Working from the cottage this summer? Here’s how to avoid some common pitfalls.

Don’t assume your technology will work
Ignore wireless coverage maps and TV ads touting speedy, far-flung networks. “Network coverage maps only tell you one story,” says Michael Bussiere, whose company, telecollaborativemedia.com helps people communicate from remote locations, as he does from his lake house in Val-des-Monts, Que. “If you’re on the wrong side of a hill, there could be a serious issue with reception.”

Roger Pierce, a small business expert who is co-founder of Bizlaunch.ca and works from his cottage in the Kawartha Lakes, says he’s also been burned by poor coverage. “Once, during a call with a client, signal strength started to fade. I had no choice but to untie the fishing boat and drift out onto the lake where the signal improved slightly. It’s a good thing I didn’t have to take notes during that call.” So, if possible, try before you buy and always check on the equipment’s return policy, before you get locked into a contract.

Choose your workspace carefully
Don’t set up shop somewhere where you’ll be distracted by people having more fun than you. Find a room with a door. “Spare bedrooms aren’t used that often, and guests typically don’t mind cohabitating with a small workstation,” says Pierce.

Make a schedule and stick to it
“Set some reasonable working hours and ask your family to respect those hours as do-not-disturb-time,” advises Pierce. Make sure friends and neighbours know your work schedule as well.

Work during quiet times
Whether it’s in the morning, or late at night, do the bulk of your work when distractions are few. If you keep your head down, you may find that you’ll only need three cottage hours to do eight city hours worth of work.

Don’t forget why you’re there
You’re there to work and play, so don’t pointlessly ostracize yourself from the fun stuff. Instead, Pierce advises that you use the cottage setting as a reward. “You’ll work extra-fast to get to that nice cool swim in the lake.”

—Ryan LeClaire

“A lack of information has left small business owners out-of-the-loop, so we need to bridge this knowledge gap and make sure these people are prepared,” said Andrew Patricio, BizLaunch Co-founder.

HST will take effect July 1, 2010 in British Columbia and Ontario. The new HST will combine the provinces’ current provincial sales tax (PST) with the federal goods and services tax (GST), to create a single harmonized sales tax administered by the federal government. HST will total 13% in Ontario, and 12% in British Columbia.

The survey conducted by BizLaunch.ca also revealed:

• 48% feel that HST will be harmful to their business
• Over 70% of respondents believe the HST will increase the price of goods and services, while only 1% of those surveyed believe that HST will actually increase sales.
• 40% responded that they are not aware of the HST obligations and entitlements for businesses.
• Top concerns include: confusion about changing over to new accounting systems, explaining the new tax to customers, and an increase in the price of goods and services overall.

“Integrating a new tax can be confusing for businesses, especially those that have never charged PST,” added Patricio, “with May 01, 2010 being the first date for compliance small business need to get the ball rolling.”

BizLaunch will be offering a number of free 60-minute webinars to make it easier for small businesses to handle the incoming tax. The seminars will focus on the affects of HST on selling products and services, setting prices, preparing budgets, and record keeping.  For more information visit www.bizlaunch.ca

Canada’s largest small business training company, BizLaunch Small Business Experts deliver practical, ready-to-apply how-to advice in a unique style that’s friendly, fun and informative. Founded in 2003 by a pair of entrepreneurs passionate about advising startups, BizLaunch has since trained over 20,000 new business owners worldwide. Company customers include STAPLES, Bell, Visa, Scotiabank, Cisco, ADP, Deluxe and Microsoft.

Social media may be the advertising tool of the future, but it’s unlikely to produce positive results for most business owners who haphazardly launch Internet campaigns hoping they’ll resonate with consumers.

Even high-traffic social media sites, such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and MySpace, aren’t a surefire way to attract potential customers, according to Canadian marketing guru and author Andrew Ballenthin.

More than 90% of business owners aren’t using social media to its full potential for personal branding, Ballenthin’s studies have found.

But the high proportion of failed Internet campaigns (in the neighbourhood of 75% to 90% by Ballenthin’s calculations) hasn’t deterred small business owners from using social media platforms.

A recent national BizLaunch survey found that more than 49% of small business owners have invested up to 101 hours in social media marketing during the past 12 months.

stefani.moretti@canoe.ca