US Retailers Setting their Sights on Canadian Markets - U.S. retailers are looking to expand into the Canadian marketplace. How are home-improvement retailers staying competitive against other big-box stores and what impact is consumer debt levels having on sales? Watch this informative video where Alan Huggins, President of Lowes Canada, talks to the Business News Network.

Uh Oh Canada - Canadians have spent the last few years relieved that they escaped the pain Americans have suffered since the crash of 2008, but some economists believe they may soon come to share it. Have we been too cocky with our perspective on how we have survived the financial crisis compared to other countries in the world? Have we taken a realistic look at how we fared in all aspects of economic recovery? In this sobering and provocative article, Kevin Libin at the Financial Post asks us to look a little deeper at the "economic miracle" we've celebrated these last few years. Read the article here.

The Impact of Earned Media in Today's Marketplace - A study from Synaptic Digital and Kantar Video, a unit of international ad conglomerate WPP Group, looked at how so-called "earned media" coverage of a brand works with paid media in the form of advertising and other brand marketing. It so happens that women are more likely to embrace brands than men are when brand advertising is combined with news or social media mentions of that brand, according to this study. How might this impact the way you advertise and market your product or service? Click here to read more.

RIM's future involves less Canada - BlackBerry maker RIM, is calling for the heads of the company's co-CEOs to roll. For Canada, that may be just the beginning of the upheaval to come. RIM appears to have four potential paths back to relevancy - and all of them will probably make the company decidedly less Canadian. More likely, these options will become parts of the same chain, which could ultimately result in RIM being only tangentially tied to Canada. Click here to read more.

Apple drives mobile internet traffic in Canada - When Canadians are using the internet away from a computer, the vast majority are on an i-something. Canadians ranked highest in the world in terms of relying on their iPads to use the internet, with 33.5 per cent of non-computer traffic tied to Apple's tablets. A little more usage, 34.6 per cent, came from iPhone users and 14.9 per cent was associated with iPod touch devices. Click here to read more.

Recruitment is a big expense for most small businesses. The time it takes to write an advertisement, post it, review resumes, create interview questions, and interview candidates is a significant commitment and at the end of the day you don't always find the perfect candidate the first time through. I recently posted an entry level receptionist job for a Vancouver based company and received 107 resumes in less than 24 hours! Anticipating a large response to this posting, I put some things in place that pretty much sorted the list for me. With very little effort I reduced the list to 25 in the first step. The second step took me to thirteen. The work I put in to those 13 brought us to 7 interviews, and by the time we got to the interview stage we knew these candidates, on paper at least, quite well.

The process was so effective, I used it twice more in the next few weeks with the same results. In addition, I received many comments from job seekers about how it made our company stand out from the rest, and even some of those who were not selected for an interview, took the time to write me and let me know how much they enjoyed the process. Setting up the process took a bit of time, but it was nothing compared to how much time it saved me in having to sort through all those resumes. Here's what I did.

Step 1 - Create a job posting that's unique, exciting, and talks not only about qualifications, but fit. This is invaluable in helping job seekers to determine if they are the right fit for your company. I began the posting by talking about our company, our philosophy and our values. I also provided a brief statement that summarized our corporate culture. Then, I dedicated one sentence to the skills required: "We assume if you're applying for this position you have the following skills ..." I went on to talk about the kind of person we were looking for and focused on personal traits, work style, personality etc. This took up the bulk of the posting. By the time a candidate got to the end, they were very clear about the kind of person we were looking for.

Step 2 - Put specific instructions in your posting, then be ruthless with your review of applications. In the posting, I made several very specific requests. I told applicants to submit cover letters and resumes in MS Word or PDF formats only. I asked them to send everything as an attachment and not in the body of the email. I provided my name and email address and asked them to address their package to me. I also asked them to answer 3 specific questions in their cover letter. When reviewing those first 107 applications, if there was no cover letter, I tossed it. If the cover letter or resume were contained in the email body, out it went. If it was not addressed to me, it was gone. And if they didn't answer the questions I posed in their cover letter, well, you get the picture. I didn't even have to read the responses. It took very little to weed out the people who couldn't follow instructions, and this step quickly took me from 107 applicants to 25.

Step 3 - Send out job-relevant "assignments" with a due date. This part was the most fun. I put together three assignments for the remaining 25 candidates. The first was to submit, in a one-page essay, the answers to several "get to know you" type questions. These were designed to help me quickly see whether the person would be a fit for the position. The second assignment was a priority-setting exercise where the candidate was given 12 tasks and told to prioritize them over two days. The third assignment was designed to help us assess their level of expertise in using MSWord. They were given an unformatted document and asked to create a professional-looking business document, including several different elements. Out of those 25, only 13 responded with completed assignments.

Step 4 - Review the packages with "best fit" in mind and use a scoring grid. For each application package I created a grid where I scored the assignments. Resume and cover letter were each worth 5 points, and assignments were worth 10. In their cover letter, applicants needed to have indicated an ability to write well and given me an impression of why they'd be a good fit for our company. Resumes must have addressed the basics of skill and experience. Each assignment was rated on their ability to follow the instructions, and how well they completed them. I determined that only applicants who scored above 30 (out of the total 40 points) would move to the interviews. This took my short-list down to seven applicants.

Step 5 - Use the packages to create personalized interview questions. Rather than use a list of generic questions, we were able to use their experiences and responses to the assignments to create a dialogue about their fit with the company. By the time we got to the interview stage, both the candidates and our interview team felt we already knew each other. This made the interview process easy and natural.

In the end, fit is the most important part of hiring for small businesses, so you may want to try this approach the next time you need to fill a position. Think about the process holistically - you don't have to follow my steps exactly, but the idea is to reduce the amount of time you have to spend reviewing applications, and create a tangible process for candidates that will allow them to show you their fit for your company. I guarantee, if you use these ideas to more creatively approach your next hire, it will be well worth the effort.

Every business owner has faced it. Those customers who always seem get your dander up. There are things you can do to minimize the impact these customers have on you, and your capacity to turn them around and make them fans of your business.

1. Resist the urge to get mad and make judgments
   When you are dealing with a difficult customer, or worse a persistently negative one, it's easy to start feeling angry or upset when you see them coming. It's also easy to make judgments and assumptions about them, and label them - malcontent, disruptive, or complainer. These negative emotions, however, will hamper your ability to deal with the customer effectively. You might, for instance, immediately dismiss their concern or complaint in your mind and set out to simply pacify and get rid of them rather than to truly resolve the issue. When you allow your own negative thoughts to take over, it comes out in your body language. People prone to negativity may unconsciously try to mirror that, or will respond to it with defensiveness making it even more difficult to solve the problem. Instead, give your customer the benefit of the doubt. Assume they are coming to you with a valid concern and really listen to what they have to say. If you truly listen, and hear what they have to say and don't judge, you might be surprised at the response you get, and how much better you'll feel.
2. Dig deeper to get at the root of the issue
   Negative behaviour is almost always rooted in fear. Unfortunately, it takes some digging to figure out what that fear is, in order to get to why they're behaving the way they are. For example, perhaps two years ago, your customer was treated rudely and dismissively by one of your staff. They didn't have the courage to come to you with it directly, but it tainted their perspective on the kind of treatment they can expect from your business. Perhaps they really like your product or service and that's why they continue to come back but their fear (and perhaps even expectation) of being mistreated by your staff puts them on the offensive. So, the belligerent behaviour they display is actually the way they protect themselves from being hurt. It's always easier to offer someone compassion if you understand where they're coming from. That doesn't excuse their bad behavior but if you take the time to try to get to the core of why they are behaving that way, you might be able to resolve a deeply rooted issue, and turn that customer around for good.
3. Defuse their negativity by giving them something they want
   This takes some skill, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to bring that customer around. I say skill, because it's about more than just acquiescing and giving in to their demands; demands that give them all the control and that make you powerless. It's also more than trying to manipulate someone's emotions by bribing them with stuff, just to pacify them. The skill lies in creating a win/win, where you're in control but the customer gets some kind of satisfactory resolution. Most customers don't actually expect you to give them everything they ask for, but they do expect something. So, find that something! "I realize you want a full refund on that product, but you've been using it for six months and we can no longer take it back. Here's what we CAN do. We'll give you a pro-rated refund for the remaining six months, which you can use toward purchasing a new product." Or, in the example I gave above, "The employee who treated you rudely is no longer working for us, but on behalf of our company I'd like to offer you my sincerest apology. We value your business, so here's what I'm going to do. I'll give you my private business phone number. If you ever feel one of my employees has been anything less than professional and customer-focused, please give me a call, and I will do my best to resolve the situation immediately." Every business will be different in terms of what they are able to offer. Almost always, giving the customer something something will reduce their negativity and turn their attitude around.
4. Don't take it personally - but accept responsibility when it is personal
   It's tough not to take it personally when someone is continually throwing stones, but many times it's not personal. It's about what that customer is going through in his or her life that puts them in that negative frame of mind. When you're under extreme stress at work, or at home, it takes very little to set you off - someone cutting you off in traffic, being kept waiting for an appointment, or a customer service representative who tells you they can't do what you're asking. When you know you haven't done anything wrong, step back from the emotions you're feeling and assume the negative behaviour is coming from something that has nothing to do with you. When you are disconnected from that defensive emotion, you can more clearly see your way to resolving the issue. However, be big enough to listen to the customer's concerns and determine whether you shoulder some of the responsibility, and if so then humbly accept it. Apologize, express your desire to change, and then do whatever it takes to make restitution. That will keep customers coming back.
5. Be proactive by building relationships
   When you've got lots of currency in the relationship bank with your customers, they are way more likely to forgive an error or misdeed than if they barely know you. Build relationships with your customers all year long. Listen to their stories, be invested in their lives, treat them with kindness and respect, respond to their concerns. Doing this builds your credibility and creates a cushion for when things do go wrong. That way you'll have earned your customers' respect and will likely be able to resolve things quickly when an issue arises.

Every business sometimes faces negative and difficult customers. Following these tips will help you to minimize the impact, get to solutions faster, and turn negatives into positives for your business.

Dr. Amantha Imber is the founder of Inventium, an international creativity and innovation company. She is author of "The Creativity Formula: 50 scientifically proven creativity boosters for work and for life". She has a doctorate in organizational psychology and brings a scientific yet highly practical approach to creative thinking and innovation. About 12-months ago, she set out to see if it was possible to accurately predict whether a person would be an effective creative thinker at work. Her company tested over 1,300 people, from industries as diverse as advertising, engineering and insurance. Although it had never been done previously, their research led them to the conclusion that they could indeed predict a person's ability to think creatively at work, and could do so extremely accurately. It was a matter of identifying the right variables to measure.

Their test incorporated over 25 "predictors" - things they knew were predictive of creative performance as shown by leading researchers in the field. I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the variables that came out as the top predictors of creative performance in the workplace, in the context of your own experience as a small business owner. This information is not only valuable in helping you find and recruit creative people to come and work for you, but to assess your own level of creative performance, and see whether there are any areas you could grow. Here is an abbreviated version of the top 6 predictor's from Imber's study. Click here to read the entire article.

1. Openness to experience
   People who score high on this trait seek out and appreciate new experiences. They tend to enjoy having a lot of variety in their life, have a high level of curiosity and use their imagination a lot. As a result, they perform significantly more creatively at work. To foster this trait in yourself, become deliberate about experiencing new activities, or doing things differently. This will help improve your openness to experience and thus significantly boost your creative performance.
2. Creative self-efficacy
   People who are high on this dimension have a strong belief in their ability to generate creative ideas. They will immerse themselves in tasks that require creativity, and will seek to get the best ideas out of themselves. Simply having this self belief has been shown to significantly increase a person's actual ability to think creatively. To foster this trait in yourself, reinforce your creative triumphs, no matter how small, and you will increase your awareness of, and confidence in, your creative potential.
3. Resilience
   People who are high in resilience are able to deal with stressful situations, bounce back easily from disappointments and failures, and can remain optimistic when things are not going their way. Creativity often involves experiencing failure and being able to bounce back from rejections. This attribute is critical to maintaining creativity and enthusiasm. To foster this trait in yourself, start to see failure as going hand in hand with creativity. This can help with setting more realistic expectations, which in turn will help boost resilience.
4. Confidence in intuition
   People who have a lot of confidence in their intuitive side tend to prefer gut-level thinking over more analytical thinking and their confidence in the accuracy of these intuitive decisions. Having this confidence in one's intuition can help immensely with creativity, as creative thought often involves tapping into intuitive, "gut" thinking. To foster this trait in yourself, try to gradually use and test your intuitive judgments in low risk circumstances, then use any successful intuition-based decisions as encouragement for more important tasks. This gradual approach will ease you into a pattern of trusting your intuition and will help to develop your creative aptitude.
5. Tolerance of ambiguity
   People who are very tolerant of ambiguities are not bothered by problems that are perceived as open-ended or ambiguous, as they tend to be highly flexible and dynamic. They enjoy the autonomy and creativity ill-defined tasks require. Being open to ambiguity is a key to creative performance, as a large part of creative thinking involves being able to sit comfortably with problems that have no obvious solution. To foster this trait in yourself, challenge your automatic tendency to view vague instructions negatively. Realize that the more ambiguous your directives, the more scope you have to impose your personal touch and talent on the project. If you consistently approach ambiguous directives in this way, your habit of perceiving ambiguity negatively will be replaced by a tendency to view ambiguity as an opportunity for you to shine.
6. Cross application of experiences
   People who demonstrate this behaviour frequently apply knowledge and concepts from outside of the work environment to solve work-related problems. To foster this trait in yourself, start deliberately applying knowledge and experiences from outside of work to tasks requiring creative problem-solving at work. The more similarities you can identify between projects at work and your knowledge and experiences, the better you will understand the problem you are facing and the more likely you will be able to solve it.

Creative performance is a powerful factor for business growth. As you foster these traits in yourself, and begin looking for people who demonstrate these characteristics when you hire, you'll grow your capacity to problem-solve and creatively adapt to the ever-changing dynamics of small business ownership.

To read the full article on the 6 predictors, click here. The Inventium website contains all kinds of useful tools and strategies to help you build creative performance in your business. Click here to visit Inventium.