The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

5 · Friday, January 6, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com The Regional Municipality of Halton www.halton.ca Halton Small Business Centre Upcoming Business Seminars and Programs Starting a Small Business Seminar: A general overview of the things you will need to consider, r along with resources to help you succeed. Covers structure, registrations, regulations, licences, ta es and nancing options. Wed., Jan. 11, Halton Regional Centre, 1:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m., $25/person A YEAR IN PHOTOS: Metroland Media photographers recently selected some of the most memorable images from 2011, portraying everything from the dramatic or inspiring individuals to sporting highlights or just slice-of-life moments featured in the Oakville Beaver, Burlington Post t and Milton Canadian Champion. Above, an Oakville Humane Society officer removes a puppy from a homicide scene at 1244 Speers Rd. Below, `Chester' the hamster meets new friends `Bluff' and `Ellie', two golden retrievers, at a fundraiser event for the Oakville Humane Society at St. Cuthbert's Anglican Church. To view the full gallery of photo selections, visit www.insidehalton.com/photozone/1273425. E-Business E-ssentials Seminar Series A series of four sessions focusing on the essentials for creating an effective online presence for your business. All sessions will be held at Staples, 320 North Service Road West, Oakville from 6:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. Cost: $30/person/session Tues., Jan. 17: Creating Your Y Online Presence A Website: This session will focus on the start-up issues of designing a site, including the purpose of the website, different types of sites, steps necessary to register your domain name, budget, available technology, y choosing a web designer and researching and planning content for your site. Tues., Jan. 24: Social Media and other Online Marketing Tactics: This session will focus on understanding social media and how it can help grow your business as well as other online marketing options. Tues., Jan. 31: Selling Goods and Services Online: This session will focus on setting up an online store - what you need to consider, r what type of payment system is right for your business, security and privacy issues and tips for attracting and keeping customers online. Tues., Feb. 7: Measuring the Success of Y Your Website - Web Analytics and SEO: This session will help you understand more about your customer and what keywords they are using to nd your website. The importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and tools to analyze your website traf c will also be discussed. OAKVILLE BEAVER FILE PHOTOS Steps to Success Seminar Series A four-part seminar series targeted to start-up entrepreneurs and small business owners. The four sessions must be taken as a series. All sessions will be held at Burlington Central Library from 6:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. Cost: $80/person Wed., Jan. 25: Market Research: This session will focus on identifying the why and how of conducting market research for your business. Wed., Feb. 8: Understanding Financial Statements: Learn how to record and maintain nancial records for your small business including balance sheets, cash ow and income statements. Winter Boot Clearance · ROHDE · MEPHISTO · BIRKENSTOCK · RIEKER · ARA · INGEBORG NG G SHOES S WA AREHOUSE R OU U E STORE E Famous European Brand Names All Under One Roof · ROHDE · MEPHISTO · BIRKENSTOCK · RIEKER · ARA · Wed., Feb. 1: Business Plan Basics: In this session you will be introduced to the concepts Wed., Feb. 15: ABCs of Marketing: Learn of a business plan from the executive summary some cost effective marketing options for your to the nancial overview and take away small business. examples of templates that can be used for your business. Registration and pre-payment for all seminars is required as seating is limited. Contact us for more information and registration details for these events. Join our online community. Get connected at www.halton.ca/business! Regional Council approves a zero per cent tax increase for Regional programs and services On ecember 1 , Regional Council approved the 2012 Budget and Business Plan, delivering a zero per cent tax increase for Regional programs and services. Regional Council has worked very hard to minimize the tax impact on Gary Carr property taxpayers. In the past six years, Halton Region has one of the best Regional Chair records in all of Canada for keeping taxes low; ensuring residents do not have to pay more for the programs and services they rely on. Complete budget information is available at: www.halton.ca/budget. Also look for Chair Carrs video blog about the 2012 budget at www.halton.ca/chairscorner. Halton Regional Meeting Schedule Jan 10 Jan 11 Jan 11 Health & Social Services Cte Cancelled 9:30 a.m. Planning & Public Works Cte 1:30 p.m. Administration & Finance Cte INGEBORG'S WAREHOUSE 1681 FINFAR COURT, MISSISSAUGA Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 to 5 - Sat. 10 to 5 - Sun. 11 to 4 Meetings can be viewed at www.halton.ca LOOK FOR US ON (905) 823-7415 Please let us know as soon as possible if you will have an accessibility or accommodation need at a Halton Region hosted event or meeting. 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville, Ontario L6M 3L1 ial 311 or 905-825-6000 Toll Free 1-866- 2-5866 TT 905-82 -9833 www.halton.ca 5/60112