"I'd like to start a small business but..."

If this describes you at this point, what's holding you back?

When I get the chance to ask people this question in person, often they respond that they're afraid of failing - not in so many words, mind you, but that's what it boils down to.

Here's how to conquer your fear so you can move forward and start the small business you’ve long wanted to start.

There are plenty of other articles and resources on the site about how to start a small business. Here's just a few that you'll want to take a look at now that you're ready to plunge in and get your own small business off and running:

• Steps to Starting a Small Business
• The Business Plan Outline
• 6 Steps to Starting a Home-Based Business

Find it easier to work through a project with the encouragement of a weekly newsletter? Sign up for my Starting a Small Business in Canada course.

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With the tourist season reopening in many places across the country, customer service is a good topic to revisit - particularly the basics of good customer service. You can ask any of your employees or anyone on the street what good customer service is and they'll be able to tell you; good customer service is treating customers the way you would like to be treated as a customer.

But how can you consistently deliver that kind of customer service? 8 Rules for Good Customer Service tells how. You might want to print it and go over it with your employees.

More on Good Customer Service

• How to Provide Customer Service That Outshines Your Competitiors
• Tips for Handling Store Returns
• 10 Customer Service Tips

Even more Good Customer Service articles

We knew it was the case here. As I wrote in Women in Business a Growing Wave, the number of women-owned businesses is growing 60 percent faster than those run by men and it's predicted that one million Canadian women will own a small business by 2010 (Statistics Canada).

But women’s entrepreneurship is also a key contributor to economic growth in low/middle income countries, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2007 Report on Women and Entrepreneurship released by The Center for Women’s Leadership at Babson College.

GEM studied women's entrepreneurship in 41 countries, dividing them into two country groups (low/middle-income and high-income) based on their per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and GDP growth rate. Among the report's key findings were:

• Women tend to be less optimistic and self-confident than men about starting a business.
• Fear of failure is higher for women in all country groups compared to their male counterparts.
• Women who are employed and have built a social network of entrepreneurs are more likely to become entrepreneurs. The social and economic benefits of working are driving women’s entrepreneurship more than increased education or household income.
• There is no gender difference in the survival rate of women’s businesses versus those of men in high-income countries.

I find this third point particularly interesting in light of the growing numbers of women entrepreneurs in Canada. I think for many women the social benefits of running their own businesses are just as important as the economic ones; women are choosing to start businesses because being in business allows them to live a certain lifestyle.

More and more women are like Bree Litrop, the "mompreneur" featured in Business Bite by Bite (Edmonton Sun). As the author, Cary Castagna says, "The mompreneur trend is booming as more and more women reconsider their career paths and discover niche markets they can tap into from the family-friendly confines of home."

The best summer job is a small business because you get to be the boss, you don't have to waste time looking for a job, and, depending on what kind of small business you start, you might even be able to provide employment for others. Here are what I consider to be the Best Small Business Ideas for Students.

Follow the Steps to Starting a Business in Canada to get your new business up and running. Learn how to legally structure your business, how to register your business name, write a business plan and more.

If you're starting a business and looking for small business grants in Canada, you have to check out the federal government's Self-Employment Program. It's one of the best small business grants in Canada in my opinion although technically it's not a small business grant at all... read more

More on Finding Business Start Up Money

• 8 Sources of Business Start Up Money
• The Canada Small Business Financing Program

I really like the convenience of digital voice recorders. They're perfect for those situations where you don't have pen and paper (or a laptop) handy or for recording meetings or presentations when your fingers just wouldn't be able to keep up. No more lost ideas or peering at scribbled notes wondering what on earth you meant by that abbreviation! These Top Digital Voice Recorders all have the ability to record and transfer information to your computer, making it easier to organize, edit and play back your voice files.

More:

• Top Digital Voice Recorder Transcribers - Digital Voice Recorders with transcription capabilities.
  
  

• Before You Buy a Digital Voice Recorder - A guide to digital recorder features to look for.

When I get busy I have a hard time keeping up with all the questions in the Forum, so I really appreciate it when others share their expertise and answer questions.

Here's what people are asking about in the Small Business Canada Forum right now:

• Can you recommend an Interac/Credit card connect service?
• Do I need a Canadian business bank account?
• What's the best business bank account?
• How can I finance land development?

Can you answer any of these questions? Just click on the link to be taken directly to the Forum post cited. Or, as you have to be signed in to post, enter the Forum from the sign in page. (If you're not a member, why not join? Membership is free.)

The Cisco Business Incubator Challenge is a contest for businesses with 20 to 250 employees (SMEs) that are working on capitalizing on new opportunities. If you know what you need to do to take your business to the next level and have a plan for doing it, you can submit your plan for a chance to win $100,000 worth of Cisco technology to help you improve your business operations and productivity.

You need to hurry if you're going to enter this one though - the contest closes May 16th.

Good news: The Contest has now been extended to June 20th.

In the Small Business Forum, "EnaKew" writes:

"I have a successful home based gift basket business... I am at the point where I will be doing this hopefully full time soon and I am wondering the benefits of incorporating."

"Proterozoic" says:

"I've incorporated four times and three are still running (two in business consulting, one in health insurance and one in real estate). I don't find corporations very difficult or expensive to set up and they're definitely easy to shut down.

Aside from doing a tax return there isn't much additional administration. I recommend getting a good accountant. I'd skip the lawyer in setting it up unless there is something really unique about your business. I've found most small businesses are actually very similar...read more...

What do you think? Is incorporating the right thing to do? Comment below or in the Forum.

More on Incorporating Your Business:

• The Advantages & Disadvantages of Incorporation
• How to Incorporate Your Business in Canada
• How to Incorporate Your Business in Different Provinces

Growing your business isn’t just a worthy goal; growing your business is a necessity for your business’s survival and your economic well-being.

All of these ways of growing your business have been successfully used by other businesses and, with some planning and investment, will work for you.

Related: Quick-Start Business Planning - Once you've chosen how you want to grow your business, here's how to develop and implement the plans to make it happen.

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