WHAT KEEPS CANADIAN SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS UP AT NIGHT?

New survey shows that cash flow and how to attract new business robs small business owners of their sleep

RICHMOND HILL, ON, Oct. 13 /CNW/ - It's small business month and a Staples Canada survey of their small business panelists found that the three biggest concerns keeping business owners up at night are:

• Cash flow 
• Attracting new clients
• Managing workload and work/life balance

"36 per cent of entrepreneurs told us they need help with online marketing and 27 per cent said they could use help with time-management techniques. That's why we offer free advice from a wide variety of subject matter experts on our small business blog: blog.staples.ca," commented Steve Matyas, president of Staples Canada. "The blog allows small business owners to get news, advice, tips and ideas quickly, as we know they don't have time to waste. They can even post questions to the experts."

Staples also answered the call for help when it comes to both time management and attracting new clients, with their Win Buzz for Your Biz contest. One very lucky small business owner will win a $50,000 marketing prize pack with a time-management course built in. For details, visit www.staples.ca/winbuzzforyourbiz on October 18, 2010.

"We are proud to be Canada's everyday low price retailer of office supplies and technology. Consumers and small business owners do their research before buying, and they know we offer low prices along with a price match guarantee," said Matyas. "We have 330 convenient-to-find locations across the country and 24-hour delivery service online, at staples.ca."

*The study was conducted by Staples' Ideas On Work Panel through online interviews with owners and executives running small businesses (with up to 50 full-time employees) across Canada, excluding Quebec. In total, 239 interviews were completed between July 12 and 16, 2010.

About STAPLES Canada

Founded in Toronto in 1991, STAPLES Canada Inc. is Canada's largest everyday low price supplier of office supplies, business machines, office furniture and business services for the small business and home office customer. The chain operates stores in all provinces across Canada under the banners Staples^® Canada and Bureau en Gros^MC. Marketing Magazine's Marketing/Leger 2009 Corporate Reputation Survey ranked Staples Canada/Bureau en Gros in the top five. The company has over 13,500 employees serving customers through more than 300 office superstores, catalogue, and e-commerce. Staples/Bureau en Gros is committed to making shopping easy by offering customers three ways to shop: online, by catalogue and in-store. More information is available at www.staples.ca.

For further information:

Rachel Swiednicki
Public Relations Manager
STAPLES Canada
905-737-1147 x 2714
[email protected]

Randy Cooray
Public Relations Specialist
STAPLES Canada
905-737-1147 e.2712
[email protected]