At a Glance
FROM: JUL-AUG 2007 ISSUE
“In micro terms, productivity can only grow if a business desires to make it happen.”
Building Business Success: A Survey of SMEs on Productivity, Canadian Federation of Independent Business
Paying More for Office Space?
A recent report by global real estate company CB Richard Ellis says it’s a landlord’s market, with office space vacancy rates in Canada the lowest they’ve been in 20 years, and costs consequently on the rise. Not surprisingly, Calgary is leading the way, with an overall vacancy rate of one per cent, representing just 443,443 square feet of available space, the lowest downtown vacancy rate in the world. Among the tightest downtown markets are Vancouver and Ottawa, where almost all new available space is in the suburbs.
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Record Year for Canucks on AIM
Thirteen Canadian companies listed on AIM last year, the London Stock Exchange’s international growth market, a record-setting number since the exchange launched in 1995, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers study. The companies raised a combined $425 million, up from the previous record set in 2004, when 12 new Canadian listings collectively raised $198 million.
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High Prices Curb Cell Use
Canadians are paying more for their cellphone plans than users in all 30 countries in the OECD, according to a March 2007 report by The Seaboard Group. Heavy users in Canada pay about 1.5 times more than their American counterparts, and average users pay 33 per cent more. Only 58 per cent of Canadians use cellphones, as compared to 75 per cent in the U.S. and 86 per cent in Germany.
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Help for Monday Mornings
When even a triple espresso can’t shake your sleepy brain cells out of dreamland, a line of alternative caffeine sources from ThinkGeek could help bring them back to the land of the living. From Shower Shock Caffeinated Body Wash to Spazzstick Caffeinated Lip Balm, these cleansers, gums, and candies will prevent you from nodding off in the shower, at your desk, and even in the dullest of meetings. And when a steaming cup of joe is still a must, top it up with a shot of Sky Rocket Caffeinated Syrup. Order at www.thinkgeek.com.
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