Vancouver Small Business

As we deal with the downturn in the worldwide economy, what are you doing to help your business survive the Recession? Most small businesses aren’t Recession-Proof and when people start taking a closer look at their discretionary spending, they tend to spend less on those extra products and services, such as the ones your business might provide.
Here’s some ways we all can help sustain our own businesses, and increase revenues while decreasing costs.

• Make sure your website is Search Engine Optimized. This will guarantee that when someone searches for what your business offers, they will find it before they find your competition. Search Engine Optimization and Online Marketing is the easiest way to generate leads to your website and it has a much longer shelf-life and is a better ROI than print ads such as Yellow Pages, Buy and Sell or Province/Sun Classifieds. (If you give RTP Online a call, they’ll give you $100 off a basic web site and SEO package. Just mention this post.)

• If you aren’t already, keep a database of all your past customers and all leads that never panned out. During these lean times, call those old clients and see if there is anything else you can assist them with. With the old leads that didn’t end up becoming clients, contact them and see if they ever received what they were looking for and if not, offer it to them.

• Give something away for free. Free estimates, free shipping, buy-one-get-one-free, anything free to show your client that you appreciate their business.

• Follow up each successful sale with a personal phone call or email to say thank-you for the purchase. Even better is a hand-written letter to thank the customer.

• Offer a finders fee for people if they send you a client. Referrals and word-of-mouth are great for business and if someone goes out of their way to tell another about your product or service, you should thank them.

• Take a close look at your own business spending. Are you spending money every month on ads that aren’t bringing you any clients? Are you spending money on flyers that cost too much money, too much of your time to design and print and then you aren’t seeing a return? Think about free advertising. Use the Internet to your advantage. Join social networks, post ads on message boards, and create a blog talking about your products. The internet is a valuable tool and other than your monthly Internet charges from Shaw Cable, you can promote your site for free online and see some decent returns.

• Sponsor events. Have a gift basket company? Donate a basket or two in exchange for your name in the program or on the flyer. Make sure to put a business card in the basket so the winner can buy a basket from you later on!

• Invest a little money on Internet Marketing if you don’t have the time to devote to getting your business name spread around the net. RTP Online can handle this for you, or you can find many other companies that will get your company’s brand out on the ‘Net.

• Don’t forget your existing clients. Make them feel special and ensure they have everything they need. Ask them if the products and services are working for them and if not, make it right.

• Increase your level of service and offer your clients more. Now that in many senses we are a global economy, there is plenty of competition for most businesses and unlike days gone by, you don’t have to worry about the business down the street undercutting you…There could be someone across the globe that beats your price by 15%. As times get tougher, people will be looking for a deal. Give them one.

There are many ways for you to keep afloat and even increase your revenue during a Recession but you have to battle hard. Don’t be afraid to make deals and lower your prices because even though you might lose money on the first deal, that customer will return knowing that they got a good deal.

Make sure to remember your past and present customers and make it your goal to make everyone that does business with you, feel good about the interaction and purchase.

Imagine Write Communications is an eco-friendly Boutique Communications Company joyfully serving clients in  Vancouver, BC + around the globe! Vancouver copywriter  + Creative Internet Consultant Leanne Campbell takes a genuine approach to Internet marketing, creating persuasive solutions for the copy challenged.

A Vancouver based events company that specializes in basketball, soccer, baseball, automotive and specialty events. We launched in 2008 and have grown leaps and bounds already. Watch for The PEEL Basketball League running year round, for everyone to join, tournaments being run over the long weekends, Soccer and basketball camps for youth, special events and gala dinners around BC.
We are performance driven, and our goal is to exceed the expectations of all clients, participants, and audiences during the execution of our events.

Bravado Sports & Entertainment Group
5836 Wales Street
Vancouver BC, Canada
www.bravadosports.com

VIP Video produces videos of everything from weddings and live events to promotional and instructional videos, for viewing online or on DVD. You can see our demos at VIP Video.

At True Benefits their focus is employee benefits. They specialize in helping BC businesses create fantastic plans. Providing excellent service is something they are passionate about. They get the details right, return calls and emails promptly, and follow up regularly with clients to say hello and see if they can help in any way.
Their clients care deeply about their employees, and are recognized for providing some of the most creative and sought after benefits plans available.

• Click here to learn about the services we offer.
• Click here for a free re-assessment of your company’s plan.

For more tips, check out our Benefits Blog all about benefits, compensation, and human resources.

Vancouver Blinds from Blinds Brothers are custom fitted, attractive blinds in a wide variety of colours and styles. Using top quality materials and hardware, these window blinds at factory direct prices will turn your window in a conversation piece.

If you need blinds for your home or office, Blind Brothers will come to your place and give you a free estimate, and then install the blinds for free too! Usually you pay big bucks for the install but Blinds Brothers will measure, custom fit and install your window blinds so that they look amazing.

Some of the window blinds they provide are

Venetians Pleated Shades Woods Verticals Roller Shades Poly Woods Faux Woods Sun Shades

Head over to the Vancouver Blinds experts at Blinds Brothers and you’ll save money on window blinds for your home or office. Or, you can give Rick a call at 604-299-3664 and let him know that you heard about him from Vancouver Small Business!

We’ve just received this invitation, and was asked to post it online.  We encourage all small business owners to attend events such as this, to not only give your opinions, but to network with other business  owners.

Here’s the email…
I work for The Conference Board of Canada (CBoC)—the largest independent, not-for-profit research “think-tank” in Canada.

I am writing to invite you to participate in a Focus Group as part of our research project on how to increase the hiring of diversity talent into IT jobs in the ICT sector—especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The Conference Board of Canada is conducting this study on behalf of the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC). The research project is studying workplace diversity and the hiring of internationally educated professionals and other diversity talent.
The Focus Group is intended to find out about your experiences and obtain your views and insights about the role of IT talent in your organization. Information obtained from you during the session will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Date and Time:

Tuesday, March 18, 2008
8:00–8:30 a.m.                   Continental Breakfast

8:30–10:30 a.m.                Focus Group

Location:

Vancouver, BC

Hyatt Regency Vancouver Hotel, Dover Room

655 Burrard St.

If you are interested in participating, please reply to this email or call me at 1-888-801-8818 ext. 384

For more information or if you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

Telephone Interview:

We value your input! If you are not able to attend a focus group, but would be willing to take part in a telephone interview, please contact me by toll-free telephone or by email.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Kindest regards,

Rupa Jolly

The Conference Board of Canada

Tel: 1-888-801-8818 ext. 384

Fax: 613-526-4857

Email: jolly@conferenceboard.ca

Website: www.conferenceboard.ca

Looking for Hair Styling Tools? Look no more!

This Canadian-based company officially opened up its online shop on in November 2007. My Hair Styling Tools offers up Professional Hair Straighteners and Tools for professional stylists and for non-professionals looking for the hair straightening irons that the pro’s use. From Flat Irons to Ceramic Straighteners,  My Hair Styling Tools has all your hair styling and hair straightening needs taken care of.

Get in touch with My Hair Styling Tools

Website 

Customer Service: customerservice@myhairstylingtools.com
Product Information: sales@myhairstylingtools.com

Toll Free: 1-800-514-9249

Vancouver Internet Marketing specialists, RTP Online, is offering Vancouver Small Business owners a FREE SEO Evaluation for their web site. They will look over your site and give you a list of recomendations on how to increase your relevant search engine traffic.

Give RTP Online a call at 778-928-4878 and leave your URL and contact information, or email them here. SEO is a great way to increase relevant search engine traffic to your site and increase your sales. It’s free and you’ve got nothing to lose!

One of our readers asked…

I wish to start my own business, I would like to know the rules and regulations and taxation of running a small business in vancouver.

Taxation

Applying Provincial Sales Tax (PST)

Applying Provincial Sales Tax is necessary for a number of business transactions. You must register with the Consumer Taxation Branch, Ministry of Provincial Revenue, and collect social service tax (retail sales tax) on your taxable sales and leases if you engage in any of the following activities:

• Selling goods at retail.
• Leasing goods as a lessor.
• Providing legal services.
• Selling parking rights within the Vancouver Regional Transit Service Area.
• Providing taxable services (e.g. repairs to goods).
• Providing telecommunications services.

The Consumer Taxation Branch will issue you a Certificate of Registration and provide information on your responsibilities.

To register, or to obtain additional information, contact your local Government Agent or:

Information Services

Ministry of Provincial Revenue
Consumer Taxation Branch,
Vancouver 8th Floor,
360 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC
V6B 6B2 Tel:
(604) 660-4524
Toll free: 1-877-388-4440 from anywhere in Canada
Fax:(604) 660-1104
Web Site: http://www.rev.gov.bc.ca/ctb

For more information:

Do You Need to Register as a Vendor?

Taxable Services

Application for Registration as a Vendor

Business Number (GST)

The Business Number (BN) is a numbering system that identifies you and the various accounts you maintain. You receive a BN, when you open one or more of Canada Revenue Agency’s four major business accounts. The four accounts are:

• Corporate income tax
• Import/export
• Payroll deductions
• Goods and Services Tax (GST

Business Number Registration Kits can be obtained from Business Windows, located in many Canada Revenue Agency offices in BC.

Tel: 1-800-959-5525

See also:

Business Registration On-line
Employers’ Guide Payroll Deductions
Payroll Deductions Tables
Goods and Services Tax (GST)

You must register for GST as an individual, a business or an organization operating in Canada with worldwide annual revenues from taxable supplies of goods and services over $30,000. You must register for GST if you are a taxi or limousine operator.

If your annual GST-taxable sales and revenues are under $30,000, you are not required to register, but may register voluntarily as long as you are carrying on a commercial activity.

When you register for the GST, you will be assigned a Business Number (BN).

For more information, contact:

Canada Revenue Agency Business Window
1166 West Pender St
Vancouver, BC
V6E 3H8
Tel: 1-800-959-5525
Fax: (604) 691-4446
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca

More information:

General Information for GST Registrants

Business Records

If you are operating a business or have a self-employment income, you must set up an orderly record and accounting system as required under the appropriate laws. We recommend that you contact the nearest Canada Revenue Agency office for relevant forms, information on expense deductions, interpretation bulletins and income tax return forms. We also recommend
securing the services of a qualified accountant.

For more information, contact:

Canada Revenue Agency, Tax Services
Vancouver District Office
1166 West Pender St.
Vancouver, BC V6E 3H8
Business Enquiries: 1-800-959-5525
Requests for forms & Publications: 1-800-959-2221

Income Tax

Income Tax is an important consideration for every entrepreneur to understand. The difference between understanding and complying with the Income Tax Act as a small business owner or not could put your business in jeopardy. While the information contained herein is an excellent starting point, we advise that you seek the advice of an accountant and lawyer for a professional perspective.

The Income Tax Act is administered by the Taxation branch of Canada Revenue Agency. If you conduct business as a proprietorship or a partnership, you must report your share of gross and net profits (or losses) for the business’ fiscal period on your individual tax return (T1).

For an incorporated company, file a corporation tax return (T2) within six months of the end of the corporation’s fiscal period.

Reasonable Expectation of Profit

If your business is operating under a sole proprietorship or a partnership, it is subjected to a test of reasonable expectation of profit (REOP) review. A REOP review involves examining the various factors of your business to determine if there exists a reasonable expectation of profit, and thus the existence of a business, for income tax purposes.

While this is not a complete list, some of the factors that the Canada Revenue Agency has used to evaluate REOP are:

• Profit and Loss experience in past years
• Significance and growth of gross revenues
• Development of the operation to date
• Planned or intended course of action
• Time spent on the activity in question
• Education, background and experience
• Extent of activity in relation to that of businesses of a comparable size

If your business is determined to have no REOP, it will be deemed to be not a business for income tax purposes. As such, any expenses and associated losses of the activity will be disallowed. To learn more information, check out the Canada Revenue Agency website.

Expense Deductions

As a rule, you can deduct any reasonable expense you incur to earn business income. The expenses you can deduct include any goods and services tax (GST) you incur on these expenses unless you claim an input tax credit on these expenses. Therefore, enter only the business portion of expenses on the form. Please note that you cannot claim expenses you incur to buy capital property.

Deductions might include:

• Advertising
• Bad debts
• Delivery, freight and express costs
• Fuel costs
• Insurance
• Interest on money borrowed to run your business
• Maintenance and repairs
• Management and administration fees
• Meals and entertainment (50% of the amount you incur, or an amount that is reasonable in the circumstances, whichever is less)
• Motor vehicle expenses (including license and registration fees, fuel costs, insurance, interest, maintenance and repairs and leasing costs)
• Telephone and utilities
• Disability related modifications, devices and equipment
• Expenses for disability-specific computer software and hardware attachments
• Computer leasing costs
• Other leasing costs
• Small tools (i.e. less than $200 cost per tool)
• Convention expenses (maximum two conventions a year)
• Capital cost allowance
• Allowance on eligible capital property (e.g. goodwill, franchise)
• Business use of home expensesFor more information, please contact the Canada Revenue Agency, Tax ServicesVancouver District Office
  1166 West Pender St.
  Vancouver, BC V6E 3H8
  General Inquiries: 1-800-959-8281
  Business, GST Payroll: 1-800-959-5525
  Requests for forms: 1-800-959-2221

Source: Small Business BC