16 - North Shore News — From previous page Mountain Pipelines, Procter and Gamble and Cathay Pacific Airways. The company launched a new Web site last month , and has expanded to offer online research and analysis. “We're making a big move forward now into online (research). I’m really excited by what's happening in tech- nology. I’m finding the brightest and best young peo- ple out there who want to combine research and tech- nology and make a career.” Farrell, whose original career was in nursing, Jearned the market research business from the ground-up in London, England 25 years ago. She started at Research Surveys of Great Britain and ‘eventually supervised staff in ‘Britain ‘and in six European Satellite offices for competitor QED. She came to Canada in “1982 with her two daughters -for a lifestyle change. Her countryside:: cottage Gs Cane Motivated Investor? CaM ends commisi se0-087 at zeto front end ; Wednesday, April 5, 2000 had become surrounded by development and she didn’t like the way the country was evolving under Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative gov- ernment. Farrell, who lives in Cauilfeild with her fiance, says she strives for balance at the office. And not just in the books. She encourages staff to become more active in the company’s decision-making and offers small things, like organic fruit and vegetables in the lunchroom. The company has a team entering the upcoming Sun Run and an ongoing basket- ball team. “Although we go to work tong hours when we have to, we encourage balance. Like going home early and taking ume out to revitalize. Otherwise you burn people out.” The Face of Business is a reg- ular profile of independent business leaders who live or work in the community. Ifyou would like to be interviewed for a | story, or recommend a unigue individual, please contact Bob Mackin c/o The North Shore News, fas: 985-2104 or e-mail . BUSINESS Company expands What the budget means to y with Web presence BY now, hundreds of thousands of words have been written and spoken about this year’s federal budget. But what are the key changes? And what action should the ordinary person take? @ CHANGE: Lower tax rates, higher basic (personal and spouse) exempticns and full indexation of the zax system will mean more money in your pocket, espe- cially if you have children. Finance Minister Paul Martin estimated a lower or middle income family of four will save $600 in tax ION: “What’s $50 a month?” you might ask. Put thar $50 into an RRSP compounding month- ly at 7% a year. In 10 years you will have $8,650, in 20 years $26,000 and in 30 years $61,000. Or increase the payments on your 8% 25-year $100,000 mortgage by $50 a month and save $24,000 interest. But you must take such an action. Otherwise, the $50 a month will just disap- pear into general spending. @ CHANGE: The for- eign content limit for RRSP (and registered pensions) rises to 25% this year and 30% next year. @ ACTION: Review how many investments you have with a foreign “flavour.” You can invest in foreign currency bonds, the stocks of Canadian companies that sell abroad, international mutual funds, foreign index- es, foreign stocks. Diversification should reduce your risk. But you must understand what your money is invested in, and the effect of changes in the value of the Canadian dollar against other currencies. @ CHANGE: Effective Feb. 28, you pay tax on only two-thiru: of capital gains (down from three-quarters). Also, when you make a prof- it by selling your investment in one small business and reinvest in another small business, you might be able to defer declaring the capital gain. @ ACTION: Investing for capital gains becomes even more attractive. You pay no tax while your invest- ment grows and must declare only two-thirds of your profit when you sell (or perhaps may defer the tax). You must still accept the risk that your investment eight drop in value. But the lower capital gains tax has increased the reward side of the risk-reward equation. i CHANGE: A special penalty is imposed on people who “hinder, molest, inter- fere with or prevent an offi- cial in the performance of a (tax) coilection function.” @ ACTION: Exercise extra self-control in disputes with the tax department. As tax lawyer Arthur Drache, editor of The Canadian Taxpayer newsletter, com- ments: “If you punch a tax collector in the nose, you’ are liable to a special fiie, one which doesn’t apply if you assault a public servant doing any other function.” Mike Grenby is a columnist and independent personal financial adviser; he'll answer questions in this column as space allows but cannot reply personally. Contact him. at P.O. Box 50029, South Slope RPO, Burnaby, B.C. V5] 5G3; e-mai . .C. technology sector supported B.C.’s high-tech research facilities, uni- versities, colleges and students in high-tech programs will benefit from new funding to recruit high-tech researchers. Two measures announced recently by Information, Science and Technology Minister Graeme Bowbrick will attempt to attract and retain research talent to advance the growth of. the ¢ high-tech sector in B.C. . The..province has allorted "$2 million - to’ the B.C. Advanced Systems - Institute .for a new. fellowship recruit- ment program and another ‘PRIDE OF THE NOR on: 99 TOYOTA UE. “| auto, 4dr, a/c, “ ‘bal. of factory warranty |*15,995 [96 HONDA ACCORD EXP 2dr, Sspd, fully 55M equipped fully equipped, looks and runs * glass, mint cond. Be - "31,995 95 GRAND VOYAGER SE __ nicely equipped clean, 5 speed $400,000 to the Canadian Institute of Advanced Re search. Said Brent Sauder, presi- dent of the BC. Advanced Systems Institute, “By encour- aging collaboration between researchers and industry, this program will provide more opportunities for links between top researchers and B.C. companies at the fore- front of emerging high tech- nologies.” Said Bruce Schmidt, chair- man of the BC Biotechnology Alliance and president of IGT Pharma Inc., “For biotechnol- ogy, the announcement means - we ‘can continue to attract researchers to research departments who will ultimately help our companies 92 PATHFINDER SE V6 “ito, priced to free ana a Sen Ca on ant nar 95 PLYMOUTH REO 4dr, sport, only 56Km, super “university” MO. anne res ees local, 1 owner, develop new techniques and products and sustain the progress we've been making.” - The fellowship funding of . $2 million will enable universi- ties to offer fellowships of up to $40,000 per year for three years to help attract top researchers to their programs in aerospace, biotechnology, information technology, fuel- cell technology and new media. The fellowships can be used to pay for research assis- tants, research’ materials and supplies and other related costs, and will help the new researchers to become quickly established here: As well as funding’ fel} w- ships, the: B.C. government - has committed ‘an additional: ° $400,000" to the Canadian “SHORE Institute . of | Advanced Research. The non-profit agency funds Canadian. ~~ _research along three ‘themes: ..’- individual ‘and society; health - and. well-being,: science 7 vant to the physical and bio- : logical origin and preservation of our planet, and scien‘c with major technological pe‘ential.:" “An recent: years>-che ‘insti-/ tute has pr an ‘average of $9.5 million to $11 million annually ~ to: - outstanding ” researchers - across Canad: More than 25% of that fui ing has gone to B.C... 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