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As we prep our (Canadian) businesses for what the new HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) means for us, there’s lots of debate about how businesses will fare, adapt and implement the change to their systems, processes and financials.

I’m interested in your opinion.

Add your comments below – I’d like to know your point of view – as a consumer, business owner, politician, or anyone interested in the debate.

Links:

• HST – Frequestly Asked Questions (via CBC News)
• Better Practice Guide for Management of the HST (via Revenue Canada Agency) (.pdf)

7 Essential Online HR Resources for Your Small Business

As a business owner, you know your product, service, market and customers. But sometimes one of the most challenging aspects of operating a business is employees. Not because the employees themselves are a challenge but because there’s so much legislation and nuance to employee relations.

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How Small Business is Using Social Media (Stats)

The University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business looked at the relationship between social media and small businesses and found that the technology adoption rates in the U.S. have doubled in the past year from 12% to 24%.

The data comes straight from the university’s third installment to its Small Business Success Index report and is based on a December 2009 telephone survey of 500 small business owners. Adoption rate calculations are compared against a baseline report conducted in December 2008.

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Twitter when they tweet

Be aware of the buzz on your company.

If businesses know how to deal with customer queries and complaints made via Twitter and other social networks, they can improve their customer service by an order of magnitude. But companies normally deal with their customers via phone, the postal service and perhaps email. How can businesses fold these new channels into the mix?

• Blog Post: How Small Business Owners Define Job Satisfaction http://ow.ly/16IFTB #
• Blog Post: Why Smarties & Candy Can Lead to Success – Children May be the Key Consumer Influencers To Business Succ… http://ow.ly/16HyTv #
• Cdn Biz: Crash & Learn: The seeds of success – CanadianBusiness.com http://ow.ly/16H4jT #
• #Retail News: BJ's Wholesale Club 4th-qtr results to show shopping patterns, impact of food … – CanadianBusiness…. http://ow.ly/16H1yO #
• RT @google: Find search results near you with a new option to refine searches by location http://bit.ly/dc2BZW #
• Blog Post: Other People’s Recycled News | Feb 20-26 – HOW TO: Build a Facebook Landing Page for Your Business Faceb… http://ow.ly/16GOti #
• #Retail News: Survey provides insight into local shopping habits – Meadow Lake Progress http://ow.ly/16FP9A #
• #Retail News: Retail Therapy, military style: Army brats – National Post (blog) http://ow.ly/16FP9B #
• #Retail News: Property shopping on a budget – Globe and Mail http://ow.ly/16FP9z #
• Blog Post: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-26 – #Retail News: WIND Mobile Opens Retail Outlets in Edmonton &#821… http://ow.ly/16FBLB #
• RT @huffingtonpost: The big bad world of crazy restaurant waste: PHOTOS http://bit.ly/99DM7m via @huffpostgreen #

The Enterprise Council on Small Business decided to test the definition of job satisfaction in the small business market and surprisingly found that satisfaction was the primary way that they defined success, followed by growth.

Enterprised Council asked business owners to define what satisfaction means to them. Business owners showed that maintaining a healthy work/life balance was the single biggest factor in their definition of success.

How do you define job satisfaction?

Children May be the Key Consumer Influencers To Business Success

Win over children and you can win over the biggest influencers of all time (anyone who has kids, knows exactly what I mean).

Roy Prevost, in his book entitled Turbocharge Your Retail Business, tells about a story of a small business retailer who has things figured out.

It has to do with a pharmacist who runs his own store. He has a fool proof way of gaining influence into many of his customer’s households, he gains the influence of the children. He has become somewhat of a legend in his hometown. He goes onto explain that he has a simple strategy that any retailer can do.

A pharmacist explains:

“Whenever a parent and a young (five years or younger) child enters the store, I approach them, and with the parent’s approval, I crouch down beside the child and ask in a very gentle way: ‘Hi, My name is Bill… what’s your name?”

“The child, shy or not, will say his or her name. (for the purpose of this story, let’s say it’s ‘Stephanie’)

“I then say, ‘Stephanie, do you know what day it is today?”

“Stephanie will then usually shyly say, ‘I don’t know!”

“Then I will say, ‘This is your special day! Come with me…”

“Then I take the child by the hand and walk them over to a candy display that I specifically put together for that purpose, and hand the child a mini pack of Smarties. Then I say, “This is for you because it’s your Special Day. And remember, my name is Mister Smartie!”

Does this strategy work? You bet!

Will that child ask his or her mother to go back and visit Mister Smartie? I guarantee it!

The strategy is so simple, it make you wonder why more retailers don’t do the same thing, or something similar.

Children are one of the biggest influencers in any household. Why not get them on your side?