Business News Online

Scotiabank and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) are partnering to celebrate the impact Canadian small businesses make in their communities.

To this end, they are awarding $30,000 in prizes ($10,000 in each of three categories).

To qualify for the Small Business Big Impact Challenge, entrants must demonstrate how their business has made a difference in the community where they live and work, in one of the following three categories:

• Providing Employment: Implementing employment practices that reflect and support community needs as well as employment opportunities.
• Offering Products or Services: Creating new industries or ways of doing business, or offering unique products or services that benefit their community.
• Demonstrating Leadership: Taking a leadership role in initiatives for their community that ultimately makes it a better place to live and work.

Visit the Small Business Big Impact Challenge website for more details and to enter.

Contest closes April 30th, 2011.

HARRISBURG — The competition for a coveted spot on the 2011 list of the 100 Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania has officially opened. Nominations for these valuable awards are now being accepted online at www.bestplacestoworkinpa.com through June 10.

While making the list alone is a prestigious honor, participating companies gain additional benefits. After the two part survey process is complete, each participating company receives the results of their Employee Engagement and Satisfaction Survey. Many participants agree the information they receive is nearly as valuable as making the list.

“Team Pennsylvania Foundation is proud to be a founding partner and annual supporter of the 100 Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania,” said Foundation Board Co-chair, and CEO of Winner International, Karen Winner Sed. “I encourage every business that is eligible in the commonwealth to go through the nomination process.”

Designed to recognize two types of businesses, the program ranks 50 medium-sized companies (25-249 employees) and 50 large-sized companies (250 employees or more). A

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Royal Dutch Shell has shortlisted bidders for the four Nigerian onshore oil blocks it has put up for sale but financing challenges and negotiations with state-oil company NNPC could yet undo best laid plans. India’s Essar Energy said this week it was unsuccessful in its bid for Shell’s Niger Delta assets, which are widely understood to be blocks 30, 34, 40 and 42. These zones all have sizeable reserves and have attracted bids of over $1-billion, sources close to the deals have said. Shell has declined to comment. “We are out of the race,” said Andrew Turpin, head of media relations at energy and power firm Essar Energy. “We bid at a level for blocks that we felt was economic and good value but clearly other people bid higher.” Shell owns the majority stake in the blocks but is partnered by Total, Eni and state-oil firm NNPC. The French and Italian majors could also sell their shares. No one is definitely out Independent commodity trader Elan Oil is favourite to win block 40, the smallest asset, while consortiums involving local players Oando, Niger Delta Ltd and Conoil are all in the mix for other blocks, sources said. Read more…

MISHAWAKA—

The Mishawaka Common Council voted 8-0 Monday to allow a use variance so that Gates Chevy World could hold an off-site car sale three times this summer at the north end of the University Park Mall parking lot.

It came over the objection of four competing car dealers in Mishawaka. And Monday’s discourse remained one among gentlemen.

“I love the Gates family — always have,” said Mike Leep Sr. of Gurley Leep Automotive.

His company’s chief operating officer, Don Reese, argued that it was less about unfair competition and more about “the use of the property.”

The “circus-like atmosphere,” including large tents, would degrade the competitors’ properties in the city, he said.

Leep said that Gates would be able to post “15 or 20 yellow signs saying, ‘sale sale sale,’ which we can’t do. That is a huge disadvantage to us.” He was referring to city ordinances that restrict balloons and banners from car dealership lots.

The city’s Board of Zoning Appeals had voted 3-1 to pass the issue along to the council without a recommendation. T

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A group of Karoo residents and farmers intend to oppose Shell South Africa’s bid to explore for shale gas in the Karoo, Beeld reported on Monday. Derek Light, a lawyer representing about 200 people against gas exploration in the Karoo, on Saturday told a public meeting that the process Shell and its consultants, Golder Associates, had been following was unlawful. He was speaking at a public gathering in Middelburg, in the Eastern Cape, called by Shell to discuss its proposed environmental management plan for exploration of 95 000 square kilometres in the Karoo. After the meeting, farmer’s body Agri-SA agreed to work with Light to oppose Shell should the energy minister give the company the go-ahead. Concerns Concerns raised at the meeting included lack of public consultation, irregularities in Shell’s application to the Petroleum Agency of South Africa, Shell’s inability to guarantee it would not destroy underground water sources, piecemeal studies for the environmental management plan, and lack of detail around the chemicals Shell proposed using. Read more…

Portland, Ore. – Today, the Portland Business Alliance and Portland General Electric released results of a public opinion survey of registered voters in four Portland-metro counties. The survey, conducted by noted pollster Tim Hibbitts of Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall, showed voters’ utmost concern is job opportunities. Results also revealed voters want a greater statewide focus on the economy and job creation.

“The Alliance’s top priority is private sector job creation because it is the only way to build the type of community we want with healthy families and properly funded public services,” said Roger Hinshaw, chair of the Portland Business Alliance board of directors and market president for Bank of America in Oregon and Southwest Washington. “With this survey, we wanted to see if voters also viewed job creation as the top priority for our region and the response was a resounding yes.”

SAMPLE FROM POLL More here .

“A healthy business community is important for our customers’ success. That’s why we put

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