| September 2008- Issue 76 |  |  | | 
"Committed to the First Nations Entrepreneurial Spirit"
|  | | Are you considering going to the U.S. for your cultural business and have questions on how to cross the U.S border? U.S. immigration law controls entry of people into the United States and it can appear overwhelming. There are numerous different types of visas for entry, all of them with varying degrees of difficulty and criteria.
Additionally, many applications have hidden issues and consequences. One of the most common visas that Canadians use to go to the U.S. on business is the B-1, which can be obtained at the border as you are crossing through. What many entrepreneurs do not realize is that, though the B-1 allows you to enter the US for business purposes, the visa does not permit you to take orders or receive payment while in the US. These actions are prohibited under this type of visa. Understanding the right visa for your business visit is extremely important to ensure you are not turned back, banned for a period of time or even charged. In addition to preparing yourself for travel to the U.S. for business, it is equally important to ensure you prepare the goods you are bringing with you for entry as well. This includes filling out the proper documentation, understanding the limits of your visa, and avoiding paying taxes upon your return to Canada. To learn more about U.S Customs and Visa Requirements for Canadian Cultural Goods and Services, join us on September 10th 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for a FREE session on “How to Access the U.S Market – from Export Planning & Support to U.S Customs Preparation & Visa Requirements”. This event is presented by Canadian Heritage - Trade Routes, The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and The Business Link. To register send e-mail to elisabeth.leitgeb@
international.gc.ca. For further details on this topic and other resources related to global business, please contact our International Trade staff at The Business Link, 1 800 272-9675. | |  |  | | Apart from becoming more and more unpleasant, business travel is also becoming far less necessary. With videoconferencing technologies
improving and fuel prices rising (see the New York Times) more businessmen and women seem to be choosing the option to stay put and use new technology to cut down on travel. Companies too are making an active effort to limit employees’ air travel for the duel-pronged benefits of cutting costs and being environmentally friendly. According to greenbiz.com, AT&T has reduced employee air miles by 15% through video conferencing and Web meetings, while Accenture plans to have 22 video conferencing rooms installed around the world by the end of this year. The Business Link has an established video conference network to extend services in a cost effective manner to clients and partners. Reference: Based on an article From Fast Company "Within five years, technology will obliterate the need for business travel", July 23, 2008 | | |  | | Innovate to Compete Innovation sustains business competitiveness and improves productivity. Adaptive business practices, technology, and creativity make innovation what it is. Risk-taking, developing and commercializing new and improved products and services, implementing new and improved business processes, upgrading worker skills, adopting new technologies, entrepreneurial leadership and world-class business management, research and knowledge transfer, skills and education, tax reform, regulatory reform, financing innovation, and ensuring that SMEs utilize modern technology and systems of organization …all these things are innovation. Here in The Business Link Library, many books can be found on innovation and productivity. A few are: Innovation Guide For Small And Medium Enterprises / Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, 2007 Juicing the Orange: How to Turn Creativity into a Powerful Business Advantage, Pat Fallon & Fred Senn, Harvard Business School, 2007 Lean Distribution: Applying Lean Manufacturing to Distribution, Logistics, and Supply Chain, 2006 Innovate Or Perish!: Seven-Step Innovation Process To Meet The Challenges of Globalization, 2006 Small is the New Big and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas, Seth Godin, 2006 Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything, Don Tapscott and Anthony B. Williams, 2007 Magazines with innovative ideas include: Alberta Venture, August 2008; Business Week, August 18 2008. Entrepreneurs wanting new ideas can also benefit from visiting Innovation on TBL's website. The Business Link Library staff will be happy to help you find the information you need. If you are in the Edmonton or Calgary regions, visit us to get a membership, only $12 per year, and have convenient access to the more than 8,000 small business items. Elsewhere in Alberta, phone 1 800 272-9675 and ask for the library. We can put you in touch with your regional business service centre who can borrow our materials on your behalf. | | | | | Cliquez ici pour accéder, ou vous abonner à ce bulletin électronique en français. | | | | | | | | | |  | | If you think that it's only big companies that innovate, think again. According to a Statistics Canada study (reported in Key Small Business Statistics July 2008 / Small Business Policy Branch, Industry Canada) 23% of small companies do research and development (R&D) and commit a larger portion of company revenue to it than large firms do. The Business Link took on its own innovative activities as reported in the following article. It was a demanding two weeks but of extremely high value to both our Russian visitors and ourselves - it's truly the best way to sum up the initial phase of our first foray into international service partnerships. It was an honour for The Business Link to be selected to undertake a Canada-Russian Northern Development Partnership Program (NORDEP) project sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). We were proud to be recognized as a model for small business services in Canada - what an exciting opportunity for us to showcase some of the innovative approaches that we use in providing our services, as well as how we work with others in both the private and public sectors. It also gave our staff an expanded viewpoint of Russia today and how it is approaching and prioritizing the provision of small business services. The first element of the project was to host two representatives from the Khabarovsk region in Russia's far east, for a two-week period. One of the delegates represented an organization somewhat like our own, and the other was a senior official from their Ministry of Economic Development and Foreign Relations. It was a real challenge to significantly tell the story of the many services we provide, as well as having the delegation meet with many of the other organizations that we work with in this two-week period. However, on the last day of the visit, it became clear that the delegation was going home with many new ideas on how they could continue to evolve the value of their efforts to their small business community. The delegates were very impressed with the level of professional support that we receive from our volunteers and the important role that they play in our Seminars, Brown Bags and Guest Advisor programs. They also acknowledged the unique knowledge and skills our employees bring to the organization to serve clients. With the visit to The Business Link now completed, the next phase of the project will involve a reciprocal visit to Russia by two of our staff. We look forward to providing you with an update after the completion of that element. Rodger Cole
Executive Director
The Business Link
Every year, The Business Link teams up with the Alberta Chambers of Commerce to promote Small Business Week activities in Alberta. This year, Small Business Week will be October 19-25, 2008 with some communities celebrating the following week. We create and maintain an online central source of event information supplemented by business tips, statistics and links of importance to entrepreneurs. If you are planning an event in Alberta that occurs in or around Small Business Week, here's your opportunity to include it in our list -- for FREE! You can submit your event information online at www.sbwalberta.ca/registration.php. If you're interested in finding out what's happening across Alberta for Small Business Week 2008, come back for a visit when the site goes live on September 15, 2008. | | | |
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Whether you are starting or expanding a business, plan to join us for these "Quick-to-learn" "Quick-to-use" small business presentations. The Fall Season of Small Business Seminars and Brown Bags Presentations starts on Tuesday, September 2 with Importing Documentation and Procedures. The first in our new three-part International Business Series, Trade Tuesdays, runs from 1:30 pm until 4:00 pm. Presented by the Canada Border Services Agency, the sessions are free; however registration is required.
September also marks the launch of two new Brown Bag series, Arts & Culture, brought to you by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts; and the Agriculture Info Series. Join us on September 16 for Breaking Into the Music Industry and September 25 for Behind the Scenes at Alberta's Ag-Info Centre. A French Brown Bag, Le Marketing Sur Internet, will be held on September 30.
| | |  Video-Conferenced Event | To see the entire schedule, click here. All sessions are held at The Business Link in Edmonton and Calgary unless otherwise noted. However, through the Entrepreneurship Learning Centre (ELC) Network, many of these sessions will be available across Alberta via video conferencing. Visit www.elcnetwork.ca to find a participating site near you. Pre-registration for seminars is required, and payment must be made in advance in order to secure regristration. If you are interested in attending a session via video conference at a location other than The Business Link in Edmonton or Calgary, please call that location prior to the session to check availability and to register.
| | The Business Link Monthly Networking Event will be held in Edmonton and Calgary on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Elissa Scott will be speaking to us about "Greenifying Your Office Space". Elissa is a Home Design Expert, Staging Professional, Columnist and Speaker, specializing in renovation and new construction. She has been an Eco-Entrepreneur for the past 4 years. As a commercial and residential Staging Professional, she has also been creatively involved in set design and art direction for films and music videos.
To join us, you can drop in to either office. Calgary:
250-639 5 Avenue SW | Edmonton:
100-10237 104 Street NW | For more information about this FREE event, contact Jean-Jacques Mitakaro in Edmonton at jean-jacques.mitakaro@canadabusiness.ca or Alvaro Carvajal in Calgary at alvaro.carvajal@canadabusiness.ca.
September 24 and 25, 2008. This seminar consists of key speakers, focused workshops, networking opportunities, and a trip to the Canada/U.S. border for our popular tour of the Coutts border crossing facility. The cost is $100 plus GST which includes both days, meals and transportation from Calgary to Lethbridge and Coutts.
For more information and to register visit www.canadabusiness.ca/alberta/trade/ or contact The Business Link 1-800-272-9675.
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presented by Alberta Innovative Manufacturing Works
Attend this extraordinary one-day management program that will show you how to develop effective management practices that will make your organization more price competitive, service-competitive and profitable.
| Edmonton
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Radisson Hotel
4440 Gateway Boulevard | Calgary
Thursday, October 2, 2008
7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Radisson Hotel
2120 16th Avenue N.E. | Registration fee includes a full day with Donald Cooper, forum materials, parking and breakfast, lunch and breaks. Cost: $125 per person + GST
For more details and to register visit www.manufacturinginnovation.ca
Register for all events at www.awebusiness.com Fearless Contracts for Beginners - September 10, Calgary $75 +GST
Does your business rely on the contracting process to ensure its success? This one-day course can help you go from "winging it" to negotiating contracts with confidence. How To Get Control Of Your Day, Life & Career
September 12, Edmonton $45 +GST
This session combines the best of time management strategies with the best attributes of leadership to create lasting results. Learn how to get and stay organized and why you
need to control meetings and have goals! How Not To Scare Customers Away: Customer Service In A Labour Shortage Market - September 30, Calgary $45 +GST
A new look at customer service and attracting employees. Learn what the top businesses in North America do to build their business. This content-rich session begins with a look at the talent shortage reality of today and how some organizations still manage to successfully recruit and hire. | | CRA offers several free sessions on tax related issues at various locations around the province. Topiccs include Sole Proprietorships and Partnerships, Incorporated Companies and GST Registration. Sessions in Edmonton are held at Canada Place and in Calgary at the Harry Hayes Building. This Fall, sessions will also be offered in Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Fort McMurray and Hinton. For details on the sessions and to register, visit CRA Events and Seminars.
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This publication was written in recognition of "the importance of business development within Alberta's First Nations communities". The guide was prepared by the Government of Alberta and presents information on the importance of economic development, designing a strategy and preparing a plan. It includes information on attracting business, finding new business ideas as well as assessing them. The Busioness Link is pleased to include this guide in its Aboriginal Business Services resources.
You can get your copy of Business Development for First Nations by contacting The Business Link at 1 800 272-9675 | | | |
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Innovation is the radical and incremental change in thinking, in processes, or in services (Mckeown, 2008), whereas productivity is a measure of output in a certain timeframe per one unit of a constant. Many small businesses see innovation and productivity as only for the big players in specific industries - there is a certain amount a small business can do, but spending your time on these issues can take away from running the business that supports your livelihood. The fact is there is just as much, if not more, that your small business can gain from innovation and productivity. When you look at the operations of your small business, you should be seeing these words as one and thinking about how you can use them to your advantage.
Manufacturing - Think outside the box when designing your production line - even something as small as changing the order of production can increase productivity.
Also, take advantage of automated robotics systems, even on a small scale. Conduct feasibility and financial analysis of a potential system that you feel will help increase productivity, but you think may be out of your reach. You just might find the gains actually outweigh the costs. Retail - Computerizing your purchase system can infuse technological innovation with the analysis of your product lines. Whether you sell chocolates or clothing, having an automated system that tracks sales, items, prices, sale dates, and other data, will save you time gathering this information, as well as help you focus on the analysis of the information. Find the items that sell more volume, give you a higher profit margin, and are clogging up your inventory to make your retail location more productive. Service - Even service-based small businesses can use innovation to increase productivity. Look at your service delivery process - are there redundant tasks that take up time but can be fused into another activity? Think of what bothers you on a day-to-day basis, and be creative and innovative in finding a solution. You will find yourself able to be much more productive with your business. Innovation and productivity combine to create opportunities in every modern day business. The hard part is identifying and being open to the ways that you can use these when you have the day-to-day issues demanding time. But if you can plan it properly, you just might find your increase in productivity from innovation turns out to free up some of your own time. | |
| | Innovation simply means taking on change in a creative way; it's about generating new ideas, conducting R&D, improving processes or revamping products and services. The purpose of innovation is really to increase your company's competitiveness - something all businesses should do. This good definition comes from the Business Development Bank of Canada. As competition for local and international markets becomes fiercer, owners will have to find ways to streamline processes or use technology to help control costs or increase efficiencies if they are to stay in business. For example, additive fabrication--manufacturing products by building them one tiny layer at a time--cuts labour costs so that businesses can compete with countries where wages are low. The market for additive fabrication (AF), consisting of all products and services globally, grew 16 percent to an estimated $1.141 billion in 2007, according to Wohlers Associates …. This is up from an estimated $983.7 million generated in 2006 (ThomasNet Industrial Market Trends, August 14, 2008). For more information on additive fabrication visit Castle Island's RP Technology. Whether or not this process applies to your business, innovation can help you improve the bottom line for your business. In this article, we will concentrate on just two aspects of innovation: business processes and use of communication technologies. From creating a work environment that encourages innovation to metrics for cost analysis and control, your business can improve efficiency. Good examples of what we mean can be found in these resources: Lean Techniques Applied To Non-Manufacturing Industries --Government service, IT application and development and service businesses--McKinsey Quarterly 2006,vol.1. Metrics which compare companies within their own set, take a deeper look at root causes of expenses, reporting and comparing all expenses from different operations within the company. Lean techniques have been applied to the manufacturing sector for many years but the McKinsey Quarterly article provides a way for non-manufacturers to use some of the lean culture. Innovation Management Toolkit from the federal government looks at barriers to innovation, best practices of "leading innovators", and provides diagnostic templates for the business owner to make comparisons. Technology is another innovation piece of the puzzle. Adopting advanced technology can automate business processes with benefits including: cost reduction in serving clients, better communication between business owners and employees, as well as global reach to suppliers and potential customers. There are many magazines that can bring you up-to-date on the latest technology including Wired, Inc, Business 2.0 and Canadian Business as well as websites such as Steps to Competitiveness: Technology by Industry Canada.
Have you instituted a system that makes your business processes streamlined? Are there tools or techniques you could adopt to save time and resources?
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