Vancouver Sun Covers ZAG's Holiday Party
1
C SPORTS: CANUCKS CLOSE IN ON FIRST-PLACE WILD » C7 BUSINESS BC TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20 | 2011 | EDITOR FIONA ANDERSON 604.605.2520 | [email protected] ONLINE Tracking your money Keep Your Money in your pocket with personal finance reporter Tracy Sherlock at vancouversun.com/yourmoney. INSIDE | C6 There’s an app for that Vancouver Sun technology writer Gillian Shaw has apps to help organize a food outing using Tasty, then share the fun on Facebook with a virtual disposable camera. WEDNESDAY Down to the wire After nearly four months of furious effort, graduates of GrowLab are ready for Demo Day. Leaders from five startup tech companies make their best pitches to venture capitalists. BRIEFINGS BlackBerry’s blue Christmas If there were any linger- ing doubts that strug- gling BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is having a true, blue annus horribilis in 2011, the matter is put to rest with reports from Indiana police that an entire tractor-trailer load of the company’s PlayBook tab- lets — a shipment worth about $2 million — has been stolen en route to RIM’s headquarters in Waterloo, Ont. Read more online at vancouversun.com/business ▶ NUMBERS Wholesale sales increased 0.9% to $49.2 billion in October, with the growth concentrated in the western provinces, Sta- tistics Canada reported Monday. ▶ TOP STOCK Eldorado Gold The most active B.C. company on the TSX on Monday closed at $13.46, down $1.93. ▶ BLOG WATCH Facebook ‘likes’ subject of lawsuit Your Facebook ‘like’ is advertising gold for companies that use your name in sponsored ads targeted at your Face- book friends. But that ad currency could lose a little value after a Cali- fornia court decision that has blocked Facebook’s attempt to have a lawsuit dismissed concerning its use of what Face- book calls its sponsored stories. From Gillian Shaw’s blog. Read more at vancouversun.com/technology S & P 500 1,205.35 14.31 Nikkei 8,296.12 105.60 Dollar 96.27 0.16 Gold 1,594.40 1.20 Oil 93.88 0.35 Natural Gas 3.10 0.03 S & P/TSX 11,539.70 95.68 Dow Jones 11,766.26 100.13 0.9% BY DARAH HANSEN VANCOUVER SUN F riday morning, just hours before his com- pany embarked on what he hopes will become a new Christmas tradition, Steve Curtis could barely contain his excitement. “It is just so perfect,” Curtis, CEO of the Vancouver-based herbal supplement producer ZAG Group, enthused of the afternoon plans that would see him and his staff of 25 work- ers take a break from their busy corporate routine to pre- pare and serve a hot meal to the residents of a Downtown Eastside shelter. The volunteer effort was not in addition to the company Christmas party: It was the Christmas party. ZAG is among the latest to get on-board a growing corpo- rate trend toward charitable giving in lieu of the more typi- cal holiday extravagance. Major Brian Venables of the Salvation Army in Vancou- ver puts it down to a shift in societal values, and a genuine desire among individuals to be attached to an organization that is seen as a caring part of the community. “We see it in corporate dona- tions tied to employee partic- ipation or in some way being engaged with a charity. We have people who come and serve a meal, but they will also pay for the meal, or they will come and distribute toys to families,” he said. “It’s not all about making money. It’s about making a dif- ference and it’s great to see.” For Curtis, contributing to a social cause through his com- pany is more than a feel-good enterprise. He sees it as a valuable opportunity for team-building, and a chance for staff to refuel and recharge following a hectic period of business growth. “We’ve tripled our revenue in the past 100 days or so, so everyone is just going around the clock, just keeping up,” he said. ZAG employees, who readily agreed to the charitable idea, chose to contribute their time to the Salvation Army’s Belkin House, the province’s largest homeless shelter. In addition to hosting dinner, staff spent the evening playing Trivia and other games with, and distributing gifts to, the shelter’s 130 residents. Curtis estimated the total cost to the firm at less than $1,000 — less than a third of the cost of a traditional holi- day party. The concept works well with the firm’s overall corporate philosophy of being passionate about what they do and feeling that the work matters. “This [the dinner] is just a small piece of that, but it all adds up and I think it is a com- petitive advantage,” Curtis said. Venables said residents of Belkin House also gain from these types of corporate part- nerships, in deeper ways than receiving a meal. “For the clients, it gives them the sense that somebody cares. These people don’t have to be here. They choose to be here, so that’s not a bad thing,” he said. [email protected] Twitter:@darahhansen WORKPLACE | Corporate Christmas party gives way to a gift of service New trend provides charitable offerings instead of consumption STEVE BOSCH/PNG Steve Curtis (left), the CEO at ZAG Group, and members of his staff serve dinner at Salvation Army’s Belkin House on Dec. 16. ZAG workers decided against the traditional holiday staff party in favour of helping a good cause in the Downtown Eastside. ✰ HOLIDAY SPA GIFT CARDS *Instant E-cards* absolutespa.com 604.684.2772 absolute spa group © 2011 Acer America Corporation. All rights reserved. Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Other trademarks, registered trademarks, and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the property of their respective owners. It’s not what you think. It’s better. VAN01072975_1_10 VANSAE01784_1_2
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The Vancouver Sun visits ZAG while we volunteer at the Belkin House for our Holiday Party.
Transcript of Vancouver Sun Covers ZAG's Holiday Party
CSPORTS: CANUCKS CLOSE IN ON FIRST-PLACE WILD » C7
BUSINESSBCTUESDAY, DECEMBER 20 | 2011 | EDITOR FIONA ANDERSON 604.605.2520 | [email protected]
ONLINE
Tracking your moneyKeep Your Money in your pocket with personal finance reporter Tracy Sherlock at vancouversun.com/yourmoney.
INSIDE | C6
There’s an app for thatVancouver Sun technology writer Gillian Shaw has apps to help organize a food outing using Tasty, then share the fun on Facebook with a virtual disposable camera.
WEDNESDAY
Down to the wireAfter nearly four months of furious effort, graduates of GrowLab are ready for Demo Day. Leaders from five startup tech companies make their best pitches to venture capitalists.
BRIEFINGS
BlackBerry’s blue Christmas If there were any linger-ing doubts that strug-gling BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is having a true, blue annus horribilis in 2011, the matter is put to rest with reports from Indiana police that an entire tractor-trailer load of the company’s PlayBook tab-lets — a shipment worth about $2 million — has been stolen en route to RIM’s headquarters in Waterloo, Ont.
Read more online at vancouversun.com/business
▶ NUMBERS
Wholesale sales increased 0.9% to $49.2 billion in October, with the growth concentrated in the western provinces, Sta-tistics Canada reported Monday.
▶ TOP STOCK
Eldorado Gold The most active B.C. company on the TSX on Monday closed at $13.46, down $1.93.
▶ BLOG WATCH
Facebook ‘likes’ subject of lawsuitYour Facebook ‘like’ is advertising gold for companies that use your name in sponsored ads targeted at your Face-book friends. But that ad currency could lose a little value after a Cali-fornia court decision that has blocked Facebook’s attempt to have a lawsuit dismissed concerning its use of what Face-book calls its sponsored stories.
From Gillian Shaw’s blog. Read more at vancouversun.com/technology
S & P 5001,205.3514.31
Nikkei8,296.12105.60
Dollar96.270.16
Gold1,594.401.20
Oil93.880.35
Natural Gas3.100.03
S & P/TSX11,539.7095.68
Dow Jones11,766.26100.13
0.9%
BY DARAH HANSENVANCOUVER SUN
Friday morning, just hours before his com-pany embarked on what
he hopes will become a new Christmas tradition, Steve Curtis could barely contain his excitement.
“It is just so perfect,” Curtis, CEO of the Vancouver-based herbal supplement producer ZAG Group, enthused of the afternoon plans that would see him and his staff of 25 work-ers take a break from their busy corporate routine to pre-pare and serve a hot meal to the residents of a Downtown
Eastside shelter.The volunteer effort was not
in addition to the company Christmas party: It was the Christmas party.
ZAG is among the latest to get on-board a growing corpo-rate trend toward charitable giving in lieu of the more typi-cal holiday extravagance.
Major Brian Venables of the Salvation Army in Vancou-ver puts it down to a shift in societal values, and a genuine desire among individuals to be attached to an organization that is seen as a caring part of the community.
“We see it in corporate dona-tions tied to employee partic-ipation or in some way being
engaged with a charity. We have people who come and serve a meal, but they will also pay for the meal, or they will come and distribute toys to families,” he said.
“It’s not all about making money. It’s about making a dif-ference and it’s great to see.”
For Curtis, contributing to a social cause through his com-pany is more than a feel-good enterprise.
He sees it as a valuable opportunity for team-building, and a chance for staff to refuel and recharge following a hectic period of business growth.
“We’ve tripled our revenue in the past 100 days or so, so everyone is just going around
the clock, just keeping up,” he said.
ZAG employees, who readily agreed to the charitable idea, chose to contribute their time to the Salvation Army’s Belkin House, the province’s largest homeless shelter.
In addition to hosting dinner, staff spent the evening playing Trivia and other games with, and distributing gifts to, the shelter’s 130 residents.
Curtis estimated the total cost to the firm at less than $1,000 — less than a third of the cost of a traditional holi-day party.
The concept works well with the firm’s overall corporate philosophy of being passionate
about what they do and feeling that the work matters.
“This [the dinner] is just a small piece of that, but it all adds up and I think it is a com-petitive advantage,” Curtis said.
Venables said residents of Belkin House also gain from these types of corporate part-nerships, in deeper ways than receiving a meal.
“For the clients, it gives them the sense that somebody cares. These people don’t have to be here. They choose to be here, so that’s not a bad thing,” he said.
[email protected]:@darahhansen
WORKPLACE | Corporate Christmas party gives way to a gift of service
New trend provides charitable off erings instead of consumption
STEVE BOSCH/PNG
Steve Curtis (left), the CEO at ZAG Group, and members of his staff serve dinner at Salvation Army’s Belkin House on Dec. 16. ZAG workers decided against the traditional holiday staff party in favour of helping a good cause in the Downtown Eastside.
✰
HOLIDAY SPAGIFT CARDS*Instant E-cards*
absolutespa.com 604.684.2772
absolute spagroup
SPAS
rds*
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© 2011 Acer America Corporation. All rights reserved. Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Othertrademarks, registered trademarks, and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the property of their respective owners.
It’s not what you think. It’s better.
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VANSAE01784_1_2
