01/02/03 - Best Business Opportunities 2003
Cocooning is the keyword driving business opportunities in 2003. Consumers will go to great lengths to feather their nests and look after their own. Here are my predictions for the best business opportunities of 2003 for people looking for the best businesses to start or invest in this year.

12/30/02 - Got Goals?
Setting goals is one thing and achieving them is another. Paul Shearstone explains how to join the ranks of the high achievers and turn the goals you set into accomplishments.

12/26/02 - Top Budget Notebook Computers
Think you can't afford a notebook computer? You can get a budget notebook for less than $1000 USD - without having to sacrifice the features you want, such as a 14.1 display screen, a DVD-ROM drive, and power and performance.

12/22/02 - Time Management Strategies To Reduce Holiday Stress
Feeling more frazzled than festive? Reduce your holiday stress with these time management strategies so you feel in control and can enjoy the holiday season.

12/19/02 - OneStop Home Business Resources
Articles on starting a home business, home business tax deductions, setting up a home office, balancing working at your home business with family time; you'll find everything you need to start and manage a successful home business here.

12/15/02 - Finding A Good Accountant
A good accountant is invaluable to a small business; here's how to find a good accountant and how to best use his or her services once you do.

12/11/02 - Top PDAs For Business
Surf the net, check your email, record and playback memos, or listen to favourite MP3 files; these high-end PDAS do it all, and have the power to store and run the applications you need to run your business.

12/05/02 - Creating Sales Incentive Programs That Work
Have your previous sales incentive programs been a disappointment to you and your salespeople? Paul Shearstone explains how to create an incentive program that will drive your sales force to new levels of achievement.

11/27/02 - PDA Review: Palm Zire
The most inexpensive Palm PDA on the market weighs in at only 3.8 ounces and has an infrared port so you can beam information to other Palms. But is it a good choice for the business user?

11/23/02 - Top Graphics Software For Business
Image creation and editing, diagramming, photo enhancement, Web graphics - these top graphics software programs will meet your business needs, whether you're an average user or need professional graphics quality.

11/20/02 - Close The Cash Flow Gap
The basics of cash flow management, including a simple way to make cash flow projections and how to improve your cash flow by shortening your cash flow conversion period.

11/17/02 - Top Small Business Gifts
Give yourself a business gift this holiday season! You're shopping anyhow, so why not buy a business gift that will make every working day easier? Especially when you can write off a portion of the gift's expense on your income tax. So why put off buying that PDA, digital camera, desktop computer or office chair?

11/12/02 - Qualifying - The Critical Selling Skill
No business can survive without sales. Kelley Robertson explains how to avoid the common mistakes many sales people make making the pitch and how to effectively qualify your sales prospects.

11/6/02 - Top Budget PDAs
For less than $125 USD, you can get a expandable PDA with all the classic Palm applications and the ability to transfer data between your PDA and your computer.

10/31/02 - 31 Ways To Drive Traffic To Your Business Web Site
Just having a Web site isn't enough. Guest columnist Maria Marsala presents 31 ways to ensure that your business Web site will be found by your ideal client, is user friendly and is visited often.

10/25/02 - Tips For A Successful Trade Show
Wondering what to take and how to present it? Guest columnist Janice Byer gives tips on setting up a trade show display that stands out and using giveaways effectively.

10/20/02 - Top Travel Accessories For Road Warriors
Sometimes you just have to take your business to the streets and make the pitch face-to-face. These top travel accessories run the gamut from basics such as carry-on luggage through high-tech devices such as PDAS - a packing list for the business road warrior.  

10/15/02 - Small Business Week Is Here!
Here's a sampling of the many conferences, luncheons, seminars, business expos and awards dinners going on across the country October 20 - 26 to celebrate the achievements of Canadian entrepreneurs.

10/09/02 - Time Management Personality Types
A lighthearted look at how we sometimes sabotage our time management efforts, using fictional time management personality types. Which type are you?

10/09/02 - 11 Time Management Tips
Come to grips with the time management myth and become more productive with these time management tips for busy business people.

10/04/02 - Top Client Gifts
Gifting your clients lets them know that their patronage is important to you, and helps cement your business relationship - if you get the right gift. Impress them with these thank you gifts that take your clients' personal interests into account. 

09/26/02 - Top Laptop Carrying Cases
Mobility is the whole point of laptop computers, but how do you keep your laptop safe and secure on all those bumpy journeys? These top laptop carrying cases protect your laptop and make toting your computer along with you more comfortable and convenient. 

09/21/02 - Effective Search Engine Optimization
Are you making it hard for people to find your Web site? Here are the basics of search engine optimization to help your web pages get higher rankings in the search engines.  

09/17/02 - Top Color Laser Printers
Produce brochures, diagrams, stationery, and invoices in house at an affordable price with these color laser printers, and give your business documents the professional edge of laser quality. 

09/10/02 - 5 Secrets Of Good Customer Service
You don't need to advertise much if you treat your customers right. Albert E. Schindler shares his secrets for providing good customer service, including how to build business to customer loyalty.

08/28/02 - Trade Show Tips
Get the most out of your trade show participation with these tips for choosing the right trade show, preparing your trade show display, and running your trade show booth.

08/21/02 - Small Business Glossary
Ten new pages of definitions and resources have been added to this dictionary of small business terms, including customer relationship management, business continuity, and niche market. 

08/14/02 - Top Digital Voice Recorders
Record notes, meetings, and ideas without the fuss and bother of tapes! And these top digital voice recorders all have the ability to download information to your PC, making it easier to organize, edit and play back your voice files. 

08/04/02 - Running A Successful Home Based Business With Kids
Feeling guilty because your home based business takes too much time away from your kids? Achieve a more comfortable balance between working at your home based business and spending time with your kids with these tips. 

07/31/02 - The Two Paths To Starting A Business
The two paths to starting a business may end up at the same place, with you running a successful established small business, but one of the paths is a lot longer and more rock-strewn than the other. Which will you choose? 

07/28/02 - Before You Buy A Notebook Computer
Thinking of buying a notebook? Here's what you need to know about battery life, display type and size, connectivity, and processor speed to help you choose the notebook computer that's best for you. 

07/26/02 - Top Notebook Computers For Business
The new notebooks are powerhouse business tools ready to compete with or even replace the desktop computers in many offices. Unchain yourself and do business wherever you are whenever you're ready with one of these top notebook computers.  

07/22/02 - Finding The Best Web Site Hosting Service
Finding the best hosting service for your Web site can be really difficult if you don't know what to look for. These tips from June Carroll of Welutions Inc. will help you choose a hosting service that will meet your business needs now and in the future.  

07/16/02 - Before You Buy A Copier
Buying a copier for your small or home office can be a real time saver and the convenience of copying in house rather than driving to a copy shop can't be beaten. Here are the key buying factors to help you choose a copier for your SOHO. 

07/10/02 - Top Small Office Home Office Copiers
Tired of making trips to the copy shop? These personal copiers are ideal for small and home-based businesses. Compact enough to fit the smallest office space, yet packed with the copying features you'd expect in larger, more expensive photocopiers. 

07/02/02 - Canadian Small Business Of The Month : Susan Valeri, Master Virtual Assistant With A Niche
Researching your target market is the key to carving out a niche for your business, says Susan Valeri, who's transformed her admiration for authors and speakers into a business offering administrative assistance and public relations management. 

06/29/02 - Projecting A Trustworthy Image
Your business image isn't just defined by your personal presence; it's also defined by your accoutrements. Are you projecting a successful image and attracting new customers and clients or repelling them? 

06/24/02 - What's So Small About Your Business?
You may be undermining your business' potential success and turning away potential clients. Scott Stratten of WorkYourLife.com explains how to avoid this and start landing larger clients.  

06/20/02 - Top LCD Projectors Over 7 Pounds
Even if you're a mobile presenter, you should have a look at these mid-weight LCD projectors. If you can handle toting a few extra pounds around, you may find a mid-weight projector a better deal than an ultralight.  

06/17/02 - Top LCD or DLP Projectors Under 7 Pounds
If you're a mobile presenter, you'll appreciate these projectors that are light weight but still packed with all the features necessary to make your presentations shine.  

06/14/02 - Before You Buy An LCD or DLP Projector
Buying a projector is not an insignificant investment, so you'll want to think carefully about how you're going to use the projector to match the features you need with the best price point. Here are the key buying factors to help you make your choice.  

06/10/02 - The Easiest Filing System
Setting up a filing system doesn't have to be a daunting task. Ronda Claire of Claire Ideas explains how to set up a filing system that makes it easy to file and find the paper you need.  

06/06/02 - Customer Service Lessons From Two Top Retailers
Small businesses can learn a lot from bigger businesses about customer service. Find out what lessons about customer service you can apply to your own business from the success of Sleep Country Canada and Sears. 

05/29/02 - Protecting Your Business Data
Protecting your business data is crucial for protecting your business' continuity. Learn how to establish a backup routine that will protect your critical business data from disaster. 

05/23/02 - Top Gifts For Grads Going Into Business
Is your graduate headed into the business or professional world?  Reward your graduate with a gift that shows you appreciate his or her accomplishment and that will contribute to his or her future success.  

05/20/02 - Outsource To A VA And Save Money
Who needs a Virtual Assistant? Everyone! Stacey Baillie of VC Virtual Creations explains how outsourcing to a Virtual Assistant can increase productivity, reduce costs and save you and your company time.  

05/17/02 - Choosing A Business Trainer or Consultant
Are you in the market for business training? Ask these seven questions before you sign up to be sure you're hiring the trainer or consultant who will best meet your learning needs.  

05/14/02 - Before You Buy A Multifunction Printer
Having one machine that prints, faxes, scans, and copies is a great space and money saver. But is a multifunction printer suitable for your small business? Before you buy, consider these factors.  

05/10/02 - Top Multifunction Monochrome Laser Printers
If you don't need to print in color, and still want to save space and dollars by combining fax, printing, scanning, and copying functions in one machine, a monochrome multifunction laser printer might be the way to go. Here's a list of 5 of the best at the mid-price level. 

05/07/02 - Top Multifunction Color Inkjet Printers
Save space and money with a multifunction machine. Here are the best mid-price multifunction inkjet printers that copy, scan, and fax - and print in photographic quality color as well. 

05/02/02 - 11 Dos And Don'ts For Getting Free Radio Exposure
Being a guest on a radio program is a great way to publicize your business. But how do you get an interview? Increase your chances of getting on the air with these tips from Guest Columnist Kimberly Henrie.  

04/24/02 - Do You Have The Insurance You Need?
Property and Liability insurance are essential for all small businesses. But other kinds of insurance such as Business Interruption, Key People, or Disability insurance can make the difference between having to close down and being able to carry on. Here's a guide to different types of business insurance.  

04/21/02 - Business Alliances Are The Key
Chris Boothe of FavorWare Corporation explains how small businesses can compete with larger-sized competitors by leveraging their service or product offering through setting up business alliances.  

04/17/02 - Top Time Tracking And Billing Software
Do you need to be able to precisely track the time you spend on various projects? These programs let you do this, track your business expenses, and have features to let you invoice your clients easily, too. 

04/09/02 - Telephone Tips To Win Business
The telephone is still most business' primary point of contact with clients and customers. These telephone tips will ensure that callers get a favourable first impression and know that they're dealing with a winning business.  

04/04/02 - Setting Up A Business In Alberta
Detailed instructions on filing a declaration of trade name and how to register a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or cooperative in Alberta. 

04/04/02 - Setting Up A Business In B.C.
This outline of how to choose a name for and register your sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or cooperative will get your B.C. business off to the right start.  

04/02/02 - 12 Easy Ways To Organize Your Work Life, Your Home Life, Or Both
Overwhelmed by seemingly endless streams of paperwork? Guest Columnist Heather Diodati offers these tips to help busy people get and stay organized.  

03/25/02 - Make Success A Habit
The success strategies covered in the Small Business Success Program will only become more powerful over time if you continue to use them. This week's strategy involves evaluating the course and setting new three month goals, so you can make success a habit.  

03/24/02 - CC'ing Your Company's Image
Is your email tarnishing your company's image? Scott Stratten explains how to send and forward email without sending the wrong message about your company or providing spammers with a list of email addresses to harvest.  

03/20/02 - Choosing A Form Of Business Ownership
Should you legally structure your business as a sole proprietorship, general partnership, limited partnership, corporation or cooperative? Here are the differences between these forms of business ownership.  

03/18/02 - Blow Your Own Horn
To be successful, you have to let other people know about your expertise and your enthusiasm. Week 9 of the Small Business Success Program gives tips for blowing your own horn about your achievements.  

03/15/02 - Top Canadian Tax Software
Tax preparation software isn't just for calculating your taxes; it's also an excellent tax planning tool. Here are the four best for small business people filing T1 (personal) or T2 (corporate) tax returns. 

03/11/02 - Make Stress Work For You
No one can escape stress, but stress isn't negative in itself. Learn about the good qualities of stress, and how to manage stress by recognizing stress, using destressing techniques, and cultivating a positive attitude in Week 8 of the Small Business Success Program.  

03/04/02 - Don't Go It Alone
Information and support are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits that business-related organizations provide. See how belonging to business groups can increase your success in Week 7 of the Small Business Success Program.  

03/03/02 - Splitting Your Income
Paying too much tax on your small business earnings? Splitting your income by hiring your spouse or children as employees can lower your tax bracket and give you significant tax savings - as long as you stick to these basic rules. 

02/28/02 - Canadian Small Business Of The Month : Monique Howat of Confident Girls!
Don't be afraid to follow your passion! Monique Howat explains how she developed her passion for inspiring others into an award-winning confidence building program for girls, teens, and women. 

02/25/02 - Don't Forget Your Promotion Kit
Are you making the most of the opportunities to promote your small business? Taking a promotion kit with you everywhere you go lets you be prepared for every contact (Week 6 of the Small Business Success Program). 

02/24/02 - Networking In A Bowl
Buddy networking is when you find a complementary business to market with to your mutual benefit. Maria Marsala explains how to use buddy networking by sponsoring a contest giving away a gift certificate to another business. 

02/18/02 - Get Ready To Sell
Selling is all about confidence! Here's how to boost your confidence by using a pump-you-up routine that includes a session of self-praise (Week 5 of the Small Business Success Program). 

02/17/02 - Get The Word Out By Giving A Seminar
Presenting a seminar or workshop on an area of expertise related to your business is a great way to promote your business inexpensively - and can lead to other promotion opportunities such as free advertising, says Andrea Swinton. 

02/11/02 - Start The Day Right
A daily business planning session of just 20 to 30 minutes a day will energize you and help you focus on the tasks of the day (Week 4 of the Small Business Success Program). 

02/10/02 - Emphasize The Business In Home-Based Business
The atmosphere outside and inside your home office tells a story about you and your business too. Jo-Anne Coleman explains how to make sure your home-based business presents the right image to your customers and/or clients. 

02/04/02 - Decide To Delegate
Week 3 of the Small Business Success Program focuses on learning how to hand off some of the many hats you wear as a small business person, so you'll have more time and energy to focus on what it is you do best and want to do most. 

02/03/02 - Get Your Logo Working
Who needs a logo? Any business interested in building customer recognition. Here are tips on how to design a business logo and how to use a logo to effectively promote your business. 

01/31/02 - Canadian Small Business Of The Month : MonicaWorks Web Design and Graphics
If someone had predicted 5 years ago that Monica Hogg would be running her own small business, she would have laughed at them. Find out how she overcame her self-doubt and started and marketed her successful Web Design and Graphics business.  

01/28/02 - Set Specific Goals
Week 2 of the Small Business Success Program focuses on learning how to set the type of goals that set us up for success rather than failure, by using a goal setting formula that incorporates an action plan.  

01/27/02 - Be Sure Your Customers Can Communicate With You
What happens when your business' phone just rings and rings? Your potential customers go elsewhere. Use these tips to make sure your phone is a business tool rather than a business killer. 

01/21/02 - Establish A Benchmark
Week 1 of the Small Business Success Program focuses on tracking your business and personal activities to provide an accurate picture of the many tasks you actually do.  

01/20/02 - Present A Professional Image
Audrey Field provides tips for ensuring that your small or home-based business presents an image of professionalism at all times, including how to handle telephone calls and why you should display your credentials. 

01/17/02 - Palm m505 Handheld Review
If you're looking for a handheld with a sleek design and a color display that's also packed with functionality, this is the one. 

01/15/02 - 10 Weeks To A More Successful You!
The Small Business Success Program focuses on building a repertoire of successful behaviors to increase your business and personal success. Each week of the program presents a new success strategy for you to apply. Find out more here. 

01/14/02 - Distinguish Between One Time and Repetitive Tasks
Doing one time tasks yourself may be beneficial to small business owners, says Claude Debetaz, but repetitive tasks can kill both your productivity and your bottom line. 

01/10/02 - Top 10 Business Trends For 2002
Reassurance and rewards are the keywords for business trends in 2002, as consumers search for comfort in what seems to be an increasingly uncertain and dangerous world. These 10 types of businesses will do especially well in 2002. 

01/07/02 - Gifts To Employees Are Now Tax Deductible
Giving your employees gifts or awards instead of cash bonuses has tax benefits for both employers and employees. Here are the rules for gifting your employees and getting a tax deduction.

01/02/02 - Top 10 Business New Year's Resolutions
Ten resolutions to help you not only increase your business' success in the coming year, but enjoy your success more by striking a balance between your work and family life. 

01/01/02 - More Ways to Maximize Your Business Tax Deductions
The second installment of getting ready for tax time covers vehicle expenses, travel-related expenses, employing your child or spouse in your business, advertising expenses, and the kind of expenses that fall into the CCRA's 'other' category.

01/01/02 - Maximize Your Business Tax Deductions
This first installment of getting ready for tax time covers keeping track of your receipts, deductions related to the cost of doing business, and deductions for home-based businesses.

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