The best businesses to go into now (as the economy recovers) - in PROFIT's 2010 opportunity guide

PROFIT magazine’s 14th annual guide to hot growth markets is on newsstands today

TORONTO, Nov. 26 /CNW/ – As our economy moves into a modest recovery, what are today’s best startup, expansion and sales prospects? For Canadian entrepreneurs who want to build their companies or start new ones, the road to success runs through today’s hottest niches and top growth markets – revealed in PROFIT’s 14th annual Opportunity Guide, on newsstands now.

Experts say the coming recovery will be unlike any other in recent memory, in large part due to ongoing consumer debt, continued high unemployment, a soaring loonie and a protectionist U.S. stimulus package. How can small and mid-sized companies reap the rewards of the recovery in this unique environment?

Here are some of the most promising prospects revealed in PROFIT’s 14th annual Opportunity Guide:

-   Tech sector: As businesses look for ways to boost efficiency and
        productivity from a shrunken workforce, demand for time-saving
        solutions will grow.
    -   Construction: Ottawa's stimulus program is creating opportunities,
        both directly on construction projects and indirectly supplying
        products and services to firms that land government contracts.
    -   Green building retrofitting: Poor insulation, archaic heating and
        cooling systems, and inefficient lighting have rendered many
        buildings energy hogs. Given ballooning energy costs and government
        incentives, energy-efficient retrofits are set to explode.
    -   Franchise fortunes: Services that cater to children or seniors will
        offer the best franchising opportunities in the next few years.

PLUS: CANADA’S ENTREPRENEURS OF THE DECADE

These 11 remarkable CEOs have built hugely successful firms by shaking up their industries. PROFIT magazine presents the inspiring-and instructive-stories of how they did it.

Also in this issue of PROFIT, on newsstands now:

Export Development Canada (EDC) and PROFIT magazine have teamed up for the inaugural Canada Export Achievement Awards, which celebrate innovation and creativity among Canadian exporters. The five winners-one from each of the country’s regions-along with their fascinating stories of perseverance, are profiled in the latest issue of PROFIT. See: http://www.edc.ca/english/docs/news/2009/mediaroom_17697.htm

About PROFIT

PROFIT: Your Guide to Business Success is Canada’s preeminent publication dedicated to the management issues and opportunities facing small and mid-sized businesses. For more than 25 years, Canadian entrepreneurs across a vast array of economic sectors have remained loyal to PROFIT because it’s a timely and reliable source of actionable information that helps them increase their revenues, boost their profitability and get the recognition they deserve for generating positive economic and social change. Published six times a year by Rogers Publishing Ltd., PROFIT is distributed almost exclusively to the chief executives of companies with five to 250 employees and annual revenue of $1 million to $25 million, reaching more than 300,000 readers across Canada. Visit PROFIT online at http://www.profitmagazine.ca.