Hi Elizabeth,

Heheh, great heading from the Toronto newspaper...! Sometimes these newspaper editors get quite creative.... :)

I was lucky and got to go to Toronto a couple of years ago, though it was only for a couple days.... I was visiting someone (Aephraim Steinberg) in the physics department at the University of Toronto.... I quite liked Toronto (I was there in the summer)....

Thanks for that interesting story.... I can't think of how a *personal* credit check could really be relevant to someone's capabilities of doing a job, that seems a bit strange to me....

I guess Roger though found a demand for something and decided to fill it (despite how unpopular it's probably made him!).... No matter how strange what your offering may be, if there's a demand for it and you let people know you're there and there aren't too many competitors, you'll probably find customers!

It's this kind of background checking stuff which REALLY makes me keen for having my own business and being my own boss. Not because I'm too worried about background checks etc., but because in an employer/employee situation, the employer generally has all the power (though on the other hand, they're also generally the ones taking the risk)..... It doesn't sit well with my tendency to prefer my own independence.... :)

I've read that many people who start their own businesses tend to have this kind of independence streak.... Some people are happy working for a boss, while others aren't so happy.... Striking out on your own, while there are risks, can also be exciting.... :)

Thank you Elizabeth! :)

Dien Rice