MONCTON, QC - BDC will honour top young business people from across Canada at the Young Entrepreneur Awards (YEA) ceremony to be held this evening in Moncton. The event is a major feature of Small Business Week, which runs from October 15 to 21 under the theme: "A world without boundaries, open to new markets".

"These entrepreneurs represent the best of the next generation of Canadian innovation," said BDC President and CEO Jean-René Halde. "They've tapped into fresh ideas to meet emerging needs, opened up new market opportunities and are making a significant mark in their communities."

"Canadian entrepreneurs are the very heart of Canada's national economy and young entrepreneurs are our future. They play a vital role in helping us achieve a more prosperous society," said the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for BDC. "I am committed to helping entrepreneurs continue to grow successful Canadian firms that become increasingly competitive in the global marketplace."

BDC's Young Entrepreneur Awards, an annual event in its 19th year, celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit and business success of Canadian entrepreneurs between the ages of 19 and 35. The winners - one from each province and territory - are selected by a committee, based on criteria including success, growth potential, innovation and participation in new economy activities and community involvement. The committee also considers export performance, the entrepreneur's age when the business was started and any special challenges overcome.

Special awards

YEA winners were also eligible for two additional awards. Martin Lamontagne from Quebec has won the Export Development Canada Export Excellence Award. Shane Patelakis of Prince Edward Island has received the WestJet Creative Mind Award for daring and originality in the creation, marketing and promotion of a product. The recipients will each take home a $15,000 grant to be invested in their business.

The company W.P. Griffin Inc. and its current President John Griffin were recognized with an award introduced for the first time this year - the CFIB Business Ownership Transition Award - which recognizes the seller and buyer of a business that has successfully changed hands from one generation to the next. It comes with a $20,000 grant to help the company meet its growth objectives.

On Monday, YEA recipients were gathered with business leaders and academics at the BDC Forum, an event in which participants have the opportunity to share knowledge and experience on issues facing Canadian entrepreneurs.

The 2006 Young Entrepreneurs, listed by province and territory, are as follows.

Newfoundland and Labrador - Danny Tuff, 31, Blue Line Innovations Inc., St. John's.
The brainchild of Danny and his brother, Maurice, Blue Line's Powercost Monitor(TM) is a table-top unit that works like a "speedometer for energy consumption", displaying in real-time and dollars and cents how much electricity the consumer is using. The device has caught the attention of a number of power companies and is currently being deployed by Ontario's Hydro One to 30,000 customers. "Our technologies help people make better use of electricity, water and gas, on a global basis," says Danny.

Nova Scotia - Ron Lovett, 27, RFL Group of Companies, Halifax.
Developing new concepts and creating new markets is what drives Ron Lovett, an entrepreneur whose businesses include security services, a bring-your-own-wine restaurant, event marketing, general contracting services and a soon-to-be opened late night noodle restaurant. "It's about being innovative all the time, not giving up and working really hard," says Ron of his constantly-expanding business ventures. His flagship company, Source Security, employs some 250 part-timers who provide security services for a wide variety of events throughout Atlantic Canada on a regular basis.

New Brunswick - Jenny Scott, 27, Ambiance Day Spa, Saint John.
Owner of the city's largest spa, Jenny has built a business that in three years has grown from a staff of eight to 27 and is consistently booked solid. Jenny, who started the spa when she was just out of school, has seen business results double in the first and second years of operation and continue to grow at a steady pace. "Our philosophy is to make sure the entire spa experience relaxes and re-invigorates each and every client," says Jenny.

Prince Edward Island - Shane Patelakis, 32, Progressive BioActives Inc. (PBI), Charlottetown.
Developing a new application for extracting natural extracts to be used as bioactive animal feed, Shane has built a business that is emblematic of PEI's new generation economy. PBI's ProVale(TM) agent, which stimulates the immune system of certain animal and aquatic species, works as both a disease management tool and an alternative to growth-promoting antibiotics. PBI produces and sells its product to the swine, poultry and farmed fish markets in Canada, has licensed its technology to a U.S. company and is negotiating a similar agreement with a group of investors in Thailand.

Québec - Martin Lamontagne, 33, Creaform, Québec City.
Martin founded Creaform four years ago as a distributor of reverse engineering products. The company soon gained a foothold in Europe and opened a subsidiary - Euroform - in Paris. In 2005, Creaform launched its own product
- the Handyscan 3D(TM), an easy-to-use, hand-held 3D laser scan camera. That same year, Creaform doubled in size and saw its export volumes go from 9% to an astounding 51% of sales. With a one-of-a-kind product, superior customer service and a growing international reputation, "the future looks very bright," says Martin.

Ontario - Bob Hoang, 35, Vy Hoang, 33, Grace Baba, 31, i(3)DVR International, Toronto.
This entrepreneurial trio has built a leading-edge surveillance equipment business that numbers 135 employees, the majority of whom are new Canadians. Boasting the largest research group in its industry, their business has a worldwide distribution network and realized $20 million in sales in 2005. With clients as varied as casinos, military bases and the U.S. Federal Reserve, i (3)DVR provides state-of-the-art equipment with video analytic software that adds value to captured video data. "Our customers love the integration and innovation of our products and the flexibility of our staff," says Bob.

Manitoba -Jeff Ganczar, 31, Capitol Welding Ltd., Winnipeg.
Jeff has come a long way since leaving a salaried position to strike out on his own with one welding machine and a truck in 1998. Today Capitol Welding is a multifaceted structural steel business that employs 60 people, occupies a 35,000 square-foot facility and regularly takes on multi-million-dollar industrial and commercial construction projects for clients in Western Canada, Ontario and into the U.S. "I intend to continue to expand as aggressively as I can," says Jeff.

Saskatchewan - Marc Paquette, 34, DyMark Industries Inc., Saskatoon.
Founded by Marc in 2003, Dymark has rapidly gained a reputation with commercial contractors as a top-notch steel supply and installation business. An unwavering commitment to keeping to schedule has become DyMark's trademark and attracted contractors in Saskatchewan, Winnipeg and as far as Mexico. With a young staff of 20 employees all under the age of 35, DyMark sales have tripled since its first year in business. "I am living my dream," says Marc of his business success.

Alberta - Arnon Levy, 35, Guest-Tek Interactive Entertainment Ltd., Calgary.
Providing high-speed internet access to 530,000 hotel rooms around the globe, Guest-Tek is a dominant player in its field. A public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, Guest-Tek doubled its previous year's revenues to $44 million in 2005 and has expanded services to offer an integrated suite of products: internet access, video and voice systems. "This business has become a significant part of my life," says Arnon, of the company he founded 10 years ago in his Calgary basement and which today numbers 300.

British Columbia - Todd Dunlop, 27, Dave Arnsdorf, 29, Jordan Visco, 26 and Greg Bate, 26, Neverblue Media Inc., Victoria.
Taking the online advertising world by storm, these four young entrepreneurs have realized 10,000% growth for Neverblue Media in just two and half years. Starting with web-based search marketing, they've expanded their offering to include co-registration campaigns, affiliate marketing and specialized, lead generation campaigns. In December 2005, they spun off a direct contact company. "We were all hoping to be successful, but if you'd asked us two and half years ago where we'd be today, I don't think we would have projected this far out," says Jordan.

Nunavut - Tara Tootoo Fotheringham, 31, Sugar Rush Café, Rankin Inlet.
Tara has converted an existing business that she purchased just one year ago into a local hot spot. Sugar Rush, her 1950's-style café, caters to the local population with extended hours, a menu that offers exotic choices such as arctic char sushi and caribou chili, a gift store and a wedding supply business. Tara also owns and operates a Bed and Breakfast, was instrumental in opening a local daycare centre, has acted as a hamlet councilor and works for the local government as a custom adoption commissioner.

Northwest Territories - Holly Norris, 26, Delta Sun Services, Inuvik.
Holly started a catering business in 2003 and soon saw demand for her services boom. Building on that success, the company took over the concession service at the local arena and purchased a restaurant in 2005. Delta Sun Services, 100-percent Aboriginal-owned, provides opportunities for young people to gain work experience and pursue careers in the cooking trade. Holly says she hopes her own success shows aspiring young entrepreneurs, "you can do something like this if you really want to."

Yukon - Katrina Russell, 33, Mail Boxes Etc., Whitehorse.
Katrina saw a need and quickly moved to fill it when a mailbox location in Whitehorse shut down in 2002. She stepped in by opening a Mail Boxes Etc. store that provides clients with an alternative mailbox solution as well as a full range of business management services from printing and photocopying to packaging and desktop publishing. Working hard to promote the store's services, Katrina has turned her business into a flourishing, one-stop business service centre that is an integral part of the downtown business community.

Small businesses can reduce time spent on payroll by 30 per cent and prevent costly penalties by outsourcing

TORONTO - Entrepreneurs who think they're saving money by sweating the details of payroll in-house are in fact spending 30 per cent more time for the privilege, according to the ADP Price of Payroll Study, an in-depth look at 150 small businesses across Canada. According to the study, outsourcing payroll would save many small businesses nearly one-third of the time it takes to manage payroll operations, which translates to $939 in savings each year.

"The ADP Price of Payroll Study is all the justification a small business owner should ever need to start outsourcing," said Angela Haier, vice president, small business solutions, ADP Canada. "Cost-conscious entrepreneurs will be surprised to learn that when it comes to payroll, the do-it-yourself mentality, quite literally, doesn't pay."

The Study

ADP Canada commissioned Environics Research Group to survey 150 small business owners across Canada who process their payroll in-house using a variety of software programs. The study compared the time and related cost for small businesses to do in-house payroll each year versus outsourcing the task to ADP.

The Results: Outsourcing Saves Small Businesses Time and Money According to the ADP Price of Payroll Study, the amount of time small businesses spend on payroll processing, when translated into dollars, is significant:

<< - Small businesses spend 11.7 hours per employee each year on payroll processing.
- That means the surveyed companies, who had a median of 13 employees, spend 152 hours processing payroll annually.
- ADP examined the tasks it assumes or simplifies for a company of this size when it processes its payroll, and determined that outsourcing reduces up to 30 per cent of the hours - saving the average small business (with 13 employees) 42 hours each year - or one full week worth of work.
- The median salary of the surveyed employees responsible for payroll was $35,000 plus benefits, or $21.90 per hour. Therefore a small business spends $3,331 annually to process payroll in-house.
- A 30 per cent payroll time reduction from outsourcing translates to a savings of $939. >>

Hidden Costs of Handling Payroll In-House

The ADP Price of Payroll Study also uncovered hidden costs that aren't typically factored into the hard costs of processing payroll in-house: <<

- In nearly half (43 per cent) of all businesses studied, a very senior person (e.g. Owner, President, CEO, Controller, VP Finance) is spending valuable time on payroll administration.
- Forty-three per cent of owners also admit to spending time fixing errors in their payroll when using an accounting software program.
- Eleven per cent of those surveyed said that they have received a penalty from the government for late payment of remittances when processing payroll on their own. The median amount of the fine was $500.

>> The Case Study

Raymond Dacillo, co-owner of C-Care Services, a health care temporary placement agency that provides nurses for hospitals and other facilities across Ontario, recently switched his payroll operations from an accounting software program to ADP's Web-based service. According to Dacillo, keeping track of a complex payroll process involving hundreds of nurses working at dozens of hospitals became such a burden that he and his partner could no longer focus on growth.

"With ADP, we now process our payroll online, on time, every time," said Dacillo. "We now pay employees through direct deposit and our year-end government filings are handled by experts. We're using our newfound freedom to help run our fast growing business."

"Above and beyond the time and cost savings, outsourcing to a company like ADP gives entrepreneurs peace of mind," adds Haier. "From payroll knowledge to compliance expertise, to data protection and technical support, ADP takes care of the headaches small business owners don't have time to worry about."

Canadian wine products have become increasingly popular over the past decade, largely because of a transformation that began during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

During this time, growers switched from producing wines made from native species (Labrusca) grapes to those made from wine quality grapes (viniferaand French hybrid varieties).

As the grape industry was switching to wine quality grapes, the Canadian wine industry, although relatively small, was growing at a remarkable pace, according to a new study "From the vine to the glass: Canada's grape and wine industry," published today in the Analysis in Brief series.

In fact, the industry had the 11th highest growth rate among the 215 industry groups between 1997 and 2005. During this period, its real gross domestic product increased at an average annual rate of 7.1%, more than double the rate of growth of 3.0% for the nation as a whole.

The industry is, however, relatively small, accounting for only 0.03% of the economy-wide gross domestic product in 2005. It employed close to 2,500 persons in 2004, which represented only 0.14% of all manufacturing jobs.

The study examines the transformation in the Canadian grape and wine industries, and the evolution of wine sales in Canada from 1993 to 2005.

Canadians' taste for their own wines spurred the sales growth in this industry, as almost all of the increase has been the result of domestic sales.

Between 1992/1993 and 2004/2005, total sales of Canadian wines (including cider, sparkling and coolers) increased by $557.4 million. Of this amount, $517.2 million or 93% came from the Canadian retail market.

Exports also increased, but remained at relatively low levels compared with domestic sales. The most important export markets for Canadian wines are the United States and Taiwan.

In total, the value of wine sales in Canada exceeded $4.2 billion in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2005. Consumers bought a record high volume of 360 million litres of wine, of which 40% were Canadian brands and 60% imported.

Canadians are still very much a beer-drinking nation. But more and more, wines are making inroads.

For the first time, the value of sales of wine has surpassed that of spirits in Canada. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2005, wine accounted for 25.2% of the value of sales of alcoholic beverages, compared with 24.3% for spirits, the first time wine has jumped into second place. Beer accounted for 50.4%.

Quebec residents bought the highest amount of wine, averaging 18.2 litres per adult in 2005. They were followed by consumers in British Columbia who bought 16.2 litres on average.

However, the biggest increase occurred in Nova Scotia, where sales doubled during this period from a low of 6.4 litres in 1993 to a high of 13.6 litres in 2005.

There’s a very good reason why so many people are afraid of public speaking; it’s because the advice they typically get is so full of old wives’ tales and gobbledygook, they instinctively know that it just can’t be right, but they don’t know what else to do, so they just go along with it, thus perpetuating the myths. They seldom stop to ask the question, "Why?" Yet if they were to stop and ask the question, they might be very surprised (and relieved) at the answer.

Let’s start at the beginning. The opening of a presentation is critical and many theories have been offered as to what the best way open. Here are some of them, and why you should NEVER USE THEM. The reasons are simple once you know why.

1. The Joke - When you start with a joke, there are four possible outcomes: 1) People will get the joke and laugh, 2) people won’t get the joke and won’t laugh, 3) people will get the joke and think it’s not funny or appropriate and won’t laugh, or 4) will have heard the joke before and won’t laugh. So even if you tell the joke perfectly, with the timing of a professional (which is unlikely), you have a 75% chance your audience won’t laugh. Or worse, sometimes they laugh a little just to be polite, but are saying to themselves, "How lame." So why would anyone start with a joke?

2. Asking a Question - When you begin by asking a question, there are numerous possible outcomes, with the most likely being: 1) People will think the question is rhetorical and won’t answer, 2) people won’t know whether they are supposed to raise their hand or call out the answer, and because they don’t want to risk embarrassing themselves, they won’t answer, 3) people will be afraid they’ll get the answer wrong, and don’t want the speaker to point out their error, so they won’t answer, 4) they’ll call out an answer that is wrong, which means you have to correct them, and you’ve just alienated that person and everyone else who might have agreed with him or her, or 5) they call out the right answer, which means there’s someone (or many people) who have just figured out they know as much about the subject as you do, so any motivation to stay for the rest of the presentation has just fizzled out.

3. Talking about Yourself - When you begin by talking about yourself, (the most common mistake made in the political arena) these are some of the possible outcomes; 1) People will see you as a self-centered bore, in the same way they would if you were simply having a one-on-one conversation with them, 2) people won’t care about who you are, they just want to know what you can do for them as a result of your presentation, so they’ll turn you off, or 3) people will find things in what you say to dislike about you, or with which to disagree, an impression you must now work twice as hard to overcome.

4. Saying Something Shocking - When you start your presentation by saying or doing something shocking, there are several possible outcomes; a) People will think that you believe they have the attention span of a child and must be treated as such, and will immediately resent you for that assumption, b) people will find the statement or action so outrageous they will be in disagreement with you right off the bat, making the rest of your presentation and long and difficult uphill climb, or c) people will think you have a screw loose, and will realize that it wouldn’t be possible to believe anything you say after that anyway, so they’ll try be focussed on a way to escape rather than on any subsequent explanation you might care to give about your shocking statement or action.

5. Starting With an Apology - When you begin by apologizing, which most often includes some excuse for not having enough time to prepare, there are several possible outcomes; 1) People will realize that you cared so little about the value of their time that you decided you could waste it, 2) people will think you got stuck making a presentation to them, making them feel unwanted, 3) people will think you must not know very much about the subject if you needed that much effort to prepare, or 4) people will realize that you are simply making preemptive excuses for the bad job you are about to do, and will look for the quickest way out.

6. Telling the audience what you’re going to tell them, then telling them, then telling them what you just told them - When you begin with the age-old, misguided approach of tell ‘em, tell ‘em, tell ‘em, (which is the equivalent of telling your audience the moral of the story before you’ve even begun) these are the likely outcomes; a) People will hear the conclusion, will usually assume they already know the path to get there, and will lose interest in going along for the long and arduous ride, b) people will decide they don’t want to know about that particular subject and will look for a way out, or c) people will believe you must think they are stupid to have to hear something three times in order to get it, and will not be inclined to want to listen to someone who thinks they are stupid.

When you ask the question "why", it’s easy to see the reasons these old myths should be eliminated from the public speaking lexicon. They simply don’t make sense. Which leaves the question, "What does?"

The purpose of the opening of a presentation is to get everyone together, to make sure everyone is on the same page, to get everyone in agreement as to the state of things as they are now, so that your presentation can progress from there. The best and only 100% effective way of doing that is start by making an irrefutable statement with which everyone can agree.

Jeanette Henderson is author of the book, There’s No Such Thing as Public Speaking, to be released by Penguin Books later this year. A writer, speaker, speech coach, teacher, presentation consultant and Special Correspondent for the radio talk show Viewpoints on WCPI-FM in Middle Tennessee, she is co-founder of Podium Master, a nationally-recognized presentation consulting firm. She may be contacted through www.podiummaster.com.

TORONTO - In conjunction with Small Business Week, TD Economics released a report today examining the economic outlook for Canadian small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Entitled Small Business Prospects Remain Positive and co-authored by Senior Economist Derek Burleton and Economist David Tulk, the report finds that despite the deteriorating outlook for the U.S. economy, Canada's SME sector is well-positioned for continued growth next year.

"Most SMEs are concentrated on the domestic economy with particularly large footprints in health care, construction, and consumer and business services. The good news is that these domestic areas of Canada's economy should hold up well over the next few years, supported by a strong labour market, an increase in government spending, relatively low lending rates, and cuts to small business income tax rates implemented by several provincial governments," said Burleton.

The domestic focus of SMEs is also beneficial for the sector as a whole given the expectation that economic activity in the United States will slow in the coming quarters as their economy enters a mid-cycle slowdown. "On balance, SMEs do not engage in as much international trade as larger firms, so most SMEs will be insulated from the slowing in the U.S. economy. Nevertheless, SMEs within the manufacturing, forestry, and tourism sector will face more difficult economic conditions over the next twelve months before economic growth in the United States recovers later next year," said Burleton.

However, there will undoubtedly exist regional variations in conditions facing SMEs. SMEs in Central Canada, while still domestically focused, are more closely tied to Canada's large manufacturing exporters, and will likely face a more difficult business climate than their counterparts out West. SME's in British Columbia and in Atlantic Canada will likely be the most impacted by weaker tourism activity over the next few quarters," added Burleton.

SMEs in Canada are expected to face further cost pressures. "With a national jobless rate sitting at a generational low, the very tight labour market will continue to place upward pressure on wages," commented Burleton. With wages representing a major input cost to SMEs, this development will negatively affect the overall sector. However, SMEs will receive some relief from insurance costs which have recently eased after remaining at a very high level in recent years.

While the near-term outlook for SMEs remains positive, there are two fundamental forces affecting Canada's economy over the longer run that remain both an obstacle and an opportunity for small business: globalization and Canada's aging population. Given that Canada accounts for just two per cent of the world economy, SMEs stand to benefit tremendously from international trade and globalization. While there are a number of obstacles to overcome on the road to harnessing the advantages of globalization, the report discusses some of the resources available to help SMEs take the first step

Lastly, like larger enterprises, SMEs are also facing the challenge of an aging population in Canada. Since immigration will help alleviate some of the economic consequences of this demographic development, SMEs must position themselves to embrace new Canadians to help ensure their mutual success in the decades to come.

"This study underscores the vibrancy of Canada's small business sector and its overall importance to our economy" said Paul Clark, Senior Vice President, Small Business Banking. "In talking to our small business clients across the country, we know that many of the challenges and opportunities uncovered in the report reflect their day-to-day concerns namely the health of our economy and consumer confidence. Based on what we've seen at TD, we're confident small business has what it takes to remain competitive in the future."

- Optimism about short-term direction of Canadian economy stays high
- Confidence in the improved performance of their own business next year
- Concerns include: financial, government, labour and competition

TORONTO - A new Scotiabank survey shows Canada's small business owners remain upbeat about future economic conditions.

"Small business owners have indicated their optimism about Canada's prospects in the year ahead and that will go a long way toward reinforcing the economy's forward momentum," said Aron Gampel, Deputy Chief Economist, Scotiabank.

The Bank's annual review of Canadian small business probes business owners' major concerns and priorities, as well as trends and prospects for the year ahead. Survey results released today also explore the impact of Canada's economy on small business.

"Small business owners are taking advantage of the opportunities presented by a buoyant primary sector, a large and expanding service sector, massive infrastructure investments, and supportive fiscal and demographic fundamentals," added Mr. Gampel.

Rising optimism about Canada's economic conditions

The survey shows relative optimism in the short-term direction of the economy, with 28% of small business owners believing that general economic conditions will improve over the next 12 months. Compared to last year, fewer owners expect that conditions will deteriorate (only 23% in 2006, compared to 45% in 2005), and more expect conditions to remain the same (49%, up from 33% in 2005).

Small business owners in B.C. are more optimistic about the future of the Canadian economy, where 38 per cent indicated they believe the economy will improve over the next year. This is in contrast to those in Quebec and Atlantic Canada where only 22 per cent are optimistic about the future of the Canadian economy. <<

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Small Business Owners' Perceptions of Economic Conditions in Canada Over Next 12 Months

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Atlantic Quebec Ontario Prairies B.C.
(n equals (n equals (n equals (n equals (n equals (n equals
573) 80) 138) 130) 109) 116)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Improve 28% 22% 22% 24% 34% 38%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stay the same 49% 48% 57% 45% 45% 52%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deteriorate 23% 30% 21% 31% 21% 10%
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(*) Thinking about the general economic conditions in Canada over the next 12 months, do you think they will improve, deteriorate or stay about the same as they are now? >>

Stable confidence in business performance

Small business owners are optimistic about the future of their own companies over the next 12 months. About half (46 per cent) say they feel their business will strengthen going forward, 47 per cent think it will remain about the same, and seven per cent anticipate it will not perform as strongly. This level of confidence is similar to results reported last year.

From a regional perspective, while not statistically significant, small business owners in Quebec were most optimistic, with 48 per cent stating that they feel their business will perform more strongly than today. This contrasts slightly with Ontario (47 per cent), Prairies (46 per cent), B.C. (44 per cent), and Atlantic Canada (42 per cent).

The survey also suggests that most small businesses plan to expand their operations within their own city or town. "This focus is attuned to the growing urbanization of Canada, a strategy that should help firms deal with domestic adjustments as the U.S. economy moves to a slower growth trajectory," said Mr. Gampel.

Issues facing small business

When asked about major issues of concern to small business, small business owners' most frequently mentioned issues related to: financial, government, labour and competition issues. A solid 60 per cent cited financial issues such as, taxes, fuel prices, interest rates and financing, while 25 per cent noted that government matters such as regulations or lack of government support were a concern. Among small business owners, 16 per cent highlighted labour issues, such as a qualified labour shortage, while another 16 per cent pointed to competition issues, including pressure by big corporations. Although these topics were also prominent in the 2005 edition of the survey, concerns over government issues rose seven percentage points in 2006.

Ontario survey respondents voiced the greatest concern for financial issues (70 per cent) followed closely by Atlantic Canada (62 per cent), B.C. (60 per cent), and Prairies (57 per cent). Small business owners located in Quebec mentioned financial concerns the least (46 per cent).

When asked about key external factors that impact how they run their small business, 86 per cent expressed some level of concern about overall taxes, while energy prices concerned 81 per cent. Both the health of the Canadian economy and dealing with government regulation concerned 76 per cent of small business owners surveyed.

Overall taxes were of strongest concern in Ontario (92 per cent) and similar levels of concern were found in Atlantic Canada (91 per cent) followed by B.C. (86 per cent), Prairies (85 per cent) and Quebec (78 per cent).

TNS Canadian Facts conducted the survey using the firms Online Financial Panel. Email invitations were sent to 3158 members of the panel comprising more than 32,000 Canadian Internet users who have agreed to participate in survey research from time to time. In total, 573 online interviews were completed between August 17 and August 31 2006, a completion rate of 18 per cent (respondents who qualified and completed the survey). Small business owners were defined as those who were an owner or a partner in a business with annual revenues under $5 million. They also had to derive their primary source of income from the business and be involved with the business on a full-time basis. Final data were weighted by region and business revenue to accurately reflect the small business population within Canada and are considered accurate to within 4.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

MISSISSAUGA - Minister of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Harinder Takhar is saluting small business achievements across Ontario during Small Business Month in October.

"More than 340,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs have taken up the challenge of running a business successfully, contributing to Ontario's diverse, innovative and globally-competitive economy," Takhar said at the launch of Salute to Small Business Month.

The McGuinty government champions the entrepreneurial spirit that drives economic prosperity by: <<

- Establishing a ministry solely dedicated to the needs of small business
- Supporting a record 370 students in operating their own summer businesses in 2006
- Providing $673,000 in partnership funding to create a culture of entrepreneurship among Ontario's youth
- Investing $25-million to support the long-term growth of Ontario's wine industry
- Launching a new website for small business owners and entrepreneurs (www.sbe.gov.on.ca) and partnering with ServiceOntario (www.serviceontario.ca) to provide small business with one-stop access to government information and services online, in person and by phone
- Supporting 44 Small Business Enterprise Centres (www.sbe.gov.on.ca/sbec) in 53 locations across the province to assist small entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses
- Working with the Small Business Agency of Ontario to help small business grow and succeed, and reducing paper burden to save owners and entrepreneurs time and money
- Connecting innovative, growth-oriented firms to business advisors around the province >>

Small and medium-sized businesses comprise 99 per cent of all companies across Ontario. More than half of all Ontarians work for these firms. "We want all small business owners and operators to feel proud about what they do, because their government recognizes and values their accomplishments," said Takhar. "I urge everyone to support small businesses in communities across Ontario."

Award to Be Presented to George Usher at Excellence in Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences Awards Banquet Recognizing Best Practices in the Development of Ushercell

TORONTO - Polydex Pharmaceuticals Limited is proud to accept this year's Product Innovation of the Year Award from Frost & Sullivan for best practices in the development of Ushercell, the company's revolutionary next-generation contraceptive prophylactic gel, envisioned to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections, including the AIDS causing HIV virus.

George Usher, President and CEO of Polydex, was delighted to receive Frost & Sullivan's invitation to accept the Award at a Presentation Banquet in La Jolla California later this month. "We're really very pleased that over the last decade Ushercell has continued to demonstrate that it is safe and acceptable to men and women, propelling this important research into Phase III HIV-prevention studies, and for potential uses against a wide variety of bacteria and viruses. Frost & Sullivan's recognition of Ushercell as an innovative gel microbicide product that may potentially provide superior protection against HIV, the virus responsible for AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), is prestigious and a true mark of distinction in the history of Ushercell's development."

With unparalleled support from the research team at CONRAD, Ushercell has been shown in a Phase II clinical study to be an effective contraceptive and in preclinical studies to prevent transmission of gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes 1 and 2, and human papilloma virus HPV (the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection in the world and linked to the onset of cervical cancer).

Dr. Henry Gabelnick, Executive Director of CONRAD, congratulated Polydex on receiving this Award and said, "We're happy to see Polydex recognized with this Award. Ushercell's potential as a contraceptive and microbicide is very promising. CONRAD will continue to provide full support to complete our evidence based research with the intention of getting this product to market."

Frost & Sullivan's Award for Product Innovation of the Year recognizes Polydex Pharmaceuticals for achieving world-class performance in microbicide development, a tribute to excellence in the product development of Ushercell, an innovative microbicide that could help combat the spread of AIDS and other STDs, especially in women.

Nivedithaa Gopaalakrishnan, research analyst at Frost & Sullivan, performed extensive research into microbicide development and concluded, "Ushercell is notable in that it does not lead to any inflammation like many other vaginal products do. Some microbicides based on cytotoxicity have been known to cause problems such as thinning of the vaginal walls that could exert a negative effect on the normal vaginal microbial flora. This could further increase the chances of contracting STDs."

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company for more than 40 years, provides comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit www.frost.com.

CONRAD is a cooperating agency of USAID committed to improving reproductive health by expanding the contraceptive choices of women and men and by helping to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. CONRAD is administered through the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) in Norfolk, VA. These trials receive significant support from USAID and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Polydex Pharmaceuticals Limited, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of biotechnology-based products for the human pharmaceutical market, and also manufactures bulk pharmaceutical intermediates for the worldwide veterinary pharmaceutical industry.

LxSix Photonics, named one of Canada's fastest growing technology companies in 2006 by the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Program, attributes its 3076 percent revenue growth of the past three years to its investments in research and development

MONTREAL - LxSix Photonics has been named one of the ten "Best Company to Watch" by Deloitte's prestigious Technology Fast 50, the annual program which recognizes excellence, innovation and the fastest growing tech companies in Canada. Rankings are based on percentage of growth in fiscal year revenues over three years, from 2003-2005.

LxSix Photonics' increase in revenues of 3076 percent from 2003-2005 resulted in earning the title as one of the "Best Companies to Watch" by Deloitte's Technology Fast 50 program.

"To be named as "Best Company to Watch" by the Deloitte Technology Fast 50, companies in Canada must have tremendous revenue growth from 2003-2005", said John Rufflo, National Leader, Technology, Media & Telecommunications, Deloitte. "LxSix Photonics has proven to be one of the fast-growth success stories in Canada and we applaud their dedication to making their vision reality".

LxSix Photonics' President and CEO, Jacques Legare, credits the company's 3076 percent revenue growth of the past three years to their investment in research and development, which has led the company to create a unique and highly automated laser production technology platform named Write-On(TM), allowing the development of new applications in photonics and optical sensor components. Mr. Legare indicates that this new process is extremely competitive because it can produce added-value components at a lower cost. In fact, LxSix's new technology reduces production time by 70 percent, increases yield rate by 100 percent, multiplies by five the quality and reliability of components and lowers their overall production cost by 90 percent.

Winners of the 10 regional Technology Fast 50 programs in the United States and Canada are automatically entered in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 programs, which rank North America's top 500 fastest growing technology companies. For more information on the Fast 50 or Fast 500 programs, please visit www.fast50.ca or www.fast500.com.

© Copyright 2006  SGI Synergy Group Inc. & Kevin Lawrence

* Be a full-time undergraduate and/or graduate student at a Canadian University or college (for the 2006-2007 academic year)
* Be the founder and primary owner (51%) of the company and principally responsible for its operation
* Have been in business for at least the past six months
* Have not won this award in the past

Award timeline
Tuesday September 5th, 2006: Nominations/self nomination opened
Friday November 24th, 2006: Nominations/self nominations close
Friday December 8th, 2006: Applications due

“Africa is an emerging story that Asia may not want to ignore for too long, says the World Bank's Chief Economist for Africa. While it has hardly turned the corner, the continent has had some success in exports and investments in the past 10 years, notably with Asia, and, like Asia, has its share of 'leaders and laggards', John Page told reporters in Singapore Thursday. …

But the past 10 years mark an important economic turning point for Africa - which Page repeatedly quipped 'is not a country' - and 'this time, there is the genuine prospect that the continent can lift itself out of poverty'. For the first time since the mid-1970s, more than half of Africa's population live in countries that are growing at more than 5 percent a year, he noted. It may not be spectacular by Asia's standards, but it amounts to 'decent' income growth, he said. Also, African governments have become increasingly aware that they need to integrate more effectively with the world economy by becoming better trading partners and moving into new and non-traditional areas of exports.

Hence the success of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks is critical to Africa's economic future. 'For them, this is an opportunity to be grasped, a way of continuing what looks to be a positive trend,' Page said. 'And, of course, emerging Asia, especially China and India, are important not only as destinations for exports but as potential investors. We are beginning to see in a number of the better performing African countries new investments by Indian and Chinese investors in more diversified activities than simply petroleum extraction or natural resource extraction.' …

‘…We will begin to see in Africa the same kind of things that we've seen in Asia - some leaders, some laggards - and it will be a combination of politics, economics and society. 'But it will no longer be just some dismal continent off there somewhere that people can choose to ignore because it's not significant. Some countries in Africa will become significant, and as they do, they will become increasingly important to people in this part of the world.'

Asia has much to offer Africa that its traditional partners do not, Page added. 'It has a development experience that's quite different and distinct from that in Europe and North America, it has an attitude towards economic development which is very different.' In other words, apart from aid or investments, ideas and lessons drawn from some of Asia's success stories could help individual African countries transform themselves.” [Business Times Singapore/Factiva]

New Awards Programs Will Promote Innovation, Research And Entrepreneurship In Ontario

TORONTO - Nominations are now open for two new Ontario government award programs that will recognize and financially reward the province's next generation of research and innovation talent.

"These world-class awards programs will help us attract and retain the best and brightest minds so that Ontario continues to compete and win in the global economy," said Premier and Minister of Research and Innovation Dalton McGuinty. "We're on the side of innovative Ontario businesses and researchers who help Ontario prosper, and are building a bright future for our next generation." The awards programs, which have an annual value of $2.5 million, are:

<< - Premier's Catalyst Awards - consisting of five annual awards of $200,000 each to Ontario's most innovative entrepreneurs and companies, to help them move their ideas and breakthrough technologies to national and international marketplaces.

- Premier's Discovery Awards - Four annual awards totalling $1.5 million to researchers in recognition of their discoveries and achievement in life sciences and medicine, natural sciences and engineering, social sciences and humanities, and innovation leadership. This award funding will be used for research-related expenses. >>

The deadline for nominations for both awards is Thursday, November 30, 2006. More information is available at www.ontario.ca/innovation. This initiative is part of the $1.7 billion the ministry is investing over five years to strengthen and promote Ontario as an innovative economy through research, commercialization and outreach programs. The multi-year investment includes $12.5 million total for the Premier's Catalyst and Discovery awards.