Margaret Kerr - Canadian Small Business Kit for Dummies

Canadian Small Business Kit For Dummies, 3rd Edition

by Margaret Kerr and JoAnn Kurtz

Canadian Small Business Kit For Dummies, 3rd Edition

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Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Kerr, Margaret Helen, 1954

Canadian small business kit for dummies 3rd edition / by Margaret Kerr and JoAnn Kurtz.

Accompanied by CD-ROM.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-0-470-93652-8

1. Business planning--Canada. 2. New business enterprisesCanadaManagement.

3. Small businessCanadaManagement. I. Kurtz, JoAnn, 1951- II. Title.

HD62.7.K47 2011 658.11410971 C2010-906936-6

ISBN 978-0-470-93883-6 (ePDF); 978-0-470-93884-3 (eMobi); 978-0-470-93885-0 (ePub)

Printed in United States of America

1 2 3 4 5 RRD 15 14 13 12 11

About the Authors

Margaret Kerr and JoAnn Kurtz are lawyers, and they are also both entrepreneurs and they have the bumps, bruises, and scars to prove it. Occasionally, they find a minute of free time here and there, which is how they came to be the authors of, among other books, Buying, Owning and Selling a Home in Canada (now in its second edition); Canadian Tort Law in a Nutshell (with Laurence Olivo, also in its second edition); Legal Research: Step by Step (with Arlene Blatt, another one in its second edition!); Make It Legal: What Every Canadian Entrepreneur Needs to Know About the Law; and Facing a Death in the Family. Theyre also the authors of another excellent For Dummies book thats to die for Wills and Estate Planning For Canadians For Dummies.

Dedication

JoAnn dedicates this book to her father, George Kurtz, with love.

Margaret dedicates this book affectionately to Bree and Poppy (although they didnt offer much help).

Authors' Acknowledgments

We very much appreciate the assistance of the following people who reviewed chapters for us and gave us the benefit of their expertise: Frank Altman, Suzette Blom, Noel Courage, Krista Kehl, Michael Kerr, and Yoram Rostas. Thanks! We wouldnt have gotten it quite right without you.

Wed like to thank our editor on the first edition, Joan Whitman, and our editor on this edition, Robert Hickey; our copy editor, Heather Ball; our production editor, Elizabeth McCurdy; and our technical editor, Nada Wagner.

Publishers Acknowledgments

Were proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Editor: Robert Hickey

Copy Editor: Heather Ball

Senior Production Editor: Elizabeth McCurdy

Technical Editor: Nada Wagner

Editorial Assistant: Katie Wolsley

Cover Photos: istockphoto/xyno

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Vice-President Publishing Services: Karen Bryan

Project Coordinator, U.S.: Kristie Rees

Layout and Graphics: Timothy C. Detrick, Joyce Haughey

Proofreaders: Leeann Harney, Jessica Kramer

Indexer: Claudia Bourbeau

John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd.

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Karen Bryan, Vice-President, Publishing Services

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Introduction

S tarting a business is an exciting and often frightening adventure. Who knows where you may end up? To keep from getting lost on your travels, you need help setting up your business choosing the right vehicle, charting the right course, and heading out with the right equipment. This book gives you a head start on your voyage.

About This Book

According to Industry Canadas Key Small Business Statistics of January 2009, only about 85 percent of small businesses survive for three years (and make that 55 percent for businesses with revenues of under $30,000 per year). This is because the business owners are poorly prepared to go into business. They dont know the things they need to know that will allow their businesses to succeed. This book isnt long enough to tell you everything you need to know about going into business for yourself, but it gives you a good start.