The Business Bridge - 2005

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The Business BridgeVol. 1, Number 2, February 2005 Tel.: 905-615-3573 E-mail: [email protected]

1 Electronic BusinessDatabases: A Quick . . .

SummaryThe Mississauga Central Library Business Departmentprovides access to a number of electronic resourceswhich are only available within the Department. A fewof these business-related databases, however, are alsoavailable at branches, including the newly-openedCourtneypark Branch.

Here is a quick summary of what is available, where.

Available at all Mississauga LibrarySystem locations:F P Advisor

Research Canadian publicly-traded companies (companycontact information, company history, financial ratios)Research a Canadian industrial sector, based on financialinformation of Canadian publicly-traded companies in thesector

Compile lists of Canadian publicly-traded companies

Mississauga Business DirectoryFind contact information of Mississauga-based non-retailcompanies

I n t h i s i s s u e :1 Electronic Business Databases:

A Quick . . . Summary2 New Library Titles for: Small Business3 Book Review: Stop, Ask, and Listen4 Research the demographics of your

Market . . . Electronically5 You Asked Us

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Compile lists of companies located in Mississauga

E-StatMarket research, based on population demographics,industrial production and retail sales data from StatisticsCanada

Canadian Government Electronic PublicationsAccess the most recent federal government documentreports available in electronic format only, for example,the current issues of Juristat, which provides statisticsand analysis on justice and crime issues

Canadian Business and Current Affairs (CBCA)Find articles from Canadian periodicals quickly andeasily, and often the complete articles themselves, usingelectronic periodical indexes such as CBCA

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Available only in the MississaugaCentral Library, Business DepartmentCanadian Business Disc

• Basic company research• Compile lists of companies meeting one or more criteria• Market research: count the number of companies in a

specific line of business, by size or by specificgeographic area

Scott's Canadian Business Directory and Database• Basic company research• Compile lists of companies meeting one or more criteria

2 New Library Titles for: Leaders

The Feiner Points of Leadership: 50 Basic Laws That will MakePeople Want to Perform Better for You by Michael Feiner658.409 FEI

This former senior executive at PepsiCola gives practical,hands-on advice about how leaders lead. clearly written andincluding many real-world anecdotes, the author gives advice onleading subordinates, colleagues, teams and bosses.

Ruthless Execution: What Business Leaders Do When TheirCompanies Hit the Wallby Amir Hrtman 658.4063 HARUsing case studies of companies such as IBM, Cisco and GE theauthor examines how leaders guided their companies through aperiod of crisis or change to a period of renewed growth byfocusing on leadership, governance, and critical capabilities.

McKinsey's Marvin Bower Vision: Leadership and the Creation ofManagement Consulting.by Elizabeth Haas Edersheim 658.46092 BOWERA biography about one of the pioneers of management consulting.

Coming soon to the Mississauga Library System -holds may be placed now on the following:

Top Down: Why Hierarchies Are Here to Stay and How toManage Them More Effectively by Harold J. Leavitt

Nightly Business Report Presents Lasting Leadership: What YouCan Learn from the Top 25 Business People of Our Timeby Mukul Pandya

Partners and PartnershipsPartnerships in business always start out well and very often endbadly. A detailed partnership agreement, drafted before thelaunch of a business can help a partnership thrive. Essentially, agood partnership agreement looks into the future and creates alegal framework for dealing with various situations that can arise.The process of drafting the agreement enables the partners toexamine their values, goals and ambitions for the business. Falseassumptions are also revealed and can be challenged during theprocess. Do both (or all) partners value the contributions and workof each partner equally? Does this result in an equal share orequal pay? How will money be taken out of the business? Howmuch will be reinvested? How will a partner leave the partnership?

Sample partnership agreements are available at theMississauga Central Library Business Department. O’Brien’sEncyclopedia of Forms contains various agreements and also hasa “checklist” of items to include in the agreement.

The Partnership Charter: How to start out right with your newbusiness partnership (or fix the one you’re in), by David Gage, isan excellent guide to partnerships. The book deals with theemotional issues of partnerships and also the technical aspectssuch as governance, ownership, and finances. Many examples aregiven from the author’s experience as a psychologist and abusiness consultant and he offers valuable insights into sources ofconflict and methods of resolution.

Stop, Ask, and Listen: Proven Sales Techniques to Turn

Browsers into Buyers (2nd ed.)by Kelley Robertson 658.8 ROB

Learn how to maximize opportunities forsales by adopting Robertson’s “GUEST”approach and other proven sales tech-

niques. Stop, Ask, and Listen provides simple step-by-stepinstructions, with sample scripts, examples, and action plans. Thisbook is highly recommended for sales professionals, from thenovice to sales veteran, interested in improving their results andearning power.

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E l e c t r o n i c B u s i n e s s D a t a b a s e s : A Q u i c kS u m m a r y . . . C o n t i n u e d

3 Book Review

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4 Research the Demographics of

Your Market . . . ElectronicallyYes, the Mississauga Central Library Business Department haselectronic (as well as print) resources you can access on thedemographics of your community. What are they, and how canthey help you?

First, What Is the Census of Canada?A census is an official count of a population taken at a specificperiod in time; therefore, the results offer a “snapshot” of thepopulation. The Census of Canada, conducted every five years,requires every resident of Canada to complete a short question-naire covering the respondent’s age, sex, marital status, dwellingand household characteristics, income, and occupation. Inaddition, 20 per cent of the population is randomly selected tocomplete a more detailed questionnaire. The most recent Censuswas conducted in 2001, and the results on various demographictopics have been compiled and are available to the public.

Via the Internet:City of Mississauga. Planning and BuildingDepartment. Policy Planning Division. Brochures andNewsletters. Community Census Profiles.

How to access: Go to the City of Mississauga web page at:www.mississauga.ca/portal/residents/newsletters.Scroll down to the bottom of this web page.Under “Community Census Profiles”, click on“Details”,A list of Community Census Profiles will appear on the nextscreen. Click on the desired profile.The profiles are available as PDF files. (Adobe Reader softwareis required.)

A series of brochures profiles the demographics of 23 residentialcommunities in Mississauga (for example, Port Credit,Meadowvale, and Courtneypark), based on the 2001 Census ofCanada. Each brochure contains information on a planningdistrict’s history, total population, population pyramid, age groups,population by ethnic origin, place of birth for immigrants, immi-grants arriving between 1996 and 2001, and visible minoritypopulation; on the community’s labour force by industry division,total labour force by occupation, average total income by age andsex, average total income, average family income and averagehousehold income. A print version is available for “in-library” usefrom the Mississauga Central Library Business Department.

For “In-Library” Use:E-STAT: CENSUS

Through E-STAT, determine the potential market size foryour business, based on the population demographics of a targetgeographic area. For example, gather population data about aspecific postal code area, table it, and print it.

E-STAT: CANSIMSearch CANSIM for manufacturing and retail sales data

related to your product lines.E-STAT is available for use on computer terminals at all

locations of the Mississauga Library System.

Statistics Canada 2001 Community Profileshttp://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/PlaceSearchForm1.cfm

Retrieve basic demographic data about the City ofMississauga as a whole from the Statistics Canada website, “2001Community Profiles”. Data on Mississauga’s total population,education levels, employment and major fields of work, income,religion, and households are available.

5 You Asked Us . . . Here we share with you some interesting questions from customers, and the sources Business

Department staff have used to answer them.

“I need a list of food companies in theUnited States.”

The two major resources for the food industry are:

Thomas Food Register - This directory can be searched byspecific product. Canadian and U.S. companies are included.

PowerFinder Info USA - is a database of U.S. companies thatcan be searched by industry code and location. The Great LakesRegion including Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky -has listings for 78 Frozen Food Processors and 459 FoodProducts and Manufacturers. The record for each companyincludes the line of business, number of employees, sales volumeand contact name. The median household income and meanhousing value for the area is also listed.

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Y o u A s k e d U s . . . C o n t i n u e d

“I am writing a business plan and needto know about the market for auto repairshops in Brampton.”

Performance Plushttp://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inpp-pp.nsf/en/HomeAccess the Strategis website www.strategis.gc.ca then click on sitemap, and from the alpha list choose P for Performance Plus.

Performance Plus is an on-line financial data tool that enablescompanies to compare their financial data with industry averages.Information is available for over 600 industry groups.In this case, a report was generated for Automotive Mechanical andElectrical Repair and Maintenance 81111. Data for the average, topand bottom companies was available that revealed the totalrevenue, expenses, assets, wages, rent and other categories.

A list of auto repair shops, including dealers, can be found inCanadian Business Disc which is available in the MississaugaCentral Library Business Department.

Ask in person, by phone (905-615-3573) or via [email protected] .

Comments, requests and questions about the newsletter,library services and business information are also welcome.

This question requires several different sources to glean informa-tion about various aspects of the market. This could include broaddemographic data such as population characteristics, and morespecific information such as lists of competitors, spending patternsand industry trends.

In this instance the following were consulted:

Statistics Canada, Spending Patterns in Canada, was used to findout that the average spending (per household reporting) onMaintenance and Repair of Automobiles and Trucks was $703 peryear. $468 / year was spent (per household reporting) on tires,batteries and other automotive parts and supplies.

Mississauga Central Library301 Burnhamthorpe Road WestMississauga, Ontario L5B 3Y3Tel: 905-615-3500Fax: 905-615-3625E-mail Address: [email protected] Address: www.mississauga.ca/library

To subscribe to The Business Bridge:Forward your e-mail address to the Mississauga Central LibraryBusiness Department. You will receive an email containing thelink to the newest issue.

Mississauga Central Library, Business DepartmentOffers programs and seminars of interest to the businesscommunity.

The Business Bridge Vol. 2, No. 2 May 2005○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

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The Business BridgeVol. 2, Number 2, May 2005 Tel.: 905-615-3573 E-mail: [email protected]

I n t h i s i s s u e :1 How Do I Research a Company?

2 New Library Titles

3 Friends of the MississaugaLibrary System

4 Book Review

5 By the numbers: Donald Trump

6 On Display Now: The Famous andInfamous

7 You Asked Us

1How Do IResearch a Company?

Many customers use library resources to research a company, forexample, before a job interview, or before buying stock in thecompany. This may involve several steps and a variety of re-sources, depending on the company and such factors as companysize and type of ownership. Where do you start?

Some Recommended Starting Points:Mississauga Business Directory (CD-ROM for “in-library”use)Scott's Directories (two “in-library use” formats available:book format, or the Internet subscription database)Canadian Business Disc (CD-ROM for “in-library” use)Company's websiteSpecialized business directories

The Mississauga Central Library, Business Department has manyCanadian specialized business directories, as well as directoriescovering the United States and other countries. Ask staff on duty atthe Information Desk for help in identifying the most appropriateresources for your needs.

Freely-available Information on Publicly-tradedCompaniesCompanies that issue securities, such as stocks and bonds, arerequired to file annual and quarterly reports and other documentswith their governing securities commission, which makes themavailable to the public. Privately-owned firms, however, are notrequired to disclose this information; financial reports fromprivately-owned firms, therefore, would be unavailable.

8 Famous Wise Words


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How Can I Access Companies' Annual and QuarterlyReports, and Other Publicly-Available Documents?Various sources provide access to these documents, free ofcharge.

The Annual Report Collection of the Department contains the mostrecent report of publicly-traded companies, most of which areCanadian. The Collection is for in-library use only.

Usually, the website of a publicly-traded company has an InvestorRelations section where the most recent annual and quarterlyreports are made available to the public.

The Canadian website, SEDAR (www.sedar.com), providesaccess to a wide range of corporate documents filed by firmswhose securities trade on Canadian exchanges. The United Statesequivalent is EDGAR, maintained by the United States Securitiesand Exchange Commission, at: http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

Investment websites, such as Globeinvestor.com(www.globeinvestor.com) and Yahoo! Finance (http://finance.yahoo.com), summarize the financial data published incorporate reports, and also provide a number of financial ratioscalculated from these data.

The Financial Post Advisor, an excellent source of financialinformation on companies traded on Canadian exchanges, is anelectronic database available for “in-library” use at all locations ofthe Mississauga Library System.

The Size of a CompanyThe size of a company, measured by the number of employeesand/or annual sales per year, can also determine the amount ofinformation publicly available about the firm. Generally, lessinformation is available on smaller companies. Most of the sourceslisted under Some Recommended Starting Points indicate thenumber of employees and estimated sales per year.

Researching the Parent Company of a SubsidiaryIf research on a subsidiary has yielded little information, one canalso research the parent company, which may often be a publicly-traded company itself. Staff at the Business Information Deskwould be happy to recommend the appropriate reference sourcesfor this line of research.

Finding News Articles about a CompanySearch powerful electronic periodical indexes to find articles on acompany quickly and easily. CBCA (Canadian Business andCurrent Affairs) or Electric Library, for example, will often providethe complete article on the computer terminal. This saves thetrouble of tracking it down elsewhere, not to mention leafingthrough piles and piles of magazines and newspapers. No need tosearch for needles in haystacks! These databases are for in-library use; however, customers can send articles to their personale-mail addresses then retrieve the articles at home.

Another way to find recent articles about a corporation is to useInternet newswire web sites, such as CCNMatthews: Newswire,Media Directories (www.cdn-news.com/index.html).

Knowledgeable Staff Are Available to Assist YouThe staff of the Business Department is trained in identifying andrecommending the resources best suited to researching specificcompanies. They will be happy to assist you in person, by tel-ephone or via e-mail.

2New Library TitlesNew Directory to Trade Shows in CanadaExpoWorld Canada Tradeshows and Exhibitions Directory (2005)Directory Shelf: 607.34025 EXP

Attend trade shows in your area to network, to make worthwhilecontacts with business partners, and to promote your product orservices to potential customers. Which trade shows would provemost worthwhile to your business?

A new reference resource, ExpoWorld Canada Tradeshows andExhibitions Directory (2005), can help identify upcoming tradeshows and exhibitions held across Canada. The main entry foreach trade show provides contact information, and indicates thedate and venue, the show’s focus; types of attendees and exhibi-tors expected.

The Directory includes such useful indexes as: “Shows byIndustry”; “Shows by Date”; “Shows by Province / City”; and“Industry Suppliers”. Lists of venues and show organizers are alsoprovided.


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The ExpoWorld Canada and Exhibitions Directory is available intwo “in-library use” formats: as a loose-leaf binder, and as anInternet subscription web site. To access the Internet version,please ask at the department’s Information Desk.

New Materials about: Six SigmaSix sigma is a method to improve quality and reduce waste whichwas developed by Motorola in the 1980’s. The technique usesstatistical information to continuously reduce variation in proc-esses which result in defects. Sigma is the Greek letter used inmathematics to denote standard deviation - the amount by which aprocess varies from the mean. The level of variation decreases asthe level of sigmas rise. A six sigma organization achieves 3.4defects per million.

How can six sigma strengthen your business? The following newtitles, available for loan from the Business Department, can help toanswer this question.

The Big Book of Six Sigma Training Games: Creative Ways toTeach Basic DMAIC Principles and Quality Improvement Toolsby Chris W. Chen 658.4013 CHE

Six Sigma Demystifiedby Paul A. Keller 658.4013 KEL

Getting Started in Six Sigmaby Michael C. Thomsett 658.4013 THO

3 Friends of the Mississauga Library

SystemAnnual General MeetingSunday, June 5, 4 p.m., 2005Cawthra Community Centre1399 Cawthra RoadWatch the Library’s website,on the Friends’ web page, for further details.

A big thank you to:AstraZeneca Canada Inc. for donating $10,000 in support of the

Mississauga Library System’s health sciences and pharmaceuti-cal collections;

The Starbucks Foundation and Starbucks Coffee Company fordonating $11,600 to the Mississauga Library System in support ofthe children’s section in the new Courtneypark Branch.

4 Book Review

Do you really need an MBA?The way of the entrepreneurby David M. Campbell338.092 CampIn 1954 David M. Campbell devel-oped the first cable television servicein Canada.In this autobiography he shares secretsof his success and examines thecharacter traits of successful entrepre-neurs. A great read with valuable how-toadvice for any entrepreneur.

5 By the numbers: Donald Trump

59: ranking of Donald Trump on the Forbes list of World’sRichest People

18: number of items about or by Donald Trump in theMississauga Library System

1988: year of publication of The Art of the Deal – DonaldTrump’s first book

260: number of times The Art of the Deal has been borrowedfrom Mississauga Library System

5: number of CDs in the audio version of Trump: how to get rich

2: cast members of The Apprentice (television series producedand hosted by Trump) who have written a book – Carolyn 101 byCarolyn Kepcher and You’re Hired by Bill Rancic


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6 On Display Now: The Famous and Infamous

Drop by the Business Department and take a look at the latestbook display entitled, “The Famous and Infamous: Canadians andBusiness and Industry”. The display features a number of popularbiographies and true stories of corporate Canadian successes andscandals, all titles which are available for loan.

7 You Asked UsQuestion: I need information about HACCP which has something todo with food safety. I can’t find HACCP in the Library catalogue.

Answer: First, staff found a definition and overview in the elec-tronic database, Access Science – McGraw Hill Encyclopedia ofScience Online. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)is an international standard for food safety which applies apreventative approach. It is designed to identify critical points ofrisk in the food production process.

Staff found an entry in the Library catalogue for a paper andelectronic copy of the Ontario Government document Report of theMeat Regulatory and Inspection Review – Farm to Fork: AStrategy for Meat Safety in Ontario, which provided an overview ofHACCP and its status and use in Ontario.

Staff identified 33 articles about HACCP in Canadian Businessand Current Affairs (CBCA), and a further 43 pages of citations inEBSCO Host – both databases of magazine and journal articles.The customer had the option of printing or e-mailing the articles.

Further information was found on the Internet. Particularly usefulwas the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website(www.inspection.gc.ca) which included HACCP generic models,curriculum guidelines and a list of HACCP-recognized establish-ments.

Question: “Do you have any samples of computer-service vendoragreements?”

Answer: People in business may need assistance with the wordingof business agreements. The reference source, O’Brien’s Ency-clopedia of Forms (347.055 OBR), provides the wording for a widerange of business agreements and other forms, from the moststraightforward sales, leasing, and rental agreements to those witha number of clauses.

This particular customer consulted O’Brien’s Encyclopedia of

Forms: Division X, Computers and Information Technology, andfound a number of sample business agreements pertaining to thefield. He combined the wordings of some samples to develop aform suited to his needs.

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8Famous Wise Words:“I think there is a world marketfor maybe five computers.”Thomas Watson, Jr. (1914 –1993), IBM chief, underestimat-ing his own market

“A goal properly set is half-wayreached.”Zig Ziglar, American motiva-tional speaker

“Whenever you see a success-ful business, someone hasmade a courageous decision.”Peter Drucker, author of severalbest-selling books on businessmanagement

“If at first the idea is not absurd,then there is no hope for it.”

“In the middle of difficultycomes opportunity.”Albert Einstein

“If opportunity doesn’t knock,build a door.”Milton Berle, American come-dian and actor

“I skate to where I think thepuck will be.”Wayne Gretzky

All of the above quotations aretaken from the followingreference book:The Ultimate Book of BusinessQuotations, by Stuart Crainer.New York: AMACOM, 1998. 650ULT


To subscribe to The Business Bridge:Forward your e-mail address to the Mississauga Central LibraryBusiness Department. You will receive an email advising thatthe newest issue is available on the Library website.

Mississauga Central Library, Business DepartmentOffers programs and seminars of interest to the businesscommunity.

The Business Bridge Vol. 2, No. 3 October 2005○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

1Dream Big: A Life Lessonwith Tiger Woods

To kick off Career Week, Members of the Mississauga businesscommunity will be delivering Junior Achievement’s latest program,Dream Big: A Life Lesson with Tiger Woods, at the MississaugaCentral Library, Saturday, October 29th from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This fun and interactive session encourages students from grades9 to 12 to set positive goals for the future. Infused with videotapedmessages and advice from Tiger Woods, the program leadsstudents to an understanding of the commitment needed to achievepersonal potential. Students are encouraged to learn from Tiger’sexample by assessing their strengths, selecting positive rolemodels and visualizing the future.

Through partnership with educators, business and government,Junior Achievement provides relevant business and life skillsprograms delivered by trained and inspiring volunteers to equipyouth with the necessary skills to enter tomorrow’s workforce.

Please register by October 14th. Call 905-615-3500 or [email protected]

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The Business BridgeVol. 2, Number 3, October 2005 Tel.: 905-615-3573 E-mail: [email protected]

I n t h i s i s s u e :1 Dream Big: A Life Lesson with

Tiger Woods

2 Borrow a Popular Business Magazine

3 New Library Titles

4 Technology for Small Business

5 Competitive Intelligence – Know Your Competition

6 What Franchise Should I Buy

7 By the Numbers

2 Borrow a Popular Business Magazine!

Back issues of the following 12 popular business magazine titlesmay now be borrowed for three weeks:

Business India; Business Week; Canadian Business; TheEconomist; Forbes; Fortune; INC; Marketing;Moneysense; and Profit; and from theSmall Business Collection,Entrepreneur magazine andFranchise Canada.

The most current issue of each titledoes not circulate. To borrow a backissue, please bring the item to the BusinessInformation Desk where staff can affix a barcode necessary forcheck-out.

8 You Asked Us


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3New Library TitlesEntrepreneur Magazine’s Startup series … offers step-by-stepadvice for those starting a new business. Successful businessowners provide practical tips for those just starting out, and outlinestrategies of leading companies. Each title focuses on a particulartype of business, for example:

Start Your Own E-business by Robert McGarvey and MelissaCampanelli, Small Business Collection: 658.872 MCG

Start Your Own E-learning Business by Mike Hogan ON ORDER

Start Your Own Information Consultant Business by George WalshSmall Business Collection: 001.0681 WAL

Start Your Own Hair Salon and Day Spa by Eileen Figure SandlinSmall Business Collection: 646.72406 SAN

Start Your Own Wedding Consultant Business by Eileen FigureSandlin Small Business Collection: 395.22 SAN

Start Your Own Automobile Detailing Business by Eileen FigureSandlin, Small Business Collection: 629.287 SAN

4Technology for SmallBusiness

These new titles, available from the Central Library BusinessDepartment, will help demystify such new technologies as RadioFrequency Identification (RFID), Real World Awareness, andwebsite design – potential boons for entrepreneurs looking to growtheir small businesses.

Absolute Beginner’s Guide to eBay by Michael Miller 381.177 MILIncludes a chapter on how to use eBay to make a living from yourauctions

Customer Service in the Information Age: A Common SenseApproach to High-tech Help by JoAnn Haberer 658.812 HABShows in a nutshell how to harness technologies to enhancecustomer service

e-Retailing by Charles Dennis, Tino Fenech and Bill Merrilees658.872 DEN

An in-depth analysis, aimed at students and e-retailers, with afocus on selling to consumers; published in 2004

Make Your Small Business Website Work: Easy Answers toContent, Navigation, and Design by John Heartfield, SmallBusiness Collection: 658.87202 HEAThis easy-to-follow guide to building an effective small businesswebsite uses sample screen-captures and diagrams to illustratepoints.

PayPal for Dummies by Victoria Rosenborg 332.178 ROSLearn how to set up an eBay account using the PayPal computerapplication, and how to use the various PayPal tools.

RFID: Radio Frequency IdentificationRFID tags are similar to barcodes but enable items to be“scanned” at a distance and in bulk thus eliminating theneed to handle individual items. Major retailers such asWal-Mart will require their suppliers to use this technologyby 2006.

This decision has spurred a major shift toward a widescaleadoption of the technology. However, suppliers areencountering many challenges in setting up RFID systems– including bearing the cost of individual tags, managingthe information generated on the network and dealing withsecurity issues.

The technology has applications in many industriesincluding manufacturing, supply chain management andpublic libraries and also provides many opportunities forproviders of the technology.

RFID and beyond: Growing Your Business through Real WorldAwareness by Claus Heinrich 658.787 HEIWhat are Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Real WorldAwareness, and how can they help your business grow? This bookwill show you.

Telecom Crash Course by Steven Shepard ON ORDER

On the WebeBay (www.ebay.com) Many businesses sell their products andservices through the eBay website. On-line registration is requiredfor trading.The Strategis Guide to Using Electronic Commerce (http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_x/engdoc using_ecom.html?guides=e_com)


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This Strategis webpage provides several worthwhile links to otherCanadian federal government webistes which can help answeryour questions about e-commerce.

5 Competitive Intelligence – Know Your Competition

Can you find out if your competitors are involved in litigation? Arethey unionized? Would you like to see a copy of their collectiveagreement? Would you like to know of any patents or trademarksthey have filed? Have they been fined for an Occupational Healthand Safety violation? Have they been hiring? What positions havethey been filling?

This information and more is available at the Library or on theInternet. Fee -based competitive intelligence companies orconsultants can supply even more information. Many largecorporations now have a Competitive Intelligence departmentwhose job it is to find information and evaluate it within the largercompetitive environment. This can involve researching customeropinion, economic trends, government regulatory changes andtechnological advances. For this information to become valuableto the company, it must reach the people who can use it to thecompany’s strategic advantage. Matching the right facts to theright person can prove as challenging in large companies and is inareas where a smaller or one-person company may have anadvantage.

The information is out there: those who find it and use it canimprove their chances of success. Here are some potentialsources of competitive intelligence:

Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals, www.scip.org

Special Libraries Association, www.sla.org

Canadian Legal Information Institute, www.canlii.orgJudgements and cases from courts across Canada

Collective Bargaining Bulletin – Publishes collective agreementsfor unionized workplaces; usually includes salary grids. Fordetails of holdings, please ask at the Information Desk of theCentral Library Business Department.

Canadian Patents Database, http://patentsl.ic.gc.ca/intro-e.html

Ontario Ministry of Labour, www.gov.on.ca/LAB

6What Franchise Should IBuy, and How Do I Run It

Profitably?Many people think about starting up a small business by buying afranchise. Before going ahead with such an important investment,thoroughly research the different franchises you may be consider-ing. Study the legislation related to franchising (such as the ArthurWishart Act) and the statutes and regulations pertaining to yourline of business. Examine the population demographics of yourlocation, and stay on top of market trends. Develop a businessplan, with particular attention to financing.

Here are some recommended resources to help you through thisentrepreneurial process:

Buying a Franchise in Canada: Understanding and NegotiatingYour Franchise Agreement, by Tony Wilson 658.87 WILA concise, systematic guide to buying a franchise; published in2005 by the Self-Counsel Press

For “In Library” Use:The Franchise Annual, Directory Shelf: 658.8708 FRAThis directory lists franchises by business sector and providesbasic contact and descriptive information, intended as a starting-point in researching franchises. Focuses on Canada but alsoincludes the United States and a few international listings

“How Much Can I Make?”: Actual Sales and Profit Protection forYour Small Business (4th ed.) Directory Shelf: 381.13 HOWShows how to calculate potential sales, expenses and profits froma potential franchise, with a focus on food service, retail, andservice-based types of franchises

On the Web:Arthur Wishart Act (Franchise Disclosure), 2000, Statute of Ontariohttp://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Statutes/English/00a03_e.htmRead the statute on franchise disclosure on-line, through theGovernment of Ontario E-Laws website. Read also the associatedregulation at: http//www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Regs/English/000581_e.htm.

For an explanation of the Arthur Wishart Act in a nutshell, go to theOntario Ministry of Government Services webpage at:http://www.cbs.gov.on.ca/mcbs/english/4THTNY.htm.


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To subscribe to The Business Bridge:Forward your e-mail address to the Mississauga Central LibraryBusiness Department. You will receive an email advising thatthe newest issue is available on the Library website.

Mississauga Central Library, Business Department

8You Asked UsQuestion: How many hours per week may a truck driver legallydrive in Ontario?

Answer: The “Hours of Work Regulation” in the Ontario HighwayTraffic Act regulates hours of work for both truck and bus drivers,and is complicated by a number of exceptions. This regulation maybe read on-line on the Ontario Government E-Laws website at:http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Regs/English/930004_e.htm.

The Ontario Government Ministry of Transportation websiteprovides a more straightforward answer at: http/www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/trucks/regulations/hours.htm. Check especially thesections entitled, “Exemptions” and “Requirements”. At the bottomof the webpage, the “Sample Grid Showing Driver Times” helps toclarify the regulation.

Would You Like to Franchise YourSuccessful Business?Once you have built up a successful business, you may want toconsider franchising it. The following title would then help inanswering your many questions:

How to Franchise Your Business: The Canadian FranchiseAssociation’s Official “How-to” Guide to Expanding throughFranchising 658.8708 CANThis book will explain how to decide whether or not your businessis “franchisable”, and if so how to proceed. Available for loan

7 By the Numbers: eBay

1995: Year eBay was launched

724,000: Number of Americans who report that selling on eBay istheir primary or secondary source of income (ACNeilson Interna-tional Research)

11: Number of copies in the Mississauga Library System ofUnleashing the Power of eBay by Dennis L. Prince 381.177 PRI

1: Rank of Meg Whitman, CEO of eBay, on Fortune magazine’s 50most powerful women(October 18, 2004)

3.2 billion: Dollars estimated as eBay’s 2004 revenues

202,000: Dollars paid on eBay for lunch with Warren Buffet

332: Number of pages in The Perfect Store: Inside eBay by AdamCohen 381.17028 BUN

9: Chapters in The eBay Phenomenon: Business Secrets behindthe World’s Hottest Internet Company by David Bunnel 381.17028B U N

Who was Arthur Wishart?

Arthur Wishart served as MPP for Sault Ste. Marie from 1963until 1971, and devoted much effort to the franchise issue asMinister of Financial and Consumer Affairs with the OntarioGovernment.