Trade agreements bringing changes WITH CHANGES to the world economy resulting from the North American Free Trade Agreement , (NAFTA) and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), there will | tikely be dramatic shifts in “traditional job sources. ~ By Ritchie McCloy. | Contributing Writer Although employment. in .some sectors with be reduced, perhaps even eliminated, there v Will also’ be: whole new industries . created. For many of us, these drastic _ changes highlight our lack of job | Security. and the joss of control ‘we have over our economic * future, A viable alternative and a \ Means to counteract these con- cerns is to start your own busi- “ness. IF you're considering this ; option, begin by gelling profes- ‘ sional. advice regarding your per-' “sonal suitability as well as the, necessary financing. : "--'Q. Am 1 suited to starting : my own business? ‘ CA. Many successful entre- : preneurs have similar personal : : characteristics which include the - ability to:, cy + plan a course of action: “* compare plans with actual |, Fesults; ‘personal goals; . ae realize: plans over a 1 period “under stand a product: and. What typ pe of business CAL In ‘eeneral, your choice of : } should: depend on your. _plannin 1 eS. experience and your personal income needs. You should work in the industry you're consider: ing entering for at least six months while looking for a busi- ness opportunity. This may be the single best investment you can make. Q. Shouid I start a business or buy an existing one? CA. In most cases, it is less risky to purchase an existing business with a proven track record. If you buy an existing business, make sure that you have a plan for. turning it around if it has not been profitable and that you pay a fair price Consider having cither-a char- tered:accountant or someone experienced in the specific indus- try assess the business before you purchase. Q. Will the bank fend me money to start my own busi- ness? CA. Banks will finance a new business if they are satisfied that there is enough security to pro- tect their loan; your business plan is realistic and shows adequate 2; your background is appropriate; and they have a pos- itive fecting about your chances of success. If the assets of the business are not. substantial enough, rity such as your personal resi- dence. Generally, banks will only ‘lend money if they are comfort- able that a business will succeed. There are sources other than’ ““banks that assist small business- Ritchie McCloy is the exect- tive vice-president of the Institute “of Chartered Aécountants of British Columbia, Call 681-3264 ar-toll-free in B.C. at 1-800 663- 2677 for a free referral to CAs in SYOUr area, . 3.31% | 3.44% 180 DAY | 365 DAY RICHARDSOK GREENSHIELDS 500 -. 1066 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 3X1 All rates are Subject fo change without notice. ‘ presents a seminar by. HOME EQUITY LAND DEVELOPMENT INC, “BUY LAND, THEY’RE NOT MAKING ANY MORE” Learn how you can make big profits in real estate | without assuming the numerous risks from rentals or] construction. Lonsdale Quay Hotel Wed. Feb. 9th, 7-9 pm RSVP RIiZ ALIKHAN 688-6819 ‘This ad does not constitute an offer to ‘sell nor the solicitation of an offer to buy a security which may only be mabe by offering memorandum to sophisti- { i cated purchasers where qualified by applicable laws. . they will probably . ' demand some other form of secu- NEWTSUITS GO INTERNATIONAL North Vancouver company Hard Suits Inc. recently announced the sale of two “Newtsuits,” complete with thruster packs and spare parts, for $1.4 million 10 Nu-Tech Atmospheric Services Ine. (NTAS) of Lafeyette, Louisiana. NTAS is a specialty teasing company formed for the purpose of- supplying Newtsuits to marine con- tractor International Divers Ltd. also of Lafayette. International will be using the suils to expand offshore of] opera- tions in the Gulf of Mexico, ‘Hard Suits. through its sub- sidiary Can-Dive Marine Services Ltd, will advise NTAS on perfor- mance standards and safety policies for the suits, train U.S. personnel and provide key personnel for all Newtsuil projects. Hard Suits dso annaunced that it has signed a letter of intent with Contract Diving Services PTY Ltd. (CDS) of Perth, Austratia for the purpose of creating a joint venture Newtsuit diving company to service the Australian market. CDS is the largest .100% Australian-owned diving cornmpany. Hard Suits, through Can-Dive. will provide Newtsuits, ancillary equipment, training and key person- nel. ‘ CDS will provide handling sys- tems for the Newtsuits, a client base, management and a Jocal pres- : One Year ence, All profits will be split ona 50:50 basis. Hard Suits is still negotiating with the U.S. Navy via the federal department of supply and services. NEW BUSENESS FINANCING OFFERED The Federal Business Development Bank (FBDB) is offering guaranteed business financing to the first 20 North Shore businesses who register in their North Shore Business Development Program. The pro- gram will teach techniques used by large corporations in the areas of marketing and management. For more information, call Barry Goodwin at the FBDB at 666-7703. NEW BUSINESS WORKSHOP North Shore Continuing Education (NSCE) will hold a workshop entitled Generating Ideas for Profit on Saturday, Feb. 5 at the Hume Building. 1124 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver. The workshop will be aimed at people who have in itch to start their own business. change careers -or. develop secondary sources of personal or business income, but have been unable to find the right ‘epportunity yet. Three Year ~ Lotus FUND’ 26.77% 16.05% Participants will be able to develop and apply systematic tech- niques for finding and evaluating opportunities by examining person- al, financial and marketing elements as well as research tactics and resources, Pre-registration is required. For more information call NSCE at O86-B888. INTERESTED IN SAFE ALTERNATIVES? | Pleasa Call: The North Shore’s only Full Service investment Firm - 981-6600 RBC. DOMINION. SECURITIES.” . 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