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OTTAWA - An index that represents business confidence in Canada was relatively flat in July, suggesting a degree of economic stabilization. But small- and medium-sized businesses aren't cheering the end of the recession just yet, said Ted Mallett, chief economist with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, which puts out the monthly `` Read More

Small-to-medium sized businesses have benefitted from the Federal Government's stimulus packages, registering a profitable outlook for the first time since September 2008, a survey shows. Read More

From handing out and collecting business cards to making followup calls and ongoing relationship building, this post talks about small business marketing the old fashioned way. But what is perhaps more interesting is the degree to which everything described has a counterpart in what we call social media. Much reviled by those who say this kind of Read More

This Nationwide Networking panel talks about the importance of branding for small business. More important, however, is the discussion of what brand is--not simply a name or logo but the idea behind everything that goes in to your customer's experience. In some cases this can be an extension of personal brand and how you interact with a customer. Read More

In this feature from Inc.com tips from 13 entrepreneurs on starting your dream business are shared. If you think businesses like aerospace companies are not really small business or take millions to start, think again. Consider companies like Paragon Space Development launched with $75,000 in savings, loans and credit card debt. Stories like these Read More

Why did anyone ever think that "auto following" people on Twitter was a good idea? Today we may have finally seen the death of the auto-follow as Robert Scoble and Pete Cashmore of Mashable chime in with the realization that NOT auto-following improves the quality of your Twitter experience and marketing. Finally! Read More

Need help growing your business? Outsourcing administrative tasks and small projects can be a huge time saver, and it's often cheaper than you'd think. Here are my recommendations for online resources where you can find great contractors and virtual assistant help for your business. Read More

Using Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter is important for many small companies. It doesn't work for everyone. American Express OPEN Forum's VP of Branding posted about Online Marketing and links to a good PDF download. Read More

The Federal Government is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world and, perhaps as part of the economic recovery, getting bigger. Many people associate government contracts with things like vehicles and missiles, but the U.S. Government buys every imaginable product and service and tries very hard to make a substantial portion of t Read More

With so many blogs popping up every day, it's hard to determine which ones you should read and which ones you should pass by. Lucky for you, there is one list of valuable business blogs that you should take a moment to look through. Whether you are just starting out or already have an established business, you should be able to find any informat Read More