ayoko magazine - winter 2013

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  • 7/28/2019 Ayoko Magazine - Winter 2013

    1/52

    akeoverCONTEST

    BUSINESS

    in erJULIEPEDERSENA im your

    Smar tphone

    he re to v i s i t

    AyokoMagazine.comDETA I LS PAGE 2

    In thIs Issue...

    Markeig MussGoig MobilePromoioal Evesord-of-Mouh Markeig

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    QR Codes

    When you see this barcode,

    theres MORE informationwaiting for you!

    STEP 1Download a FREE

    QR Code Reader Applicationon your mobile phone

    STEP 2On your Smartphone,

    launch the appl icat ion & snapa picture of the QR Code

    STEP 3Watch your phone for

    a coupon, video, websiteor message!

    SALE!

    Whatsthis? i n c .

    D E S I G N I N G Y O U R B U S I N E S S

    I D E N T I T Y

    BRANDING

    logo & ident i ty design | graphic design image bui ld ing | brand enhancement customer appreciat ion promotions

    PRINT MARKETING business cards | postcards business stat ionery | gi f t cer t i f icates business col lateral | brochures s igns | posters | labels | packaging magazine & newspaper ads | f lyers

    I N T E R N E T

    INTERNET MARKETING website & b log design website copywr it ing strategic p lanning & organiz ing

    ELECTRONIC MARKETING cl ient data base management newsletters | e-b lasts e-v ites | hol iday greet ings

    SOCIAL MARKETING Facebook & Twitter

    M E R C H A N D I S I N G

    IN-STORE MARKETING

    point-of-purchase {pop} d isp lays store d isp lays & s ignage

    OUTDOOR MARKETING store s ignage window disp lays b i l lboards | street presence

    TRADE SHO WS booth design consultat ion booth s ignage & set-up

    P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S

    PROMOTIONS

    specia l events & promotions media a ler ts & outreach | press re leases

    NETWORKING SOLUTIONS business contact data base management workshops & seminars

    CLIENT RETENTION SOLUTIONS customer appreciat ion promotions

    YOKOCHAPMAN@GMA I L . COM

    WWW.AYOKODES IGN INC .COM PHOTO:ERIN

    ALEXANDER

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    6 AyokoMagazine.com

    Ftr BsisssOr Sposor:

    bnb Fine Jewels

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    AYOKO MAGAZINEVOLUME 2 | Wine 2013

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    I Tis Issa note FRoM yoKo | 6

    Julie peDeRsen uRban MuKluKs

    & accessoRies

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    FL , T E E E. 1 . .B BFI E E EL .

    akeoverCONTEST

    BUSINESS

    in erJULIEPEDERSEN

    Ai m you r

    Smartp honehe re to vis itAyokoMagaz ine .c omDETAILS PAG E2

    INTHIS ISSUE...

    MarketingMustsGoingMobilePromotionalEventsWord-of-MouthMarketing

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    i

    SEEStOrYONpG.8phOtO:ErINALExANdErphOtOGrAphY

    JuliePedersen

    ONthEcOVEr

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    The Fine ArT oF CrAFTing UniqUe hAndmAde Jewelry

    t h A N K Y O U t O O U r S p O N S O r

    eeta Gupta, President o bnbFine Jewels, has been an artist allher lie.

    She emerged as a talented painter inuniversity, and went on to hold art exhibi-tions showcasing her paintings and sculp-tures at the most respected art centres in

    New Delhi. Her work was well appreci-ated and reviewed by art critics and con-noisseurs alike.

    Although Neeta studied math inuniversity, she also designed jewelry orriends and amily as a creative pursuitthroughout her lie. Ater moving toWinnipeg, she pursued her interest in artat the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Ater wit-nessing her adept hand in jewelry design,her teachers and colleagues stronglyencouraged her to launch her designson a larger scale or the Winnipeg com-

    munity. Te city didnt have anything likethis, she was told.

    I loved the jewelry design process,but explaining my designs to goldsmithsand relying on them to carry out myvision was rustrating, Neeta said. Tisis why I needed to make jewelry on myown I needed ull control to bring myvisions to ruition.

    Neeta and her husband, RajivGupta, Vice-President, decided to open

    bnb Fine Jewels in downtown Winnipeg.Tey specialize in deco deluxe jewelrywhich is unique, exclusive and extremelydelicate to create. All o her beautiulone-o-a-kind pieces are made rom 18karat gold with high-quality diamondsand gemstones.

    Her new path has proven to be awise choice her wide range o clientsock rom across Canada to purchase herone-o-a-kind designs. Tey remark thatNeetas creations are much more thanjewelry, they are investment pieces thatcan be passed along to uture generations.

    Over the years Ive learned that mytrue passion lies in designing beautiuljewels or the most wonderul creation onearth called woman, Neeta said. Successto us is the smile and satisaction our cus-tomers get when they enjoy wearing the

    jewels bought rom us.Although Neetas unique designs

    are inspired by art and literature romaround the world, her store and businessare grounded rmly in downtown Win-nipeg.

    When most businesses were leav-ing downtown to move elsewhere, wechose to open our store in the heart odowntown, Neeta explains. We had theconviction that the downtown is the place

    to be and we would like to be participantsin its revival.

    Neeta and bnbs success is rooted intheir dedication to lielong business rela-tionships. o reach that goal, customersatisaction is their Number One Pri-ority. o help orge strong, lasting rela-tionships and ensure that her clients ndtheir perect piece, Neeta requests that allstore appointments are one-on-one byappointment.

    Ayoko Magazine would like to thank bnb

    Fine Jewels or sponsoring this issue. I youare interested in learning more about bnbFine Jewels, call 204.415.5643 or visitwww.bnbnejewels.com to book an exclu-sive, one-on-one appointment to explore

    Neetas designs.

    rAJIV&NEEtAGUptA

    for you to enjoy

    Shining Talent

    i wanteD to bRinG a little oF

    new yoRK sHoppinG to Down-

    town winnipeG.

    -n G, or/Dgr

    Pho

    tos:

    Jeremy

    Hiebert

    Pho

    tograp

    hy

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    8 AyokoMagazine.com

    ANotFromYoko

    moved a lot as a child. I packed

    a lot o boxes and attended 11

    dierent schools. Tis unique child-

    hood aorded me the opportunity

    to compare a very diverse group o

    people and communities. What I

    learned is that Winnipeg breeds

    world-class talent worthy o praise,

    recognition and discussion. Win-

    nipeg entrepreneurs are making ahuge local impact and taking over

    the world one customer at a time.

    Behind every successul busi-

    ness, there is a mastermind. In some

    cases, there may even be a creative

    army behind a business even i

    its an army o one! You cant always

    see them, but these special people

    are where it all begins. Te goal or

    Ayoko Magazine is to help spread

    the word about these great Winni-

    peg proessionals and their unique

    success stories.

    Building a business is like

    building a city. It takes inrastruc-

    ture and a community. Tis maga-

    zine is or people who want to rec-

    ognize and celebrate good business

    and help extraordinary leaders shine

    in their best light! Our community

    depends on the success o local

    businesses, and this is why I am pas-

    sionate about buying local, promot-

    ing local and selling local.

    Ayoko Magazine was created

    to bring our community to lie, tospread the word. So why publish a

    print magazine? As social media,

    iPads and smartphones continue

    to take the world by storm, I have

    decided to stay grounded to my

    roots in print media. All o the

    entrepreneurs highlighted in this

    magazine are real. Teir stories are

    real, their dreams are real and their

    struggles are real. Tis is why I have

    chosen print to create something

    real and tangible that can be shared

    organically.

    So how do you Share or Like

    a paper and ink magazine? I urge

    you to read and share these sto-

    ries, to support these bold Winni-

    peg entrepreneurs and to pass this

    magazine along. Handing it o to

    a riend or leaving a copy in your

    oce is a small gesture, but it will

    do wonders or the great business

    leaders ound inside.

    I hope you enjoy this issue o

    Ayoko Magazine and continue to

    celebrate extraordinary Winnipeg

    businesses long ater you turn thelast page.

    yoKo cHapMan

    Editor-in-Chief + Artistic Director

    Yoko

    8 AyokoMagazine.com

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    WWW.VINTAGEVERUCAANTIQUES.COM 1342 MAIN STREET 204.339.5301

    redriverGENERAL STORE

    WWW.REDRIVERGENERALSTORE.COM 1.204.661.8393 5700 HENDERSON HIGHWAY, NAROL, MB

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    10 AyokoMagazine.com

    Jli

    Urb lsAccssoris

    Prs

    &

    t Yoko Capma

    ph E Aexae Potogapy

    Ayoko Design Business MAkeover Winner

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    AyokoMagazine.com

    W i i p e g e r e p r e e u r s h a v e b e e a c o s a s u p p o r a d d r i v i g f o r c e f o r m e a d m y b u s i e s s h e y c o i u e o a s o u d a d a m a z e m e w i h h e i r a l -e , p e r s e v e r a c e a d k i d e s s . T h e A y o k o D e s i g B u s i e s s M a k e o v e r C o e s w a s c r e a e d o s a y h a k y o u f o r h e i r u e d i g i s p i r a i o n .

    ~yk chm

    ongratulations to Julie Pedersen,

    the grand prize winner!

    Te judges awarded Julie Peder-

    sen Urban Mukluks & Accessories the

    grand prize based on her sound vision,

    endless creativity, entrepreneurial spirit

    and strong commitment to growing her

    business in a progressive direction. Julies

    designs and creations are inspired by

    her lie here in Winnipeg, yet she has

    laboured to create a globally sought aterbrand.

    Julie Pedersen Muckies, Spats and

    ashion accessories are known or their

    unbelievable comort many o her

    customers call them oot pillows! Her

    unique designs and their incredible dura-

    bility have made them a avourite or a

    diverse range o women and children

    across North America.

    Winnipeg winter-inspired mukluks

    are being worn by Hollywood celebri-

    ties. Julies Muckies have been worn by

    Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Jeanne Beker,

    Jaime King, Anna Paquin, Meaghan

    Waller, Kristin Cavallari, Rumer Willis

    and Hannah aylor.

    The Markeig Pla

    Beore any changes could be made toJulies branding and marketing tools, a

    business design consultation and inter-

    view was conducted with Ayoko Design

    to identiy Julies business goals. From

    this initial consultation, we discovered

    that Julies brand was in good shape, but

    it needed some tweaks. Julies main goal

    was to improve her website to reach a

    wider audience and acilitate more online

    sales. Julie had recently made the deci-

    sion to start a amily and moved her

    oce and studio back home. By increas-

    ing her online sales Julie will be able to

    conduct business rom home, travel less

    and spend more time with her young

    amily.

    Te main goal o this makeover

    became clear: tweak her brand, turn

    her website into a lean mean marketing

    machine and create some new marketing

    tools to help her gather new leads and

    stand out rom the crowd.

    Simple Brad Tweaks

    Julie loved her existing logo. Te only

    thing missing was a descriptive tag line.As simple as this may seem, adding a tag

    line to all marketing materials is critical

    and goes a long way towards establishing

    a consistent brand message.

    Ater much deliberation, we agreed

    on Urban Mukluks & Accessories. Tis

    small addition clearly describes the prod-

    uct or customers, and it is also extremely

    useul or search engines.

    ThE $10,000GrAnd PrizE

    Ou $10,000 Gan pize Busi-ness Makeove was esigne ogive e eseving winne ebes makeing ools ossible oomoe ei unique ousan sevies wol-wie.

    Julie peesen

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    12 AyokoMagazine.com

    A Ful l e bs i e Re va mp

    With the dramatic increase in the use o

    mobile devices, Julies website and shop-

    ping cart needed to be ully accessible on

    all web platorms. Responsive Website

    Design (RWD) is an emerging web page

    creation approach that makes use o ex-

    ible layouts and images. Her new Respon-

    sive website automatically detects the

    visitors screen size and orientation and

    resizes the website layout accordingly.

    Te shopping cart images are

    ullscreen on handheld devices like

    iPhones and iPads, making it easy or

    shoppers to browse the store.

    o ensure Julies designs truly shine,

    we incorporated high-quality product

    photography by Winnipeg photographer

    Erin Alexander placed against a white

    background to maximize impact.

    Julies website was proessionally

    written and edited, and all pages incorpo-

    rate keyword rich phrases careully chosen

    to increase search engine optimization

    (SEO) and visibility. We also added criti-

    cal social media links including Pinterest,

    Facebook, witter and LinkedIn to help

    drive more trac to the site.

    A Ne w E-mail Ma rk e i g Pl a

    We added a new sign up orm to the site to

    help Julie build a solid, permission-based

    database o customers who are interested

    in receiving her newsletters, special pro-

    motions and product updates. Julie can

    now use her reshly designed newsletter

    template to e-mail her customers impor-

    J rdg fr hk hd rg.

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    AyokoMagazine.com

    Mt Or JgsLinsay Bzus-

    kiewizs alen

    in esign, skille-

    eye fo fasion,

    an keen vision

    o see as

    oays syles ofous on omo-

    ows u-an-

    oming ens

    ave mae e

    a use soue of infomaion an igly-

    egae ofessional among e saff an ol-

    leagues in e Fasion an design Inusy.

    As owner of Pure Design Build, a com-

    any a woks wi liens in esigning, oga-

    nizing and staging home and ofce spaces, Lind-

    say sives o oninually bing fes, innovaive

    an uing-ege ieas o e liens o makeei vision omoows new ealiy.

    Linsay as a Baelo of human Eology

    degee fom e Univesiy of Manioba an

    aomanying majo in cloing an texiles.

    Visit www.puredesignbuild.net to learn more

    Joseine pul-

    ve is e in-

    ial esigne

    fo Joseine

    designs, an

    ineio esignbusiness o-

    viing onsul-

    aions fo esi-

    dential, ofce

    an ommeial esign. As an insuo of

    eoaing an ineio esign a re rive col-

    lege, Joseine eaes susainable evelo-

    men, level wo eoaing as well as omue

    aie esign in e resienial deoaing po-

    gam.

    pio o eaing, Joseine woke on

    many iffeen esign ojes in Winnieg,Manioba inluing rewoo heaing cene,

    Yukiw cioai, Maeson denal cen-

    e an numeous esienial ojes. Jose-

    ine as also aiiae as a eoao an

    esigne in e annual paae of homes.

    Joseine ols a baelos

    egee fom e Univesiy of Winni-

    eg an a pofessional Ineio design

    egee fom e Univesiy of Manioba.

    Learn more at www.josephine-designs.com

    tant inormation whenever something

    exciting comes along!

    Pri Markeig Perfecio

    Te new designs or Julies business card,

    hang tag and postcard eature a beauti-

    ul new photograph o Julie wearing her

    products. Incorporating her photo helps

    customers make a more personal connec-

    tion with the designer, and it helps them

    remember her. When visiting a trade

    show with hundreds o other businesses,

    anything you can do to stand out on a per-

    sonal level is a wise choice.

    As a nal touch, QR codes were

    added to all pieces to help create additional

    website trac rom mobile customers.

    The Resul

    Julie Pedersens newly designed website is

    now live, and shes ready to take the world

    by storm! Most importantly, Julie eels

    rejuvenated and excited to push orward

    into new markets.

    Yoko Chapman, owner o Ayoko

    Design Inc., has truly enriched the ace o

    my brand, and has designed and created

    my new website, Julie Pedersen happily

    exclaims. I am so grateul or her vision,

    dedication and need or perectionism.

    Yoko is responsible or not only the web-

    sites clean design and resh new ace, but

    has also made order processing and navi-

    gation eortless.

    Congrats Julie and best o luck!

    Be sure to check out Julie Pedersens new

    2013 line o Urban Mukluks & Accessories

    at www.juliepedersen.com

    JOSEphINE pULVEr

    LINdSAYBrZUSKIEWIcZ

    Contst Qlifictionsto qualify fo e Ayoko design Business Makeove cones, businesses

    neee o be a full-ime eneise, in oeaion fo a leas one yea an

    base in e iy of Winnieg.

    Our FinAlisTs:Dental Access Winnipeg

    Divine & Conquer

    EPH Apparel Inc.

    Events by Emma

    Julie Pedersen Clothing & Design

    Luckygirl Photography

    McDiarmid Flowers

    Mountain Bean

    ODT Filharmonic Music Ensemble

    Photography by Michele

    Vintage Veruca Antiques

    Topphoto:Supplied

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    14 AyokoMagazine.com

    Numbers DoNt Lie

    why mobile websiTes Are CrUCiAl in 2013

    t raf Keke, Wsi Wpeg

    y the end o this year it is expected

    that more than 50 % o all Inter-

    net access will be rom smartphones and

    tablets. Tis is one reason that mobile

    website marketing and mobile apps have

    become the largest growing segment o

    the digital marketing mix.Businesses o all shapes and sizes have

    taken notice and have dedicated resources

    to creating dynamic mobile experiences

    or their clients and prospects.

    Here are some great reasons to con-

    sider a mobile website:

    The Sas Do Lie

    Smartphone usage continues to soar and

    there is no sign o it slowing down. Te

    International Data Corporation (IDC)orecasted 2012 smartphone sales to reach

    686 million, and they predict that sales will

    rise to 982 million in 2015. IMS Research

    expects smartphones to reach one billion

    in annual sales in 2016. Te stats dont lie

    smartphones are all around us.

    Icrease Search Egie Visibiliy

    People continue to search more and more

    or local products and services on-the-go.

    Search engines display dierent results

    when the same term is searched on a

    desktop or on a mobile device browser. I

    you have a mobile site, your listing will be

    ranked above a website that doesnt have

    mobile capabilities.

    Coe Opimized for Differe Plaforms

    raditional websites are designed or

    large horizontal screens and the user

    experience doesnt transer well to the

    tall, small screens o smartphones. Its

    like orcing a round peg into a square

    hole. Its also important to note that cer-

    tain web technologies simply dont work

    on mobile devices. For example, iPhones

    are unable to render Flash video; thisissue has made a large number o web-

    sites basically obsolete on-the-go.

    Creae a ow Mome

    Despite the stats and benets, the major-

    ity o businesses still do not optimize their

    websites or mobile platorms. Tis creates

    a great opportunity to impress clients with

    your antastic mobile experience.

    One o the main reasons businesses

    avoid creating mobile websites is price.

    Its important to note that mobile web-

    site development is surprisingly cost-

    eective. Because all o your content is

    already created, its much less time-inten-

    sive than creating your original website.

    Ral Klenke is the President o WSI Win-

    nipeg. He helps business owners understand

    the value o the Internet and helps them gen-

    erate more leads and sales with less money.

    o learn more, visit www.whywsi.com

    reAChing yoUr on-The-go mobile AUdienCea rd h fr ph 2007 d hg hv

    vr h m. w hv mr r h vr

    rk -h-g, r -h-g d mm

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    rALFKLENKE

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    AyokoMagazine.com

    mobiLe maNia

    greAT Tips For JUmping on The mobile bAndwAgon

    t Aexaa Moo, xlAB iteactve

    obile is theway o the uture in

    act its here right now.

    Te majority o people under 30 use

    text messaging rather than e-mail as their

    primary orm o communication. An

    astounding 82 % o searches or restau-

    rants, bars and entertainment are made

    on mobile devices. According to Giga-com, in the last quarter o 2011, Apple

    sold at least 28 million iOS devices vs.

    4.9 million Macs.

    I youre not on the mobile band-

    wagon, the parade will pass you by.

    Here are some tips to keep in mind:

    Keep Campaigs Fu

    I you are asking someone to scan a QR

    code, make sure to reward them or their

    eorts with value added content, a special

    video, a coupon code or another interac-

    tive experience.

    Be Mobile Friedly

    Have you visitedyourwebsite on a smart-

    phone or tablet? How does it look? Are

    there any non-mobile riendly elements

    like Flash? Does it do your brand justice?

    Ma ke Yo ur Co ac If o Cl ic ka bl e

    Ensure your contact ino on both your

    website and e-mail signature is text, not

    images, so viewers can tap the number to

    call you. Likewise, ensure your address on

    your website is in text so viewers can click

    it and be taken to a map o your businesslocation. Tese steps will also help Google

    index you in their special Mobile Search

    engine, adding link bait to your regular

    site rankings.

    Al ways Co s id er Co ex

    Your mobile audience is on-the-go, so cut

    to the chase. Give them what they need

    to know about your business in a mobile

    context. Make it crystal clear where youre

    located and when youre open, post spe-cials and consider adding a video i a

    picture is worth 1,000 words, a video on-

    the-go is worth a million!

    Lik All Pri Adverisig

    Use QR codes to link your business cards

    to your mobile site and youll be able to

    track the eectiveness o your marketing

    collateral!

    Lik Mobile Campaigs o Social Media

    Create viral coupons that spread when

    someone likes them on Facebook. Send

    QR codes to your witter ollowers or

    special witter only deals.

    I youre not a marketing genius, have

    a mobile marketing consultant help youwith at least the rst ew campaigns

    theyll make sure that the concept, tech-

    nology and implementation will get you

    your return on investment.

    Alexandra Morrison is the President o

    xLAB Interactive, a web and Internet mar-

    keting company based in Winnipeg. Learn

    more at www.xlabinteractive.com

    Photo:OffthePagePhotography

    ALExANdrA MOrrISON

    a m f m frd .

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    16 AyokoMagazine.com

    t Ec Aa & Mak nowe, MobCom

    n 2009, our billion mobile users

    sent ve trillion messages. Accord-

    ing to Potio Research, by 2013 this

    number will double to ten trillion.

    Many businesses are already reap-ing the rewards o mobile marketing:

    Retail stores are driving more foot

    trac, seeing a higher average spend

    per customer and increasing cus-

    tomer loyalty.

    Real estate agents are increasing

    their open house attendances.

    Bars and restaurants are increasing

    patronage and uptake o daily spe-

    cials.

    Auto dealers are converting moresales.

    Mobile Marketing includes Short

    Message Service (SMS) ext Mar-

    keting, QR Code Marketing, Mobile

    Coupons, ext to Win, SMS Contests,

    Mobile Voting/Polls, Appointment

    Reminders, ext to Screen and Mobile

    Rewards/Loyalty Programs.

    Here are ve big reasons why SMS

    is a marketers dream:

    Popularit ad Reach

    Te mobile phone is the most perva-

    sive media on the planet with about

    ve billion subscribers (according to

    Te International elecommunica-

    tion Union), its equivalent to 70 % o

    the worlds population. 80 % o mobile

    phone subscribers use SMS regularly.

    Sayig Power

    Te use o SMS hasnt been dented by

    the popularity o other mobile media

    including mobile Web, e-mail, applica-

    tions, multi-media messaging or mobile

    social networking. Tis is because text is

    ar more widely available, more aordable

    and its easier to use.

    Permaece

    SMS doesnt require both parties to be

    available at the same time. Te marketing

    message can still be sent even when the

    recipients phone is switched o or there

    is no network signal. It will be deliveredwhen the phone becomes available and

    sits in the inbox until the recipient is ree.

    Versailiy

    Teres much more to SMS than 138

    characters o text. Messages can include

    binary data and marketers can also send

    or receive digital content such as ring-

    tones, pictures, logos, wallpapers, anima-

    tions and money-o coupons/vouchers.

    Two-way Commuicaio

    Media companies (radio, V etc.) have

    been quite successul in encouraging view-

    ers/readers to send in eedback, tips or

    stories, pictures and to join promotions

    using SMS.

    No matter what industry youre in,

    mobile marketing campaigns can be

    more eective than traditional marketing

    methods and they are oten even cheaper

    to create and deliver. I youre interested

    in reaching out to a new audience, SMS

    marketing can help you reach a new

    crowd on-the-go.

    MobiCom is a national mobile communica-

    tion company based in Winnipeg. Tey help

    clients o all sizes develop and implement

    SMS marketing plans. For more inorma-

    tion, visit www.mobicom.ca

    the secrets outhow mobile sms mArkeTing CAn grow yoUr bUsiness

    MArKNOWELLErIcALLAN

    A

    TargtMovig

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    B Ray & RalisticTreAT soCiAl mediA like A Core bUsiness proCess

    t dae Bkoff & Yoko Capma

    ocial media is one o the most

    aordable and ar-reaching mar-

    keting tools available or your business.

    Tat being said, many business own-

    ers have a hard time deciding whether we

    love it or hate it. With so many dierent

    social media platorms to learn and use,

    maintaining a social media marketing

    campaign or your business may seem

    impossible and overwhelming.

    Although we may resent the new

    obligations that come with social media,

    these new marketing platorms do open

    countless doors that were never acces-

    sible to us beore. As business owners and

    proessionals, we need to make it a prior-

    ity to nd ways to embrace these invalu-

    able tools and implement plans to get our

    social media engines roaring.

    Here are some simple tips to help you

    design a manageable social media plan:

    Ideify Your Prioriies

    Choose to join the networks that sup-

    port the strategic goals o your business.

    Its better to create a strong, consistent

    presence on one or two networks than tospread yoursel thin over ve.

    Creae ad Follow a Schedule

    Determine how many posts or updates

    you would like to make and when you

    would like to make them or each plat-

    orm. Consider using an app like Hoot-

    Suite where you can schedule batches o

    posts in advance to multiple networks.

    Tis way you can dedicate an hour or two

    on Mondays to plan and schedule your

    posts or the rest o the week.

    Ma ke a Ti me Co mm i me

    Create realistic goals and create a daily

    time limit. Schedule social media man-

    agement in like an appointment and stick

    to it. View social media as a core business

    process and dont spend any more or less

    time on it than scheduled.

    Do Be Afraid o Ask for Help

    Just because you can do it yoursel doesnt

    mean you should do it yoursel. I you just

    cant nd the time to keep up, or eel that

    you could be making a better impact, call

    a social media proessional to help you get

    the job done.

    Considering social medias potentialreach, and how tough it is or other orms

    o marketing to compete, it seems hard to

    believe that so many people choose to miss

    out on such an incredible opportunity. I

    you cant nd the time or youre simply

    not interested in learning the myriad o

    social platorms, hire someone to help you

    ulll your daily social media obligations

    and keep your business on the map.

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    ph Jeemy hebet Potogapy

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    ANdrEAMANcINI

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    Pln Lik Pro

    orporate special events go ar

    beyond meetings, conerences and

    celebrations. In act, when you hire a spe-

    cial event planner you are developing and

    executing a marketing plan or your com-

    pany. Corporate events help to build bet-

    ter relationships, open up new networks

    and spread the word about dynamic com-

    panies and people.

    A corporate event is one o your best

    opportunities to build relationships with

    your clients. It is your opportunity to takethe relationship out o the oce and into

    a more relaxed environment.

    Buildig Relaioships Builds Busiesses

    It is incredibly important to relate to your

    clients on a personal level. When a cli-

    ent views you as a personal contact, their

    loyalty grows and their desire to reer you

    to others increases. It is human nature to

    eel connected to those who take interest

    in your personal lie and want to share

    excitement, joy and lies successes with

    you. I have witnessed many clients expe-

    rience a growth in customer loyalty once

    they have ostered a personal connection.

    Some easy ways to begin this pro-

    cess are to send the invite to their home

    address rather than their oce, invite

    spouses to the event and include spouses

    or signicant others names when address-ing the invite. Some companies will also

    consider holding an event where people

    can bring their children.

    Sped Moey o Make Moey

    Spending money to make money is an

    old philosophy, but it still rings true in

    todays society. When a client perceives

    you as successul, their trust will automati-

    cally grow in your ability to manage their

    needs. Your event will never be orgotten

    i you inject some wow actor into it! Give

    your planner the reedom to spend money

    on dcor, great entertainment and amaz-

    ing ood and beverages that will elevate

    your event to the next level. When a client

    senses that immense thought and eort

    has gone into an event, they will leave

    with lasting memories and a desire or

    more.

    Keep i Fresh ad Ieresig

    In the past, corporate events all had a sim-

    ilar ormat. Tey usually began with a wel-

    come rom the host, service o wine and

    cheese, add in some small talk and head

    home ater an hour or two o being there

    Our planners strive to create events that

    Tips For high-impACT CorporATe evenTs

    AndreasPhoto:MoorePhotography

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    20 AyokoMagazine.com

    are current, interesting and innovative to

    keep up with todays sophisticated clients.

    Tese ever-changing ormulas will leave

    your clients wanting more and help to

    make your events the ones that they want

    to attend. Hosting a casual movie evening

    at a local theatre or a summer barbecue in

    your own backyard will allow your clients

    to spend time with you and your amily

    and see you in a new light.

    Creae Neworkig Opporuiiesfo r Yo ur Cl ie s

    Your corporate event can oten serve as a

    networking opportunity or your clients.

    I you eel that your clients may have an

    opportunity to work together, take the

    time to make the introduction and helpstart the conversation. It is always impor-

    tant or your clients to eel appreciated,

    but i they also sense that you care about

    their success it is only natural or them to

    return the avour down the road.

    ha a Plaer Ca Do for You

    An event planner is an invaluable resource

    or busy companies that want to keep their

    events ahead o the curve and impress

    their clients time ater time. A planner

    is dedicated to your event and is able to

    come up with new ideas and improve-

    ments to make your events stand out. It

    also takes the pressure o your in-house

    sta and allows them to ocus on the jobthey were hired to do.

    We are very well connected in the

    event industry and can easily identiy ven-

    dors and sources that will save you time

    and keep you on budget. We also have

    experience with many vendors and can

    ensure that the best o the best is hired

    or your event. Many o our clients simply

    give us a date and a budget and the rest o

    the details are up to us.

    Hiring a proessional planner allowsyou to ocus your energy on your clients

    and your business, and it ensures that your

    event is the best it can be.

    Andrea Mancini is the owner o Soire

    Event Planning. She has over eight years

    experience in event planning, design and

    undraising. Visit www.soireeplanning.ca

    to learn more.

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    t dae Bkoff

    ne o the most important and best

    investments o any event is the role

    o a proessional master o ceremonies.

    Weve all been to them the events

    that have no direction, drag on, are con-

    using or just plain un-un! Organizing

    an amazing event is great, but i there is

    no captain o the ship it can quickly sink!

    said Aisha Ala, Winnipeg comedian and

    MC extraordinaire. A quality Host/MC

    can help ensure proper ow and maxi-

    mum un at any event.

    Aisha is the perect example o a pro

    MC: shes hilarious, charming and has

    worked enough events to know how to

    manage the pace and ow o any evening.

    Carol Ploen-Hosegood, Founder o the

    Happy Monkey Club, agrees. She hired

    Aisha to host multiple Power o Posi-

    tive events and has seen rst hand how

    a proessional MC like Ala can make an

    event excel.

    Aisha relates to her audiencewhether they are 14 or 50 and without

    a doubt consistently receives the highest

    reviews rom participants, said Ploen-

    Hosegood. What I love the most about

    Aisha is that she is authentic and takes

    a true interest in her audience and what

    they are eeling. Love, love, love her.

    I youre planning a corporate event,

    hiring a proessional MC may be the best

    decision you make. Here are some great

    reasons to invest in a quality event hostor MC:

    Say i Corol & O Schedule

    Longwinded speakers will not only make

    things run late, they will be boring and

    the audience will quickly lose attention.

    A proessional MC will ensure your

    event proceeds seamlessly by keeping

    your speakers presentations on time,

    ensuring smooth transitions rom one

    person to the next.

    Esure a Capive AudieceFor any size or type o corporate event,

    an experienced proessional MC adds

    incredible value by injecting style, are,

    wit and just the right amount o comic

    relie to maintain the attention o the

    audience.

    Provide Damage Corol

    An experienced MC wears many hats.

    Tey can improvise in sticky situations

    as well as adapt to any unexpected cir-

    cumstances. In the event that a speaker is

    absent, late or unable to perorm, an MC

    will be able to ll in any gaps and keep the

    potential or disaster well under control.

    A Va lu ab le Ev e Pl a i g Re so urce

    Make the most o your MCs knowledge

    an experienced event host can be a valu-

    able resource throughout the planning

    process. Tey will be able to give you great

    advice when it comes to unexpected chal-lenges or key decisions.

    Ma ke Yo ur Ev e Me mo ra bl e

    With any orm o marketing or advertis-

    ing, you want to leave a lasting message

    with your clients and customers. When

    you hire a proessional MC to host your

    event, you are sending the message to your

    guests that you care about quality and

    youre willing to oer them something

    unique!When thinking about ways to plan a

    un and memorable corporate event, keep

    in mind how a proessional MC can keep

    continuity, maintain a captive audience

    and, most o all, leave the right lasting

    message.

    o nd out more about booking Aisha and her

    event MC services, visit www.aishaala.com

    weVe all been to tHeM

    tHe eVents tHat HaVe

    no DiRection, DRaG on,aRe conFusinG oR Just

    plain un-Fun!

    - ah af, wg md

    d Mc rrdr

    Photo:ErinAlexanderPhotography

    Evnt ExprtisThe beneFiTs oF hiring A proFessionAl mC

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    22 AyokoMagazine.com

    t dae Bkoff

    hoosing your corporate event

    entertainment is a sink or swim

    proposition.

    Great entertainers can make it a

    night to remember. Tey can engage your

    crowd, set the mood and keep the tempo

    going. Bad entertainers can empty a room

    or, even worse, oend your guests and

    tarnish your reputation. Unlike private

    events, corporate entertainment requires aspecial set o skills and experience. Tere

    is a lot more riding on corporate engage-

    ments, and it is imperative or the enter-

    tainers to be able to read the room and act

    accordingly.

    One act quickly rising up the Winni-

    peg event ranks is the Joy Diamond Band.

    Tey have been able to appeal to a wide

    rage o crowds because o their eclectic

    music mix they play sing along, stomp

    your eet tunes rom the 40s, 50s, 60s,70s, 80s and whatever.

    We like appealing to a wide range

    o audiences, says Joy Stadnichuk (aka Joy

    Diamond), the lead singer and general man-

    ager o the band. We choose songs that we

    like to play and the result is an energy that

    exudes our love o playing music.

    For Joy, choosing the right songs is

    key to getting the crowd on their side.

    Likewise, i youre planning an event, you

    can win or lose the crowd with your plan-

    ning choices. Here are several tips to help

    you through the process:

    Choose he Righ Ac for he Righ Crowd

    Choose the right entertainer to set the

    tone or the event. Ask yoursel this: what

    type o entertainment would please the

    most people? Te kind o event (launch

    party, training session, a ormal get

    together, annual celebration, etc.) will

    oten determine the most suitable choice.

    Choose he Righ Eeraiers for Your Veue

    Is there a big stage or small stage? What is

    the sound system like? Is there room or a

    circus act or would a single entertainer t

    better? Or, alternatively, i there is a large

    crowd and huge stage, a small act might

    get lost in the shufe.

    Creae Some Hype for he Eve

    One o the biggest reasons to hire corpo-

    rate entertainers is to get your audience

    excited to attend. Once youve booked

    your entertainment, be sure to add it to

    your event marketing materials. Te more

    your potential attendees know about your

    exciting entertainment oering the better.

    Esure Your Guess Leave ih a Sory

    raditional musical acts are great to get

    your crowd dancing and singing, but con-

    sider adding a non-traditional act to the

    bill as well. Hire a contortionist, magician

    or comedian and your crowd will have

    something to talk about the next day atthe water cooler word o mouth is one o

    the strongest orms o marketing, so dont

    be araid to get creative.

    You can see the Joy Diamond Band regularly

    at Juss Jazz and Te Bella Vista Restaurant

    and Pizzeria. For more inormation, visit

    www.joydiamondband.com. Visit Youube

    to hear samples rom their live perormances.

    Prfct PrformrsChoosing The besT CorporATe evenT enTerTAiners

    th J Dmd bd. lf Rgh: cff crk,

    trr ym, D lhrd, J sdhk

    d Mk wrk. Mg: sv cm

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    AyokoMagazine.comD A N I E L B I L L I N K O F F | 2 0 4 . 9 9 9 . 1 8 2 9 | D A N I E L @ B L A C K B I R D C R E A T I V E . C A | W W W . B L A C K I R D C R E A T I V E . C A

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    Services include:

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    Bst in ShowensUre yoUr TrAde show booTh leAves A lAsTing impression

    t Yoko Capma

    aking the time to properly prepare

    or a trade show is critical you

    need to go big or go home.

    rade shows are unique as you will

    not only be required to show your products

    in their best light to win new customers,

    its also a setting where you will be directly

    compared to your competition. You need

    to nd ways to make your presentation the

    best, and stay top-o-mind with your cus-

    tomers long ater they leave the show.Here are some tips to help you

    become best in show:

    Do Your Research

    Learn what your competition has done in

    the past and, i possible, what they plan to

    do this time so that you can come up with

    new ways to set your business apart rom

    all the rest. Speak with the event coordi-

    nator to nd out the amount o printed

    materials required so you do not run short.Look at the oor plan to determine the

    best location in proximity to aisles, major

    trac areas or special eatures at the trade

    show that may create a draw.

    Brad Your Display

    Your trade show display should incorpo-

    rate your companys current logo/logos,

    graphics and photography rom your

    branding. Display other marketing mate-rials including printed advertising. You

    need to be consistent, recognizable and

    visible.

    Pla i All Ou

    Experiment with drawings, colours, tex-

    tures, nishes and creative lighting. Con-

    sider the placement and design or all the

    structural and decorative elements, and

    consider using three or our simple clip-

    on lights to add the polish you need to

    make your booth look proessional.

    Creae Special Promoios

    Create a special promotion that is unique

    to the trade show. Tat does not necessar-

    ily mean that you have to give everything

    away or ree. I you are creative and think

    it through, you will be able to nd new and

    original ways to add value or your customers.

    Talk o Sragers

    Tis is your big chance to grow your busi-

    ness network and gather new leads. Con-

    test ballots are the oldest trick in the book,

    but are a great way to get contact inorma-

    tion and e-mail list opt-ins rom potential

    new customers.

    Icorporae he Virual orld

    Use the trade show as a way to drive trac

    to your website. Ensure that your printed

    marketing materials and signage include

    your website address. Also, consider add-

    ing QR codes as a way or people to

    quickly connect to you using their mobile

    devices.

    rade shows are a great way to reach

    a large new audience and build relation-

    ships. Te key to success is being well pre-

    pared and not skimping when it comes to

    your branding and personality.

    Bae taeow pay

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    w w w . m y s e c r e g a r d e f l o w e r s . c o m

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    26 AyokoMagazine.com

    w w w . s w e e i m p r e s s i o s . c a

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    w w w . c a r d s b y c r i s i a . c o m

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    28 AyokoMagazine.com

    t + ph E Aexae Potogapy

    sg Jeca Ee, Wt a Fo

    ErINALExANdEr

    Hlp YourProdctsShinProfessionAl ProDuct

    PhotogrAPhy tiPs & tricks

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    roessional photography can help

    your products pop and your business

    shine. Investing in quality product photog-

    raphy does more than simply show o your

    product it helps you tell your story.

    When done properly, brand or prod-

    uct photography can help you capture

    your audiences attention, establish brand

    credibility, conjure positive emotions and,most importantly, leave a lasting message.

    Here are some quick tips to ensure

    your products are photographed properly:

    u arr lghg

    Unwanted light patches or shadows

    can drastically change the look and mood

    o the photo.

    u h Rgh bkgrd

    I recommend using white or cata-

    logue and shopping carts, and textured orcoloured backgrounds or a more stylized

    look or print and web advertising.

    You can also use a contextual back-

    ground to help viewers establish a connec-

    tion with the products.

    b cr d c

    Eliminate all unwanted wrinkles,

    creases, price tags and labels. Ensure prod-

    ucts and backdrops are balanced, aligned,

    clean and ree o lint, dirt and debris.

    D c edg

    Dont assume that imperectionscan be edited out later this mistake can

    be very costly. Be properly prepared and

    do it right the rst time.

    b c

    I groups o photos are intended to

    be presented together as a gallery or store,

    they need to be consistent in lighting,

    scale and placement.

    p, p, p

    Tis is especially critical i you have

    a large number o products to photograph.Meet with your photographer beorehand

    to ensure youre prepared and organized

    or your photo shoot. I the logistics o the

    shoot are already sorted out, your brain

    will be ree to come up with great new

    ideas and inspirations during the shoot.

    udrd ph q

    Your photos dont always need to

    share every little product detail. Tis is

    important or catalogues and online shop-

    ping carts, but is not necessary to stylized

    shots used or print and web advertising.

    Ensure that your photos show the main

    product and the style o the shoot sum-

    marizes the main message.

    When working with a proessional

    product photographer, the key is clearly

    communicating your brand, your needs

    or the shoot and your budget to ensure

    youre on the same page.

    Erin Alexander is a versatile photographer

    specializing in stylized product photos andtechnical catalogue photos, as well as photo-

    graphing babies, children, amilies, weddings

    and documentary style photos. View her work

    at www.erinalexanderphotography.com

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    t Jy Mata & de hame, Exectve decto of Bni Matoba

    etworking has changed. In years

    gone by, networkers did the Las

    Vegas Shufe they milled about busi-

    ness events, collected business cards to

    update their database, and then moved on

    to the next event. Te bigger the list, the

    better their hunt and, in their oten mis-guided opinion, the better their network.

    Others viewed networking events as an

    opportunity to make a quick sale on the

    spot, while others viewed it as a time to

    schmooze and booze.

    Although some aspects o those old-

    ashioned methods have remained, the

    overall concept o networking has evolved.

    wo decades ago, Ivan Misner, the

    ounder o the worlds largest networking

    organization, Business Network Interna-

    tional (BNI), summarized networking

    as, Te process o developing and using

    your contacts to increase your business,

    enhance your knowledge, expand your

    sphere o inuence or serve your com-

    munity.

    Since then, two key words have

    changed in that denition: Use became

    activate and contact became relation-

    ship. Tese changes truly exempliy the

    major shits in how networking is viewed

    and utilized today.

    Te rst linguistic change occurred

    as proessional networkers realized that

    using is a one-way street, while activat-

    ing is a major two-way highway. Activat-

    ing a relationship is more powerul, moretrue to who we are or need to be i we

    want to engage potential clients.

    Furthermore, to understand the evo-

    lution o business networking, it is crucial

    to understand the dierence between

    hunting and arming mentalities. Te

    hunter wants the quick kill a quick, right

    now sale. A armer understands that you

    need to till the soil, plant the seed, ertil-

    ize and water it beore you can harvest

    the crop. In the same way, building your

    business using networking means that

    you must cultivate or develop genuine

    and authentic relationships only then

    can you truly expect to receive reerrals, or

    harvest the crop.

    Te antiquated goal o collecting

    contacts is no more; todays networking

    centres around building relationships.

    It is really about helping others as a way

    o growing your business. Te people you

    help are more willing to help you or con-

    nect you to people they know. Tis is the

    basic thinking and methodology behind

    creating reerral-based business growth.

    By simply changing a couple words

    in the original denition, the true mean-

    ing o eective networking becomes clear.It is much more congruent with the style

    o networking we teach every day, a style

    that really works.

    Judy Murata & Denis Hamel are the Execu-

    tive Directors o BNI Manitoba, a world-

    wide marketing organization specializing

    in word-o-mouth reerrals. Learn more at

    www.bnimanitoba.com

    esTAblishing A new deFiniTion oF bUsiness neTworking

    PoplPowr

    dENIShAMEL &JUdYMUrAtA

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    LANIELIASFINEARTPHOTOGRAPHY

    Brides Lounge Grooms Lounge Inspiration Gallery

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    February23&242013

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    S p E c I A L A d V E r t I S I N G F E A t U r E

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    34 AyokoMagazine.com

    Vintage Vision

    onique Buckmaster, owner oVintage Veruca, has ound a way

    to celebrate and share memories

    and pieces rom the past in a resh new

    way. Specializing in the buying and sell-

    ing o antique urniture, artwork, lighting,

    jewelry, dcor, replacement china, silver

    and crystal, Monique has an eye or qual-

    ity and an ear or the right story.

    By utilizing cutting-edge online mar-keting tools and technology, she has been

    able to establish a thriving local antique

    business with global reach. With a jam-

    packed eBay store and stunning website

    shop, Monique has cleverly leveraged

    internet marketing tools to help custom-

    ers around the world connect with Vin-

    tage Veruca.

    Although most o her business isconducted online, her beautiully arranged

    storeront on Main Street gives her ample

    storage space and a way to say connected

    to the local community. For many people,

    the rarest nd in her store is the propri-

    etor a woman with charm and passion

    like no other.

    For me, its all about the people its

    all about the stories, Monique explains. I

    love vintage pieces, I love beautiul, nos-

    talgic items rom days past. I encourage

    people to drop in, take their time and digdeep. Teres no rush and quite rankly, I

    love meeting new people in the store!

    Vintage Veruca has evolved into a

    store that is as much a time capsule as it

    is a business. Her second store, Red River

    General Store, is no dierent. Located in

    Narol, Manitoba, the Red River General

    store carries antiques (o course), but also

    stocks organic produce and dry goods,

    soaps, jams, loose lea teas and locally

    crated birdhouses and weather vanes.With two thriving stores under her

    belt, Monique is proud that her unique

    combination o old school charm and new

    school marketing has a place in Manitoba.

    I am denitely most proud o sur-

    viving the rst ve years o business,

    Monique said with a smile. Purchasing

    my rst commercial building was a huge

    milestone, but I think that Im most proud

    o being able to raise three children in the

    shop without the assistance o day care.

    Its been incredibly rewarding.Vintage Veruca was eatured in the

    Parade o Homes and the 2011 Winnipeg

    Free Press Git Guide. Monique has also

    been eatured in the Winnipeg Free Press

    or the Red River General Store.

    Visit www.vintageverucaantiques.com or

    www.redrivergeneralstore.com

    old-FAshioned vAlUes meeT modern mArkeTing Tools

    Moqe Bckmate | 204.339.5301 | 1342 M sr

    vintage verucawww.aaaq.m

    S p E c I A L A d V E r t I S I N G F E A t U r E

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    Unique aniques& olleibles fom

    Vinage Veua

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    36 AyokoMagazine.com

    CoolUnder Pressure

    vent planning is high stress, detailoriented and you only get one

    chance to get it right.

    Emma Singh, Founder & CEO o

    Events by Emma, strives under pressure

    her ability to keep her cool and, time ater

    time, deliver impeccable results has made

    her one o Canadas most sought ater

    event planners. Events by Emma oers

    couture planning and design or every

    occasion. With over 15 years o experi-

    ence, Emma and her creative and dedi-

    cated team are proven industry leaders inhigh-quality event management.

    Events by Emmas success can be seen

    in the companys growth: what was once a

    small home-based business has expandedinto a rm o planners with over 5,000

    square eet o warehouse, dcor, production

    space and showroom she has even more

    exciting expansion plans in 2013.

    We are currently one o the largest

    event rms in Manitoba and have been

    recognized nationally or our work on all

    types o Events big and small, Emma

    said. We have also been recognized as

    one o the top ve planners in Canada

    which is a great honour.

    Although event planning is highlycompetitive, Events by Emma has set

    itsel apart by specializing in world-class

    couture planning and design. Emma

    brings class and panache to every occasionincluding corporate events, non-prot

    events, social events and weddings. From

    custom themes to haute design packages,

    Events by Emma has established itsel

    as Winnipegs top choice or high-end

    events and planning.

    Our unied approach, creative

    energy and amily ocused atmosphere

    have helped us to develop lasting and

    strong relationships with all o our clients,

    vendors and venues, explains Emma

    Te entire event experience needs toshine. Its these relationships that we pride

    ourselves in and we believe that our n-

    ished product is like no one else. Each and

    every event needs to wow the guests, and

    we work extremely hard to ensure every-

    thing runs awlessly. We try to inuse a

    special bit o EBE or Emma style into

    every event we produce.

    Events by Emmas clients include

    Rendez-Vous Canada, Cineplex Entertain-

    ment, Marymound, Special Olympics, PeterNygrd, ourism Winnipeg, Crohns and

    Colitis Foundation o Canada, Childrens

    Wish Foundation, Plug In Institute o Con-

    temporary Art, Royal Winnipeg Ballet and

    the Winnipeg Chamber o Commerce.

    In a recent interview, Emma revealed

    the source o her passion, I love meet-

    ing new people every day and I love the

    challenges o our ever-growing industry

    in Manitoba. Winnipeg is a city that is

    vibrant and growing rapidly and I love all

    the changes and exciting things happen-ing. Being the culture capital o the coun-

    try, I love the diversity not only in the

    events I produce but the dierent cultures

    and heritages I get to celebrate and get to

    bring to lie through my events.

    Learn more about Events by Emma at www.

    eventsbyemma.com, or call 204.779.8812 to

    book an appointment.

    bringing CoUTUre evenT plAnning To winnipeg

    Emma sg | 204.779.8812 | 141143 Db sr

    events by emmawww.bmma.m

    S p E c I A L A d V E r t I S I N G F E A t U r E

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    38 AyokoMagazine.com

    APassion for Fashion

    hannon Klymchuk ollowedin her grandathers ootsteps

    and became a third generation

    accountant. While working ull time or

    a local accounting rm, she completed a

    ashion merchandising course in her spare

    time.

    I really only entered account-

    ing because it was what I knew best,

    Shannon explains. And it helped me

    get the money I needed to go traveling

    to shop or awesome clothing I loved

    searching out new styles and designers Icouldnt nd in Winnipeg. Te ashion

    course truly opened my eyes to new pos-

    sibilities.

    In the midst o corporate restructur-ing, her role was no longer needed and

    Shannon realized that it was the per-

    ect time to pursue her dreams. Shan-

    non wasted no time and opened Divine

    & Conquer, a boutique ashion store on

    Academy Road. Specializing in upstart

    Canadian designers, Divine & Conquer

    built a name or itsel by carrying clothing

    lines not ound anywhere else in Mani-

    toba.

    Ive traveled to New York and Las

    Vegas to source clothing what I learnedwas that Canadian designers are every bit

    as exciting as those in other parts o the

    world, Shannon said. A lot o our cus-

    tomers eel good knowing that theyrehelping the Canadian economy and help-

    ing Canadian ashion designers climb the

    ladder o success.

    Divine & Conquers Canadian

    designers/ashion lines include Alex Espi-

    nosa, Dee Karpa, Lennard aylor, Kol-

    lonta, SLAK, Voyou, Eve Gravel, Narcis-

    sist, Chloe Angus, Elroy Apparel, Marika

    Brose, Abel Muoz, Tieves, Jennier

    Glasgow, Te Paddock, NADO and Gaya.

    Along with supporting Canadian

    ashion designers, Shannon is also anactive member o the Winnipeg Chamber

    o Commerce, WBOM, Happy Monkey

    Club and CFIB, and dedicated to helping

    local charities.

    Tis February, Divine & Conquer

    will be working with Easter Seals SMD

    on a ashion show at Inernos Bistro on

    Academy Road, and later in the month

    Shannon is participating in the Red Dress

    Gala ashion show or Heart & Stroke.

    I love supporting great Winnipegcharities, Shannon said. Its a great eel-

    ing helping those in need. One o the rea-

    sons I love ashion is that it helps people

    its transormative. Beautiul clothes that

    really t are great or your condence,

    mood and sel-esteem.

    o help Winnipeg women nd their

    dream dress or perect print, Shannon

    oers private group shopping events ea-

    turing complimentary wine, cheese, ruit,

    discounts and prizes. I youre unsure

    whether you need a new style in the com-ing months, Shannon has some advice:

    Why wait or an event to dress up?

    Make a ashion statement and let the

    event come to you. You only have one

    chance to make a rst impression. Make

    it memorable.

    You can learn more about Divine & Conquer

    ashions at www.divineandconquer.ca

    one womAns JoUrney From ACCoUnTAnT To FAshionisTA

    sao Kymck | 204.415.7656 | 400 adm Rd

    divine & conquerwww.dadq.a

    S p E c I A L A d V E r t I S I N G F E A t U r E

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    divine & conque,seializing in

    canaian esignefasion

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    40 AyokoMagazine.com

    Heart & StrokeSweethearts

    he cache o vintage jewelry thatDayle Goertzen has amassed over

    the decades shines and sparkles.

    Gems and jewels, silver and bronze she

    has collected a true treasure trove o un,

    elegant costume pieces.

    Several years ago she got an idea: why

    not transorm all o these beautiul old

    pieces into something new?

    Te result is Vintage Bling, a unique

    line o hand made costume jewelry made

    using recycled vintage components.

    Inspired by Dayles passion or vintageavour and nostalgia, Vintage Bling has

    made its way to the pages oElle Canada,

    Chatelaine, Weddingbells, Splash and Pre-

    mieremagazines, as well as onto Te Red

    Carpet in Hollywood.

    With rave reviews and outstanding

    press support, her customer base grew and

    Vintage Bling took o.

    Amidst her growing success, things

    took a turn or Dayle and her amily. In

    February o 2011, Dayle lost her mother

    Norma to congestive heart ailure.We buried her on Valentines Day,

    which is bittersweet because she was such

    an incredible sweetheart, says Dayle. I

    miss her so much.

    o honour her mother, Dayle began

    designing a series o vintage heart locket

    necklaces lovingly named Sweethearts.

    Each o these beautiul, one-o-a-kind

    pieces eatured a heart somewhere in the

    design and Dayle decided to donate a

    portion o the proceeds to Te Heart &

    Stroke Foundation. Te entire line soldout within a month.

    Most importantly, Dayle ound great

    comort in designing the Sweethearts line.

    I ound that this process has proven

    to be great therapy, Dayle explains. Its

    been so great, in act, that Ive decided to

    make this an annual tradition I plan on

    releasing a new line o Sweethearts this

    winter. And with February being Heart &

    Stroke Month, the symbolism is perect.

    Vintage Blings second annualSweethearts line will be released Febru-

    ary 1 with a portion o the proceeds going

    to support the Heart & Stroke Founda-

    tion. Each one-o-a-kind design eatures

    a heart to honour people and amilies who

    have battled heart disease.

    Tis years Sweethearts line will be

    available on the Vintage Bling website

    and Facebook page, or the month o Feb-

    ruary only, in a special Sweethearts photo

    album.

    Remember that they are one-o-a-kind, Dayle warns. I you see something

    you like, dont wait and hope it will still

    be there later you may end up disap-

    pointed.

    Learn more at www.vintagebling.ca or

    www.acebook.com/vintagebling and check

    back February 1 or the launch o Sweet-

    hearts or Heart & Stroke.

    vinTAge bling For A greAT CAUse

    daye Goete | 204.661.9566

    vintage blingwww.ab.a

    S p E c I A L A d V E r t I S I N G F E A t U r E

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    42 AyokoMagazine.com

    Climbingthe Ranks

    al Klenke is the owner o WSIDigital Marketing in Winnipeg.

    WSI is the worlds largest network

    o Certied Digital Marketing Consultants

    with over 1,500 oces in 87 countries.

    When asked how WSIs approach

    diered rom smaller local digital market-

    ing companies, it became clear that scale is

    a tremendous benet.

    WSI has a team o over 150 support

    sta at our head oce in oronto, Ral

    answered. Tis team provides constant

    training and also researches the best prod-ucts and services to be included in the WSI

    system. WSIs global knowledge, competi-tive pricing and outstanding purchasing

    power simply cant be matched by compa-

    nies who exist only in local markets.

    Te ollowing case study is a typi-

    cal WSI story. A ew months ago, Ral

    received a call rom a local retailer who

    was concerned about the lack o new busi-

    ness coming in rom their ad in the local

    telephone directory. He also realized that,

    when important keywords were searched,

    his website wasnt ranking on Googles rst

    page. He also knew that any trac that didget to his site didnt seem to lead to new

    business.Ral had a ew theories as to why the

    website was underperorming, so he rec-

    ommended his standard website review

    process to begin diagnosing the issue.

    We ran a web scan that analyzes the

    website and compared it to competitors

    sites, explains Ral. It quickly became

    obvious why search engines ignored the

    site. We were also able to analyze the tra-

    c pattern to better understand how visi-

    tors arrived at the site and what they did

    beore they let.Ral and his client were now in agree-

    ment that a switch was needed they

    decided to dump the telephone directory

    ads in avour o a new digital marketing

    strategy.

    WSI developed a customized digital

    marketing strategy that required a $600

    per month investment Ral s research

    predicted that the new plan would lead to

    almost $15,000 in new business. Te client

    loved the plan, especially since there wereno additional costs over and above the

    reallocation o money already being spent

    on the telephone directory ads.

    In this case study, searches or prod-

    ucts and services increased rom 11,566

    to 12,114 during a six-month period.

    Te total search engine trac rom non-

    branded key terms increased rom 512 to

    847 visitors in this same period. Te num-

    ber o visitors staying on the website or

    more than 30 seconds almost doubled. Te

    results were impressive.We started implementing the strat-

    egy in early Summer 2012 and the dier-

    ence was immediate, Ral said enthusias-

    tically. In their rst year alone my client

    has proted over $16,000 rom our online

    marketing strategy were on target to ar

    exceed our expectations.

    For more inormation about WSI Digital

    Marketing, visit www.whywsi.com

    A seArCh engine opTimizATion CAse sTUdy

    raf Keke | 204.294.9974 | 1001483 pm Hgh

    wsi digital marketingwww.ww.m

    S p E c I A L A d V E r t I S I N G F E A t U r E

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    EmbracingChange

    s an accountant, nancial plan-ner and divorce nancial analyst,

    esia Brooks, owner o Brooks

    Financial, is dedicated to serving the

    needs o her clients. Specializing in retire-

    ment income planning, changes in marital

    relationships and career transition, esia

    understands that people need the great-

    est support when a signicant change has

    occurred in their lie.

    Te Brooks Financial team has per-

    sonally dealt with divorce, raising amilies,children leaving home, career changes

    and the death o amily members, esia

    explains. We have great understanding

    and compassion or our clients who are

    going through these changes.

    Divorce is oten an emotionally chal-

    lenging, and sometimes chaotic, experi-

    ence. It is dicult to work through the

    nancial impact o these changes when

    you are experiencing so much emotional

    and spiritual turmoil. Yet, its duringdivorce that people need to make some

    o the biggest nancial decisions o their

    lives.

    Brooks Financial ensures that clients

    make wise decisions based on objective

    acts instead o overwhelming emotions.

    Te end result is a Lie Plan to help

    them achieve sound long-term nancial

    stability.

    I have experienced divorce twice, one

    with no children and one with one child,

    esia explains. Divorce is extremely di-cult on everyone involved. I have made

    it my career journey to support my clients

    and help them make it through.

    When establishing Brooks Financial,

    esia knew that she needed to include her

    clients in the planning process. In past

    career roles she was tasked with creating

    nancial plans or clients, but the client

    was never involved in the process. In act

    they would never even meet ace to ace.

    We take the time to work withclients to assist them in visioning their

    uture. Tey understand by actually being

    involved in that process, esia explains.

    Tis enables clients to see or themselves

    that the planning sotware simulates their

    real lie circumstances and wants. When

    people can visualize and become part o

    the process they can then eortlessly act

    on that plan. It is the action that brings

    about success.

    As a proessional dealing with

    enormous lie changes every day, esiareminds us that perspective is key.

    All transitions come about rom a

    need or change, esia said. My advice

    to my clients is to try and see their change

    in this light and have some excitement or

    where their new path is taking them.

    Learn more about Brooks Financial at

    www.brooksnancial.ca

    CreATing A liFe plAn in The midsT oF mAriTAl TUrmoil

    Tea Book | 204.612.3879

    brooks nancialwww.baa.a

    S p E c I A L A d V E r t I S I N G F E A t U r E

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    HomeSafeHome

    nstances o dangerous mould inCanadian homes are on the rise.

    Many experts attribute this in

    part to global warming and higher overall

    year-round temperatures this encour-

    ages the spread o moulds and other ungi.

    Furthermore, new homes are designed to

    be more energy ecient and are built with

    reduced airow this includes the cre-

    ation o more dead air spaces, which also

    leads to mould.

    Mould and other airborne irritants(dust mites, pollen, pet dander, etc.) can

    be quite harmul, causing nose and throat

    irritation, severe atigue, blurred vision,

    rashes and u-like symptoms. Tese issues

    are even worse or people with asthma or

    other breathing issues.

    As a contractor, Jim Corps learned

    rst hand that mould, particularly in base-

    ments, is more prevalent than most people

    think. What he ound the most shocking,

    though, was the lackadaisical attitude thatWinnipeg contractors had when dealing

    with mould issues.

    When I saw how things were being

    built in Manitoba and the poor solutions

    that were being provided, I was shocked,

    said Jim Corps, owner o Home Sae

    Home. No one seemed to care about

    the home owner and how mould aected

    their health and lives. Many contractors

    were hiding the problems and the mould

    would just reappear.

    In response, Jim ounded Home SaeHome to oer mould remediation, air

    purication systems, water ltration sys-

    tems and industry leading clean air reno-

    vation services.

    Teir methodologies dier rom

    regular contractors, as mould prevention

    and air/water quality are top priorities,

    not aterthoughts. Utilizing state o the

    art products and methodologies, Home

    Sae Home has managed to surpass code

    requirements while staying within thesame price range as their competitors.

    Teir dedication to quality means

    that they make a bit less on the bottom

    line, but the health o the amilies they

    help is well worth it.

    One day, ater removing the mould

    rom a young amilys home, their little

    girl came up to me, gave me a giant hug

    and said Uncle Jim, thank you or making

    our Home a Sae Home Mommy and

    Daddy are so happy now, Jim recounts.

    Te smile on our customers aces thats how I measure success.

    Home Sae Home has been in busi-

    ness or 11 years and is looking orward to

    a busy, mould-ree 2013.

    Visit www.homesaehomeonline.com or call

    204.774.HOME to learn how Home Sae

    Home can give you a healthier, mould-ree

    home.

    helping FAmilies bATTle A growing ThreAT

    Jm Cop | 204.774.HoMe | 1870 nr Dm av

    home sae homewww.mam.m

    S p E c I A L A d V E r t I S I N G F E A t U r E

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    AyokoMagazine.comwww.riverbendcounselling.ca

    earching for help can be stressful when

    fe is already difficult. Getting the right

    ssistance is crucial. Our diverse staff

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    Individuals will experience a guided

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    48 AyokoMagazine.com

    Movinon Up

    n a highly competitive industrywhere only the hardest-working

    and most-dedicated people sur-

    vive, Clara Mitchell Enns and Yolanda

    Meneses, real estate agents at Hearts &

    Homes Property Group with RE/MAX

    Perormance Reality, have not only sur-

    vived, theyve thrived.

    Te key to their success? Happy clients.

    We oer a unique 100 % Buyer Sat-

    isaction Guarantee Program, explains

    Clara. Within the rst ten months oownership, i you dont like the house

    youve bought with us, well sell it or

    ree. We also oer $250 towards legal ees

    when you buy or sell with us. It makes

    things a little easier or our clients.

    Clara and Yolanda dont just help

    their clients purchase a new house, they

    also help them build equity or their

    dream home.

    Te best advice I can give to some-

    one thinking about becoming a new prop-erty owner is to get into the market as

    soon as you can, Clara says. You may not

    have your perect dream home or invest-

    ment property at rst, but it will be your

    launch pad to get there. Its the best way

    to build equity because very ew o us can

    save money as quickly as the prices rise.

    Clara has over three decades o real estate

    experience and is bilingual in English and

    German. Yolanda is bilingual in English and

    Spanish. Visit www.heartsandhomes.ca tolearn more.

    invesTing yoUr wAy To yoUr dreAm home

    Caa Mtce E a Yoaa Meee | 204.452.9627 | 942 s. Mr Rd

    hearts & homes property groupwww.aadm.a

    S p E c I A L A d V E r t I S I N G F E A t U r E

    Brand new condos just 10 minutesfrom Winnipeg. Cozy town offers

    all amenities, including nearbyhospital. Underground parking andloaded with goodies! Limited time

    $10,000 early buyer bonus.

    Hearts & Homes Property GroupRE/MAX PERFROMACE REALTY

    Call (204) 452-9627 for details.

    www.heartsandhomes.ca

    Retire in Style

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    AyokoMagazine.comWWW.INNERCITYRENOVATION.CA204.586.9600 | 539 JARVIS AVENUE | WINNIPEG, MB | R2W 3B2

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    CapturingEmotions

    eremy Hiebert still remembersthe very rst camera he was given

    as a teen.

    Back then I never imagined it would

    lead me down this path, Jeremy said.

    From early on my dream was to reeze

    time and capture emotional, poignant and

    beautiul moments through photography.

    However, I always imagined doing that as

    a photojournalist somewhere overseas.

    His lie changed when he ell in love

    with his wonderul wie Meagan. He real-ized that he wanted to build a amily he

    wanted to set his roots in Winnipeg. He

    needed to nd a way to continue his pas-

    sion or photography on a local level.

    Tis all happened at an opportune

    time digital photography emerged as

    a high quality, cost-eective option and

    the entire wedding photography industry

    shited. He had a viable new way to con-

    tinue photography without sacricing his

    home lie.Ater working with Patty Boge

    and revor Brucki, two established and

    accomplished wedding photographers,

    Jeremy chose to join the Proessional

    Photographers o Canada and went out

    on his own. Almost a decade later, he has

    no doubt that he made the right choice.

    I eel very blessed to have had a

    successul business or eight years now,

    Jeremy said. In that short time Ive been

    eatured in a number o publications in

    North America and Europe and haveeven won awards or the best wedding

    image and wedding album o the year. Its

    been unbelievable.

    Succeeding as a wedding photogra-

    pher in a saturated market is a huge chal-

    lenge. Jeremy knew that he needed to be

    dierent right rom the start.

    I made the choice to ocus on pro-

    viding the best customer service possible,

    to prioritize quality instead o quantity,

    he explains. I also understood that inorder to capture those beautiul and can-

    did moments I needed to cultivate riend-

    ship and trust with each o my couples.

    From the initial meeting and booking

    to the actual wedding day, Jeremy ensures

    that he and his couples build a strong con-

    nection hes more than just some person

    they hired to take pictures.

    In the end, its Jeremys love o wed-

    dings that drives him his love o love

    inspires him.

    I always strive to exceed my clientsexpectations, Jeremy said. From captur-

    ing breathtaking, heartelt moments to

    building beautiul custom albums, I want

    all o my couples to relive their wedding

    with a sense o pride and poignancy.

    Learn more about Jeremy Hiebert and view

    samples o his award-winning photography

    at www.jeremyhiebert.ca

    A winnipeg phoTogrApher disCovers his TrUe CAlling

    Jeemy hebet | 204.470.6144

    S p E c I A L A d V E r t I S I N G F E A t U r E

    jeremy hiebert photographywww.jmb.a

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    AyokoMagazine.com

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    52 AyokoMagazine.com

    HomeBuyingReality

    urtis Knudson opened KnudsonLaw Oce in 2012, right smack

    in the middle o Winnipegs most

    aggressive real estate market in recent

    memory. Amidst the home buying panic,

    Curtis noticed a trend amongst his clients,

    riends and amily: people purchasing

    homes without understanding the total

    cost o the proposition.

    Buying a home may be the most

    signicant nancial transaction you ever

    ace, Curtis said rom his rm on PortageAvenue. One o the big mistakes people

    make, especially when buying a home or

    the rst time, is underestimating the ees,

    taxes and costs over and above the actual

    mortgage.

    o help new homebuyers, Curtis has

    prepared the ollowing quick guide to

    outline some o these extra costs:

    Land Transfer Tax With very lim-ited exceptions, Manitoba homebuyers

    are required to pay Land ranser ax.Land ranser ax is calculated based on

    the air market value o the property this

    is usually the purchase price. Te percent-

    age used by the provincial government to

    calculate Land ranser ax diers