Small businesses: don't get left in the dust by social media

Small businesses are using social networking in huge numbers, and Sage set out to determine just how they're using it, how much, and why. We commissioned a study, and we're sharing it with you on Sage Spark. Check out our report, North American Small Businesses Embrace Digital Social Networking.

65 percent of small businesses that used social networking sites said that they felt more comfortable doing so this year than they did last year, and 51 percent said that they had acquired and retained customers because of it.^*

Our own Rob King, VP of Strategic Marketing for Sage North America,

estimates that small businesses have a 12-month window to figure out online social networking. “I hate to say it, but if they don’t, they’ll get left in the dust,” he said. “It’s here to stay.”^*

Also check out the related New York Times article for some examples of how some small businesses are using social media today to market themselves. Sage Spark is a great place to promote your business online, connect with other professionals, and find services you need, so why not get started today?

Setting up Billing Boss to handle Canada's Goods and Services Tax (GST)

Setting up Billing Boss for Canada's Goods and Services Tax (GST) takes just a few clicks.

• Once you're logged in, go to the Settings tab and check to make sure your country and province are set correctly; then click Save and Continue.
• This will take you to the Taxes page, where you should make sure "My company charges taxes" is checked, and then click "Use the official tax values for my province".
• Click Save and Continue, and now GST will appear on every invoice you create from now on.

Don't worry, changing your tax settings doesn't mess with your existing invoices. If GST doesn't apply, you can uncheck the "GST" box for the line on the invoice, or for the entire invoice. You can view the GST you have collected in the invoice report.