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July 20, 2010

Industry Canada’s Venture Capital Monitor Q1 2010 has just been released.  This quarterly publication provides current information on the venture capital (VC)  industry by tracking trends in investment activity, reporting on VC-related research and examining key technology clusters that are attracting VC investment.

Of particular interest in this update is the article on entrepreneurship boot camps that provide learning opportunities for start-up technology entrepreneurs.  These bootcamps can be organized by investment forums or start-up competitions.  A list of entrepreneurship bootcamps and their contact information is included.

June 29, 2010

Family-owned businesses can offer challenges not found in non-family businesses.  According to a recent article in Business Week, 40% of family businesses are passed down to the second generation, but only 13% survive to be run by the third generation of family owners. Read the rest of this entry »

June 7, 2010

• The Canada Small Business Financing Program helps small businesses access loans from financial institutions by sharing the risk with the lenders.  The objectives of the program are:
• to help new businesses get started and established firms make improvements and expand
• to improve access to loans that would not otherwise be available to small businesses
• to stimulate economic growth and create jobs for Canadians

The program is delivered by specific financial institutions.  On average, small businesses have accessed about 10,000 loans worth more than $1 billion dollars each year.

Is your business eligible?  Most for profit small and medium size businesses in Canada with gross revenues or projected revenues of less than $5 million are eligible to apply for loans under this program.  Check out these FAQ’s for more details.

May 11, 2010

Halton Region’s Economic Development Report for Q4 2009  is now available.  Some of the business news highlights are:

• ARCA Canada’s work in picking up and decommissioning old appliances
• the recognition of several Halton companies as part of the “Top 250 Canadian Technology Companies” list
• Halton Region’s Small Business Centre celebrates ten years of helping entrepreneurs

Along with other business highlights, the Q4 report also includes a market overview with key economic indicators and development activity summaries, industrial and housing market overviews, and Halton’s Small Business Centre quick facts.

December 8, 2009

The United Nations Climate Change Conference is underway in Copenhagen.  Government leaders, diplomats, businesspeople and activists are gathered to determine ways to slow and eventually reduce greenhouse gases, in a effort to reverse global warming.

Sustainability has been defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development as being “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

 Why should small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) be concerned with sustainability?  And how can they explore the potential of sustainablilty? Read the rest of this entry »

November 10, 2009

The Canada Small Business Financing Program helps small business owners with their financial needs by making it easier for small businesses to get loans from financial institutions.  Under the program, the Government of Canada shares the risk of any loan with the lenders.  Small businesses are eligible if they operate for profit in Canada, with gross revenues of $5 million or less.  Not eligible under the program are farming businesses, not-for-profit organizations, or charitable and religious organizations.

This program is administered through individual financial institutions.  On average, the program offers 10.000 loans worth more than $1 billion each year.

October 20, 2009

Halton Region’s Q2 Business Development Report highlights business investment and economic activity.

The report contains information about recent federal and provincial government infrastructure funding; new investment highlights; market overview with key economic indicators and development activity summaries; real estate market overviews; a residential development review; and a spotlight on Halton’s Information and Communication Technology sector.

October 13, 2009

All of Canada’s major banks provide timely analysis and forecasts of the economy and financial markets of Canada, the United States and key international markets.  These statistics and special reports can help both business owners and investors in making decisions. Read the rest of this entry »

September 21, 2009

Need to register your business name?  Not sure which permits, licenses or taxes you need for your business?  Halton Region’s Business Development Centre offers Small Business e-Learning Tools that will lead you through some of the questions you may have when starting a new business.  Also included is a video tour of the Centre, featuring the resources, programs and services it offers for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

September 3, 2009

Small Business Week was created 30 years ago by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) to provide business training sessions.  The week has evolved into opportunities for entrepreneurs to share their success stories, network with others and learn from leading business experts.  This year’s theme is “Your Dream, Your Business, Your Passion” with events running the week of October 18-24.
BDC and its partners will be hosting events across Canada.  Local Chambers of Commerce are also active during Small Business Week.  Oakville Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a kick-off breakfast and Business After Hours trade show.

August 12, 2009

Halton Region has released its Business Development Q1 Report.  Here are some of the highlights:

• Economic conditions continued to decline in the first quarter of 2009, with unemployment climbing in the Toronto and Hamilton metropolitan areas.
• Construction value of new developments and expansions were down 58% to $262.5 million, comparing Q1 2008 over Q1 2009.  Industrial developments were especially affected.
• Halton’s industrial market inventory remained stable, while vacancy rates in the office market increased.
• The decline in housing prices in the Region has resulted in increased sales from the last quarter of 2008.  However, new housing starts have declined compared to Q1 2008.
• 82% of businesses in Halton are micro-businesses, employing fewer than five employees.  Of these businesses, 72% are self-employed individuals.
• One in three businesses in 2008 are in the professional services and financial fields.  The wholesale/retail and business and support services sector account for almost a quarter of the remaining businesses.

July 29, 2009

Looking for research or statistics on small business in Canada?  Industry Canada’s Small Business Research and Policy site provides access to its own research on small business and entrepreneurship, and links to other recommended sites, plus extensive statistics on Canadian small businesses. Read the rest of this entry »

July 2, 2009

Halton Region has released its 2008 Economic Development Review, presenting a comprehensive overview of the development and business activity which took place in Halton in 2008.  The report provides a market overview of Halton’s economy, labour force, industry competitiveness and housing.  Other areas of interest in the report are:  infrastructure and transit; strategic partnerships; tourism; and the physician recruitment program.  Small business in Halton is highlighted with discussions on the innovation culture and profiles of successful businesses.

June 9, 2009

What is a business plan?

A business plan is document that summarizes the operational and financial objectives of a business and contains the detailed plans and budgets showing how the objectives are to be realized.

Why is a business plan necessary?

Business plans are an essential tool to obtain funding from financial institutions, and to attract investors.  Plans are also useful in assessing the feasibility of your business idea, and in giving your business the best possible chance of success.  It’s been shown that writing a business plan greatly increases the chances that a person will go into business.  And once a business is established, a business plan may be revised as new goals are set. Read the rest of this entry »

May 12, 2009

Halton Region has released its Business Development Report for the fourth quarter of 2008.  The report highlights some of the differences between Q4 2007 and Q4 2008.  The worsening global economy was evident in the decline in total construction value and housing starts.  The unemployment rate in the Toronto and Hamilton metropolitan areas rose to 6.8% and 6.3%, respectively.

Halton Regional Council approved a report regarding the 2008-2011 Infrastructure Staging Plan and Financing Plan Framework.  The Region sees the interim financing of employment land servicing as an investment in Halton’s economic growth.

April 17, 2009

If you operate a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) and do business outside of Canada, keep current with border requirements by subscribing to  SME Newsflash, a service of the Canada Border Services Agency.  The Agency highlights a number of resources on its website, including importing and exporting for SMEs, an SME Toolkit, and contact information.

If you travel to the United States for business, be aware that requirements for entering the United States by land or water are changing as of June 1, 2009, when the final stage of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative ( an American law) is implemented.  The Canada Border Services Agency outlines the accepted documents for entry into the United States and describes the Government of Canada’s position on the requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Agreement.

April 7, 2009 

Cut your subscription costs and keep up-to-date by using online journals and newspapers available to you from your public library, 24/7, wherever you can access the Internet.

If you are thinking about exporting to a certain country, or investing in a particular company, market or industrial sector, check out Business Source Premier.  This business research database includes full-text market research reports, industry reports, country reports, company profiles and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analyses.  Business Source Premier also provides full-text articles from over 2,300 journals, including such top management and marketing journals as Harvard Business Review, Journal of Marketing Management and the Journal of Marketing Research.  Keep current in world affairs and business with magazines such as The Economist and Canadian Business. Read the rest of this entry »

March 20, 2009

Mayor Rob Burton introduced the Town of Oakville’s new ten-year Economic Development Strategy at an Oakville Chamber of Commerce breakfast this morning. The Mayor discussed the state of the economy in Oakville and outlined three goals of the 2009-2019 strategy:

1. Respond to Oakville business needs
2. Explore international trade/ties
3. Attract knowledge-based industries

The document will be released in April, with public consultations to follow.

March 12, 2009

Fraud costs businesses over $2 billion per year. Identity theft and other types of cyber crime have become big business for organized crime. The cost of resolving security breaches has increased by 95% since 2005.

Read the rest of this entry »

A $350 million capital investment in the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) announced by Industry Canada will mean at least an additional $1.5 billion in financing to help maintain and grow small and medium-sized businesses.  The Government of Canada expects that these monies will help over 3700 businesses in many sectors across Canada, with the average loan amount totalling $400,000.