| In The News |
LOCAL 10-DIGIT DIALING TO REGIONS SERVED BY THE 705 AREA CODE
October 12, 2010- Beginning January 15, 2011, residents of the region served by the 705 area code in Ontario will be required to dial 10 digits - the area code followed by the seven-digit phone number- for all local calls. The introduction of 10-digit dialing in the area will pave the way for the addition of a new area code, 249, in March 2011, as the 705 area code reaches capacity.
Preparing for 10-Digit Dialing
Businesses and consumers need to begin preparations for 10-digit dialing as early as possible. The programming of systems, devices and functions that need to conform to local 10-digit dialing can be done now. Companies that have multiple systems and communication devices are particularly affected by these changes. All adjustments should be made before January 15, 2011.
Residents should add the 705 area code to pre-programmed numbers in all of their telecommunications devices (e.g. autodialers, fax machines and computers) and verify that their alarm systems are compatible with local 10-digit dialing.
As of January 15, 2011, local calls dialed with only seven digits will be intercepted by a network announcement before being connected. That is why it is important to make the necessary changes in advance, as the recorded announcement may disrupt data transmission.
New area code
Starting in March 2011, a new area code, 249, will be added in the 705 region using the overlay method. This new area code will coexist with the current 705 area code and will cover the same geographic area. Customers with area code 705 numbers will retain their numbers. Numbers in the new 249 area code will only be assigned to customers for additional services on an as-needed basis. Introducing a new area code does not affect local calling areas in any way.
The Telecommunications Alliance
The Telecommunications Alliance, whose members include Bell, Rogers and TELUS, was formed to spearhead this public awareness initiative. Interested parties can find detailed information on how to get prepared for local 10-digit dialing at www.dial10.ca
Harper Government Designates 2011 as Year of the Entrepreneur
Toronto, Ontario, January 25, 2011 - Today, the Harper Government recognized 2011 as the Year of the Entrepreneur, highlighting the essential role that small and medium-sized businesses will play in securing Canada's ongoing economic recovery. The announcement was made by the Honourable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism), and the Honourable Ted Menzies, Minister of State (Finance).
"Our government's top priority is the economy," said Minister of State Moore. "As we
move into the next phase of Canada's Economic Action Plan, Canada's outstanding entrepreneurs and the small and medium-sized business community will play even greater roles in securing our fragile economic recovery. Designating 2011 as the Year of the Entrepreneur marks the symbolic beginning of the new phase of that recovery."
The Year of the Entrepreneur designation also recognizes the enormous contribution of our entrepreneurs to Canada's current economic success, and the resilience and innovation Canadian entrepreneurs demonstrated during the most challenging days of the global economic recession. This designation also coincides with the 40th anniversary of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and the 15th anniversary of the Canadian Youth Business Foundation.
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ic1.nsf/eng/06206.html
Ontario's Economy Grows For Fifth Consecutive Quarter
Ontario's economy continues to grow as real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose at an annualized rate of 1.0 percent in the third quarter of 2010 - the fifth consecutive quarter of growth. Ontario's economy has grown 3.6 per cent since turning the corner on the recession.
This quarter's growth was led by business investment and continued gains in consumer spending. Business spending on machinery and equipment increased more than 10 per cent. This reflects the positive impact of the HST that, when combined with other tax relief, cuts taxes on new business investment in half. Ontario's tax changes are aimed at making Ontario more competitive and encouraging new business investments. Additional changes include:
- Reducing overall business taxes by 28 per cent over three years
- Reducing small business income taxes by 18 per cent; and
- Eliminating the small business deduction surtax entirely.
The McGuinty government continues to help Ontario families and partner with businesses through its Open Ontario Plan, building a stronger economy that is creating new, good jobs and protecting the progress Ontarians have made in their schools and hospitals.
http://news.ontario.ca/mof/en/2011/01/ontarios-economy-grows-for-fifth-consecutive-quarter.html
ONe-Source for business
You may find it difficult to keep track of the many licenses, permits, official documents and government accounts that are needed to run your business. Maybe you're having trouble finding the information you need to start your new business. Many levels of governments in Canada offer online solutions to help you with these kinds of issues. In Ontario, you can use ServiceOntario's ONe-Source for business to:
- Register your business
- Search for business and funding programs
- Find and apply for permits and licences
If you run more than one business or manage different business projects, you can also use ONe-Source to create multiple business profiles for each business or project under one account, and store your searches, forms and other information.
Try ONe-Source for business to help make your day-to-day business interactions easier.
http://www.canadabusiness.ca/eng/blog/entry/6106/ |
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Tip of the Month |
Urgencies and Emergencies ... Yours or Theirs
It seems no matter how fast I work sometimes, and how many things I cross off my to-do list, I can never seem to get to the end of it! For every 10 items I cross off the list, another 10 or 20 take their place. Sound familiar? It may. Statistics indicate that most of us, especially the self-employed among us, are seriously over-worked and becoming increasingly more stressed because of our inability to cope with the overload.
Last week, as I hustled to work through the growing pile of email inquiries, make changes for an upcoming workshop, create new sponsorship packages, review the 2011 Summer Company program process, review client business plans, prepare advertising and marketing materials for upcoming media deadlines, compile stats for year end reports, consult with clients, meet with sponsors and suppliers and layout work schedules while performing other mundane and routine tasks, I confess to feeling more than just a little weary. I was starting to feel the "panic," the "I'm never going to get everything done before my deadline panic."
The phone was ringing incessantly. Everyone had an emergency that only I could solve, apparently. How would I ever get my work done, if I were constantly stopping to handle everyone's urgent dilemmas, I wondered.
As I was flitting about from chore to chore, I stumbled (literally) over a box of old papers that I had moved to remind me to go through them. I was tired and frustrated and angry at having stumbled and hurt myself, so I sat on the floor where I had landed and I began to go through the box. And then I saw it! The sign I needed to see (again quite literally) - the sign that I had once had on the door of my home office - the sign that said "Lack of planning on your part, does not an emergency on my part make."
At that moment, I reaffirmed what I already knew, but had not been doing - that I needed to take a step back, reassess my priorities and stop trying to be all things to all people all the time. If I am to do some things well, I must learn to say "no" to other things. I needed to take control of my work environment again and let other people know what they could and could not realistically expect from me. I needed to re-assign ownership of some of the emergencies that had suddenly become my problems. With the additional workload, it was time to review my strategies for dealing with it. I needed a plan that included prioritizing, delegating, and yes, redefining some job descriptions.
What are the urgent things on your to-do list? Are they really all your problems to solve? And is it perhaps time to re-evaluate your plans for dealing with the overload? It's a new year - resolve to make it a less stressful and more productive year by taking control of your environment again.
Terri Plaxton Smith
Greater Barrie Business Enterprise Centre |
| GBBEC Workshops |
Introduction to Business Workshop
Tuesday February 1, 2011 9:30am - 11:30am
Writing a Business Plan Workshop
Tuesday February 15, 2011 1:00pm - 3:30pm
Limited Spaces
Pre-Registration Required
Call 705-720-2445 to register
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| Coaches Corner | |
When They Don't Get it!
Have you ever had one of your team, your spouse or a customer, misunderstand you? Of course you have, we have all experienced this. The question is how often is this happening to you?
There are three steps you can implement to change things:
- Say what you need to say - be clear and keep it short. Those long rambling conversations are not helpful, get to the point and be specific.
- Ask for feedback - Ask for input, it can be as simple as asking "what do you think?" or "does this make sense?"
- Summarize- Repeat your point again. You may even want to send a follow up email to confirm your conversation and expectations.
Too many times I have seen clients entered into contracts, negotiations and set expectations that were not clear or measurable. It may sound simple yet the most simple concepts are sometimes the easiest to assume and overlook.
Communication is a fine art and as an entrepreneur it is probably the most important attribute required for success. Sometimes it means "you" have to get it. What if you are the problem? What is it costing you?
Coach Jane Schnurr
705.444.5338
info@awesomecoaching.com
www.awesomecoaching.com.
© Awesome Coaching Enterprises 2011 |
| Business of the Month | |
Northern Video Works
Northern Video Works in concept was created in Brazil in 2009. The Companies owner Brad Moore was teaching digital photography aboard a cruise ship. It was during this time in South America Brad became aware of new technologies which levelled the playing field for making digital video production and non linear editing affordable to any business.
Northern Video Works was born September 2010 here in Barrie. Brad saw an opportunity to provide advantages of visual presentation to small business. The latest video technology has created new opportunity for retailers to use the power of commercial advertising at a completely new pricing structure.
After fifteen years of rendering audio visual services for corporate Toronto Brad felt ready to bring his skills and experience to local retailers. Today Northern Video Works is helping small businesses promote themselves into new opportunities using the power of the internet.
Web video can focus and control the audiences attention to the many advantages of any business large or small. High Definition video can be rendered with quality production values making it possible for business to get the word out to their customers quickly and efficiently.
Barrie is a wonderful place to join the local business community. Northern Video Works is working hard to offer opportunities to the younger generation here in return for the chance to start up in this community. We would like to offer skills and experience to help teach the next generation.
Northern Video Works is new in Barrie with a very new idea. Vision and experience has gotten Northern Video Works off to a great start. It would not have been possible without the Barrie community and it's policies to encourage small business.
Brad Moore
bradmoore2@me.com
705-792-5592
http://web.me.com/bradmoore2/NorthernVideoWorks.com/Northern_Video_Works.html
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| Marketing & Communications |
Re-engineering Business Processes
We are often asked to layer on unique web-based toolsets to an existing business model. Such initiatives can include a combination of: database management, e-commerce, e-marketing, product knowledge and content management systems. Because of the complexity, demand on resources and the cost, clients may also want to implement such initiatives over time; and customers assume that these initiatives can be added easily, like the layers of a cake. Now just because you can do something (and someone will always tell you they can) ...does not mean that you should.
What is really required is a business process assessment where the company can work with a web development partner to carefully consider the short and long term goals while mapping out the existing business process for the organization. Once the existing model is defined we can then layer on a secondary business process showing how it will change with the addition of new layered web initiatives. The unseen effects on an organization can be significant and the more we understand the objectives of such initiatives the better we can recommend streamlined solutions that consider unique business propositions that may not have been considered in the original plan.
Monetizing the business processes in an online environment is the one of the most attractive initiatives in this process and should be considered an enterprise level enhancement of the business model. With the advent of tablets such as the I-Pad and Playbook as well as a host of others, coupled with a do anything, anywhere attitude that is beginning to grip the marketplace, companies are beginning to realize that if they embrace online sales initiatives through a well thought out process they will reap the benefits for years to come.
As in any well designed growth initiatives, companies and organizations have to consider the many effects of changing the business model. Businesses have to ask themselves: How will we support online customer service in areas such as: returns or exchange policy, warrantees, product knowledge, delivery times, packaging, postage, etc. These are just a few examples that affect only one part of the business; many others parts are affected, such as: banking & currency exchange, company culture, human resources, accounting, product knowledge, marketing and sales, franchising and distribution; all with significant impact on the existing business model.
Taking the time to consider the broad ranging impact in planning an online implementation will ensure that the money you do choose to spend is well suited to your goals and objectives and generates results that will benefit your company or organization.
By Paul Cormier
© Ycommunicate.com inc. 2011
3A King Street South Unit#3
Cookstown, Ontario
L0L 1L0
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Then Join the Club, the Entrepreneur's Club!
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Your Say |
Dear Terri
I want you to know how much having the knowledge, resources, and helpful staff have meant to me and, obviously from the seminar I attended, many others as well. I have felt more confident about the path I'm on by having the questions I have and I the ones I didn't know I had answered. I am glad to know that no matter how much I grow it will always include a bit of you and your staff.
Thank you,
Andrew Smith
Left Coast Holdings
___________________________________________________________________
Do you have something to say that we could all benefit from? If you would like to share your tips, advice, comments or expertise with our clients by contributing to this newsletter, please send an email to newsletter@barriebusinesscentre.ca by 4 P.M. Thursdays, the first week of each month. Inclusion will be at the sole discretion of the GBBEC, dependent on suitability, space availability and the number of contributions received. This is not an advertorial or advertising spot, but rather an opportunity to share valuable words of wisdom or announce your upcoming events. Of course you will be given credit for the submission with a link to your website if available. We reserve the right to include your submissions in subsequent newsletters in addition to or instead of inclusion in the following week's issue. |
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