Here are some tips every owner needs to keep in mind:

Culture counts. While company culture may sound like a buzzword used by a fad-obsessed tech giant, don’t be so quick to brush it off. Culture is a major contributor to job satisfaction, which in turn leads to increased productivity and profit. Make sure your business encourages teamwork, rewards effort and has a mission your employees can believe in.

Learn the rules. There are many laws and guidelines for companies to follow that cover everything from filing taxes to sending emails. These rules can change, especially those that cover technology, so take steps to keep your business up to date and compliant. Don’t be afraid to hire a bookkeeper, lawyer or human resources consultant to help, as penalties can be hefty.

Lead by example. It can be hard to take the boss seriously when they have a “do as I say, not as I do” mindset. Practise the dedication and hard work you want your employees to put in, and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Clean your restaurant’s tables and jump in to cover a last-minute shift on a Saturday night.

Have a backup plan. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, and that’s okay. Knowing what you’ll do if Plan A fails is just as important as having a plan in the first place. For example, research what resources are available should you need a new loan or line of credit. One of your options could be the recently improved and expanded Canada Small Business Financing Program. You can now use the program to fund eligible practical costs like rent, payroll, franchise fees, permits, printed materials, cloud storage and more.

(Source : News Canada)

L’article What any small business owner needs to know est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

Whether you’re looking to join the workforce or launch into a second career, these industries are in-demand and hiring.

Web development and IT
Most companies have an online presence, and to stay competitive, website creation and updates are always needed. Choose between full-time employment with a small- to large-sized business or embrace your entrepreneurial spirit and start your own company; there are plenty of career opportunities for web developers and those with experience in information technology.

Health care
Nurses and health-care workers are in high demand. Not only is this a satisfying and fulfilling job with the opportunity to help members of your community, there are full time, part time and casual work options available to suit your schedule and work needs.

Agriculture and food
Feed your future with a career in the agricultural and food sector. These jobs include positions on working farms, in food and beverage manufacturing facilities, distribution and more. There are diverse positions to suit a variety of skill sets, such as large animal veterinarians, roboticists/machine operators, general labourers, physiotherapists and many more. Job seekers can find employment opportunities across the country through the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Step up to the Plate portal.

(Source : News Canada)

L’article What are the best job prospects this year? est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

The bank must, however, be able to confirm your identity through proper identification. If you’re not a Canadian citizen, you may still be able to open a bank account with the proper identification.

But banks do have the right to refuse to open an account in certain situations. For example, if they can’t verify the validity of identification, or they have reasonable grounds to believe that the account will be used in committing fraud or other illegal actions.

When you open an account, the bank must provide you with information about existing fees, any fee increases and new fees. When a bank increases a fee after you’ve opened an account, they must give you written information about the change. If you were not made aware of the change before it came into effect, you can make a complaint. You can also contact the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada to learn more about your rights.

Banks must also send electronic alerts when the balance of your chequing or savings account falls below a certain amount. The default amount is $100 dollars but you can choose a different number. These alerts may help you manage your day-to-day finances and avoid overdraft penalties. Your bank will send these alerts to you automatically and you may opt out at any time.

Find more information about banking rights at canada.ca/money.

L’article What you need to know about opening a bank account est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

“There are a multitude of benefits and credits available to self-employed and freelance workers,” said Yannick Lemay, tax expert at H&R Block Canada. “One of the biggest things my clients ask me is what expenses they’re able to claim, and the short answer is a lot!”

Here are some of the best refund-maximizing tips he shares with self-employed clients:

1. Keep records. Save all receipts that pertain to your gig work, be it gas expenses if you drive for a ride-sharing company, cell phone expenses, parking costs or vehicle insurance. Separate these purchases, so there are no household or personal expenses on business receipts. This way, it’s obvious these expenses are work related. Lemay says it can look fishy if you’re claiming toilet paper for your Airbnb on a receipt that has other expenses clearly purchased for personal use.
2. Report your income. Even if you’re paid in cash, it’s the law to report all income, including tips. This means keeping self-reported records of tips you receive per shift, which can be done with free apps, spreadsheets or even notes in your phone.
3. Register for and charge GST/HST. When you earn $30,000 over 12 consecutive months, you’ll be required by law to register and charge these taxes. Depending on your situation, it might make more sense to start collecting this before you hit that threshold. You should also look into the quick method of accounting, which can help you save a lot of money.
4. Make your contributions. All self-employed workers must pay into Canada Pension Plan (CPP). However, if you are a gig worker, you should do your research to see if this applies to you. If you intend to collect CPP or Quebec Pension Plan in retirement, you’ll need to have paid into it. Also, though it’s required, you might consider opting into Employment Insurance in case of an emergency.

(Source : Canada News)

L’article Confidence-boosting tax tips for the self-employed est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

In the end, more than 6.5 million taxpayers will have access to that financial assistance.

The amount will be $600 for those whose individual income doesn’t exceed $50,000. It will gradually decrease, down to $400 for those with an income slightly above $50,000.

Revenu Québec

Although Revenu Québec specifies that people don’t have anything to do in order to receive that financial assistance, many have still haven’t received the money, and are wondering.

For example, is it normal that all the members of my family, all having the same last name, have already obtained their cheque, but not me? Why did my friends already receive their check two weeks ago, but I’m still without answer?

First, it’s important to know that taxpayers who are yet to file their 2021 income tax return have until June 30, 2023 to do so in order to take advantage of that new measure to counter inflation.

People who received last-resort financial assistance on Dec. 31, 2021, and benefit from the automatic payment of the TQS component of the solidarity tax credit, don’t have to file an income tax return to be eligible for the cheque.

Payment Date

Something important to know is that you can find the date you should receive your cheque on Revenu Québec’s website, on Mon Dossier. Also, the amount of the cheque’s also indicated there, if you have any doubts about it.

So, in case of uncertainties, just look there, and you’ll see everything you need to know.

In collaboration with Nicholas Pereira

L’article Many People are still Waiting for Their Cheques est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

A manufacturer of kayaks and other water sports equipment, Pelican was one of the 12 winners honoured at the 30th edition of the Salon sur les meilleures pratiques d’affaires, held on Nov. 24 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. The Laval company thus earned a regional distinction, at the Prix performance Québec (PPQ).

Entrepreneurship Model

“It represents an exceptional entrepreneurship model, contributing to the economic influence of our region,” said the Minister of Economy, and Regional Minister of Laval, Christopher Skeete.

Skeete obviously praised the “ambition”, and the “desire for surpassing” of each of the winning companies, which “make them true models for our ecosystem of entrepreneurship”.

translated by Alec Brideau

L’article Pélican international Among the Best est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

Mayor Stéphane Boyer attributes this operating surplus to a tight control of expenses and a real estate activity much more sustained than expected.

Those statistics are comparable to last year, where the record surpluses of $85.6 million generated in 2020 were mostly explained a special assistance of $42.3 million from Quebec in this first year of the pandemic.

The surplus of $38.2 million represents 4.1 per cent of an operating budget of $932 million in 2021.

Lower Expenses

Savings of $29 million were made with projected expenses, including $12 million saved on payroll. It ended at $376 million, including overtime.

The labour shortage situation has meant that the 127 new budgeted full-time equivalent positions were not all filled last year and that the staffing period, for those who’ve been, was stretched from three to six months.

“It didn’t, moreover, prevent us from doing an important PTI (triennial capital assets plan) and maintaining services despite everything,” Boyer said in an interview with the Courrier Laval.

Professional fees and technical services cost $7.8 million less than projected. In terms of fees, for example, $4.6 million of the $25 million budgeted remained on the table. These savings are mainly from the Communications Department ($2.4 million) and the Downtown Development Department ($1.9 million).

For what’s about the financial costs, they were $2.5 million lower than expected.

Revenues Going Up

The strong economic activity observed in 2021 has allowed the City to collect $20.5 million more than the estimated revenues.

Totaling $64.9 million, transfer duties generated $15.4 million more than the $49.5 million anticipated.

As for the permits issued last year, Laval collected $3.9 million from developers, and from owners and renovators, the highest registered according to the Director of Finance, Pierre Beaudet. Surprisingly, it’s an increase of 63 per cent compared to the $2.4 million estimated at the moment.

For the whole year, the total value of building and leasehold improvement permits is $1.4 billion.

Support Measures

However, the surpluses recorded aren’t made to the detriment to the detriment of the services given to citizens, says Boyer. The City even invested $18 million in many measures to help citizens affected by the pandemic, with the two-thirds in a tax freeze ($10.8) and the postponement of the deadlines for the payment of the tax account ($1 million). The business support program ($5.3 million) and the economic recovery plan ($0.9 million) are completing those investments.

A Shortfall

Still in 2021, Laval also had to deal with a shortfall of $14 million compared to expected revenues. Of this number, tax products were $4.8 million lower than expected, despite a record number of permits issued. This decline is the result of decisions given by the Tribunal administratif du Québec in the wake of challenges of value of the role. On this topic, let’s remember the out-of-court settlement under which Laval had to pay back $16.5 million in capital, interest and costs to the Rocket’s arena, the CH Group subsidiary and manager of Place Bell.

Also, investment income have generated $3.2 million less than projected, while fines brought in $18.6 instead of the budgeted $20.6 million.

Reassignment

Of the financial surplus, $5.9 million will go into the snow reserve, $13.1 million will go into the reserve for cash payment of upcoming fixed assets, and the remaining $16.2 million will be for unrestricted operating surplus.

In the upcoming years, the Boyer administration says he wants to invest heavily in community centres, streets, parks, works to reduce overflows and other major infrastructure projects. “Those sums will allow us to do it with a reduced impact on indebtedness or the tax burden,” the administration explains.

Record Investments

In 2021, capital expenditures totaled $248.9 million, which is $40 million more than in 2019, the pre-pandemic year.

Laval had reached a historic high with achievements of $240 million in 2020, a spending growth the city justifies by the fact its prioritizing sustainable development in its public infrastructure investments.

Boyer is delighted with a 65.2 per cent achievement rate of the PTI, especially in a year marked by a labour shortage and material supply difficulties.

As for the gap with the record year of 2020, where Laval had achieved nearly 75 per cent of its investment budget, he also explains it by a “more ambitious PTI from year to year”.

Let’s remember that under Vaillancourt’s administration, Laval was achieving only 45 per cent of the investments projected at the PTI.

translated by Alec Brideau

L’article Laval Concludes 2021 with a Surplus of $38.2 Million est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.