Susans Small Business Blog: Canada

11 Tips for Trade Show Displays

Susan Ward — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:32:16 -0400

The quality of your trade show displays will make or break your trade show experiences. read more »

Halloween - A Really Sweet Business Opportunity

Susan Ward — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:34:48 -0400

If the end of October seems stranger and spookier than ever, there's a reason for it - Halloween is growing. The Great Pumpkin is not just looming over a few solitary pumpkin patches any more. read more »

Back-to-School Marketing Campaign Ideas

Susan Ward — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:35:37 -0400

Back-to-school is one of the biggest shopping seasons of the year so you don't want to miss out on it. read more »

22 Cheap Advertising Ideas

Susan Ward — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:12:13 -0500

Cheap advertising ideas are a steady request, both in the Small Business Canada Forum and in my inbox. So I've put together this list of cheap advertising ideas (a.k.a. read more »

Cool Tool of the Week: Grants & Financing Database

Susan Ward — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 04:29:42 -0400

If your small business needs financing and you're wondering what small business grants and loans might be available through the government, the best place to start looking is Government of Canada's Search for Government Grants, Loans and Financing database. You can search the small business f
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How Do I Close My Business?

Susan Ward — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:33:10 -0400

"I run a small business (Sole Proprietorship, have GST and PST numbers) that I would like to sell. Assuming I find a buyer and we reach an agreement and payment terms, How do I officially transfer the business over?" Pracket asks in the About Small Business Canada Forum. As I say in my reply, b
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Solar Power a Hot Home Business Opportunity in Ontario

Susan Ward — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:17:17 -0400

Thanks to the MicroFIT program which pays a premium price for solar energy, homeowners in Ontario are turning their roofs into money-making ventures. Because consumers now pay five to 10 cents a kilowatt hour for power they use, while the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) is offering to buy so
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How to Actually Manage Your Time

Susan Ward — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:02:46 -0400

The problem with a lot of time management advice is that it doesn't tell you how to actually manage time; it just tells you how to track time. So you never actually get to the point where you have more time to do what you want to do. To do that, you have to actually manage time, which means lea
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A Checklist for Your Income Tax Accountant

Susan Ward — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:11:50 -0400

For many businesses, having a professional such as an income tax accountant prepare their income tax returns is the most sensible option. We don't all have time to become income tax experts and income tax mistakes can be costly. So why not hire an expert to get the job done right and cut down on t
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What Are Your Facebook Marketing Tips?

Susan Ward — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:13:04 -0400

Facebook marketing is touted as being a great way for businesses to promote their products and services. But just throwing up a Facebook Fan Page and hoping people visit isn't going to do much, if anything, to help your bottom line. How do you move from being on Facebook to actually marketing o
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