St. John's Board of Trade Oct. 2014 Business News

International Business Development The Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development – Bridging the Gap for Small Business

VOLUME 29, NUMBER 8, 0834-2014

OCTOBER, 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover Story

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BE THE BOOM 5 Chair’s Message

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Features Business News is a monthly publication of the St. John’s Board of Trade.

8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, 23

Upcoming Events

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Policy Matters

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Reproduction of any material contained in Business News is permitted provided written approval from the St. John’s Board of Trade.

Ambassador Column 16

Articles and criticisms are invited, but opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily represent those of the St. John’s Board of Trade.

We encourage you to support the business leaders whose names and products you see advertised in this issue as well as throughout our entire membership. The Board reserves the right to edit submissions.

Around The Board

Editor: Printed by: Layout:

Kristina George Transcontinental Media Dc Design House

ST. JOHN’S BOARD OF TRADE EXECUTIVE

Find & Create Great Employees Highlights 19 20

What are you @? 22 Labrador: East Meets West Schedule 24 Member News 25 Industry News 27 Member Profiles

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New Members 30

Sharon Horan Chair Kim Keating Senior Vice-Chair Des Whelan First Vice-Chair Dorothy Keating Second Vice-Chair Denis Mahoney Immediate Past Chair Derek Purchase Secretary-Treasurer

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Andrea Stack Paddy Phillips Craig Ennis Janis Byrne Jim Fallon Kim Sparkes Kevin Peters Fabian Connors

STAFF Nancy Healey Chief Executive Officer Manager of Finance and Compliance Jennifer Chaytor Lori Coleman Business Affairs Manager Margie Davis Executive Sales Director Kristina George Communications and Advocacy Specialist Rhonda Tulk-Lane Policy and Advocacy Specialist Wanda Palmer Director of Sales and Member

Fulfillment Jackie Bryant-Cumby Member Relations Administrator Erika Stockley Mentor for Labrador Northern Opportunities Alicia Wakeham Policy and Advocacy Intern St. John’s Board of Trade 34 Harvey Road P.O. Box 5127 St. John’s, NL A1C 5V5 Canada Tel: (709) 726-2961 Fax: (709) 726-2003 E-mail: mail@bot.nf.ca Website: www.bot.nf.ca

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Cover story providing more than 60 information sessions on market opportunities, export readiness and trade show training in the last four years.

In combination, trade agreements and business development activities are opening doors and developing long-term trade and investment opportunities.

Companies can achieve higher sales and growth rates, reduce sourcing costs, increase profitability and access foreign investment opportunities.

Now, as in the past, the Newfoundland and Labrador economy relies on international trade and business development to thrive and grow.

While large, multi-national companies compete comfortably in this arena, Newfoundland and Labrador small business is increasingly venturing into the global marketplace, seeking contacts, building relationships and growing in stature.

The Provincial Government is a partner in the push to attract attention to the capabilities of the Newfoundland and Labrador business community. Through international trade agreements like the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and through trade missions both foreign and domestic, the Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development (IBRD) works with governments around the world and with local and international companies to help build a brand that emphasizes our capabilities and strengths on the world stage.

International markets are important to the provincial economy. Our historical trade in fish with the U.S., the Caribbean and Europe has sharply broadened in the past few decades to include a wealth of other natural resources and a growing number of technology and service sectors that are maturing and seeking to expand their markets worldwide. The CETA between Canada and the European Union is one example where provincial governments are encouraging growth in the economy through exports and freer trade.

The European Union (EU) is currently the province’s second largest export destination and our third largest trading partner. Upon implementation, CETA

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will eliminate tariffs on almost all of Newfoundland and Labrador’s key exports, providing new market opportunities and permanently locking in the duty-free access currently enjoyed by most products in our mineral and petroleum sectors.

In addition to our resource sectors, our technology, educational, service and professional services sectors also stand to gain from CETA, with new rules on investment, including requirements that Canadian businesses be treated no less favourably in the EU than EU businesses.

Like in the case of CETA, Newfoundland and Labrador trade negotiators are advocating provincial trade and investment interests in ongoing negotiations, including the TransPacific Partnership (TPP) and the Canadian Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (CJEPA) negotiations.

Levelling the playing field is critical for companies that want to navigate the societal and cultural landscape that comes with international business development.

While trade agreements create the conditions of competiveness, it is their Trade missions bring these benefits home to the province and promote economic development. participation in trade missions where individual companies and their products are introduced to prospective buyers, and where companies find partners. Locally, IBRD has helped companies prepare for international business dealings by

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Indeed, provincial and regional trade missions are still the best-known vehicle for small business to establish necessary relationships for nurturing longer-term success. They provide unparalleled networking opportunities, often featuring business-to-business meetings, sector briefings and site visits with potential clients.

Through IBRD’s Trade and Investment branch, Newfoundland and Labrador companies have participated in 77 trade missions to the world’s major markets since 2011. Over 300 participants have taken part in trade missions to 10 countries, including visits to traditional trading partners like the United States and Europe, and to emerging markets like China and Brazil.

International trade agreements and missions to foreign countries increase and sustain awareness about the Newfoundland and Labrador economy. That awareness leads to more involvement and direct foreign investment, leading to more growth.

Major companies from around the world will look to the province as a partner in providing the resources necessary to drive global development – particularly in advancing economies such as China and Brazil. The challenge for the province is to not only capitalize on the major projects that are currently underway, but also to build long-term sustainable relationships that leverage the presence of some of the significant players that are operating in our province today.

It is a multi-faceted and integrated business development model that positions Newfoundland and Labrador for continued success.

BEHIND THE BOOM. Sassy Tuna Studio

By Kristen Lyver

S

assy can be defined as “bold”, and “smart”, and the British award the nickname “Sassy Tuna” to someone who is outgoing, and loves to have fun. Julie Lewis most certainly fits that description!

SassyTuna - a.k.a. Julie - spent her early years in business outside the province at Algonquin College where she taught media, anatomy, and life drawing, and honed her skills in business by creating caricatures for corporate clients. Soon after returning from the mainland, Julie and her brother Christopher taught art and video game design in a small studio in downtown St. John’s. Julie remembers that time fondly, and states that witnessing the recent downtown development really shows her that St. John’s is booming.

Fast-forward 12 years later and Sassy Tuna has grown. Offering a different activity than organized sports, Julie provides variety to the community with some of the most fun and encouraging art and drawing classes in Canada. Children do animation, illustration, drawing, and computer game creation, which

keep children’s brains actively engaged. How will Sassy Tuna keep booming? Julie and her team plan to continue running their current programs, and have started creating educational iPad apps and games for children.

Julie is passionate about bringing the art studio and classroom to a wider audience and has been working on Children’s media productions with partial funding from the Newfoundland Film Development Corporation.

What does the boom mean to Sassy Tuna? “The Boom means that families are moving to and staying in Newfoundland, which means we need rich material to keep children engaged with.”

Julie stressed the importance of enrichment programs such as the ones she offers.

For more information on Sassy Tuna or any of the programs offered, contact Julie and her staff by phone at 7-FUN-FIN (709-7386346), on the web at http://www. sassytuna.com/, or by e-mail at Julie@sassytuna.com.

Business BusinessNews Newsfebruary october 2014 2014

Kristen Lyver is a fourth-year Bachelor of Commerce (Cooperative) student at Memorial University of Newfoundland who just completed her internship as the Board of Trade’s Be The Boom Marketing Coordinator. If you have a BOOM moment, big or small, to share with our members, or you’d like more information on how to Be The Boom you can reach us at kgeorge@ bot.nf.ca or visit www.betheboom.ca.

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CHAIR’S MESSAGE Everyone has a different reason for joining the Board of Trade I first joined the St. John’s Board of Trade 12 years ago because I thought it was the right thing to do when you are a business owner in St. John’s. I wanted to expand my horizons and felt the networking opportunities that come with membership could benefit me as a businessperson. I can promise you, it was a great decision.

With approximately 900 members and over 1,300 corporate contacts, networking is a significant benefit of your membership with the Board of Trade. However, with so many organizations out there vying for the same corporate memberships, we know it is important to continuously look at the ways we provide tangible benefits to our members. We started a Board of Trade 101 program over a year ago so we could ensure that all members, new and long term alike, are aware of the great programs we provide. To highlight a few: our First Data Merchant Service allows members who use a debit/visa machine in their business to avail of this at a discounted rate, therefore reducing their operating costs, and we have many members taking advantage of the Esso Business card program, which offers a percentage discount at the end of each month which means fuel savings. Members tell us they see excellent value in the CCC group insurance program which allows a member company to offer its employees medical and dental plans that otherwise would be cost prohibitive.

I started volunteering with the Board as an Ambassador, and over the years I have served on the various committees and executive positions, eventually becoming Chair in 2014. This experience has allowed me to see first-hand the respected and tireless advocacy work that occurs behind the scenes, all intended to facilitate a better business climate in St. John’s, and our province. For any member who was contemplating whether to renew their membership because they didn’t have time to get out to events, my response is always “do you realize how many ways the Board of Trade benefits your business behind

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the scenes; it’s not only about our great events.” There is a cost to advocacy, and the price of membership is well worth it in my experience.

I’d like to share with you a few examples of how the Board of Trade advocated, sometimes behind the scene, for change to improve the business climate in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Card-Based Certification Amendments to the Labour Relations Act in June saw the return to a secret ballot vote for employees who are deciding whether to be represented by a union. Our advocacy initiative calling for the reinstatement of secret ballot voting was a significant and time consuming effort involving Board staff and volunteers. When cardbased certification was first introduced in 2012, we informed government that this legislation was regressive and undemocratic. The issue had nothing to do with whether employees choose to be unionized; the issue was about every worker’s fundamental right to a secret ballot vote that had been unnecessarily taken away in 2012. We were extremely pleased to see secret ballot voting return.

Pensions The St. John’s Board of Trade has been at the forefront of the call on the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to reduce the debt. Why? Because the debt is costly for all of us as taxpayers. Paying increased taxes or higher fees makes investing, living and working in our province less attractive.

The Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) and retiree benefits is the single largest cause of our growing debt. We knew based on financial documents from the province that the pension fund was not sustainable in years to come. How government manages its financial affairs impacts every single person, businesspeople and resident taxpayers alike. When a huge unfunded liability was announced with the PSPP, the Board of Trade became immediately concerned about our ability to maintain

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Chair, Sharon Horan bond ratings, not to mention how money might be reallocated from important services like hospitals, schools and roads.

In addition, if the plan went bankrupt, the results would be devastating for many, and we know them to be among our friends and families. We commend former Premier Marshall and labour leaders in the province for reaching an agreement that will reform the existing pension plan. We look forward to hearing the details about the trusteeship they have agreed to which will guide the plan and sustain it into the future.

Temporary Foreign Workers While this is a great time to be doing business in Newfoundland and Labrador, the reality is we have members in a variety of sectors who cannot find workers and depend on temporary foreign workers to operate, particularly here on the Avalon Peninsula and in Labrador. Some argue we can’t get workers because our wages are low and businesses are using temporary foreign workers to avoid paying a decent wage. Nothing can be further from the truth. Between 1997 and 2013...

Wages in Newfoundland and Labrador grew by 81 percent, compared to a 55 per cent increase in the rest of Canada.

Chair’s Message Our provincial unemployment rate does not show a complete picture as there are certain regions of the province experiencing low unemployment rates and these areas do not have people available to work. I was actually in Labrador when the Federal Government announced changes earlier this summer which restricted access to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, and I saw for myself how businesses in Happy Valley-Goose Bay would be negatively impacted. We have recently heard that future announcements are forthcoming on the acknowledgement of micro regions that may be exempt from the changes. We will keep you posted as we know more.

Canada in June that it was reinstating yearround flights to London Heathrow starting this fall. This strategic decision by the airline makes St. John’s, and the province, more accessible for travellers from Europe and provides a direct link for businesses to the U.K. and beyond.

Heathrow Flight

but we have something for everyone.

I encourage business owners and their employees to take advantage of everything that comes with Board of Trade membership.

Access to and from Europe is important to our economy and we have been strong advocates for expanded air access. We were delighted with the announcement from Air

We have a saying in our Board of Trade 101 sessions: everyone joins the St. John’s Board of Trade for a different reason, The St. John’s Airport Authority and our long-standing partner, Air Canada, listened and we couldn’t be happier to position St. John’s as being just one stop away from anywhere in the world.

For those of you who get out to our events, you know what great networking opportunities Board membership brings you. For those of you who don’t, be assured we have membership benefits and strong committees advocating for you. What I talked about in this column just touches the surface of the membership benefits and the advocacy work that occurs regularly within our great organization.

To each of you who belong to our membership roster, thank you. It is our pleasure to serve your interests and we are grateful for your continued support!

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Free iPad mini

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when you join RBC and open a new all-inclusive banking account. ®

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JOIN RBC TODAY! Visit the Main branch — 226 Water Street, St. John’s * Conditions apply. To get an iPad mini, you must be a new eligible personal client and open one of the eligible personal deposit accounts with RBC during the promotional period and complete the criteria. Offer is not available to existing clients who had a Personal Banking Deposit Account with RBC Royal Bank® before April 14, 2014. Offer available from April 14, 2014 to October 31, 2014, but may be changed, extended or withdrawn at any time without notice. Apple is not a sponsor of, nor a participant in, this promotion. + For full details, visit www.rbc.com/termsandconditions. ® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are 106734 (07/2014) registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. ‡ All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner(s).

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Exit Interviews: From Myths to Best Practices As a HR Consultant, my focus is to create engaged, more productive workplaces.

One tactic that can drive this result is by conducting exit interviews and taking action to address concerns that are raised by exiting employees. However, there are some unfortunate, yet common myths that surround exit interviews.

Myth #1 – Some employers do not conduct exit interviews as they believe, “it’s too late once they’re gone.” This frame of mind can harm your organization if you are not thinking about the bigger picture. The goal of exit interviews is to find out why people leave and to figure out what you can do to prevent others from leaving; not about preventing that particular individual from exiting the organization.

Myth # 2 – Overconfident employers

may say “I don’t need to ask; I already know why they left.” While employers may assume that they have a clear understanding of why individuals leave, until they ask, they cannot know for sure. Until you provide a formal method for individuals to respond to questions surrounding their work experience and why they are choosing to leave, you may misunderstand the reasons for turnover in your organization.

Myth #3 – There is also a common fear that “they won’t tell the truth anyways,” leading employers to undervalue exit interviews. However, studies show that individuals are even more honest during an exit interview than they are in an employee satisfaction survey. This should be a huge wakeup call for employers who are not conducting exit interviews out of fear of dishonest responses.

Now that the Myths are revealed, WHY and HOW do you properly conduct an Exit Interview?

Exit interviews are intended to take lessons learned and make any necessary improvements (e.g. training, job redesign, compensation review). Exit interviews are also about finding out why people stay, and what people like most about working with your company, so you can remain consistent and reinforce what you are doing right.

Best Practice #1: Timing is crucial.

Experience and research shows that the most effective time to conduct an exit interview is between three days prior to when an individual leaves and three days after they are gone. Any longer than three days, the individual is less likely to feel a connection with the organization and the information they provide may not be as insightful

Best Practice #2: The number and types of questions that you ask is also important. Ask too few questions, and the individual leaving may feel cheated of their chance to share their story; ask too many questions and the individual is more likely to abandon the survey or interview.

Generally, between 30 and 50 questions is a comfortable number. You want to be able to gather information on why they are leaving, as well as information about job satisfaction and supervision and support while on the job.

Best Practice #3: The method of

the interview can be in person, over the phone, paper survey form, or online. There are pros and cons of each, however, with the increased convenience of technology, online exit surveys are increasingly more popular due to low cost, higher response rates, easy tracking and convenience.

However, don’t forget to include text boxes

One of the end goals of exit interviews is about taking what is learned and focusing efforts on making any necessary improvements...

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by every question so that more detailed responding is available. Also, participation in an exit interview must be voluntary, and individuals should be offered the choice to be either anonymous or identified in their responses.

Business News october 2014

Susan Power, MBA, CHRP is the Owner & Principal HR Consultant at Higher Talent Inc. specializing in building engaged, productive workplaces.

HR solutions offered include on-call HR advisory, exit interviews (online and phone) policy/employee handbooks, employee assessments, HR training, HR strategy, workplace culture reviews, retention programs, and compensation design and analysis. www.highertalent.ca

Succession Planning: How Do I Sell My Business?

As business owners, we hear it all the time. Our accountant tells us, our financial advisor tells us, our lawyer tells us: “You need a succession plan!” And deep down we all agree. But finding the time to develop that plan is difficult. We shouldn’t feel alone; a succession planning study in November 2012 by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) found that over half of business owners did not have a succession plan. And close to 50 per cent of these same owners planned to exit their business in the next five years, with more than 75 per cent planning to exit within 10 years. Since this 2012 study, perhaps some have developed a succession plan, but my guess is the only thing that has changed is two years has passed and we are that much closer to exiting the business!

In developing a succession plan, one critical question to be answered is: “how do I sell my business?” Owners looking to sell are obviously looking to maximize the selling price. They need to find a buyer that sees the value of the company. But how do you advertise your business for sale without alarming clients, suppliers and partners? Such ill-timed information

could affect current business success and reduce the sale price of the company.

Many business owners will seek the advice of their accountant, financial advisor or banker to help them identify a purchaser.

Working with a company like Bronson Investments, who sees the value of the business and understands the responsibilities of the current owner to employees and families, can allow the business owner to reach their goal. Bronson shares the same passion for the business, its employees and its clients. For example, Bronson’s acquisition of Dawe’s Plumbing and Electrical (www.dawesnl.ca) allowed the previous owner, Frank Walsh, to exit the business smoothly. “Bronson were honest and easy to work with, and allowed me to sell my company without concern for the wellbeing of my family members and the other long time employees that are still with the company.”

For small and medium sized business owners, developing a succession plan can be daunting. Knowing there’s an organization like Bronson Investments that is locally-based, and interested in discussing the purchase of your business, can be a crucial element of your plan.

Time Time

Darin Steeves is a partner at Bronson Investments Inc., a privately held investment firm, based in St. John’s, that acquires well-established companies, transitions them from their current ownership and continues to operate and grow the business.

See www.bronsoninvestments.ca for additional information or contact Darin at 709.757.2213 or darin.steeves@ bronsoninvestments.ca.

Bronson understands the sensitivities of selling your business; and any discussions are held in complete confidence.

AgAin AgAin

Advice you can trust. Always.

Advice you can trust. Always.

TRAMPOLINE BRANDING Contact: Larry Bootland 902 405 4809 Project: 11344C&P NL Time & Again Ad Client: Cox & Palmer Publication: N/A TRAMPOLINE BRANDING

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The Chicken, the Egg, and Effective Communication Whatever order you decide, they are definitely connected. Here’s some food for thought when it comes to increasing your communication effectiveness and building relationships that last.

Variety is the Spice of Life Recognize, that we all have different personalities and that some behavioural styles see the world in very different ways than others. And nowhere is this more apparent, than in the way we interact.

Most of us are familiar with and have even spent some time trying to figure out the answer to the age-old question “What came first – the chicken or the egg?”

People come down on one side or the other of the debate depending on their perception of the natural progression of the process. “What does this have to do with communication?” you might ask.

Consider this if you will.

When it comes to key skills required in order to be successful in business these days, chances are Effective Communication makes your list. And rightfully so. This critical skill helps to increase trust, reduce conflict, build respect, and drive results.

Factor in acute self-awareness regarding your personal communication style and behavioural preferences, along with the ability to recognize the same in others, and you’ve got a winning formula for Building Strong Relationships, another key skill for success.

So back to the chicken and egg question. When it comes to developing strong relationships, does increased understanding of others lead to more effective communication, or does effective communication lead to increased understanding?

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Most of us have experienced times where we just ‘click’ or ‘clash’ with someone else.

Like when you meet someone for the first time and there’s an immediate connection.

It seems as if you’ve known them forever.

Talking with them is easy and you feel like you’re in sync.

and make a conscious decision to pause and consider 1. What specific behaviour (yours or that of the other person) seems to be fueling the fire and 2. What approach you can take to resolve the conflict before it escalates.

Want to kick it up a notch? Consider gaining additional valuable insight into the various personality styles, including your own, through a personalized analysis.

The added perspective can provide an inside track to increased understanding of yourself and others, improved ability to connect, and more effective relationships.

And that’s a good thing – no matter what order you put it in!

On the flipside: You come away from a meeting or conversation, shaking your head (or maybe just plain shaking) and think to yourself “I really don’t get him/ her. Where are they coming from? Why do some people act the way they do?”

If either of these sound familiar, you’re not alone.

We each have our own style. Whether it’s the people we work with, our clients, family or friends – we’re all different. In fact, behavioural research results show that 75 per cent of the population has a personality style that’s different from yours. Not better or worse – just different.

Our style impacts the way we act, how we communicate, and how well we connect and work with other people. How we relate and adjust our approach to various personalities directly impacts our ability to communicate effectively and build and maintain strong relationships.

A Little Understanding Goes a Long Way Behavioural style diversity is a good thing, contributing to expanded ways of thinking, new ideas and better problem solving however it can also result in misunderstanding, which can lead to frustration and conflict.

The next time it seems like you’re headed for a clash, try this. Take a deep breath

Business News october 2014

Sharon Dominey, President and Owner of Smart Learning & Development Solutions, works with businesses and organizations to improve workplace performance and productivity, employee engagement, communication effectiveness, customer service and leadership skills.

Connect with her at 709 884-1840 or through www.SmartLearningSolutions.ca.

A MESSAGE FROM NL OFFSHORE PRODUCERS & EXPLORERS

Everything starts with safety.

Or everything stops. “Safety is something we do day in and day out.�

- Gareth Igloliorte Process Safety Lead, Husky Energy

In the oil and gas industry, keeping safety top-of-mind starts with every meeting every single day.

From day one, everyone in the industry is empowered with the ability to stop any job if they have a safety concern.

Rigorous training starts every career. Ongoing training ensures the importance of safety remains a constant.

Weekly drills on every offshore installation and daily safety moments in every office are part of the ongoing commitment to ensuring the health and well-being of every worker.

Offshore and onshore, safety never stops.

To learn more, visit CAPP.ca.

OCTOBER upcoming events

SMALL BUSINESS WEEK (Oct. 20 – 24) Social Media Contest

St. John’s Board of Trade 101 Did you just join the Board and want to learn all about the opportunities that are offered to you as a member? Have you been a long standing member and just aren’t sure if you are making the most out of your membership? Well this is a detailed orientation/”refresher” that will help improve your ability to do business.

Date: Time: Cost:

Location:

Fri., Oct. 3 9 – 10 a.m.

Included as benefit of your membership $60 +HST Non Members Board of Trade Office, 34 Harvey Rd., 3rd Floor

Let’s celebrate Small Business Week together! Mention us on Twitter and tell us something cool about one of our local small business members, share your business success story or if you attend one of our Small Business Week events, we want to hear about it. Use the hashtag #BOTSmallBizWeek. We will be drawing for a prize on Friday, October 24, so get ready to tweet!

Speed Networking This popular, exciting, high impact and structured networking event is one that produces exceptional results for you and your business.

Business Mixer The Courtyard by Marriott St. John’s invites you to an evening of delightful cuisine and cocktails as they showcase their newly renovated hotel and restaurant.

Date: Time: Cost: Location:

Thurs., Oct. 16 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Included as a benefit of your membership Courtyard by Marriott St. John’s, 131 Duckworth Street

Guests are encouraged to bring business cards (make sure you bring a lot), any promotional material you would like to pass out and of course any other creative ideas you can come up with to accelerate your network in the business community. Please note seats are limited and only 1 representative per company.

Date: Time:

Cost: Location:

Tues., Oct. 21 Registration, Refreshments and Bagels (8 a.m.)

Program and networking (8:30-11 a.m.) $35+HST member rate, $45+HST non members Clovelly Golf, 100 Golf Course Road

To register for these events please contact Wanda Palmer at events@bot.nf.ca or 726-2961 ext. 9

Luncheon – “The Best Things I Have Learned in Business” Local business leaders will share lessons they have learned from their years in business here in the province and beyond, and how you apply that knowledge to your business or career.

Through this unique member only event, you will have lunch with successful St. John’s business leaders like Jo Mark Zurel, Earl Ludlow, Bruce Templeton, Charlie Oliver and Iris Petten, and have the opportunity to ask them about their business experiences.

Date: Time: Cost: Location:

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Wed. Oct. 22 Networking – Noon; Luncheon – 12:30 p.m. $60+HST members only Glendenning Golf, 120 Gabriel Rd.

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Strengthening the city’s ability to attract immigrants will meet current & future labour needs As St. John’s Board of Trade members well know we are experiencing a time of great economic growth in this province.

That, coupled with an aging population, is leading many organizations and institutions to explore immigration as one of the key ways to meet our current and future needs. The new St. John’s Local Immigration Partnership (LIP) is designed to strengthen the city’s ability to attract immigrants, to help improve the integration of immigrants, as well as to better integrate immigrant needs into municipal planning processes. Still in its first few months, the LIP is currently seeking input from the private sector on how it feels immigration might help address a portion of its labour market needs.

We know that immigrants can bring significant benefits to a workplace.

Immigrants can help address labour shortages. In addition immigrants frequently come with high levels of formal training, proficiency in multiple languages, and with international networks and cultural knowledge that are essential to successful international marketing and sales. Studies such as one conducted

by Forbes in 2011 also tell us that a cultural diverse workforce leads to the kind of innovation which gives companies a competitive advantage. The Local Immigration Partnership offers a forum through which there can be conversation about, among other things, where industry’s labour needs and immigrants’ employment needs overlap and how those synergies might be best harnessed.

So what does the Local Immigration Partnership do? The LIP is not a provider of programs and services, but instead seeks to, among other things, enhance awareness

of immigrant needs among a broad range of community stakeholders, to provide a framework to facilitate collaboration on key immigration issues, and to strengthen local immigration capacity to help foster labour market access, improve social inclusion, and develop sustainable, welcoming communities. It does this by engaging multiple stakeholders in a coordinated conversation about the region’s needs and assets. This LIP model has had great success across Canada; as just the second LIP formed in the Atlantic provinces St. John’s joins a dynamic group of more than 40 such partnerships across Canada.

This Citizenship and Immigration Canada-funded initiative has two lead organizations: the City of St. John’s and the Association for New Canadians.

In the spring of 2014 an interim Executive Committee was established with representation from the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism (Province of Newfoundland and Labrador), Sharing Our Cultures, the Fédération des Francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador, the Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development (Memorial University), and the St. John’s Board of Trade. In the coming months, the LIP will be seeking more involvement from various sectors in the community and the BOT’s membership is key to the success of the LIP. The St. John’s LIP has already benefited greatly from the input of the St. John’s Board of Trade. As the partnership grows there will be additional opportunities for BOT members to contribute. In particular on November 13 the LIP will be hosting a community forum to discuss the formation of the LIP and to explore six priority areas that are particularly important in

From left, Ying How Lai, Victoria Alabi, Zainab Jerrett, Willow Anderson, Amy Okusun, and Heather Hickman were among those attending the LIP launch.

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immigration to our city. One of those areas is immigrant employment and labour needs. We encourage you to consider joining our forum so that we might learn from your experience and expertise.

To learn more about the forum and the Local Immigration Partnership contact Willow Anderson, our LIP Project Officer, at (709) 576-2325 or email immigration@stjohns.ca.

Business Travel.

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Whether you’ve had a day of sightseeing or business meetings, the Greenwood Inn and Suites Corner Brook is a stay in style and comfort. With pillowtop mattresses and LCD flatscreen televisions in every room, enjoy the comforts of home while on the road.

Call to book your reservations today!

greenwoodinn.ca

1 800 399 5381

The Small Business Syndrome You’ve printed your business cards, set up your office, hung out your shingle, and you are now eager and ready to do business.

You are a self-declared entrepreneur – a small business owner – and the world is your oyster. Like every other entrepreneur out there, you dream of instant success, so bring on the business!

The first few months you are in start-up mode……the launching phase, you tell yourself. You relentlessly cold-call, hand out your business card to everyone you meet, and love it when someone pops the question “what do you do?” You plunge into your pitch (wishing you had rehearsed it more) but still with high expectations.

Your hopes soar at the first interested prospect, but are shattered when, right off the bat, the questions start. As the ironclad answers roll off your tongue, you still know deep down that this prospect is questioning your capabilities simply because you are a small business, and you suddenly realize that you have just experienced the first symptoms of Small Business Syndrome.

You soon realize that your entrepreneurial passion has plunged you into a lonely affair. You work endless hours because the

business requires your constant attention.

There are no managers, no colleagues, no benefits plan or perks, no financial security, no TGIFs or happy hours and no office Christmas parties. You are the sole decision-maker for virtually everything and, overwhelmed, you wonder if you should have pinned that Entrepreneur’s Creed to your bulletin board with such conviction.

But all is not lost! While there is no instant cure for this Small Business Syndrome, the solutions you implement to curb the effects is what will propel you forward or leave you forever trying to fight the symptoms.

Set Goals, Prioritize & Focus: Whether you use one of the many electronic TASKS apps or simply write your list on a piece of paper, the outcome will be the same if you focus. In 2010, Staples launched the “stickK to it!

Business Challenge” and found out that 61per cent of small business owners suffer from the Ping Pong Syndrome – bouncing from task to task without achieving their goals. You are 80 per centg more likely to reach your goals if you are committed and accountable.

Statistics show that the majority of entrepreneurs face identical challenges when they are first starting out, and the Small Business Syndrome quickly becomes the fallback.

Joy Moyles is the President of Grand Productions and the organizer of the Small Business Christmas Party. She can be reached at 709-341-7034 www.grandproductions.ca

Network & Socialize: Don’t be a loner. Business organizations such as the Board of Trade, NLOWE and Startup St. John’s (and NL) all have a large ‘small business membership’ where you can share and learn from like-minded entrepreneurs. Join and participate.

Attend luncheons, business mixers, coffee hours, seminars, holiday parties - and everything that is ‘small business’ related.

Support other small businesses and be cohesive as a group.

Make it a Positive: You are the CEO of your own company and you’re living your dream. You’ve been empowered to make the rules, call the shots and decide on the outcome, so use it to you advantage. Be proud of who you are and what you do, and the contribution you are making to the economy. And no matter how you feel….get up, dress up and never give up!

Make today the day you regroup, get back on track and start fighting that Small Business Syndrome. Now hold your high, smile - and go grab a sale!

Business News october 2014

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AMBASSADOR COLUMN YOU SEE A HIGH RISE OFFICE BUILDING.

WE SEE A LOW-RISK INVESTMENT.

Ambassador Julie Sheppard Director of Sales at the Quality Hotel Harbourview Westmont Hospitality Group

Wow! It’s such an exciting time to be a young professional in St. John’s.

The Board of Trade Ambassador Program is a wonderful opportunity to network, gain valuable business insight and grow, both personally and professionally.

As Director of Sales at the Quality Hotel, my goals of building relationships and delivering Newfoundland and Labrador outstanding customer service align with the goals of the Board of Trade Ambassador Committee which are: member retention and Newfoundland and Labrador hospitality during member events.

Newfoundland and Labrador

As a young professional in a new role, I was intimidated at the thought of networking and calling BOT members. I have been pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome the network of Ambassadors and local Newfoundland and Labrador businesspeople have extended to me at Ambassador meetings, over member phone calls and during events.

Around every corner, there’s a friendly face to greet you and put you in touch with relevant business opportunities.

There’s never been a better time in St. John’s to get out and get networking!

Reach out to an ambassador today to find out more about the Board of Trade and sign up for an event.

After all, it’s not about who you know, it’s about who knows you!

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Business News october 2014

Whink, Whink; Nudge Nudge Kim Sparkes is the owner of Whink on Water Street in St. John’s.

Four big tips I can share after four years in business Operating a small business comes with a learning curve. The lessons vary from finding financing, to learning human resources best practices.

After four years I cannot boast being a small business guru, but I can share a few of the bigger lessons I’ve learned, in hopes of offering some support to other small business owners.

For Whink, the really tough challenges weren’t how to manage inventory or payroll, this year, we’re focused on managing growth. We moved into a new location last year and didn’t have time for a grand opening. We’ve launched an online store with so much potential it’s overwhelming, and Whink has recently created its own branded Labradorite jewellery, made by incredible craftsmen in India. It’s an exhilarating time, but also a scary one.

Lesson 2: Ask for help I’m a graphic designer and a bit of a control freak. I’ve created all the promotional materials for Whink for the last four years; from the signage to the advertising.

Eventually though you start to realize that expanding the store, hiring more staff, doing your own accounting, shipping, buying. Something’s got to give.

So I asked for help.

Professionals in marketing and website design helped launch the website and new marketing plans, my staff have stepped up to become leaders in sales and even online marketing.

This was a tough lesson to learn, but allowing others to invest their time and efforts into my business means my business doesn’t suffer because I have too much on my plate.

Lesson 3: Let it go

Lesson 1: Go big or go home

This is a lesson I’m still learning, but yep, just like that Disney princess says; sometimes you’ve just got to let it go. You can’t please everyone all the time, but to this day I take it personally when a customer doesn’t get exactly what they want.

This year was huge. In India I found suppliers who would create the jewellery designs I’ve had in my head for ages out of Labradorite and sterling silver. The logistics of receiving a tin box, paid for in Rupees was a unique experience.

It breaks my heart to receive customer complaints, but after four years, you realize, not all the complaints are legitimate or logical. There are customers out there who wouldn’t be happy if you gave them the keys to the shop. So you just have to let it go.

We launched a new retail space; three times the size of our previous location and located on Water Street, where there’s plenty more foot traffic; all while developing an online shop to offer our products globally.

I’m in the jewellery business. It’s my job to be glamorous and I’ve made that my brand. But no matter the business you’re in you have to represent it with your own personal style.

Regardless of what you sell, if you love your work and personify your company’s values in everything from your demeanour and dress, to your advertising and even those you choose to hire, you will be successful.

In today’s market, consumers can tell when you’re faking. So be authentic and represent your company’s ideals by hiring people who love your company, by offering customer service you expect elsewhere, even by choosing colours you like for your signage.

It will pay off.

While this isn’t a definitive list of the lessons I’ve learned in my first four years owning Whink, I hope it will at least be a guide for those also looking to manage their growth in this booming marketplace.

And to those already past the four-year milestone, maybe you have some more advice for me? If so, get in touch. Let’s create a collaborative business community where we can count on each other.

We relish in showing you something unexpected and helping you choose the perfect item. Come visit us at 332 Water St. or online at www.whinkinc.com

lunch ? supper ? evening ?

It was overwhelming, but it’s also been rewarding and successful. If you don’t take strategic risks in your business you will never grow.

Whink is still ironing out the details on many of these opportunities and we’re learning as we go, but jumping in with both feet has resulted in record sales and potential for even more growth.

Lesson 4: Whatever you do, do it with style

BEST MEETING FACILITIES

Call Craig Murphy 737-7883 craig.murphy@geocentre.ca

Which brings us to the second lesson.

Business News october 2014

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B O A R D

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BUSINESS EXCELLENCE A

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A R A W

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IT’S YOUR TIME TO SHINE We’ve got something that could make a huge difference to your business; the nomination form for this year’s Business Excellence Awards. Your name should be on it.

You’ve worked hard all year, now get the recognition your business deserves.

Nominate yourself today.

2014 BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS Dec. 3rd | Delta St. John’s Hotel NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS. Call Lori at (709) 726-2961, ext. 6, email lcoleman@bot.nf.ca for your nomination form or visit www.stjohnsbot.ca to nominate online.

Book your award tickets today for a chance to win 2 tickets for Air Canada’s non-stop flight between St. John's and London Heathrow!

Board of trade helps business Find and create great employees The St. John’s Board of Trade assembled a talented lineup of industry experts and awardwinning employers for our recent labour market event, Find and Create Great Employees.

Response for participants and presenters was overwhelming positive, and we would like to thank the following groups and individuals for sharing their knowledge and expertise, and for making our event such a success:

• • • • • • •

Boomerswork.ca Idea Factory Independent Living Resource Centre G. J. Cahill Avalon Employment Association for New Canadians Stewart McKelvey

• • • • •

Higher Talent Department of Advanced Education and Skills Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development Verafin Meridia

The Idea Factory’s presentation was titled Finding and Keeping Talent with a HR Department of Zero.

Also a big thank you to luncheon panel moderator Natalie Hand, Regional Manager with the Contingent Recruitment Division of KBRS, and panelists Jamie King, co-founder of Verafin; Laurie Roberts, Director of Human Resources with the Newfoundland and Labrador Credit Union; and Steve Power, Managing Partner with Grant Thornton.

St. John’s Board of Trade Chair Sharon Horan welcomes participants at the opening of the labour market event, Find and Create Great Employees.

AXIS Career Services connects newcomers looking for jobs with employers looking for workers.

Natalie Hand of KBRS, far right, moderated the luncheon panel discussion which featured Laurie Roberts, Director of Human Resources with the Newfoundland and Labrador Credit Union, Jamie King, co-founder of Verafin, and Steve Power, Managing Partner with Grant Thornton.

I CAME, I SAW, I DEVOURED EVERYTHING ON MY PLATE. Julius Caesar On Dinner

193 Water Street, 754.9028

Business News october 2014

19

AROUND THE BOARD

Admiral Nirmal Verma, Hig h Commissioner of India, met with Board Chair Sharon Horan during a recent vis it to the province.

nto for the Building Our CEO Nancy Healey was in Toro Canada’s infrastructure ting mee ut Canada Up Summit abo ario Premier Kathleen needs. Nancy is seen here with Ont ident and CEO of the Wynne, left, and Alan O’Dette, Pres Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

AROUND THE BOARD

Kellie Leitch, Federal Minister of Labour and Minister of the Status of Women, met with our Board of Directors during her visit to St. John’s.

The Quidi Vidi Brewery-Wadden Peddigrew Hogan Law business mixer was very popular with our members.

Andrew Wadden of Wadden Peddigrew Hogan is seen with Marlene Slaney of the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland and Dale Biggin of Lindsay Construction.

Only 29% of all North American workers are actively engaged — Gallup

Motivated. Focused. Productive.

Higher Talent delivers strategic HR consulting solutions.

We support our clients in reaching their business objectives.

to prepare a meal for Board of Trade staff volunteered at Ronald McDonald ing stay patients and their families House in St. John’s.

NLOWE 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year Award for START-UP

highertalent.ca 21

What are you @? @DaveLaneTweets Some good Municipal Plan points from @ stjohnsbot Chair, Sharon Horan: “It’s our city — have your say @Vigilant_PM Excellent time at the @stjohnsbot mixer @ QuidiVidiBeer. Wonderful location for an event.

Keep business growing in Newfoundland & Labrador.

BDC SMALL BUSINESS WEEK™ OCTOBER 19-25, 2014 @poole_nikki @stjohnsbot @ QuidiVidiBeer First mixer of the fall #lovesbeer #botambassador

St. John’s Business Center 215 Water Street, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador

@Grand Productions @ joymoyles Enjoying a great @ stjohnsbot networking event @ QuidiVidiBeer

1 888 INFO-BDC

@mandywoodland Missing the @ stjohnsbot mixer with @WPH_Law at @QuidiVidiBeer #sadtimes #workworkwork

Judith Bobbitt Oceans Ltd. Newfoundland and Labrador

@WPH_Law @DaveLaneTweets of @DcDesignHouse and @ JodyFancey of @YoureFitForWork great to see you out @stjohnsbot last night! @WPH_Law @johnjhogan & @ wadden75 of @WPH_Law at last night’s @stjohnsbot mixer @ QuidiVidiBeer Pub-SBW-St-John-5x6.625.indd 1

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2014-09-17 2:16 PM

Business News october 2014

Risky Business: Is Your Brand Protected?

Imagine you spend a year growing your business. You invest in the perfect logo, an eye-catching sign, and a sharp website.

You spend hours networking with potential clients. You go above and beyond for your customers in the hopes that they will remain loyal. And word is starting to spread.

After all the hard work and long hours, your business is finally gaining momentum.

Then one day you receive a letter from an intellectual property lawyer: “Dear Business Owner, Please be on notice that your business name is infringing our client’s trademark. You are required by law to immediately cease using the business name and you must destroy all materials bearing the name, or be subject to court action and resultant damages.” Sadly, this scenario is all too common. Fortunately, it is entirely preventable.

As a business owner, your intellectual property – which includes the name of your business and your branding – is one of your most valuable assets. The law that protects these assets is called trademark law. But soon, trademark law in Canada will change, and not for the better. New provisions will increase the cost and difficulty of registering your trademark. There has never been a better time to register your trademark and protect your brand.

Recently, the legislature assented to changes to the Trade-marks Act that will make it even riskier to carry on business without a registered trademark. In the past, Canadian law has always required that the business name seeking to be registered as a trademark be “in use” by the applicant. That “in use” requirement will soon be eliminated, meaning that anyone can apply to register any trademark. Someone who does not even own a business could register your business name as their trademark.

Here is the good news: the amendments are not expected to come into effect until 2015. As a business owner, you have a few months left to file your trademark applications and develop a legal strategy to protect your most valuable assets. And perhaps even the very existence of your business as you know it.

This significant change is likely to increase the number of “paper registrations”, making it difficult to register your legitimate business name as a trademark and making entitlement more difficult to assess. Business owners will need to work harder to protect their trademarks by filing oppositions to trademark applications that are similar to their existing marks.

There has never been a better time to register your trademark and protect your brand.

In addition, there are also new requirements regarding the classification of marks; any mark involving registration in multiple classes will likely be more expensive.

Erin Best is a lawyer and trademark agent at Cox & Palmer, St. John’s ebest@coxandpalmer.com

Make your dollar work harder to enable kids to be All That Kids Can Be.

Business owners who fail to protect their business names are taking a big risk.

Starting over with a new business name means just that—starting over. It means recreating marketing materials, and building a new brand. It means new networking efforts. It means your hard-earned goodwill is gone. You have gambled away a key asset.

Contribute to a positive change in Newfoundland and Labrador. Join workplaces like BMO, Johnson Inc. and BDBC. Run a United Way Campaign today.

The best way to avoid this scenario is to register your business name and logo as trademarks. Trademark law has protected trademarks in Canada for the past 100 years, but as I mentioned, some aspects of that law are about to change.

Visit nl.unitedway.ca for details.

E: info@nl.unitedway.ca P: (709) 753-8288

Business News october 2014

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East Meets West: Exploring Business Opportunities in Labrador City and Wabush Wednesday, October 15 Full Delegates Only Two Seasons Hotel and Various Bud Tour Locations 12:00 noon – 1:15 p.m.

Welcome Registration and Group Lunch for BoT Delegates

1:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Business Oppurinity Indtroduction

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Community Overview

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Regional Corporate Bus Tour

Thursday, October 16 Full Delegates and Partial Delegate Events Two Seasons and Wabush Hotels 7:45 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

Buffet Breakfest

8:45 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Welcome

9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Mining Company Procurement Opportunities

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Provincial Mining Outlook (Dept. of Natural Resources)

11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Nutrition Break Sponsored by Air Canada

11:15 a.m. – 12:45 a.m.

Aboriginal Business Overview

12:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Networking Lunch Sponsored by Provincial Airlines

2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Exclusive Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) Mine Tour

6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

“Welcome to Labrador West” Cocktail Networking Reception.

Sponsored by Rio Tinto IOC Hosted by Labrador West Chamber of Commerce (LWCC)

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Dinner with Keynote Speaker Hosted by LWCC

Location: Iron Ore Company of Canada

The Wabush Hotel The Wabush Hotel

Friday, October 17 Full Delegates Package Only 7:45 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.

Buffet Breakfest

Two Seasons Hotel

8:30 a.m. – 10:20 a.m.

Town of Fermont Tour

Town Site & Windscreen Building Tour

10:30 a.m.

Depart for airport

Bus Transportation Provided

Supported by: Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency For more information visit: http://stjohnsbot.ca/east-meets-west

24

Business News october 2014

MEMBER NEWS Memorial names Pam Hall as inaugural Public Engagement Post-doctoral Fellow Dr. Pam Hall is most at home among the unique and colourful towns and villages of Newfoundland and Labrador. In fact, they are from where she draws much of her creative inspiration.

The interdisciplinary artist, whose 10-year survey exhibition HouseWork(s) has been on display this summer at The Rooms, has been creatively engaging the province’s communities in her art for more than 30 years – making her an ideal candidate for Memorial’s first Public Engagement Postdoctoral Fellowship.

The fellowship is a new creation of Memorial’s Office of Public Engagement in partnership with the Faculty of Arts

Business News october 2014

and in association with the Shorefast Foundation. It will provide an opportunity for Dr. Hall, a recent graduate of Memorial’s interdisciplinary PhD program, to build public engagement capacity and contribute to research and learning on a topic of mutual interest to the people of Fogo Island and Change Islands, the Shorefast Foundation and the university.

“This is an exciting opportunity for me,” said Dr. Hall, who recently completed the first section of her Encyclopedia of Local Knowledge, which focuses on Newfoundland’s west coast and includes local knowledge on ecology, fishing, baking, hunting and trapping, gardening, boatbuilding and local names for places and names of local experts. “This will be the next chapter, literally. I will be able to implement and share the public engagement processes I’ve developed through my work on the west

25

Member news coast, as well as develop and foster new techniques by looking to the community to help guide my work.”

Lower Churchill Project reaches milestone The Lower Churchill Project recently reached another project milestone with the first pour of concrete for the spillway structure for the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric generating facility.

“We have reached yet another significant milestone for construction of the Muskrat Falls Project,” said Gilbert Bennett, Vice President, Lower Churchill Project, Nalcor Energy. “This milestone was achieved through the commitment of the entire team working together on this historic project. Their dedication to safety, productivity and teamwork is evident on this project every day.”

Pond, Churchill Falls, the Strait of Belle Isle, and the transmission routes. In June, almost 3,000 people were working on the project of which about 86 per cent were Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Over seven million person hours have been worked by the Lower Churchill Project team, contractors and subcontractors with a safety record that exceeds the Newfoundland and Labrador construction/ forestry industry average.

Once built, the 824 megawatt (MW) Muskrat Falls facility will be the second largest hydroelectric generating facility in Atlantic Canada, the largest is Churchill Falls with 5,428 MW capacity.

Henley promoted to position of Vice President Canada for Subsea 7 Stephen Henley has been promoted to Vice President Canada for Subsea 7. Henley previously served as Managing Director Canada for the company.

lead the implementation of Subsea 7’s strategic plan from the St. John’s office while instilling Subsea 7’s core values of safety, integrity, collaboration, innovation and performance within the workplace.

“I am very proud of what our Canada team has done over the past six years” said Phil Simons, Vice President, Subsea 7 UK and Canada.

“Stephen’s promotion has followed our move to new offices, significant contract awards and growing partnerships in the region; all of which are demonstrations of Subsea 7’s long-term commitment to the Canadian market.”

Subsea 7 S.A. is a seabed-to-surface engineering, construction and services contractor to the offshore energy industry worldwide. Since its establishment in 2008 Subsea 7 Canada’s business has evolved rapidly, including more than doubling its workforce over the past three years.

In his new role, Henley will continue to

Is your office healthy?

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Healthy Office Cleaning Programs ServiceMaster Clean offers a full range of cleaning services that will help to keep your office healthy and productive. Whether it’s providing regular janitorial cleaning services, carpet maintenance, fabric furniture cleaning, sanitizing work stations or using environmentally friendly products, we understand the power of a clean and healthy work environment.

Contact us for a no obligation estimate

709.747.6268 smcleanstjohns.ca 26

Business News october 2014

INDUSTRY NEWS when it comes to financing and dealing with the skills shortage. While 74 per cent of entrepreneurs surveyed said they planned to create jobs this year, a shortage of people with relevant skills is hindering their efforts, as is finding local partners and accessing international financing.

International expansion is critical for Canadian entrepreneurs to grow their business and create jobs, but logistics costs, trade barriers and lack of local

Emera reaches agreement

market knowledge are also making that expansion difficult.

Bruno Berthon, managing director, crossindustry strategy lead at Accenture Strategy, said there now is a better understanding of the importance of entrepreneurs in job creation, with many governments looking at regulatory changes and other ways to support budding businesses. However, financing remains a big issue in Canada, more so than for the rest of the G20.

Emera has signed a labour agreement with workers in many trades who will work on the Maritime Link that will carry hydroelectric power from Newfoundland to Cape Breton. The agreement comes after nine months of formal negotiations and will cover the full construction period, ending Dec. 31, 2017. The construction project is expected to employ from 200 to 400 at its peak.

There are 11 unions involved, covering trades including carpentry, labour, sheet metal, operating engineering, plumbing and pipefitting.

The roughly $8.7-billion Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project is on track to start generating power in 2017, with full production the following year. The Maritime Link will include a 170-kilometre subsea cable linking Cape Breton with southwestern Newfoundland

Entrepreneurs can help create much-needed youth jobs: report Entrepreneurs could help create 10 million youth jobs across the G20 countries, but they must be given the right support to grow and finance their businesses, according to a report published by the Canadian Press by global consulting firm Accenture.

“Entrepreneurs cannot achieve success by themselves,” Accenture said. “In order to innovate, globalize and attract the right talent, they need adequate support from regulators, and they need to be part of a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

That’s particularly important for Canada, which is lagging behind its peer countries

Business News october 2014

27

AdveRToRIAl

Large Corporation Advantages now Available to Canada’s Small Business Owners A Canadian company, First Call, is promising to level the playing field for Canadian Small Business owners by providing the full scale Human Resource solutions that large corporations employ…for only pennies per employee per month.

Kevin Trainor, one of First Call’s founders, has focused his career on the small business market, believing the owners of these companies are Canada’s economic engine. “Over the years, I’ve recognized that all business owners share a common problem – employee issues. Whether it’s hiring or managing or handling government agencies, dealing with employees eats up a significant amount of a business owner’s time…time that could and should be spent on growing their business”, Trainor says.

By dedicating an HR Manager to each of First Call’s members, Trainor believes he can directly impact the growth of small businesses’ revenue by eliminating the employee ‘distractions’, but also provide protection from unlawful dismissal suits. “There are over 250,000 unlawful dismissal suits filed in Canada each year. And the majority of those suits are won by the employees. If the business owner had the assistance of an HR Specialist, those numbers Human Resource Departments have been a would dramatically decrease…they’d be handling all luxury afforded only by Large their employees’ issues professionally and effectively Corporations…until now! from day one.”

Included in their fee of $6 - $10 per employee per month, First Call provides recruitment and hiring services, professional templates for all employee documentation and communications, management of all employee files, assistance with Worker Compensation, Health & Safety regulations and also provides legal counsel.

“For a small monthly fee, we’ll be delivering the services that an HR Specialist would get paid $60,000 - $80,000 per year to perform. The employees will enjoy a more professional work environment and the business owners can get back to what’s really important…growing their business. It’s a win win!”

First Call provides full scale HR solutions to Canada’s Small Business Market For $6 - $10 per employee per month, we do it all  Recruitment & Hiring  Legal Consultations  Professional Employment Documents  Cloud Based Records System  Government Agency Assistance With just one call, First Call becomes your Human Resource Department Contact us to find out how we can help you 1-855-440-9449

To learn more, visit their website at www.firstcallhr.ca and view their informational video. Or call 1-855-440-9449.

The VOICE Spring 2014

13

member profiles

Founded in 2005, NL Classifieds Inc. (stylized as NL, The Classifieds) is a locally owned and operated online community for classified advertisements across the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

With monthly statistics exceeding over 1,000,000 website visits and over 300,000 unique users, NL Classifieds has grown to become the province’s most trusted and largest selection of online classifieds.

NL Classifieds www.nlclassifieds.com 1037 Topsail Road Mount Pearl, NL, A1N 5E9 Jackie Clayton Sales & Senior Accountant W: (709) 237.7300 C: (709) 682.0008

WPH Law is a new kind of law firm.

Established by Andrew Wadden, Chris Peddigrew and John Hogan, WPH Law offers over 30 years combined experience and a broad range of legal services in an environment focused on you, the client. They provide the kind of accessibility and value that is simply not available at larger firms. WPH Law welcomes the opportunity to work with you and look forward to speaking with you about their fresh approach.

Andrew Wadden, WPH Law | Partner t (709) 576 7464

m (709) 690 3299

f (709) 754 0106

Bronson Investments Inc. is a privately held investment firm, based in St. John’s, that acquires well-established companies, transitions them from their current ownership and continues to operate and grow the business.

Transitioning can be daunting – how do you advertise your intent without alarming clients, suppliers, and employees?

Bronson provides confidentiality, fair value and, after an acquisition, retains the talent that has been crucial to the success of the business. You can have peace of mind that the company, and the staff that make it work, are in good hands.

For a confidential meeting or to learn more, contact: Darin Steeves, MBA | Partner 709.757.2213

Pioneer Log Homes creates the Finest Western Red Cedar Log Homes on Earth. Our handcrafted log homes and post and beam homes are a unique option for homebuyers. We can build your dream home on one of our 10 waterfront lots on Duck Pond just ten minutes from Stavanger Drive.

Pioneer Log Homes are built one at a time, by hand and shipped here to your new site on the water, hidden in the trees and adjacent to our completed model home at 1075 Bauline Line.

Tune into HGTV’s #1 rated show, Timber Kings, featuring our master log builders at work building log homes around the world. www.hgtv.ca/timberkings/ Call Ken to view at 709-335-2526 www.pioneerloghomesofbc.com ken@pioneerloghomesofbc.com

darin.steeves@bronsoninvestments.ca

Located in St. John’s, the newly launched Ray Creative Agency Inc. is an independent strategic and creative boutique that offers exceptional advertising and marketing solutions. The combined talent, industry experience & credentials, and awards won by the team at Ray, make it one of the country’s strongest and most experienced agencies. We work with clients of all sizes – especially those who prefer to keep company with smarter minds and fewer hands.

Creating impactful, hard-working, and memorable ideas – and finding innovative ways to express them – is one of Ray’s biggest strengths. How can we help you achieve your business goals?

Marble Mountain Resort is Atlantic Canada’s premier mountain resort. Well known as one of the best skiing experiences East of the Rockies, Marble is also home to the highest zipline in Canada and numerous outdoor tours and experiences appropriate for all ages. A diverse collection of accommodators are all within walking distance of our 20 000 sq. foot western style lodge which serves as a wedding, convention, and special events hub in spring, summer, and fall.

Email: info@skimarble.com Website: www.skimarble.com Twitter: @skimarble

365-367 Duckworth Street, P.O. Box 5818, St. John’s, NL A1C 5X3

Tel: 709-699-4175

www.wphlaw.ca Follow us on twitter @WPH_Law

Rayagency.ca | info@rayagency.ca

Facebook: www.facebook.com/marblemountain

Twitter: @RayAgencyNL

Tel: (709) 637-7601

Facebook: facebook.com/rayagency

Tel: (709) 637-7666

ca.linkedin.com/in/andrewwadden

Business News october 2014

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NEW MEMBERS 54391 NL- Harbour Services Charles Anonsen, President 666 Southside Road, P.O. Box 116 St. John’s, NL A1C 5H5 709-726-5000 709-754-1672 Canonsen3@gmail.com

Thrive

Angela Crockwell, Executive Director P.O. Box 26067 108 LeMarchant Road St. John’s, NL A1C 2H2 709-754-0536 709-754-0842 acrockwell@thrivecyn.ca

Judy M. Manning, Barrister & Solicitor

Manning Chiropractic

Marble Mountain Resort

Re/Max Infinity Realty Inc.

Jack Astor’s St. John’s

Legros and Motti

SecuraCon Security Corporation

Ray Creative Agency Inc.

Academy Canada Career College

Dr. Janice Manning, Clinic Director / Chiropractor 193 LeMarchant Road, Suite 1002 ST. John’s, NL A1C 2H5 709-753-6800 709-753-6804 jmanningdc@gmail.com

Jim Burton, Owner 54 Conception Bay Highway P.O. Box 14098 CBS, NL A1W 3J1 709-834-2066 709-834-8601 vjamesburton@gmail.com

Judy M. Manning 140 Water Street, Suite 603 TD Place St. John’s, NL A1C 6H6 709-745-5400 709-745-5402 judy@manninglaw.ca

Robert Moore, Director P.O. Box 23071 127 Harbour Drive St. John’s, NL A1C 6N6 709-726-6884 Mooreklndk@aol.com

NL Classifieds

Jenny Smith, Creative Director Sherrie Reynolds, Director, Client Services 37 Carpasian Road St. John’s, NL A1B 2P9 709-699-4175 709-770-0131 jenny@rayagency.ca sherrie@rayagency.ca

Jackie Clayton, Sales & Senior Accountant 1037 Topsail Road Mount Pearl, NL A1N 5E9 709-237-7300 709-237-7302 Jackie@nlclassifieds.com

Cole Fawcett, Sales & Accommodation Manager Exit * Trans Canada Highway Corner Brook, NL A2H 6T2 709-637-7601 709-634-1702 cole@skimarble.com

Melanie Manzatiuk, Events & Marketing Manager 125 Harbour Drive St. John’s, NL A1C 6N6 709-726-8524 709-726-8543 jacksstjohns@sircorp.com

Justin Crocker, Director Brian Kelly, Director P.O. Box 243 Mount Pearl, NL A1N 2C2 709-770-2987 Justin@securacon.com

James Loder, Director 167-169 Kenmount Road St. John’s, NL A1B 3P9 709-682-4393 709-722-9197 jloder@academycanada.com

When all is said doesn’t mean it’s done.

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Business News october 2014

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