th 2010
Entrepreneurs, small business owners differ
Post announced it was relaunching its weekly "Small Business" section under the name "Entrepeneur" because those two labels say very different things. Nearly 30 years ago, the weekly Financial Post (as it was then) launched a spin-off magazine aimed at small business. One of the working titles the founders considered was "Profit" but in the end the publication launched as The Magazine that's All About Small Business. Read more....
Its a brand new day for small business - at least as far as human resources functionality goes. "HR has been a particular challenge for samll business. Many simply don't have the funds or resources to dedicate to it," says Philip Grosch, of Price Waterhouse Coopers. "The evolution of cloud computing gives small and medium- sized businesses access to the type of advanced enterprise technologies that historically on large corporations could afford". SaaS is the delivery of business functions in the cloud. Read more
The October issue of Profit Magazine, due to hit newstands, provides a glimpse of 50 resilient Canadian firms founding since 2006 that have somehow managed to grow against the strain.
As the fourth quarter of 2010 rolls around, small business owners all over Canada are trying to end the year on a positive note. One of the fastest-growing ways to increase profits and gain exposure is by making sales on the internet. The online world has given retailers and other business owners a brand new outlet to sell their products and gain more cusomter than ever before. But it can be a daunting task to get started and many are left to wonder, how can I jump on the bandwagon before competition leaves my business in the dust? ....read more
Small businesses throughout the country often try to separate themselves from the competition by having customers associate a certain feeling or image with the company. By having a repetitive message to clients, business owners can make their name well known and as a result, increase their profits. ...Read more
Rogers Media Inc. announced the launch of PROFIT guide.com: Canada's Online Guide to Small Business Success. Tailored to the unique needs of innovative, growth-oriented business owners and managers, PROFITguide.com combines the entrepreneurship expertises of PROFIT Magazine, and its unparalleled network of leading entrepreneurs and management thinkers, to deliver Canada's most authoriative analysis and advice for the small and mid-sized business sector.
The Government of Canada will offer 165 additional internships for post-secondary graduates across Canada through the Small Business Internship Program (SBIP).
"Canada's Economic Action Plan is helping small businesses grow and create jobs," said Minister of State Moore. "This one-time investment in the Small Business internship Program will help even more small businesses grow while creating jobs in the information and communications technologies and e-commerce sectors for recent post-secondary graduates. These young Canadians will gain valuable work experience while contributing to Canada's economic recovery." The Full Story...
The vast majority of businesses in Canada are small, and it stands to reason that many of the people behind them have interesting or unusual personal stories.
The old cliche about entrepreneurs who look at their businesses the same way parents view their children has truth to it. For many there is little sparating business, personal passion and our lives. That's why when it comes to PR, weaving in the personal story can be quite natural and effective in promoting a business - especially if that story relates to how a business was launched in the first place. The full story...
Microsoft Corp. has made its Office Web Apps available to web users today.
Office Web Apps are online versions of Microsoft's most popular office productivity programs which can be accessed via a web browser and an internet connection.
This cloud-based version of Office can then be used to view, edit and share Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote documents online.
Office Web apps are compatible with Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari.
After just over a year as a coveted, invitation only beta, Google has officially launched Google Voice as a free service for all. Google Voice adds another component to the suite of tools available from Google providing small and medium businesses with cost effective tools enabling them to conduct business like their much larger enterprise counterparts. Full Details...
After years of focusing on Microsoft Office as a desktop application, Microsoft has finally developed Web-based Office applications. One of these is called Microsoft Office Live Workspaces, and it gives you access to online tools for viewing your Office documents. Full details
Small businesses all over Canada often have a difficult time when it comes to gaining visibility in their markets. According to one advice columnist, it all comes down to "changing the game."
According to Ryan Caligiuri of the Globe and Mail, small businesses must take what is expected of them and turn it on its head. The business analyst advises companies to work hard to stand out among the crowd by making their products the biggest or anything else that will help separate themselves. Full Details...
With more people utilizing social media technologies such as Twitter, Foursquare and Facebook, it makes sense that established and emerging businesses are looking to leverage these technologies to reach and communicate with their target audiences. Take a look at these adoption tools....
The Canada 3.0 digital forum wrapped up in Stratford, Ont., yesterday with the co-chairs of each of the five streams recommending three ways to improve Canada’s digital economy based on the issues raised during the two-day discussions. The purpose of Canada 3.0 was to bring government, academia and industry together to facilitate the discussions needed to put action plans into place, said Kevin Tuer, managing director of Canada 3.0 co-sponsor for full story
The recently launched Community Energy Partnerships Program (CEPP) will make it easier for communities across the province to advance renewable energy projects by financing up to 90 per cent of development costs. "Opening Ontario's doors to clean energy means that everyone can participate in growing Ontario's clean energy economy and the jobs associated with it," says Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Brad Duguid. The program will also encourage and support community ownership of projects as well as the economic benefits.
CEPP will be governed by the Community Power Fund and Deloitte. More information regarding CEPP and how to apply to the program Community Energy Program
According to Tony Chapman, CEO of Capital C, Canada has the potential to rebrand itself as a leader of global innovation. "We are so digitally enabled and globally connected," Chapman says. "It is no longer the United States or Japan or a handful o fcorporations that are innovating." Chapman will be presenting his "Launch Lab" concept when he speaks at the Canada 3.0 conference.
The world is producing so many ideas and so much innovation that a lot of these great ideas are now starving for the attention," he explains. Launch Lab will be a site for inventors, technology and corporations to share and assess such ideas.
"It's a one-stop place to determine what you need to put an idea in place and achieve your goals in less time and at a lower cost than if you did it on your own," Chapman says. IT World Canada
According to an Info-Technology Research Group analyst, upgrading to Office 2010 may be able to “scale back software licences and cut costs.”
Tim Hickernell, a lead analyst with a consultancy agency in southwestern Ontario, says, “[there is] a tremendous opportunity to reduce the number of Office licences and evaluate alternatives.” He points to OpenOffice as one such alternative. By investigating or researching other Office suites, entrepreneurs will have a better idea of “how many Office 2010 seats to purchase,” he adds.
Furthermore, Hickernell stated, “about 25 per cent of the market is able to reduce the (number of) Office licences they have […] and can easily be switched over to OpenOffice.”
For more information, click here or visit www.openoffice.org
Banks are willing to give small businesses a fair shake. According to Nancy Hughes, CEO of the Canadian Bankers Association, banks “judge a business by its risk, not its size.”
Currently, bank approval rates for small businesses in Canada are approximately 80 percent.
In addition to these statistics, many small, Canadian business owners reported that their bank worked with them to survive the economic downtown.
Local merchants, who are seeking funding, should consider Credit Union, Hughes suggests. Credit Union was named the best bank for small business owners by the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses.
For more information, click here.
According to a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), Canadian CEOs are going green at a faster rate that than their global counterparts.
Furthermore the survey revealed that Canadian CEOs were firmly invested in climate change initiatives and other environmentally conscious projects.
Associate partner and national advocate of Climate Change Services Group at PwC, Dr. Christine Schuh, reveals that "public concern and tougher environmental regulations have made climate change an increasing priority for today's business leaders." She also adds that increasing energy costs and a “loss of investor confidence and consumer loyalty pose significant threats to those without climate change business strategies in place."
For more information, click here.
Despite the technological advances in the global economy, direct and simple PR is still the best way to market your business, products and services to your target audience. “I'm always advising clients to simplify their message,” says Mia Wedgbury, president and co-founder of High Road Communications. “What resonates with people isn't the nuts and bolts of what you do, it's the impact you will have on their life.” A successful PR strategy, according to Wedgbury, is always accessible, regardless of the science or technology behind the product or service. For more information, visit: Click here for more information.
Statistics Canada recently announced that more and more Canadians are becoming self-employed. According to their report, the number of self-employed Canadians grew by more than 100,000 between October, 2008 and October, 2009.
However, Statistics Canada was quick to dismiss the connection between self-employment and company layoffs.
“Women accounted for the majority of the increase over the one-year period, at 58 per cent, though men lost more jobs,” Statistics Canada said. Furthermore, they noted that self-employment seemed to be more concentrated among older Canadians, rather than younger workers.
Click here for more information.
The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology) and the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, announced the investment of $165.5 million in 187 newly awarded or renewed Canada Research Chairs at 44 Canadian universities.
“Our government is investing in science and technology to create jobs, strengthen the economy and improve Canadians’ quality of life,” said Minister Goodyear. “The Canada Research Chairs program is helping our universities develop and attract talented people, strengthening our capacity for leading-edge research, while creating jobs and economic opportunities for Canadians now and in the future.”
Minister Finley also commented on the implications of such funding: “As Canada emerges from this recession, our government is working to ensure that Canadians have the opportunities to get jobs so they can contribute to Canada’s economic recovery.”
The investment also includes $8.8 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) for research infrastructure.
For more information, contact: Yves Melanson, Coordinator, Media Relations Canada Foundation for Innovation Office: 613-996-3160 Email: yves.melanson@innovation.ca
The Honourable Tony Clement recently announced the reappointment of Jean-René Halde as President to the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).
“Mr. Halde’s commitment to the BDC has contributed greatly to the growth of Canadian entrepreneurship, Minister Clement said. “[H]is leadership and strong knowledge of the business and financial sector have been of great benefit to strengthening the vision and work undertaken by the BDC.”
During his time at BDC, Halde increased private sector funding to various businesses across Canada. According to Eartimes Press, Halde facilitated “a then-record $3.1billion in new financing to small and medium-sized businesses in fiscal 2008-2009.”
For more information visit: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/jean-rene-halde-reappointed-as-president,1219220.shtml
According to a new forecast by the Desjardins Group, Canada's domestic economy is in tip top shape, compared to other western, industrialized nations. Furthermore, Desjardins stated: “Decent demand for new products and services by Canadian consumers and corporations in 2010 means that the country will not be overly reliant on stagnant overseas markets for improved sales.”
Similarly, the Bank of Montreal and the Royal Bank of Canada have also forecasted significant growth for Canada's domestic economy. For more information, visit: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/03/22/canada-economy-desjardins.html#ixzz0j7dukbgb
The Business Knowledge Initiative (bki) provides strategic and tactical support for businesses to assist them through the economic downturn as well as transitioning to a global, knowledge-based economy. Through a structured process, bki has implemented a case management system that ensures timely, targeted information and services to the business community. Click here to watch the video.
Diana Ciccone takes a look at the Newmarket Chamber of Commerce implementing the Business Knowledge Initiative. Click here to watch the video.
Team bki at the Energy Connections Summit
Team bki representatives recently attended the Energy Connections Summit, hosted by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. According to Robert Hattin, Chair of the CME’s Ontario Division, Canada’s manufacturing sector is showing strong signs of recovery. He also affirmed that manufacturing will continue to be a critical force for job creation and economic growth in Canada.
Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, highlighted Ontario’s dedication to alternative energy sources and advanced manufacturing sectors. Both the Canadian and Ontario governments have been improving incentives to use renewable energy. Similarly, there has been an increasing demand for energy efficient buildings.
For more information on the Energy Connections Summit, visit http://www.cme-mec.ca/on/media.asp?id=1560
Bki Notes From the Field: the Tory Budget & the Economic Action Plan
Although no new funding announcements were made during the reading of the federal budget, bki has learned that the government's economic action plan and associate programs remain in place. Michael Hammond, Communications Advisor of FedDev addressed this issue directly in a statement to bki. “This week's federal budget will not alter FedDev Ontario's mandate to deliver economic development programs to the people, businesses and communities of southern Ontario,” Hammond said.
Furthermore, he stated:“As part of 2009 Economic Action Plan, our government committed $1 billion over 5 years for the FedDev Ontario and the Southern Ontario Development Program,” Hammond said. “[A]nd this program will continue to help communities such as Newmarket in the years ahead.”
For more information, contact FedDev Onatio at 1-888-576-4444 or www.southernontario.gc.ca
Bki Notes From the Field: Announcement From the Government of Canada
Bki has learned that the federal government is now providing free business research services, in order to support Canada's economic recovery and sustainability. Online resources such as P Census, Business Source Premier and the Gale Virtual Reference Library will now be available to businesses nation-wide. Businesses can use these databases to research market information, demographics, statistics, sample business plans, etc.
For more information, contact Canada Business at 1-888-576-4444 or www.canadabusiness.ca
Newmarket, ON — February 17, 2010 — The Business Knowledge Initiative (BKI) is proud to announce the hiring of Veronica Marmoreo and Dawnett Allen to round out its project management and service delivery team. BKI is a program of the Newmarket Chamber of Commerce, and is designed to help local business to seize the opportunities presented by the digital economy through mentoring programs, workshops, IT support and other resources.
"BKI is about helping local businesses find and seize the opportunities of the 21st century digital economy," said Debra Scott, President of the Newmarket Chamber of Commerce. "We are proud and excited that community entrepreneurs are capitalizing on this great resource to grow their businesses."
BKI brings together an array of business, technology and funding experts to identify opportunities for local businesses. It then coaches those businesses as they work to take advantage of these opportunities. By the end of March, BKI mentors will have held 24 information sessions and have advised well over 90 local businesses. Nearly 30 of those businesses have identified and are pursuing external funding opportunities thanks to BKI's guidance.
"BKI is a wonderful example of the phenomenal work that is going on in our community," said Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen. "Efforts like BKI will help bring Newmarket into this new century by lighting the way for our local entrepreneurs."
The federal and provincial government has launched an informational, toll free telephone number for business owners.
Through this telephone service entrepreneurs will learn how to create and cultivate a business, manage employees and finances, file for permits, licenses and taxes, understand import and export regulations and gain access to government programs.
The Honourable Rob Moore, federal Minister of State, Small Business and Tourism and the Honourable Harinder S. Takhar, Ontario Minister of Government Services unveiled the new telephone number during the conference.
"Small and medium sized enterprises are the engine of the Canadian economy," said Moore. "This new toll free number makes it easier for businesses to find the assistance they need."
This telephone service (1-888-745-8888 or TTY 1-800-268-7095) is part of an ongoing partnership between Industry Canada and Service Ontario to provide integrated services and strategies to businesses, through the Canada-Ontario Business Service Centre.
