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.

OMAFRA Connects – February 2012

The latest edition of OMAFRA Connects is now available:

2012-02-01 – OMAFRA Conencts

2012 Community Job Fair in Saugeen Shores – February 25th

Looking for work? Whether it’s a full-time career, summer job, part-time work or self-employment info, check out the Saugeen Shores Community Job Fair! It takes place on Saturday, February 25, 2012 in the Rotary Hall at the Plex from 1 to 3 p.m. Local employers will be on hand to accept resumes and answer your questions!

Organized by the Saugeen Shores Chamber of Commerce, the Saugeen Shores Business Enterprise Centre and the Town of Saugeen Shores. Call 519-832-2332 for more info or to register a booth for your business.

A flyer and registration form follow.

Job Fair Poster 2012

Employer Registration – 2012

Employer Awareness Workshops – Hanover, Meaford, Owen Sound

As an employer, did you know that there are agencies and organizations that can help you:
¨ Participate in apprenticeship training?
¨ Hire and train employees?
¨ Offer financing options for your business?
¨ Provide valuable labour market information

The Four County Labour Market Planning Board is hosting several Employer Awareness Workshops in Grey and Bruce over the next few months.

For more info, dates and how to register, visit the Planning Board’s website.

Project connects immigrants with small businesses

Many small business owners are in desperate need of skilled workers, but are either unaware of or don’t consider the qualified pool of new immigrants that have already arrived in Canada, says Ratna Omidvar, president of the Maytree Foundation (http://maytree.com/). At the same time, many newcomers want to work at large companies they’ve heard of back home but either do not know of or don’t think about approaching smaller companies that could use their skills. Maytree has set up a new project called Assisting Local Leaders with Immigrant Employment Strategies (http://alliescanada.ca/how-we-can-help/sme-projects/) that is trying to come up with strategies to connect the two, contending it will bring benefits to both.

Programs that bring small businesses together with immigrants include the Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network (http://wrien.com/), funded by the Ontario government.

25 July 2011
The Globe and Mail

Canadians Opting for Staycations and Comparison Shopping As Inflation Hits | Gifts and Tablewares

According to quarterly findings released today from the RBC Canadian Consumer Outlook Index, Canadians are delaying vacation plans, shopping around for groceries, following their budget more closely and holding onto their older vehicles, thanks to rising gas and food prices

Canadians Opting for Staycations and Comparison Shopping As Inflation Hits | Gifts and Tablewares.

Ten Students Participating in Summer Company 2011!

The Saugeen Shores Business Enterprise Centre is pleased to announce that there are 10 students participating in the Summer Company program through their office this year. Training and launch day take place on July 4, 2011. Congratulations to all of our successful applicants! It should be a good summer.

CambridgeTimes Article: Turning skilled trade students into entrepreneurs

CambridgeTimes Article: Turning skilled trade students into entrepreneurs.

Possibility for local towns? Small businesses turning to pedal power…

Entrepreneurs are finding that they can load up cargo bikes with all kinds of goods, race through traffic and even save money

Bicycles carrying heavy loads are becoming increasingly common: as environmental consciousness rises apace with the price of gasoline, entrepreneurs are looking to pedals to power their businesses. In Vancouver, a group of young entrepreneurs are launching SHIFT Urban Cargo Delivery, an enterprise that hopes to fill the gap in the market between the bike courier and the delivery truck by transporting everything from small furniture to office supplies in the downtown core. There are benefits for everyone beyond the dollars, including less air pollution, less oil consumption and fewer cars blocking the road.

Source: 15 June 2011, The Globe and Mail

Walkerton vpi Celebrates its Brand New Office Space

Walkerton vpi Inc. held their Open House Celebration this past Wednesday June 15th. The amiable blue skies and cheery sunshine perfectly reflected the mood at the new offices on MacNab Street. The visitors were greeted in the exterior hallway by June Wade and given a name tag and an invitation to tour the new digs.

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