Resources & Links
10 Steps To Growing a Business
Business Resource Articles
- Starting a Business - Want to be your own boss? The idea of starting your own business is appealing to a lot of people and it can be very rewarding. However, a lot of new businesses fail. This information will help you plan for a successful start to your entrepreneurship journey.
- Growth, Innovation and E-Business - Growth is the product of your success, but it does not come easily. Fuelled by your innovative ideas and your attention to cutting-edge technology and resources, growth is about riding the momentum.
This section will help you decide if your business is primed for growth and beyond that, it will help you understand how to go about achieving it. You will find resources aimed at helping you:
understand the implications of expanding your operations; and
link to activities and organizations that can help you grow.
The Innovation section concentrates on what is perhaps growth's most important asset: your ideas. A major part of growth is change, and innovation is how you capitalize on change, creating better or improved products and services that you can launch into the marketplace. This section offers information on:
research and development
commercialization
product licensing
financing opportunities for innovation
E-business, the use of the Internet as a business tool, is a major component of growth. Whether you plan to create an online store, use the Internet to process payments or to communicate with your customers, any plans you may have to grow your business should take the mass potential of the Internet into account.
- Grants and Finances - Entrepreneurs often report that getting financing is the most challenging aspect of starting or growing a business. If you are looking for money for your business, you should start by learning about the different types of financing that are available and assessing which one is best for your needs. You can also reduce your need for loans by managing your finances effectively.
- Taxes and HST - As an entrepreneur, you're aware that many of your business activities are subject to one form of tax or another. Yet, understanding and managing business taxation doesn't have to be a source of frustration for you.
Key to managing the taxes of your business is to be informed. Whether you have an accountant that handles your taxes or you take care of them yourself, it is good practice to be aware of how taxation applies specifically to your business.
You should be able to answer the following questions:
What do you owe and when?
How do you keep accurate records of your payments and finances?
How do you make and report payments?
Do you qualify for tax credits or money back?
This section explores the many forms of tax that you may encounter in your business.
- Regulations, Licences and Permits - Learn about regulations, permits and licences that apply to your business.
- Export and Import - Discover the basics of doing business in other countries. Whether exporting or importing learn how to take part in these international trade activities.
- Hiring and Managing Staff - Employees are the lifeblood of your business. Learn how to recruit and manage your staff to maintain organizational vitality.
- Business Planning - Find out how to write a business plan and access templates and sample plans.
- Management and Operations - The backbone of any business starts by setting goals and successfully managing the ups and downs of daily operations. In this section, you will find out how you can structure your business, manage production processes and avoid risks. This information provides the tools you need to help your business succeed.
- Market Research and Statistics - Discover what market research is and how to create an effective market research campaign. You will also find numerous information resources and statistics that you can use to learn more about your industry, your customers and the markets you serve. This information can ultimately help you to make informed decisions that can maximize the potential of your business.
- Marketing and Sales - You put your heart and soul into your company because you love what you do. Your efforts should be rewarded in the form of profit.
How well you market your business and interact with your customers can vastly influence your success. Whether you're starting a new business venture or revisiting your existing marketing strategy, this section covers marketing from the ground up. You'll find information and resources that will help place your products and services at the forefront of your current and future customers' minds.
The Marketing Basics section will provide you with a nuts-and-bolts overview of marketing, covering topics such as:
branding
online marketing
marketing on a budget
If you're looking for marketing resources, the sections Promoting and advertising your business and Sales and customer relationship management offer a number of assets that may be helpful to you, including:
public and media relations
negotiations
e-business
sales techniques
direct mail marketing
trade show marketing
If you're interested in marketing your products or services to a federal, provincial, territorial or foreign government, the Selling to governments section will help get you started, while the Marketing regulations and standards section will provide you with the rules, regulations, permits and licences related to marketing and sales that you will need to know along the way.
- Selling to Governments - Have you considered doing business with the government? The main benefit of providing goods and services to the government is clearly to make a profit. Beyond making a profit, however, there are other benefits you might encounter. If you do business with the government, you can expect to:
Increase your market and the range of goods and services that you sell
Enhance your reputation which, in turn, may help you attract more customers
While the benefits are attractive, you should keep in mind that government procurement has a demanding bidding process that is strictly regulated. You should also be aware that you will be competing with equally motivated businesses.
Whether you choose to do business with the government at the federal, provincial/territorial, municipal or foreign level, you may find they have similar benefits and needs. This section aims to provide you with information on how to do business with government at all levels.
- Copyright and Intellectual Property - Learn about intellectual property (IP), including patents, trade-marks, copyright, industrial design and integrated circuit topographies, and how they can protect your business.
- Environment and Business - Find environmental programs and resources that could impact your business, from greening your business to finding funding to become environmentally efficient.
- Exiting your Business - Know your options and obligations before you exit your business, whether you are closing for good, handing over your business to friends or family or selling it.
E-Business Resources
If you are a small or medium business owner, use these E-Business Resources to learn about e-business, assess whether it is right for your operation and get information on implementing an e-business solution. These publications have been developed by the E-Business Unit of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.
Files are in PDF format. The link will open a new browser window
- E-Exporting
Examines how to use the Internet to sell your products and services to customers in other countries.
- Open-Source Software
Reviews the benefits and limitations of the open source approach, and includes a reference list of some of the most commonly used free software.
- Customer Relationship Management
Helps entrepreneurs understand the basics of customer relationship management (CRM) and how the Internet can assist with the implementation of CRM in their businesses.
- Internet Auctions and Virtual Malls
Explains how businesses can sell or buy online through means such as virtual malls, Internet auctions or e‑mall services where many sites are listed together.
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