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Keeping Your Customer Service Sharp

Customer service can be a tough gig this time of year. These eight rules of good customer service will help you and your staff stay focused on what matters: consistently courteous, helpful customer service.

More on Good Customer Service
Small Business: Canada Spotlight10

About Small Business Canada: Weekly Roundup Feb 6 to Feb 12

Monday February 13, 2012

Think you may have missed something? Here's your round-up of everything I've done in the past week at About Small Business Canada so you can catch up with all the new content, blog posts, updates to older articles, and new reader submissions!

New Articles and Features

What Is Work-Life Balance?

Blog Posts

Maximize Your Business Income Tax Deductions

7 Ways to Get Out of That Rut

Get Funding to hire: Canada Summer Jobs 2012

Before You Start a Home-Based Business

Wave Accounting Now Does Payroll Too

7 Reasons You Still Need Business Cards

About Small Business Canada: Weekly Roundup Jan 30 to Feb 5

Updated Articles

7 Inexpensive Business Ideas

RRSPs - The Best Income Tax Deduction for Canadian Small Businesses

Don't Miss Out on the SR&ED Tax Credit Program

Information Technology Makeover for Your Small Business

Top Business Tools

New Reader Submissions

Sample Mission Statements

Connect with Susan: Free Newsletters | SB Canada Forum | LinkedIn | Facebook | Google+ | Twitter: @SmallBizCanada

Maximize Your Business Income Tax Deductions

Sunday February 12, 2012

One of the reasons I like using Canadian tax software is that it can help you be certain you're claiming every income tax deduction possible.

How to maximize your Canadian business income tax deductions.

But even if you are using it or having someone else do your income tax, it's good to know what the income tax deduction rules are so you can do some tax planning and know what to expect.

These articles provide information on the rules for claiming various business expenses:

There's more information about business expenses, the home business tax deduction, Capital Cost Allowance, and income tax strategies in the Small Business Income Tax Deductions section of this website.

I also have a series of "everything-about-Canadian-income-tax" Guides that you may find useful:

  • Canadian Income Tax and Your Small Business
  • Canadian Income Tax FAQs for Small Businesses
  • Corporate Tax Canada Guide
  • Image (c) Ryan McVay / Getty Images

    Connect with Susan: Free Newsletters | SB Canada Forum | LinkedIn | Facebook | Google+ | Twitter: @SmallBizCanada

    7 Ways to Get Out of That Rut

    Saturday February 11, 2012

    The post-holiday season can be a real let down leaving you feeling that you just can't get on with what you want or need to do.

    This man's motivation is low. How is yours?

    But just because you've lost your motivation doesn't mean you have to waste days (or even weeks!) waiting for it to come back so you can get on with things.

    Get out of that rut and back to business with one of more of these rut-busting techniques.

    More: Maintaining Your Motivation - Kelley Robertson tells how to put together a personal motivation plan.

    Image (c) Tom Grill / Getty Images

    Connect with Susan: Free Newsletters | SB Canada Forum | LinkedIn | Facebook | Google+ | Twitter: @SmallBizCanada

    Get Funding to Hire: Canada Summer Jobs 2012

    Friday February 10, 2012

    Here's a way your small business can cut the costs of hiring new employees and give young people some work experience - Canada Summer Jobs "provides funding for not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for students between the ages of 15 and 30."

    Important Details

    • The application deadline is February 29th.
    • The program focuses on jobs that support local priorities; you can see the list of local priorities on the Service Canada website.
    • These are intended to be summer jobs; the earliest project start date is May 7, 2012 and the latest project end date is September 1, 2012.

    Read more about Canada Summer Jobs 2012 on the Service Canada website.

    More Canadian Programs to Help Small Business

    Connect with Susan: Free Newsletters | SB Canada Forum | LinkedIn | Facebook | Google+ | Twitter: @SmallBizCanada

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