Links

Links to agencies and businesses we love:

• www.essentialcommunications.ca A learning organization that helps Small Business Start-ups learn and build their business. They also work with assisting consultants, and those over 50 to begin their journey in their own businesses as well.
  
• www.tbdc.com Another learning centre in the heart of downtown Toronto…offering complete business development services, public workshops and government sponsored training programs.
  
• www.profit100.com The definitive help site for entrepreneurs. Canada's National Magazine for Small Business is Profit and they have an excellent site to explore to help you in your business.
  
• www.strategis.gc.ca Industry Canada has put this site together. It's a powerhouse site to help entrepreneurs with research, source information, break down market statistics, or learn what it takes to start-up a business.
  
• www.sedi.org A local agency geared to helping you in starting and maintaining a successful business. Check out this site for help to run your business more effectively.
  
• www.statscan.gc.ca Looking to see what the market place is doing? Then look no further than on the Statistics Canada site. Get the latest census reports and details so you can serve your market better.
  
• www.businessplansplus.com A site geared to helping you create a solid business plan. One that helps you to move ahead in your company.
  
• www.bacd.ca Durham regions number one business self help centre. They do unbelievable work in assisting entrepreneurs who are thinking, starting or growing a business. They are funded in part by the Government of Ontario and the Durham Region Local Economic Development Office.
  
• www.enterprisetoronto.com Enterprise Toronto is the Toronto regions business self help office. Putting on workshops to help you do better or offering consultation on your business plans. Enterprise Toronto has 4 centres to choose from in Metro.
  
• www.microskills.ca This agency in West Toronto helps start-up businesses and offers great training programs for women who want to be in business for themselves. They also offer career training and assistance in your job search.
  
• www.hrdc.gc.ca Looking for help in hiring? Or perhaps you need career help. Human Resources Canada offers a number of training programs to help you in your career. The good news is that many of the workshops are free.
  
• www.dhsba.com This is Durham Regions friendliest networking group. It pays to be a member of this organization.
  
• www.oshawachamber.com When you go into business, it's a smart move to check in with the Chamber of Commerce. They have facts, figures, information, networking, and learning events that help you in your business immensely. Check out other chambers as well in Clarington, Whitby, and Ajax.
  
• www.sbinfocanada.about.com Small Business Canada has a ton of information, resources, articles and features for Small Business owners...this is one for your favourites page for sure!
  
• www.canadaone.com Want to list an event? Or obtain some research or do you need to download business forms? Canada one is a complete site for anyone managing it alone.
  
• www.gdsourcing.ca/SBDC.htm Billed as Canada's Small Business Data Centre. This site is chock full with business research data for your business plans, industry profiles, census reports and business trade directories.
  
• www.ontario-canada.com/ontcan/en/expanding/ex_sm-bus-ent-ctrs.jsp We are lucky in that the province and the federal goverment have combined to have a virtual and physical site to help small business owners. The Ontario Canada combination is really geared to providing all the information both online and at some of the physcial centres they have. Check out Enterprise Toronto or the Business Advisory Centre Durham for how you can get help for any business matter in person.
  
• www.franchisegator.com Way to go…you are looking at a Franchise…check this site out to get the lowdown…
  
• www.soho.ca This is a Canadian site that caters to providing small home office businesses tools, workshops and ideas that you can use.
  
• www.about.com/business A good information site on just "about" everything you need to know or want to know.
  
• www.morebusiness.com This is a great information and help site for small business owners. Its even got access to sample business plans to see how yours might measure up!
  
• www.cfib.ca The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is where small businesses go for that extra hand. They are on the side of small business owners across Canada and report on trends, and lobby the government for change.
  
• www.cybf.ca The Canadian Youth Business Foundation can help supply young entrepreneurs with much needed capital and guidance to start and grow.
  
• patents.ic.gc.ca/cipo/cpd/en/introduction.html Looking to patent…click on that link to do it properly
  
• www.sbe.gov.on.ca/ontcan/sbe/index.jsp Starting a small business in Ontario? Start right, start here.
  
• www.ontario-canada.com/ontcan/index.jsp Welcome to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade
  
• www.eonetwork.org When you're facing big decisions ...this organization can help you get there... peer to peer consulting, proven and internationally based that busts up the borders when marketing outside of Canada.
  
• www.wisementorcapital.com Sean Wise, contributes to the Dragons Den on CBC and is expert in helping business get financial backing and will be a regular contributor on the show as well this season.
  
• www.yummymummysite.com Erica Ehm will be contributing to the show now and then and talking about the issues moms in business face. Balancing home, family and business and doing it in style is really a lot to take on, but Erica does it with grace
  
• www.loewenpartners.com Loewen & Partners finds capital for companies needing to finance growth plans, management buy-outs, recapitalizations, family successions or strategic acquisitions. Our contacts with the best private equity funds and Venture Capital firms can provide a business with the financial resources to unlock unrealized growth potential. Loewen & Partners is also a business advisor to family business.
  
• www.inc.com An online magazine of one of North America's leading magazines for entrepreneurs. It's topical, relevant information for your small business.
  
• www.efactor.com A brand new website that connect small business...with live forms, networking, financing options and an active marketlace...this site is one you've got to bookmark and make one of your favourites.
  
• www.successtelevision.com Need a little pick me up? Log onto Success Television and watch one of their many Success Daily videos to help you get up, and get going. They feature todays top experts and thinkers in a video format that you can watch easily online and get that extra "Zip" you need to get back into action.
  
• www.smartbrief.com Smart decision makers in a variety of industries and job functions rely on SmartBrief to save time and stay smart.
  We deliver the B2B news you need -- summaries of the day's most important headlines, hand-picked from hundreds of media and trade publications — straight to your inbox as one-stop-shop e-newsletters.
  Subscriptions are free of charge, offered in partnership with more than 100 leading trade associations, professional societies, non-profits and corporations.
  SmartBrief is fast, FREE and open to everyone. We save you time and keep you smart about your industry -- and your job.
  
• www.referlinks.com ReferLinks, the FREE premier referral service ready to provide you a fast, easy way to Find and Save from Qualified, Reliable Contractors, businesses and Professionals in your neighbourhood. ReferLinks was founded by an ex realtor, to help people find great local businesses such as lawyers, contractors and mechanics. In addition to finding great businesses, you can also use ReferLinks to find local coupons, events, reviews and articles. ReferLinks makes money by selling ads to local businesses – all businesses are prescreened and monitored. If a customer complains about a ReferLinks business, Referlinks will investigate and that business may be taken off the network if the issue cannot be resolved. You can use ReferLinks, on your iphone and ReferLinks gives access to the public to post local events for FREE.
  
• www.canadaone.com CanadaOne is Canada's premier business channel on the Internet. Created by Biz-Zone Internet Group, the project is headed by Julie King and Kevin Jackson.
  CanadaOne's niche is its focus on Canadian business. It's uniqueness is that this site is not a re-invention of a traditional publication online, but rather was built from the ground up based on the actual needs and interests of today's Internet citizens.
  The CanadaOne website includes an online magazine, a Canadian business directory, Canadian specific business resources, a technology centre, and several other promotional tools designed to help Canadians grow their businesses.
  
• www.cipo.ic.gc.ca : Got an idea, concept or a slogan and you want to have it patented? Well here is where you go to get a patent.
  
• www.canadabusiness.ca/eng/ : Is the Federal go to site if you’re launching a small business, it’s got how to, where to and what to do if you’re in business and wanting to grow or if you’re just starting out…Their goal is to provide your business with the resources it needs to grow and prosper, including a wide range of information on government services, programs and regulations.
  Canada Business promotes entrepreneurship and innovation, and provides assistance through an organized network of service centers across Canada. There is a centre in each province and territory working with partners in many communities across their region, providing you with numerous service access points.
  
• www.cme-mec.ca/english: Getting into manufacturing? Then the Canadian Manufacturers Association is the site for you to get information on setting up shop. Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) is Canada's largest trade and industry association.
  They represent businesses in all sectors of manufacturing and exporting activity across Canada. Our mandate is to promote the competitiveness of Canadian manufacturers and the success of Canada's goods and services exporters in markets around the world.
  We focus on the issues that are most critical to our members - manufacturing competitiveness, US business opportunities, international markets, people and skills, energy and the environment. Their challenges are our priorities.
  
• www.sprouter.com Sprouter is where founders get help with their startups. Sprouter allows entrepreneurs to get curated answers to small business questions from people who know what they’re talking about. The site’s carefully chosen panel of experts provide advice on a variety of topics including law, marketing and funding. To ensure quality, answers aren’t crowdsourced, they’re gathered from proven experts. Entrepreneurs can ask a question; browse relevant content, comment on answers, and share advice with their networks. Sprouter also produces the popular Sprouter Weekly entrepreneurship publication, and hosts global Sprout Up events to bring together entrepreneurs in local communities. The company launched in November 2009.
  
• www.interactivebusinessplanner.com: Need a business plan? This indepth, interactive business planning site can help you build a comprehensive business plan that will get you the results you want.
  
• investengine.com/blog/one-page-business-plan-template: If a 50+ page business plan is a little too much to take, then log onto this site…and stick to a one page business plan…it’s easier to do and is faster than the more comprehensive one.
  
• www.financialpost.com/entrepreneur/index.html: I like the Entrepreneurship section in the National Post every Monday. You can read it in online too and it’s got good case studies and business cases you can model. It’s worth the read that’s for sure.