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Web Picks - Business Development
www.crmacanada.com
Customer Relationship Management Association Canada’s website is designed to help Canadian businesses better understand and leverage CRM strategies, processes and technologies. Documented research on CRM is available in the form of whitepapers, reports and articles – just look under "Resources" when in the site. Small businesses gain insight about what’s necessary to remain competitive and ultimately survive the digital age.
www.public-speaking.org
Visit this website for a myriad of articles containing tips on various issues relating to public speaking.
www.toolkit.cch.com
Highlighting this site is the free SOHO Guidebook, a complete guide to starting and growing a business. This site is U.S. oriented but the comprehensive treatment of the issues that go into founding and growing a business is relevant everywhere. The site is also useful for downloadable business utilities, checklists, model business plans and human-resource tools.
www.edc.ca
Export Development Canada provides Canadian exporters with financing, insurance and bonding services as well as foreign market expertise. Their website is packed with information - there is a section called "Export Instant Insight," delivering new information from EDC Economics. You can sign up for EDC's newsletter and find out more about ExportCheck (a valuable online tool that provides Canadian companies fast and easy assessments of foreign buyers before exporting).
www.ideasiteforbusiness.com
The more than 400-and growing-creative marketing ideas on the Idea Site For Business are not the only feature that makes this site worthwhile. It also has an impressive selection of well-written articles (many by marketing professionals), book reviews, tips and marketing-planning tools, e-mail links to 1,800 business publications and a free e-mail "marketing idea-a-day" service.
www.businesseventsguide.com
This site links the tradeshow, convention, meeting & incentive travel industries, providing a broad range of information regarding business events.
businessgateway.ca
Businessgateway.ca is designed to provide easy access to relevant, frequently used services and information offered by the federal, provincial and territorial governments. The site organizes key information into 10 subjects that make sense to business: Business Start Up, Business Statistics and Analysis, E-Business, Exporting / Importing, Financing, Human Resources Management, Innovation / Research and Development / Technology, Regulations, and Selling to Government / Tenders Tax.
www.smartbiz.com
SmartBiz.com is a small business resource with informative articles on a range of business topics (from sales to human resources and more), current business news as well as features on the latest business technologies.
www.consumerinformation.ca
Visit this website for access to landlord / tenancy agreements, sales and service contracts, as well as insurance issues. Consumer Gateway provides the most comprehensive Canadian consumer data collection available anywhere. The goal is to empower Canadian consumers by providing a single-source window to information and contacts for any consumer related enquiry.
www.franchise-chat.com
This website brings franchise news stories from around the world to one convenient location. You can search press releases according to your country of interest. This website also provides a forum where prospective/existing franchisees and franchisors, and other interested parties, can interact, ask questions and discuss franchise-related issues.
www.bcentral.com
Microsoft bCentral will send you a free, interactive CD that provides clear tutorials and guidance on how to use online services to improve sales, marketing power and management capabilities.
www.info-now.com
Although Sales Marketing Network's web content is from the U.S., it is an excellent one-stop source for promotion-marketing information. One of the most useful links is the "Promotion Guide," which provides an incredibly detailed, step-by-step examination of different types of promotions.
www.canadaone.com
If you find HR issues challenging, you are not alone! To help you address these challenges we've compiled this collection of HR articles, links and reviews.
www.nomino.biz
A fairly new naming firm - Nomino Inc. - is the only firm in Canada solely devoted to helping Canadian businesses with their creative and legal naming issues. They help those seeking a name for a service, a product or a company. And they help deal with trademark issues.
www.mailboxcity.com
MailboxCity is a messaging service where you receive and respond to your voicemail, email and fax--all in one place! You get a free private, local phone number and free email address so that all your voicemail, email and fax messages come into one mailbox. You are provided with a free email address, and a free private, local phone number for receiving voice messages and faxes. You can retrieve your voicemail through any phone or Web browser, any time, any place. Plus, you can send your voice in your email, instead of typing!
www.communityzero.com
This Internet software company's website focuses on the development of online community applications. This service allows individuals and organizations to use collaborative online community infrastructure for improved communication, knowledge management, and increased interaction. If you want to stay in touch with clients, suppliers or partners, CommunityZero is a private area offering interactive tools to share information, to discuss, and communicate.
www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/business
This government website provides links to information specific to small businesses. Find out about The Guide for Canadian Small Businesses (which provides useful information on a broad range of issues, such as how to set up a business, the GST/HST, excise taxes and duties, importing/exporting, payroll deductions, and income tax), and Small Business Information Seminars (which are intended to help those who are about to start a business, as well as those who have just begun to operate a business). Also, find information of the Government of Canada's Small Business Info-Fairs, and Canada Customs and Revenue Agency's National Small Business Advisory Committee.
www.torok.com
George Torok is a specialist in thinking and communication skills, a professional speaker and executive. His website provides a library of free articles on everything from marketing to general business-related topics. Also, sign up for free monthly tips on personal marketing, presentation skills and creative problem solving.
www.customercatcherradio.com
Customer Catcher™ Radio brings you the latest and greatest sales and marketing strategies, tactics, trends and innovations. It is a weekly, business talk radio show broadcast over the Internet, hosted by Martin Wales. The goal of the show is to help you grow your business, decrease your costs, and increase your cash flow, regardless of your resources. You can listen live every Monday @ 2-3 pm Pacific (5-6 pm Eastern) and call in to (888) 327-0061 or listen later -- whenever you want!
www.protus.com, www.virtualfax.com
Protus IP Solutions, a leader in business class messaging services, is ranked by Profit Magazine as Canada's 5th fastest growing company and has been added to Deloitte and Touche's Fast 500 Program for high growth technology companies in North America. Protus' success is primarily attributed to Virtual Fax™, their popular Internet-based fax service. Virtual Fax eliminates the need for expensive fax machines and telephone lines by allowing customers to send and receive faxes through their email. It is mobile and easy to use.
www.iveybusinessjournal.com
For more than 70 years, the Ivey Business Journal has delivered incisive, practical articles about managing to their readers. That tradition has been sustained and strengthened in Ivey Business Journal Online. Ivey Business Journal Online will come to you every second month, with themes ranging from innovation, leadership, corporate social responsibility and more. Archives are also available online, free of charge.
www.epinions.com
This site collects opinions from buyers of almost anything you can think of. As you read along, you will flag the people and opinions you find most useful. Over time, they develop into a trusted circle of advisors. You'll want to deliver critiques of your own.
www.download.com
Looking for new computer software? Perhaps you’re looking for graphic images? Visit this website for a variety of free downloads. And there are other programs you can purchase as well!
www.bot.com
For the busy sales and marketing sales professional, nothing beats an up-to-date mailing list with thousands of key contacts. The Toronto Board of Trade is now offering its database of over 10,000 key decision makers in electronic format. This source is ideal for sales and marketing professionals. It identifies the top ten management positions in the 2,500 largest employers across the entire GTA. The database can be customized by industry, profession/title, company size, geographic area, postal code, gender, public or private company. You can order this list by visiting www.bot.com and following the Public Access menu to "Mailing Lists," or you can borrow the "Contact Toronto" book from CPSA's Sales Resource Centre. Call 1-888-267-2772 to borrow the book.
www.clickmarks.com
Your sales force is out in the field and you want them to have access to their flight schedule, weather and traffic reports, their email accounts, address book, company database, sales commission charts, etc. Clickmarks, www.clickmarks.com, has developed a new application which allows sales and marketing professionals to have it all at their fingertips! Via your wireless phone or PDA they can access everything from credit card statements, company news to portfolio or database info.
www.submitit.com
With the explosion of sites on the web, how can you make sure customers find you? SubmitIt! makes getting listed quick and easy!
www.entinst.ca
The Entrepreneurship Institute of Canada's website - packed with useful information for entrepreneurs.
www.knowthis.com
This website takes the form of an annotated guide to marketing resources. This site covers advertising, starting and running a business, careers and employment, consumer issues, legal information, electronic commerce, public relations, and selling and sales management.
www.valpak.com
Are you looking for a creative marketing alternative for your company's product or service? One of the fastest growing segments in the direct marketing industry right now are on-line coupons. Val-Pak Coupons On-Line, Canada's largest cooperative direct mail company, has over 30,000 coupons posted from local businesses on their website. Posting a coupon is free if you are already a ValPak mailing house customer.
We know how CPSA members love to save money, so even if you're not interested in advertising on ValPak's site, you'll still find the site valuable because you can print off useful coupons from your PC (to save yourself money on things ranging from pizza and car repairs to running shoes). So just log on, to click and save!
www.tradeshowresearch.com
This website discloses new trends in trade show exhibiting, including: How Time Poverty Affects Attendees' Behavior; The Trend towards buying teams replacing individual attendees; how buying power counts more than head count; how low pressure selling is what prospects want most; and how new registration technology enhances exhibitor measurement.
www.linkexchange.com
Are you starting a website for your small business? Before you launch your site, make sure you tap into linkexchange.com to check that you're on the right track. Tips abound - from how to find a company to host your website, to how to grow traffic to your site, to how to manage your website.
strategis.ic.gc.ca
Are you researching a new business idea? Starting a company? Expanding your company? Exporting around the world? Whatever your business-related need, the Government of Canada Info-Fairs have something for you -- information on dozens of federal programs for small businesses and 'how-to' seminars.
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