In the first show of their new season, CBC's Fortune Hunters heralds booze as one of the best-performing industries in the country.

"...while the recent downturn in the economy may have Canadians watching their wallets and clipping coupons to save cash, it looks like booze is an affordable luxury we’re not willing to give up in tough economic times."

That seems true to me, but you still won't see any booze-related businesses on my Best Business Opportunities 2009 List.

It's not that I think it's a bad business opportunity. It's just that creating a winery or a distillery or a new liquor product takes such a long time. Have a look at the stories of these two new B.C. businesses, for instance:

• Beaufort Vineyard and Estate Winery
• Island Spirits Distillery

Each of these businesses took decades to develop to the point that they're offering product to the public. New entrepreneurs can get one of the businesses I've featured in Best Business Opportunities 2009 up and running in a much shorter time frame.

Still, if operating a winery, distillery or other liquor-related business is your dream and you have the expertise and moeny to do it, go for it! My bet is that booze will still be a strong industry a decade from now.

More Business Opportunities

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• Best Business Ideas for Tough Times
• Best Green Business Ideas

Because even though we're only two weeks into the New Year, many of the goals people set at the beginning of the year have already been abandoned. And we're into fade season. By the end of the month, probably only one in ten of the goals people set will still be being actively worked on.

There's all kinds of reasons for this, of course, but I think one of the main ones is fading attention. When we set the goal, we feel it's important. We want to do it. We focus on it. Like an archer concentrating on a target, the goal has our undivided attention.

But then all kinds of other things happen. We go back to work. A family member gets sick. A friend drops by. Our attention is divided and then divided again. Our goal recedes to the periphery of our vision or even falls out of sight entirely.

So how do we keep our chosen goals front and center?

• Post it. Write it out and post it on your fridge, your desk, the visor of your car, wherever it's going to be repeatedly visible to you.
• Use Daily Business Planning. Reviewing your goals at the start of every day will get you both refocused and energized.
• Get a Goal Buddy. There's nothing like having another person reminding you about your goal and encouraging you to achieve it.

More on Goal Setting

Image (c) Sami Sarkis / Getty Images

Being an animal-loving type, I enjoy sharing my office space with Stevie-Ray, the ‘work supervisor’ as we call him. Stevie takes his job very seriously and strolls in and leaps into his chosen office chair at the start of the work day – even if one of us doesn't.

Mainly he sleeps but every now and then he opens a quizzical eye as if to say, "Is it lunch-time yet?" (Hey, he's a cat. Food is his main interest in life.) He accepts petting and (you guessed it) treats.

Now I don't know if it’s a trend or just that I live in an animal-crazy town, but there are quite a few local businesses that have pets of their own. A shoe store has a pair of terriers. A gift store has an adorable little Shih Tzu that has his own basket by the till. A used book store has a tortoiseshell cat that sleeps in the store window. Even my dentist has a little dog in her office.

So what's your take on this? Is having a resident dog or cat on-site good or bad for your business?

And do you have your own office pet? I’d love to hear about him or her. You can comment below or if you like, send me an email with a picture (sbinfocanada.guide(at)about.com). (Change the (at) to the @ symbol.)

Image (c) Susan Ward

Here's a list of the main Canada income tax changes that may affect your small business taxes for the tax year 2008. While there are no changes that will have you leaping to your feet and starting to cheer here, income tax decreases and increased small business tax credits are always welcome - especially if they apply to your small business.

More Canada Income Tax Resources

• Canadian Income Tax and Your Small Business
• Canadian Income Tax FAQs for Small Businesses
• Top 5 Canadian Tax Software Programs