Source:  Vancouver Sun

VANCOUVER – Desiree Dupuis is typical of small business owners in Metro Vancouver.

Happy, confident and a slave to no one, the 31-year-old Port Moody resident is not at all surprised by a TD Small Business Happiness Index that found people in Vancouver and Kelowna are happier than their counterparts in other Canadian cities when it comes to owning and running their own businesses rather than being an employee.

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According to Yahoo News, Canadians should expect to see profits down by more than 20 per cent across most of six industries by year end, says a new report from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).   For the full story read on.

Now before your alarm bells go off, you need to ask yourself:

• What can you do to stay profitable?
• What can you do to increase your market share?
• What can you do to retain your customer base?
• What are your competitors doing and how can you stay ahead of them?


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On this day in history the first American Radio Broadcast took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  The first commercial radio station was KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which went on the air in the evening of November 2, 1920, with a broadcast of the returns of the Harding–Cox presidential election.

The CBC – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was created as a radio service by the Canadian Parliament in the Broadcasting Act,on this day in 1936.

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According to the Associated Press, the US economy grew at a 3.5 per cent pace in the third quarter, the best showing in two years, fuelled by government supported spending on cars and homes.

It was the strongest signal yet the economy entered a new phase of recovery and that the worst recession since the 1930′s has ended.

Also, the government says the number of people claiming jobless benefits for the first time dropped slightly last week, evidence that the labour market remains weak even as the economy is recovering.  The Labour Department said that its tally of newly laid-off workers seeking unemployment insurance fell by 1,000 last week.

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This article by The Canadian Press is all the more reason for professionals that find themselves suddenly unemployed to start a business.

Source:  The Canadian Press

TORONTO – Canada’s slow climb out of a recession appears to be doing little to foster growth in the domestic job market so far.

Statistics Canada said Thursday the number of non-farm jobs in the country fell by 0.8 per cent in August from July, when it registered an increase. The results were pulled down by a drop in educational services jobs, though a lower hirings were seen in many different sectors.

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Or do they?  Don’t get me wrong, these statistics are eye opening and breath-taking but then again is social media too broad of a medium?   For example social media is the #1 activity on the internet.  That’s a great stat but breathing is a #1 activity too, essential I might add, but you don’t see breathing seminars selling out.  (In case you haven’t taken a lesson on proper breathing, I encourage you to!)

In my books social media is only as good of a marketing tactic as the strategy behind it.

Source: Socialnomics

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Seminars are great but the ugly truth is that only 1% of seminar attendees actually implement what they learn. 80% walk away inspired and motivated only to let the real world kick in and the notes (if they took any) collect dust on a shelf.  20% attempt to implement but either do so poorly or never finish.

Simply put, you can’t expect to teach a kid how to ride a bike at a seminar.  You can take a kid to a seminar, have him or her watch how to ride a bike, you can rent or buy books on riding a bike, you can put training wheels on a bike at a seminar and have the kid do a circle.  But you can’t expect that kid to learn how to actually ride a bike.

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For the 9th consecutive time the Core Consumer Price Index rose this week.  This is great news as this is a crucial indicator and one of the strongest signs that the American economy is recovering.  Canada, Europe, and Britain all have had positive economic reports and reported crucial indicators signaling economic recovery.

Why did the US Dollar Dropto a 14-month low against the Euro…
and weaken against the British Pound and Canadian Dollar?

It appears that the Dollar dropped due to positive data from the U.S economy.   Sound backwards doesn’t it?  Well sometimes the most logical answer is a complete opposite…  In this case, positive data from the U.S economy is driving investors into riskier investments, and not yet into the Dollar.  Plus positive publications from the U.S help support the Euro, as the European nations rely greatly on U.S consumption.

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Vancouver has the hottest real estate market in the country, according to figures released by the Canadian Real Estate Association.    That is a great sign for small business.  The real estate market is a great economic indicator.  Recent Statistics and Economic News Releases for New Home Constructions, Home Sales, Retail Sales, and Unemployment have also been positive for 2 consecutive months in a row with numbers showing positive figures supporting that the economy is on its way to a recovery.

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