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Fall 2003 Seminars
and Brown Bag Presentations

Our new Fall calendar is now available on the web!

Starting September 9, 2003, a new line-up of economically-priced Small Business Seminars and FREE Brown Bag Presentations will help you understand the basics of business from start-up to marketing to e-business...and more!

Our practical, "street-wise" seminars are designed to help you save time and money. For your investment of three hours or so and a little over $30, you'll walk away with some great information and tips from presenters who are experienced advisors and successful entrepreneurs. New seminars this fall include "Marketing Basics: Branding Your Organization", "Selling: the Essential Skill", "Improving Your Business Communications", "Move your Professional Services Practice On-Line" and "Driving Traffic to Your Web Site". Discover the rest of the upcoming seminars and register on-line at: www.cbsc.org/alberta/
seminars.cfm.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, our fast-paced "brown bag" presentations provide a snapshot of business basics over the lunch hour. No registration is required, however, seating is limited on a first-come, first-served basis. For details on the 27 new topics, dates and presenters, visit our web site at: www.cbsc.org/
alberta/brownbag.cfm.

Don't miss a new season of learning and register early to hold your seat!

Circle of Friends

The Business Link works in partnership with numerous public and private sector organizations to develop and support activities benefiting Alberta's small and medium-sized businesses.

To discover who they are and how we work together to better serve the needs of entrepreneurs, visit "Our Circle of Friends", a new section of our web site available at: www.cbsc.
org/alberta/tbl.cfm?fn=cof.

Meet the Link

Christie Merchant is one of The Business Link’s bilingual business officers serving new and existing entrepreneurs in both official languages. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta and has experience in both the tourism and agriculture sectors. Christie is also our seminar and brown bag presentation coordinator, so don't hesitate to contact her if you have a presentation topic idea or if you are interested in being one of our presenters.

Christie can be reached at (780) 422-7738 or by e-mail at: merchant.
christie@cbsc.ic.gc.ca.

Talk to Us!

Need assistance in finding information on our web site? Check out our web/voice support service, "Talk to Us".

Send to a Friend

Please feel free to forward E-News! from The Business Link to a friend or colleague. They can subscribe on-line on our web site.

Balancing Efforts
A conference to energize and empower women to be successful in rural Alberta!

Balancing Efforts is a one-day conference for women seeking more information about agri-preneur opportunities. The conference will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 14th at the Augustana College in Camrose. Come along, bring a friend and enjoy this intriguing and inspiring, fun-filled day!

Highlights include:

• An address from LuAn Mitchell - Voted Canada's #1 Female Entrepreneur for the past three years by Profit and Chatelaine magazines.
• An address from Monica Coneys - A passionate entrepreneur from rural Saskatchewan who thrills audiences with her dynamic presentations.
• Learn the secret of Wajjo - An inspirational African drumming group from Edmonton with an empowering message.
• Agri-preneur Snapshots - Regional agri-preneurs will be available throughout the day to answer your questions about their businesses and provide valuable advice for reaching your entrepreneurial dreams!
  

This event is supported by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Canadian Agricultural Rural Communities Initiative and is coordinated by Camrose and District SS, Flagstaff FCS, Viking/Beaver Family & Community Support Services and East Central Alberta Community Futures Development Corporation.

For more information or to receive a registration form, please call Teresa or Joanne at 780-336-4024 or send an e-mail to: vbfss@telusplanet.net.

Shareholder Loans
by Maureen E. Liviniuk, Certified Management Accountant
www.MLiviniukCMA.com

In owner managed companies, owners often inject personal cash into the business in the form of shareholder loans. Usually this occurs without any documentation other than a cheque drawn on the personal account of the owner, or receipts for business expenses paid by the owner. Unfortunately, like having uninsured property, by the time the owner realizes that a written agreement is required, it is too late.

Business owners who lend monies to their companies should consider both a promissory note and a general security agreement. The promissory note is an agreement to pay between the lender (the owner) and the borrower (the company) and must specify the interest rate and repayment terms. The specified interest rate should minimally be the rates prescribed by Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) for non-arms-length transactions as this demonstrates the intent of the borrowing to earn income. Having a promissory note that meets these criteria may allow the owner, in the event of business cessation, to deduct the loan as an Allowable Business Investment Loss, which is deductible against other sources of income, rather than a capital loss, which is only deductible against capital gains.

The General Security Agreement (GSA) provides security for the shareholder loan. The GSA allows the owner to rank ahead of unsecured creditors in the event that the business ceases.

Copyright © 2003 Maureen E. Liviniuk, CMA

The Business Number (BN) is a reference number used by Canada Customs and Revenue Agency to identify your company. You need to obtain one when you register for one or more of the following accounts:

• Corporate Income Tax;
• Goods and Services Tax;
• Payroll (source) deductions;
• Import/Export.
  

If you don't already have a 9-digit Business Number, you can now obtain one through "Business Registration On-Line" (BRO). BRO, available at: www.businessregistration.gc.ca, is a free, on-line, one stop, self serve application that allows users to register for a new Business Number, as well as for CCRA programs (Corporate Income Tax, Goods and Services Tax, Payroll Deductions, and Importer/Exporter accounts).

Business Registration On-Line is tailor-made for small and medium sized businesses that do not have complex registration requirements and is available from Monday to Saturday from 2:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

For more taxation web links and other useful links to additonal sources of business information, visit our web site at: www.cbsc.org/alberta/tbl.cfm?fn=weblinks.

The Business Link works in partnership with over 30 Regional Access Sites located throughout the province, plus the Calgary Business Information Centre (CBIC), to provide information and resources to Alberta entrepreneurs. To find the closest Regional Access Site in your area, visit our web site at: www.cbsc.org/alberta/regional.cfm

East Central Alberta CFDC provides numerous services for new and existing small businesses in east central Alberta through its Business Excellence Centre, located in Viking. Entrepreneurs and business people may access a number of services and resources at the Centre, including: office support services, professional business counsellors, government information and forms, as well as a Business Library which offers a wealth of information to help you plan, start and manage your business.

East Central Alberta CFDC provides financing to entrepreneurs and existing business owners who are unable to obtain conventional financing. Entrepreneurs starting their own business, purchasing a business or expanding an existing business in the region can access a term loan of up to $125,000. Lines of credit and letters of guarantees are also available for existing businesses.

East Central Alberta CFDC also runs the Self-Employment Program, a 26-week program which provides business counselling assistance and Employment Insurance (EI) protection to eligible individuals, and offers training workshops directed at small business owners and entrepreneurs. Topics include financial management, marketing, selling, risk management, bookkeeping, using computers and using the Internet.

For more information, contact East Central Alberta CFDC at:

5319-50 Street
P.O. Box 5000
Viking, Alberta T0B 4N0
Phone: (780) 336-3497
Fax: (780) 336-2266
E-mail: ecacfdc@lincsat.com
Web site: www.ecabiz.ca

In Camrose...
c/o Alberta Economic Development
5005 49th Street
Camrose, Alberta T4V 1N5
Phone: (780) 679-1237