November 2022 InTouch Magazine

Message from the President

Your Most Valuable Commodity

All businesses have input costs to operating; raw materials, leases or mortgages, wages and benefits, insurance and overhead, shipping and distribution, marketing and promotion, and many others. These vary based on the industry and scale, but the one input cost that applies universally to all business operations is: your time. Unless you are able to quantify the value of your time in operating your business, you may be missing the most valuable consideration to the bottom line at year end.

While the calculation of the time of an employee to a business is rather easy to quantify, the question

becomes more ethereal for business owners or senior employees that have responsibility beyond the traditional 9-5 paradigm. Author Chris Bailey says “…there are certain tasks in your work that, minute for minute, lead you to accomplish more…the more time, energy, and attention you invest in your most significant tasks, the more you accomplish in the same amount of time, and the more productive you become”.

It is important that you as a business leader establish what is truly valuable to yourself and your organization. To some that may be a strictly dollars and cents conversation. To others, the worklife balance needs to be accounted for. Others still consider community investment and volunteerism to the highest form of value. Whatever the primary value is for you and your organization, you must think critically about the return on investment of your time for that primary value.

Why does this all matter? Of all the input costs associated with your business, your personal investment in time is the one that has an absolute limit to its scalability. No matter how much you try, you can never xincrease the number of working hours of your time beyond a certain limit. You only have one opportunity to find a return of value for the time you invest. Use it wisely. I

Paul Bisanti

Established in 1920

Partners: M.J. Dixon,

Associates:

Brant Food for Thought: Serving Nutritious Snacks for 25 Years

After schools apply and have been approved for funding, orders are placed online and the food is delivered directly. Nutrition guidelines are laid out by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

“Whole fruits and vegetables is the number one item that every program must serve at every meal or snack,” said Budgell. “That’s the highest [nutritional value].”

as they pass, while other programs have food delivered to individual classes. Last year it cost Brant Food for Thought $720,000 to fund their programs.

“We’re a small team of three part-time staff, and all of us work very diligently to make sure the programs are run efficiently and effectively,” she said.

“The dollars that come in for student nutrition, go to student nutrition.”

For Brant Food for Thought, student nutrition programs aren’t just filling a hungry belly.

By Serena Austin

Brant Food For Thought will be celebrating 25 years of community service in 2023. The non-profit group is currently responsible for providing nutritious breakfasts and snacks to 50 schools throughout Brantford and the County of Brant. Food For Thought prides themselves on the universality of their student nutrition programs.

“These are not poverty driven programs,” said Program Director Gisèle Budgell. “These are programs to ensure that every child, regardless of their socioeconomic background or demographics, has access to the most nutritious foods possible throughout the school day to maximize their learning success.”

This way, students won’t be singled out, said Budgell. “Children and youth are more apt to participate and try new foods when they see their peers doing the same thing,” she said. “There’s a social aspect to it.”

Brant Food For Thought is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services, and administered regionally by HaldimandNorfolk R.E.A.C.H. Other major funders include Brant United Way, Breakfast Club of Canada, City of Brantford, County of Brant, FirstOntario Credit Union and The Grocery Foundation.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brant Food for Thought and the schools in their programs had to move away from offering sit-down meals. Now, most of the programs are grab-and-go style. Sometimes the food is provided in high-traffic areas for students to take

“The school is the ideal environment to teach children a lot of things, including what nutritious foods look like,” she said. “An ideal environment, not only for kids to learn, but to be nurtured and nourished.”

Serena Austin is a fourth-year Digital Media and Journalism student at Laurier Brantford. I

Welcome

n Beaumont Solutions

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS & SERVICES

David Niemand (905) 741-7078 david@beaumontsolutions.ca Brantford, ON

n Bonheur Exotic Wood Timepieces

ACCESSORIES – FASHION / WATCH RETAILERS

Jay Arora bonheurwatch@gmail.com Paris, ON

n Core Online Marketing

MARKETING CONSULTANTS

James Bishara (905) 744-0011 james@coreonlinemarketing.com Brantford, ON

n The Holistic Start-up

BUSINESS CONSULTANTS / MANAGEMENT TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Jodi Laking (519) 755-2530 hello@theholisticstartup.com Brantford, ON

n Keisha Kelly Real Estate and Mortgage Agent

REAL ESTATE BROKERS & SALES REPRESENTATIVES

Keisha Kelly (647) 519-5359 keishakrealestate@gmail.com Brantford, ON

n Nivee Cyber Security Inc. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICE

Jeremiah Vanderlaan (647) 696-0065 marketing@nivee.ca Hagersville, ON

n Premier Professional Accountants

ACCOUNTANTS

Shawn Stemmler (519) 512-0483 shawn@premieraccountants.ca Brantford, ON

n Tamminga Enterprises

EXCAVATING CONTRACTORS

Kevin Brouwer (519) 304-9728 kevin@tammingaenterprises.com Brantford, ON

n Town ‘n Country Maid Service Ltd.

COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, & RESIDENTIAL CLEANING

Janine English (519) 756-2733 janine@townncountrymaid.com Brantford, ON

n Work Smart Canada

BUSINESS CONSULTANTS / BUSINESS MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS / MANAGEMENT TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Jodi Laking (519) 755-2530 hello@worksmartcanada.ca Brantford, ON

greg@brcc.ca

Member Profile

TanGo Business Coaching & Consulting was founded in August 2021 by Tania Caza, former Human Resources Executive and Business Leader with over 20 years of strategy development, organizational culture change, business leadership and internal leadership coaching. TanGo Business Coaching & Consulting focuses on helping Leaders get REENERGIZED so that they can ELEVATE their careers and business to the next phase of growth.

Tania is certified through the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and through the NeuroLeadership Institute. She is also certified in several assessment tools, which can significantly contribute to the coaching process. Tania is also a Mental Fitness Coach using the Positive Intelligence methodology.

Along with the coaching credentials

TanGo Business Coaching & Consulting

n Human Resources Consulting, in all facets of HR

and experience, Tania also holds the Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE) and a MBA from Dalhousie University.

The many years of experience and education uniquely position Tania to help your organization solve a number of your organization’s pain points through:

n Leadership Development Coaching –through groups, teams or 1-on-1

n Executive Coaching – to focus on organizational leadership, scaling business, and organizational results

n Mental Fitness Coaching - to focus on mental well-being and resiliency n Strategy Development, including a focus on People and Culture

Currently, many organizations are struggling with attraction and retention. Investing in leadership development coaching and/or executive coaching is an investment in the development and growth of your employees and can serve as a very valuable retention tool.

In addition, mental health and wellbeing continues to be at the top of the agenda for many organizations. The Mental Fitness program invests in individuals’ needs to build mental strength, understand how we sabotage ourselves and how to overcome this. This program is truly transformational.

If these top priorities resonate with you, please reach out. Programs are customized to meet your individual requirements. Let’s see if there is a fit with your leaders and organization.

At the time of writing, we are a month out from the municipal election, having just completed producing six televised debates with RogersTV. The debates will continue to evolve in the future with public interest and our resources; the Chamber remains proud of our partnership with RogersTV and looks forward to continuing that partnership in 2023.

The Advocacy Committee and Board of Directors will follow up with the elected County of Brant and City of Brantford Councils on a number of key issues. These include Surety Bonds, Regional Transportation Planning, Tax Ratio fairness, Housing Affordability, and Economic Development including Tourism, Sport, and Arts & Culture. Each municipality has unique opportunities, such as Downtown Revitalization in Brantford, and the increased development pressures

within Brant, including the protection of our natural resource of farmland while accommodating growth in a responsible and respectful manner. The Chamber will be an active participant in the Brant Agri-Food Forum this fall, hosted by the County of Brant. Provincially, the Board of Directors hosted MPP Will Bouma at the October

Board Meeting, receiving an update from him on his key priorities for this term and tasking him on key issues of provincial responsibility in our region, including Transportation, Housing, and our recent efforts on Homelessness, Addictions, and Mental Health. We are proud to report that following unanimous adoption by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce in April, the OCC Government Relations team is making this file an urgent priority.

On the Federal front, President Paul Bisanti, Vice-President Chris Rayfield, and Chamber staff attended the Canadian Chamber of Commerce AGM and Policy Convention in October in support of two policies co-sponsored by the Chamber. The Economics of Addictions and Canadian Business Supply Chain are two nationally focused efforts, among 78 others, that were reviewed.

I

David Prang

Testamentary Freedom: It Can (Legally) Leave a Sour Taste

On the death of a family member, many people assume that children, grandchildren, and siblings will be treated equally and fairly by their relative. While this is very often the case, a testator is free to dispose of their property as they see fit. No one, including a spouse or a child, is entitled to receive anything under a testator’s will. At the same time, a testator who does not provide for a spouse or a dependent nonetheless exposes their Estate to costly litigation.

Provided a will meets the technical requirements, it will be upheld unless it can be proven that the will does not express the mind of the testator at the time of execution. The two most common grounds for challenging the validity of a will are lack of testamentary capacity and undue influence.

In non-contentious matters, an estate trustee benefits from a rebuttable presumption that a testator had capacity when their will was executed. This means that unless someone alleges something to the contrary, the law assumes a testator had capacity. With that assumption, an estate trustee can apply to the court for a certificate of appointment of estate trustee with a will. Once obtained, the estate trustee can show their legal authority to deal with the assets of the Estate pursuant to the will.

If capacity of the testator is challenged,

often by an excluded family member, the estate trustee then has the burden of proving on a “balance of probability” that the testator had capacity when the will was executed. Proof on a “balance of probability” means that the testator had capacity with more than 50% certainty. Depending on the circumstances, proving capacity can require evidence of those who knew the testator about their function, production of medical records, retroactive opinions from capacity assessors, and sometimes the production of a lawyer’s file.

Unlike testamentary capacity, the party challenging the will has the burden to prove undue influence. This means that the Court will assume the will was made without undue influence until the opposite is proven. The law does not allow undue influence to be proven on just the evidence of the person claiming undue influence – there must by other “material evidence” to corroborate the claim.

There are no hard and fast rules as to what constitutes “corroborating material evidence”. Proving that there was influence on the testator is not enough to have a will set aside – the challenging party must show undue influence akin to coercion.

While a testator is free to devise their property as they see fit in a will, if they choose to exclude spouses or people dependent upon them in their will, their Estate could be sued. A spouse can make a claim for the equalization of assets under the Family Law Act or a spouse can choose to take their entitlements under the Succession Law Reform Act rather than the will. Those who depended on the deceased, including married spouses, common law spouses, and children, can also advance claims against the Estate for Dependent’s Relief. The value of these claims would be treated like debts of the Estate that would have to be paid out before the remainder of the Estate could be distributed in accordance with the will.

There are strict timelines to challenge a will or make a claim against an Estate. If you have concerns about a will or your entitlements under an Estate, the lawyers at Waterous Holden Amey Hitchon LLP are here to help.

Waterous Holden Amey Hitchon LLP Brantford 20 Wellington St., Brantford.

Caitlin Turner I

Enjoy a glass of wine while you shop amongst a diverse group of Chamber businesses specially selected for a great shopping experience.

A perfect evening of shopping, networking, dining and, most importantly, laughing.

Make it a girl’s night out, call and reserve a table of 8 for your colleagues, clients, friends and/or family.

Chamber of Commerce Brantford • Brant

Member Profile Protection Security Investigations

Mitigate risk, prevent loss with PSI Inc.

Protection Security Investigations is a Private Security Agency offering Physical and Digital Security Solutions to mitigate risk, prevent loss and offer a more secure environment for your customers and employees.

Our approach is to provide our clients value by recognizing individual businesses needs for a security solution. We understand that you’re unique and that requires an individual approach tailored to your specific needs.

Protection Security Investigations takes pride in the work we deliver. With a focus on personalized service,

competitive rates and customer satisfaction, we are always striving to meet and exceed your expectations.

PSI opened with the intention of increasing the standards within the security industry and we do it by providing continual employee development, incorporating the latest technologies and providing our clients with a greater ability to access, control and analytical proof of the value their

security solution is providing them.

We are on a mission to shape the future of security by creating unprecedented accountability and control for our clients and employees alike. Our Vision to see a world reconnected through strength, integrity and security.

Our Uniformed Security Personnel are trained above the Ministry minimum standards to provide our clients with the greatest level of service.

Protection Security Investigations (PSI) currently operates out of Brantford servicing Brantford, Hamilton, Kitchener, Cambridge, Waterloo, London and St. Thomas.

Our Services Include Uniformed Security Guards, Mobile Security Services and Alarm Response, Process Serving, Training Courses and Intrusion Detection and Surveillance System Sales and Installations.

I

How We All Can Benefit from Charitable Giving

With the increase in natural disasters and humanitarian crises, we are also seeing an increase in the need for charitable giving. Charitable giving has many benefits: feeling happier, improvement in life satisfaction and reduction of stress. However there is another advantage commonly overlooked –the benefit of tax savings. In Canada, both individuals and corporations can claim a donation tax credit on their tax return, up to a maximum of 75% of their net income.

For business owners, you have two options available for making donations, either personally or through your corporation. So what is the difference between these options.

For individuals, the donation tax credit is a non-refundable tax credit. This tax credit will reduce your taxes owed, but only to the extent you had taxes owing in the first place. Any unused donations can be carried forward up to five years. Individuals can realize a 20.05% tax savings on the first $200 of charitable donations and 40.16% tax savings on any additional donations annually. For example, $500 in annual charitable donations will realize $161 of tax savings (20.05% x $200 + 40.16% x $300), making the net cost of the donation $339.

For corporations, donations are

treated as a reduction in the taxable income of the corporation, with tax savings limited to the tax rate of your corporation. Similar to individuals, any unused corporate donations can be carried forward up to five years. Let’s assume your corporation is an active corporation with income under $500,000 and a corporate tax rate of 12.2%. Using the same example, a $500 donation would realize a tax savings of $61 in your corporation. The tax savings realized will differ based on the type and level of income.

As shown, you will typically realize a greater tax savings by donating personally, however for business owners, the choice is not so simple. If you are planning to take money from your corporation (as salary or dividends), pay personal taxes and then make the donation personally, this method will be more costly than making the donation directly through your corporation.

Before you make your next charitable donation, keep in mind the following: Only registered charities and other qualified donees recognized in Canada can be claimed for purposes of the donation tax credit

• You can check if the charity of your choice qualifies for the donation tax credit on CRAs website

• You must have an official donation receipt in order to claim the donation on your tax return.

• Most organizations do not issue receipts for donations under $10

• Crowdfunding is not a charitable donation

• Donations of securities directly from non-registered investment accounts can also yield other tax savings, such as avoidance of taxes on capital gains

For further information please do not hesitate to contact us at Millard’s at (519)759-3511 or visit us at: www.millards.com

Pam Merrylees, CPA, CA, LPA Partner

From left: Katelyn, Doug, Lise, Derek, Nick, Heidi, Wes, Sharon and Mike.

(Missing: Joe).

Beautiful Landscapes Begin With Dragonfly Landscape Supply

With a vast inventory of professional-grade landscape materials on-site, customers can expect to pay reasonable prices, backed by unmatched friendly customer service – with fast and convenient delivery available, whether you are a contractor, landscape architect, homeowner, or anyone looking to spruce up your outdoor space.

The experienced and knowledgeable team is always happy to help customers find the right solutions for every project, including mulch, soil, stone, grass, turf, accessories, and so much more… while offering knowledgeable advice and answering any questions you have. Don’t forget to stop by the quaint gift shop to

find an impressive range of fun Fall seasonal décor, with something to match every taste and style. Feel good about shopping local while knowing

you are partnering with a company worthy of your trust. Find everything you need (and more) for your Fall landscaping projects at Dragonfly.

Above left (L-R): Preston, Heidi, Nick, Chase and Kylie.

Above:

Joe and Heidi walk the yard.

Membership Renewals

n Abcott Construction Ltd.

n Access Self Storage Inc.

n Alliance Security Systems

n Apogee Ceramics Inc.

n ARK Electrical Ltd.

n Big Steel Box Corp.

n Blueprint IT Works Inc.

n The Bodega Inn

n Boyle Plumbing & Heating Co. Ltd.

n Brantford Apparel

n Brantford Cleaners

n Brantwood Community Services n CKX Training On-The-Go

n Cornerstone Material Handling Inc

n Cozzmic Communications

*Technology *Security n Craig Wright Design n Dalhousie Place

n Devlins Country Bistro & Catering n Ener Dynamic

n Execulink Telecom Inc.

n Rhonda Fawcett

n Fifth Avenue Collection - Narinda

n GCI Construction Group

n Gizeh Packaging NA Inc.

n Good’s Machine Shop Inc.

n Grand River Community Health Centre

n Holstein Association Of Canada

n IBC Computers Brantford Inc.

n Impact Home Staging

n InSitu Remediation Services Ltd.

n International Trade Consulting Inc.

n J.C.A. Food Services Ltd.

n Lancaster Bins

n Lynden Hills Dentistry

n MAK Consulting Group

n McNaughton Agency Inc.

n Middelkoop Sheet Metal Ltd.

n Modern PURAIR Oxford County/ Brantford

n Mohawk College of Applied Arts & Technology

n Nova Cleaning Supplies

n Organized Kaos

n Paris Crane Inspection Services

n Paulsan Construction Inc.

n Romex Security Inc.

n Sacha Pinto - Branding & Social Media For Business

n ServiceMaster of Brantford

n Six Nations Tourism

n Synergy MouldWorks Inc.

n Tae Photography

n Tulsar Canada Ltd.

n Valley Green Grounds Care

n Wixtree Massage Therapy