Welcome to our second edition of Canada 9-5, a stroll through some interesting Canadian business blogs.
Instigator
First we have Instigatorblog by Ben Yoskovitz, an entrepreneur specializing in turning ideas into thriving businesses. He hails from Montreal. In We’re Not All Ready To Be Media Outlets, But So What? he talks about the media noise that’s all around us and that we’re often encouraged to produce. He says,
Not all content is created equal. We know that. But there is an audience out there for almost everything. People like all sorts of stuff. Take country music for example. I could live without it, but millions of raving fans would not be too pleased.
Athletic Coach
Next there is 10 Reasons Why I Love Google at Speedendurance.com. Jimson Lee, Masters Athlete, Coach and President of the Metro Athletic Club based in Vancouver, BC. tells us this article is about “How we used Google for our non-profit Canadian Track & Field and Bobsled team for our web hosting, email, and other apps, all for free. Free is good.”
Accountant
Neil McIntyre is a professional accountant at a mid-size firm in Toronto and a graduate of Brock University’s Accounting program. Here he talks about his own experience: Pay off debt, then start saving and investing:
I took the plunge this weekend and expunged my debts to the depths of the hell from whence they came. It was a tough move for some reason, even for a cold, calculating accountant. Subconsciously, I held on to the debt in order to keep my asset balances high. Artificially high.
Commercial Pilot
Cockpit Conversation is a blog that “traces the Adventures of an Aviatrix, in which a pilot travels the skies and the treacherous career path of Canadian commercial aviation, gaining knowledge and experience without losing her step, her licence, or her sense of humour.” In My Job she opens our eyes a bit:
I am a commercial pilot, but probably not the sort of commercial pilot that comes to mind when I say those words. I’m not a clean cut male strolling briskly through the main passenger terminal, rolling bag in tow, and I don’t wear a crisp white shirt with little stripes on the shoulders, or a captain’s hat. “Commercial pilot” means simply that I am paid to fly aircraft. You’ve probably never heard of the company that employs me. I do in fact have a flight case and one of those rolling suitcases, but you’ll only see me in the passenger terminal if I’m commuting to a job where the airplane is already on site. I work in t-shirts, work pants and sturdy boots. Add a sweater and parka as necessary for the climate.
Gardener
Doug Green is a writer and gardener who works and lives out on an island in the 1000 Islands region of Lake Ontario. He’s a great example of someone using a blog to let people know about what he does. He freely shares information from his vast store of knowledge. If you love plants, then his tip on how to increase the length of time you have Amaryllis bulbs blooming indoors is timely - they’ll soon be blossoming in our homes when it gets cold and windy outside.
Real Estate
Finally, there is Maggie Chandler from Kitsilano, a lovely neighbourhood in Vancouver. On her blog My Kitsilano, she shows many images of lovely houses from this great Vancouver neighbourhood, such as this one on Cornwall Street, right close to the beach.
*****
As we mentioned in our previous edition, Canada doesn’t do much business blogging yet. There are quite a few technology blogs but very, very few business people who work in other areas.
These here on Canada 9-5 are the pioneers.
So - if you have or know of a Canadian business blog, let us know here. The next edition of Canada 9-5 will come out on October 28.