CANADA’S UNIVERSAL CHILD CARE PLAN

Canada's Universal Child Care Plan provides Choice, Support and Spaces for today's parents; a plan that supports families regardless of where they live, whatever their circumstances and preferences
The Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), which provides parents with more choice in child care, came into effect on July 1. Beginning on July 20, 2006, Canadian parents started receiving monthly cheques for $100, for each child under six. Over 90 per cent of parents received UCCB cheques automatically as they are already enrolled in the Canada Child Tax Benefit. To find out more about Canada's Universal Child Care Plan, please visit www.universalchildcare.ca
Even if your family is not yet registered, you can apply any time and receive payments retroactively up to 11 months from your date of application.

Small Business Checklist: What to invest in today to be a success tomorrow
Starting your own company? Think you're too small to afford new technology? Think again. For Small Business Week 2006, Xerox Canada offers the following tips on how to find the right mix of technology and services to grow your business like a pro

TORONTO, Oct. 10 /CNW/ -

1. Stop shuffling paper: Avoid limiting information to paper documents. A recent survey(1) reveals that, on average, small business owners say it takes employees more than one-hour per week to find hard-copy documents.

2. The colour of money: Research shows that 58 per cent of Canadian small businesses think printing in colour is important to business growth, while 40 per cent say colour has a direct impact on growing their business, through such methods as increasing payment response time.

3. Never underestimate your competition: New findings indicate only 37 per cent of small businesses think their competitors are printing in colour and another 33 per cent don't know. In fact, most Canadian small businesses (79 per cent) print in colour!

4. Leave room to grow: Almost three-quarters of small businesses (72 percent) say choosing scalable solutions that grow with their business is key. This figure was highest in Ontario (79 per cent) and lowest in Quebec (61 per cent).

5. Not your grandma's copier: After setting up Internet connectivity and purchasing telephones/faxes, research reveals only 33 per cent of start-ups invest in new copy and printing machines or upgrades.

6. Get your head out of the sand: Now is the time to take advantage of digital storage and document archiving. The survey revealed that 71 per cent of small businesses are afraid of misplacing electronically stored documents, yet 66 per cent have no prevention strategy.

7. Think outside-the-box: Consider storing critical digital documents offsite. More start-ups outsource the management of documents to experts than businesses in general (17 per cent, compared with 11 percent).

8. Stop procrastinating: Introduce the right mix of technology and services in your workplace today and watch your business skyrocket!