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Small Business Week-Website Launch!

Join in the celebrations as Alberta honours its small businesses from October 16-22, 2005 during Small Business Week.

The Business Link, working in cooperation with the Alberta Chambers of Commerce, 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. You can also view our series of entrepreneur video clips, interactive tools available to you, small business statistics, and small business guides.

Exporting to the U.S.?! Unravel the Mystery...

Attend this 2 day seminar, "Exporting to the United States: A Practical Approach" which will be held in Calgary & Coutts on October 17 & 18, 2005 to hear from the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, Canada Border Services Agency, and US Customs and Border Protection.

Tour the border crossing facilities and more. If your company is thinking about or starting to export to the US, don't miss this hands-on learning opportunity! Free shuttle service from Edmonton & Calgary to Coutts (and return) is available.

For more information about this seminar, please click on the export image below, visit the Calendar of Events at www.exportlink.ca or call 1-888-811-1119.

The Guest Advisor Program Continues in October!

How would you like to access professional expertise for free?

This is possible through The Business Link's Guest Advisor Program which runs from September 19 until December 2 for the fall season.

Each day of the week you have access to industry experts in a number of different fields who volunteer their time to answer your questions.

To speak with a guest advisor, call 1-800-272-9675 between 12 and 4 p.m. or visit The Business Link. Enquiries may also be made via e-mail.

For more information, go here.

Alberta Chambers of Commerce accepting nominations for 15th Alberta Business Awards of Distinction

The Alberta Business Awards of Distinction are a celebration of the best of Alberta Business. The Awards recognize achievements in areas such as small business, youth employment, exporting, workplace safety, Aboriginal relations and diversity in the workplace.

Award entries will be accepted by the Alberta Chambers of Commerce until November 16, 2005. The finalists in all award categories are eligible for the Premier's Award of Distinction. The awards will be presented at a gala banquet on February 22, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency in Calgary.

Please see www.abbusiness
awards.ab.ca for more information and entry forms.

Employment Resource Available at The Business Link Library

Who makes up 'generation y' and what motivates this specific generation in the workplace?

These and many other questions will be answered in : Employing generation y: understanding, managing, and motivating your new workforce by Eric Chester.

The author, a former teacher and coach, has worked with millions of students and gives the reader insight into the world of those born after 1980.

Are you employing 'y'ers' or are your customers of this generation? Learn some tips on how to "connect" or how not to "disconnect" from this age group among other interesting tidbits.

To access this resource, visit our library or request this book through our Regional Lending Library.

Meet the Link

Roch Labelle is a Trade Officer with the Export Link, a specialized service of The Business Link for new and potential exporters. After earning a degree in Political Science from the University of Alberta, Roch gained valuable experience through a range of positions, including a three month internship in the Canadian Embassy in Gabon.

Prior to joining the Export Link, Roch worked as a Business Officer with The Business Link, providing diagnostic services and coordinating special projects.

In his role as Trade Officer, Roch assists early-stage exporters assess their export readiness, research new markets and identify key sources of information and assistance for exporters.

Roch may be reached at 780-415-0377, 1-888-811-1119 or by e-mail at labelle.roch@
cbsc.ic.gc.ca.

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

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

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.

Looking for informative sessions on Small Business topics?

Attend a Seminar or Brown Bag presentation from The Business Link!

Our economically-priced Small Business Seminars and FREE Brown Bag Presentations feature a variety of interesting business subjects: start-up, marketing, sales, exporting, importing, legal, taxation and e-business.

Where do I go to register for these sessions?

You can register on-line for seminars on our website Seminar page at www.cbsc.org/alberta/tbl.cfm?fn=infosess. Alternatively, you can register by calling 1-800-272-9675. There is no registration required for our Brown Bag sessions as they are FREE, but limited seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Where are the sessions held?

All 'brown baggers' and seminars are held at The Business Link at 100 - 10237 104 Street in Edmonton. We recommend that you arrive approximately 10 minutes early for sessions.

What about Video Conferencing?

This fall our Thursday Brown Bag sessions as well as a number of our seminars are accessible in even more locations throughout the province through video conferencing (see events marked with a "V"). Call 1-800-272-9675 for Entrepreneurship Learning Centre (ELC) Video Conference location options or visit www.elcnetwork.ca .

October Schedule
Date	Time		Topic	Cost
4	12 noon to 1 p.m.		Street Smarts for Succession	FREE
6	12 noon to 1 p.m.		Le plan de marketing stratégique (session in French)	FREE
6	6 p.m. to 9 p.m.		Do-it-Yourself Incorporation	$58.85
11	12 noon to 1 p.m.		Projecting a Professional Image	FREE
13	12 noon to 1 p.m.		Choosing the Right Media for Your Business	FREE
13	6 p.m. to 9 p.m.		Marketing Strategies that Ignite Business Growth	$32.10
18	12 noon to 1 p.m.		Basic Legal Tips on Buying a Franchise	FREE
19	1 p.m. to 4 p.m.		Communicating with Impact	$32.10
20	12 noon to 1 p.m.		CRA: What Business Owners Should Know	FREE
25	12 noon to 1 p.m.		Internet Security	FREE
27	12 noon to 1 p.m.		E-Mail Marketing for Small Business	FREE
27	6 p.m. to 9 p.m.		Search Engine Marketing for Small Business	$32.10

It's All About Opportunities

Aboriginal entrepreneurs are invited to attend educational sessions, network, share ideas, and make professional contacts at the third annual "It's All About Opportunities" conference.

Organized by The Business Link's Aboriginal Business Services, this gathering of Aboriginal entrepreneurs will be held October 24 & 25 in Edmonton.

Keynote speakers and presenters will cover growing your business, operational issues, and financial and legal matters. Successful entrepreneurs will share their experiences of how they got started and how they overcame their business challenges.

For more information and to register, contact The Business Link at 1-800-272-9675 or visit www.cbsc.org/alberta/absn/conf.

Workshops on Payroll Deductions, Income Tax and GST

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is pleased to offer a free one-day seminar on payroll deductions, income tax, and GST. As well, CRA offers a three-hour session on the basics of GST/HST.

Payroll deductions, income tax and GST

Dates: Thursday, November 10, 2005 (Small business-French)
Thursday, November 24, 2005 (Incorporate-English)

Time: 8:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The basics of GST/HST

Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Tuesday, December 6, 2005

Time: 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Location: Canada Place Conference Centre
Room 201, 9700 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta

For more information on these events, as well as events in other locations around Alberta, go to the CRA web site at www.cra.gc.ca/events.

Networking Opportunities at The Business Link - Special October Small Business Week Networking Event

How would you like to attend a fun and informative networking event during Small Business Week?

We would like you to join us at our Special October Small Business Week Networking Event. There will be an educational presentation, entrepreneur sharing time, and time to meet and greet other entrepreneurs.

There will also be a special prize draw for all participants who 'bring a friend with them'.

Please join us on Wednesday, October 19 from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m.

For more information, contact Lisa Iwanyk by phone at
780-422-7738, 1-800-272-9675 or by e-mail at
iwanyk.lisa@cbsc.ic.gc.ca.

Get FITT before Going Global!

Does your company want to develop successful market entry strategies to penetrate foreign markets? Are you interested in pursuing a career in international trade? Maybe you're an export service provider wanting to enhance your services?

For the first time, all 6 accredited Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) Going Global sessions are being offered in a 2 day workshop on November 16 & 17, 2005. They are designed to help you make that critical decision and get you off to a good start on your journey towards foreign markets, in an environment that is conducive to both learning and networking.

For information and to register for this exciting event, call The Business Link's Export Link at 1.888.811.1119 or visit the Export Calendar of Events at www.exportlink.ca.

Register now as seating is limited and the seminar is filling-up fast!

Commercialization - The Early Days
By Gord Varney, Canadian Innovation Centre

Commercialization -- taking an innovation through to sales -- is often taken for granted. Common sense can prevail, right? How hard can it be? Most see it as a short hop from invention to wealth. Academic research regarding innovation and commercialization divides the process of turning ideas into profit into stages.

The first stage deals with Why? As in: "Why does the world need a _____?" Fill in the blank with your innovation, product, or technology. Is the market vocalizing a need? Is market silence reflecting non-consumption?

Innovators are notorious for passion. "Of course, it is good -- everyone will want one. There is nothing like it on the market today. No one can make it the way I will." Sound familiar?

The passion is important -- any investor (private or government) will tell you that without inventor passion, there will be no investment --the risk is too high. The passion is driven by the excitement of the technology.

The "Why?" issues generally fall along four themes: technical considerations (can it be built, is it practical, and is the application appropriate), business considerations (what is the inventor/management experience, cost to make, cost to sell), sales considerations (market size, trend, ease of entry, distribution), and risks considerations (regulation, protection, length of sales cycle).

A review of your innovation, prior to commercialization, need not be costly (maybe a thousand dollars or so), take a long time (one or two weeks should suffice), or be statistical in nature (the object is insight, not a thesis). The project cannot be done by an individual; it needs a multi-disciplinary team, at arm's length from the inventor, with experience doing pre-investment assessments, and it needs to be in writing (with references and defense of the judgments).

Please send any comment or questions on this article to gvarney@innovationcentre.ca. Visit the website of the Canadian Innovation Centre at www.innovationcentre.ca .

Directory of Social Economy, Volunteer, & Business Associations at Strategis http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/incmo-amc.nsf/en/home

This on-line directory of associations at Strategis is a database of over 6,000 Canadian membership organizations. Use this database to search for organizations that engage in promoting the civic, social, professional, or business interests of their members. The organizations may undertake specific business functions, such as common marketing or joint advertising.

Membership associations can be a great resource for businesses looking for experienced contacts in their industry. They can provide assistance such as market research, best practices, sourcing information, group discounts, and lobbying.

Regional Sites are Focusing on "Small Business Week"

The Business Link works in partnership with 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/tbl.cfm?fn=regional .

A number of regional access sites are hosting events for Small Business Week from October 16-22, 2005. Here is a sampling of events that have been scheduled so far:

Small Business Roundtable (Oct. 18) - Calgary Bus. Info. Centre

Breakfast Series Courses (Oct. 19) - Drumheller Reg. BDC Corp.

Tax Tips for Small Business (Oct. 20) - Chinook CFDC

As mentioned at the top of E-News, you can find more information and links to the organizers on our Small Business Week in Alberta website at at www.sbwalberta.ca which is updated daily.