Money

Manage & Grow Your Small Business

By Susan Ward, About.com Guide

Business management, marketing, customer service, office and human resources management are just some of the trades you have to master as a small business owner. And if you want to grow your business, you also need to know about small business financing and growth strategies. Find the information you need to keep your business running smoothly or to take it to the next level here.

Business Planning
Business Research & Reference
Business Management
Office Management
Sales & Selling
Customer Service
Marketing
Growth Strategies
Growing an Online Business
Small Business Financing

Small Business Taxes in Canada
Business Insurance
Legal Issues Affecting Businesses
Selling a Business
Holiday Season & Year End
Your Business & The Environment
Time Management & Work Life Balance
Leadership, Goal Setting & Success
Business Support & Organizations

Business Planning

Creating a business plan is just the beginning of business planning. A small business needs active business planning from inception through dissolution and at all stages in between as your business objectives change in response to new ideas or market forces. From cradle to closure, here are small business planning resources to keep things running smoothly or exit your business.

Business Research & Reference

When you need to know a definition of a particular business term, find statistics specifically about Canadian small businesses, or see what others think about issues related to running small businesses in Canada, here's where to look. You can also browse the Business Quotations Index to find an inspirational quote or find out about the free ecourses offered on this site.

Business Management

When you run your own business, you get to be your own manager as well as your own boss. Learn how to manage your small business's money, people and resources effectively with these business management resources.

Office Management

Whether you have a home office or a traditional office space with multiple employees, the same principles of good office management apply. Here's what you need to know to keep your business running smoothly and efficiently.

Sales & Selling

No business can survive without sales. Hone your selling skills and convert more of your sales leads with these resources about selling and sale techniques.

Customer Service

Customer service can be the cornerstone of success for a small business. Learn how to provide the kind of good customer service that brings customers and/or clients in in and keeps them coming back with these articles about improving customer service and building customer loyalty.

Marketing

Looking for marketing strategies? Learn how to find and target the right market for your products and/or services, build your own brand, use the Internet effectively as a marketing tool, how to put a marketing plan together and more with this collection of marketing articles.

Growth Strategies

Getting more customers and/or clients is just one way of growing your business. And while it's certainly the most obvious, it may not be the best way to grow your business. Explore this collection of business growth strategies to find other ways to improve your bottom line.

Growing an Online Business

A different medium and a different business model calls for different growth strategies. Sure, some of the growth strategies that will work for any business will work for you, but what are the best growth strategies for developing an online business? These strategies specific to online businesses will help you increase your site visitors and your sales.

Small Business Financing

Whether you're just starting out or already running a successful business, getting the money to operate or expand your business can be a hurdle. This section provides information to make finding the small business financing you need easier from where to find small business grants and loans in Canada through tips on how to attract investors or put a loan application together.

Small Business Taxes in Canada

How do you deal with business income when filing income tax? What business deductions are Canadian businesses allowed when filing income tax? Does your business need to register for and collect GST HST and if it does, how do you set that up? How does PST work and does your business have to collect and remit it? Find answers to these questions and more in this section on small business taxes in Canada.

Business Insurance

Here's where you'll find information on the different types of business insurance available, the types of business insurance your small business may need and how to save money on business insurance.

Legal Issues Affecting Businesses

Credit card fraud, intellectual property, incorporation, business scams, the treatment of customer data, identity theft - these are just some of the legal issues that you may have to deal with as a small business owner. These articles provide information on legal procedures and issues and how they relate to your small business.

Selling a Business

Selling a business is the most popular exit strategy for business owners. Whatever the reason you want to sell yours, read these articles for information and advice on how to sell a business, including tips for selling a business, business valuation methods, and how to increase what your business is worth.

Holiday Season & Year End

From how to address business Christmas cards and how to create a Christmas window display through New Year's resolutions for increasing your success and how to set goals you will achieve, here's a feast of advice to smooth your busy holiday season and get your New Year off to a great start.

Your Business & The Environment

What is sustainable development and how can your business incorporate sustainable development principles? What simple things can you do to make your business activities greener? Look here for information on how to make your small business more environmentally friendly.

Time Management & Work Life Balance

Balancing being a small business owner with your home life can be challenging. These articles provide advice and ideas for making it easier. Learn how to use time management to achieve a healthier work life balance, find stress management strategies and pick up tips for working more productively, whether at home or elsewhere.

Leadership, Goal Setting & Success

Professional development for small business people

This how-to section for those who want to stretch their professional wings includes articles on how to become a leader, how to set goals, how to get and stay motivated and how to maximize your learning as well as self-paced courses designed to help you increase your business success and polish your speech skills.

Business Support & Organizations

The Canadian government, of course, is one of the main providers of business support, and you'll find information in this section on many sources of government business assistance, from provincial Canada Business Service Centres through government programs. But you'll also find professional and industry-specific organizations that assist various types of businesses, and a collection of success stories to provide inspiration.

Small Business: Canada