Insight spring 2018

FREDERICTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

SPRING 2018

ADVOCACY UPDATES | THE BUZZ | NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS | CHAMBER EVENTS STRONGER COMMUNITY THROUGH BUSINESS PROSPERITY

372 Queen St., Fredericton, NB 459-1155 www.harveystudios.ca

Commercial Photography

2 Chamber Benefit Available To Employees of All Member Companies

GROUP DISCOUNTED HOME & AUTO RATES Enjoys these Savings and more.

• Exclusive Preferred Rates • Full Money Back Claims Service Guarantee • All Service Fees Waived for Members • Easy Payment Options

Solving your Business and Lifestyle Risks.

FREDERICTON, MONCTON & HALIFAX

Wilson Insurance | 506-458-8505 | wilsoninsurance.ca

FREDERICTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Contents Creative Direction and Graphic Design by Pete Stafford, Cambridge Pen & Design Publisher – Pete Stafford, Cambridge Pen & Design Printer – KKP Kwik Kopy Printing Project Manager and Advertising Consultant – Wendy Morrell Contributors – Keir Clark, Krista Ross, Morgan Peters, Christine Little, Janet Moser, Monique Hong, Tanya Senechal, The Venture for Canada Team, Janice Campbell, Sharn Kleiss, Jennifer MacKinnon FREDERICTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE President – Keir Clark, keir.clark@scotiamcleod.com Chief Executive Officer – Krista Ross, kristar@frederictonchamber.ca Policy and Research Manager – Morgan Peters, advocacy@frederictonchamber.ca Membership Development & Marketing Manager – Christine Little, membership@frederictonchamber.ca Event Manager – Tanya Senechal, events@frederictonchamber.ca Operations and Communications Manager – Wendy Morrell, fchamber@frederictonchamber.ca Bookkeeper – Brianne Phillips, bookkeeper@frederictonchamber.ca Fredericton Immigrant Business Services Succession Specialist – Levi Lawrence succession@frederictonhamber.ca Office Administrator – Monique Hong, successadmin@frederictonchamber.ca Director - Fredericton Immigrant Business Services – Janet Moser, janetm@frederictonchamber.ca

President’s Message

4

CEO’s Message

4

Succession Connect Program

5

Say Hello To Our Newest Chamber Members 6 Advocacy Update

7

China

9

One-On-One Connections

11

2018-19 Federal Budget

11

Venture for Canada

12

Provincial Budget

13

Wellness in the Workplace

14

Leading the People Charge for Transformation

15

M2M Special Offers

18

The Chamber Buzz

19

3

All content, copyright 2018. All rights reserved.

This publication may not be reproduced, all or in part without written consent from the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of all content in this publication, however the publisher nor the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce will be held responsible for omissions or errors.

Please address all editiorial and advertising inquiries to the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, 364 York Street, Suite 200, Fredericton, NB E3B 3P7, Canada. The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce is not held responsible for loss, damage or any other injury to unsolicited material (including but not limited to manuscripts, artwork, photographs, and advertisements). Unsolicited material must be included with self-addressed, overnight-delivery return envelope, postage prepaid.

The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce will not give, nor rent your name, mailing address, or other contact information to third parties.

Fredericton Chamber of Commerce 364 York Street, Suite 200 Fredericton, NB E3B 3P7 Tel: (506) 458-8006 fchamber@frederictonchamber.ca frederictonchamber.ca @fton_chamber facebook.com/frederictonchamber Fredericton Chamber of Commerce

Pete Stafford 506.472.4230 | Cell 506.292.5624 petes@nbnet.nb.ca | cambridgepen.com

fton_Chamber

Insight Spring 2018

A Message from the President

A Message from the CEO

Keir Clark, President

Krista Ross, CEO

Welcome to the first edition of Insight Magazine 2018 for which we hope you find all kinds of useful tidbits within these pages.

A

s we worked through the process of consulting with the provincial government on our members’ behalf this year, we spend a good deal of time talking with the Minister of Finance and other senior officials about what the business community thought their priorities should be for the upcoming budget.

We emphasized five priorities for them to be thinking about as they set course for the coming year. They are:

4

I. A Private Sector Driven Economy that creates jobs and growth This requires a commitment to making New Brunswick the best place to grow a business through competitive tax and regulatory policy. A thriving private sector supports job growth and creates the tax base required to sustain health, education and social programs in our province.

II. Responsible Resource Development A commitment to adopt development-friendly and environmentally sound approval processes with clear timelines and predictable parameters for decision making and approval.

This will allow NB to attract major private sector investment for projects that will grow employment and opportunity while protecting our natural environments.

III. Export Focused Economy A commitment to pursue a strategy to develop New Brunswick companies as export ready and increase our global profile for trade opportunities with markets such as the United States, Europe and Asia.

IV. Labour Force Development A commitment to retaining our talent and attracting a skilled workforce with the skills needed for new and existing companies to grow and prosper.

W

elcome to the first edition of Insight Magazine for 2018, which has now swung into full gear and we hope that your business is busy and prosperous and that you are optimistic about the coming months! We all want to see a prosperous New Brunswick now and in the future. We want our children to have opportunities to live and work in their home province. We want to deliver quality services to seniors and students and everyone in between. The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce’s vision is Stronger Community Through Business Prosperity and I think this vision is equally applicable across the province as it is to Fredericton. And each of us has a role to play to make that vision a reality.

Governments would not have money to spend if not for successful businesses. The tax dollars and other revenue that the business community creates funds every hospital visit, every inch of highway and every lesson our kids learn in school. It is important that governments understand and remember that - the better the business conditions that government is able to create, the more prosperous we can all be. The problem is, the further that New Brunswick digs itself into debt, the less government is able to make that happen.

Our chamber of commerce has been calling on the provincial government to put more emphasis on reducing the public debt and educating the public on the importance of such. The Department of Finance tends to publicly focus on the deficit, particularly when new estimates are seen as positive. The more relevant figure to the province’s continued viability is the net debt. When the government speaks about the deficit being lower than expected, the public is prompted to think that decisive and immediate action is not warranted - but that is exactly what our situation requires. New Brunswick needs to rethink how it taxes businesses and individuals, how best to finance our social programs and position ourselves for the new economy - but this is not governments’ job alone.

V. Responsible Financial Management A commitment to thoughtful spending of tax dollars with the goal of reducing provincial debt. A balanced budget creates consumer confidence and business momentum while providing an appropriate level of services to citizens.

Those of us outside government need to do a better job at understanding and remembering that government is spending our money. Anytime we ask - or demand - something from government, remember how hard you worked so that government has that money to spend and particularly remember that we only have so much of it. It’s how we think about spending our money within our households, so why don’t we think of it that way when its government?

Continues on page 6

Continues on page 6

Insight Spring 2018

to their next project or well-deserved retirement. Levi’s goal for the coming year is to create a Succession Connect toolkit that can be seamlessly integrated into existing immigration attraction and retention programs, adding value and innovative solutions to the way organizations address current challenges within the immigration community. Succession Connect will provide our newcomers the opportunity to be matched with business for sale opportunities within sectors that they have experience and or interest in, which will elevate their interest in higher levels of success and involvement with the local business community.

All of these elements combine with fostering community inclusion and will lead to successful integration for the business owner and their families. Succession Connect is an innovative approach to enhancing the experience of our newcomers, as well as supporting local business owners with their exit strategies for succession of their businesses. We see this as a win for the Province and its population and economic growth.

Meet Levi

by The Succession Connect Team

W

e are excited to announce that local entrepreneur, Levi Lawrence, has joined our team as Succession Specialist with our Succession Connect pilot program. The program matches New Brunswick business owners who are interested in selling their business with newcomer investors interested in purchasing a turnkey business. Levi actively develops relationships with new immigrant entrepreneurs and investors and connects with local businesses to offer a succession solution, as they transition

Levi will be a valuable asset to the team. He is a passionate entrepreneur with a background in the food, hospitality, distribution and e-commerce industries. Beginning as a chef with a special interest in the development of foodrelated businesses, he has continued developing his business connections and experience through the Wallace McCain Institute’s Entrepreneurial Leaders Program and continues to share his experience and knowledge with various professional and industry networks.

Accompanying his passion for business development and food, he has a lifelong interest in other cultures, language and travel.

Having had the opportunity to work abroad and return to New Brunswick, he is especially interested in working with New Canadians coming from afar to join his much-loved community.

For more information regarding the Succession Connect program, please check out our new website www.

SuccessionConnect.ca or contact Levi directly by email at succession@frederictonchamber.ca.

We would like to thank our funding partners who have allowed us the opportunity to launch Succession Connect which is in direct support of immigration investment into New Brunswick

Insight Spring 2018

5

A Message from the President continued...

At the sold out State of the Province dinner in January I focused my remarks on Responsible Financial Management.

I did this with the upcoming provincial election in mind. During these campaigns we sometimes see promises made for political rather than prudent financial reasons. The subsequently announced budget appears to have considered our input, to a limited extent.

6

We also took time this winter to express our appreciation for the provincial government taking a politically unpopular but innovative approach with one of our most significant challenges, healthcare delivery. We are talking about Medavie taking over management of the extramural nursing program. While we don’t know if this particular deal is “the” solution, we applaud people trying new ideas, despite having to spend some political capital to do so. We also took the opportunity to encourage those in political opposition to the deal to take a non-partisan approach with this and not throw it out just because the other party did it. We believe tossing aside things implemented by the government of the day and replacing them with something different is one of the reasons we are in the financial situation we are as a Province.

We believe that making thoughtful, nonpartisan suggestions as I’ve just outlined are steps in the right direction to build a stronger community through business prosperity.

Keir Clark President 2017 - 2018

A Message from the CEO continued...

Collectively, we have to be more thoughtful about what we actually need, what we can actually afford.

This is particularly relevant given the election later this year. When you hear “free” this or “government-funded” that - remember that really means - it’s being paid for by current and future taxpayers. Our collective demands have driven the provincial debt to nearly $14.5 billion. Our annual interest payments are around $700 million. That means we are paying about $80,000 an hour in interest on services that we received in the past.

A declining debt would allow government to improve the business environment in the province, attracting investment and creating more organic growth by local companies - at which point we can really build some momentum.

We have a choice in New Brunswick - we can either manage growth or manage decline. If we choose growth, we should expect our governments do the same.

After all, it’s our money - let’s start acting like it.

SAY HELLO TO OUR NEWEST CHAMBER MEMBERS Urban Threadz/Studio 103 Design Inc. 103 Church Street Fredericton, NB E3B 4C8 Tel: (506) 471-2258 studio103designinc@gmail.com urbanthreadz.ca Main Contact: Victoria Boer Porter Airlines Inc. 1 Bell Boulevard Enfield, NS B2T 1K2 Tel: (888) 619-8622 christine.mackenzie@flyporter.com flyporter.com Main Contact: Christine MacKenzie Acanto Technologies Inc. 50 Crowther Lane, Suite 120 Fredericton, NB E3C 0J1 Tel: (506) 999-1838 contact@acanto.ca acanto.ca Main Contact: Wallace Santos Anna Schneider 268 Westmorland Street Fredericton, NB E3B 3M2 Tel: (506) 471-1674 hello@annaschneiderdesigns.com annaschneiderdesigns.com Main Contact: Anna Schneider The Co-operators - Steve Dougherty #3, 927 Prospect Street Fredericton, NB E3B 2T7

Tel: (506) 459-7933 steven_dougherty@cooperators.ca cooperators.ca Main Contact: Steve Dougherty Biometrics Strength & Training 64 Alison Boulevard, Unit 6 Fredericton, NB E3B 1N2 Tel: (506) 476-5854 mark@biometricssc.com biometricssc.com Main Contact: Mark Scaplen The Pet Funeral Home 150 Riverside Drive Fredericton, NB E3A 6P8 Tel: (506) 457-5677 thepetfuneralhome@gmail.com thepetfuneralhome.com Main Contact: Debrah Moore The Goody Shop 701 Albert Street Fredericton, NB E3B 2C5 Tel: (506) 455-7068 Email: goodyshop@nb.aibn.com Main Contact: Shawn Coffey Crabbe Mountain 50 Crabbe Mountain Road Hainesville, NB E6E 1E3 Tel: (506) 463-8311 marketing@crabbemountain.com crabbemountain.com Main Contact: Patrick Coolen Continues on page 8

Insight Spring 2018

shortly after. We also met with Minister Rogers on 2 February 2018 at our annual post-budget breakfast with the Finance Minister, a meeting we co-host with the New Brunswick Real Estate Association.

Pre-Budget (Federal)

Advocacy Update

by Morgan Peters Innovation in Delivering Government Services

O

n 5 February 2018, the chamber issued a news release expressing support for governments being willing to innovate to deliver services.

Specifically, the release echoed the position of the NB Medical Society that the agreement with Medavie Blue Cross to deliver telecare and extra mural services was ‘worth a try’. The deal with Medavie represents a made-for-New Brunswick solution by a New Brunswick organization that has the potential to have positive spin-off effects that go beyond health care delivery such as increasing employment, growing a sector of strength in the province, creating new innovations and building expertise in our workforce. Leveraging Medavie’s technological capabilities to integrate related services has the potential to produce solutions that can be exported to other jurisdictions.

WorkSafeNB The WorkSafeNB Task Force held its public consultations in November. CEO Krista Ross presented on 3 November 2017. Her presentation can be found on our website. The task force is expected to release recommendations within in a

report early in 2018.

Following her appearance before the task force, CEO Krista Ross responded to an appearance by NB Ombud, Charles Murray in her monthly commentary.

We also participated in a WorkSafeNB stakeholder session on 13 December 2017 in Saint John. The meeting was to discuss ways employers, employees, WorkSafeNB and government can facilitate a return to work for injured workers more quickly - including WorkSafeNB’s new Working to Well program.

Pre-Budget (Provincial) The Provincial Government Affairs Committee submitted its annual prebudget brief to Minister Cathy Rogers on 17 November 2017. The document reflects our five policy priorities while focusing on competitiveness and fiscal responsibility. The Executive and committee chairs also met the minister on 30 November 2017 to discuss our ideas in more depth.

On 18 December 2017, members of the business community met with Fredericton MP Matt DeCourcey at the chamber of commerce office to discuss priorities for the 2018-19 federal budget. Much of the discussion focused on the pending federal tax planning changes, the Fredericton International Airport expansion project and investing in innovation. The remaining federal changes to the tax code are expected to be included in the budget this spring.

First Contract Legislation In the Fall, the Government of New Brunswick introduced Bill 4 - First Contract Legislation. This would guarantee that newly-formed unions would get a negotiated first contract, thereby increasing the likelihood that the union will be ratified by members in the first place. The chamber opposes this legislation at least until the government can answer these questions: Did the government examine the economic impact of this legislation before introducing Bill 4. Will it make New Brunswick more competitive globally?

Will it make us more innovative? More productive? Will it help add to our skilled labour force? Will it create jobs? If we can answer positively to these questions, then all parties will stand to benefit - if not then we have to consider if we are just introducing yet more red tape and cost to business.

Minimum Wage Now indexed annually to the Consumer Price Index, the minimum wage in New Brunswick will rise to $11.25 on April 1, 2018. All maritime provinces have harmonized increases to minimum wage for April 1 each year.

Post-Budget (Provincial) Staff members of the chamber attended the budget lock-in on 30 January 2018 and the chamber released a statement Insight Spring 2018

7

SAY HELLO TO OUR NEWEST CHAMBER MEMBERS Susan Holt Fredericton, NB Tel: (506) 238-0583 susan@susanholt.ca susanholt.ca Global Convention Services Ltd. PO Box 2329 Saint John, NB E2L 3V6 Tel: (506) 658-0506 saintjohn@globalconvention.ca globalconvention.ca Main Contact: Craig MacPherson 10 Speak Innovation 17 Eagle Ridge Court Hanwell, NB E3C 0H2 Tel: (506) 451-3461 norm@10speak.com 10speak.com Main Contact: Norm Couturier New Leaf Consulting 129 Nashwaak West Road Taymouth, NB E6C 2A8 Tel: (506) 567-9714

8

Insight Spring 2018

newleafconsulting.amy@gmail.com newleafnb.com Main Contact: Amy Floyd Measurand Inc. 2111 Hanwell Road Fredericton, NB E3C 1M7 Tel: (506) 462-9119 scott@measurand.com Main Contact: Scott Thomson New Brunswick Building Officials Association PO Box 3193, Station B Fredericton, NB E3A 5G9 Tel: (506) 470-3375 info@nbboa.ca nbboa.ca Main Contact: Megan Stewart Venture for Canada Fellow Institute 325 Front Street West Toronto, ON M5V2Y1 Tel: (902) 401-0041 scott@ventureforcanada.ca Main Contact: Scott Stirrett

Bridge 26 - 32 Voltaire Road, Unit 4 London, UK SW4 6DH Tel: 0044 20 7720 9933 info@insidebridge.com insidebridge.com Main Contact: Markus Bell Susan Wade Consulting 3F - 501 Dundonald Street Fredericton, NB E3B 9S4 Tel: (506) 476-0599 susanwade2@gmail.com Main Contact: Susan Wade Unicare Home Health Care 540 King George Highway Miramichi, NB E1V 1N3 Tel: (506) 476-2243 Email: trainingcoordinator@ unicarehealthcare.ca unicarehealthcare.ca Main Contact: Julie Munn

Continues on page 10

Adventure to China

by Krista Ross

H

ave you ever been interested in travelling to China?

I never thought I might have an opportunity to go there, but in 2017, I was fortunate enough to be invited to participate in a trip to China along with the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce by our host travel company, CitsLinc which provides tours for chambers of commerce from all across Canada and the US. This is truly a trip of a lifetime and we are very excited to bring this opportunity to our chamber members in Fredericton! I did not really know what to expect and it was truly an amazing cultural experience to enjoy Chinese traditional activities and shows, sights and living history, exceptional chinese foods and meals served ‘family’ style, along with excellent 4- and 5-star accomodations.

China seemed like a world of contradiction to me…. On one hand, skyscrapers, advanced technology, and massive development along with the fastest, best and incredibly forward-thinking industries you could imagine… but on the other hand, and blended in with the new world… such sites as the Great Wall which are more than 2000 years old - and cities boasting abundant collections of historical relics and amazing sites of historical interest such as temples, gardens, pagodas and tea houses. A couple of favourite experiences for me, aside from the more famous sites, were a hutong tour and a canal tour. The hutong is the ‘Old City’ in Beijing which has very narrow alleys, traditional courtyard houses joined one to another, and transportation by rickshaw. Our hutong tour included a traditional meal served in a family home - it seemed to me that the hutong was the heart of Old Beijing. The grand canal tour was a section of the longest canal in the world between Beijing and Hangzhou - of course, we travelled only a part of the grand canal by boat, but we saw incredible stone bridges and ancient dwellings along our route.

From September 30 to October 11, 2018, a group of adventurous chamber members will be travelling to China where they will visit Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Hanzhou.

The first several days of the trip include seeing such famous sights as Tiananmen Square and The Great Wall of China and many other highlights of Beijing. On Day 6, part of the group will fly to Shanghai and spend several days touring and exploring Suzhou, Hanzhou, and Shanghai. Those interested in a bit of extra adventure will take a side trip on Day 6 and 7 to see the famous Terracotta Warriors in Xi’An and will then rejoin the rest of the group.

9

More than 80 people have now registered for the trip and we are excited that two of our chamber team, myself and Christine Little, will also be participating! Of course, our host tour company provides English-speaking guides on comfortable tour buses who make the trip easy and fun with their exceptionally good knowledge of the history and culture of all of the sites we’ll visit - and they are well able to provide excellent commentary of our activities!

If this sounds interesting to you….

Check out the link on our website and register to participate! We’d love to have you join us!

Insight Spring 2018

SAY HELLO TO OUR NEWEST CHAMBER MEMBERS Cooke Aquaculture 874 Main Street Black’s Harbour, NB E5H 1H6 Tel: (506) 694-4900 info@cookeaqua.com cookeseafood.com Main Contact: Joel Richardson Kitchen Fashions 1365 Hanwell Road Fredericton, NB E3C 2N2 Tel: (506) 452-1116 jdooley@kitchenfashions.ca kitchenfashions.ca Main Contact: Jarred Dooley Hughes Campbell Law Offices 186 Waterloo Row Fredericton, NB E3B 1Z2 Tel: (506) 458-8140 bhclaw@nb.aibn.com Main Contact: Barbara Hughes Campbell

10

Thompson Price Law PO Box 4624 Rothesay, NB E3E 5X3 Tel: (506) 849-3235

janet@thompsonpricelaw.com thompsonpricelaw.com Main Contact: Janet Thompson-Price Buzzlocal.tv 77 Vaughan Harvey Boulevard, B3 Moncton, NB E1C 0K2 Tel: (506) 233-0572 erik@buzzlocal.tv buzzlocal.tv Main Contact: Erik Gingles Niche Investor Services 121 Garden Drive Islandview, NB E3E 1A2 Tel: (506) 206-8998 niche@nicheinvestorsservices.com nicheinvestorservices.com Main Contact: David Kean Layla Styling Fredericton, NB Tel: (506) 647-7084 l.rahmeh@gmail.com laylastyling.com Main Contact: Layla Rahmeh

Breathing Space Yoga Studion 899-2 Prospect Street Fredericton, NB E3B 2Y7 Tel: (506) 447-9642 Email: fredericton@ breathingspaceyogastudio.ca breathingspaceyogastudion.ca/ fredericton Main Contact: Ben Green Maple Smart Controls 50 Crowther Lane, Suite 140 Fredericton, NB E3C 0J1 Tel: (506) 440-5340 bill.chuong@hotmail.com canadamapleiot.com Main Contact: Bill Chuong Kingsclear First Nation 77 French Village Road Kingsclear, NB E3E 1K3 Tel: (506) 363-3028 sydneypaul@kingsclear.ca Kingsclear.ca Main Contact: Sydney Paul

Continues on page 13

Insight Spring 2018

One-On-One Connections

by Morgan Peters

A

re you getting the most value out of your chamber membership? When most people think about the chamber, our networking events and the local business connections that they made probably come immediately to mind. And rightfully so! Our staff and member partners host first-class events that are perfect for connecting to many different types of business people.

But what if you don’t make that critical contact at an event?

Or worse, what if you don’t even know whom to call?

Call us!

The staff at the chamber have the opportunity to interact with individuals across business sectors, in many government departments as well as other professional associations and non-profit organizations. We can leverage this knowledge to help you make the contact your business needs. Looking to speak to someone in government about an idea or program?

We can help! Wondering who provides translation services in town? We know! We won’t always know the answer, but we’ll do our best to find out. We are here for our members - let us know if you need a hand!

2018-19 Federal Budget

by Morgan Peters

A

fter details of Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s corporate tax planning changes were solidified in the federal government’s 2018-19 budget, the Fredericton Chamber renews its call for a comprehensive tax review through a Royal Commission.

appear to be the ideal location to roll out some new ideas and determine best practices. As a chamber we continue to encourage governments at all levels to innovate in delivering services and we are hopeful that this is a unique opportunity to do just that.”

“While the changes have been greatly simplified from what was first proposed last July, the federal government continues to tinker with the tax code on a piecemeal basis, it is clear that a full review of our taxation system is needed,” said Keir Clark, Fredericton chamber president. “If the government is serious about its commitment to tax fairness, because of its integrated nature, examining the system in its totality is the only way this laudable goal will ever be achievable.”

The indefinite deficit forecasts are a major source for concern for the business community. “Canadian business asked the government to focus on fundamentals like the growing competitiveness gap, the need to attract more private sector investment and presenting a realistic plan to balance the books. Although the budget sets out many positive measures, including support for women entrepreneurs, a clearer path to Indigenous self-determination and improved skills development, it doesn’t address the most basic issues facing our economy,” said the Hon. Perrin Beatty, Canadian Chamber of Commerce President and CEO. “The cost of running a business in Canada is rising rapidly. Without a strong private sector, there’s no way to pay for all this spending, except by sending the bill to our kids.”

The budget does contain measures that could benefit New Brunswick in particular such as the senior care pilot project, investments in areas that leverage areas of strength like cybersecurity and other research and development, as well as funds for developing our forestry industry and protecting it from the invasive spruce budworm.

“We are hopeful that as a national leader in cybersecurity, New Brunswick can expect to receive a large portion of the planned cybersecurity investment,” added Krista Ross, Chamber CEO. “We often talk about differentiating between governments ‘spending’ and ‘investing’ and this is a good example of an investment that makes sense for all Canadians. Cyber threats continue to grow daily for businesses and individuals - the work being done in New Brunswick can have a global impact.”

“We are keen to hear more details about the seniors pilot project in the coming weeks,” added Clark. “With our aging population and shrinking workforce, New Brunswick would

Insight Spring 2018

11

Training Camp Venture for Canada Fellows spend four weeks going through an intensive training camp, which takes place at Queen’s University during May & June. They participate in 40+ different workshops, which develop skills in topics such as coding, emotional intelligence, sales, public speaking, product management, and marketing strategy. Fellows also receive the fantastic opportunity to hear from successful entrepreneurs and learn what it takes to create a successful business.

Training camp eases this transition from school to work by providing a supportive environment full of valuable workshops, peer support and mentorship which fosters the development of both hard and soft skills.

Venture for Canada

by Kassi Clifford

S

earching for the best and brightest recent graduates? Look no further! Venture for Canada is much more than a job placement program, we are passionate about catalyzing young Canadians to have entrepreneurial careers.

12

Who We Are Venture for Canada is a not-for-profit that recruits, trains and supports recent graduates to work at Canadian startups, with the mission of fostering entrepreneurship. Fellows spend two years working at one of our partner startups, where they gain the skills, network and experience necessary to launch their own startups.

For the 2016 Fellowship class, we received nearly 1,700 applications from across the country. The process of being selected as a Fellow is very competitive and involves a written application, video interview, phone interview, and in-person challenges at one of three Fellow Selection Days each year. We look for individuals that have authenticity, humility, integrity, grit, ambition, balance and curiosity.

VFC Fellows are incredibly diverse and hold academic backgrounds in various fields including mechanical engineering, biology, arts, business, and international development. Through our efforts, our partner startups gain access to the talent that they need to take their companies to the next level. Since the program was launched, over 90% of Fellows have been assessed by their employers as meeting or exceeding expectations.

Insight Spring 2018

After training camp, the Fellows continue to learn and develop, both on the job and through ongoing training opportunities provided by Venture for Canada. Some of our special guests have included Ryan Holmes (CEO of Hootsuite), April Dunford (CEO of Sprintly), and John Risley (Founder of Clearwater Fine Foods). The topics of our ongoing trainings range from resilience in the workplace, to search engine optimization, to full-stack marketing.

Placement Process As a Partner Startup you have the opportunity to be connected to a network of 150+ Venture for Canada Fellows, with interests in varying roles from sales to product development to engineering. We connect Fellows to interview at partner startups through collecting Fellow preferences concerning industry, region, job type, and company size. Through this breadth of options, we enable partner startups and recent graduates to find the right fit for them.

New Brunswick Fellow: Kathryn Chamberlain Kathryn Chamberlain is one of Venture for Canada’s standout New Brunswick Fellow in our 2017 cohort. A graduate from Mount Allison University with an honours degree in Commerce and a Mathematics Minor, she currently works as a Business Development Officer at Beauceron Security.

Contact Us Venture for Canada is a fast growing organization. We are always looking to incorporate others who believe in our mission. If you are interested in being a Partner Startup, volunteering to support the organization, or would like to refer a prospective Fellow, please email us at info@ ventureforcanada.ca. We look forward to hearing from you!.

Provincial Budget

by Morgan Peters

T

he Government of New Brunswick announced its 2018-19 budget on January 30, 2018. The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce agrees with areas Finance Minister Cathy Rogers identified as key challenges (an aging population, high youth unemployment, and diversifying markets). Investments in areas such as innovation, tourism, exporting and youth employment should pay dividends for the province. The chamber remains very concerned about New Brunswick’s growing debt, with $644 million being added between the 2017-18 and 2018-19 budgets and the planned delay in balancing the books until 2022.

“As we expressed at the State of the Province address, governments and political parties must do a better job at differentiating between ‘investing’ and ‘spending,’” said Keir Clark, Fredericton Chamber President. “In general, I think the areas they have chosen to target with this budget make sense in that regard, but we’ll have to wait for details on what these investments actually look like before making a conclusive judgment.”

In its 2018-19 pre-budget brief to the Department of Finance, the chamber encouraged government to invest in more experiential learning and summer employment opportunities for postsecondary students.

“Certainly there are positives for business in this budget. We are

pleased to see the government keep its commitment on lowering the small business tax as well the focus on retaining more of our post-secondary graduates,” said Krista Ross, chamber CEO. “Our members and our student partners tell us that the lack of work experience immediately after graduation is a barrier to employment. The government helping to bridge that gap is a good example of stepping in to address a specific need identified by the private sector.”

“We were pleased to see very specific mention of two areas that have a direct impact on our local economy and growth opportunity areas,” added Clark. “Cyber security is seen as a major growth industry and New Brunswick has positioned itself to be a global leader.

The government has singled out the Sisson project as a plan they support as it will create good-paying, long-term jobs and other local business opportunities through the supply chain.”

As we move towards the provincial election in September - we have been working closely with the New Brunswick Business Council, The Conseil Economique du Nouveau Brunswick, along with the Atlantic Moncton and Saint John Chambers.

The five key areas of focus we have identified are: A private sector driven economy that creates jobs and growth, responsible resource development, an export focused economy, labour force development and an overall lens of responsible financial management. As we more fully understand the details of the implementation and rollout of this budget, we will get a better picture of how these focus areas are impacted but it is positive to note that these key points are firmly on the government radar.

“We were pleased to see economic competitiveness as a focus in Minister Rogers’ speech and while economic stimulation through strategic investment is positive, New Brunswick businesses cannot be truly competitive until its taxes and other costs are reduced,” added Ross. “Our business community continues to grapple with increasing

costs such as minimum wage, worksafe, the hidden costs of such things as Family Day and the potential unknown costs related to carbon tax. Additionally, increased costs from the federal level such as CPP and overall business taxation and regulatory environment with newly released changes to the tax structure for private corporations.”

Dexter Construction 203 Desbrisay Avenue Moncton, NB E1E 0G7 Tel: (506) 855-4411 phebert@dexter.ca dexter.ca Main Contact: Phillip Hebert Atlantic Canada Aerospace & Defense Associations 30 Knowledge Park Drive Fredericton, NB E3C 2R2 Tel: (506) 470-9924 lisa@ac-ada.ca ac-ada.ca Main Contact: Lisa Clory Moksha Yoga Fredericton 440 King Street Fredericton, NB E3B 5H8 Tel: (506) 454-9642 info@mokshayogafredericton.com frederictonmokshayoga.ca Main Contact: Jenn Tuttle CPA New Brunswick 860 Main Street, Suite 602 Moncton, NB E1C 1G2 Tel: (506) 830-3300 info@cpanewbrunswick.ca cpanewbrunswick.ca Main Contact: Jason Tasse The Hartt Shoe Co. PO Box 1454 Fredericton, NB E3B 5G2 Tel: (506) 292-3772 andrew@hartt.ca hartt.ca Main Contact: Peter McMath Insight Spring 2018

13

Wellness in the Workplace

by Janice L. Campbell, PhD The Top Ten Ingredients in Workplace Wellness Programs

h

ave you ever wondered if you should have a workplace wellness program for your staff? The workplace setting is recognized internationally as a useful venue to improve employee health and wellness. New Brunswick workplaces are no exception. Wellness programs raise awareness of health risks and encourage behavior change but these activities need to happen in a supportive work environment. The workplace helps to expand and reinforce wellness beyond community activities.

There is a return on investment for organizations of all sizes when comprehensive programs are sustained over time.

The province has an aging workforce, a shortage of talent, escalating health care costs, and increasing rates of chronic disease. Supporting employee health through wellness programs can lower absenteeism and the costs of employee health benefits while improving productivity, recruitment and retention, and morale.

14

Maybe you have thought about a program but don’t know where to start. You are not alone. Many organizations in New Brunswick are not benefiting from the potential of wellness programs. Others have established programs and let them disappear. This article addresses the basics behind developing and implementing a comprehensive and sustainable program.

Think of what follows as a recipe for success; the top 10 ingredients are as follows: 1. Management support: without visible support from managers, the program probably will fail; leading by example through managers participating in activities sends the clear message that management is serious about supporting employees in improving their wellness; including the program in your strategic plan is another example of visible support; 2. Integration: make the program part of your culture and decision making; 3. Data for planning purposes: why are employees missing work? What drives the costs of your employee health benefits - diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, depression, anxiety, addictions? Have employees mentioned an interest in wellness activities? It will be most useful to have activities that address employee needs and interests; 4. Program champion or committee: ask an interested employee to lead the program; depending on the size and composition of your organization you may need a small committee of volunteers to support this person;

Insight Spring 2018

5. Funding: while some program activities may be free others have associated costs; the budget needs to be sustainable; 6. Participation: involve all employee groups and unions in the planning; encourage all employees to participate in activities; however, don’t expect all employees to participate; some will, some won’t; 7. Activities: a variety of activities, for different needs and interests and for all age groups, can include physical activity, nutrition, smoking cessation, mental resiliency, flu shot and blood pressure clinics, etc. These can be accomplished before, during, or after the work day. Competitions can add some fun. Lunch and learns with examples of healthy meals are an easy way to include presentations by different experts; 8. Supportive work environment: policies, procedures, unwritten rules, and atmosphere either facilitate or create barriers for healthy employee behavior; 9. Communication/marketing: there needs to be a way to communicate regularly and easily with employees to market the program; email, staff meetings, bulletin boards, posters, an intranet, or a newsletter are all possible tools; having a wellness day is a great way to kick-off a new program; 10. Monitoring/evaluating: establish goals and set criteria for success before the program begins; keep track of interest levels in different activities; it is important to know if your program is working; feedback from a staff meeting or conducting a quick survey can help focus your efforts.

In closing, you will need to combine enough of these ingredients to ensure sustainability; if the management team isn’t committed to sustaining a program don’t bother starting one; you run the risk of disappointing the employees who participate.

About the author: Janice recently retired after 40 years in the NB workforce. Her PhD was completed at UNB in 2013 and focused on the factors that impact the development and implementation of workplace wellness programs in 10 organizations in NB. She can be reached at 454-5252 or at ace1@nbnet.nb.ca for more information.

Leading the People Charge for Transformation

by Dale Smith, Bridge

A

tlantic Canada possesses a competitive advantage that will bring new opportunities to its economy, and with that, many new people. With this growth comes the responsibility of supporting employees by providing great places to work, while retaining the service quality the region is known for. Great service is at the heart of customer experience, and with the introduction of many new international businesses it is key to both protect and harness this core asset with interactive and engaging people development To build a vibrant economic future for Atlantic Canada, prioritizing the wellbeing of employees and building brand awareness pays dividends. The Maritimes has retained amazing humility and authenticity of service, despite being on a growth trajectory, and I see a very bright future for the region – especially for businesses that invest in developing long-term employee and customer relationships.

As an employee engagement and customer experience specialist, I regularly look at the human element in relation to the values of an organization. Much like our own personal values, brand values should drive all organizational behaviours and beliefs. The Atlantic Canada region is an emerging commercial brand with a very attractive proposition and so much to offer. At the heart of all of this are its people, and from here, business opportunities will allow it to compete against other major destinations for contact centres, technology and transport.

Having grown up in the Maritimes and since gaining insights into the global marketplace, it was the essence of the service culture in the Atlantic Provinces that became the foundation of our successful people and brand agency in the UK. Each time I visit I am reminded of just how endearing the people are and the opportunities that exist in the region. What seemed ‘normal’ growing up is now clearly a huge asset when I look

through a business lens. This is why Bridge has chosen the Maritimes as our gateway to North America, with the launch of our customer service leadership courses in Moncton in March.

A few years back I ran a series of lectures and workshops across Taiwan on building global brands. We looked at how, as consumers, we can love, hate, admire, aspire to and in some cases, choose to ignore brands. No matter what emotion they arouse, all brands have a projected personality to which we can connect; one that allows us to engage with them in a personal way. In the same way, I look at the Maritimes as a global brand - and as consumers we all build relationships with brands in some way. In seeing the collective provinces as a brand, it is important that it safeguards its outward projected personality and ensures it promotes its core assets with both vigour and positive energy.

Having worked on several international employee engagement and transformation programmes within a variety of organizations I see strong parallels with these and the changing face of the region. Great and authentic customer service and a wonderful sense of optimism seems to be in the DNA of many that represent the region in the front lines, and Atlantic Canada’s people are its greatest assets. The region is poised to set itself apart as a service destination.

From time to time, I think that we can all forget the essence of our brand promise and take for granted the people that support our businesses. It is at this core we find the uniqueness and passion that makes great businesses stand out. Investing in people engagement and creating better places to work needs to be at the forefront of all leaders’ agendas. I believe that people are what unify a brand and lead the charge for a successful transformation. At Bridge we call this asset Living Brands, and I am looking at exploring this and more in our March workshops Moncton.

Insight Spring 2018

15

16

Price it right from the start!

by Bob Brown

S

elling a business can be a complicated endeavour with twists and turns in the road. Of all the reasons we see why businesses do not sell, the number one we see time and time again is business owners not pricing their businesses right from the start.

As a seller, leaving yourself some room to negotiate is understandable – but inflating the price to a level where cash flows cannot support a purchase price will almost never work. The reality is that the majority of buyers will be going to a lender for financing and lenders do not like lending if the cash flow from the business cannot service their debt. Sure, there are people out there with deep pockets that could buy your business outright, but in our experience they tend to be some of the more diligent buyers and are often unlikely to overpay (not to mention they will likely want to leverage their capital through a lender as well).

As M&A advisors, there are a number of great businesses that we are exposed to that would like to sell – but only for a premium price. Unfortunately in these cases, we often have to go our separate ways as it is unlikely we will be able to meet their pricing expectations. In every successful deal there is a ZOPA – a Zone Of Possible Agreement – where a buyer and seller’s acceptable price ranges overlap. If a ZOPA exists, there is potential for a deal. If not, no amount

of negotiation will get a deal done and everyone will just end up spinning their wheels.

When pricing your business, another factor to be aware of is the debate on how to value future potential. Often we will hear something along the lines of, “my business would be worth a lot more if ‘X’ or ‘Y’ happened”. In our experience, buyers – whether they are strategic or non-strategic buyers – will value a business based on what it is currently worth, not based on the potential of what it might become after a buyer adds new value to it.

Think about this in terms of building a house: if your business was to sell building supplies and those materials sold for $100,000, you wouldn’t propose to a contractor that because they are going to turn the building materials into something more valuable, that the supplies should actually be worth $200,000! This is an overly simplistic example, but the key message is the same – buyers are unlikely to pay premiums for their own efforts and for scenarios that may or may not happen in the future. While there can be exceptions to this if there is a strong case for why future cash flows will increase (such as signing a big new contract), in the majority of cases – whether you are selling a product, service, or a business – buyers will generally view any value-add

they can bring to the table as a benefit to themselves.

The good news to this story is that the majority of business owners we meet are fairly reasonable in their price expectations. Usually, our valuation is in the ballpark of where the owner would like to be. In fact, it is not unusual that the business is actually worth more than what the owner might have thought.

Often times educating a seller on different ways to structure a deal may help them wind up with more money in their pocket at the end of the day, even though they may have settled on a lower price.

At Confederation M&A we are always willing to sit down for an initial discussion with a business owner. Discussing the value of your business can be a sensitive topic, but our commitment to you is to provide open and honest feedback to ensure you are maximizing your business value and setting yourself up for success.

Bob Brown, Senior Consultant Confederation M&A Bob.Brown@confederationgroup.ca Insight Spring 2018

17

Here are some of the member to member deals the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce offers to you and your employees to save on costs and encourage local shopping. For the complete list of savings, check out http://business.frederictonchamber.ca/marketspace

Taylor Printing Group Inc. Get 500 business cards for only $49.

Ask us how.

18

Vast Auto Distributing Prices will vary up to 50% off on retail prices. Must present M2M card at purchase.

Windsor Court Retirement Residence Receive a 50% discount on a full service permanent stay at Windsor Court for the first month (subject to availability).

York Dental Receive a 10% discount on initial visit, 5% off any future visits up to a maximum of $1000.

RV World Receive $50 off a rental of any RV product.

Precision Pilates Receive a 15% discount on group class package pricing.

OfficeMax Grand & Toy Members SAVE up to 85% off on thousands of quality office products.

Insight Spring 2018

Lighting Gallery Ltd. Receive a 15% discount on all regular priced fixtures and accessories.

Hotchkiss Home Furnishings Receive a 10% discount on all furniture, mattresses and decor (can’t be combined with any other offer.

Appliances not included.)

Golf New Brunswick Receive $10 off the regular price of the Golf NB 2 for 1 card.

1. Our November Business After Hours was held at Volvo Cars New Brunswick.

2. The State of the City Address with Mayor Mike O’Brien was held in November at the Fredericton Convention Centre.

1

3. November’s Business Over Breakfast was hosted by the Canadian Deafblind Association of New Brunswick.

2

4. The Lunch & Learn Webinar for November was hosted by Robert Johnson of Allan Marshall & Associates and the topic was Fundamentals of Insolvency.

5. Our first Speed Networking event was was a great success with 12 business learning from 12 nonprofits about ways to get involved in the community.

3

6. Our Special Holiday Business After Hours was hosted by the Fredericton Convention Centre in December.

19

5

7. It may have been cold outside, but it was warm and cozy in the Chamber Office for the Annual Open House in January.

4

8. The January Business Over Breakfast was hosted by Crabbe Mountain.

9. Our January Lunch & Learn Webinar was called Sponsorship 101 and was hosted by Christina Nicoll of The Fredericton Playhouse.

6

10. The 2018 State of the Province Address was a great success with almost 1000 guests in attendance listening to Premier Brian Gallant’s thoughts on New Brunswick’s future.

7

8

9

10

Insight Spring 2018