Special to Financial Post  Feb 7, 2012 – 6:05 AM ET

Patenting your invention is the best way to prevent others from copying it, allowing you to recover the costs of R&D, manufacturing and marketing. If your invention is complex, it will require such protection, but it’s also important to file a patent if your product is easily reverse-engineered. However, not every invention is patentable: ideas that are artistic or do not have a direct practical use will not be considered by the patent office. Here’s a primer on what to expect.

Special to Financial Post  Dec. 6, 2011 – 6:20 AM ET

In the court of law, ideas are free, execution is priceless There are two aspects of an invention: the first is the idea, the second is the implementation. If you suspect somebody has stolen your idea, the first thing to discover is what was actually stolen. People frequently have “great ideas,” but they also have to have concepts on how to make those ideas work, otherwise they’re no better or protected by the courts than idle thoughts.

Andy Holloway  Oct 4, 2011 – 6:35 AM ET

Canada isn’t known for being a nation of entrepreneurial risk-takers despite years of government hand-wringing, yet we still have one of the world’s best developed economies. Should we care we’re not as productive as we could be? We better

Special to Financial Post  Oct 4, 2011 – 6:05 AM ET

There’s no easy way to know if your idea will succeed

Some of the wackiest business ideas surprisingly succeed, whilst some apparently serious, and on the surface amazing, ideas miserably fail.

With the end of the recession in sight, all of Canada's employers need to be thinking about their long-term talent strategies. A global, competitive marketplace means tapping into and investing in the strengths of all of the country's work force, including skilled immigrants, so that local economies can grow, compete and prosper.

Nytric, a small product development consultancy in suburban Toronto, owes its existence and growth prospects to Canada’s cultural diversity. Two-thirds of the company’s 22 staff are foreign-born and speak a broad range of languages that help the company bridge cultures.