He-Man and She-Ra Christmas sweaters from christmassweaters.ca
The latest news and information for entrepreneurs from across the web universe, brought to you by theReport on Small Businessteam. Follow us on Twitter@GlobeSmallBiz.
'Tis the season
Kyle Reagan doesn't just wear ugly Chrisatmas sweaters. He makes them. And sells them.
He told the Victoria News he's sold an estimated 2,100 of his DIY creations this year. Mr. Reagan uses a glue gun to attach pieces of felt and ornaments to the sweaters, and a canvas printer enables him to meet demand for pop culture images, some of which he surrounds with LED lights.
The resident of Saanich, B.C. has been producing his unique products for five years. Alberta is his biggest market in Canada, but he also ships abroad by selling his wares at christmassweaters.ca.
Mystery shopper makes her mark
Ten years ago, Tina Kastana had a job as a mystery shopper. She collected hundreds of items, and auctioned them off on eBay. As the Vancouver Province points out in this story, she built a business by reinvesting her earnings in other products and reselling them on her online boutique store. Ms. Kastana has been named eBay's fashion entrepreneur of the year, she is on track to exceed $100,000 in sales, and says she hopes to quit her day job in the near future.
Seven deadly sins
Nellie Akalp, writing for Small Business Trends, says she has helped thousands of entrepreneurs launch their companies, and she "thought it would be useful to highlight some of the hard-won experience I've learned throughout the process."
EVENTS AND KEY DATES
Interested in franchising opportunities?
The Franchise Show brings together the largest number of brand-name franchises under one roof with investments at all levels. Learn more about specific companies and the industry as a whole. The Montreal event runs Jan. 19 and 20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Place Bonaventure. Toronto is Feb. 23 and 24, during the same hours, at the Congress Centre.
Self-employment for newcomers to Canada
Starting a Business in Canada – general information sessions in the Halton Region of Toronto include basic information for new Canadians interested in self employment. They'll take place on the second Friday of every month in 2013 at the Newcomer Information Centre in Oakville, Ont.
EDITOR'S PICKS FROM REPORT ON SMALL BUSINESS
The year end top 10
Report on Small Business presents the year's 10 most popular stories.
FROM THE ROSB ARCHIVES
Does mobile rule?
Is it possible (or prudent) for small businesses to retool for mobile? Can (or should) mobile customers drive the way you do business?
"Probably finding ones that did work well would be more the exception than the rule," Mr. Thornhill adds.Got a tip on news, events or other timely information related to the small-business community? E-mail us atsmallbusiness@globeandmail.com. Join The Globe's Small Business LinkedIn group to network with other entrepreneurs and to discuss topical issues:http://linkd.in/jWWdzT. Our free weekly newsletter is now available. Every Friday a team of editors selects the top picks from our blog posts, features, multimedia and columnists, and delivers them to your inbox. If you have registered for The Globe's website, you cansign up here. Click on the Small Business Briefing checkbox and hit 'save changes.' If you need to register for the site, click here.
Sean Stanleigh