And how to overcome these obstacles on the way to building a successful venture
Businesses come and go – we see them opening up, struggling for a few years and closing their doors. We might even hear that they offered something we were searching for – after they’ve closed. But why do they fail? According to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in the U.S., over the lifetime…
If we’re focused on thriving and growing during periods of difficulty and change, our brains look for these opportunities
While the overall economic numbers seem to indicate that the Canadian economy is firing on all cylinders, there are still areas geographically and by industry where businesses are struggling. Having lived through a number of difficult times in my 30-plus years owning and running businesses, I’ve learned there are a number of ways to improve…
It’s time you set some goals, tracked your progress and celebrated your successes
Tim Gilbert told me it would be tough but I never realized how tough tree planting was until I stood in the bush in the middle of nowhere, bugs swarming around my head, as I was exposed to the raw elements of a northern spring. With my bag of trees strapped across my hips, shovel…
When we determine achievable goals and develop workable plans to reach those goals, our teams get clarity. And that brings productivity
The city had been socked in with a heavy layer of fog for weeks when I decided to drive up to an area I hadn’t been to before. As I climbed through the layers of cloud, I wondered where I was going and why people would live up such a steep hill. But as I…
Property tax imbalance erodes political accountability, discourages business investment and ultimately hurts employment
By Josef Filipowicz and Steven Globerman The Fraser Institute In many cities and towns across Canada, residential properties are increasing in value, while some local businesses are struggling to survive. There are different reasons for this development, including factors well beyond our borders. But in most of those municipalities, business property tax rates are higher…
Dictating social outcomes for corporations is unnecessary and unproductive
In a time where capitalism is under attack from several directions, it’s also being undermined by the very individuals and organizations that should be defending it. The Business Roundtable, a group of chief executive officers of more than 100 of the largest publicly traded corporations in the United States, recently issued an open Statement on…
Canadians with disabilities are already a large part of the working age population and will increase in importance as the population ages, says a new report by TD Economics. Yet labour market outcomes for these individuals continues to lag. Even moderate success in narrowing gaps between people with disabilities (PWD) and the general population could…
Students at Calgary’s Mount Royal University are now able to seek out and analyze live and historical business data, thanks to the creation of a $500,000 analytics lab. MRU announced today its new CN Supply Chain Analytics Lab provides students a space to work on a special data platform with access to the inner-workings of…
Unless you have a clear idea how to accomplish your goals, and what the goals are, you might just be chasing elusive dollars
Emily hit the golf ball and started running. Swinging her club mid-stride, she repeatedly hit the ball and kept sprinting toward the first hole. Our yelling and laughter confused her and finally she stopped. “What are you yelling about?” she turned to us defiantly. “You told me that the goal was to get the golf…
IWG, a leading international flexible workspace provider, announced on Tuesday the official launch of its franchise program in Canada. The company said this first-of-its-kind franchise program provides a unique opportunity for franchisees to enter the fast-growing flexible workplace industry and to help facilitate the rapid expansion of IWG's Canadian and global network. “Three in 10…