business gazette

AZETTEUSINESS

TELL US WHAT YOUTHINK

Make a charitable gift.

WWW.BUSINESSGAZETTE.CA

THE COMOX VALLEY

APRIL 2011

GBDECEMBER 2012

Are women advantaged — or disadvantaged —in business?

LLook at today’s edu-cation stats as apredictor of futuresuccess, and you’d

be forgiven if you thoughtwomen are set to takeover the world. Eighty-one per cent of

girls graduate from highschool, while only 73% oftheir male counterparts dothe same. Women makeup 55% of all universityand college enrollees(58% of undergrads and56% of master’s students). Women consis-tently outnumber men inmany law programs, andrecently overtook them inmedicine as well. Other good news? There

are a number of newlyminted females CEOs at

high-profile American companies. Ginni Rometty(IBM), Rosalind Brewer(Walmart) and MarissaMayer (Yahoo) are just afew of the names, not tomention Marillyn Hewson,who officially takes thehelm of Lockheed Martinon January 1.Yet those

female CEOsonly make up3.8% ofFortune 500and 4% ofFortune 1000companies. Likewise,

women are stillpaid 77 centsfor every dollar a manmakes, with female graduates receiving only80% of the pay of theirmale colleagues a yearafter graduation. And no,

it’s not because ofwomen’s choices. Women who choose non-

traditional, higher-paidmajors like science, technology, engineeringand math are paid 86 percent of what their malecounterparts earn. A 2003US study concluded that

even afteraccounting forchoices suchas work pat-terns and education,women arepaid an aver-age of just 80cents for everydollar paid to

men. A 2012 study in theJournal of the AmericanMedical Association foundreported similar findings.

A 2012 study in theJournal of the American

Medical Association foundmuch the same thing. Thestudy looked at workhours, academic titles,specialties, ages and anyother factors that couldinfluence pay for femaleand male physician-

“Women lose out on$350,000 to

$500,000 in wagesover their lifetime,apparently for just

being women.”

Kenzie Andrews, Business Gazette

See ‘WinB’ Pg. 5

Sasha Nowicki and Pauline Rae, of Nowicki & Rae Barristers & Solicitors in Courtenay. While women tend to be paid lessthan men as employees, one consultant suggests women may have the advantage when it comes to entrepreneurship.

The Gazette’s WOMEN IN

BUSINESS feature continues on Page 5.

Technology planningfor your business

Business planning isan important toolused to define your

strategy, manage growth,anticipate change andprovide a template fordecision-making. It allowsyour business to stayahead of a constantlychanging environmentand maintain a steadyvision of future success.Technology has found its

way into even the smallestbusinesses today, and itnow deserves its very ownsection in your overallbusiness plan. Having atechnologyplan canhelp youanticipateexpenses,reducedowntime,stay pro-ductive and make gooddecisions on what toinvest in for the future.You can hire profession-

als to help you formulateyour technology plan, oryou can do it yourself.Either way, the mostimportant aspect of it isthe follow-up. You shouldreview and tweak yourplan no less than once ayear to keep it current anduseful.

Here are just a few of theissues that should beaddressed while technolo-gy planning for your

business:Equipmentreplace-ment —How oftenwill you bereplacingyour com-

puters and wirelessdevices? Do you needhigh performance forgraphics and video, or justa simple machine to run asmall Access database foryour point-of-sale system? Software and systems —Are the programs you usefor productivity still help-ing your business, or arethey hurting it? Will theybe supported with the

“Ensure your technologyis under your control —

not the other wayaround.”

Matt Behrens, PrimeTek IT Solutions

Improving your business with an “expensive” printer.

When purchasingoffice technology,for many

businesses it comes downto ease and affordability —and who can blame themin today’s economic climate? Purchases madebased on short term cost,however, can end up inwaste — particularly wast-ed time and money. While seemingly conven-

ient, hastily made acquisi-tions frequently offer onlyshort-term solutions. Bethey printers, scanners orcomputers, it’s importantto look long-term to truly

get the best value for yourmoney. Timeand again Ihear from customers who need toupgrade theirtechnologywhen theyrealize that what they boughtwasn’t such a good deal after all. Recently, for example, I

was asked to help someclients that were lookingat strategies to grow their

business. Having spokenwith a market-ing consultant,Danielle andMark Duncanof the UnionStreet Grill &Grotto decidedone approachwould be to

improve their ability to produce their own printedmaterials. Unfortunately,their printer wasn’t up tothe task.

“We’re able to use a lot more colour

because it is actually

affordable now —Danielle Duncan”

Don Linder, AGS Business Systems

See ‘Improve’ Pg. 2

If there’s one area ofgrowth we all want toimprove on, it’s

ORGANIZATION. Here are10 great tips to help.1. Organize your work-space — Even the mostorganized among us havesome sloppy habits. Howmuch fun is it to start your day in chaos? Clean up your spacebefore you even thinkabout the next tip.2. Put it back NOW — Ifyou put it back where itbelongs, you’ll knowwhere it is next time youneed it. (See how thishelps with the first tip?)3. Hang a ProjectCalendar — If you’re multi-tasking on many projectsat once, having a sizeableplanner on your wallmakes sense. The secondI did this, I could seeeverything on the go with

one quick glance. 4. Use your Smartphone/tablet for appointmentsand to-do lists — YourSmartphone goes everywhere you do. Nomore saying, “Let me getback to you” when someone wants to bookan appointment. If yourdaily task list is on yourSmartphone, you canmanage your entire day

10 great tips to get organized

Dave Warawa, PROSALESGUY Training

See ‘Organize’ Pg. 2

See ‘Tech’ Pg. 2

— Women in Business 2012 —

Comox Valley Business Gazette — Dec 2012

www.businessgazette.caThe Comox Valley Business Gazette is delivered eight times per year to every business address in the Comox Valley.

Associate Publisher: Jim McQuillanExecutive Editor: Ryan PartonWriters: Kenzie Andrews

Nancy Miller Web: Maya Payton-Schmid

Advertising Inquiries: 250.897.5064 / 250.702.1103 [email protected]

Editorial inquiries: [email protected]

Left Coast Publishing 2440 B First Street, Courtenay BC, V9N 8X9

The opinions, ideas and advice of columnists and contributorsto the Comox Valley Business Gazette are theirs alone and donot necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.

Look who’s on the move. Darren Kardynal of Glacierview Financial(who do all the insurance and benefits for our Chamber ofCommerce members) has up and moved digs to Courtenay and amuch more convenient central location. Their new address is 1744England Ave, across 17th Street from Starbucks and in behind thebig blue Coldwell-Banker offices. You can reach Darren (above,shown growing in his Movember mustache) at 250.890.7580.

Their multi-function, “consumer-grade” printerwas causing frustration.The cost of ink cartridgeswas substantial and theactual time it took to printthe volume needed wasexcessive. They tried outsourcing printing andcopying, but that createdother inconveniences and didn’t work out wellwhen there were changesto be made.About six months ago,

after reviewing their needswe recommended leasinga Ricoh “commercialgrade” multi-function

printer as well as a folder.Now they’re producing asignificant portion of therestaurant’s printed mate-rials, including take-outmenus, children’s menusand customer coupons.Plus the Ricoh printer hasactually reduced theirmonthly costs.Danielle discussed someof the advantages are ofhaving a “commercial-grade” printer:“We’re able to use a lot

more colour because it isactually affordable now,which is definitely moreeye-catching,” she said.“The new printer has evenallowed us to produce a

mail campaign to localbusinesses.”Danielle says she loves

the flexibility of being ableto make changes tomenus or fresh sheetswithout worrying aboutprinting hassles. Changingprinters, she says, hasfreed up both time andmoney, so they can better focus on events like WinterFest 2012 and booking Christmasparties. If you think your business

might benefit from thissort of streamlined tech-nology, we’d be happy todiscuss possible solutionsand leasing options.

AGS Business Systems hasbeen providing office tech-nology to Vancouver Islandcustomers since 1976 and

prides itself on being 100%locally Island owned andoperated. Don Linder canbe contacted at the AGS

office on Cliffe Avenue inCourtenay at [email protected]

on one platform.5. When somethingoccurs to you, write itdown immediately — Outof sight, out of mind. Youcan use your Smartphoneto do this — make a note

or an entry in the calendar. I’ve even sentmyself email reminders —sounds silly, but it works.6. Diarize follow-throughswith clients and col-leagues — Every time Ihandle an issue, I diarizethe date that a follow-up

is necessary and put itinto my tablet andSmartphone. That way,nothing falls through the cracks.7. Plan for tomorrowtoday — Your last appoint-ment each day should bethe one you set with your-self to plan the next day.If you pick up just one tipfrom this column, this onewould be a great choice!8. Use one system foreverything — Using twosystems means you’llhave to create a third sys-tem to keep the other twoin sync. Use just one cen-tralized system for EVERY-THING. (See tip four.)9. Make sure that systemworks in the field — Thatone system has to workwhere you do. I alwaysfeel sorry for people wholearn this the hard wayand just order the WiFitablet without 3G.

10. Subscribe to thePROSALESGUY BLOG — Iwork really hard to writequality content based onpractical experience. Yourcost is nothing more thansome time and personaleffort. Subscribe atwww.prosalesguy.ca/blog.

Dave Warawa, the PROSALESGUY, providespractical sales trainingbased on proven, street-level techniques. For a listof his training programs,visit www.prosalesguy.ca orcall 250.339.3355.

Improve - con’t from pg. 1

Organize - con’t from pg. 1

“Plan tomorrow’sschedule as your

last activity before you leave

work today.”

next operating systemrelease? Is moving to aCloud-based solution theright decision for yourbusiness?Email and communica-tions — Do you need toaccess your email frommultiple locations? Arecustomers and staff ableto interact easily, and arethere appropriate checksin place to make surenothing gets missed?Threat management andsecurity — What does yourbusiness do for antivirusand spyware protection?Is your network protectedfrom unauthorized

access? How? Data backup and protec-tion — How is your busi-ness data backed up, andhow difficult is the restoreprocess in the event ofdisaster? Does your dataget backed up offsite? Ifso, does it contain sensitive data that needsto be protected?Network and Internet per-formance — Does yournetwork have the physicalcapability to support yourbusiness? Do you need toprovide wireless access toclients and still be able tokeep them away from yourown network?These questions barely

scratch the surface of a

true, comprehensive tech-nology plan, but they’re agood start if you’re asmall business with sim-ple needs. By committingto a technology plan, youwill be able to react betterto change, make informedpurchasing decisions andfeel more confident thatthe technology youdepend on is under yourcontrol — not the otherway around.

Matt Behrens is a partnerin PrimeTek IT Solutions,which offers technologysupport and training tosmall businesses in theComox Valley. He can bereached at 250.871.8547or www.primetek.ca.

Tech - con’t from pg. 1

www.bodynetix.ca


Stellar ‘Home-Made’ Food!

&Carmie’s Catering and Cafe2699 Dunsmuir Ave., Cumberland — Phone: (250) [email protected] • www.carmiescafe.com

Have your Party Catered!

We cater to all types and sizes of functions: Christmas

parties, Birthday parties,Celebration of Life,

Anniversary, promotions, grand opening, business

luncheons/meeting, business conferences etc.

What does home made food mean? Itmeans ‘real’ food. That’s fresh. Local if at all possible. Cooked from scratch.With love. And big, BIG PORTIONS!!! All with family-friendly prices.

Carmie’s:• We are a family restaurant.• We make everything ourselves.• We purchase locally.• Only 8 minutes from Courtenay in

beautiful Downtown Cumberland!.

Open 7 days a week 8:30 am to 4 pm, Sunday to 3 pmOpen for dinner on Thurs and Fri evenings to 8 pm.

Always fresh, just the way you

like it

Interested in takingadvantage ofLiveSmartBC grants for

energy efficient upgradesto your home heating, ventilation and air condi-tioning systems but don’tknow where to start? We’ve been helping

clients take advantage of

this program since it wasintroduced in May 2008.Here’s a quick primer ofhow it works. LiveSmartBC is a provin-

cial grant program thatoffers up to $7,000 cashback on approvedupgrades. It can only beused once, must be on aprimary residence andmust use qualified products and/or brands. The program works like

this: you start with anenergy audit by a regis-tered energy auditor. Theauditor will score yourhome’s existing energyefficiency out of 100 andmake recommendations

for improvements. These might include

changing windows,upgrading insulation orinstalling a heat pump.These are recommenda-tions only - it is up to youto decide which upgradesyou want to make, if any.An energy audit does notcommit you to upgrades. Next come the upgrades

themselves, using qualified contractors. Youmust provide invoicesand/or proof of purchaseto apply for the grant.Homeowners that useTECA-, HRAI- or ASTTBC-certified contractors willreceive an additional

$100 back.You finish with a second

energy audit. This auditmeasures improvementsin your home’s energy effi-ciency as a result of theupgrades. The auditorthen sends all the paper-work off to the govern-ment, and several weekslater you get your cheque.The best part about the

LiveSmartBC program,though, is that the pro-gram can be used alongwith other rebate andincentive programs. Take,for example, FortisBC’sSwitch ‘n Shrink program— change your oil orpropane heating system to

Kristen Pronick, Pro StarMechanical Technologies

LiveSmartBC efficiency grants — how they work

The point of advertis-ing is to encourageprospects to buy your

products or services. Todo this, we need to showour prospects why theyshould buy our products.So far so good, right? But

here’s where our psycho-logical irrationalities canget the better of us asconsumers: we don’t nec-essarily need a compellingreason to purchase aproduct - often, we justneed a reason.A classic social

experiment conducted byHarvard social psycholo-gist Ellen Langer will helpdemonstrate what I mean.Langer tested the impor-tance of providing a rea-son for compliance by asking a small favour ofseveral people waiting in

line to use a library photocopier.First, Langer asked:

“Excuse me, I have fivepages. May I use theXerox machine?” Humannature being what it is, in that most of us tend to be nice people, 60 per cent of people askedin that manner allowedher to cut in.

But then she phrased herrequest differently:“Excuse me, I have fivepages. May I use theXerox machine, becauseI’m in a rush?” Suddenly,94 per cent of people lether in. That’s a substantialboost in response simplyby giving a reason why!

Again, human naturebeing what it is, perhaps itshouldn’t be surprisingthat nearly all peopleasked were willing to helpout someone in a rush.

Realizing this, Langeronce again changed thephrasing of her request,and that’s when theexperiment got truly interesting.The new question was:

“Excuse me, I have fivepages. May I use theXerox machine, because Ihave to make somecopies?” It may occur toyou that everyone waitingin line for the photocopierneeds to make copies,and thus Langer’s “reasonwhy” was completely irrelevant. Once again,however, nearly everyoneallowed her to cut in line-a whopping 93 per cent.Clearly, it wasn’t the rea-

son that made peoplecomply, but rather thesimple fact that there wasa reason.The take-away for adver-

tisers is that it doesn’thurt to give your prospectsa reason why they shouldpurchase your products.So on your website,instead of simply writing,“Call now,” you might try,“Call now because we’rehere to discuss yourneeds.” Heck, from what

“... it doesn’t hurt togive your prospects

a reason why...”

Psychological Selling: The power of ‘why’

Ryan Parton, Ryan PartonWriting Solutions

natural gas, or install anew ENERGY STAR ratedhigh-efficiency heatingsystem, and you may qualify for a $1,000 cashrebate. Combine that witha heat pump installationand you can receive$2,500 in rebates.If this all still sounds as

clear as mud, we’d behappy to walk you throughthe process. We can evenset you up with an energyauditor, help you chooseupgrades based on your

needs and budget andeven perform the neces-sary installations.For more information

about LiveSmartBC orFortisBC rebate programs,call 250.331.0888.

Kristin Pronick and hus-band Mikhail own Pro StarMechanical Technologies,located at 2459 CousinsAvenue across from TinTown. They can be reachedat 250.331.0888 or onlineat www.prostar-mechanical.com.

we’ve seen, you couldprobably write, “Call now because we like icecream,” and still notice aboost in response.Although if that’s your

most compelling reason,you might want to consider another line of work.

Ryan Parton is a profes-sional copywriter andowner of Ryan PartonWriting Solutions. He’s alsoexecutive editor of theComox Valley BusinessGazette. Visit www.ryanparton.ca or call250.702.1103.

Iwill miss thesimplicity and

the logic of theHST. What Iwon’t miss is theway the govern-ment rammed itdown ourthroats. If theyhad sold it bet-ter in the firstplace (Marketing 101), we probably wouldnot be in this overly-expensive predica-ment.— Neil Havers, Havers Design

This question, at this point, is unanswer-able. As a business that was severelyaffected by the implementation of theHST, with respect to being in an industryexempt from the old PST and causing animmediate 7% jump in our rates, we’veseen no indication that guarantees therewill be a transition back to the old exemp-tions. To believe, in this economy, that theprovincial government will give up millionsof dollars in revenue at a time when bal-

ancing the budget is impossible would belike winning a lottery. Slim chance.People who think this will save themmoney will be the most surprised in theend. It has been a nightmare from incep-tion and will continue on as such. Peopleneed to stand up and be counted when itcomes to government of all forms. Theirspending habits are outrageous, but untilthe People stand up and say enough isenough, these issues will never change. From City Hall to Ottawa, it all relates todeception, and no understanding of whatreally happens on the street in people’slives. As for the HST/PST/GST . . . it willbe what it will be. — Garry Baraniuk

I will miss theHST for its sim-plicity in adminis-tering for myclients.— Sherri-LeeMathers, BalsamWayBookkeeping

www.bodynetix.ca

Thoughts on the HST...


Our mission is to offer you high quality printer supplies

at unbeatable priceswithout compromising on

genuine quality and service.

Simultaneously save money andbe environmentally conscious!

Serving Beautiful B.C. since 1997

Alocal organizationthat helps so manyreceived some help

of its own when ComoxDistrict Co-op presentedComox Valley EmergencySupport Services with acheque for $1,000. Themoney will go toward thepurchase of a new trailerto be used during emergency response.“Each year, our members

select several local organizations to assistfinancially, and this grouptruly deserves our support,” says longtimeCo-op director KayKennedy. “When we heardthat CVESS was saving upto buy a trailer, we knewwe had to get involved.”“This donation from the

Co-op and its membershelps us out in a big way,”says CVESS director Terry Lewis. “It puts uswell within reach of having the trailer in thenext year or so.”

Jason Zaichkowsky, AVP & Branch Manager, CourtenayBranch is pleased to announce the appointment of:

Dawn Hannesson, Account Manager, Retail Banking, Courtenay BranchDawn joins Canadian Western Bank with over 12 years of experience in various areas of branch banking. Her career has allowed her to experience several diverse roles, including Customer Service Manager and Financial Service Representative.Dawn will be responsible for the continued growth of the Branch’s retail banking portfolio. Her exten-sive background and familiarity within the Comox Valley market provides us with the assurance of astrong immediate connection with the market and the continued success and growth of the branch.

We are very excited to have Dawn Hannesson join our team and look forward to a continued focus and commitment to providing excellent customer service to all existing and future clients of the Courtenay Branch.

Canadian Western Bank offers highly personalized consumer and commercial banking services through 41branch locations in Western Canada and, along with it’s operating affiliates, collectively offers a diversifiedrange of financial services across Canada and are together known as Canadian Western Bank Group.

Dawn Hannesson can be reached at:Canadian Western BankUnit 200-470 Puntledge RoadCourtenay, B.C. V9N 3R1Ph: (250) 334-8888

Dawn Hannesson

Exclusive distributor of the Comox ValleyChamber of Commerce Group Plan

& Employee Benefit Plans

Guaranteed Coverage Plan FlexibilityRate Stability Unbeatable Service

Glacierview Financial Services Ltd.Phone: [email protected]

glacierviewfinancial.com

CCaallll ffoorr FFRREEEE QQuuoottee && AAddvviiccee

Small businesses. Self-employed entrepreneurs. Homebased companies. Year-round farms and ranches.

Your local benefit planexpert, Darren Kardynal

Two productivity apps that changed my life

If you’re like me, you’rebalancing a lot of thingsin your business as well

as your private life. Aconstant thought in the

back of your mind is“What am I going to for-get?” And “Where did I

put that thingamabob?”One of my business part-

ners uses the FranklinCovey binder system. Itworks great for her but,for me, I was looking forsomething more “techie”that was able to travelmore easily with me.I’ve tried out a lot of pro-

grams and apps, bothsimple and complicated,to gather it all together,but I hadn’t found onethat fit the bill for me -until just recently, when Idiscovered Toodledo.With Toodledo, suddenly

my to-do list is never morethan a click away on myiPad, Smartphone and my

Ann Scott, Presley &Partners CharteredAccountants

desktop. Whenever something comes up thatI need to get done, or Iremember one of thosethings nagging at the backof my mind, I pop it intoToodledo, which is alwaysthere to remindme of every-thing I prom-ised to do thatday. Toodledo auto-

matically syncswith my otherdevices, and itkeeps an updated listwherever I go. When a task is complete,

I simply click it. When Ineed a little lift, I click onmy “Recently Completed”list and congratulatemyself on what I’veaccomplished — a necessary antidote to

that ever-growing list ofthings to do.Due dates, folders by

area, priorities andrepeats can be set up foreach task. Folders aregreat for separating “Buy

some moremilk on theway home”from “Get backto client ‘B’ASAP.” A“Forums” tabguides youquickly to tipsand tricks sub-mitted by otherusers if you’re

so inclined. (I prefer tokeep it simple and focusonly on Due Dates andfolders.)Toodledo could

revolutionize your timeand task management,and it will only set you

back 99 cents. Look for itin your app store.Another app that I find

virtually indispensible isEvernote. Like Toodledo,Evernote is available allthe time on all my devicesand updates any changesas I make them. It’s greatfor saving those notes,pictures, videos and so onfor later reference. I’m a paper-and-pen note

taker but now, instead oftranscribing them as Iused to, I just scan theminto Evernote and referback to my scratchingswhenever needed. I’ve set up folders to

house the various com-partments of my life but,so far, I’ve avoided the

more complicated fea-tures. You, however, mightfind them interesting. Thebest part? Evernote isabsolutely free.Like most Internet applica-tions, I can’t vouch fortheir security, so keepyour confidential informa-tion somewhere else. Andof course, you can contactany of us at Presley &Partners if you would likeadditional help organizingyour business life.

Ann Scott is a charteredaccountant, business advisor and a partner with Presley & PartnersChartered Accountants.She can be reached at250.338.1394 [email protected].

“With Toodledo, suddenly my to-dolist is never more

than a click away onmy iPad,

Smartphone and my desktop.”

Gone are the dayswhen people spent25 years working

the same job with a pension plan guaranteeingincome for life. For mostof us, especially the self-employed, an RRSP is thebest way to provide retirement income thesedays. But relying onRRSPs as the main sourceof retirement incomerequires planning. The greatest risk retirees

face is market decline inthe first years of retire-ment. For example, if youretire and withdraw 5%from your RRSP forincome, and the marketdeclines by 10%, yourRRSP is going to drop atotal of 15%. If it

happens again the nextyear, your RRSP will bedown almost 30% fromwhen you retired only two years earlier!One way to avoid this risk

is to shun the market andbuy GICs. The guaranteedprinciple protection isattractive, but yields of 2%to 2.5% likely won’t fundyour retirement. Alternatively, you can set

aside at least two years’worth of cash to draw on ifthe market dives. Another option you

might not know about isannuitizing a portion ofyour RRSP by buying aGuaranteed MinimumWithdrawal Benefit(GMWB).A GMWB acts like a

pension plan with contractual guarantees onfuture income. You cansave into your GMWBaccount and get a baseguarantee as high as 5%on the accumulatingincome. Then, when youretire, you know exactlyhow much income you will

receive. If, throughout your sav-

ings years, your portfolio’smarket performance doesbetter than the 5% guar-antee, then you receivethe better of the two values (these resets occurevery three years on thedate of initial investment).

Not only can a GMWBdouble the income of aGIC, if you are over 65 theinsurance company willguarantee the 5% pay-ments for life, even if themarket value of youraccount goes to zero.

These programs work wellfor RRIF accounts, as theinsurance company willessentially guarantee yourRRIF payments for life,even if they’re greaterthan the guaranteed

Guarantee your retirement income

Russ Wigle, DundeeWealth

“A GMWB acts likea pension plan

with contractualguarantees on

future income.”

withdrawal amount.There are a few

disadvantages of aGMWB, the most significant being the lackof flexibility to withdrawmore than the guaranteedamount, so you don’twant to put your entireRRSP into a GMWB.Additionally, managementfees tend to be higherthan those of most mutual funds, generallyby .25% to .75%.Most insurance compa-

nies are starting to lowertheir guaranteed rate to3%-4% on new accounts,but there’s still one leftthat offers a full 5% guar-antee — although there’sa good chance that will bereduced next year. These investments are

complicated and not easily understood, so Ihighly recommend thatyou discuss them withyour investment advisor..Russ Wigle is anInvestment Advisor at DWMSecurities Inc. inCourtenay. He can bereached at [email protected] consult a profes-sional investment advisorand your accountant beforeacting on any informationpresented in this column.

This article is solely the work of RussWigle for the private information ofhis clients. Although the author is aregistered Investment Advisor withDWM Securities Inc., aDundeeWealth Inc. Company, this isnot an official publication of DWMSecurities Inc. The views (includingany recommendations) expressed inthis article are those of the authoralone, and they have not beenapproved by, and are not necessarilythose of, DWM Securities Inc.

Get Your FREE Subscription HereStay on top of business in the Comox Valley. Go to

www.businessgazette.ca/subscribe and get a free email subscription.

www.bodynetix.ca

Co-op’s$1,000‘emergency’donation


scientists and found thatmen’s average yearlysalaries were at least$12,000 higher thanwomen’s, even when their work factors wereexactly the same.The picture is, in fact,

grim. Women lose out on$350,000 to $500,000 inwages over their lifetime,apparently for just being

women.“There are still things to

learn,” says TammyMoore, Chair of theWomen’s EnterpriseCentre (WEC), establishedin 1995 to assist womenstarting and growing businesses in BritishColumbia. “A lot of it isabout being outspoken.Women sometimes aren’twilling to make the ask,and I think that is the difference in wages.”Recently, the WEC Board

went through a trainingprogram called Taking theStage, designed to

You might think helping 600 profes-sionals in the Comox

Valley and Campbell Riverstart and grow their busi-nesses, and providing clearguidance to more than800 individuals, would bea satisfying career recordto just about anyone.

Apparently not HelenFurgale, who earlier thisyear made her own busi-ness dream come true bylaunching BizWorks. BizWorks, Furgale’s new

consulting firm, bringstogether her 30 years ofhands-on business experi-ence, her direct local

experience in government,non-profit/volunteer, manufacturing and smallbusiness sectors and 12years as Program Managerwith Community FuturesStrathcona’s self-employment program.BizWorks provides one-on-

one or company-wide busi-ness coaching to giveestablished professionalsor emerging entrepreneursthe skills and confidenceto put their plans intoaction. Furgale offers acomprehensive businesstraining package utilizingthe Comox Valley’s topbusiness facilitators, andshe helps clients createbusiness plans that identify opportunities intheir sector and help themfocus on the directionthat’s most beneficial totheir company.

For a no-cost, no-obligationconsultation, [email protected] or call250.871.7755. Or visitwww.bizworks.ca.

Kenzie Andrews, Business Gazette

WinB - con’t from pg. 1

develop female leadersand build confidence forwomen in the spotlight.Most board members didn’t think the programwould have any seriousimpact on them, saysMoore - they were, after all, already female leaders. “We ended up having a

great conversation aboutthe socialized behavioursthat make up our choices,” she says. “Nexttime you’re in a room withmen and women, look athow women sit in theirchairs. Women will takeup less space, and thatcreates an environment.”

Clemens Rettich, aVancouver Island smallbusiness coach specializ-ing in helping businessesbecome more profitablewith less stress, wouldagree. The situation forwomen seeking positionsof authority as employeesisn’t all that positive, hesays. Female entrepre-neurs, however, are a different story, in thatwomen might actuallyhave an advantage.“I would say that the

number of things stackedagainst a man when hestarts a business are a lot more than the sheernumber of things that awoman faces,” he says.Women tend to be betterplanners (they’re morerisk averse), spend theirmoney wisely and seekout support. Guys will fakeit, and the cost of trying tofake it can be really high.”The same qualities that

make women more likelyto succeed as entrepre-neurs, however, can alsohave the opposite effect.“I see sometimes women

almost consciously tamp-ing down their ambitions,”explains Rettich. “That’sone more area where

women live out culturalnorms. In a more tradition-al world, it might be moreunseemly for a women towant to be a millionaire.”

The good news, though, isthat all of this changeablefor anyone committed togender equality. That wage gap? Research fromthe National Bureau ofEconomic Research in the

United States suggestsclosing it may be as simple as adding the word“negotiable” next to theword “salary.” Women willnegotiate when they’retold it’s an option. And female

entrepreneurs?“What are we telling our

young girls?” asks CathyRobertson withCommunity Futures in theCowichan Valley. “Whenyou line up occupations,you better put self-employment on the samepedestal as engineers and environmental science. You want to be anenvironmental scientist?How about your own company?”

“Guys will fake it,and the cost of

trying to fake it canbe really high.”

WomenWomeninin

BusinessBusiness20122012

Helen Furgale has helped more than 600 local profession-als start and grow their businesses. She launched a newconsulting firm, BizWorks, earlier this year.

Extensive experience and sound business advice

Kristen Pronick, Co-owner/OperatorKristen got her first tasteof running a business atthe age of nine, when shetook on the task of stuffingenvelopes and organizingmail-outs for her father’sbusiness in Winnipeg. Thatearly start led to a varietyof positions within Pro StarMechanical, the family-runheating and cooling com-pany that today specializesin heat pumps and hotwater heating systems. When her parents decided

to relocate to the WestCoast (business and all),Kristen happily camealong. Eventually, Kristenand husband Mikhail tookover the Comox Valleybranch, which opened in1995. Today Kristen wears

many hats — from answer-ing the phone, to book-keeping, to quoting heatpumps. She prides herselfon delivering superior service with enthusiasm,attention to detail and agenuine smile.Kristen is thrilled to be a

new member of the ComoxValley’s Women inBusiness networkinggroup. Her experience as abusiness owner, and moth-er of an active four-year-oldgirl (with another baby onthe way!), is a dailyreminder of the impor-tance of supporting womenin business, particularlythose in the skilled trades.

Ingrid Hopkins, Plumbing ApprenticeA new and valuable addi-

tion to Pro Star, Ingrid’s pri-mary responsibilities arerunning the Home DepotInstallations departmentand quoting on ductlesssplit heat pumps. However,she’s also completed herPlumbing and PipingFoundation course, givingher the ability to be on thejob site installing every-thing from heat pumps tohot water tanks to waterpurification equipment.Needless to say, Ingrid is awoman making her impacton the trades.Her trailblazing carries

over to all aspects of herlife, whether as theFundraising Chair for theBeaufort Children’s Centreor a member of the Just inTime Vocal Jazz group (cur-rently prepping for theirDecember 1st concert atthe Sid Williams Theatre). To see a ductless split heatpump in action, visit ProStar’s showroom at #212-2459 Cousins Avenue, orcall 250.331.0888. ProStar Mechanical is online atwww.prostarmech.ca

Smashing stereotypes:Meet two women of Pro Star Mechanical

Photo: Karen PantusoPhotography



WomenWomeninin


Carmie’s cooks ‘justthe way you like it’

The ‘BC Connection’ — Carla Arnold & Barbara Magnusson

When Carmie Dixonand her husbandGarry decided to

launch a café and cateringbusiness, they wanted amotto that reflected their

way of thinking. “Alwaysfresh... just the way youlike it” was their commit-ment to the customer thatthey will always receivegood quality ingredients for

the money they spend.Carmie’s Catering and

Café opened in May 2008and was an immediate hit.Their Cumberland store-front is popular with thefamily crowd looking for agreat place for all-daybreakfast and lunch, whileCumberland’s hungrymountain bikers havebecome quite fond of thehearty food and generousportions. And then, ofcourse, there’s the cater-ing, capable of feeding

groups of any size.The menu reflects

Carmie’s 30 years of expe-rience in the food industryand five years in Germanylearning to cook for theinternational crowd. Theretruly is something foreveryone.Carmie’s Café is openseven days a week at 2699Dunsmuir Avenue inCumberland. To learn more,call 250.336.2667 or visitwww.carmiescafe.com.

When BarbaraMagnusson and Carla

Arnold first met severalyears ago, it was apparentthat the duo now referredto as “the BC Connection”was bound for great things. Both successful Realtors

with Royal LePage in theComox Valley, Barbara andCarla quickly developed afriendship based on mutu-al priorities of integrity,compassion and the ethical high road. So whenthey teamed up as a for-

mal business partnership,it was no surprise thattheir complementarystrengths and valuesquickly established themas two of the Valley’s mostsought-after Realtors.“Whether our client is a

young couple buying theirfirst home, a growing family or an elderly personpreparing to get the mostout of retirement, we’repassionate about connecting people withtheir dream property,”

says Arnold. “And if we’re working with

a disciplined saver lookingto invest in an income-producing property,” addsMagnusson, “we have thegood advice backed by life experience to help

them too.”Barbara Magnusson can bereached at 250.897.6161or [email protected]. Carla Arnold canbe reached at250.338.3711 [email protected]

DONNA P. CLOUTIER, C.A. is a manager at Pateman &Company, Chartered Accountant, and in her role she provides personalized and practical financial advice to smallbusinesses and non-profit organizations on NorthernVancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.

Balance, in work andin life, is important toDonna Cloutier.

It was that shared philosophy and a commondesire to serve local businesses with creativityand commitment thatbrought her to localaccounting firm Pateman& Company. A CharteredAccountantsince 2000,Cloutier hasnow been amanagerwith the firmfor morethan threeyears. Ensuring employees have

the flexibility to enjoy boththeir work and their livesaway from work hasalways been a priority atPateman & Company.Family dynamics havechanged since the practice firm first openedin 1978; these days thereare often two wage earners, more single-parent families and stay-at-home dads, so it makessense that staffing optionshave also evolved.“Employees who

experience high work-lifeconflict have the highestrates of absenteeism,which isn’t good for any-one,” notes Cloutier.

“Personally, I really valueknowing that I can be free to tend to my otherresponsibilities if the need arises.”For Cloutier, those other

responsibilities includevolunteering with variouslocal organizations, suchas the Chamber ofCommerce, North Island

CollegeFoundationand theCourtenayRotary Club.She’s alsoco-owner ofThe Joint

Physiotherapy and SportsInjury Centre with hus-band Edwin Betinol, soshe understands the intri-cacies of work/life balanceand also appreciates thedemands of operating asmall business.“As an employee I

welcome flexibility, and asa small business owner Irecognize that happyemployees mean satisfiedclients,” she says. “AtPateman & Co., we striveto maintain that balanceof meeting the needs ofboth our employees andour clients.”Flexibility, she says, also

plays a key role in clientsatisfaction.“I think our clients

Donna Cloutier —Pateman & Company

appreciate that we’realways working to providethe best product, whetherthrough training orupgrading our technology.They know that we canmake our schedules meettheir schedule by meetingthem after hours or evenshowing up to speak attheir AGM.”Some people seek an

accountant to help bal-ance the budget. ToDonna Cloutier and theothers at Pateman &Company CharteredAccountant, balancemeans a whole lot more.

Pateman & Co. are a localaccounting firm known forlooking for hidden opportu-nities and needs, adaptingto your way of managingthe business and offeringcreative and non-traditionalsolutions. They can bereached at 250.338.7367or www.pateman.ca.

Natasha Ponich —Winemaker

There is an old saying thatgoes “Good wine starts in

the vineyard.” Nobodybelieves this more than 40Knots winemaker NatashaPonich. Natasha, who came to 40

Knots Estate Winery fiveyears ago, got her start work-ing in many established vine-yards on the NaramataBench in the Okanagan. Since then, she’s been work-

ing closely with vineyardmanager Matt Rademakersand winery owner BillMontgomery to develop the40 Knots brand. With 20 of24 acres currently planted atthe Comox winery, Natashabelieves her connection tothe vines is a vital part of thewinemaking process.

“We’re out in the field every-day,” she says. “From themoment we have bud burstto the time we harvest, weknow everything that wentinto growing that fruit.” The 40 Knots Winery team

is committed to pro-ducing 100%Vancouver Islandwine — it’s a man-date they’re pas-sionate about, andNatasha is looking forward to expanding theirwine portfolio withsome new creativewines grown righthere in the ComoxValley. “Our Whitecaps aro-

matic blend was justreleased in Octoberand we are ecstaticabout this month’srelease of our first

vintage of ‘Spindrift’ Brutsparkling wine. It’s been two years in

the making, and it will beperfect for celebrating theChristmas season.

Marnie Martin — Sales andMarketing Director

Marnie Martin is thenewest member of the

40 Knots Winery team, andshe’s proud to be launchingtheir Retail Wine Shop as anaddition to the Tasting Roomon December 1st. “It’s going to be a fun place

to meet with friends, shop forcool wine-related gifts andtaste some amazing wine, allin an afternoon,” she says.

40 Knots Winery can befound at 2400 Anderton Roadin Comox, and the TastingRoom and Wine Shop will beopen every Saturday andSunday in December from 12-5 pm. To reserve an eventoverlooking the vines, callMarnie at 250.941.8810. Formore information, visitwww.40KnotsWinery.com

Meet two dynamic women behind 40 Knots Winery

“Employees with highwork-life conflict have

the highest rates ofabsenteeism.”

Marnie Martin — Sales and Marketing Director

Barbara Magnusson and Carla Arnold, both with RoyalLePage, are two of the Valley’s most sought-after Realtors.

Carmie Dixon, Carmie's Catering and Café in Cumberland

Natasha Ponich — Winemaker



WomenWomeninin


The Habitat forHumanity BuildCoordinator, Peter

Sanderson promised theTorry and Sons Plumbingand Heating Build Day volunteers “Sore Musclesand Big Grins.” And, theygot just what they werepromised — and weredelighted for it! Managers, skilled trades,

office workers, owners andtrained technicians fromTorry and Sons Plumbingand Heating volunteeredside by side over the pastfew weekends to help withconstruction of the Habitatfor Humanity duplexesgoing up on Piercy. Included in that crew were

five gals that regularly helpthe Torry and Sons admin-istration tick like synchro-nized clock work — holdingpositions on the ExecutiveTeam, in Accounting, theService Department,Marketing and theInstallation Department.

On Build Day, they donnedhard hats and steel toedboots and picked up drills,hammers and shovels toput up scaffolding, nail oninsulation, dig ditches andlay pipes!

Ashley Farnham, AssistantManager in the ResidentialInstallation Departmentsaid: “The experience wasone I will never forget, Iwas able to meet one ofthe potential home ownersand the excitement andappreciation she showedwas very empowering. Itfeels great to be a part of a life changing experience for people inour community.”

This dedication of person-al time to the project hasbeen a significant additionto the Torry and Sonsdonation of skilled labor,materials and the installa-tion of supplier donatedequipment (with thanks toCarrier, Andrew Sheret,Moen, Hytec and Amana).The combined contributionto the Habitat project hastotaled over $16,000. Sore muscles and big

grins were definitely delivered, as promised —and are being worn veryproudly as a Habitat forHumanity badge of honor by the gals at Torry and Sons.

Torry and Sons employs over150 people on VancouverIsland and completesResidential projects onVancouver Island andCommercial Projectsthroughout Western Canada.Contact them at 250.338.8865 or visit www.torryandsons.com

Torry and Sons Gals Sporting SoreMuscles & Big Grins for Habitat!

Dr. Carol answers your petquestions (and maybe evensaves a marriage!)

Kempling heads new Westerly Catering Company

“... combined contribution to

the Habitat projecthas totaled over

$16,000.”

Torry’s Angels: Pictured from L to R: Wendy Mayers, Ashley Farnham, Amber Manderson andRebecca Nelson. Missing from the photo: Laurie Gibson-Torry.

The Westerly Hotel hasbeen catering on-sitefunctions for more

than 30 years. With cater-ing manager LauraKempling at the helm since2010, the hotel is now tak-ing that service on theroad with the WesterlyCatering Company, offeringa full range of cateringservices at any venue inthe Comox Valley — andbeyond.“The Westerly Catering

Company is offering thesame professional serviceyou’ve come to trust in ourHotel atmosphere, but thistime we come to you,”explains Kempling. “We’reoffering everything fromoffice lunch delivery tolarge event catering, set-upand cleanup.” The service, she says, is

about getting clients thecatering they want andneed; Kempling and theWesterly team will happilycustomize their services toany event needs and

budget. That includesdietary accommodations,from vegetarian to celiac-friendly, and offering after-event hotel accommoda-tions and services for off-site functions. “We offer services no

other catering companycan,” says Kempling. “Onecall and you get it all!”For more information visitwww.westerlycatering.ca. Tobook an event, contactSarah Pelletier at250.338.2745 [email protected]

Dear Dr. Carol My husband and I would

like to add a pet to ourfamily, but I’m a dog person and it turns outhe’s a cat person.I don’t want to be stuck

with a disloyal, conde-scending, hairball-gaggingrug shredder for 20 years,and he doesn’t want to

scoop poop, endure doggybreath in the car andarrange play dates andpuppy classes. I know thisis the kind of thing couples usually discussbefore they get married,but is it too late for us?- Conflicted in CumberlandDear Conflicted,In 20 years of practice,

I’ve seen plenty of folkschange their stripes whenit comes to their pet alle-giances. The trick is tofocus on the positive andcelebrate the uniquenessof each species.It has been said that the

average dog is a betterperson than the averageperson. Dogs are loyaland useful companions,happy in the moment andrefreshingly optimisticand uncomplicated.Cats, on the other hand,

are aloof, independentand self-absorbed. Or, asa former husband oncedescribed me, “self-cen-tered, demanding andmanipulative.” (He didn’tlike cats either.) Catsshould be admired, however, for their candour, self-reliance andsensuality. Stretching,purring and luxuriating ina warm pool of sunshine?Hey, we could all use a little ethical hedonismnow and then. So why choose? I suggest

you get both a dog and acat - perhaps a Basenjidog and a Bengal cat.The Basenji, one of the

oldest breeds in theworld, cleans itself like acat and has no body odor.They’re sturdy, elegant,playful and athletic, andinstead of barking, they“yodel” when happy. The Bengal, a cross

between our regulardomestic shorthair andAsian leopard cats, is aspotted cat with a luxuri-ous pelt (but not long-haired). Although a com-paratively large breed,Bengals are friendly, lov-ing, alert and intelligent. Personally, I think every

family needs one of each,and I think these twobreeds would get alongswimmingly. As for thehairballs and bad breath,well... they’re completelyavoidable but we can discuss that later.

The Cumberland VeterinaryClinic is located at 2728Dunsmuir Avenue inCumberland or online atwww.cumberlandvet.ca. Tobook an appointment, call250.336.8449.

Kris Trudeau, owner ofPixelPoint Design andConsulting, has been

going far beyond simplewebsite and graphic designfor 12 years. She recog-nizes that good design ismore effective when pairedwith a compelling, meaningful message andshe brings it all together increative solutions herclients rave about.While Trudeau has

extensive knowledge ofboth print and web, shesays it’s her customer service and project man-agement that really makesPixelPoint stand out. “Imake it easy for my clientsto understand what hap-pens when, and what theirrole is in the project,” shesays. “Clients appreciatemy firm quotes and takecomfort in knowing therewon’t be any surprises.”

Trudeau has been thrillingclients in the Comox Valleyand Vancouver since 2011and still maintains a clientbase in her hometown ofWinnipeg. She works withboth new business start-ups and established com-panies looking to freshentheir brand - so if your web-site is broken or outdated,your logo doesn’t look rightor your brochures simplyaren’t effective, PixelPointcan help.To learn more, visitwww.pixel-point.ca.

Designs on success


Trudeau works with both business start-ups and established companies looking to freshen their brand

Laura Kempling is now taking the Westerly CateringCompany service on the road

Dr. Carol Champion with the “little” vet clinic, practicing personal, custom-designed health care.

Photo: Emerson Gaglardi


What happens if youare a graphicdesigner with a

love for book design and asteady stream of self-publishing authors lookingfor help publishing theirbooks? If you’re LindaGraceffo of SparklingGraphics, you start a one-stop business offering à lacarte and turn-key servicesfor self-published tradition-al books and e-books.Graceffo is launching The

Writer Connection this

month, offering coverdesign and book layout,proofreading and editing,ghostwriting, ISBN andprinting, as well as marketing services for self-publishing authors. Itdoesn’t matter if it’s fictionor non-fiction, memoir,cookbook or poetry —Graceffo has assembled ateam to help these authorsboth produce and promotetheir work.The business concept

reflects changes in the

industry and Graceffo’sown vision for her clients.The growth in home com-puting and printing meansbook writing and publishing are now accessible to anyone withthe desire to create abook. Graceffo wants toconnect aspiring authorswith all of the services theyneed to be successful. It’sall for the love of books.To find out more, visitwww.SelfPublishingResources.ca.

Local designer helps self-publishing writers

The best of BCwines righthere in theComox Valley

Cindy Holland show-cases some of BC’smost exceptional

wines at the CourtenayVQA Wine Store.“There are over 200

wineries in BC and over100 are part of the VQA(Vintner’s Quality Alliance)program,” says Cindy. “I’mable to bring in far morevarieties than the government liquor store,but at the same prices.”The VQA designation guar-

antees a wine’s high quali-ty and made-in-BC pedigree. Cindy’s store carries more than 400 VQAwines, including sparkling,dessert and ice wines.Also available are wineaccessories, glassware,local products and more.Every Friday and Saturday,Cindy offers free wine tastings, a great opportuni-ty to taste the outstandingquality in BC VQA wines.

The Courtenay VQA Wine

Store is located at 7-3195Cliffe Avenue, across fromFuture Shop. For moreinformation, visitwww.courtenayvqawines.comor call 250.871.1444.

WomenWomeninin


Sasha Nowicki & Pauline Rae, Nowicki & Rae Barristers & Solicitors

With Linda Graceffo, book writing and publishing are now accessible to anyone.

Cindy Holland, owner of the Courtenay VQA Wine Store, isproud to support great BC wines.

Female representation in the legal profession — why it matters

Did you know thatmore women thanmen have entered

the legal profession in BCover the past decade? Didyou also know that womenmake up only 34% of practicing lawyers in BCand only 29% of lawyers in private practice? Or thatonly 30% of BC SupremeCourt judges are women,and of the 10 appointed in 2011 and 2012, nonewere women?Traditional law firms are

known for their high pressure, demanding workenvironments with littleflexibility and lack of sup-port for work-life balance.The attrition rate is high. Ofthose female lawyers wewere called to the bar within 2003, only two-thirdswere still practicing law five years later.The Law Society of BC has

introduced programsaimed at bringing aboutsystemic changes andretaining female lawyers.

The Society recognizeswomen’s values, approach-es, and communicationstyles help the justice system reflect the population as a whole, andbring a fresh perspectivethat will help the profes-sion evolve to better service our communities. At Nowicki and Rae, we

bring that perspective toour clients.Sasha and Pauline can bereached at 250.338.6997or www.nowickiandrae.com.

When TraceyMcGinnis moved tothe Comox Valley

in 2004, she saw anopportunity to launch awindow coverings busi-ness. Her family owned achain of window coveringstores in southern Ontarioand she had over 20 yearsexperience in the industry.

That was the start ofBlinds, Billiards andBaubles — the first HunterDouglas Gallery Showroomin British Columbia, andthe only gallery dealernorth of Nanaimo.After six years in

Courtenay, McGinnismoved her successful business two years ago to

a boutique store in Comox.The store showcasesHunter Douglas’s newestinnovations, including itsexclusive Alustra productline, and offers customersthe chance to see and handle fabrics before making a purchase.Other services include

complimentary in-homeconsultations for customwindow coverings anddraperies (including motorized varieties), ultrasonic blind cleaningand repairs to most blinds.Service is offered from“the Bays” to CampbellRiver.

Tracey McGinnis is co-owner/operator of BlindsBilliards and Baubles locat-ed at 221-C Church Streetin Comox. She’s also FirstVice-Chair of the Chamberof Commerce and an activecommunity supporter. FMI,visit www.blindsbilliardsand-baubles.com.

McGinnis carries family tradition of great blinds

Tracey McGinnis, Blinds, Billiards and Baubles



LadysmithPressWeb press printers of:• Newspapers • Flyers• Catalogues • Newsletters• Vacation & Recreation Guides• Newsprint Magazines

940 Oyster Bay Drive, Ladysmith, BC

250-245-0350A division of

Rainy Day BooksInternet Book Store

SELL US YOUR BOOKS

[email protected]

Ruth DiltsCourtenay, BC

Phone: (250) 338-7550Toll Free 1-888-281-9646 Word

Streetonthe

Question of the Month: “What do you think about the subject of ‘Women in Business’?”

of this investment. Youwork hard to promote yourbusiness and well-planned, attractive andconsistent marketingmaterials will sell for you,allowing you to focus onproviding great productsand services.

Kris Trudeau is the ownerof PixelPoint Design andConsulting, offering experi-enced and professionalwebsite and graphic designas well as online market-ing. Reach Kris atwww.pixel-point.ca or250.941.1905.

The five things every start-up business needs

Kris Trudeau, PixelPointDesign & Consulting

As business owners,we all have manyways we can spend

our precious start-up capi-tal on marketing. Do westart small and build aswe go, or burst onto thescene with a splash andget the jump on our com-petition? The first scenario is

frequently chosenbecause many new business owners fail tosee the big-picture valueof investing in marketing.Are there advantages toboth scenarios? Absolutely, but consider

this: your customers workhard for their money andyou need to prove to themthat you are worth theinvestment. A strong brand immedi-

ately builds confidenceand trust, things that willcompel new customers topick up the phone and

remind your existing customers that they madethe right choice.While establishing a

professional visual identityfor your business requiresan investment that maybe hard for new smallbusiness owners to swallow, its value farexceeds its cost. The trick though, is to

invest only in the tools youneed to mar-ket your busi-ness right thefirst time anddo the restlater. To helpyou figure outwhich iswhich, here’sa short list ofwhat everystart-up businessneeds:1. A logo — Make sureyour logo is clear and easyto understand. Equallyimportant is proper con-struction - it needs to bescalable and to be visibleon both dark and lightbackgrounds. You will alsoneed different file typesfor web, digital print andspot printing.2. Business cards — Yourbusiness card is often thefirst piece of advertisingyour customers will see,and from which their vitalfirst impression will bemade. Maximize thisopportunity and make ameaningful connection

with your customer by suc-cinctly explaining yourbusiness.3. A website — Today, abusiness with no websiteis like a business with nophone. Websites areexpected, but if you can’tafford an elaborate oneright now, hope is not lost.Build in stages. In only afew pages, you candescribe your products

and servicesand explain whyyou’re betterthan your com-petition. Don’tforget to throwin some testi-monials andyour contactinfo.4. Social media— Facebook,Twitter and

LinkedIn are a few waysyou can engage with yourcustomers for free. Yourcustomers are online, sostart building relation-ships with them.5. A brochure or rack card— A rack card or brochureis a fabulous leave-behindthat provides informationabout your products andservices. A compelling, effectivebrochure will show yourcustomers you under-stand and can fix theirproblem, while motivatingthem to act.You probably have to

make fewer sales thanyou think to cover the cost

“... start smalland build as wego, or burst ontothe scene with a

splash?”


www.businessgazette.ca/subscribe and get a free email subscription.

Editor’s Note: Almost everyone we asked personally had an opin-ion on the topic of ‘Women in Business.’ All pretty much positive.Yet they, and the hundreds we canvassed by email, were reticentto put fingers to keys and send in their thoughts. Making thecomments for this issue’s WotS about as rare as — you guessedit! — hen’s teeth. Still, the one’s we got are great. Enjoy.

“Women are more equal now, as they are just aseducated and moti-vated as men. But thereality will always bethat it’s harder forwomen, as they arethe ones that getpregnant and needtime to care for new-borns. It will alwaysbe an ongoing juggleand challenge forboth men and women

to care for their families’ needs and to run a busi-ness at the same time. I am so proud of the entre-preneurial businesswomen of the Comox Valley!” —Sheila Petersen, RN, BSN, Isagenix Consultant

“I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. Imake mistakes, I am out of control and attimes hard to handle. But if you can’t handleme at my worst, then you sure as hell don’tdeserve me at my best.” — Marilyn Monroe

“It has been my experience thatone cannot, in any shape or form,depend on human relations forlasting reward. It is only work thattruly satisfies.” — Bette Davis

“Evidence points to an emerging new world economy and social order. For the firsttime in modern history, women starting businesses are out-pacing men, and manythought leaders of the day believe that women are poised to become the primarybreadwinners in households. Forbes magazine is suggesting that entrepreneurship is the new women’s move-

ment. Unlike women’s counterparts who in the1970’s left the home for the workplace, Forbesuses the term the 21st century “QuietRevolution” to describe a movement of womenreturning to the home to start businesses.According to Forbes, women have been startingbusinesses at a higher rate than men for thepast 20 years and will create over half of the9.72 million new small business jobs expectedto be created by 2018.What’s more is that many of the Gen-Y women

are less likely to consider the corporate careertrack and more likely to leave it early to pursueentrepreneurship. Women today crave autono-my and independence. Many pursue entrepre-neurship as a way to align their personal valueswith business. By all accounts of the up-and-comer’s (just visit marieforleo.com) women business

owners are not simply changing the way work is done, they are changing the veryessence of the bottom line.” — Anneli Davey, www.annelidavey.com

“Because my husband and I ran a business together, it was easy to under-stand how a man thinks in business compared to a woman. It is my feelingboth women and men care about the customer equally: men want to makesure everything is working correctly so that everything functions for the cus-tomer; a woman is more sensitive to the customer’s feelings and seeing whattheir needs are in purchasing. As I look at business today, woman are accept-ed more on the same level as men as it is accepted that their capabilities,whether man or woman, is the important factor. This was not always acceptedwhen I was in business. It is nice to see many women in the boardroom now

and feel it will balance out and not change in the future. The best person for the job, regardless of gender, is the best for business.”— Ginny Lowrie


How many times hasthis happened toyou?

You’ve been trying to fitregular exercise into youralready busy schedule.You’ve blown off a coupleof sessions to finish animportant work assignment and havefinally found some time tomake it to the gym. Thething is, you’re tired andstressed and not lookingforward to your work outat all. But 10 minutes in,you’re feeling fantastic! I hear different versions

of this story all of thetime, and it’s the mainreason whyworkplace challenges arebecoming sopopular withbusy professionals.Take the eightRealtors participating inthe first BodyNetixIndustry Challenge as an example.Last month, local Realtors

Dave Procter, LeachReichelt, Ronni Lister and

Cory Zaal of RE/MAX; DonHughes and Ray Francis ofCoast Realty Group; andJamie Edwards and MikeFisher of Royal LePagecommitted to a six-week

fitness program complete withgroup workoutsessions, anindividualizedfitness pro-gram and anutrition plan.The goal was

to kickstart each Realtor’shealth and fitness intohigh gear, all the whileraising money for charity. We’re four weeks into theChallenge as of this

writing, and the resultshave been impressive. Theagents have made it to allof their group workout ses-sions, plus taken on extratraining on their own (atleast, the majority of themhave!). They’ve alsoembraced the meal plansby reducing their alcoholconsumption and stayingaway from junk food andfast food. Collectively, they’ve lost

an impressive 73 lbs, withDon Hughes leading theway at 18 lbs. The consensus is clear;

the agents are loving thesupportive group atmos-phere. Not only to do they

have access to the trainers at BodyNetix,they’ve got a group ofpeers around themencouraging them to dotheir best every day. It’sawesome to see. I’ve said it before, and

can’t say it enough: busyprofessionals needs exer-cise. It’s one of the beststress-busters out thereand gives you the focusyou need to get on top ofyour busy schedule. TheRealtors would agree. Half of the group hasalready committed to keep training once theChallenge is over. Youcan’t ask for a better testimonial than that.

If you’d like to start yourown Industry Challengeand see the benefits ofhealthier, fitter employees,give me a call.

Chris Ketch is a profession-al trainer and the owner ofBodyNetix ProfessionalFitness Training. He can bereached at 250.871.2400or [email protected].

“The consensus isclear; the agents

are loving the supportive groupatmosphere.”

How eight Realtors lost 73 lbs in four weeksHughes drops 18 lbs; leads Fitness Challenge 4 weeks in

Chris KetchOwner — BodyNetixwww.bodynetix.ca

QuickBooks has anifty little accountcalled Undeposited

Funds, that can makeyour bookkeeping life awhole lot easier.Unfortunately, most inexperienced users don’t know how to use it properly. Undeposited Funds is the

default account used totrack customer payments.It’s very helpful when youhave multiple bankaccounts and deposits tobe allocated amongstthem. If you record pay-ments in QuickBooks asyou receive them butdon’t make a bankdeposit everyday, youshould be using thisaccount. Think of it likethe pocket of your pants

Make the most of Undeposited Funds

Quickbooks Tips & Tricks (a holding account) whereyou keep payments(cheques/cash) until you physically depositthem at the bank.Occasionally during

reconciliation, you maydiscover you’re missingsome deposits, so youenter them directly intoyour chequing accountregister. This leaves alarge balance in theUndeposited Fundsaccount, which almostalways means revenuehas been entered twiceand is overstated.When used properly,

Undeposited Fundsgroups payments togetherso they match the depositamounts shown on yourbank statements. Thisaccount becomes veryimportant as your business grows. Without

it, each payment would beentered in the registerseparately, making bankreconciliation extremelytime-consuming.

Sherri-Lee Mathers is anIPBC-Certified ProfessionalBookkeeper, RegionalDeveloper for IPBC and aQuickbooks ProAdvisor.Reach her at 778.427.1122or www.balsamway.ca.

Sherri-Lee Mathers, BalsamWay Bookkeeping

Want to know thesecret to keepingyour body and

mind feeling cheery and festive this holidayseason? One word: prevention.1. Wear a scarf — It’s notonly fashionable, it alsokeeps the chill off smallerneck muscles that canreact severely to a coldbreeze with spasms,sharp pains andheadaches.2. Get active — Raise yourheart rate each day andinvolve your whole body tofeel more energetic andmobile, and to ward offthe winter blues.3. Watch yourself —Whether hanging lights,setting up a Christmastree or simply partaking inmore festivities thanusual, be sure to keepgood body mechanics andposture in mind to avoidoverloading your muscles.4. Take a break — If facedwith snow, be sure topace yourself when shovelling the driveway.Such a one-sided, repetitive activity can

easily throw out yourback.5. Get a massage — Weall know a great massagebenefits the both the bodyand the mind. A massagetherapy visit makes agreat gift for the holidaysand can give your musclesmuch needed relief! (Giftcards are available at myoffice!)

Heather Saunders is a reg-istered massage therapistpracticing at the ComoxValley Therapeutic MassageCentre. Her focus is pro-moting body awarenessand patient education. Formore free resources, likestretches, home care tips,articles, visitwww.HeatherSaundersRMT.com or call 250.339.9912.

5 ways to prevent holiday aches & pains

Heather Saunders, RMT

Commercial printinghas become muchmore technologically

advanced over the pastfew years, bringing amazing quality at a veryaccessible price. Gone are the days of having tospend beyond your budgetto make an impact. One of the reasons for

this shift is directly relatedto file formatting or, morespecifically, the PDF. Thisuniversal format can beused on any platform andhas incredible capabili-ties. But what the heck isa PDF exactly? PDF, which stands for

Portable DocumentFormat, was inventedmore than 20 years agoby Adobe. It has been perfected over the yearsand relies on a simplefundamental principle:“the smooth exchange ofideas and information.” With PDFs, you don’t

have to worry aboutwhether people have thesame software you usedto create your originals.Almost any publishingsoftware, from amateur

to professional, allows youto “publish” or export yourwork as a PDF. This means you can avoid

the unpleasant surprise ofa font being changed inyour Microsoft Word orPublisher document,which can change the formatting of your document dramatically. So whether you’re send-

ing a plain text resumé orprofessional marketingmaterials, choose PDF.Not only will you get thebest result, you’ll makeyour printer very happy!

Adil Amlani is the owner ofSure Copy Centre inCourtenay. He can bereached at 250.334.2836or online at www.surecourtenay.ca.

Adil Amlani, Sure Copy Centre

The ABCs of PDFs

Mackenzie Gartside Verico Select Mortgage

Typically, there arethree ways to fundyour down payment

on a new home: your personal savings, a giftfrom family or your line ofcredit. Here’s what you’llneed to know about eachoption: Saving your own down

What are my options for the down payment on a house mortgage?

payment is the most tradi-tional option and isaccepted by all lenders.Simply provide threemonths ofbank historyshowing yoursavings accumulation,and all isgood. Gifted down

payments arebecoming more commontoday as property pricesincrease, and are nowallowed by most lenders.However, gifted fundsmust come from a direct family member (parents/grandparents),who must sign a letterstating there is no obliga-tion for repayment. Inother words, gifts fromsiblings, friends,

godparents, etc. won’twork. Line of credit (LOC) bor-

rowing is also allowed bymost lenders,but you musthave a bettercredit scoreand enoughincome to sup-port the LOCpayments andstill qualify for

the mortgage. Also, themortgage insurance (ifrequired) will cost more. Ifyou have questions aboutthe best down paymentstrategy for your purchase,give us a call today!Find today’s rates online at

www.comoxmortgages.comFor a free debt review andmortgage consultation, call Mackenzie at250.331.0800.

“Gifts from siblingsand friends

won't work.”

Do you love your carso much you nameit? (Even hug it? :)

Glenn'sImport &DomesticAutoServicesCares For All Types of Vehicles(And TheirOwners)

If you can drive it, we can fix it. Not the simplest thing to do now, considering theaverage vehicle has more than a dozen

system computers in it. Which is why our tech-nicians, including owner Sean O 'Gorman, areall government certified and continue to active-ly participate in continuing education programs. Our warranty on our repair work for 24,000 kmor 24 months is testimony to our commitment,and keeps our customers coming back. Formany families, we become their family's autoshop —caring for the parents first, then theirteen drivers, and then their families. For this;we are grateful...and proud. If you love your car, bring it to us. It will be a

privilege to care for your vehicle, so we candemonstrate our superior service to you, too.

Glenn's Import & Domestic Auto 160 Headquarters Road, Courtenay

250-338-5841


www.businessgazette.ca/subscribe and get a free email subscription. www.bodynetix.ca

www.bodynetix.ca


“What happens if you invest in sales training andyour salespeople leave for the competition? Considerthis... What happens if you don’t, and they stay?”

Every proactive effortyou make in yourbusiness comes down

to your salespeople. When apotential customer interactswith one of your salespeo-ple, what impression do theyreceive?

The sales industry has astigma and its not a goodone. Most salespeople havenever been properly trained.They stumbled into theindustry and do the best theycan based on what they feelworks best on the job. Theymay be pushy and talk toomuch.

Well trained salespeoplehelp people buy by askingquestions. They determinethe buyers needs. This ishow you win business, earnrepeat business and getreferrals.If it’s results you’re looking

for you’ve found the rightman. I can help.

A common reason sales training fails

Sales is complicated busi-ness. Forbes recently rankedit one of the hardest jobs tofill. A 3-4 hour training ses-

sion isn’t going to fix much.So often sales training failsfrom improper implementa-tion. As to motivationaltalks, the most motivated Iever see sales people iswhen you show them howthey can make moremoney... and have more fun!

Sales Person Buy In:The master key

The majority of salespeoplesee value in training. Theywant it. But buy in is crucialfor success. What I hear from salespeo-

ple all the time is, “Show mehow I can meet my client’sneeds more often; show mesomething that works for meand you’ll have my buy in.” They like it when I get in

the field with them. Theylike the fact that I walk thetalk - and they see what Iteach really works. They are thrilled when they

learn to do these techniquesthemselves and get the samegreat results.

Bottom line: RESULTSCompanies that work with

me improve their top-line

growth. That’s a fact. Once salespeople under-

stand my motivation is toimprove their skill set andconfidence level, theyrespond and see results. It’sreally that simple.

“Action is the founda-tional key to all success.”

— Pablo PicassoCheck me out. Go to my

website. Look at my testi-monials. Contact me. I willgive you phone numbers ofthe people you want to call. If satisfied we’ll do a no-

charge needs analysis. Fromthere we get buy in fromyour sales group... or wedon’t go ahead. Your success is my success

as a trainer. That rests withmoving the needle with eachsalesperson. I am 100% ded-icated to this philosophy.Very limited availability.Call today for great results.

About DaveWarawa

Dave has trained over 120sales people, with excellentresults. Here are some com-ments from past clients. Goto his website for full andcomplete testimonials.

“Dave’s method of partner-ing and coaching coupledwith his ability to empowersalespeople caused a dra-matic increase in revenues.It also increased employeeretention.” - NeilCunningham 8 “Dave isone of the hardest workingindividuals I know.” - RickFlintoft 8 “Dave is person-able and an expert with highintegrity.” - Louise Reinich8 “One of Dave’s qualities ishe leads by example! I rec-ommend Dave to any busi-ness.” - Mark Bogusky 8

“If you’re looking for a truehard working, educated,polished, salt of the earth,“real” individual to be anasset to your company, wellthen you don’t have to lookmuch further than DaveWarawa!” - Sean Smith 8

[email protected]

Know the risks when buying foreclosure properties

Foreclosures are unfor-tunately becoming amore common type of

property for sale. Eitherthrough poor choices orbad luck, foreclosures arethe result of a homeownerwho owes more than thehome is worth and isunable to continue makingmortgage payments. Once the bank has been

approved by the courts tosell the property, anappraisal will be commis-sioned. Almost invariably,homes in foreclosure arein rough shape, and thebank is often owed morethan the appraised marketvalue. This situation usual-ly results in an overpricedlisting that does not getoffers. Eventually, pricereductions are inevitable.Personally, I believe a

foreclosure sale priceshould be at least five to

10 per cent lower thatmarket value. I’m notthrowing that number outthere because the proper-ty is in distress or is beingsold by a bank and there-fore can be low-balled,however. Rather, the mar-ket value should be lowerby the very nature of theforeclosure sale.

Let’s say your offer on aforeclosed property isaccepted — the deal is stillfar from done. There areinspections, reviewing titleand the time and energyspent on deciding on thatparticular property. On arural foreclosure, youcould be looking at wellover $1,000 in inspectionson the home, septic, welland wood stove, yetthere’s no guarantee you’llsucceed in securing thehome. Any foreclosure sale must

be approved by the court.You could spend morethan $1,000 on inspec-tions, many hours of visit-ing the property, fightingover whether you shouldbuy it and going through

“Losing a deal in court is gut-wrenching..”

James Smith,Royal LePage

the offer/counter-offerprocess only to haveanother party offer $500more in court. To be fair, that competing

offer must be uncondition-al, but it does happen.Therefore, my argument isthis: time, money, energyand emotional output allgo into securing a deal ona foreclosure and, despiteyour best efforts, you mayultimately fail in purchas-ing the property. Losing adeal in court is gut-wrenching. And that’s whyalmost all foreclosures sellwell below market value.I’m not saying foreclo-

sures aren’t worth pursuing, just that havinga clear idea of the processis critical if you wish toavoid disappointment. Theprice has to be attractive;if you can’t secure the

property at a reasonablediscount, don’t move on it.For a more in-depth arti-

cle on foreclosures, please

visit my blog atwww.jamessmith.ca/blog.James Smith is one of thetop five Royal LePage

Realtors in the ComoxValley. He can be reachedat 250.218.2324 or atwww.jamessmith.ca.

Committed to ‘Your Everyday Feeling Great Success’!

Hello Comox Valley! I am SheilaPetersen, a local Registered Nurse

and Mother of 3. I discoveredISAGENIX this past year and myentire Family LOVES it! Call Me and let’s talk about how to help

You ‘Feel GREAT Everyday’!

1-800-584-3970 or 250-218-2271www.gignetworks.tv/sheilapetersen

or www.isamovie.com

Sheila Petersen, Rn, BSN, Isagenix Consultant

Comox Valley Business Gazette — Dec 2012 Page 1 2

Automatic & Easy backup

GetPeace of Mind

Protection from CrashesViruses, Fire & Theft

Got Backups?

www.mytechguys.ca

Courtenay Comox250-338-4411 250-890-10655 - 2401 Cliffe Ave 1812 Comox Avenue

EMERGENCY: 250-897-9911

Since 1974 theComox ValleyChamber of

Commerce has supportedthe community in recog-nizing their very best atthe Comox Valley AnnualCommunity Awards. Whilethe award categories havechanged over the years,the one thing that hasremained constant is thehigh calibre of nomineesand award recipients.Without a doubt theComox Valley is home tosome pretty amazing citi-zens and businesses!Nominations for the

2012 awards are opennow, through 4:00 p.m.,Thursday, January 3,2013. The nominationform is available on theChamber website or youmay pick one up at theChamber office: 2040Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay.Sorry, there will be no selfnominations this year.In addition to the awardslisted below, we areplease to introduce twonew awards this year:

The Youth LeadershipAward is in recognition ofan individual under theage of 25, or a group ororganization whose keymembers are under theage of 25, that has madesignificant contributionsto the community. Theaward will honour strongleadership, ingenuity andinitiative in any endeav-our(s) that improve thelives of others, the com-munity as a whole, or theenvironment.

The Young EntrepreneurAward is in recognition ofan individual or team,who has achieved remark-able business successbefore the age of 35. Thetype, size or age of busi-ness is not limited, howev-er, the criteria includesbeing involved with thecommunity, a willingnessto employ locally, and ademonstration of commit-ment to the Comox Valley.The theme for the galaawards event, to be heldSaturday, January 26,2013 at the FlorenceFilberg Centre is ‘A RoyalAffair.’ Join us as we hon-our our community’sfinest businesses, individ-uals and organizationswith all the pomp and cer-emony fit for royalty!The evening will include achampagne receptionsponsored by KingfisherResort & Spa, a four-course gourmet meal, an‘Academy Award-style’ filmpresentation, plus liveand silent auctions, with50 per cent of the auctionproceeds going to charity.Contact the ComoxValley Chamber ofCommerce:

• Visit www.comoxvalleychamber.com

• Call 250.334.3234, or• Drop by the offices at

2040 Cliffe, Avenue, Courtenay, BC.

2012 Annual CommunityAward Categories & Sponsors

Awards: Sponsors: (Confirmed by press time.)

Agricultural Business of the Year MNP LLPCustomer Service Thrifty FoodsCitizen of the Year Canadian TireHeritage Recognition Vancouver Island

Insurance CentresNew Business of the Year Presley & PartnersPresident’s Award North Island

CollegeProfessional Merit First InsuranceRecycling Recognition Comox Strathcona

Waste Management

Small Business of the Year Glacierview Financial

Youth Leadership WCG InternationalYoung Entrepreneur Your business here?

For information on event tickets, nomination forms or sponsorship opportunities: Visit

www.ComoxValleyChamber.com, and click on the ‘Our Chamber’ tab and then Annual

Community Awards or call 250-334-3234.

business gazette

Documents

justbeing women

women consis

women makeup

femaleand male physicianwomen

business gazette

allowsyour business

technology planningfor

us study