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Small Business Week - October 17-23, 2004

Join in the celebrations as Alberta honours its small businesses from October 17-23, 2004, the 25th anniversary of Small Business Week! Small Business Week is a national celebration organized by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) in cooperation with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. It pays tribute to the significant contribution that small and medium-sized business owners make to our economy and gives them an opportunity to network with those interested in small business and dedicated to its development.

The Business Link plays an active role in promoting Small Business Week in Alberta by hosting a dedicated web site, www.sbwalberta.ca. Check out the site and browse our daily updated calendar of events to learn about events in your area, watch our series of video clips to pick up some business tips and learn about the services available to you and check out the most up-to-date Alberta statistics.

The Guest Advisor Program is Back

Take advantage of free professional advice, and use it to improve your business.

Starting October 4th, The Business Link's Guest Advisor Program will provide you with the opportunity to speak with management consultants, lawyers, accountants, financial representatives and e-business experts, all who volunteer their time to discuss your business concerns.

Drop into The Business Link, call at 1-800-272-9675 or use our online e-mail form to get your questions answered.

Alberta Chambers of Commerce accepting nominations for 14th Alberta Business Awards of Distinction

Nominations for the 14th Annual Alberta Business Awards of Distinction are now being accepted. Businesses that have succeeded in their field are encouraged to submit a nomination detailing their success.

The 2005 Alberta Business Awards of Distinction will recognize excellence in the following categories: Small Business, Export, Safety in the Workplace, Aboriginal Relations, Marketing, Diversity in the Workplace, First Nation's-owned Business, Employer of People with Disabilities, Learning in the Workplace, Ethics in Business and Outstanding Achievement. All finalists must meet general eligibility requirements along with category-specific eligibility requirements. The finalists in all award categories are eligible for the Premier's Award of Distinction.

Deadline for entries is close of business, November 15, 2004.

For more information please go to www.abbusinessawards
.ab.ca.

Prix d'Excellence 2004

Le Prix d’Excellence de La Chambre économique de l’Alberta is awarded to francophone companies or companies with French speaking owners or managers who made significant contributions to the economic development of the francophone communities in Alberta. The nominees, named by their peers, are evaluated on the numbers of positions created, the financial stability, the markets reached, the commitment to the community, the professional development of the employees and the quality of the service offered in French.

For more information, contact La Chambre économique de l’Alberta at: 1-888-414-6123.

Looking for Services and Events in Your Area?

Are you unable to come into The Business Link to take advantage of your services? No Problem! You can find the resources and services you need to start a new business or take your business to the next level at a Community Business Service Centre in your area. Use our site to search for the centre nearest you. Searches can be done by organization name or community.

Click here www.cbsc.org/alberta/
tbl.cfm?fn=regional to find a site near you.

Meet The Link

Margaret Nitkowski is a Client Service Representative here at The Business Link, your first point of contact when you visit us in person. Margaret has worked at The Business Link for three years now and has recently begun working in our Information Centre, helping small business people and new entrepreneurs find answers to their business questions. Margaret administers our seminar registration, and video conferencing scheduling.

Margaret can be reached at 1-780-422-7788, 1-800-272-9675 or by e-mail at nitkowski.margaret
@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".

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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.

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Your Feedback is Important to us

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.

Welcome to a new issue of E-News! from The Business Link. Whether this is your first time receiving E-News!, or you've been with us from the first issue, we hope you will 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.

The Business Link's Fall 2004
Seminars and Brown Bag Presentations

Our economically-priced Small Business Seminars and FREE Brown Bag Presentations feature the basics of business from start-up to marketing to e-business...and more! All sessions are held at The Business Link at 100 - 10237 104 Street in Edmonton. Pre-registration is required for the seminars but not for the "brown baggers", however there is limited seating on a first-come, first-served basis.

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.

Video Conferencing
For the first time ever, our Thursday Brown Bag sessions will be accessible in various locations throughout the province through video conferencing. (see events marked with a ) For more information, and to see our video conferencing schedule go here: www.cbsc.org/alberta/search/display.cfm?Code=6105&coll;=AB_PROVBIS_E.

October Schedule Date Time Topic Cost 05 12 noon - 1 p.m. Employee Contracts and How to Protect You, the Business Owner FREE 07 12 noon - 1 p.m. Importing Basics FREE 07 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tax Saving Tips for the Entrepreneurs $32.10 12 12 noon - 1 p.m. Selling to the Alberta Government FREE 14 12 noon - 1 p.m. Search Engine Optimization Strategies FREE 14 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Promoting Yourself and Your Business $32.10 19 12 noon - 1 p.m. Entrepreneur Panel: Sharing Experiences FREE 21 12 noon - 1 p.m. Profit Through Word-of-Mouth FREE 21 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Step-by-Step Approach to Exporting $32.10 26 12 noon - 1 p.m. Business Insurance FREE 28 12 noon - 1 p.m. Financing Panel: Getting Your Loan Approved FREE 28 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Branding Works!...Even for the "Small Guys" $32.10

It's All About Opportunities 2
A Gathering of Aboriginal Entrepreneurs

The Alberta Aboriginal Business Services, an enhanced service within The Business Link, is once again hosting a gathering for Aboriginal entrepreneurs. "It's All About Opportunities 2" will be held in Edmonton on October 25 - 26, 2004 at The Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel.

By being a part of the gathering, you will: attend educational workshops, hear from successful Aboriginal entrepreneurs, listen to insightful keynote speakers, speak directly with professionals who provide services to the aboriginal business community, network, make professional contacts and so much more....

For more information and to register, go to our website at www.cbsc.org/alberta/absn/conf or contact Bill Linklater, at
780-422-7766 or 1-800-272-9675.

The registrations are rolling in, so register now and secure your involvement!

Exporting to the United States: A Practical Approach
(Border Session)

The next export training session at the US/Canada border will take place on October 27 - 28, 2004 in Lethbridge and Coutts. This export training session has already assisted hundreds of businesses in their efforts to do business in both the U.S. and Canada.

The session has been revamped to focus solely on the needs of new and existing Canadian exporters. The two-day seminar will consist of a 2.5-hour information session held in Lethbridge on the evening of the first day, followed by a full day session held at the border crossing in Coutts.

For only $50, companies interested in exporting to the United States will tour the Customs facilities, meet US customs and immigration specialists and get information on government services for exporters, Canadian export documentation and procedures, US import documentation and procedures, the role of a US customs broker and business entry into the United States.

NEW! Shuttle service from Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary. Call Lisa Lam-Cadieux at 1-888-811-1119 for details and costs.

Exporters can find more information (including a complete agenda for the workshop) and register online on our site at: http://www.cbsc.org/alberta/exportlink/bordersession.cfm.

Networking Opportunities at The Business Link

Do you need to widen your business contacts? Then join us at The Business Link for an opportunity to Network! It is free and no registration id needed. Be prepared to exchange business cards and gain valuable contacts!

Join us during Small Business Week on Wednesday, October 20
2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Quality Council of Alberta Brown Bag Sessions

The Quality Council of Alberta (QCA) invites you to attend their Brown Bag Sessions at The Business Link in Edmonton and the Calgary Business Information Centre in Calgary. This year’s theme will be “Following the Roadmap to Excellence”. The QCA is offering a number of sessions, presented by noted Knowledge Management professionals, on using Knowledge Management to achieve organizational excellence. The sessions are free to members of the Quality Council of Alberta and $10 for non-members.

Two events will be held this month. The first "Introduction to Knowledge Management" will be held at the Calgary Business Information Centre on Wednesday, October 6 and at The Business Link in Edmonton on Friday, October 8. The second "Leadership Focus" will be held in Calgary on Thursday, October 21 and in Edmonton on Friday, October 22. The sessions are held from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. Seating is limited and allocated on a first come - first served basis.

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

Are you expanding your business and hiring more employees or hiring employees for the first time? To get all the information you need on the provincial labour laws that fall under the jurisdiction of Alberta Employment Standards, visit the Government of Alberta's employment standards web site. The site contains a wealth of information covering many topics including overtime, general vacations, hours of work and many others.

The site also has a publications section that includes an Employment Standards Guide and 29 quick reference sheets covering all different areas of employment standards.

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

One of these Regional Access Sites is the Lethbridge & District Business Development Centre (LDBDC).

The LDBDC serves entrepreneurs and small business people in the following communities but not limited to: City of Lethbridge, the County of Lethbridge, Coaldale, Raymond, Magrath, Picture Butte, Stirling, Barons, Nobleford, Coalhurst and the Blood Band Reserve.

On October 15, the LDBDC is proud to present Dr. David K. Foot - "Stepping Into The Future" Understanding & Anticipating Future Trends in Southern Alberta. Dr. David K. Foot, the co-author of the Boom, Bust & Echo books, is a Professor of Economics at the University of Toronto. His work on demographics will help you and your business identify and take advantage of future trends. For more information contact the Lethbridge Community College at
1-403-320-3323 or got to www.ldbdca.com.

The Lethbridge & District Business Development Centre also offers a wide array of services to people starting a new business or those already in business. Business coaching, a wide range of seminars and training sessions and financing for entrepreneurs, youth, and entrepreneurs with disabilities are all available.