Now it's reaching out to a special segment of the market – investors with environmental and other social goals.

Private investors now can buy World Bank bonds through two European banks and also support green technology, environmentally friendly development, and anti-poverty programs.

October 24, 2007—World Bank Treasurer Kenneth Lay remembers when his financially conservative grandfather owned World Bank bonds.

In those days, the World Bank soft-pedaled the fact its lending portfolio consisted of exposure to poor countries, and its main mission was to alleviate poverty. Instead, it worked on building confidence in the kind of institution worthy of a coveted triple-A rating.

“It’s not too much of a stretch to say we downplayed what was actually done with the money,” says Lay. “We emphasized the fact we kept very large reserves and were essentially backed by wealthy country governments.”

Today, the World Bank’s approach to investors is very different.

The World Bank is reaching out to a rapidly growing segment of the investor community – the socially responsible investor—to offer opportunities of investing in development as part of the World Bank’s annual funding program.

The World Bank raises between US$10 billion and $15 billion annually through International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) bonds launched in the international capital markets. IBRD bonds have been available through brokers or financial intermediaries active in the capital markets for the last 60 years. The bonds have funded some 600 projects in over 100 countries around the world in the last few years, says Lay.

Socially responsible or sustainable investing integrates social, environmental and other criteria into investment decisions. Such investors want to support companies and organizations aligned with their own personal beliefs or standards, or avoid investing in entities whose practices they disagree with. Many believe that incorporating environmental, social and governance criteria in their investment decisions will help them find better financial investment opportunities.

“People are beginning to pay attention to what use is going to be made of their money, and they’re prepared to assign value to that,” Lay says.

The trend toward sustainable investing holds true not just for equity investors, but also for bond investors, such as those who buy IBRD bonds, says Heike Reichelt, Head of Investor Relations and New Products for the World Bank Treasury.

In response, the World Bank has stepped up efforts especially in the last three years to deliver development messages to investors in Europe and Japan, she says.

The World Bank’s Treasury department has teamed up with other parts of the World Bank, especially the sustainable development network and communication and country units, to highlight environmental and development achievements in the Bank’s member countries, says Reichelt. And the World Bank also played a key role last year in launching bonds to fund immunizations in developing countries on behalf of the International Finance Facility for Immunization (IFFIm), for which it is the Treasury Manager.

“We’re beginning to monetize the World Bank’s good works,” says Lay.

Partnering with Banks and Investors

This fall, the World Bank partnered with two European banks to issue bonds designed to appeal to private investors who want to support green technology, environmentally friendly development, and anti-poverty programs, and earn a good return at the same time.

ABN-AMRO sold about 150 million euro of World Bank Eco 3Plus bonds within a month of their launch September 17. (See related story.)

The World Bank is also issuing 250 million euro in bonds through DekaBank to clients of the German Savings Banks Finance Group (Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe) to finance World Bank sustainable development projects. The one-year notes are available at 16,000 Sparkassen branches across Germany until November 2 and have a guaranteed coupon of 3.85 percent.

The World Bank teamed up with La Banque Postale, the French postal system, in 2005 to offer a new investment product for French retail investors to help fund, and have direct information on, the World Bank’s programs in developing countries.

The World Bank has a long history as a socially responsible investment in Japan, says World Bank Capital Markets Director Doris Herrera-Pol. Most recently, the World Bank launched the “World Supporter” fund, created by Nikko AM, in Tokyo in June this year. The fund offers Japanese investors an opportunity to participate in a diversified emerging market investment portfolio supporting the mission of the World Bank. Part of the management fees from fund transactions will also be donated to a development cause.

“In Japan, we are a staple among fixed income products for retail investors,” says Herrera-Pol. “And those retail investors in Japan have always considered the World Bank as a socially responsible investment.”

In a boost to the World Bank’s standing among socially responsible investors in Europe and North America, where the World Bank has endured criticism from interest groups, the influential Calvert, a leader in socially and environmentally responsible investing, decided in July to allow its socially screened products to buy World Bank bonds. The decision followed an extensive review of the World Bank’s policies and practices on human rights, Indigenous Peoples rights, and gender issues, according to Calvert.

“I was very impressed with the degree of due diligence and their open-mindedness,” says Lay. “Calvert has, I think, very properly taken a sophisticated look at the complexity and context in which we have to work.”

“These are people whose profession calls on them to make judgments about the public purposes for which we and many others who are participants in the financial markets conduct our business. And for that body of people whose profession it is to make those judgments to come to the conclusion we are aligned with them with respect to those public purposes, that’s a very important signaling. We look forward to carry forward the dialogue with Calvert and other SRIs on key issues of common concern.”

According to the survey of 420 Canadian private company leaders, the fastest growing companies are more likely to be under 10 years old and much less likely to be more than 20 years old. Furthermore, once companies have been operating for more than 50 years, they are more likely to show decreasing profits, top-line shrinkage and increasing pressure from competition.

But age isn’t the critical factor, it’s the tactics businesses are using at different stages of their life-cycle.. Companies with increasing profitability and top-line growth of more than 15% report they are participating in an innovative range of activities which are contributing to their success, including selling or sourcing overseas, generating revenues from new sectors, entering new markets or developing new products and having a significant percentage of staff working on innovation related projects. The survey also shows that once businesses have been established for more than 50 years, they are also most likely to report that they “do not innovate.”

“All companies would do well to take a closer look at the behaviours exhibited by the most successful companies and consider what they need to do to reinvigorate their business approach,” says Eric Andrew, PwC’s Private Company Services Canadian leader. “Business leaders concerned about what they may lose with higher risk ventures must also consider what they could lose by carrying on with business as usual.”

The Business Insights Survey also followed up on some key trends seen in previous reports and introduced new topics of discussion. These include:

Outlook

Confidence among private business leaders in Canada remains solid. Seventy-seven percent of respondents report they expect business to get “a lot or a little better” in the next twelve months.

The biggest change from 2006 was the drop in the number of Albertans reporting they expect business in the next 12 months to “get a lot better.” In 2006, 45% of respondents gave this response but in 2007 the figure has fallen to 26%.

Challenges

Labour is the primary challenge respondents expected to face in the next year but again there were wide regional differences. In Alberta 61% of respondents rank it as one of their three biggest challenges, which is down slightly from the 65% who cited it as a problem in the last twelve months. The spread of responses is more even in Ontario with labour, currency and the economy cited by a similar percentage of respondents.

Growth Strategies

For the third consecutive year, growth and expansion is the main strategy for Canadian companies. Overall, 75% of companies are striving for growth in the next 12 months up from 70% last year.

The survey shows that over 40% of respondents are looking to expand into new markets as a short- and medium-term strategy and half of all companies sell and/or source overseas. The number one reason for their overseas activity was to access a larger market for products and services.

Andrew adds, “Canada’s private companies, particularly those in the fastest growing and most successful groups, are leveraging international opportunities with good results.”

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

The survey found that while 76% of respondents agree there’s a business benefit to having sustainable business practices, only one in three think the costs of sustainable operating practices outweigh the benefits. Only 16% are running a CSR program in their community, 62% don’t have a policy for sustainability and 43% don’t even consider it in their long-term planning. Finally 41% of respondents don’t think climate change will ever impact their company.

“Companies who are early adopters in addressing their environmental impacts can build Canada’s next competitive edge. The challenge for businesses is to find innovative ways to turn these forces to their advantage,” concludes Andrew.

Employee and Supplier Information Management Offerings Extend Open Text Business Suite for Use With SAP Solutions

Open Text(TM) Corp., a global leader in enterprise content management (ECM), today announced new business solutions that give companies using SAP(R) applications a 360-degree view of supplier and employee information, including document and email content, in the context of SAP solutions. The company also announced a new data access solution that makes information contained in SAP solutions and other systems easily accessible to customers, partners and employees. Using these solutions, companies can increase process efficiency, more easily meet regulatory requirements, and improve employee, customer and business partner satisfaction.

The new Livelink ECM - Supplier Information Management and Livelink ECM - Employee Information Management solutions are part of the Open Text Business Suite for use with SAP solutions, a growing portfolio of 360-degree solutions that deliver enterprise content integrated with other business applications and data, thereby bridging silos of information. Earlier this year, Open Text released Livelink ECM - Customer Information Management (CIM), which provides a comprehensive view of all customer content and data. A key aspect of Open Text solutions is integration with desktop clients in use at most businesses, including the SAP GUI, SAP NetWeaver(R) Portal, and Microsoft Office. CIM is also a featured Microsoft Office Business Application (OBA).

"Our family of 360-degree solutions assembles content from across various SAP applications as well as other sources and makes it available through the user interface of choice for a particular user community," said Patrick Barnert, Vice President for SAP Applications at Open Text. "These applications dramatically increase productivity by putting accurate and complete information in the hands of workers when they need it, in the context of their normal work environment. These enterprise-ready solutions are a direct outcome of the close relationship we have with both SAP AG and Microsoft, coupled with our deep expertise in helping companies manage enterprise content."

Livelink ECM - Supplier Information Management

Livelink ECM - Supplier Information Management (SIM) provides a 360-degree view of supplier and purchasing data and documents, whether it is managed in the SAP ERP or SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SAP SRM) application. It enhances the information in SAP applications with external documents and other content to optimize the order approval process, enabling workers and managers to make better decisions faster. The solution assembles content from various sources such as email and document repositories, consolidates results and displays them in the choice of interface, including the SAP GUI or SAP NetWeaver Portal.

With SIM, the procurement environment is transformed so that all of the relevant content is a mouse click away. The tedious paper shuffle is eliminated and the correct people are involved using predetermined business logic for a specific scenario. Best practice design is used for an optimized and automated procurement solution based on business processes. It results in faster processing time and cost savings while adhering to financial audit traceability requirements. Livelink ECM - Supplier Information Management is currently available. For more information go to: www.opentext.com/sim

Livelink ECM - Employee Information Management

Livelink ECM - Employee Information Management (EIM) from Open Text provides human resource (HR) departments with a complete solution that eliminates frustrating paper chases and supports the SAP ERP Human Capital Management (SAP ERP HCM) solution. Using the EIM solution, all printed documents from employees and job applicants, master data and internal personnel documents are stored and immediately available from complete electronic personnel files. This ensures that personnel activities and processes are performed quickly and easily. And because EIM functionality can be used with the SAP GUI or the SAP NetWeaver Portal, HR employees can quickly begin using the solution with minimal training. In addition, content can be delivered through SAP Employee Self-Service application-based portals.

The ECM capabilities of EIM can transform an HR department. Instead of spending hours on time-consuming, labor-intensive administrative tasks, EIM optimizes and automates many repetitive tasks, so that HR staff is freed up to focus on strategic activities, such as recruitment, skills development, support, compensation and reporting. An HR organization that can focus on strategy provides more value. Livelink ECM - Employee Information Management is currently available for use with SAP ERP HCM. For more information go to: www.opentext.com/eim

Livelink ECM - Shared Document Access

Livelink ECM - Shared Document Access provides customers, partners and employees with a personalized overview of all documents related to a specific business process in a secure manner. For example, Shared Document Access enables customers external to the company to see order status, invoices and other information through a self-service portal, whether the documents are stored in SAP solutions or in other core applications. This helps increase customer and partner satisfaction due to improved service, as well as cost reductions from improvements in process efficiency.

This solution is also ideal for such industries as high-tech or aerospace which are subject to special compliance requirements and must guarantee sustained access to SAP data and documents. Using Livelink ECM - Shared Document Access, this information can be stored in a tamper-proof repository and made available at any time regardless of the originating system. Livelink ECM - Shared Document Access is available now. For more information, go to: www.opentext.com/sda

In addition to the new solutions, Open Text also announced that Livelink ECM - Customer Information Management has added full support for Microsoft Outlook 2007. For more information, go to: www.opentext.com/cim.

About Open Text

Open Text, an enterprise software company and leader in enterprise content management, helps organizations manage and gain the true value of their business content. Open Text brings two decades of expertise supporting 46,000 customers and millions of users in 114 countries. Working with our customers and partners, we bring together leading Content Experts(TM) to help organizations capture and preserve corporate memory, increase brand equity, automate processes, mitigate risk, manage compliance and improve competitiveness. For more information, visit www.opentext.com.

"With uncertain times ahead for Ontario's economy, it is disappointing that research investment is not robust, even though revenues are generally up", said Ron Freedman, CEO of Research Infosource.

In Fiscal 2006, 12 Ontario companies out of 24 firms qualified for Research Infosource's elite $100 Million Club, reserved for companies that posted $100 million or more in R&D spending:

#1 - Nortel Networks Corporation maintained 1st place with $2.2 billion R&D spending in Fiscal 2006, down -2.2%.

#3 - Magna International Inc. maintains 3rd place again this year, reported $652.1 million in spending, down -20.8% over Fiscal 2005.

#5 - ATI Technologies Inc. (now AMD Canada) stayed in 5th place with $458.2 million and an increase of 1.5% over last year.

#6 - IBM Canada Ltd. increased their R&D spending by 5.0% to $360 million in Fiscal 2006.

#8 - Atomic Energy of Canada Limited kept their 8th place rank again this year, despite a -6.8% drop in R&D spending in Fiscal 2006 down to $246.1 million in spending.

#10 - Alcatel-Lucent (was Alcatel Canada Inc.) moved 1 spot from 11th last year, although their spending dropped -3.5%, falling to $187.2 million in Fiscal 2006.

#11 - Research In Motion Limited jumped 6 spots from #17 last year, with an outstanding gain of 45.8%, bringing their spending to $178.77 million in 2006.

#12 - Apotex Inc. maintained #12 again this year, with R&D spending of $178.76 million, although spending declined by -2.4%.

#13 - GlaxoSmithKline Canada picked up 1 spot from #14 last year, reporting $177 million with a substantial increase of 30.6% over Fiscal 2005.

#18 - Cognos Incorporated down 3 spots from #15, reporting $130.1 million in R&D spending, up 1.4% over Fiscal 2005.

#22 - Biovail Corporation dropped 2 positions from #20 with $108.3 million of R&D expenditures reported in 2006, up 0.5%.

#23 - Sanofi Pasteur Limited jumped 4 places from #27 back onto the $100 Million Club with $105.4 million in spending, from $92.8 million in Fiscal 2005, up 13.5%.

By industry sector, the Communications/telecommunications equipment sector accounted for 26% of total R&D spending in Fiscal 2006, followed by Pharmaceutical/biotechnology sector (17%), Telecommunications services (14%), Aerospace (8%), Energy/oil and gas (8%), Software and computer services (6%), Automotive (6%), Computer equipment (4%), Mining and metals (4%), Forest and paper products (3%) and Electronic parts and components (3%).

Regionally, British Columbia's 12 top 100 companies accounted for $646.5 million in R&D spending or 6% of the total in Fiscal 2006. This represents a decrease of -2.8%. In the Prairies, 15 Alberta companies spent $718.4 million for 6% of the total. Alberta was the only province reporting positive spending growth, with a huge increase of 19.3%. Manitoba's single entry on the list spent $35.7 million in R&D, and declined by -19.5% over last year. The 39 companies headquartered in Ontario accounted for just over half (53%) of all R&D spending with $6.1 billion in Fiscal 2006, falling by -4.3%. Quebec's 32 companies spent $3.9 billion in Fiscal 2006, down -6.3% over 2005 and accounting for 34% of total R&D expenditures.

The complete Canada's Top 100 Corporate R&D Spenders List 2007 is available on the Research Infosource website.

An in-depth Canada's Top Corporate R&D Spenders Report 2007, based on over 650 companies, is slated for publication later this year. Research Infosource Inc., a division of The Impact Group, is Canada's source of R&D intelligence. Drawing from an extensive database, Research Infosource Inc. publishes Canada's Top 100 Corporate R&D Spenders List, Canada's Top 50 Research Universities List, and specialized reports.

Founded in 2002, Girls With Goals (www.girlswithgoals.com) helps women-owned businesses gain more market share by offering the business tools needed to empower women to start and/or expand their business. Members also have access to free workshops, an online community, online store set-up, G-Cards, Business Resource Center, G-Fitness and G-Towns in their local community.

Nationwide, women-owned businesses have grown steadily in each of the last ten years. Women in Small Business Month calls attention to the success-minded individuals who are dedicated to igniting their business and, according to Hurry, fueling their souls. "They're women too independent to oblige by the 9-5 corporate world, women who value and love their independence in creation, women dedicated to fulfilling their roles as both mother and professional, and women who are not afraid to make their own mistakes and fearless in picking up the pieces," she says

Hurry emphasizes on the importance of recognizing the success of women in entrepreneurship. “Becoming a female entrepreneur does not only reinforce the importance of a woman’s position in society,” she says. “But it also makes greater progress towards overall economic and social development. Women are responsible for the achievements of increased economic growth, improved productivity, improved distribution of income, and improved employment rate, that’s why we need to celebrate these Girls With Goals.”

Women-owned firms in the United States provide jobs for 18.5 million people and generate sales of nearly $2.38 trillion annually. Women now make up 41 percent of the individuals with a net worth of $500,000 or more.

Top 10 Tips on How to Successfully Start Your Own Business

TORONTO - Canada's existing entrepreneurs have some well-earned words of wisdom to offer the 3.3 million aspiring entrepreneurs across the country who are planning to start a business within the next five years, according to the annual RBC Small Business Survey.

"The key piece of advice from Canada's veteran entrepreneurs is 'do your homework' before you open up your new business," said Rina Pillitteri, director, Small Business Client Strategy for RBC. "When successful small business owners look back on what helped them get off the ground, it's the fact that they knew what they were facing - they researched who their competition was, they understood what gaps they could fill in the marketplace, and they delved into the likes and dislikes of their potential customers. They also networked to find out as much as they could from other entrepreneurs."

The top ten pieces of advice existing entrepreneurs have for people hoping to start up a business, according to RBC's survey: <<

1. Know your competition (51 per cent)
2. Develop a business plan (50 per cent)
3. Research the market (49 per cent)
4. Network, develop alliances (45 per cent)
5. Take time for marketing (38 per cent)
6. Seek out mentors (35 per cent)
7. Spend time defining the needs your business will meet (35 per cent)
8. Survey potential customers (34 per cent)
9. Do homework about where to locate your business (34 per cent)
10. Join clubs/associations (32 per cent) >>

"Aspiring entrepreneurs can uncover amazing tips and insights by talking to current business owners before getting swept up in the fast pace and excitement of starting up," added Pillitteri. "Also, seeking out a mentor can help you save time as well as money, and the advice they offer could mean the difference between success and failure."

The RBC survey, which compared the responses of aspiring entrepreneurs with those of existing entrepreneurs, suggests Canada's emerging entrepreneurs may not need to be as focussed on obtaining financing as they think they need to be. In fact, while half (51 per cent) of Canada's aspiring entrepreneurs expect that one of their biggest challenges will be getting enough money to start their business, only one in five current entrepreneurs recalls getting initial financing as a challenge. For existing business owners, the biggest start-up challenges were finding clients or developing their market (48 per cent), keeping a steady workload (31 per cent), working long hours (28 per cent), and dealing with government bureaucracy and regulations (21 per cent).

RBC's 2007 Small Business Survey also reports a majority (61 per cent) of Canada's small business owners appear to be satisfied with the way they started their businesses - if they had it all to do over again, they would not change a thing. Of the 39 per cent who said they would do things differently, 61 per cent would start at a younger age and 58 per cent would get more financial advice.

"Whether or not it's a new entrepreneur or a veteran, every small business owner is bound to face a unique set of challenges," noted Pillitteri. "That's why it's extremely important to do your initial research, develop your business plan and seek out the ongoing, customized support you need to meet your business goals and your customers' needs."

These are some of the findings of an RBC poll conducted by Ipsos Reid between July 27 and August 3, 2007. The online survey is based on a randomly selected representative sample of 3,806 adult Canadians of which 2,253 owned small or medium-sized businesses (entrepreneurs) and 1,553 aspire to own small or medium size businesses (aspiring entrepreneurs). With a representative sample of this size, the results among entrepreneurs are considered accurate to within +/- 2.1 percentage points, and among aspiring entrepreneurs +/- 2.5 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled.

"Whether a small business is just getting started, growing and maturing, or winding down - whatever the owner's goals are - the key to success lies in having solid fundamentals," said Kyle McNamara, Head of Small Business at Scotiabank. "A sound business plan and the right team of advisers such as a banker, accountant and lawyer can help an owner achieve their goals and navigate any challenges they may face. These fundamentals are particularly important in managing through periods of economic and financial market uncertainty, such as the rise of the dollar and recent market volatility."

Small business owners most often cited growth-related issues such as generating double-digit growth and expanding products and services (88 per cent), increasing income or profit margin (89 per cent) and reducing costs (60 per cent) as their top goals. In terms of what keeps them up at night, the challenges they cited most often include financial concerns at 30 per cent (includes expenses, capital and cash flow) staffing issues at 22 per cent and competition at 20 per cent. Yet, only 42 per cent of small business owners have a formal business plan.

"Creating a well thought out business plan helps identify practical strategies to overcome business challenges and take advantage of opportunities. It's really a roadmap to success. We realize numerous demands on a small business owner leave little time to invest in developing a comprehensive business plan, so we've done something to help," said McNamara. "Scotiabank has recently launched a free online writing tool, the Scotia Plan Writer for business(TM), available to all entrepreneurs in an easy-to-use format to help them arrange their business goals into a comprehensive plan." Small business owners note that advice in key areas is important to success. Entrepreneurs cited taxation advice as the most important (85 per cent), followed by advice on growing their business (80 per cent) and cash flow management (78 per cent). Surprisingly, despite the high degree of importance placed on these matters only 51 per cent of small businesses seek taxation advice from a professional advisor, while only 16 per cent seek business growth advice, and 14 per cent seek cash flow management advice.

"Once a small business owner's vision is put into a formal plan, a team of advisers such as a business banker, accountant or lawyer, can add support to give you more time to manage your business," continues McNamara. "We invite Canadian entrepreneurs and small business owners to talk to us. Our expert team of small business bankers can help identify strategies and solutions to address day-to-day financial needs, as well as provide advice, information and banking services that can be tailored to individual business objectives."

The Scotiabank Small Business Study is an online survey of Canadian small business owners. For the purposes of this research, a 'small business' was defined as a company with less than $5 million in annual revenue. A total of 1,190 businesses participated in the survey.

The sample for the survey came from two sources. Small business owners were identified from TNS Canadian Facts' online panel. This was augmented by a sample of small businesses selected from D&B listings. This latter group was recruited by telephone to participate in the online survey hosted on the TNS survey website. Interviews were weighted to be representative of all small businesses in terms of revenue and region. The online survey took place between July 16th and August 6th, 2007.

Waterloo - Boulevard Photography and Fine Things reveals an innovative high-end boutique and studio, capturing the award-winning talents of brilliant professional photographers for you to choose from, finding its niche in the shops at Waterloo Town Square.

With over 10 years of experience, Heather Fritz is the owner and inspiration behind this fresh new store and studio, which opened Wednesday, September 19. The store showcases six exceptional photographers hand-picked by Heather, bringing an array of personalities and styles for clients to choose from. From the storefront clients are lead to the studio, designed with comfort, convenience and privacy in mind. Heather has made the photography experience effortless allocating 45 minutes to each sitting, allowing a rapport and level of comfort to develop before the photo shoot begins.

"It's about making it easy for the client, the more relaxed they are, the easier it is to do their photos,"; says Fritz. "The things that have made me successful are personal contact and level of customer service, which is what Boulevard is all about."

Expanding her creative images with Fine Things Heather has uncovered innovative talents like Gay Isber's custom Sugar Beads; line of stunning hand-made jewellery, not to mention adorable baby products, a luxurious spa line, elegant custom frames and albums, and many other items which can all be made into personalized gift baskets. She has even included an area for children, so that your experience selecting photos is as relaxing as possible.

Heather has thought of everything,; says Francine Bayley, store manager. "It will be nice for parents to know that they can look through their pictures and know that their children are safe in the play area that Heather has created."

Boulevard highlights innovative packages for special events, sending out bulletins to clientele four times a year. Among these are a pin-up girl photo shoot for Valentines Day or real bunnies and chicks in the background for Easter. We enhance your child's beauty with antiques instead of backdrops; says Fritz.

The excitement around Boulevard is credited to the success of Heather Fritz Photography, a company Heather has been running for years. Many clients have her follow their life story, from their engagement pictures to wedding shots, then belly photos, to baby and family portraits.

While the store will be open from 10am-6pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and from 10am-8pm on Thursday and Friday, Heather has also made her products available to you from the convenience of your home with her online store www.boulevardphotography.com.

Besides the talented photographers whose work surrounds the store, the Boulevard location is also home to Ultimate Affairs wedding and event planners. Certified through the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada (WPIC) as Professional Wedding Coordinators and recognized by the International Special Events Society (ISES), they bring a level of professionalism and comfort for Boulevard clients planning anything from weddings to baby showers. Each Boulevard wedding package includes a free 45 minute consultaion with Ultimate Affairs.

We can make anything work!; says Fritz, a motto that has led her to fulfilling what began as an image in her head.

Boulevard Photography and Fine Things has all the makings of a bright future. Heather Fritz's vision has materialized into a fresh and unique new store that offers not only fantastic photo shoots for you and your family, but also all your needs from an intimate bridal shower to your dream wedding.

Almost 900,000 Canadians Hope to Be Their Own Boss by Next Year

TORONTO - Some 3.3 million Canadians, representing all walks of life, plan to start a business within the next five years, and approximately 900,000 are looking to be their own boss by the end of 2008. This is according to RBC's annual small business survey, which compared the responses of aspiring entrepreneurs with those of entrepreneurs already running their own businesses.

The RBC/Ipsos Reid survey also shows some interesting contrasts between the backgrounds of existing entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs. For example, while over one-fifth (21 per cent) of existing entrepreneurs responded that they had previously held executive/managerial positions, only 15 per cent of those planning to set up their own businesses come from an executive/managerial background. Furthermore, while only 9 per cent of existing entrepreneurs cited previous experience in blue collar/labourer work, 13 per cent of would-be entrepreneurs are emerging from blue collar/labourer backgrounds.

"What we're seeing is that anyone who wants to be, feels it is possible with or without management experience. This is likely due to the strong appeal of being your own boss and the wide array of support tools and expertise readily available to help," said Kris Depencier, head of Small Business Client Strategy for RBC. "Even better, these resources can be tailored to meet the needs of Canadian business owners. One size does not fit all, and Canadian entrepreneurs no longer have to contend with an 'off the shelf' approach when they seek out support."

According to the RBC survey, emerging entrepreneurs are also subtly shifting their preferred industry focus. Of the top three industries targeted by would-be entrepreneurs in 2005, personal services/arts/crafts has now dropped from 17 per cent to 15 per cent; retail is down from 13 per cent to 11 per cent; and business services/communications/management consultant has fallen from 11 per cent to 8 per cent. Meanwhile Internet/online services (a new aspiring entrepreneurs category in this year's survey) was cited as industry of choice by 12 per cent of Canadians planning to establish their own enterprise.

"Finding a niche that you are passionate about and believe in is a big part of successfully starting, growing and sustaining your own business," advised Depencier. "If you're thinking about starting up a business, do your homework, learn from existing entrepreneurs, and take full advantage of the resources that are now available."
<< Canada's entrepreneurs: Industry of choice (presently owned or planning to own)

Industry Existing Aspiring

Business services/consulting 14% 8%
Personal services/arts/crafts 9% 15%
Construction/trades/manufacturing 9% 7%
Retail 8% 11%
Finance/insurance/real estate 8% 4%
Professionals 6% 3%
Travel/hospitality including restaurants 3% 9%
Transportation 3% 3%
Wholesale 3% 3%
Childcare/daycare 3% 1%
Telecommunications sales/service 2% 2%
Entertainment 2% 1%
Internet/online services N/A(*) 12%
Other 15% 10%
(*) Industry category not included

Canada's entrepreneurs: By the numbers

Region Existing Entrepreneurs Aspiring Entrepreneurs

2005 2007 2005 2007

BC 19% 18% 18% 17%
Prairies 19% 18% 21% 19%
Ontario 39% 41% 41% 39%
Quebec 17% 19% 12% 19%
Atlantic 6% 4% 7% 7%

Gender

2005 2007 2005 2007

Male 52% 56% 56% 54%
Female 48% 44% 44% 46%

Age

2005 2007 2005 2007

18-34 15% 14% 30% 30%
35-54 47% 51% 51% 55%
55+ 39% 34% 19% 15%

Marital Status

2005 2007 2005 2007

Married 55% 61% 47% 49%
Domestic Partnership 13% 14% 15% 18%
Single 14% 12% 23% 22%
Widowed 3% 1% 2% 1%
Separated/Divorced 14% 11% 13% 10%

Household Income

2005 2007 2005 2007

Under $25K 15% 13% 22% 9%
$25- $ less than 45K 22% 16% 21% 16%
$45- $ less than 70K 24% 25% 22% 23%
$70- $ less than 100K 19% 22% 20% 22%
$100K+ 20% 24% 15% 30% >>

These are some of the findings of an RBC poll conducted by Ipsos Reid between July 27 and August 3, 2007. The online survey is based on a randomly selected representative sample of 3,806 adult Canadians of which 2,253 owned small or medium-sized businesses (entrepreneurs) and 1,553 aspire to own small or medium size businesses (aspiring entrepreneurs). With a representative sample of this size, the results among entrepreneurs are considered accurate to within +/- 2.1 percentage points, and among aspiring entrepreneurs +/- 2.5 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled.

WATERLOO - Canada's largest celebration of entrepreneurial spirit kicks off September 28, 2007 offering practical advice and resources to help grow greater numbers of early-stage tech companies in Waterloo Region. This year's lineup features big names in business like Doug Hall of Eureka!Ranch fame, Denzil Doyle, chairman of Doyletech, Duncan Hill of Ventures West, Bill Tatham of NexJ Systems, Jim Estill of SYNNEX, Steve Traplin of FineLyne, and many more.

"The secrets of the bulletproof startup theme is about demystifying the culture of the entrepreneur," says Iain Klugman, president and CEO, Communitech: Waterloo Region Technology Association. "We're bringing in experts who've done successful startups to share their secrets with entrepreneurs in the Region. They're sharing insider information about what it really takes to be a successful entrepreneur. And they're doing it here because Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada is the best place on earth to do a startup."

Entrepreneur Week 2007 features more than 12 events and conferences, loads of speakers, two tradeshows, 50+ venture resources, a ton of partners and thousands of entrepreneurs. Startup events are free for entrepreneurs. The full schedule is available at www.entrepreneurweek.ca.


Sept 28 - Entrepreneur Week Kickoff and LaunchPad Opening Oct 2 - Entrepreneur Week GALA dinner and inductions to the Waterloo Region

Entrepreneur Hall of Fame

Oct 1 - Start-up Camp: Eureka!Ranch with Doug Hall
Oct 2 - Start-up Camp: Life as an Entrepreneur with Ray Simonson, Software

Innovation, and Christian Zabbal, ghSMART

Oct 3 - Start-up Camp: Financing Roadmap with Tim Jackson, Tech Capital
Partners, John Baker, Desire2Learn and Duncan Hill, Ventures West

Oct 3 - Start-up Camp: Business Strategy with Bill Tatham, NexJ Systems

Oct 4 - Start-up Camp: Marketing and Sales with Steve Traplin, FineLyne

Oct 5 - Start-up Camp: Entrepreneur's Lexicon/Everything you ever wanted to
know with Jim Estill, SYNNEX

Also featuring:

Sept 29 - IMPACT Expo with Major-Gen (retired) Lewis MacKenzie

Sept 29 - barCamp Waterloo

Oct 2 - The Leading Edge Youth Entrepreneurship Conference

Oct 3 - Small Business Showcase

Oct 3 - Growing Your Business - Branding Milestones and The Entrepreneurial
Approach

Entrepreneur Week began as a means to support and inspire nascent and early-stage entrepreneurs. From its modest beginnings as a one-day event for 200 participants in 2003, it's grown into an eight-day celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit in Waterloo Region. More than 4,000 people took part in 2006.

- 69% believe that "the next generation of SMBs use technology to increase profits and grow their customer base"

- 63% agree that a "younger generation of employees bring fresh insight on how technology can improve business productivity"

- 54% agree that "younger employees are generally more enthusiastic about technology"

- 57% believe "more experienced employees have more business savvy while younger employees have more technology experience"

(i) These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Microsoft from August 10-August 27, 2007. For the survey, a randomly selected sample of 1,230 small and medium size businesses were interviewed online. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within ±2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire population of business owners with 2-250 employees been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure that the sample's regional and employee size composition reflects that of the actual Canadian small and medium size businesses according to Census data.

Guelph - There's an artistic twist to this year's Homecoming weekend with the launch of SharpCuts, an independent film and music festival featuring a number of University of Guelph community members.

The festival will offer a variety of entertainment on campus Sept. 22 and 23 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

With programming on Johnston Green and in the McLaughlin Library and the MacLachlan Building, SharpCuts aims to provide a forum to profile the strong and emerging film and music scenes that thrive in Guelph and surrounding area, and to foster connections among those who share a love and appreciation for the arts, said SharpCuts founder Thomas Gofton, a filmaker who graduated from U of G in June.

"I'm blown away by the number of people who tell me this festival is something Guelph has been waiting for," said Gofton. "I hope it'll encourage people to take a leap to explore their creative side by thinking about some of the stories they'd like to tell through film and music."

Although the primary focus is Guelph artists, interest has been widespread, with submissions coming in from across southwestern Ontario, he said.

The weekend will feature film screenings, a filmmaking competition, live music and a number of industry-based workshops.

Special guests include Laura Bertram, a two-time Gemini Award-winning actor and U of G graduate, who will talk about her career in film and television, which spans two decades. Also on the roster are Academy Award-nominated documentary producer Erin Faith Young, who will give a workshop on making short films; U of G drama professor Pat Flood, an acclaimed set designer who will discuss production design; and Alex Ferrari, a Miami-based filmmaker and special-effects expert.

In addition, more than a dozen films produced by local filmmakers will be screened. They include works by Amanda Scott, a web designer in Communications and Public Affairs, and U of G students Nigel Gough, Chad Gill and Melanie Wills. Wills' film, called Five Degrees: Mini Prep, follows five U of G undergraduate science students as they conduct research and share their views on life and science.

The festival's musical lineup includes performances by Evil Genius, Tragedy of the Commons, the Randalls, Tiny Danza, ADA, the Show, Kid Coma featuring U of G Integrative Biology professor Doug Larson, Ambria, the Blind Dogs, the Voyd, March for Dawn, Tracenine, Fancy Girls Market, the Door to Doors and Burn Planetarium. Also appearing are solo acts Tim Tibbitts, Scott Normandy, Rebecca Taylor, Joel Morelli, Chris Golden and Emma Lee Rose Hogg.

There will also be a unique performance by the VOC Silent Film Harmonic, an act that performs musical accompaniment to complement the work of noted Canadian silent filmmaker Guy Maddin.

"Before artists, musicians or filmmakers can move up and reach a wider audience, they need support from their local community," said Greg Jackson, a third-year computer engineering student and guitar player with Burn Planetarium. "There are some pretty rocking bands taking the stage, so we're pretty excited to be part of this event."

To kick off the weekend, a pre-festival "Fright Night" of horror films is scheduled for Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. in Room 384 of the McLaughlin Library.

SharpCuts is supported by the Department of Athletics and Alumni Affairs and Development, as well as the City of Guelph, Ed Video Media Arts Centre and Lynnvander Productions.

Wirelessly Find and Buy Music at Starbucks

SAN FRANCISCO— Apple® and Starbucks announced an exclusive partnership that lets customers wirelessly browse, search for, preview, buy and download music from the iTunes® Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks onto their iPod® touch, iPhone™ or PC or Mac® running iTunes while at a participating location. When a customer enters a participating location, their device will automatically recognize the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store using a high-speed Wi-Fi wireless network with no connection fee or hotspot login. Customers will be able to browse, search and freely preview millions of songs, including a new “Now Playing” service which displays the name of the song playing in the Starbucks store at that moment, then easily buy and download songs or albums directly to their device. Prices and selection on the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store are the same as on the regular iTunes Store. The service will make its debut at more than 600 Starbucks company-operated locations in New York and Seattle on October 2.

“Getting free access to the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store and the ‘Now Playing’ service at Starbucks is a great way for customers to discover new music,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Imagine walking into a participating Starbucks, hearing a great song, and being able to instantly download it onto your iPod or iPhone. We think this is very cool.”

“With this partnership, we’re bringing Apple’s leadership in digital music together with not only our retail footprint, but the unique Starbucks experience, to offer customers a world-class digital music experience,” said Howard Schultz, chairman, Starbucks Coffee Company. “Introducing this new service is a natural extension of our music strategy which only enhances the retail coffee experience for customers by helping them discover and acquire new music instantly.”

After its debut in New York and Seattle on October 2, the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store will continue its national rollout to 350 Starbucks stores in the San Francisco Bay area on November 7; 500 stores in Los Angeles in early February 2008; 300 stores in Chicago in March 2008; and additional markets throughout the US later in 2008.

The iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks will run on the robust T-Mobile HotSpot Wi-Fi network which is available at participating Starbucks locations across the US.

With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as Cover Flow™, integrated podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and iPhone, and the ability to turn previously purchased songs into completed albums at reduced prices, the iTunes Store is the best way for PC and Mac users to legally discover, purchase and download music and video online.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market this year with its revolutionary iPhone.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Michael Wolfe was sentenced August 27, 2007 by the Supreme Court of British Columbia after being convicted on April 20, 2007, of seven counts of Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud and failure to remit GST. Wolfe was sentenced to two years less a day in prison and fined $6.9 million.

A Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) investigation found that between 1996 and 1998, Port Chevrolet Oldsmobile Ltd. (Port), and its Director Michael Wolfe, received or attempted to receive $8.1 million in GST refunds as part of an auto export scam. Port claimed to have purchased over 1,600 brand new vehicles at cost plus GST from an unrelated company, Rags To Riches Motorcars Ltd. (Rags). The key to the scam was that the vehicles did not actually exist; the transactions were created on paper only. Port would then "re-sell" the fictitious vehicles back to Rags without charging GST, claiming they were destined for export. Port then filed GST returns requesting credits for the amount of GST paid to Rags for the purchase of the vehicles. These returns resulted in sizable re= funds for Port.

When people or corporations are convicted of tax evasion, in addition to any fines imposed by the courts, they are still obligated to pay the full amount of federal and provincial taxes owing, plus interest and any civil penalties that may be assessed by the CRA.

"The Canada Revenue Agency is responsible for collecting the taxes that governments levy to pay for the many public services and social programs that Canadians enjoy," said Agency Commissioner William V. Baker. "The sentence imposed by the courts in this case is a reminder of the serious consequences for anyone who deliberately evades their tax obligations or attempts to use the tax system to defraud their fellow citizens."

The information in this news release was obtained from the court records.

"Deceptive telemarketing scams have a negative impact on organizations, competition and the Canadian economy," said Andrea Rosen, Acting Deputy Commissioner of the Competition Bureau. "The Bureau is committed to combatting this criminal activity and encourages organizations to report any incidents to PhoneBusters, Canada's national anti-fraud call centre."

This represents the Competition Bureau's fourth conviction relating to deceptive telemarketing this year, with total fines reaching $3,354,308.

Andrew James Wilson, the registered Director of the company, pleaded guilty on behalf of himself and the company to contraventions of the telemarketing provisions of the Competition Act. The Ontario Court of Justice handed Wilson a 15-month conditional sentence, and both Wilson and the company are prohibited from engaging in any form of telemarketing for a period of 10 years. The scam generated over $4-million in revenues during a six-year period.

Telemarketers convinced victims to pay exorbitant prices for refilled and remanufactured cartridges by creating the impression that they were representing the victims' regular suppliers of toner and/or ink-jet cartridges, and by making false statements regarding price increases and discounts that created the illusion of cost savings.

Throughout its investigation, the Bureau worked with The Toronto Strategic Partnership. Members include the Toronto Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police, the RCMP, the Ontario Ministry of Government Services, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the UK's Office of Fair Trading, as well as the Competition Bureau. The Competition Bureau is a member of five international law enforcement partnerships, all of which are dedicated to combatting mass marketing fraud.

Pompano Beach inventor envisions a future powered by his Cyclone Green Revolution Engine

For more than 35 years, Harry Schoell has built a reputation for design and innovation in the marine industry. The Pompano Beach businessman has had a knack for invention since childhood.

At 12, he carved boats out of packing crates and plywood. By 16, he was the lead designer in his father's boat-building company. Two years later, Schoell helped design a hull shape used by boat-builder Wellcraft. And by 22, he had patented a design for speedboats.

"Talent is an art that you're born with, you either have it or you don't," Schoell said in a recent interview.

With no formal engineering or design training, natural talent and skills learned from his father launched his boat-building career and shelved plans for college.

Today, Schoell is busy with his latest invention, the Cyclone Green Revolution Engine, developed by Cyclone Power Technologies Inc., a company he formed in 2004.

The Cyclone is an external combustion, heat-regenerative engine. With low emissions and exhaust, it is environmentally friendly and more efficient than traditional internal combustion engines, Schoell said.

Given market demands for alternative fuel sources and fuel-efficient vehicles, Schoell said it's the right time for the new engine.

The Cyclone could reduce dependence on petroleum and fossil fuels with its ability to run on ethanol, biofuel, diesel, gasoline and kerosene, said Wilson McQueen, Cyclone Power's vice president of sales.

"You could even mix them together in the same tank with no ill effects and you can even run this engine on vapor fuels like propane, methane and natural gas, " he said.

With no oil pump, radiator or catalytic converter, the engine should cost less to make, operate and maintain and is beyond the "proof of concept stage" said Schoell, who is now focused on licensing the technology to manufacturers primarily in the transportation, agricultural and heavy equipment sectors.

When Amir Abtahi first learned of the engine he didn't take it seriously.

"We get a lot of calls from people saying the energy crisis is going to be over with their inventions, so we're often very skeptical," said Abtahi, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.

In October 2004, Abtahi and a colleague did a technical evaluation of the engine and found it to be an "unbelievable improvement on an old idea."

But analyst Phillip Gott, director at Global Insight in Waltham, Mass., warns against buying into "inventor's enthusiasm."

Gott said the external combustion engine concept is fundamentally flawed and there's weakness in its heat transfer process. With 30 years in the automotive industry specializing in technical and competitive advantages, he's skeptical about its viability.

But Gott said they might have uncovered technologies that are of value and with components that havelicensingpossibilities, the engine should not be discounted.

Last month, Schoell met with parties considering licensing a lawn mower application to run on propane gas. Other future uses for his engine may include household generators and forklifts.

"We see the future where there is no more internal gas or diesel engines at all," McQueen said.

The U.S. military has shown interest in the engine for tank operations, and a licensee in Coconut Creek, Advent Power Systems Inc., has been working with U.S. Army procurement officials on generator uses, McQueen said.

Advent's CEO and president, Phillip F. Myers, saw the engine on display at a Society of Automotive Engineers trade show and was intrigued by its characteristics.

"It was superior to anything I had seen before and has the realistic potential of replacing diesel and gasoline engines in whatever applications it's used in," said Myers, an industrial and systems engineer with a doctorate from Harvard Business School.

In March 2006, Advent became the exclusive licensee of the Cyclone for U.S. military generator applications and last month signed another license for its use in U.S. Postal Service vehicles.

"We have large and ambitious plans, but the technology and market needs supports this and we are looking forward to a successful outcome," Myers said.

© 2007, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Acquisition Expands Corporate Express's Position in the Ontario Market

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario - Corporate Express Canada, Inc., part of the Dutch-based Corporate Express NV, announced the signing of a share purchase agreement to acquire Davenport Office Inc. (operating as Basics Office Products), an office supply and furniture distributor in Ontario.

Corporate Express Canada is a leading business-to-business supplier of office products, furniture, facility supplies and computer products and services, printing and forms management and promotional merchandise and other similar products. In North America, Corporate Express has 2006 sales of approximately $4.9 (US) billion.

Davenport Office Inc. is an independently owned contract office supply and furniture distributor in Canada, with annual sales of approximately $71(Canadian) million. Davenport Office is also the largest dealer for Basics Office Products Ltd., a national buying group in Canada.

The acquisition supports Corporate Express's strategic objective of continued growth in Canada. Through this acquisition, Corporate Express Canada will further improve its ability to serve customers in the Ontario market. The acquisition is expected to close in the next 30 days.

The combination of Corporate Express and Davenport Office represents significant benefits to customers, employees and the combined sales organization.

"It was clear to us from the beginning that Davenport Office was a high quality business, with a superior reputation in the marketplace," said Rick Toppin, President of Corporate Express Canada, Inc. "We are very excited about this acquisition and proud to welcome our new associates and customers to Corporate Express Canada."

"We are extremely pleased to join the Corporate Express family," said Jim Dillon, President of Davenport Office Inc. "Corporate Express is a great fit culturally for Davenport Office, both for our customers and our associates."

"Making this integration seamless for both Davenport and Corporate Express customers is our top priority," said Michael Zahra, President of Corporate Express Canada's Ontario Division. "Both Corporate Express and Davenport Office share a passion for service excellence, and I look forward to bringing our two organizations together."

Corporate Express Canada, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Corporate Express NV, one of the world's largest business-to-business supplier of office, facility and computer products and services. Corporate Express Canada's product offering includes office and computer supplies, imaging and computer graphics supplies, office furniture, document and print management, desktop software, promotional products, facilities supplies and other similar products. Corporate Express Canada has operations in 18 facilities, including 8 distribution centers located in Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta; Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; Boucherville, Quebec; St. John's, Newfoundland; Vancouver, British Columbia; Winnipeg, Manitoba and Mississauga, Ontario. Corporate Express Canada employs over 1,300 people, approximately 350 sales and customer service representatives and owns over 70 delivery vehicles. The Company's Web site address is http://www.CorporateExpress.ca.