May 3, 2012
Finding and retaining skilled workers can be difficult for small business when larger industries are doing well
May 3, 2012
As governments across Canada struggle to get their fiscal houses in order, it's becoming increasingly clear that spending on public-sector wages and benefits is neither fair nor sustainable.
April 19, 2012
Ottawa just did something very big for small business. Earlier this week, National Revenue Minister Gail Shea announced that for the first time business owners will be able to get questions answered in writing from the Canada Revenue Agency through My Business Account.
April 5, 2012
What does last week's federal budget mean to your small business? Here's the skinny in case digesting a 500-page budget document isn't your idea of a good time. Yes, I do find such things enjoyable.
March 22, 2012
Have you ever wished you could try a different job on for size without quitting the one you have?
I recently had the opportunity to do that. Instead of leading our organization's research and advocacy work, I joined our sales team for a few weeks of cold calling on small business owners.
March 9, 2012
The teachers' demand for a 15-per-cent pay increase over three years doesn't look reasonable next to what is going on in the private or public sectors. Small-business confidence is still shaky. Consumers' continued caution means many business owners are making less than they did a few years ago. Most public-sector unions in the province, recognizing the economic climate, have settled within the government negotiating framework of no-net compensation increases for two years.
February 23, 2012
It's budget season. Earlier this week, B.C. Finance Minister Kevin Falcon tabled a bud-get that holds the line on spending to get the province back in the black by 2013-14. With spending increases of about two per cent per year over the next three years, it's one of the country's more disciplined approaches to budgeting.
February 23, 2012
This year, to complement the research that we released during Red Tape Awareness Week, we did a series of short videos with business owners to help show the stress and frustration that red tape can cause. Our Red Tape Digital Diaries have been the subject of three recent columns by Vancouver Sun reporter David Baines. Baines and the Sun have since issued a correction. In our response, we also continue to set the record straight.
February 9, 2012
Earlier this week, Toronto May-or Rob Ford reached a tentative contract with more than 6,000 outside workers. Details of the deal are still forthcoming, but Ford was quoted as saying this is "a fantastic day for taxpayers." Vancouver and CUPE 15 have started negotiating new collective agreements covering 2,500 members. Many other cities across the province are in the middle of, or about to begin, negotiations on behalf of their taxpayers. This begs the question: what should a fair negotiating po
January 26, 2012
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a year ago that he would create a Red Tape Reduction Commission to fight red tape. Last week, the commission released a final report containing 15 thoughtful recommendations on reducing and controlling red tape. If the government acts on the recommendations it could be a game-changer for Canada.
January 17, 2012
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama independently acknowledged the destructive impact of excessive regulation in 2011 and resolved to do something about it. Harper called red tape a "silent killer of jobs" last January when he created the Red Tape Reduction Commission tasked with identifying federal red tape and recommending solutions to reduce it for the long term. At around the same time, Obama issued an Executive Order directing individual agencies to repeal unneeded
January 12, 2012
Finalists for a new award to recognize individuals taking steps to reduce red tape's destructive impact have just been announced. The Golden Scissors Award winner will be declared next week during Canada's third annual Red Tape Awareness Week, created by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
