Business Information for Entrepreneurs by an Entrepreneur

http://www.workingfromhome.com/

If you are looking to start a business from your home — either full time or in your spare time — this site is great. I remember reading one of their books a few years ago. I read a couple of their books (as many as I could get my hands on) more than once and I'd highly recommend them.

I'd forgotten about them recently — they just weren't on my radar — until a friend of mine recommended a book for me… it turned out to be the first book I'd read of theirs years ago!

I hunted down their site and am now passing it on to you.

This site falls into one of those “why didn't I think of that?” categories.

http://www.waxmail.biz/

Microsoft Outlook users can create mp3's (those are audio files for you non-audiophiles) and attach them to your email.

Although I can hold my own with the typists of the world, I know plenty of entrepreneurs who can't be bothered to type or simply don't have the time because they use the “hunt and peck” method of typing. Moreover, nearly all of the business owners I know are great verbal communicators but fall short with the written word.

This is the solution: Say what you want to say. Save. Attach. Send.

Alberta Canada is one of the hottest markets in North America right now. The province is rich in oil and has a massive oils ands reserve that's barely tapped. Many companies have their Canadian headquarters there, the province is VERY wealthy, and it is experiencing an unprecedented and extended economic boom.

To me, it's an interesting study in localized inflation. I've been talking to a few friends who work for international companies with branches in Alberta. They all talk with frustration about the difficulty of finding workers who will stay at the job. One company, whose employee wages are mandated from a US based head office, are finding that the wages are adequate anywhere else in Canada and the US but are less than half of what is expected by workers in Alberta! It's no wonder that the company had a turnover last month that was 400% what it is in the area where he worked!

Companies are struggling to keep employees in Alberta because the wages are so high that they can't afford to pay them. And employees who willingly accept lower wages (for various reasons including future opportunities or ownership opportunities, etc.) are unable to afford to live there.

I'm not sure what the solution is. I normally prefer less government intervention in business but this situation really concerns me because it could set up local businesses that aren't in the wealthy oil industry for failure. At the same time, are there opportunities for business owners like us who can find a solution? I'm going to keep my eye on Alberta. There's money there.