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  • Coaching Workshop with Nick Forrest

    October 27, 2014 by

    I recently attended a professional development workshop “Coaching – It’s the Manager’s Job.” Nick Forrest presented this workshop based on his company’s “SAGE” Coaching Model.  SAGE is an acronym for the four coaching steps in the model – Set Expectation; Affirm Reality; Generate Options; Execute Plan.  It is a tactical-level coaching model designed to address
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  • Provincial Funding Grants for Ontario Businesses

    October 22, 2014 by

    In Canada, the federal government provides funding for grants, but doesn’t administer them. Instead the government funnels the money to provincial and municipal government agencies to distribute. In the province of Ontario, these agencies also administer other types of lending programs, some of which require a minimal repayment or supplemental funding by the business. One
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  • How to Manage Profit & Loss

    October 10, 2014 by

    Entrepreneurs need to properly manage profit and loss to ensure the long term sustainability of their businesses. When sales exceed expenses, the business profits. When the opposite is true, the company generates a loss. This calculation is straightforward enough, but managing profit and loss is a delicate balance that requires a thorough understanding of how
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  • Prosperity in an Age of Decline

    October 9, 2014 by

    On September 25, 2014, economist Brian Beaulieu presented a talk on prosperity in an age of decline. Sponsored by the accounting professionals at Hogg, Shain and Scheck Professional Corporation, this event was an informative presentation that examined what to expect from today’s national and international economies and even offered some investment tips. We’ve compiled a
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  • Financial Planning on a Personal Level

    September 26, 2014 by

    Developing a personal financial plan for the year ahead will help you stay focused and organized. We have outlined some important steps to consider when making your plan. Determine your financial goals for the next year Determine how much money you require to meet your goals and an action plan to meet those goals. Be
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  • Hogg Shain & Scheck, A Great Place to Work

    September 25, 2014 by

    I started working at HSS in 2011, my second year of university. While the majority of my classmates chose co-op terms at the “big four,” I chose to work at a smaller Toronto firm. This decision was definitely right for me. If you believe the quality of your performance is based on your work environment
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  • Should You Transfer Your Sole Proprietorship into a Corporation?

    September 24, 2014 by

    Many businesses – even some of today’s top companies – begin as sole proprietorships, simply because it’s the simplest and most straightforward type of company for beginners to undertake and understand. But as a business grows, the sole proprietorship often is not the ideal choice, and many businesses choose to convert to a corporation. While
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  • Travelling to the USA?

    September 19, 2014 by

    On a recent trip to Niagara Falls, New York, my friends and I were stopped at the Rainbow Bridge border for overspending. Little did we know that our spending limits were so low, and that we would have to pay taxes and duties on what we brought back to Canada to the Canadian Border Security
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  • Small Business Job Credit

    September 19, 2014 by

    On September 11, 2014 Federal Finance Minister Joe Oliver announced the creation of the Small Business Job Credit.  This credit will apply to Employment Insurance (EI) premiums paid by small businesses in 2015 and 2016 and will result in a 15% net reduction in EI over those years. The credit is effective for two years,
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  • Asking your boss for maternity leave

    September 12, 2014 by

    Telling your boss that you will be taking a year off for maternity leave can be a stressful discussion. How soon do you tell them? Will they be supportive? Will they like my replacement more? I have had to have this conversation twice with my HSS bosses, the most recent one being only five months
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  • How an Income Statement Measures Performance

    September 8, 2014 by

    An income statement is one of the many financial tools that Canadian entrepreneurs can use to measure profitability. Learn how to use an income statement to evaluate your business’ sustainability. What is an income statement? A calculation of a company’s revenue and sales less its expenses over a designated period of time. What profitability measurements
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  • Penalties and the CRA’s Matching Program

    August 29, 2014 by

    If you’ve received a notice of reassessment from the CRA, you are not alone; millions of Canadians are hit with reassessments each year. Most of these reassessments aren’t aimed at uncovering fraud or malfeasance; instead, they’re triggered by the CRA’s matching program, a system designed to look at every return and match it to the
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