News from St. Albert Economic Development

August 2013

Focus on Business
in St. Albert

Market Access Tour

Economic Development and the St. Albert & District Chamber of Commerce are excited to announce the upcoming Market Access Tour. Alberta International and Intergovernmental Relations Minister Cal Dallas, will be coming to St. Albert to discuss how the Alberta Government can help you grow your business by accessing new international export markets for your product or service.

Learn about key markets, opportunities and trade development services
Get advice on who to contact locally and internationally
Network with the Chamber of Commerce, industry associations and other stakeholders
Hear about Alberta's International Strategy and International Office network

This session will be great for businesses that currently export and those that are thinking about it as a possibility. It is an opportunity for manufacturers, service providers and even the small businesses that are selling products online to learn more. Check out a short video presentation by Minister Dallas for more information.

Market Access Tour
Monday, September 16, 2013
8:00 - 9:30 a.m.
Breakfast provided at 7 a.m.

St. Albert Inn & Suites (156 St. Albert Trail)
Grandin Room

Cost: $20

In This Issue

Market Access Tour

CREDA

Tourism in the 21st Century

Statistical Summary Jan- Jun 2013

Business Retention and Expansion

Business Spotlight

New Businesses in St. Albert

Quarterly Growth Stats

Join the Conversation!

Upcoming Events

Chamber Lunch

September 11

Market Access Tour

September 16

Tourism In the 21st Century Webinar

September 24

Capital Region Export Development Alliance

St. Albert Economic Development will be taking the lead in creating the Capital Region Export Development Alliance (CREDA). The Export Alliance will be a municipally-led regional economic development initiative. It will operate as a virtual organization and will be guided by an advisory committee comprised of participating municipalities and representatives from provincial and federal export departments.

The Alliance will engage local companies, primarily in manufacturing, technology, professional services, chemicals, forestry and food products, and provide information, resources and connections needed to succeed in the global marketplace by providing access to:

Export Knowledge;
Export Readiness Assessment;
Market Intelligence;
Connections with Global Network; and
Export Business Planning.

The Export Alliance will encourage regional businesses to benefit from Alberta's export advantage, expand the regional economy and create new high-value jobs by leveraging the combined export resources of the federal and provincial governments, partner municipalities and key organizations.

The Alliance will operate a website as the primary information source and communication medium for business and partners; organize quarterly export seminars on relevant topics, and participate in annual foreign trade delegations. The City of Edmonton and the Town of Bon Accord have already confirmed their interest in participating in the Export Alliance.

As one of the first activities to increase the interest of area businesses in exporting, the City of St. Albert will be hosting a provincial-led Market Access Tour on September 16, 2013.

Tourism in the 21st Century - Webinar

Does your business market to visitors and tourists? Are you one of our amazing visitor attractions? Do you want to know more about marketing to different demographics? If so, this webinar is for you.

Roger Brooks showcases the power of tourism and the 13 things attendees can do today to get a jump start on this new marketing and product development frontier including:

How to tap into multi-generational travel - the new hot wave
Attracting boomers during the shoulder seasons
How to court the millennials - and watch the boomers follow
The future of visitor information centers: you need to be all-in, or all-out
Why the days of the traditional DMO are over
How to tap into the new age of personalized travel
How to get noticed without spending a fortune
And many more!

Fast paced and full of how-to-make-it-happen suggestions, this is THE presentation you won't want to miss!

Statistical Summary for January to June 2013

Commercial/Industrial

2013 is shaping up to be a busy year for construction and development in St. Albert. New commercial buildings along St. Albert Trail and new construction in Campbell Business Park are fueling the growth.

Between January and June of this year seven new commercial developments have been started. The building permit value of these projects is more that $17.5 million. These new buildings of course include the Costco development and upcoming Goodlife Fitness, Visions Electronics and Rexall Drugs.

Costco

North Campbell

On our industrial front, 32 local businesses have been busy renovating and updating their premises. Also many of the projects started in 2012 are now complete and tenants are moving in.

New Canada Post Building in Campbell

Number of Businesses in St. Albert

	YTD 2013	YTD 2012
Commercial/Industrial	2147	2090
Home-Based	905	965
Total # of Businesses	3052	3055

Residential

Though single family dwellings were down from 2012 (80 in 2013 vs. 120 in 2012), there has been a sharp increase in semi-detached and multi-family buildings. In 2012 we had 2 apartments built, adding 118 units to our housing stock. In the first six months of 2013 we saw 8 Semi-Detached, 12 Townhouse & Condos and 7 Apartments. These developments have added 520 units to our housing stock and have a total permit value of $44,514,115. This adds diversity to our city and allows buyers and renters more options when looking for a home.

MLS Activity

	YTD 2013	YTD 2012
Single Family Dwelling Sales	485	464
Single Family Dwelling Avg. Price	$446,822	$431,653
Condo Sales	139	125
Condo Avg. Price	$264,569	$257,27

Erin Ridge North

Business Retention & Expansion

written by Joan Barber, Business Retention & Expansion Manager

I love fall, it is such a time for renewal. After the lazy days of summer I am excited about more structure in my life, the opportunity to sign up for a new class or commit to a new exercise regime, and of course I eagerly anticipate the new fall fashion. So how does this relate to your business? Well, for starters you can dress up your business for fall and winter by participating in the City's Commercial Cost Share Program. The program provides a rebate of 50% or up to $2500.00 to help you do this. So get creative, invest in some fall mums, or order a winter arrangement that will beautify your business and invite customers in from the cold to spend in your business. The program also offers grants for perpendicular signs, street furniture and bike racks. Every fall the commercial cost share program is reviewed, if you have ideas for improving the program we would love to her from you.

Workshop Suggestions

Are you confused about Facebook Marketing, is Crowd Sourcing still a mystery to you or do you need assistance with customer service? We are here to help. Please send us your suggestions for workshops, webinars, etc. Email me at jbarber@st-albert.net or call (780) 459-1725.

Small Business Week - October 21 - 25

Are you an exceptional small business? If you are, nominate yourself today for the annual Small Business Awards. The St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce honours businesses in seven categories. They are: Small Business; Business to Business; Marketing; Outstanding Customer Service; Young Entrepreneur; Ignite and Youth Work Experience. Nomination deadline is September 22, 2013. Forms and more information are available at www.stalbertchamber.com.

Winning or being nominated for an award is a great way to increase the profile of your business.

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT ON... Prints Galore

Have you had the chance to visit our long time business, Prints Galore in Tudor Glen? Interviewing owner Jim Dawson gave me my first opportunity to visit and I will definitely go back. Prints Galore offers custom framing, digital printing and sell specialized needlecraft patterns and tools. The business had been operating for about 15 years when Jim and his wife bought it in 1994. Jim's wife was an artist who regularly visited Prints Galore and when the former owners were looking to sell, her dream of owning the store became a reality. In April, Jim will celebrate his business' 20th anniversary.

Over the years the business has changed slightly. In the 90s people liked to decorate with prints now many of Jim's clients are having their own photos framed or turned into canvas art. With their wide-format printer and ability to make giclee prints, you can turn any digital photo into beautiful art for your home or office. Many clients are also bringing in art purchased on vacation, memorabilia or displays to frame.

What I found fascinating during our interview was the demonstrations he shared of their technology. Using specialized software, staff can cut custom mats - even with specialized letters or images into the mat. They also have a great photo software program that allows you see how your art will look with different coloured mats or frames and even how it will look on a painted wall. I thought it was a great tool if, as a customer you were unsure of the colours you wanted to use.

Computerized Mat Cutting

Computerized Mat Selector

Jim is proud to offer his customers this added service. The long-time staff at Prints Galore have years of experience and this along with producing high quality products has created loyal, repeat customers. The majority of Jim's customers are local residents who over the years have become friends. This is what he loves best about having a business in St. Albert.

If you have any art that you want framed or reframed, definitely go see Jim and his team.

Prints Galore
2009 Tudor Glen Place
780-458-4999
www.printsgalore.com