Business Information for Entrepreneurs by an Entrepreneur

I asked a small business owner recently how he got his start. He related that he used to work for a privately owned international firm (whose name will remain unwritten here) and they required him to work 6 days a week, wear a specific color of shirt and tie, and he wasn't allowed to grow facial hair. Along with these mandates, there were several other business practices that he felt were repressive to his personality. So he quit and started his own business.

At heart he was a creative, free spirit. He didn't like a schedule and his art was good enough that he could afford to eat and put a roof over his head. I think one of the first things he did was grow a beard!

Is your own unique fingerprint on your business? I hope so. Small businesses are not just about transactions that are made between you and a customer. Your business is an important part of you and should adequately represent you to the world.

And if you're just starting a business, let your interests and uniqueness inform your decision: love to travel? Consider a business that lets you do that. Love to sing? Consider a business that lets you do that.

You spend long enough at your business, it only makes sense that it should be a natural extension of who you are. Don't be afraid to be unique… embrace it!

Many of us operate e-businesses, or at least have an e-business element to our company. It doesn't matter where you operate your business, if you do business in US funds, you should be ready to consider a new market.

Once, Canadian dollars were worth virtually the same as American dollars. However, for nearly 2 decades, Canada's dollar has been trading at about two-thirds of the American dollar. Essentially, that meant it was more expensive for Canadians to purchase products in American funds than in Canadian funds. So given the choice between two products, one in Canadian funds and one in American funds, they might be more likely to choose the product in Canadian dollars.

However, due to their robust economy, their dollar is once again catching up. Where it once traded at about 66 cents on an American dollar, it is now trading at about 91 cents on an American dollar (at the time of this writing). There is talk that it could achieve “parity” very soon and perhaps even outpace the American dollar slightly.

If you do business in American dollars, that's great news for you. While Canadians did buy products in American funds before, the transfer fees and exchange rate was sometimes enough for someone to pause and count the additional cost (and perhaps NOT make the purchase).

But now, with the dollars being almost the same, American products are priced virtually the same as Canadian products. That means Canadians may be more willing to buy products in American dollars. That means an additional 30 million people have suddenly increased their likelihood of shopping online for products in American funds.

Check out this company: 37 Signals

They create highly practical applications to help people build their businesses. Perhaps you can find one that suits you. Their offerings include:

• Basecamp, a project collaboration and communication tool
• Backpack, an information organzing tool
• Writeboard, a web-based word processing tool
• Ta-Da List, a shareable to do list
• Campfire, a group chat tool

This company seems to have a real strength in the field of collaborative applications, which are programs (in this case, web-based) that allow you to communicate and share content with people.

I know this is going to sound like some kind of paid promotion (which it's not): What I like about this company is that they combine great programs that are web-based and provide high value with excellent branding.

If you are looking for a great example of a business that has it together when it comes to brand creation, check them out. If you want great collaborative software, their programs are well-thought-out, nice to look at, and robust.