3rd Annual “Bridges To Better Business” on January 23, 2013

We are pleased to announce January 23, 2013 as the date for our Third Annual

Bridges To Better Business

This Bruce County business event of the year is titled

Creative Solutions: Attracting and Retaining Quality Employees

Bridges to Better Business is a forum where business owners, both new and more experienced, exchange ideas and share advice. This year’s event will encompass a panel of four local business owners sharing their challenges and successes with hiring, training and retaining employees.

The evening begins at 5PM for the Social Hour with a light supper and a cash bar. The formal program begins at 6PM and runs until 8PM.

Attendees will be invited to continue to network and visit the employment related agency representatives.

For more information call our office at 519-832-2082 or visit our website’s Events page

 

Roger Brooks Worshop Inspires Branding in Bruce County

Spruce the Bruce held its Workshop with Roger Brooks, of Destination Development International (DDI), on Nov 13 – Nov 15. Brook shares the lessons he’s learned over the past 30 years while helping over 1000 communities. This experience has made Brooks a master of the “art of differentiation”, or “branding”.

Both business owners and municipal officials from 11 Bruce County communities attended the 2.5 day workshop. All of them walked away inspired to help their towns become destinations that attract both locals and tourists alike.  Both the county and the communities now have solid brand directions and are going to be busy over the next couple of weeks as they explore these new directions.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE

Meet the Students – Laura

Laura Blodgett – Fabulous Fish

The Business Enterprise Centre of Saugeen Shores is pleased to announce that Laura Blodgett, of Paisley, has been accepted into the Summer Company Program and  is now running her company called Fabulous Fish.

Laura is selling fresh frozen rainbow trout at local markets. She is inspired by her Grandpa, a fish vendor with 28 years of experience. The product is grown in Georgian Bay near Manitoulin Island. Adult rainbow trout have a lovely pink meat with a mild taste. The fish is filleted and individually wrapped. The meat is deboned (although not guaranteed boneless) and peels easily off the skin. BBQ’d samples will be offered at some markets, as allowed, with a chunk of lemon and some lemon thyme from her family’s garden.  Even people who don’t usually like fish are surprised with her samples. Laura has prepared some of the fillets just like the samples so people can take them from the market and put them right on the BBQ, without having to touch the fish.

Laura runs a market stand at the Paisley Farmer’s Market on Saturdays from 9-1 and Keady Market on Tuesdays from 7-12 when possible. Laura has also agreed to attend the new food-focused Farmers’ Market at Cava Coffee in Walkerton on Fridays from 3-7 pm. Laura knows that she will stand out at the markets because no one else is selling fish. She also believes that more people want a healthy variety in their diet and many begin to choose fish as a great meat alternative.

When asked about how she will be successful, Laura stated “My fish is fresh. It is local. It is nutritious and delicious. These are things people want. Plus, the BBQ-ready trout is so convenient that people can’t resist. I am also good with people. Many people have tried to compete with my grandpa in the Ottawa Valley by offering lower prices, but offering a quality product and being good with people is key to building an untouchable business. This is a belief that I share with my Grandpa. Plus, I am able to offer a competitive price of $9.00/pound.” 

The Summer Company program is sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation. Laura will be receiving an award of up to $3,000 for 280 hours of work, as well as business training and mentoring to start and run her Fabulous Fish. In the fall, Laura will be entering Grade 11 at the Walkerton District Community School. Find Fabulous Fish at http://www.facebook.com/laurasfabulousfish.

Meet the Students – Derrick

Meet the Students

 Derrick LaValley – Derrick’s Smoked Fish

 The Business Enterprise Centre of Saugeen Shores is pleased to announce that Derrick LaValley, of The Chippewa’s of Nawash Unceded First Nation (Cape Croker) has been accepted into the Summer Company Program and will be starting up and running Derrick’s Smoked fish.

Derrick’s Smoked Fish will be buying fresh Georgian Bay whitefish caught by local fisherman, filleting it and then using real wood to naturally smoke the fish. Smoked fish is a cured meat; it is smoked to keep it preserved without refrigeration for about 7 days. It is a perfect treat for campers and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Using his family’s smoking techniques with a pinch of sea salt and smoking longer than most gives Derrick’s fish a distinct flavour that every fish lover will enjoy.

He will be selling his fish at his home which are on the road that vacationers travel to get to the camp ground, and at his aunt’s “Kitty’s Corner Store”, which is close to the government dock. The Chippewa’s of Nawash Unceded First Nation is situated on Georgian Bay and contains breath-taking views of beautiful rock formations in addition to sparkling water. This makes it a great place to live and boasts a vibrant tourism market with 100’s of visitors traveling on day trips as well as staying in the Cape Croker Indian Park which provides camping for both trailers and tents. The park is located about 30 minutes from the nearest town, so once they arrive, they want to stay. Derrick’s Smoked Fish will be a tasty treat for them when they arrive and throughout their stay.

The Summer Company program is sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation. Derrick will be receiving an award of up to $3,000, as well as business training and mentoring to start up and run Derrick’s Smoked Fish. In the fall Derrick will be entering his first year of business management at Humber College.

Meet the Students – Corrina

Corrina Serda – Serda Digital Marketing co.

The Business Enterprise Centre of Saugeen Shores is pleased to announce that Corrina Serda, of Port Elgin, has been accepted into the Summer Company Program, which is sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation. She will be receiving an award of up to $3,000, as well as business training and mentoring to start up and run Serda Digital Marketing co. In the fall, Corrina will be returning to Saugeen District Secondary School for Grade 11.

 Serda Digital Marketing co. will provide a customized digital media service for people running local businesses or organizations. Corrina can set up accounts on social media websites like Twitter and Facebook, and also can create basic websites and provide basic training and technical support.

 Another service is to write content and send out updates, on behalf of the owner, to keep the accounts active and up to date. Further packages can include creating branding and marketing themes, video production, design of logos that can include a graphic and/or wordmark, design of advertising materials, design of powerpoint presentations, etc.

 Corrina was trained by Al Gore to give his climate presentations in 2008, was honoured as an Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year in 2009, and will be assisting with Al Gore’s training in August in San Francisco as a table facilitator and youth mentor. She has spent 200 hours enriching the social media presence of the local WOAA champions, the Saugeen Shores Winterhawks, and has created ads, logos and handouts for non-profits.

 Serda Digital Marketing co. will service Saugeen Shores and surrounding areas, and will have flexible working hours, depending on the clients’ needs. For more information, visit Serda Digital Marketing co.’s website:

http://serdadigitalmarketing.wordpress.com/ or visit Serda Digital Marketing co. on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SerdaDigitalMarketingCo

 

Meet the Students – Connor

Connor Stewart - The Computer Shoppe & Repairs in Paisley

 The Business Enterprise Centre of Saugeen Shores is pleased to announce that Connor Stewart of the Paisley area has been accepted into the Summer Company Program. This program is sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation. Connor will be receiving an award of up to $3,000, as well as business training and mentoring to start up and run his Computer Shoppe and Repairs store this summer. In the Fall,Connor will be returning to the University of Waterloo, going into his 4^th year of Philosophy Honours.

 Having worked at the Bluewater District School Board as a computer technician, and with 2 years of studying Computer Science at University of Waterloo, Connor decided he was up for the challenge of running his own business and applied to the program.

 He has just opened his business, “Computer Shoppe & Repairs”; located at 468 Queens Street South in the village of Paisley. His phone number is 519-385-4433.

 Connor offers a great blend of quality products, customer service and technical support.  With standard computers at competitive pricing, Connor is willing to order special components, perform installations, troubleshoot, provide tutoring, and even transfer precious memories on VHS tapes to DVDs. In addition, he builds and sells Media Centres. These machines allow users to simultaneously watch and record TV, surf the net, and listen to music. He has set his hours from 8am – 7pm Monday through Friday and from 10am – 7pm on Saturday so as to offer convenient drop-off and pick-up times.

The Saugeen Shores BR+E Final Report Presented to Council

The Saugeen Shores Business Retention and Expansion Project’s Final Report was presented to Mayor and Council at the May 28th Committee of the Whole.

 This project was a joint effort between The Town of Saugeen Shores, The Business Enterprise Centre of Saugeen Shores, The Saugeen Shores Chamber of Commerce, Saugeen Sustainability Volunteer and Resource Centre, and the Four County Labour Market Planning Board (the Partners).

The project surveyed 86 businesses, asking them 115 questions on all aspects of running a business in Saugeen Shores. The BR+E Task Force, made up of representatives from the project partners as well as business owners, reviewed the key findings of the data summary report. The group noted recurring themes that included, more focused Economic Development initiatives, streamlining some Municipal processes for business, continued focus on improving the vitality of the two downtowns, addressing workforce development issues and a need for enhanced methods for communication among all parties. The report also identified avenues for both the Business Enterprise Centre and the Chamber of Commerce to improve their support to business. 

 Both Mayor Smith and Deputy Mayor Charbonneau extended their personal thanks to everyone involved, especially the business owners and to the volunteer visitors who donated their time and efforts to the project.  The final report illustrates some key steps that can be implemented to improve the business climate in Saugeen Shores.

The next step of the project will be to develop a work plan for the implementation of actions brought forward in the report. Milestones of the implementation stage will be detailed on the Saugeen Shores web site. A copy of the final report is also available on the website at www.saugeenshores.ca/business

Meet the Mentors – Mike Bolton

 “Meet the Mentors” is our blog on the professionals who volunteer their time to help our Summer Company Entrepreneurs build their dream company. These professionals have diverse backgrounds and offer unique insight into overcoming obstacles that all start-ups face. They are the reason that the Summer Company program is so successful – it’s about real students getting real help to make real money. This series is meant to let students understand who will be there to help them if they get accepted into the Summer Company Program in Bruce County.

Mike Bolton

Mike Bolton is married to Abby his partner for 24 years and has two grown children. He enjoys running, hiking, golf, reading and travel.

Mike is a Chartered Accountant practicing in Port Elgin. He is a partner in the National accounting firm BDO Canada LLP. BDO has offices across Canada in centres both large and small. BDO’s main market for services is small business owners.

Mike grew up in Walkerton and moved to Port Elgin in 1990 to take over the BDO accounting office. He deals with small business owners by helping them organize and run their business as well as assisting with income tax planning and return preparation. Mike also runs a large auditing practice that does financial audits for non-profit organizations as well as small businesses.

Mike spends time helping BDO Canada LLP stay current on the latest accounting and auditing issues. He is one of 8 BDO partners from across Canada that sits on a steering committee to determine how professional standards are applied at BDO. Mike also sits on the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants AcSB’s Private Enterprises Advisory Committee that helps sets accounting standards for small businesses across Canada.

Mike assists the Summer Company participants by assisting with accounting and tax related questions as well as bringing general business knowledge to the discussions.

Mike enjoys helping the students because the fresh ideas they bring to discussions. Their enthusiasm they show in running their businesses rubs off and reminds him how much fun it is to learn something new.

Meet the Mentors – Tony Sheard

 Meet the Mentors” is our blog on the professionals who volunteer their time to help our Summer Company Entrepreneurs build their dream company. These professionals have diverse backgrounds and offer unique insight into overcoming obstacles that all start-ups face.  They are the reason that the Summer Company program is so successful – it’s about real students getting real help to make real money.  This series is meant to let students understand who will be there to help them if they get accepted into the Summer Company Program in Bruce County.

Tony Sheard

Tony was born in Yorkshire, England and he’s married to Sylvia and has one daughter. Sylvia is a Breast Cancer Survivor and since 2009, Tony has supported her Team along with the infamous Pretty Boys that have raised over $82,000 for  Breast Cancer related charities through Sylvia’s Ladies Day Out ‘Pretty in Pink’ initiative.

Tony is now retired but during his career he’s worked within the power generation sector and draws on experience working in the UK, North Africa, USA and in Canada since September 2000. He was a senior manager with strengths as both an HR professional and general manager with particular expertise in the areas of compensation, benefits, pensions, collective bargaining, recruitment, customer service, due diligence and business planning.

Since retirement, Tony’s become active in the community, being currently President of Southampton Rotary Club and the Vocational Services Chair for Rotary District 6330, a crew member and guide for the Marine Heritage Society on Chantry Island Tours, a member of Southampton Art School, Saugeen Shores Probus Club, and the Southampton Residents Association. In July he will take on the role of Assistant Governor for Area 1 of the Rotary District. 

He’s been a mentor on the Summer Company Program as part of Rotary’s vocational service program for the past 3 years. He thoroughly enjoys providing support and assistance to the young people on the program from his extensive business background.

He takes comfort from watching the participants from a wide range of backgrounds with diverse business ideas mature and increase in confidence through the short life of the program. He particularly enjoys the enthusiasm and vitality that the young people bring to solving problems to make their businesses thrive.

Look for our “Meet the Mentors of Summer Company in Bruce County” Series

If you are someone who  is thinking about applying to Summer Company in Bruce County, watch for our new blog series “Meet the Mentors”. Over the next few weeks we will post short Bios about the people who really make Summer Company a success.  For students in Bruce County, our mentors are wonderful people, who not only have great business skills, but also have a great time helping young entrepreneurs grow their dream companies. 

The mentoring component of Summer Company is what really what make this Ontario government program such a fantastic way to start a business. Real professionals giving real advice. Successful candidates have this amazing support network to turn to for advice on every aspect of running a business.

So if you are thinking of applying to Summer Company, read our series to learn about who will be there to help you ever step of the way.