Welcome to a new year of E-News! from The Business Link. Whether this is your first time to receive E-News!, or you've been with us from the first issue, we hope you enjoy this quick monthly e-newsletter. Our goal is to keep you informed of upcoming events and services at The Business Link and other items of interest to Alberta's small business community.

Your feedback is welcome at any time to help us improve and enhance our services for Alberta entrepreneurs. Simply use the "Feedback" function located on the toolbar at the top of E-News! to send us your views.

The Business Link's Spring 2003
Seminars and Brown Bag Presentations

Our new calendar of informative small business seminars and brown bag presentations has just been released on our web site. Discover a new line-up of practical sessions designed to give you a better understanding of what you need to make sound business decisions.

Our useful, "street-wise" seminars are usually three hours long and combine an interesting mixture of discussion, lecture and question and answer formats. Our fast-paced "brown bag" presentations are free and provide a snapshot of business basics over the lunch hour. All presenters are qualified, experienced advisors, educators and successful entrepreneurs.

For more information on our Small Business Seminars and to register on-line, visit our web site at: www.cbsc.org/alberta/seminars.cfm. Details on the "Brown Baggers" are available at: www.cbsc.org/alberta/brownbag.cfm.

Quality Council of Alberta Brown Bag Sessions

The Quality Council of Alberta (QCA) invites you to attend their FREE monthly Brown Bag Sessions, held every third Friday of the month at noon until June, 2003. Bring your lunch and take in this series on "Performance". Attendees will examine and learn what organizational performance is, approaches to improve it, and challenges to maintain it.

This month's session on "Organizational Performance from Customer & Community Perspective" will be held at The Business Link on Friday, January 17, 2003 from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. The presenter will be Jeannette Gates, Human Resources Training Coordinator for West Edmonton Mall. Seating is limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information and to register for this session, contact Ann Beaque at the Quality Council of Alberta at 780-423-6878 or 1-800-224-0848, or by e-mail at: abeaque@telusplanet.net.

Important Changes Affecting Employers

With the beginning of a new year, there are many changes that affect employers. As an employer, you are required to make regular source deductions (EI, CPP, and Income Tax) on behalf of your employees. Premiums and rates for source deductions change periodically. Dependent upon your industry, you may also be required to submit payment to the Worker's Compensation Board for insurance to cover your employees for work-related injuries. Here are some useful tips and timely information for employers:

Employment Insurance Premium Reduction effective January 1, 2003
The federal Finance Department recently announced, that Employment Insurance (EI) premiums would be lowered from $2.20 to $2.10 per every $100 of a worker's earnings effective January 1, 2003. This premium reduction will equate to approximately $40 per year for workers with the highest insurable earnings (over $39,000 per year). The EI premiums paid by employers will be reduced from $3.08 to $2.94 per $100 of insurable earnings. For more information, see www.fin.gc.ca/news02/02-097e.html.

Yearly Maximum Pensionable Earnings Increases to $39,900
The Yearly Maximum Pensionable Earnings increased from $39,100 to $39,900 on January 1, 2003. For more information, see www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/newsroom/releases/2002/nov/cpp-e.html.

Alberta WCB Employers' 2003 Average Premium Rate Increases by 12.5%
Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) - Alberta recently set its 2003 premium rates. Premium rates are driven by the cost of workplace injuries. In 2003, the average premium rate will increase by 12.5% from $1.68 to $1.89 per $100 of insurable earnings to meet those rising costs. For more information, see www.wcb.ab.ca/news/021030.html. For rates applying to your specific industry, see www.wcb.ab.ca/pdf/2003_ratelist.pdf.

WCB Premium Reduction Incentive for Employers
Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) - Alberta encourages employers to be accountable and to promote injury prevention. As an incentive, small employers may earn either a 5% WCB premium discount if they remain claim-free, or be penalized with a 5% surcharge based on the number of claims they have experienced. For more information, see www.wcb.ab.ca/pdf/pir_broch.pdf.

T4s Due February 28, 2003
By legislation, employers are required to have T4 information prepared, filed with Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) and copies mailed to employees by the last day of February. For more information, see www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/tax/business/payroll/dates-e.html.

Performance Plus is an on-line performance benchmarking tool available on Industry Canada's web site at: http://sme.ic.gc.ca/. It provides detailed financial and employment data on more than 600 business sectors across Canada, including more than 30 performance benchmarks to help small businesses determine how they measure up against their competitors.

This tool uses the Small Business Profiles (SBP) created from a sample of Canada Customs and Revenue Agency tax returns for both incorporated and unincorporated businesses operating in Canada.

Performance Plus gives instant access to benchmark financial data that can help small businesses construct a business plan. This tool also helps new and established firms find out where they stand as compared to a relevant industry average. Performance Plus assists small businesses in making the best operational decisions - quickly, simply and effectively.

The Business Link works in partnership with 34 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.

One of these Regional Access Sites is the Mackenzie Economic Development Corporation.

Mackenzie Economic Development Corporation serves the following communities: Town of High Level; Garden River; Town of Fort Vermillion; John d'Or Prairie; Town of Rainbow Lake; Paddle Prairie; Town of La Crete; Bushe River; Zama City; Meander River; Fox Lake and Chateh.

Mackenzie Economic Development Corporation is committed to doing everything possible to put the odds in your favour and help you build your business. The organization provides business advisory services to assist potential and existing entrepreneurs to establish or improve a business.

Clients may be assisted in every way from development of a business plan to preparing cash flow projections and exploring options for financing or training. Financial assistance is available to individuals starting or expanding a small business through the Regular Loan Fund and for entrepreneurs with disabilities through the Persons with Disabilities Loan Fund. Mackenzie Economic Development Corporation also hosts a Mini E-Future Centre and a Mini ABSN Site.

For more information, contact the Mackenzie Economic Development Corporation at:

10306 - 98 Street
P.O. Box 210
High Level, Alberta T0H 1Z0
Phone: (780) 926-4233
Fax: (780) 926-2162
E-Mail: info@medc.ab.ca
Web site: www.medc.ab.ca

January 2003
Issue 8

In this Issue... Upcoming Events Business News Flash Feature Web Site Regional Access Site in the Spotlight

Happy New Year!

The Business Link's staff wishes you a happy and prosperous new year.

If one of your new year's resolutions is to start or expand your business, visit our web site, your first stop for business information in Alberta.

Find Aboriginal-Specific Business Information Near You

The Business Link's Alberta Aboriginal Business Service Network (Alberta ABSN) is committed to serving clients throughout Alberta.

To provide wider access to Aboriginal-specific resources, we have established 6 Mini ABSN sites throughout Alberta in: Calgary, Bonnyville, Slave Lake, Lac La Biche, Fort McMurray, and High Level.

Each Mini ABSN Site will profile the products and services of Alberta ABSN and specific information for Aboriginal clients, including a collection of Aboriginal-specific books and a trained ABSN representative.

The Alberta Aboriginal Business Service Network also recently launched an information-packed web site to meet the needs of potential and existing Aboriginal business people in Alberta.

Let the Alberta ABSN be your first stop for Aboriginal-specific business information in Alberta.

Regional Lending Library:
Your access to hundreds of business resources!

Here at The Business Link, we have Alberta’s largest small business library with hundreds of books, periodicals, directories and databases. However, many of our clients from across Alberta cannot access this wealth of information because of location. That is about to change!

The Business Link works with several business centres throughout Alberta to provide information and resources to entrepreneurs. Through these partnerships, we have developed the Regional Lending Library which is a collection of business books and resources for the exclusive use of the business development centres and you, their client.

This library service provides small business owners throughout Alberta with access to hundreds of timely and informative business resources. Some of the subject areas include: start-up books on various business sectors, business planning, legal and management issues, market research and marketing, business forms and agreements, and more!

All you have to do is choose a book from our database and ask your local business centre to request it for you. The borrowing privilege is for three weeks.

The list of business centres and the database of library resources can be found at: www.cbsc.org/alberta/
regional.cfm.