| In The News |
CBC'S DRAGONS' DEN 2011 AUDITION TOUR ANNOUNCED
DRAGONS' DEN is holding auditions in Barrie on Sunday, February 27th from 10am to 6pm at the Monte Carlos Inns, 81 Hart Drive, Simcoe Room. Successful pitchers will have a chance to earn real investment - from the Dragons' own pockets! The stakes will be even higher as the Dragons prepare for Season Six - they'll be looking for the biggest and best deals from coast-to-coast.
No experience is necessary to audition. Interested entrepreneurs should be prepared to pitch their business in under five minutes. If they can convince the DRAGONS' DEN production team they are ready for the limelight, they could be invited to face the Dragons when the upcoming season is filmed in Toronto. Interested entrepreneurs are asked to apply online and bring a completed application form to the audition. Visit cbc.ca/dragonsden
Ministry Launches NEW Online Business Journal Please contact info@effectiveaccessibility.ca for more information. The Accessible Customer Service Management Overview is a three workshop training program being held on March 28th at SuiteWorks, 92 Caplan Avenue, Barrie. The program includes the training and policy requirements and priorities that your organization must consider to comply with the accessibility legislation. This workshop will assist your management staff to move ahead with implementing the requirements of the Accessible Customer Service Standard, Ontario Regulation 429/07. The content of this workshop is appropriate for Owners/operators, Directors, Chief Executive Officers, Chief Administrative Officers and Senior Management or any other staff members responsible for developing your organization's policies and training.
Revised, revamped and renewed, the Ontario government's premier business news bulletin, The Ontario Business Report (OBR) has been reshaped into an interactive information source on the province's economy and economic development. The OBR online features interesting articles, blogs, video profiles and interviews in the areas of Economic Development, Trade and Export, Small Business, Youth, Innovation, Going Green and Communities. The content is current, topical and blends issue-related articles, company profiles, and government programs with news links from across Ontario. Check it out and add it to your favourites!
Funding Opportunity: Strategic Jobs and Investment Fund
The SJIF is a grant and loan program to support leading-edge investments and jobs in Ontario.
This program focuses on four priority sectors:
Clean/Green Technologies;
Financial Services;
Information and Communication Technology;
Life Sciences.
Investments or expansions must meet the project minimum threshold of $10M of eligible costs or create 50 new high-value jobs.
Projects must meet the project thresholds within five years. SJIF proposals will need to exhibit an innovation component and be within one of the four priority sectors.
Companies interested in the Strategic Jobs and Investment Fund are encouraged to call toll free 1-866-668-4249; or email SJIF@ontario.ca
New Exporters to Border States (NEBS) Mission to Buffalo
February 16-17, 2011
You are cordially invited to participate in the next NEBS Mission to Buffalo on Wednesday, February 16 and Thursday, February 17, 2011.
NEBS is a practical, cost-effective program ideally suited to give Ontario manufacturers, distributors, agents and other business professionals the tools they need to easily expand their business interests across the border. The NEBS program offers guidelines to Ontario businesses for USA sales, shipping and business transactions.
Expert briefings on a range of topics include dealing with border issues such as U.S. business travel and immigration requirements, currency exchange options, business planning, taxation, and legal considerations and U.S. Customs clearance procedures. Participants will visit a fulfillment warehouse in Buffalo. In addition, a briefing on provincial and federal trade programs and services will be provided along with one-on-one meetings with the trade commissioners at the Canadian Consulate in Buffalo.
NEBS is run by the International Trade Branch of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade in co-operation with the Canadian Consulate General in Buffalo.
For more information, please contact Elaine Marks, Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, T. 416-325-6665, elaine.marks@ontario.ca.
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Tip of the Month |
What You Don't Know
Like all consultants, I often struggle with choosing topics for meetings, for presentations, or even for articles like this - not because I don't have enough information to choose from, but often because I have too much!
In an age when information is widely available from a vast array of sources, it's important to make sure that the information that we are imparting to those who give us their time, is not only timely, relevant and interesting, but that it is also useful.
The importance of this fact was brought home to me the other night at our Entrepreneurs's Club meeting. We have some of the best experts from the community at our club meetings, mentoring in the fields of legal, financial, marketing, HR, website, social media, life/business coaching, and strategic planning. And in the weeks preceding each meeting, at least of few of the members of the expert panel will contact us at the Centre to find out what topics the members might like to hear about that month. Sometimes it is an easy question to answer because the members have actually submitted questions and feedback prior to the meeting date. But often, it is not so easy.
It's not easy because neither I, nor the members, nor the experts, know what we don't know about each of those areas of our business in which we are not the experts ourselves. When we do know that we need answers in certain areas, most of know where to go to find those answers. The greatest challenge in any business however is that we must manage all aspects of our business with limited expertise in many areas - We don't know what we don't know!
In choosing topics of information to pass on to our clients therefore, the best thing that we can do is to find those nuggets that might never be uncovered by them on their own - something useful that can make a difference, no matter how small it may seem, to the way they do business. Yes, information is everywhere - interesting, relevant and timely information, but how many entrepreneurs have the time to search and sift through the mountains of it that surrounds us, to find the nuggets that can make a difference...
None us knows what we don't know, so no matter what your area of expertise is, it's important to have a team of experts around you that you can count on to keep you up to speed. It's never enough to know "enough". What you don't know can hurt you!
Terri Plaxton Smith
Greater Barrie Business Enterprise Centre |
| GBBEC Workshops |
Introduction to Business Workshop
Tuesday March 1, 2011 9:30am - 11:30am
Writing a Business Plan Workshop
Tuesday March 8, 2011 1:00pm - 3:30pm
Limited Spaces
Pre-Registration Required
Call 705-720-2445 to register
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| Coaches Corner | |
Where is your Focus?
We all know in business it is the results that count. The million dollar question is how do I get more results? When you are maxed out in time and resources it can feel impossible to manage more. As a Coach, I have probably heard all the excuses.
It really is simple though if you want to grow your business you have to move more product or up your prices. When Entrepreneurs get bogged down working in their business they stop looking at the big picture. It is imperative for success that someone be the leader and direct the business growth. It doesn't have to be elaborate what it does require is focus.
Understanding their role in the business is probably one of the biggest challenges I see with small business owners. Too much time on the planning takes you away from the heart of your business just as too much time on the day to day operations can be like quicksand and hold you stuck.
Defining your role and the parameters of your focus is key to managing you. Sometimes that means you have to let go and Lead. After all aren't you the Leader for Excellence in your organization?
Coach Jane Schnurr
705.444.5338
info@awesomecoaching.com
www.awesomecoaching.com.
© Awesome Coaching Enterprises 2011 |
| Business of the Month | |
Linda Dessau, author of Write Your Way to More Clients Online, helps business owners write blog posts. Her Content Mastery Action Club meets monthly by phone for an "Action Day" of learning and writing. In between, members can access a library of resource materials as well as editing services.
A recent HubSpot study shows that companies that blog attract 55% more website visitors than non-blogging companies (source: http://bit.ly/blog-study). That's no surprise to Dessau. "People are online everyday looking for solutions to their problems," she explains, "Service businesses are uniquely positioned to publish quality information to fill that need. And in the process, they build trust, credibility and relationships with prospective clients."
Action Days happen on the second Thursday of every month, and new members are admitted all month long at http://www.contentmasteryguide.com/actionclub.html
Linda Dessau
705-737-3491
linda@contentmasteryguide.com
http://www.barriewebwriter.com |
| Marketing & Communications |
Your Business is About to Change: Are You Ready?
There have been few true paradigm shifts in recent history but we are currently in the sway of such an event and it's going to change the way you do business.
The marketplace, your business and even your household have gradually adapted evolving technology, such as the I- Phone or Blackberry on one end and the net book or lap top on the other. Enter the Dragon, the Tablet - a technology that offers the best of worlds, great interactive experience and flexibility to do both personal and business anywhere anytime.
The growth of this new product means were headed for a free-for-all - as the burgeoning tablet market really started to take shape in 2010. According to a new report from eMarketer, tablet sales are expected to increase more than 400% by 2012.
Tablets have far outstripped successful technology launches in the recent past such as -personal computers, video-game consoles, DVD and MP3 players, smart phones -led by the Apple iPad, Motorola - Xoom and soon to come, Rim - Playbook. The success of tablets stands out for their instant popularity and steep adoption curve.
Online sales in my opinion have reached tipping point and they are about to go through the roof. A tablet now boasts high speed web access, they are light and portable, they can run office applications and access e-mail from anywhere, anytime.
How will that change my business ... you say. Well...millions of web sites that have served as simple qualifiers to products or services will now become accessible and the monetization of those adorable little information web sites will now make or break your business. Whether its customer service, content management, online payment, order-reordering, retail couponing, product knowledge, etc. - it will all be manageable - anywhere, anytime. Check out a comparison between the I-Pad and the Playbook on YouTube.
Think about it...an aging baby boomer generation, who will have to work longer - will now adapt easily to using this friendlier technology that will accommodate their lifestyle.
If you are going to be successful in adapting you need to start re-thinking your business process to take advantage of the coming boom in your customer demand, i.e., to order product online, to pay for your products or services in a safe secure environment. You will need to re-think your customer service, return policies, warrantees and customer loyalty programs and plan to integrate them into this new technology.
Re-thinking your business process and shaping your online presence to respond to customer demand will allow you to build an enterprise level solution that is scalable and can take advantage of the this paradigm shift.
By Paul Cormier
© Ycommunicate.com inc. 2011
3A King Street South Unit#3
Cookstown, Ontario
L0L 1L0
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| Entrepreneur's Club |
Are you looking for assistance to take your business to the next level? Would you like to have a team of Experts working with you, providing you Tips and offering Advice?
Then Join the Club, the Entrepreneur's Club!
Membership has its Perks!
Call 720-2445 and find out if you qualify today!! |
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Your Say |
Awesome Job Terri,
You have given me inspiration and support when I needed it most, in an area that I could not reach on my own, thank you. I love the link options as well that are included for me to use. Great tool Derrick
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Do you have something to say that we could all benefit from? If you would like to share your tips, advice, comments or expertise with our clients by contributing to this newsletter, please send an email to newsletter@barriebusinesscentre.ca by 4 P.M. Thursdays, the first week of each month. Inclusion will be at the sole discretion of the GBBEC, dependent on suitability, space availability and the number of contributions received. This is not an advertorial or advertising spot, but rather an opportunity to share valuable words of wisdom or announce your upcoming events. Of course you will be given credit for the submission with a link to your website if available. We reserve the right to include your submissions in subsequent newsletters in addition to or instead of inclusion in the following week's issue. |
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