October 2007

Taming the Inflation Tiger
Spiralling costs continue to ravage small-business balance sheets. But help is on the way

Franchise Players
Franchises have a proven business model. Just make sure you know what it is before you buy

Then Goliath Moved In
You spend years building your baby, then a giant competitor targets your customers. Here’s how five small companies are coping

Flashback: Small Business Then and Now
A look back at micro-enterprise over the 10 years we’ve been publishing

FEATURES

The Investigators
Forget what you’ve seen on TV crime shows. It takes a special type of person to be a forensic expert

Bringing Down the House
Online real estate marketing systems are giving Realtors a run for their commissions. But their apparent success is not all that it seems. And the market may be turning

Cultural Capital
A new breed of oilpatch tycoon is set to push Alberta to the forefront of cultural life

INDUSTRY REPORT: INFORMATION & COMMUNICATIONS
TECHNOLOGY

The Need to Know
Knowledge management looks like the next big thing in ICT

Battle of the Digital Directories
Local online directories are popping up all over. But the old Yellow Pages aren’t going to bow out without a fight

The Smart Tag Revolution
Radio frequency identifiers, or RFIDs, will soon link not just objects, but people too

DEPARTMENTS
Editor’s Note
Contributors
Outfront: Club inspired casual wear; The power of office friendships; Calgary’s underground tech scene; Leadership lessons from wild dogs; the ATB Financial Business Sentiments Index; Way Downtown and more
To the Letter
Winners’ Circle
Prairie Trader
Between the Lines
One of a Kind
Curb Appeal
Three Martinis
Grey Eminences
Open Range
From Outside In