Upper Canada this week: March 23, 2011

Upper Canada Chapter this week
Add the Upper Canada Chapter page and the LO events calendar to your bookmarks

LO this week

What do your customers think about Green For Life?
Landscape Ontario and the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association need
your help! We would like to ensure that our Green for Life campaign is
reaching your customers the way we had intended. The initiative was
launched to promote the many benefits of landscape horticulture,
attracting new clients for you, our members. We have designed a survey
to gauge consumer awareness and help shape the campaign’s future in a
way that best suits your needs. Please help us by distributing this link
to your clients: www.surveymonkey.com/gflpublic.

Keep employees informed with e-news
Each week members of Landscape Ontario receive the latest and relevant
information on what is happening in their association and industry. But
many employees of members are not receiving this information because
they are not signed up for the LO e-newsletter. All it takes is a name,
email address and Chapter location. Send the information to LO This Week and start having your staff stay informed.

Ministry of Labour holding workshops

A one-day workshop at six locations across Ontario will feature
information about the hazards and safety measures that the Ministry of
Labour will be looking for in workplaces. Participants will also receive
prevention strategies and resources that can be used to keep employees
safe from injuries and illness and the business free from fines and
penalties. Learn how the MOL is planning to respond to the Tony Dean
panel recommendations about changes and improvements to the health and
safety system in Ontario. To find out more information about the
workshops, locations, or to register, go to Health and Safety.

Industry Canada creates SME benchmarking tool

Industry Canada has created a web page benchmarking tool which provides
background information on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The
program provides access to industry averages for income statement and
balance sheet items, financial ratios and information on profitability
for small- and medium-sized businesses, and features detailed financial
data on more than 600 industries across Canada, including more than 30
performance benchmarks to help small businesses determine how they
measure up to their competitors. To access the page go to
Benchmarking.

Hire summer students

Businesses can apply to receive a $2-per-hour, per student hiring
incentive by contacting the nearest Employment Ontario Summer Jobs
Service agency. Visit the Employment Ontario website.