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Transcript of How-To Book 2011
Select local businesses offer their expert advice on essential business products and services
Sponsored by
Your ideal business location
Design that boosts results
Managing your supply chain
Writing a business plan
Best customer service
Hiring a CGA
Sustainable electricity
Great company retreats
Advanced communications and your image
Master of global management (MGM) degree
Indoor air quality
Saving money on tradeshows
Replacing your roof
Facilitating meetings
Choosing your fuel source
Getting the best catering
Emergency planning
PET–CT scans
$7
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR BUSINESS READERS 2011
Find out how to get the most effective printing for your money. We do more than just print. We provide custom-tailored solutions
that make you stand out from the crowd.
How Tostretch your tradeshow marketing budget—4
hire a certified general accountant—6
leverage design as a business asset—8
manage an efficient supply chain with the right manufacturer—10
be innovative in improving indoor air quality—12
respect your roof—14
turn your office green—16
face a cancer diagnosis head-on—18
define the primary purpose of your business—20
deliver outstanding customer service and build lasting customer relationships—22
make your small business look more professional with advanced communications—24
get and apply international business skills with a master of global management degree—26
centralize control of your fuel purchases—28
organize a company retreat—30
maximize your catering experience—32
maximize meeting value and optimize results—34
prepare your business for an emergency—36
live for today and plan for tomorrow —38
Publisher: Paul HarrisEditor-in-chief: Naomi Wittes ReichsteinDesign director: Randy PearsallProofreader: Baila LazarusContributors: Rebecca Edwards, Lynsey Franks,
Noa Glouberman, Baila LazarusProduction manager: Don SchuetzeProduction: Carole ReadmanSales manager: Joan McGrogan Advertising sales: Lori Borden, Corinne Tkachuk Administrator: Katherine ButlerOffice manager: Dennis LeBlancController: Marlita HodgensPresident, BIV Media Group: Paul Harris
How-To is published by BIV Magazines, a division of BIV Media LP, 102 4th Avenue East, Vancouver, B.C. V5T 1G2 604-688-2398, fax 604-688-6058, www.biv.com. BIV Media LP also publishes Business in Vancouver.
Copyright 2011, How-To. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or incorporated into any information retrieval system without permission of How-To. The list of services provided in this publication is not necessarily a complete list of all such services available in British Columbia. The publishers are not responsible in whole or in part for any errors or omissions in this publication.
How-To has received consideration from advertisers for editorial content appearing in this magazine.
Publications Mail Agreement No: 40069240. Registration No: 8876. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Department 102 Fourth Avenue East, Vancouver, B.C. V5T 1G2. E-mail: [email protected]
PRODUCED BY
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR BUSINESS READERS 2011CONTENTS
SPONSORED BY
stretch your tradeshow marketing budget
We all live in an age of doing
more with less. We’re seeing
stiff competition, shrinking
budgets and less manpower,
yet results are still expected.
Here are seven ideas that
will allow you to achieve
results and stay within budget:
1. Consider cost of ownershipWhen planning your annual tradeshow
program, consider its full cost. Far too
often, clients don’t take into considera-
tion the costs of freight, show services
and material handling of their exhibits
prior to purchase. The information is
available from previous show manu-
als, and the calculations are quick and
easy. By performing this exercise, you
avoid year-end budget surprises.
2. Rent a displaySometimes exhibits that make an impact
are too costly to purchase. Renting a
custom or custom portable exhibit
allows you to avoid the costs of building
an exhibit, storing it and refurbishing
it. When you rent an exhibit, you can
let your provider know the impact you
are looking to achieve and how much
you have available for the rental cost.
The exhibit provider may also offer
you a turn-key package whereby you
show up on the day of the show, and
once the show is over, you walk away
from the exhibit. Savings can really add
up if you don’t have to fly staff mem-
bers in early for set-up and if they can
leave immediately after the show.
3. Consider leasingIf your needs are unique or you attend
a significant number of shows in a year,
renting may not be cost-effective. To
avoid the upfront costs of building a new
exhibit, consider leasing as an option.
Leasing companies are very flexible
with their term and payment options.
Many clients opt for three-year payment
plans with lump-sum payments made
at the beginning of each year from a
fresh budget. If you are launching a new
product or breaking into a new market
and need a $30,000 exhibit, it is much
easier to ask your chief financial officer for
$10,000 a year. Another advantage is that
the lease payments become an expense
as opposed to a capital purchase,
resulting in accelerated tax savings.
4. Buy space early or lateBy taking advantage of early booking dis-
counts for booth space and show services,
you can realize savings of up to 20 per
cent on your tradeshow program. Also,
if the show does not typically sell out in
advance, keep in touch with its organizer
to take advantage of last-minute deals
on excess space. This is possible if you
have a very flexible tradeshow schedule
and can mobilize your team quickly.
5. Consider related industry showsBy taking advantage of related industries,
you may accomplish two things: find-
ing a less expensive show and finding
new clients with very little competition.
The main industry show may be fully
booked every year, and if you’re a small
startup, you might not get noticed.
By finding regional related industry
shows where your target audience will
also be, you can gain access to those
clients without any competition, and
such shows are usually less expensive
than national ones. For example, if
you provide office-cleaning services,
instead of attending major national
shows, consider attending regional
dental or medical shows and cater
your message to health professionals.
6. Collateral materialUnless it’s absolutely necessary, never
take collateral material to a tradeshow.
Most collateral material ends up in the
recycling bin before attendees get
back to their offices. By providing them
with a digital brochure that you push
to their PDAs at the show, or by asking
for their contact information and send-
ing it to them electronically after the
show, you avoid the expense of shipping
and printing paper brochures. If you
have a nice paper brochure, you may
want to take a few copies with you to
show prospects. If they require paper
copies, mail them after the show.
7. Rent smaller space plus hospitality roomIf you normally have meeting space
within your booth, consider getting
a smaller space and instead renting
a hospitality room close by. Your cli-
ents will appreciate the opportunity
to meet one-on-one with you in the
comfort of a relaxed private environ-
ment. The cost of renting a hospitality
room is a fraction of that of using up
valuable booth space for meetings.
Hanif Muljiani, president, The Portables
Renting an exhibit saves you the costs of building, storing and refurbishing it
4 H /2011 BIV Magazines
ships with the Association of Chartered
Certified Accountants, CPA Australia
and other organizations that have
extended the global reach of CGAs.
What should you look for in a CGA?Ideally, you will work with the same
accountant for many years. A long-
term working relationship between
you and your CGA can help you take
an informed, consistent approach to
personal, financial and business goals.
Before deciding, you should meet
with your prospective accountant. Are
your needs compatible with the CGA’s
character and personality? Make sure the
CGA has experience in your industry.
How do you get the most from you CGA?There is no set fee structure for CGA firms.
Firms base fees on the time required to
perform the services you request and
the quality of information you supply.
Before your appointment, gather
information about business or
personal financial decisions under
consideration so that you can ask
the CGA specific questions.
Be organized: Save yourself
unnecessary fees by maintaining
good financial records.
Be open: CGAs are in the best pos-
ition to advise you and serve your
interests when they understand
your goals and expectations.
Be open to advice: CGAs have vast
experience and can assist you with
your problems and concerns. Their
objective advice may directly improve
your financial stability and cash flow.
Keep your CGA informed of changes
in your personal and professional life.
For more information, visit
www.cga-bc.org.
hire a certified general accountant
To equip your business to
navigate today’s turbulent
financial waters, hire a certified
general accountant (CGA) firm
or employ a CGA as a member
of your managerial team.
CGAs advise businesses
throughout British Columbia
and the world in industry,
commerce, finance, government and
public practice: in any sector where
accounting and financial management
are required. Their clients range from
major corporations to entrepreneurs.
In a recent survey, 92 per cent of B.C.
residents polled said they trusted CGAs
more than any other professional group.
Why hire a CGA?Anyone can call himself or herself
an “accountant” even with little or
no formal training, so it is important
to use a designated accountant.
The Certified General Account-
ants’ Association of B.C. is B.C.’s larg est
accounting body. CGA was the first
in B.C. to require members to take
professional-development courses
and to require public-practice firms to
have professional liability insurance.
CGA–BC has introduced a rules-and-
standards course for all new graduates
and an ongoing ethics requirement.
All CGA public practitioners have
mandatory practice reviews to ensure
that they are meeting the profes-
sion’s acknowledged standards.
These three letters are awarded only
those who have successfully completed
the very demanding CGA program.
What can a CGA do for your business?A CGA can give you and your busi-
ness the tools you need to stay pros-
perous in any financial climate.
Your CGA can produce finan-
cial statements to assist you with
everyday decisions and can pro-
vide payroll, tax and management-
consulting and advisory services.
Your CGA can advise you on invest-
ments and obtaining finance, as well
as on personal inheritance, tax-form
preparation (personal and business),
estate-planning and retirement-planning.
In times of crisis, your CGA can
analyze problems in your business
and help you improve profitability.
As an employee or as a consultant,
your CGA looks beyond the balance
sheet to help your team find efficiencies,
create opportunities and maximize value.
How do you find a CGA?You can search for your nearest CGA
public-practice firm at www.cga-bc.org.
Looking to recruit a CGA to your staff?
Use the association’s online job board,
www.CGAjobs.org, which allows employ-
ers in B.C. to find information both
about CGAs and about CGA students.
The Partners in Employment
Program (PEP) connects employ-
ers around the province with CGA–
BC members and students.
CGA–BC can also help employers
connect with new graduates who wish
to obtain employment and pursue
the CGA designation. CGA–BC holds
recruitment days on and off campus,
allowing employers to interview a num-
ber of students before deciding which
to invite back for second interviews.
“It’s a big time-saver,” says Dan
Relihan, CGA and manager, recruit-
ment and employment initiatives. “You
don’t have to pre-screen resumés.
You get all the first interviews done
in three hours, not three weeks.”
You can find CGAs in Canada and
around the world thanks to partner-
Rebecca Edwards
6 H /2011 BIV Magazines
L E A D E R S H I P | E F F I C I E N C Y | P R O D U C T I V I T Y | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y | M A N A G I N G R I S K
If you want access to the largest pool of accounting professionals in B.C., look no
further than CGAjobs.org. Whether you’re an HR professional looking to hire
the best accountants or a CGA student looking for a rewarding career,
CGAjobs.org is your hub. Using CGAjobs.org puts career opportunities in front
of qualifi ed professionals to ensure you get what you need. Gain access to the
breadth of knowledge and experience that a Certifi ed General Accountant adds.
Get connected today. Go to CGAjobs.org.
We see more than jobs. We see careers.
leverage design as a business asset
Think about your business assets: human resources, information technology, invest-ments, property and design.
That’s right: design. In a recent poll of 526 businesses conducted by Harris/Decima,
63 per cent of respondents reported a link between design and better business per-formance. A recent study from the United Kingdom shows that three-quarters of businesses that have made design an integral part of their operations have improved their competitive advantage.
How does visual strategy trans-late into business success?
Differentiating your product Level Ground Trading in Victoria was one of the first companies to market fair-trade coffee, but since its beginnings in 1997, many similar companies had entered the market. Consumers liked Level Ground’s coffee and key message but not the packaging and design of the product.
Level Ground worked with Subplot Design Inc., which overhauled the company’s brand strategy, logo and packaging. From a decline of 1.3 per cent in sales from the prior year, Level Ground saw an increase in sales of 12 per cent across its main categories.
“It finally gave them a way to tell the story that they hadn’t had in the past,” says Roy White, CGD, creative direc-tor and partner at Subplot Design.
Reaching your target market In 2009, Amacon, a real-estate and development and construction firm, launched District, a condominium complex in Vancouver’s Mount Pleas-ant neighbourhood. “We really had to build brand awareness, because
there were limited developments like District in the area. We needed to sell the area,” says Nic Jensen, Ama-con’s sales and marketing manager.
Amacon hired Industrial Brand, a Van-couver design firm, to target a specific demographic with a cohesive campaign that included a website, a display centre, brochures and several 40-foot billboards.
Amacon opened the display suites on September 15, 2009, intending to sell 75 per cent of the units by the end of the year. By the close of open-ing weekend, the first building was sold out. Three months later, the second building was sold out, and Amacon closed the sales centre, a full nine months ahead of schedule.
“The pre-sale market wasn’t very strong at that time, especially in a new area. The campaign was exactly what we needed,” says Jensen.
Gaining a competitive edge Read Jones Christoffersen (RJC) is Canada’s oldest engineering firm. Its outdated website didn’t reflect the stature of a company that had been in business for six decades and com-pleted more than 30,000 projects. “We needed to bring the personality of the firm to the forefront,” says Patricia Glass, RJC’s marketing specialist.
Industrial Brand revamped the web-site. Search-engine optimized, the new site has a robust search function that has brought in new clients. What’s more, a new recruitment interface has significant-ly streamlined RJC’s recruitment process.
Becoming more efficient Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) is Canada’s leading retailer of qual-ity outdoor gear and clothing. With 14
stores across the country, the company has a strong brand and consistency across its visual communications.
This is primarily due to MEC’s brand-standards guide. The 38-page guide provides explicit instructions for the company’s visual communications: logo, font, colours, in-store signage, store exteriors, website and more.
For Judy Snaydon, CGD, MEC’s creative director, the guide ensures consistency and enables efficiency. “We work with a lot of external vendors. If we didn’t have brand standards, I’d be constantly having to outline who we are, what we’re about and what our brand looks like. With brand standards, I can stop worrying about these things and focus on the objectives of each project.”
Using design as a business assetThese companies have leveraged design as a business asset and invested in strong visual strategies. In working with certified designers, they work with providers who incorporate strategy, problem-solving and business acumen into the process.
The Society of Graphic Design-ers of Canada (GDC) is the profes-sional association for certified graphic designers (CGD). To be certified, a graphic designer must pass a rigorous portfolio review and abide by a code of ethics. The society’s website pro-vides resources for businesses to find certified designers and to determine whether they themselves are working with reputable designers. For more information, visit www.gdc.net. •
Eagranie Yuh is copywriting chair for the B.C. Mainland chapter of GDC. She is a freelance business writer and award-winning blogger. She also teaches chocolate-tasting classes.
Eagranie Yuh
8 H /2011 BIV Magazines
manage an efficient supply chain with the right manufacturer
Companies that make products
from parts purchased from sup-
pliers and then sell those prod-
ucts to customers must man-
age supply chains. Some are
simple, others more complex.
According to Ron Sun, general
manager of Ampco Manufacturers Inc.,
any supply chain can be managed more
efficiently with the right manufacturer.
By designProduct design often affects various
costs within the chain. Aligning prod-
uct and chain can reduce risk, increase
efficiency and lower overall costs.
“Before you start producing your
end product, think about the materi-
als you’ll need to make it, especially if
you’re sourcing them from several dif-
ferent suppliers, as well as the overall
product design,” Sun advises. “Some
manufacturers, like Ampco, have in-
house engineering or ‘pre-press’ depart-
ments that can take your drawings, test
your materials and create a prototype
to ensure your product will meet your
own and your customers’ standards.
“Sometimes a client will come to
us with a product in mind that’s not
really manufacturable. By testing it first,
we can say, ‘Let’s tweak this’ or ‘How
about changing that?’ The product
then not only becomes viable from a
manufacturing standpoint but can usu-
ally be produced at a lower cost and
with less risk than originally planned.”
Straight from the sourceMost end products contain sev-
eral component parts or materials
whose sourcing can greatly affect
the efficiency of the supply chain.
“When it comes to sourcing materi-
als, working with a manufacturer like
Ampco that has close ties with suppliers
can be a great advantage,” says Sun. “For
example, as a major 3M purchaser, we
can obtain high-quality raw materials
and source them to our customers at a
much more competitive cost than they
would be able to purchase them for.”
Other advantages: a guaran-
teed supply of materials, a simpli-
fied process and greater assurance
regarding supply-chain standards.
Ampco has “been able to take on 70
major suppliers” for one of its custom-
ers, Sun says. “We took on his list and
negotiated on his behalf, and now he
buys only from us, which means he’s
cut the risk out of his supply chain. He’s
no longer dealing with materials being
shipped late, improperly tested or poorly
packaged so that they show up broken.”
Make it or break itKnow your manufacturer’s capabilities.
“What steps are needed to make
your final product?” asks Sun. “Do you
require die-cutting, printing, assembly
and warehousing? Can your manu-
facturer provide all these services?
How much volume can it handle?”
A thorough review of each cus-
tomer’s end product helps Ampco
determine specific needs and stream-
line the manufacturing process: “We
offer all of these different manufac-
turing processes internally so that
we can offset the risk and provide
maximum flexibility to our clients.”
Quality controlEnsure that your manufacturer is certified
for quality assurance. Dealing with sup-
pliers or manufacturers who aren’t certi-
fied can undermine your bottom line.
“As we are an ISO/TS 16949-certi-
fied company, quality’s extremely
important to us,” Sun says. Ampco
has “multiple checkpoints within each
process, from design to delivery, from
packaging to shipping, to make sure
we hit that quality standard with each
order. Customers that order from us
once know their product will turn
out just as good every single time.”
Location, location, locationAsk where the materials in your
product come from and where the
manufacturing facility is located.
Sun says to “source your needs from
a single location that’s either close by
or on the way to your product’s final
destination, in order to reduce the
costs of shipping. Also, by choosing an
all-in-one manufacturer like Ampco
and allowing us to source the materi-
als for you, negotiate with suppliers,
test your design on site, manufacture
your product and ship it wherever it
needs to go, you greatly reduce the
risk, lower the cost and increase the
efficiency of your supply chain.”
Dos Do know your manufacturer. If pos-
sible, visit the facility in person.
Do ask about your manu-
facturer’s ability to source
materials on your behalf.
Do request product samples
from your manufacturer.
Do inquire whether your manu-
facturer is certified to uphold
certain quality standards.
Do work with a manufacturer
that can provide various ser-
vices from one location.
10 H /2011 BIV Magazines
be innovative in improving indoor air quality
There are many benefits
to improving and main-
taining your building’s
indoor air quality (IAQ).
“It can mean providing
employees with a better work
environment, not to mention
potentially huge energy savings,” says
Michael Glassco, operations manager at
Theodor Sterling Associates. “Also, being
innovative in compiling the data sur-
rounding the management of IAQ lets
you gauge your performance and report
your savings, which can earn you a better
environmental reputation.”
Educate yourself and your workersWorkSafeBC regulates IAQ under sections
4.70 to 4.80 of the Occupational Health
and Safety Regulation.
“This is the only actual regulation
related to IAQ in North America,” Glassco
says. “Other jurisdictions offer guidelines,
whereas in B.C. we have to follow this set
of rules. This means more opportunity
to save energy through improved IAQ
and to provide a better indoor working
environment for workers.”
WorkSafeBC’s website provides many
free resources related to improving IAQ.
Also see Health Canada’s site under
“Environmental and Workplace Health.”
Develop an IAQ programOnce you’re informed of the regulations,
Glassco suggests developing a program
for your building or workplace that
documents how related issues are to be
reported, investigated and resolved.
“To the layperson this sounds daunt-
ing, but it’s really just a simple, written
document that outlines the various steps
an employer needs to take regarding
IAQ,” Glassco explains. “If you have several
employees in your office, it’s a really good
idea to have this document in place so that
if you ever get a complaint about air quality,
your staff knows the correct procedure to
follow – [whom] to talk to and so on.”
Occupational health-and-safety laws
regarding IAQ make this particularly
important in B.C.
Do preventative maintenanceYour ongoing preventative-maintenance
program should include your workplace
ventilation system to ensure its operation
for optimal performance.
Many think “that preventive mainten-
ance means getting the filters on the
ventilation system changed every three
months,” but it entails much more, says
Glassco, including “making sure that the
space is getting adequate fresh air, the
unit isn’t leaking water and the condens-
ing coils aren’t covered in grime.”
The property management of most
office towers handles this type of work,
but the larger percentage of compan-
ies and organizations, located in smaller
buildings with rooftop ventilation, needs
to make sure that proper preventative
maintenance happens regularly.
Be proactiveBeing proactive regarding IAQ at work
means annual or semi-annual testing.
“In most cases, workers and build-
ing tenants are aware of potential IAQ
issues that could arise, and proactive
testing helps to address these issues in a
timely manner”: a better approach than
“simply reacting to them as they occur,”
Glassco says. It’s “becoming the norm” at
“larger buildings to do proactive annual
or semi-annual testing. This has been
entirely market-driven, meaning that it’s
something that property managers do
to make their tenants feel good about
being in their buildings.”
An IAQ consultant like Theodor Ster-
ling Associates can provide, among other
services, proactive IAQ management that
includes regular walkthrough inspec-
tions of workspaces and the accessible
components of HVAC systems, as well
as baseline air-quality measurements for
carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, dust
levels, temperature and relative humidity.
Be innovativeA third element of Theodor Sterling Asso-
ciates’ IAQ management is archival docu-
mentation of test results. This includes
comparison with regulatory standards,
recommended guidelines and previous
test periods, giving you a sense of where
you are in improving your IAQ.
“Our online database of over 300
buildings nationwide also lets us com-
pare the results from your building with
other workplaces across Canada,” Glassco
adds. “This valuable benchmarking tool
enables you to ensure that your results
remain consistent with the air quality of
other buildings.”
Additionally, it allow you to mine your
results for review purposes and deter-
mine whether you can save energy by
modifying your ventilation.
“Lastly, this innovative online system
can show how much particulate a port-
folio of buildings is removing from our
urban settings,” Glassco says. “Rather
than handing you a report that you plunk
on a shelf and forget, we want to show
you what can be done about IAQ on a
corporate social-responsibility level. We
want to help owners and operators show
that their buildings are actually helping
to clean the environment by removing
particulate from the air.”
12 H /2011 BIV Magazines
§• How-To Book_11_00.indd 12 1/19/11 10:20:43 AM
Theodor Sterling Associates is a founding member of the IAQ Association of Canada and a founding member of the Canadian Green Building Council (CaCBC).
THEODORSTERLINGA S S O C I A T E S
MEMBER
Tel 604-681-2701Toll Free 1-877-993-9933310-1122 Mainland St. Vancouver, B.C. V6B 5L1
Visit our website www.sterlingiaq.com to learn more about Indoor Air Quality for Sustainable Buildings.
Green Buildings and Healthy Indoor Air Go Hand-in-Hand
Theodor Sterling is a multi-disciplinary consulting firm providing indoor air quality, environmental and a variety of occupational hygiene & safety consulting services to clients around the world.
Sustainable buildings demand indoor environments of the highest quality. LEED™, BOMA BESt, and other Green Building programs recognize Indoor Air Quality as an important performance parameter.
Whether you are constructing a new building or renovating, Theodor Sterling Associates Ltd. is your single source for the most current indoor air and environmental quality knowledge and services.
Our specialized services include:Indoor Air Quality
Post Construction IAQ Monitoring (LEED™) Construction IAQ Program And Monitoring (LEED™) Monitoring of Building Materials Off-Gassing Mould and Moisture Assessments Proactive IAQ Monitoring Programs HVAC System Inspection for factors that could adversely affect the IAQ
Occupational Hygiene & Safety Hazardous Materials Management (asbestos, lead, PCBs, mould) Industrial Hygiene Surveys Health & Safety Program Development, Implementation & Audits Health & Safety Training Programs WHMIS Program Management Noise Surveys and Control Programs Ergonomic Work Station Assessments Confined Space Hazard Assessments
SETTING THE STANDARD SINCE 1973
respect your roof
One of a building’s most
important parts is the roof.
Yet many people only per-
form maintenance on com-
ponents they see or touch on
a daily basis. Here are some
tips to help you “respect”
your roof.
Knowing your roof: Have a working
knowledge of your roof system. Keep a
dossier of all relevant information, such
as the initial design specifications, the
inspection reports from installation
and records of any subsequent work or
maintenance. These records will help
you when you need to replace the
roof or alter it to add skylights or other
features.
Condition reports: These include photos
and descriptions of issues found on your
roof by professionals experienced with
roofs. Should your roof require replace-
ment, the budget figures from the report
can assist you in planning your expenses.
Design specifications: Having a specific
set of detailed instructions for installation
is critical to your system’s longevity.
Tendering: Ask several reputable profes-
sional contractors for prices on the basis
of the same specifications. By comparing
apples to apples, you’ll make an informed
decision in choosing a contractor.
Independent inspections: Have
third-party inspections by accredited
registered roof observers with practical
experience in applying roofs to make
sure you get the roof you’re paying for
and that it gets installed to specifications.
Guarantees and warranties: You must
have solid guarantee and warranty cover-
age. Some contractors will provide exten-
sive guarantees, then go out of business,
leaving you hanging. Consider a third-
party guarantee such as that provided by
the Roofing Contractors Association of
British Columbia (www.rcabc.org).
Follow-up inspections: How is your new
roof performing? Certain contractor errors
or manufacturing defects will only show
up after some time has elapsed and the
roof has gone through thermal cycling.
Sean M Lang, IP, RRO, president, Inter-Provincial Roof Consultants Ltd.
Dos Do enlist a certified roofing professional. This is huge! All too often, people leave roof maintenance and condition reporting
to generic maintenance staff or to inspectors who have learned by the book. Make sure your roof consultant has spent some
time installing roof systems: often the only way to learn the tricks of the trade.
Do make sure your roof consultant is not working for a roofing contractor or roofing manufacturer. You need an unbiased
opinion.
Do check your roofing contractor’s reputation in the industry.
Do check that your contractor is properly covered by insurance and has the proper coverage from WorkSafeBC.
Do schedule regular maintenance. Drains don’t clear themselves. Sealants need to be replenished regularly.
Don’ts Don’t choose a roofing contractor by price alone. With roofing, you get what you pay for.
Don’t rely on specifications designed by a roofing contractor as their detail can be very minimal and typically leave room for
interpretation. This can lead to disagreements, even litigation, if the installed roof doesn’t look or perform as you expected.
Don’t second-guess your consultant. You shouldn’t have blind faith, but you have hired a professional with years of
experience, so rely on his or her judgment. Micromanagement leads to confusion and frustration.
Don’t do exterior upgrades to your building if you know roof replacement is imminent. Do the roof first, then paint walls or
repave the driveway. Such new upgrades may get damaged during roof replacement.
Don’t leave roof issues to the last minute and then expect immediate attention from contractors and consultants. Roofing is
a busy industry, and lead-time is important in order for informed decisions to be made.
Don’t leave temporary repairs in place on a roof. Supersede any stopgap measures with proper, permanent repairs as soon as
weather permits. Most temporary repairs only last a few months at best, and water ingress will resume, damaging your interior.
14 H /2011 BIV Magazines
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specifi cation writing, or inspection services for your roofi ng
project? If they sell or install roofi ng material, they may not have
your best interest in mind.
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turn your office green
It’s not just your business name
and product that matter to
modern consumers. They also
want to know whether you have
an impact on the environment.
A poll run by Environics for
green electricity provider Bullfrog
Power found that 80 per cent of Bullfrog’s resi-
dential customers surveyed placed more trust
in organizations that chose clean, emission-
free electricity for their businesses.
The good news: you don’t need your
own wind turbine to support renewable
energy. Sign up with a green-power pro-
vider like Bullfrog Power and start advan-
cing green electricity and reducing your
environmental footprint today.
Power up with clean energyOne of the easiest ways to show customers
that you support clean energy is by signing
up with a green-power provider like Bull-
frog Power, which offers a green-electricity
choice to any business or homeowner
in British Columbia. Bullfrog injects low-
impact renewable electricity onto B.C.’s grid
to match the amount of power a “bullfrog-
powered” residence or business uses.
In B.C., this electricity comes from the
Bear Mountain Wind Park near Dawson
Creek, which has been certified as low-
impact by Environment Canada under its
EcoLogo Program.
You won’t need to re-wire your home
or do any construction. If you’re in busi-
ness, this step can help you toward
attaining Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) certification
from the Canada Green Building Council.
Green benefits your business“The majority of B.C.’s energy is still
hydro-generated, so it is important to
show support for new renewable-energy
generators like the Bear Mountain Wind
Park so that they are there for future gen-
erations to use,” says Theresa Howland of
Bullfrog Power.
You will pay two cents more for every
kilowatt-hour of electricity you use, but
Howland says this only amounts to about
$1 per day for the average residential
household.
Your company’s environmental
footprint will shrink, and you can show
customers that you are part of the move-
ment calling for change.
“Consumers are looking to business
and government to take a leadership role
in terms of action against climate change,
and this is one easy way businesses can
do that,” says Howland.
Setting a green exampleThe Vancouver Convention Centre has
hosted major events and played a key
role in the 2010 Winter Olympic and
Paralympic Games by housing the Inter-
national Broadcast Centre and the Main
Press Centre for the respective events.
The facility recently created buzz by
earning LEED platinum certification for its
West building, becoming the world’s first
convention centre to receive the high-
est LEED rating. The facility supports B.C.
wind power with Bullfrog Power for its
West building.
The centre also has Canada’s largest
living roof: a six-acre eco-system featur-
ing more than 20 species from the West
Coast, including over 400,000 indigenous
plants and grasses. The roof is also home
to four beehives. The centre has installed
a heating-and-cooling system that uses
the adjacent seawater to moderate tem-
peratures within the building.
Driven by a zero-waste target, the cen-
tre has established a facility-wide recyc-
ling program that recycles an average
of 180,000 kilograms of waste each year:
more than the weight of two Boeing 747s.
Driving change Coastal Ford Sales Ltd. offers automotive
sales, financing, servicing, parts and
accessories to B.C. residents.
With locations in Burnaby and Van-
couver, the company has chosen green
electricity with Bullfrog Power for its two
locations.
Coastal Ford’s Vancouver facility is
LEED-certified. The Burnaby location
recently registered for the LEED program
and is working toward certification. The
company stocks electric vehicles for
B.C. residents, and the buildings’ green
features include geothermal heating and
motion-sensor lighting.
Meeting green expectations“More than ever, our customers are ask-
ing about our environmental commit-
ments and actions. Supporting green
electricity is an important step in our
implementation of more sustainable
practices,” says Steve McNally, general
manager at Hyatt Regency Vancouver.
One of Western Canada’s largest con-
vention hotels and the preferred hotel of
the Vancouver Canucks, Hyatt Regency
Vancouver chooses 100 per cent B.C.
wind power for its 14,000-square-foot
ballroom as well as for every meeting
room.
“It’s becoming more and more of an
expected thing,” says McNally. “Many
meeting-planners these days come to us
and say, ‘We want to make our meeting
as green as possible. What is the hotel
doing to allow us to go back to our asso-
ciates, our management and our atten-
dees and say this is a green hotel?’”
By Rebecca Edwards
16 H /2011 BIV Magazines
face a cancer diagnosis head-on
If you have been diagnosed
with cancer, knowing what
to expect and planning your
treatment can help make this
stressful time easier. Ask your
doctor the name of the cancer,
its size and location, where it
started and whether it has spread. Learn
whether it is likely to be slow-growing or
more aggressive. Ask to review the avail-
able treatment options, the success rate of
each and what side effects each produces.
Steps to take
1 Get the facts: Gather all the informa-
tion you can on your diagnosis, for an
accurate understanding of what is going
on inside of your body and what to
expect from treatment.
2 Bring someone with you: Dealing
with a cancer diagnosis is difficult.
You will receive a lot of information, and
absorbing it all may be hard. Bring some-
one you trust with you to take notes and
help you through the process.
3 Maintain a healthy lifestyle: A
healthy diet and adequate rest may
help with the stress and fatigue of cancer
and its treatment. Regular exercise and
enjoyable activities can substantially
improve your quality of life and help
reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.
4 Get the tests you need: Ensure
that your health-care team has all
the information it needs to plan a treat-
ment right for you. Ask your doctor to
refer you for a PET–CT (positron emission
tomography–computed tomography)
scan. Go over the results together to gain
a thorough understanding of your cancer
and your best treatment options.
5 Build a support network: Let
friends and family help. They can run
errands, provide transportation, prepare
meals and assist with household chores.
Encourage your family to accept help if
it is needed. Remember: a cancer diag-
nosis affects the entire family and adds
stress, especially to primary caregivers.
Help with meals or chores from neigh-
bours and friends can go a long way in
preventing caregiver burnout.
6 Try to maintain your normal life-
style: Maintain your normal lifestyle
but be open to modifying it as necessary.
Take one day at a time.
7 Talk to others with cancer: It may
help to talk to people who have
been in your situation. Other survivors
can share their experiences and give
insight into what you can expect during
treatment.
Newly diagnosed with cancer?Ask the following questions:
What kind of cancer do I have?
Where is the cancer?
Has it spread?
What does my PET–CT scan show?
Can my cancer be treated?
What is the chance that my
cancer can be cured?
What are my treatment options?
How will the treatments benefit me?
What can I expect during treatment?
What are the side effects
of the treatments?
When should I call the doctor?
What can I do to prevent my
cancer from recurring?
Did you know?A study done at Vancouver General
Hospital in 2010 showed that PET–CT
(positron emission tomography–com-
puted tomography) scans changed
treatment decisions in 50 per cent of
cancer cases and improved decision-
making in 83 per cent of cancer cases,
revealing PET–CT to be a powerful
tool in cancer care.
Because PET is the most advanced
medical diagnostic imaging technol-
ogy available today in cancer care,
your doctor may order a PET–CT scan
to provide information about your
body’s chemistry and cell function
(metabolism) as well as pictures of
your body’s anatomy and structure.
This makes it easier for your health-
care team to diagnose problems,
determine the extent of disease,
prescribe treatment and see whether
your treatment is working properly.
For more information, visit
www.pet-ct.ca.
Make sure your health-care team has all the information it needs to plan a treatment right for you
18 H /2011 BIV Magazines
define the primary purpose of your business
A primary purpose, or primary
goal, is critical for every busi-
ness. It should encompass
everything you do, every action
you take and every product
you buy in or manufacture.
Your primary purpose should
be behind every service or treatment you
provide, every communication you make
and every transaction you conduct.
Without one, you will struggle with
growth, sales, cash and success. Worse,
your customers, clients or patients will
not receive the service they deserve.
You will lose customers, word-of-mouth
advertising and repeat business. Every
morning, take a moment to remember
that your function is to serve and deliver
actual results to your customers or cli-
ents to the highest possible degree.
The business planA solid business plan can make the differ-
ence between success and failure. Within
it, you clearly define your purpose for
being in business. It encourages you to
perform in-depth market research, mak-
ing you realize that entering the entrepre-
neurial world requires tremendous effort.
Your business plan will prompt
you to explore many areas you may
not have thought about and in real-
ity may not know much about. Once
you appreciate this, look for assistance
from mentors, night-school instruc-
tion, third-party suppliers or provincially
sponsored self-employment programs.
Business plans have these elements:
Executive summary: In one or two
pages, you’ll summarize the main
points from each section of the plan.
The executive summary must capture
the reader’s interest immediately.
Business concept/description: This
section covers the industry, segment and
niche markets in which your business will
operate. In preparing this section, you’ll
need to perform market research, talk to
people in the industry, check out web-
sites of existing businesses, go to libraries
and study industry journals until you’ve
gathered enough information that you
feel comfortable entering the industry.
This research will be critical to your
success in answering questions from
bankers, investors, family and friends.
Marketing and sales plan: Lay out how
you’ll bring your product or service to
market, what your target audience is,
how you intend to reach and sell to it
and at what price. Include information on
your competitors, your strategic alliances,
suppliers, product or services, promo-
tions, advertising and location if you are
planning a storefront retail operation.
Operations plan: Include your busi-
ness location, the form of business under
which you’ll operate (sole proprietorship,
incorporation or partnership) and your
policies and procedures. List key members
of your management team and outside
advisors, along with descriptions of their
responsibilities and relevant experience.
Financial plan: Cover every aspect of
costs, revenues, payroll, owner draws
and much more through financial
statements. Should you hire a book-
keeper and an accountant? Do you
need to borrow money from a bank or
an investor? Which bank will you use?
Critical paths: These dated schedules
help you manage the timing of set tasks
(financial, operational and marketing)
so as to complete them all within the
shortest possible time and in the neces-
sary sequence or order of importance.
Finally, passionYou need to be passionate about what
you do, and your passion must be evi-
dent in your business plan. You can
only provide great value and excep-
tional results if you are passionate
about what you provide. Success and
profits come more easily to those who
follow their talents and enthusiasm.
ResourcesThe Douglas College Self Employ-
ment Program can assist eligible par-
ticipants with writing business plans,
practical training, business advice,
one-on-one mentoring and network-
ing support to help them develop
the skills they will need to start and
operate successful businesses.
Also see www.smallbusinessbc.ca, an
excellent online and local resource sup-
porting business owners.
Information supplied by the Training Group at Douglas College
In your business plan, you’ll explore areas you haven’t thought about or don’t know much about
20 H /2011 BIV Magazines
Funded through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market
Development Agreement
10-293
SelfEMPLOYMENTPROGRAMWhere successful entrepreneurs begin
deliver outstanding customer service and build lasting customer relationships
Commissionaires BC has
developed a new corporate
training course that goes beyond
the basics of customer service.
According to David Freeman,
manager of training and develop-
ment, the new Service Advantage
for Customer Service Excellence course is
about improving the experience of custom-
ers so that they remain loyal to your business.
“Our customer-service course teaches
the basics and beyond,” says Freeman. Cus-
tomer service is “about meeting the needs
of the customer, taking ownership of the
situation, building a relationship and going
the extra mile.” This is good for your com-
pany’s bottom line.
“Customer-service employees are repre-
sentatives of the company,” says Freeman.
“They can encompass its philosophy, orien-
tation and value proposition and present
them to each customer in such a way that
will make those customers return each
time. The company that grabs Service
Advantage and runs with it can sweep the
marketplace in its sector.”
ReliabilityThe first component of outstand-
ing customer service is reliability.
“Customers want and need a sense
that the service that they receive will
be consistently excellent,” says Freeman.
“Reliability is a cornerstone of creating
long-term relationships. By acting in
accordance with this want, you provide
the customer with a sense of security
and confidence in you personally and
in the company. This builds loyalty.”
AssuranceAssurance is the ability of employ-
ees to instil confidence in custom-
ers and make them feel safe in their
transactions with the company.
“Staff members who are consistently
courteous and possess the knowledge to
answer questions about the company in
an honest, straightforward manner give
clients the assurance that they are going
to be treated well and that all company
promises are going to be kept,” says Free-
man. “Having that kind of reputation gives
you an advantage over your competitors.”
Tangibles“Tangibles are all the things that custom-
ers can see and touch,” Freeman says.
“They are very important in providing the
kind of experience that will have custom-
ers coming back time and again.”
Functional equipment, visually
appealing facilities and professional-
looking employees all play roles.
Empathy“Just the act of closing the sale won’t
build relationships or rapport with your
customers,” Freeman notes. “Empathy,
trust, understanding and effective com-
munication are what make customers
want to do business with you.”
Empathy entails really understanding
your customers’ position and feelings.
“The ability to step back from your
own emotions is essential for building
effective and constructive relationships
with clients. This means giving custom-
ers the kind of individual, personal atten-
tion that says you have their best inter-
ests at heart and understand their needs.”
ResponsivenessHow quickly do you respond to custom-
ers’ needs? How willing are you to help?
Would you go out of your way to make
them happy?
“The number 1 complaint from cus-
tomers is lack of responsiveness from the
person they’ve asked for help: you,” says
Freeman. “Keep your clients informed
and give them a sense that fulfilling
their requests is important, that they
are important. Responsiveness is a valu-
able human-relations skill that can help
improve relationships, promote customer
loyalty and lead to business growth.”
The Service Advantage
course can be delivered at your
workplace or at Commissionaires
BC. Visit www.commissionaires.
bc.ca/serviceadvantage.
Key takeawaysUpon completing the Service Advan-
tage for Customer Service Excellence
course, participants will be able to:
understand the components of
service delivery and how to be pro-
active in making it outstanding;
relate to how people react on the
basis of their own histories, intent
and norms and how these affect
employee-customer interactions;
determine what factors break com-
munication down and how lan-
guage fosters successful customer
service;
correct behaviours and attitudes
that prevent outstanding customer
service;
use the five components of
outstanding customer service –
reliability, assurance, tangibles,
empathy and responsiveness;
use newfound human-relations skills
to affect positively all work relation-
ships, not just with customers; and
develop an action plan to imple-
ment their new knowledge into
their workplaces.
22 H /2011 BIV Magazines
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®
make your small business look more professional with advanced communications
Fostering credibility and estab-
lishing a trusted brand can be
challenging for a small busi-
ness, especially one without
a big budget for advertising
or promotional material.
“It’s hard enough getting
new business in the door as a small
business,” says Lori Jetha, marketing
communications manager for Navigata
Communications, based in North Van-
couver. “If you don’t project a profes-
sional image once customers contact
you, your efforts will be wasted.”
Your telecommunications provider,
however, can offer simple solutions to
make your small business look more pro-
fessional − without breaking the bank.
Hosted phone systemsUpgrading your phone system to
include the latest calling features can
help you avoid customer wait-times
and make your small business run
more smoothly. Yet setting up and
maintaining such a system yourself
can be time-consuming and costly.
Telecommunications compan-
ies have developed hosted business
phone systems that use cutting-edge
Internet technology to let you upgrade
and manage all your business com-
munications on line, at a lower cost than
having a traditional phone system.
“Our Hosted PBX service is a big-
business phone system that includes
the most up-to-date productivity-
enhancing features used by larger
businesses,” says Jetha. “You just
choose your phone and the fea-
tures you need now, and we make
sure that you always have the latest
technology and truly reliable phone
service − at the click of a mouse.”
Business phone featuresOne feature that distinguishes a busi-
ness system from a regular phone
is an “auto-attendant”: a recorded
voice message or series of options
that helps callers get to the persons or
departments they need to speak to.
“You may not have the budget to pay
a receptionist, but you can still present
a professional image to callers, which is
essential to gaining prospective partners
and clients,” Jetha says. “Hosted auto-
attendant technology lets you record a
professional message and directs calls to
the right person without tying up a physic-
al resource. Anyone who phones your
number will hear the automated message
at the other end of the line − “Press one
for sales, two for support” and so on − as if
he or she were calling a larger company.”
“Find me/follow me” is another
feature that can help boost productiv-
ity and enhance customer service.
“Small-business owners often wear
many hats and may find themselves
in and out of the office throughout
the day,” Jetha explains. “When a client
phones, this feature can be set up to try
and reach you at several different num-
bers, so you won’t miss an important call
no matter where you happen to be.”
Toll-free and vanity numbersA toll-free number is an inexpensive
way to create brand awareness, reach
a wider demographic and make your
business look like a bigger company.
“Toll-free numbers are free to set
up, and there are no monthly fees. You
only pay for the people who call you,”
says Jetha. “Plus, when you advertise
with a toll-free number, you’re saying
that you serve a broader market than
you would with just a local number.”
Using a vanity number tailored to
suit the product or service you provide
can further help brand your com-
pany and make your phone number
easier to remember. Toll-free vanity
numbers like 855-66-PIZZA are what
she calls “good advertising and great
branding for not much money.”
Virtual phone numbersIf you want your small business truly to
look bigger, a virtual phone number
gives you a local number in any city
where you want to do business with-
out your having to open a physical
location there. You can advertise a
local number in Vancouver, Calgary or
Toronto and answer the calls on your
existing home, office or mobile phone.
“Virtual phone numbers are a simple
and affordable way to establish a local
presence in key markets,” Jetha says.
“They let you effectively reach a new
customer base, test a new market before
expanding and even offer custom-
ers a local support number without
asking them to incur long-distance
charges in order to reach you.”
Online presenceA small business can project a better
image simply by investing in a new
website. Do you lack the budget for
a web developer? Most web-hosting
packages include the basic tools
you need for building a site yourself,
starting at just $14.95 a month.
“Creating an online presence is a
great, inexpensive way for a small busi-
ness to look professional,” Jetha says.
“Even a one-person company can gain
credibility and generate more revenue
simply by being available to new and
current customers on the web.”
24 H /2011 BIV Magazines
get and apply international business skills with a master of global management degree
To manage complexity and
diversity in the global arena,
today’s professional needs both
practical experience and aca-
demic intelligence. Royal Roads
University’s master of global
management (MGM) program
delivers a graduate-level international
business education that helps you
develop the managerial and entrepre-
neurial skills and competencies you need
to succeed – in just 12 months.
What it is“Doing business today means working
with and among different cultures,” says
Pedro Márquez, dean of Royal Roads’
faculty of management. “There’s a grow-
ing need to develop strong international
business skills. With that in mind, we
designed an intensive, innovative, prac-
tical master’s degree. Individuals who
complete the one-year MGM advance
their skills – in law, finance, marketing, etc.
– to succeed in international business.
“What’s different about this program is
that students apply what they’ve learned
so that they can hit the ground running,
performing and succeeding in an inter-
national setting right away.”
Whom it’s forSteven Glover, associate professor and
academic lead for the MGM program,
says that “entry-level international man-
agers and entrepreneurs looking to
launch their own firms overseas would do
well, those in the public sector and non-
government organizations and those
without formal business training who
want to acquire skills to pursue [advanced
careers] in the global arena. We’re encour-
aging international students to provide
the opportunity to learn from individuals
from other countries and cultures.”
Fahad Al Moammar currently works
for an IT organization in Saudi Arabia that
has diverse international employees and
managers with international experience
and awareness to lead the company.
He says, “I’m interested in growing my
management skills to achieve a higher
position within my company. I know the
practical skills I’ll develop in the master
of global management program at Royal
Roads will help me accomplish my goal.”
Glover notes, “The emphasis in this
program is on management – working
with people, forming professional rela-
tionships – as opposed to just business.”
What is requiredWhile the MGM program prefers appli-
cants with undergraduate degrees and
several years’ work experience, inter-
national experience is not a requirement.
“We want students with some exposure
to the working world so they understand
the concepts and the issues they’ll face as
managers,” Márquez explains. “The pro-
gram is best suited to people who have a
strong motivation to develop competen-
cies in global business issues.”
Glover calls the program “ideal” for
“Canadians who want to work internation-
ally and differentiate themselves in that
context.” A “key ingredient” is “having the
proper mindset – a curiosity about the
world [and] about other ways of doing
business beyond the Canadian border.”
What is involvedKeeping program content “as real as pos-
sible” is key, says Márquez. “By not limiting
ourselves to traditional practices, we’re
taking a unique approach to teaching
about multiculturalism. It’s not just learn-
ing from a textbook. We’ll show movies,
for example, that illustrate features of
different cultures, then hold a roundtable
discussion. Students will participate in labs
designed to simulate what it’s like to do
business and make professionally sound
decisions in another country.”
Márquez describes the program’s
predominant themes: cross-cultural
awareness, ethical and rational decision-
making, self-awareness and international-
business skill development.
“We’ll also encourage each student to
become an expert in a particular sec-
tor – the international mining industry,
for instance,” adds Glover. The student
gains “in-depth knowledge of that sector
around the world: who the key players
are and what current opportunities exist.”
The 12-month intensive MGM pro-
gram also includes the option of a six-
month Canadian internship.
“It’s not just about knowing theories,”
Glover says. “It’s about making sure par-
ticipants can apply what they learn.”
What is acquired“The skills you’ll gain will provide you with
an advantage in competing for and in
those international jobs,” says Márquez.
“By the end of the MGM program, you’ll
be better able as a manager to play the
global game and succeed.”
The MGM program starts March 21.
Application deadline is Febru-
ary 18. For more information, visit
www.royalroads.ca/mgm.
Become an expert in a global sector
26 H /2011 BIV Magazines
§• How-To Book_11_00.indd 26 1/19/11 10:30:30 AM
MAGICAL
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT VICTORIA BC CANADA
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centralize control of your fuel purchases
Realizing that the old way of
getting fuel squanders time,
labour and company resources,
businesses are finding a new
solution that creates efficiency,
savings and valuable intel-
ligence: 4Refuel Canada’s Total
Fuel Management (TFM) system.
“TFM helps you to minimize cost
and maximize efficiency by centralizing
control of all of your company’s fuel pur-
chases,” says James Lee, vice-president of
systems development and integration for
4Refuel Canada. “This is done through our
unique, fully automated, end-to-end fuel-
management solution, which features
streamlined fuel logistics, automated data
collection and powerful tools for online
control, cost reporting and usage analysis.”
Is fuel management for you?Whether your business is a global cor-
poration or a small business, TFM will
change your thinking about fuel. With
“conventional fuelling, businesses pay
for thousands of hours of extra labour,
administration, overhead, running time,
maintenance and insurance and get
nothing in return,” says Lee. “TFM gives
you total control by capturing detailed
data at every point of fuelling and
reporting it all on line.”
It starts at procurement, through
4Refuel’s strong purchasing relationships
with producers. Next, a broad network of
mobile service trucks and personnel dis-
tributes fuel when and where it’s needed.
Lastly, TFM’s automated collection of fuel-
consumption data gives you the informa-
tion you need for optimal management.
Track every drop of fuel on line4Refuel’s TFM program includes Fuel
Management Online (FMO), a powerful
system that shows where every drop of
fuel goes so that you can centralize con-
trol of your purchases.
“FMO stores detailed data from every
fuel transaction across an entire fleet –
including the exact amount of fuel that
goes into each vehicle or piece of equip-
ment, the date and time of the fuelling and
a GPS location – in one central database,’”
Lee explains. “This data is sent nightly to
our data warehouse and made available
on line within 24 hours, providing you with
detailed information that you can use to
maximize fuel savings, as well as consump-
tion analysis and reporting that puts you
back in control of your fuel costs.”
Technology and tools, convenience and controlFMO’s web-enabled tools help you
spend less time and money on fuel.
FMO “allows your accounts-payable
department to approve fuel invoices and
transfer data into its systems without
having to key-punch individual items into
spreadsheets,” Lee says. “It also provides
a consolidated view of all fuel purchased
across all divisions, allowing managers
to analyze usage and costs on line from
anywhere in the world, track perform-
ance against fuel budgets instantly and
identify poorly performing equipment.”
A major benefit for 4Refuel’s clients is
that employees are happier because, says
Lee, “we make their jobs easier.”
“Every client loves the convenience.
Since FMO can eliminate certain tasks,”
employees “spend more time doing more
value-added work. Fuel costs are reduced
because clients can identify potential
areas of theft, and once people know that
fuel is being managed effectively, theft
is minimized or eliminated. Before FMO,
many of our clients had very little or no
control over their fuel purchases. With
fuel prices now exceeding $1.20 a litre, not
managing fuel is financial suicide.”
Track greenhouse gas emissions on lineTFM and FMO can help you measure
your greenhouse gas emissions and
manage significant reductions that can
lead to major savings in fuel costs.
“The core 4Refuel business reduces
fuel consumption by clients because
their trucks don’t have to burn gas driv-
ing to the station to fuel up,” says Lee.
Thus “you can have one 4Refuel truck
driving to a client site instead of 50 client
trucks driving to a station.”
FMO helps you identify inefficient
vehicles in your fleet and operators who
do not drive in a fuel-efficient manner.
It also shows you the exact quantity of
toxic emissions you’ve cut by centralizing
control of your fuel purchases.
“That’s something you can tell your
own clients about: your new green initia-
tive,” he says. “They’ll appreciate it.”
Get fuel-efficientCentralizing control of your fuel purchas-
es starts by talking to a 4Refuel consult-
ant to determine the most efficient ways
to refuel your fleet.
“Once you’ve selected your solutions,
4Refuel’s IT support professionals will
work with you to show you how FMO
can be used to implement fuel-manage-
ment best practices for your organiza-
tion,” says Lee. Such practices “are more
than just about buying fuel at the lowest
cost. They’re about streamlining the
entire fuel-management process by mak-
ing employees more efficient and giving
managers the information they need
when they need it.”
28 H /2011 BIV Magazines
organize a company retreat
You show up at work, gather
with colleagues around the
coffee-maker and prepare
your warm mug of Java to
take to your desk, cubicle
or office. There you remain
for the duration of the day,
answering phone calls, responding to
emails, writing reports and assisting
customers. You interact but minimally
with fellow employees, aside from
intermittent conversations and maybe
a weekly brainstorming meeting.
Planning a company retreat may
renew communication and help to
build and strengthen inter-office rela-
tions. Here are some things to consider.
Building relationshipsVictoria Anderson, the regional
sales associate of Prestige Hotels &
Resorts, says that the sole purpose
of a company retreat is to facili-
tate the building of relationships
among departments. This ultimately
increases the company’s morale.
“It’s a time for relaxation and shar-
ing of ideas,” says Anderson. “It offers a
less stressful atmosphere and supports
an environment for work and play.”
Getting everyone together from
every department promotes cama-
raderie: an act that Anderson says
stimulates productivity and the abil-
ity to brainstorm by helping people
get their “creative juices flowing”
in an unguarded environment.
For the purpose of forming connec-
tions, Anderson says that a retreat can
often create a better understanding of
a company’s priorities, inner workings
and goals, providing attendees with
insight and a new sense of belonging.
The corporate office of Prestige is
located in Kelowna, and there will soon
be 10 additional hotel locations across
British Columbia. While Anderson speaks
to employees from the other loca-
tions frequently, she says there is no
better morale-builder than a retreat.
Picking a locationAt Prestige, employees gather once a
year for their annual general meeting.
Depending on the message you’re try-
ing to convey, Anderson says that in
planning a retreat you should consider
accessibility, corporate image, recrea-
tional opportunities and quality.
While picking a location may seem
difficult, Anderson notes that desirable
space can fill up quickly. She recom-
mends booking one year in advance.
“You should probably have the event
co-ordinator visit the venue to ensure
that everything fits into what the event
is about,” she says, adding, “sometimes
websites can be misleading.” Consider
the number of guests, the banquet-
room size and the desired amenities,
as well as guest accommodations.
“We don’t usually give or get input
[on location] from our employees,”
says Anderson. “The surprise aspect
of it is provides the ‘wow’ factor.”
In 2010, Prestige employees gathered
in Kelowna in a luxury penthouse, a
location that allowed them to cook their
meals together, mingle, order in take-out
and shoot some pool. Anderson says this
experience brought everyone together.
Striking a balanceAll work and no play makes a com-
pany retreat a dull occasion.
In an ideal setting, a retreat offers a
50/50 balance of work-related and recrea-
tional activities. Says Anderson, “I would
say partial business and partial play. It
depends on what you’ve got to cover.”
To co-ordinate an event, think
strategically about its goal. Do you
hope to emphasize one message in
particular? Or are you wrapping up
loose ends after a busy fiscal year?
For Prestige, Anderson says that
senior management and the market-
ing and sales team busy themselves
preparing informative presenta-
tions to bring to the group. “We
want to plan for our upcoming year,
drumming up business and help-
ing to garner new ideas to do so.”
Depending on the distance travelled,
a retreat should not exceed five days
in duration; for the necessary material
to be covered, it should be no shorter
than two. “You don’t want to lose every-
one’s interest by talking business all
the time either,” explains Anderson.
“That way you keep everyone fresh.”
Preparing your employeesAn itinerary should tell employees
what to expect, allowing them to pack
the appropriate balance of casual and
formal wear.
“If you are dressed in formal business
attire, you are more amped to work that
way because you’re already in that mind-
set,” says Anderson. “On the other hand,
if you’re in a more casual brainstorming
environment, people would rather be
comfortable.”
Managers should hand out read-
ing material beforehand to familiarize
employees with the topics of discussion.
You can measure the success of your
retreat by positive changes in employees’
attitudes about your company’s services.
You can gauge these by increased sales
or productivity.
By Lynsey Franks
30 H /2011 BIV Magazines
maximize your catering experience
Whether you need catering
services for a business meet-
ing, for a birthday party or
for your wedding day, you
can do several things to
maximize the experience.
“As professional caterers, we
do our best to ensure that every event
is successful,” says Karen Barron of Out
to Lunch Cuisine Inc., “but there are a
few things that clients can do to help
ensure that the process runs smoothly.”
Steps to take
1 Check references: “Ask to speak to
past clients or get recommendations
from friends and colleagues,” Barron sug-
gests. “Out to Lunch provides photos and
testimonials on line that can give you a
better sense of our services and experi-
ence.” Also check your potential caterer’s
Better Business Bureau rating and read
business reviews on the Internet.
2 Book early: “Booking early means
that you’re giving the caterer enough
time to prepare and cover all the
bases,” says Barron, adding that differ-
ent events require different lead-times.
“It’s about how many guests you’re
having and the importance or com-
plexity of the event. If you’re hosting
a business lunch for 15, you wouldn’t
have to book too far in advance. A
wedding, on the other hand, should
be confirmed at least six months out.”
3 Add value: Besides the food, what
services can your caterer cover and
at what cost? “Professional caterers
can arrange for linens, china, etc.,” Bar-
ron says. “Out to Lunch can even assist
you in planning your event, choosing
a venue and selecting the wine.”
4 Taste-test: Try before you buy. “A
great caterer will invite you to come
in for a tasting prior to your event,” says
Barron. At Out to Lunch, we encourage
people to schedule tastings so that they
can sample the food ahead of time.”
5 Be specific: Most caterers will ask
you to complete a form with details
of your event. “Be as specific as pos-
sible and include any and all special
requirements,” Barron says. “Don’t
leave anything out: the number of
guests, the venue you’ve booked
or are considering, the occasion
and theme, the type of meal you
want or any special food require-
ments you or your guests have.”
6 Be honest: Neglecting to disclose
important details can make or
break your event. “You’d be shocked
at how many people hide the fact
that the events are actually their wed-
dings, because they think it will drive
up the price,” Barron says. “This can
really compromise the quality of your
event, not to mention the enjoyment
and satisfaction of your guests.”
7 Budget wisely: Be forthcoming and
realistic about your budget. Barron says
to “plan the party with all costs in mind.
Everyone wants a good deal, but being
unrealistic about what you can afford is
pointless. If you reach out to your caterer
for help, he or she can guide you through
your options to give you the most bang
for your buck, like forgoing fine china
for more affordable dinnerware.”
8 Time it right: Throwing a party
at seven o’clock puts the onus on
you to serve dinner to your guests.
“Keep the time of your event in mind,
or you’re going to have some very
hungry party-goers,” says Barron. “If
your budget is too tight to include
dinner, instead of compromising on
the menu, why not push it back a few
hours and serve dessert instead?”
9 Count your guests: While a good
caterer is always prepared for a
few extra guests, there’s a difference
between two unexpected mouths to
feed and two dozen. “Letting the caterer
know the day before your party that
the guest list has grown by more than
10 per cent can be a big problem,” says
Barron. “At a time when the catering
staff should be setting up and adding
the finishing touches, having to seek
out additional cases of wine, prepare
hundreds of extra hors d’œuvres or find
15 more pounds of shrimp can really
compromise the quality of your event.”
10 Trust your caterer: Although
you’re expected to be involved in
planning, attempts to micromanage
the catering staff during the event
are likely to cause problems. “The
time to communicate your wishes
and requests is prior to the event,”
Barron says. “On the day of the party,
relax and trust the professionals to do
their jobs. If you find yourself wanting
to oversee every detail, take a deep
breath and remember: that’s why
you hired us in the first place.”
Be specific about all important catering details
32 H /2011 BIV Magazines
maximize meeting value and optimize results
Meetings are the bane of
organizational existence. How
can you increase the return
on investment of all the time
and money spent on them?
Simple: use a facilitator.
What is a facilitator?“To facilitate” means to make something
easy. In business, a facilitator is a skilled
professional who eases tasks involv-
ing important conversations with two
or more persons, such as planning,
problem-solving, developing teams, set-
ting goals, resolving conflicts, identifying
corporate values, creating an organiza-
tional mission or determining criteria
for selecting new business partners.
Why bother using one?A facilitator creates a safe, productive
meeting environment, allowing for con-
versations that engage participants more
fully. Improved efficiency, wiser decisions,
greater commitment to action and, ultim-
ately, better outcomes result. Facilitators
apply flexible processes to resolve complex
issues; mitigate power imbalances; allow
junior participants to offer opinions with-
out fear of reprisal; ensure that conversa-
tions focus on issues, not personal agendas;
adapt to required changes in direction;
move people back on task when they wan-
der; and, afterwards, help ensure that cli-
ents keep the commitments they’ve made.
What to seek in a facilitatorLook for facilitators who are great com-
municators, observant, flexible, quick to
learn, client-focused, politically savvy and
broadly experienced. They should have
many proven group processes upon
which to draw and be able to blend
them together seamlessly. They should
have the courage to deliver tough mes-
sages that clients need to hear (even
if they do not wish to). Ideally, they
use humour in skilful ways to energize
and engage participants while they’re
working toward desired outcomes.
Are all facilitators created equal?As in any field, no two facilitators are
identical, nor is anyone appropriate for
every client. Facilitators have different
strengths. One may be wonderful at
rigorously following a tight, minute-
to-minute agenda, while another may
have an exceptional ability to shift gears
quickly to follow issues of organizational
value. Some develop depth and exper-
tise in one or two specific industries,
whereas others work across a wide range
of industries and organizations. Do your
due diligence by talking to a few differ-
ent facilitators (and their clients!) to find
the one who best suits your needs.
How to work with a facilitatorTo gain maximum value from your
investment in a facilitator, work closely
with him or her well ahead of time to
ensure good understanding of the
organization’s issues and culture and
the desired outcomes for the meeting.
This process may include interviews with
key stakeholders. Appoint an executive
committee or a representative sample
of the meeting’s participants to help
plan and organize the meeting. Buy-in
to the meeting’s purpose and process
thus builds long before the meet-
ing even begins. Allow the facilitator
to draw upon a wide range of his or
her experiences and to recommend
processes and technologies for help-
ing groups reach desired objectives.
A final agenda should be mutually
agreed upon and distributed to partici-
pants. If you wish the facilitator to take
on additional tasks such as reporting,
follow-up or ongoing support after
the meeting, you should agree on
such additional elements in advance.
Can’t afford a facilitator?Ask yourself whether you can afford the
cost of fixing the mistakes that result
from an unsuccessful or unproductive
meeting. Weigh the cost of a facilitator
against work hours lost if your team has
to go back to the drawing board time
and time again. Relative to the cost of
bringing people together for a meeting
in the first place, the incremental cost of a
facilitator is invariably a wise investment.
Some organizations use internal
facilitators to reduce costs or capitalize
on corporate insights. In many cases,
this decision is prudent. Yet when meet-
ings are likely to involve large egos,
high stakes, complexity, multiple levels
of the organization, large numbers of
participants, tension or low degrees
of trust, using experienced, skilled
facilitators can greatly increase the
likelihood of positive outcomes, sav-
ing you time, money and irritation.
David Gouthro, The Consulting Edge
Facilitators can help you achieve positive outcomes and save time, money and aggravation
34 H /2011 BIV Magazines
“David brings energy, clarity and fairness to meetings in a way that
is constructive and productive. He makes it okay to have fun while
participants stay focused on their tasks. And he doesn’t let people get
away with slacking off!”
Ruth Malli, City Manager, Town of Ladysmith
“David facilitated a meeting with over 200 participants from diverse
backgrounds and interests, and managed to keep people engaged,
interested and confident that action would result from their efforts.”
Peter Leitch, Chair, Motion Picture Production Industry Association and President, North Shore Studios & Mammoth Studios
“David has a great ability to help us explore delicate matters in an
environment that allows participants to avoid the defensive behaviour
that often accompanies tough meetings. His flexibility and appropriate
use of humour keeps us on task and fully engaged.”
Adrian Legin, CEO, Coastal Community Credit Union
“David has the ability to quickly change the direction of a meeting if it
appears there is a higher value outcome to be addressed by the group.”
Gary Young, Director, Legacies and Integration, Richmond Olympic Business Office
“David had never worked in our industry (Building Owners and Managers
Association) before, yet he did his homework, came in to work with us for
the first time and totally nailed the meeting – he was fabulous!”
Jon Wellman, Vice President and General Manager,
Bentall Real Estate Services
“We had a lot to achieve in a short period of time. We got much more
accomplished than I hoped for or expected when David facilitated a critical
meeting for us.”
Lee Malleau, Director, Business Development, Vancouver Economic Development Commission
“David consistently did a great job for us at the Ekati Diamond Mine in
the NWT. As a result, we engaged him to work with us at several of our
operations in Peru, Suriname and Indonesia.”
Anne Marie Dawe, HR Manager, MCP Indonesia, BHP Billiton
“David is one of the most creative facilitators I’ve ever had the pleasure of
working with. He has a wealth of experience that allows him to draw from a
deep “bag of tricks” in order to keep groups moving in a positive direction,
regardless of the circumstances. He doesn’t get intimidated, nor does he
intimidate. His confident, good-humoured manner is very effective in getting
groups to work together toward a common purpose – and to have an
enjoyable time while doing so!”
Bob Willard, Author, The Sustainability Advantage, The Next Sustainability
Wave and The Sustainability Champions and former head of IBM Canada Leadership Development
David Gouthro
The Consulting Edge
102-2221 Folkestone Way,
West Vancouver, BC
V7S 2Y6
604-926-6858
or 800-685-6818
www.theconsultingedge.com
Facilitating for over
30 years . . .
With experience in . . .
David GouthroFACILITATOR
prepare your business for an emergency
Could your company continue
to function normally if an
earthquake or fire damaged
your headquarters? Would you
be able to keep your staff safe
during an emergency? Do you
have backup systems to get
your business up and running again?
Concord Security Corp. has oper-
ated throughout British Columbia and
Alberta since 1983, and it added risk and
emergency-management services in
1999. Its risk experts offer the following
advice for emergency preparation.
What to do
1 Get started: The sooner you begin,
the more prepared you will be.
Begin by thinking about the pos-
sible risks to your company and
how to prevent or mitigate them.
2 Get an expert: Overwhelmed by the
thought of resolving power failures,
computer viruses, winter storms, a major
earthquake, forest fires or a pandemic?
A trained emergency-management
professional can offer a fresh perspec-
tive on how to weather the storm.
3 What are you up against? Concord’s
risk manager, Sandor J. Maradi, says
that a proper hazard, risks and vulner-
ability assessment shows you which
problems you could realistically face,
from a major earthquake to a truck
hitting a gas main in your street.
4 Plan your planning: Form a plan-
ning committee that will meet
regularly, develop an emergency-
management plan, co-ordinate staff
training and plan drills and table-top
exercises. Meet often and keep updating
the plan to reflect new hazards and
regulations such as the B.C. fire code
and requirements from WorksafeBC.
5 Keep plans user-friendly: “Too many
emergency plans are kept in big bind-
ers and never get used,” says Concord
general manager Mark Forward. “At
Concord, we condense a client’s docu-
ments into a single handbook that the
client can keep in a briefcase so that
it’s always close by in an emergency.”
6 Get everyone on board: “All staff
members from the receptionist to the
sales clerk to the president need to know
what their roles are,” says Maradi. “Don’t
inundate them with information; give
regular, short training sessions and hold
regular practices. Make sure everyone
has emergency supplies at home too.”
7 Test your plans: “Table-top exercises
give everyone a chance to consider
a scenario and how he or she would
deal with it,” says Forward. “They are
very popular with our clients. We might
ask them to consider what they would
do without power for several days or
how to protect their business assets.”
8 Get supplies: Do you have emer-
gency first-aid kits, high-visibility
vests, emergency lighting and backup
power? B.C.’s Provincial Emergency Pro-
gram recommends that every home
and office have enough food, water
and essential supplies to last 72 hours.
How would you communicate with your
staff in an emergency if electricity or
telecommunications were unavailable?
9 Involve your suppliers: Ask your key
suppliers what their emergency plans
are. Include them when you are creating
your plan and training staff. If your com-
pany’s survival relies on a supplier’s show-
ing up no matter what, build a service-
level agreement into your contract so
that the supplier knows what you need.
10 Planning is easier than
explaining: “If emergency planning
seems tough, imagine explaining to an
employee’s family why you didn’t have a
management plan to save his or her life,
or explaining to your staff why the busi-
ness folded,” says Maradi. “Split planning
into manageable steps or hire a profes-
sional to save you valuable time.”
Rebecca Edwards
Are you ready?1. Faced with a major emergency or
loss of operating capacity, can your
business recover its competitive
position quickly and efficiently?
2. Does your business have an
emergency-preparedness pro-
gram that acknowledges its
employees as its most import-
ant asset and their safety and
well-being as major concerns?
3. Does your business follow Work-
safeBC’s rules and regulations
for emergency preparedness?
4. Does your plan take into considera-
tion that outside help will probably
not be available for three days or
more after a major earthquake?
5. Are emergency plans and pro-
cedures part of your company’s
training program for employees?
If you answered “No” to any of these
questions, then you should consider
creating a risk-management plan.
36 H /2011 BIV Magazines
We do more...to protect your assetsBy offering a full range of security services and products including our new video monitoring and parking control solutions
We do more...to safeguard your reputationBy providing courteous, trained, professional staff to meet all your security needs
We do more...to simplify your lifeBy providing the breadth of security-related services which include emergency planning and expertise from a single trusted source Concord Security is the only local security provider who offers:▲ Emergency preparedness planning▲ Customized emergency handbooks▲ Table top exercises & training▲ Emergency notification software services▲ First aid training▲ Emergency & first aid kits
we do more
www.concordsecurity.com Please note our new address #925 – 4710 Kingsway, Metrotower 1, Burnaby, BCV5H 4M2
Phone: 604-689-4005 Fax: 604-689-3244
live for today and plan for tomorrow
Maple Ridge is a city whose
time has come. No surprise
that it consistently gets accol-
ades as a place to live and
work. Until now a well-kept
secret in the Fraser Valley,
today it has good reason to
take centre stage, with billions of dollars’
worth of transportation infrastructure,
a growing city centre, a community
geared toward sustainable growth
and a way of living second to none.
Follow the money Maple Ridge has been designated by
the Real Estate Investment Network
(REIN) as Canada’s number 5 top invest-
ment city and (once again) as B.C.’s
number 2 top investment town.
REIN president Don Campbell is
amazed that a city of just over 70,000
could reach such levels: “There are over
800 cities and towns in Canada. To be
even mentioned in top 10 is an honour.
You know they’re not number 5 out of 10;
they’re number 5 out of 800. Even more
impressive when you consider the other
top 5 cities start at 700,000 population
and go up from there. So to have a city
the size of Maple Ridge even mentioned
in this report tells you this is a city with
a future, not a past. It’s remarkable.”
Campbell is clear which economic fac-
tors will have an impact on development.
“Transportation is going to be a catalyst
– the Golden Ears Bridge [and] the Pitt
River Bridge, along with the Port Mann;
it will be one of the most accessible
areas in the region. You’re seeing more
major employers coming into the area.
It’ll bring residents, business and jobs.
“Along with everything else, it’s a
beautiful place to live for lifestyle and
affordability.”
The whole packageLocation, growing population, good
jobs and accessibility are four reasons
that Tammy Rea sees Maple Ridge
as a great place to start a business.
The area manager for business bank-
ing at TD Canada Trust, Rea also cites
a helpful city council and staff.
“They come to the table with
incentives,” says Rea. “It makes my job
easier. I can go in to talk to people
in city hall to see how we can work
together. There is great communica-
tion, and having an accessible council
tells me they’re interested in helping.”
For small businesses, says Rea, the
enthusiasm for growth, the facelift down-
town and access to new regional markets
are key. Moreover, because real estate is
so reasonable, a business can afford to
purchase commercial space rather than
leasing: a great investment opportunity.
“It’s the whole package,” says Rea.
“What you have access to is pretty phe-
nomenal.” She’s also impressed that it’s
a place where the mayor goes out and
introduces himself to every new business.
Building for our grandchildren Maple Ridge Mayor Ernie Daykin is
just that kind of a mayor — born and
raised in the city, with a family his-
tory there of more than 100 years.
There’s sometimes tension between
urban growth and rural feel, but the
strength of the council is supported by
input from an engaged community.
“The question is not if we grow, but
how we grow,” says Daykin. People will
be able to live, work and go to school
where they were born and raised; they
won’t have to leave the community.
People continue to be drawn to Maple
Ridge for its small community, its
rural feel and the access it provides
to the great outdoors, says Daykin.
“If there is a big-box store, it’s
going to be the greenest and most
eco-friendly LEED-platinum build-
ing out there. We will not accept a
tilt-up box with a sea of asphalt.
“To be recognized as one of the
top communities in B.C. or Canada not
just for investment but for liveability:
we can take that to the bank.”
Baila Lazarus
“Maple Ridge is a beautiful place to live for lifestyle and affordability”
– Don Campbell, president, Real Estate Investment Network
Did you know? It’s the second year in a row that
the Real Estate Investment Net-
work has named Maple Ridge B.C.’s
number 2 top investment town
and “the place to live for lifestyle.”
An innovative, aggressive three-
year incentive program will
launch in 2011 to attract invest-
ment to densify the town centre,
diversify the tax base and help
create high-value local jobs.
The city has invested more than $80
million in downtown infrastructure,
and 1,200 residential units have
been added in the last two years.
38 H /2011 BIV Magazines
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