On Tuesday April 17, the Bank of Canada (BOC) left its key interest rate untouched – it has remained steady at 1% since 2010. However, the BOC’s Governor Mark Carney hinted at rate increases starting as early as this summer. If that happens, the cost for consumer loans, lines of credit and variable rate mortgages will increase. The key rate ... Read More »
With the release of Finance Minister’s new budget, we can safely say now that there are no immediate changes to the mortgage rules, however, as we already knew, interest rates will start to increase as the economy continues to grow. There were few surprises in Jim Flaherty’s budget, with an emphasis on reducing the deficit, which is not a bad ... Read More »
STURGEON FALLS, Ontario, March 28, 2012 — The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister for FedNor, today announced a Government of Canada investment of $78,750 to support community-based economic development initiatives in the West Nipissing and Sudbury East regions. “Making investments in Northern Ontario communities to strengthen the economy and create jobs is a priority for the Government of Canada,” said Minister ... Read More »
If you’ve been following this series and, more importantly, implementing some or all of my tips, you should already be seeing some benefit. Part 1 of the series didn’t offer anything in the way of practical application but certainly made a point of why it’s so important to get your business online. I should remind you that the tips and ... Read More »
It’s not all bad news in the world of real estate and home buying. With the Bank of Canada holding its prime rate at an historic 1%, which will likely stay there for most of 2012, coupled with the recent news that the U.S. Fed is leaving their rates unchanged until 2014, it bodes well for new home owners. The ... Read More »
Recently there has been a disturbing rumour circulating with regard to a report issued by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OFSI). That report suggests that lenders are too loose with their guidelines with regard to the Business for Self “stated income” programs. Because of that report the Ministry of Finance is watching the housing market closely to ... Read More »
Let’s face it, at the end of the day, all you want is for potential customers to walk through your door, figuratively speaking, and give you a chance to earn their business. There is no such thing as a typical business but, if you’ll allow me the generalization, all business, small or large, relies on several common factors to ensure ... Read More »
This year boomers started turning 65. Ten million of them, representing one third of the entire Canadian population, will reach retirement age over the next 15 years. Since they are the largest and wealthiest segment of the population, what they plan to do will have a strong impact on the economy, especially in the housing market. Studies by several major ... Read More »
In the first installment in the Small Business Series (Let’s talk exposure and penetration), we talked about how mobile technology, the Internet and Social Media is changing the way we do business and…the numbers are staggering. To recap some of the main points from that article: Print media advertising is costly and largely ineffective – with a few exceptions, all ... Read More »
Of course, I’m talking about positive exposure for your business (be it large, small, local or international) and how Canadian and Global Internet and mobile communications market penetration has changed the way we do business. In light of these emerging technologies and markets, you need to re-examine where you spend your efforts and hard earned advertising dollars. This is the ... Read More »
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