Archive for February, 2010

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February 18th, 2010

Certificates of origin now available online

There’s a new service for exporters shipping to countries other than the U.S. that saves time and money on the COO process. This service is the outcome of a partnership between the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, its members and TradeCert, a global provider of online certificate documents.

A Certificate of Origin is a document that authenticates the country from which the goods originate. Many customs authorities require proof of origin before allowing the merchandise into the country.

To find out how this service works, view this presentation and read this article for more information.

Caroline Bouchard

February 16th, 2010

How to encourage innovation

Innovation plays a big role in a company’s future. The following article, prompted by Apple’s launch of the IPad, suggests three easy ways to encourage creativity:

  • Think small, i.e. look for small innovations;
  • Implement locally at the beginning;
  • Promote widely.

I think you’ll find this article interesting. Click this link: How to encourage Innovation

Samir Naoum

February 12th, 2010

Are your exports in one of the next decade’s 10 hottest industries?

Les Affaires recently published the results of an IBISWorld study on the winning industries for the coming decade.

I’ve hesitated discussing this topic before because of the countless studies speculating on the industries of the future. However, I believe that this kind of knowledge can be useful when trying to decide which new market segments to develop. With that in mind, here are the winning industries for 2010 to 2019:

Industry 10-Year Projected Growth
IP telephony

149.6%
Retirement planning

133.7.%
Biotechnology

127.6%
E-commerce

124.7%
Environmental consulting

120.3%
Video game development

112.9%
Trusts and estates

105.7%
Search engines

100.9%
Recycling facilities

80.9%
Land development

72.7%

I hope you’ll take advantage of these opportunities. We’d enjoy your feedback, and please let us know if we can be of help.

Véronique Proulx

February 11th, 2010

Three common mistakes to avoid in order to win U.S. government contracts

I recently read a very interesting article containing advice from Judy Bradt, a former trade commissioner and now CEO of Summit Insight, a company that has guided more than 5,000 clients to over $200 million in U.S. government contracts.

Too often, entrepreneurs spend thousands of dollars trying to win U.S. government contracts with no results. According to Bradt, the failure is the result of three common mistakes:

  • Entrepreneurs set unrealistic expectations;
  • Businesses pursue opportunities on a shoestring budget;
  • Businesses do not resist the temptation to use shotgun tactics.

Bradt offers a fix for each one of these mistakes. Read the article and then ask yourself if you fall into the same traps. If the answer is yes, you might want to take Bradt’s advice to heart.

Caroline Bouchard

February 10th, 2010

Supply chain training/coaching

Launched in January, the supply chain training/coaching program is in its third session. A number of meetings have also been held at participants’ companies to reinforce the learning and help them take the required actions based on their business priorities. The feedback on this innovative program has been quite positive.

The last session, facilitated by Denis Kurdi and Caroline Messier from ViaScan, was especially popular. Participants were able to observe and even try some of the technologies increasingly used to support the supply chain. The program will continue until end of April. Please let us know if you are interested in participating in the next session.

Samir Naoum

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