Directors' Reports
Membership Report
Please check your emails as 'Membership Due' notes have been sent out in December. We really need the funds for our Association expenses and would appreciate if cheques or cash could be brought to the January meeting. If you are not able to attend the meetings, please mail your dues to Box 3095, Courtenay, V9N 5N3 and Michele will send you a receipt.
Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and arrives back in January ready for a very successful 2013.
Marg Szafron, VP
Program Report
For our January 3 meeting the keynote speaker is by Donna Cloutier, a CA from Pateman & Company on upcoming tax changes related to PST. The spotlight member presentations are Linda Graceffo (Sparkling Graphics & The Writer Connection) and Ruth Diltz (Rainy Day Books).
Bio's
Donna Cloutier is a manager at Pateman and Company, Chartered Accountant, and in her role she provides personalized and practical financial advice to small businesses and non-profit organizations on Northern Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.
Donna moved to the Comox Valley in the summer of 1990 as a Meteorological Technician for the Canadian Armed Forces. While still in the military, she continued with her education in the accounting field at North Island College, part-time until 1995 and full-time afterwards until she obtained her Chartered Accountant designation in 2000. She was on the North Island College's Dean's List in 1997.
Being a business owner herself (co-owner of The Joint - Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Centre with her partner Edwin Betinol), Donna fully understands the needs of the clients of Pateman and Company. Her role with the firm will be to provide assistance and advice on accounting, cash management, corporate and personal tax preparation and assist small businesses and individuals with their accounting and tax issues.
Donna has recently completed the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountant's In-depth Tax Course, the most complete and comprehensive tax training course available in Canada. With this course and her past professional experience, she is able to advise clients on a wide variety of topics.
Donna and the firm are committed to community building. Donna is currently serving as Treasurer for the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Vice Chair of the North Island College Foundation and is a member of the Courtenay Rotary Club.
Founded in 2003 by graphic designer Linda Graceffo, 
Sparkling Graphics caters to entrepreneurs and non-profits---providing cost effective design solutions that are recognized all over Vancouver Island and beyond. Linda has earned a reputation for sparkling designs, as well as dependability and professionalism. So what happens if you are a graphic designer with a love for book design and a steady stream of self-publishing authors looking for help publishing their books? Well, you start a one-stop business offering a la carte and turn-key services for self-published traditional books and e-books. Linda just launched The Writer Connection this past November. The business concept reflects both changes in the industry, and Linda's vision for her clients. The growth in home computing and printing means book writing and publishing are more accessible to anyone with the desire to create a book. Graceffo wants to connect aspiring authors with all of the services they need to be successful.
Ruth Dilts began reading before she started school. That passion for books came to fruition with the opening of Rainy Day Books in 1997 as a tiny 250 square foot bookstore. During the next three years Ruth learned much about the book business and was ready to expand to include Internet sales in 1999. The business is now Internet only from her home. Another addition to the business was the book search service offered by Rainy Day Books. Looking for a hard to find, out of print, or just a nicer copy of a book? Ruth will do all the work of researching a price and order the book for you. Getting that book to it's new home is a great way to end a transaction.
Sean Murphy
Website Report
I know that our website isn't the most user-friendly, and it has left a bad taste with some of our members. As a result, not all of our members have a presence on our website. It's time to stop the confusion.
I will be doing a short presentation during the January 3rd meeting on how to create your User Profile and Business Post. I will go through each step, explaining the difference between your user profile and your business profile, how to make a post and how to insert an image.
A website is a terrible thing to waste. Don't miss your opportunity to showcase your business on the site any longer.
Ginny Alliston
Ginny's Graphics & Web Design
250-941-2665
Newsletter Report
Please send in your submissions for the February newsletter by January 21. Of course submissions are accepted before the deadline!
Calling for content...
Do you have any hot tips that you would like to share with your fellow members... marketing, graphic design,
so
cial media, technology, money managing, health etc. or what have you learned over the years for your business to succeed? Submission accepted any time. Everyone who contributes will have a link to their website.
Sarah Brune Inner Harmony Healing
