Starting a Successful Business in Canada. 17th ed.

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

With today’s frequent changes in technology and tax laws, it is important for any guide that targets entrepreneurs to be up to the minute. Outdated information can be harmful to the bottom line, hence the 17th revision of this basic work. Owners of previous editions will be pleased to see that this time the exercises, forms, and website URLs are on CD, a format that speeds up their use: no photocopying of paper forms required.

In addition to the expected chapters on how to decide if a business idea is right for you, the three forms of business registration (proprietorship, partnership, incorporation), essential financial records, staffing, and marketing, the work gives extra emphasis to technology for the small business. Computers—hardware and software—networks, telephone systems, Internet connection options, email, websites, VOIP, computerized bookkeeping, computer security, and IT training and administration are all discussed.

Canadian tax laws as they apply to small business are also covered in some detail, with an emphasis on strategies to maximize deductions. Insurance, business loans, and a detailed guide to preparing a business plan round out the entrepreneur’s primer.

The table of contents is an outline of the book’s contents, sufficiently detailed to make the absence of an index almost forgivable. The text is organized into small bites, perfect for quick reference.