Greetings!
The Nuu-chah-nulth Economic Development Corporation is pleased to introduce our Spring/Summer e-newletter - Thank you for taking the time to enjoy this issue's Business News and Articles.
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MACE ELECTRIC
Residential and Commercial Jobs in Port Alberni & Vancouver Island's West Coast.
Tel: (250) 913-0115
Above: Edmond (Ed) Nicholson, owner of Mace Electric, is from Tseshaht First Nation. His parents are Barb Nicholson (nee Watts) and Dennis Nicholson.
Mace Electric is a stepping stone for Ed. For the past 14 years, he has been working for "Braker Electric". After all this experience, Ed decided to work for himself. He says, "It was a huge step and exciting... it's better than clocking in from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m... now that I have all the responsibilities, there is no time for boredom".
Ed's interest in becoming an electrician started when he was in grade 10. The high school just started the electrical program that year. He learned the basics like circuit boards and house wiring. "I found it interesting and was good at it", says Ed. In 1995, Ed was accepted into an electrician pre-apprenticeship program in Victoria. After the program finished, Ed started handing out resumes for work. His Aunt, Jane Jones, told him Cliff Braker was hiring as Ha-Ho-Payuk School was being built. "I returned to Port Alberni on Remembrance Day and Cliff hired me to start work the next day. My son was born three weeks earlier [so I had to find a place to live before I could bring my family to Port Alberni]".
At the beginning, Cliff Braker hired Ed as a labourer. "When the school was 75% completed I asked Cliff if I could be his apprentice. He agreed. Throughout the years, we have worked on Gas Stations, Restaurants, Saw Mills, Condos, Hotels and all sorts of houses. We've wired fire alarm systems for NEDC and others", says Ed, "I like working at jobs where I'm in a different place every day. With this career, you work outside, inside and at different places. Things are always changing and I always learn something new". Ed received his journeyman licence after his apprenticeship with Cliff.
Approximately five years ago, Cliff suggested that Ed start his own business and sub-contract. "I started thinking about it back then but didn't get serious about it until a year ago", says Ed. Due to the downturn in the economy last year, business was slow. Ed had more time to think about his future and he decided to pick a name for his business and get his contractor's licence. He picked up... | |
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Clip 21 Hair Studio
"a cut above the competition"
4311 10th Avenue, Port Alberni, BC. Tel: (250) 723-HAIR (4247)
Clip 21 offers complete hair design for Men, Women & Children. Services include: Ear Piercing, Waxing, Manicures, Pedicures, Hair Extensions, Hair Styling/ Straightening, Color, Color Correction, Professional Hair Styling Tools & Salon Styling Products.
Above: Bessie Sam, owner of Clip 21, is from the Tseshaht First Nation. Her parents are Howard Dick (Tseshaht) & Doris James (Duncan).
April 1, 2010 was Bessie's 5th Year Anniversary as owner of Clip 21 Hair Studio. Clip 21, itself, has been in business for 24 years. In 1986, Deb Lamb (Tseshaht) opened the shop and it has since been owned by First Nations people. Once Deb decided to sell, Cristina Centoma and Tammy Burns purchased the business from her. Cristina & Bessie have been working 20 years together, since they both started at Capelli's (Capelli Etc. Hair Design).
Bessie's interest in hairdressing started when her daughter Shelbee was a baby. It was difficult getting to town for regular haircuts so she started cutting her children's hair. Originally, Bessie started working at the Tseshaht Market as Gas Attendant/Cashier and supervised the store on weekends. It wasn't until her husband Doug needed major back surgery and had to stay home that Bessie decided to find more work. She worked for the Tseshaht Band as a Custodian, Receptionist, Filing Clerk and Home Maker. She then asked herself "What do I want to do for the rest of my life?" Since she wasn't getting any response from resumes she had handed out in town, she decided to take a Hairdressing Course as this was a job she really enjoyed.
The first year working as a hairdresser was stressful. She soon realized that you have to be in tune with your clients to keep them. Bessie did not have any clientele when she first started so chose to be paid a wage rather than a commission. If you are paid a wage then you are working for the boss. Working for a few tough bosses helped her learn and was great training. Half way through her schooling she started working part-time in a hair salon. This reduced stress because she had a job to go to when her schooling was completed. However, being away from home was difficult for her children. Though many sacrifices were made and now that her daughters are working at the shop, Bessie gets an opportunity to step away from the business when she needs to. During the first four years of business Bessie was unable to take vacations and really looked forward to those STAT holidays. "In the end, it was all worth it", says Bessie... | |
*Please contact us if you are experiencing trouble opening these documents. |
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NEDC's 2nd Annual Business Planning Competition is OPEN for applications...Ask for Your Business Planning Package Today.
NEDC offers assistance with business planning to all Nuu-chah-nulth Members and Aboriginals (including First Nations, Metis & Inuit within the Nuu-chah-nulth Region)
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Call a Business Service Officer today to receive guidance in market research, strategizing, financial projections and more! Or ask an officer to review your business plan to provide feedback.
Port Alberni (local): 250.724.3131 |
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NEDC's 2010 Annual Business Awards *Now Accepting Nominations* CATEGORIES
�� Youth Business of the Year
�� Best Environmentally Sustainable Business
�� Best Cultural Business
�� Artist of the Year
�� Business of the Year
*please note, a separate nomination
form is required for each category!
ELIGIBILITY
�� All Aboriginal businesses
within the Nuu-chah-nulth
region
�� All Nuu-chah-nulth Members
�� NEDC clients
NOMINATION DEADLINE
AUGUST 15th, 2010
Contact NEDC to get your Nomination form TODAY!
Or visit our website: www.nedc.info/awards |
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5 Explosive Marketing
Strategies For Exponential
Business G (Growth) | |
Do you know the answer to this question?
"What can you do now to INSTANTLY
increase the profitability of your business?"
Well, the answer is surprising simple.
Change your strategy.
Your strategy is the master purpose of your
business. It's the fabric that binds your business
systems together and the bedrock of your
business's entire operating approach.
Here are 5 'instantly deployable' strategies that
can take your business to new heights,
regardless of what product or service you're
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Using Emotions to Brand Your Business |
Have you ever stopped to think about what some of the key emotional concerns are with respect to the majority of the buying public? By no means exhaustive and probably not scientific here is a personally developed list. 1. Am I beautiful (or handsome)? This emotional question may be driven by the media, but expresses itself in the buying habits of the public. This can be seen in clothing and jewelry purchases, exercise equipment, weight loss programs as well as cosmetics and cosmetic surgery. 2. Will I make it to the end of this month? This emotional query has everything to do with quality and cost saving measures. If you have a low priced item or service you could capitalize on...
read full story |
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Michael Jordan's Advice for Entrepreneurs | |
When it comes to being successful, some people simply have what it takes. It seems no matter what they put their hands on, they succeed beyond their wildest dreams. Michael Jordan is one of those people. From the basketball court to the boardroom, it seems that everything he touches turns to gold.
Today's entrepreneurs can learn from the stellar example that Jordan has set, both on the court and in his business dealings. Although to the casual observer, Jordan appears to lead something of a charmed life, he has overcome his fair share of obstacles in order to achieve such great success. In his personal life, he has faced setbacks that would cause many to give up on everything, from the 1993 murder of his father, which was a contributing factor to his first retirement, to the breakup of his 17-year marriage in 2006.
"If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you," Jordan says," If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. "
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Past NEDC E-Newsletter Issues:
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We hope you enjoyed this quarterly issue of our e-newsletter. Feel free to contact us to share ideas for future articles that you think would be beneficial to our readers!
Have a wonderful and safe summer.
Sincerely,
NEDC Board & Staff | |
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