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The top 10 small business stories of 2013

This article was published more than 10 years ago. Some information may no longer be current.

While the rise of crowdfunding, the launch of the Startup Visa program and Canada Post's price hikes weighed on small business owners in 2013, the most popular stories were more likely to involve cool gadgets, the CBC's Dragon's Den and workplace diction. Scroll through the following list to learn more about the year's top reads:

1. Three travel gadgets you shouldn't leave home without

When it’s time to hit the road, every traveler’s goal is to bring as little as possible, but be sure they have absolutely everything they need. That causes quite an interesting challenge when packing, but there are a few travel gadgets that can help you avoid potential headaches and travel like a pro.

2. Retro gadgets to brighten your winter blues

Here are some tech toys to treat yourself to. From a Commodore 64 keyboard to a Casio calculator watch, there's a retro-but-modern gizmo for everyone in this list.

3. Ten words to cut from your writing

As Mark Twain famously wrote, "I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead." His point? Strong writing is lean writing. When you want to make your writing more powerful, cut out words you don't need--such as the 10 included in this post.

4. Ten phrases that should be banned from the workplace forever

You’ve got to know your audience and tailor your content to meet their needs. Being sincere, natural, enthusiastic and passionate go hand in hand with maintaining good eye contact and being calm and polite. It’s also crucial to learn that there are certain words and phrases that are certain to cause damage to one’s progress. If you want to maximize your success as you climb the career ladder, and avoid slipping, here are the top ten phrases to stop using in the workplace

5. Entrepreneur loses bid to sue CBC over Dragons’ Den appearance

Province’s top court said Marc Ribeiro, president of MHR Board Game Design Inc., had no grounds to sue the CBC for “gross and reckless negligence, intentional misconduct, malice and bad faith” over an unflattering portrayal on the program

6. Dragons’ Den success story has caught a summer cold

The lazy, hazy days of summer have slowed business for Steeped Tea, which sells tea through home-based parties. How can the owners motivate busy stay-at-home moms and fix a vexing cash-flow problem?

7. Money and talent drive East Coast business revival

The economic well-being of Atlantic Canada has depended on natural resources for decades. Forestry, fishing, mining and oil refining have created thousands of jobs, launched many businesses and built communities. A number of experts suggest an economic shift is now unfolding on Canada’s East Coast.

8. Toronto lingerie company re-imagines women’s underwear

Knix Wear’s goal is to make women’s everyday just that little bit easier, and the positive reinforcement that the company's founder received from women of all ages made it easy to stay motivated and to take the entrepreneurial leap of faith

9. Introducing Vancouver's most promising young entrepreneurs

Report on Small Business hosted a Young Entrepreneurs Night at The Hive, a collaborative workspace for the creativity, sustainability and community sectors in Vancouver. The networking event featured a group of early stage small-business owners and students who aspire to be entrepreneurs

10. Why great salespeople are more blue-collar than white-collar

The best practitioners understand that while finesse, diplomacy and sensitivity are important, they also know sales is a contact sport, writes columnist Tibor Shanto