Meet Kara Wilson: Sport Photography Business
Is Social Media Harmful During a National Crisis?
Behind the Scenes
with GolfNorth
Properties
May/June 2013
Business Plans vs
Business Planning.
The Difference?
Welcome Our Contributors
Publisher‘s Letter
Doug RadkeyYour Restaurant & Retail Specialist at
Booming Businesses
I am extremely excited about this
edition. My first passion in life is
business followed closely behind by
sports.
Sports analogy is often used in
business to emphasize goals,
strategies, obstacles, personal
motivation and teamwork.
This edition looks at two businesses
that are involved in sport, as well as
strategies to consider introducing in
your business today.
I would also really like to hear your
thoughts on the article about the use
of social media during a national
crisis. Is it beneficial or harmful? With the recent tragedy in Boston
and the fact that it seemed like traditional media was having a tough
time keeping up with the story, where do we get our trusted news
sources from? Was what we were reading in real-time on Twitter
trustworthy? Was it possibly tipping off the alleged suspects? I
would love to hear your thoughts.
Intel Boutique
David Prang
Robert Lavigne
Ron Vitale
Kara Wilson
Doug Radkey
Golf North Properties
Editor
Jennifer‘s Tutoring & Editing in
Brantford, Ontario
Advertise With Us!
Contribute Your Articles
At Booming Businesses and Beyond the Square, we offer a
number of opportunities for industry members to share the
benefit of their experience through contributed guest content
on a wide variety of topics related to small business operations
including but not limited to:
• Planning
• Branding
• Marketing
• Social Media
• Book Reviews
• Technology Reviews
• Search Engine Optimization
• And any further tips entrepreneurs could use
2013 Article Deadlines:
• February 25th • April 20th • June 15th
• August 15th • October 15th • December 15th
Send Articles & Artwork: [email protected]
Reach an Entrepreneurial Audience!
• Company Story on Two Pages
• One Full Page Advertisement
• Banner Advertisement on Website
Contact for More Details & Pricing:
Table ofContents
May/June 2013 – Issue Two
Wilson Sports
Photography
Social Media
During Crisis
Millions of $$$ in
a Social Era
Meet sport photographer Kara Wilson and learn her
business and her dreams to photograph the Olympics!
We are no longer in an era where technology & the cost
of implementation of technology is a limiting factor.
Everyone was touched and drawn to social media during the attacks in Boston. But is that beneficial or harmful?
thru
Recruitment and
Selection SystemsBy David Prang
Update: 30 Days
of Progress TourOrganization
thru thru18
21
50
59
26
29
8 42
30
Behind the Scenes
with GolfNorthBy Doug Radkey
Excuses.
Excuses.
Business Owners Can
Sometimes Get Caught Up in
Excuses. Are U?
Business Plans
vs. Planning
Top 10 Books For
This Summer!
What’s the Difference Between a
Business Plan and Business Planning?
The Nice Weather is
Finally Here -Relax with These
Books!
##
Let us know which
articles you liked by SHARINGthem on your networks!
62 70 16
www.signsland.ca
In the last issue of Beyond the Square, we talked about
your Social Local Mobile strategy. I used the Social
Business Hangout Podcast Series as a shared experience
of my own SoLoMo inbound marketing tactics for both my
Personal Brand (Social Business Mentor) and my Corporate
Brand (thedigitalgrapeVine).
If you have not yet read this submission, I would
recommend that you take a moment and bookmark it for
reading. You can find this article in the inaugural edition of
this magazine, as well as my companion blog to this
ongoing series Social Media Rehab: The Sequel to the
Life@42 Social Novel.
Robert Lavigne
Your Social
Business Mentor
I used to work in the
Information Services (IS)
industry before the shift to the
current Information Technology
(IT) industry. The meaning of
that shift in nomenclature is an
article onto itself. Suffice to
say, when you focus on
technology and not on service,
you look at information in a
completely different fashion.
I want to share with you a
story of the present, the past,
and the future. Allow me the
luxury of using time travel to
illustrate how a change in
perspective leads to a sense
of awareness.
Let us now go
back 15 years…
One day, one of the department heads approached our
executive team with the following Technology Infrastructure
Request.
We need the tech guys to build us the following
systems to support our vision for this start-up that is
heavily funded by Venture Capitalist banking on this
emerging thing called the Internet.
We want you to cost out and implement the following
infrastructure:
•email system
•calendaring system
•contact management system
•competitive intelligence system (w/ news feed and alerts)
•video hosting and streaming system (with screen sharing
and webinar capabilities)
•online office suite (word processing, spreadsheet,
presentation tool)
•content management system, and work
flow and collaboration system.
―
‖
Do remember this was in the
early years of the Internet.
That decade saw a huge
spike in infrastructure
investments and major ―Dot
Com‖ expenditures.
Such requests for
Quote/Proposal/Implementat
ion were not unheard off. I
recall building a website for
a million dollars over the
course of a month. Money
was no object and the
necessity of delivery was
often out of sync with
consequences and/or reality.
How long would it take to
build? How many
employees, contractors, and
consultants would you
need? Is the request even
feasible to build and deliver?
How much would you quote
for this request? One Million
Dollars? Ten Million? 100
Million? A Billion?
Jump back to today.
If you were to ask for the
exact same list, you could
have all that for free and
available right now.
Google‘s platform (Google
Plus, Google Drive,
YouTube, Blogger, Gmail,
etc) provides the majority of
the requested elements at
no charge. Numerous other
―freemium‖ services
integrate nicely to flush out
the required functionality.
We are no longer in an era
where technology and the
cost of implementation of
technology is our limiting
factor.
Beyond the Square Magazine @BTSMagazines
You can now spend those
millions of dollars on
creativity, content,
relationships, employee
development, and training.
We are living in the Social
Era in an age of a Content
Renaissance fueled by the
Internet, SEO, and Content
Marketing.
We have the most hyper-
connected Social Graph of
any Human Society voicing
their thoughts, opinions, and
creativity.
We have the greatest
access to Freemium Social
Platforms (Facebook,
Twitter, LinkedIN) and
Content Management
Solutions (Wordpress,
YouTube, iTunes) of any
generation.
We are entering a Social
Media Rehab that will
forever redefine who we are
as a societal community and
as a commercial ecosystem.
In this issue, I will be using
my 42+1 Live to Air
Interview Series as a shared
experience to further
illustrate my point.
Over the years I have met
numerous thought leaders
online, who for the most part
I have never met face to
face. Conversations were
anything from status
updates (likes and
comments) to tweets.
With the advent of Google
Plus and the introduction of
Live to Air Hangouts, I now
have the ability to reach out
and host an interview series.
I can get to know them
more, learn from them more,
and have in-depth
conversations with them with
zero technology costs other
than a computer, internet
connection, and webcam.
How Would You Spend Millions of Dollars?
These interviews are
streamed live to anyone who
chooses to watch it. The
interviews are then archived
on YouTube, with full analytics
and statistics. The video is
then able to be embedded
into my blog as part of my
inbound marketing efforts.
If you had gone back just
fifteen years and required the
ability to do ten way video
conferencing with the ability to
stream that to the world at no
cost the IT department would
have laughed you out the
door. That reality is now.
Technology is not the limiting
factor, service is now the
opportunity.
Watch my inaugural Google+ interview with Tim Burrows of the
Toronto Police Services
Marketing has been
fundamentally the same
way. Agencies would
spend hundreds of
thousands of dollars on
print, radio, and television,
leaving nothing for
customer service. As a
result, we would have
brilliant ad campaigns that
drew people to a horrible
customer experience.
Similarly, we would spend
millions of dollars on
technology and have
corporations that had no
money to be spent on
employee development.
This led to highly
structured organizations
with complicated systems,
but an outright inability for
people to leverage them
properly.
In this current era, where
technology is almost free,
we still challenge ourselves
as to what is the ROI of
Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube. The old ROI was
measured on the return on
the cost of building the
infrastructure. The equation
has now shifted because it
is no longer front loaded,
ROI is now determined on
how we act, engage,
convert, to the call to
actions on those platforms,
which are now free to invest
in.
How Would You Spend Millions of Dollars?
Now
Over 70Podcasts!
The Social Business
Hangout with
Robert Lavigne!
Ep69 – Habitat for Humanity
Ep68 – The Hospitality Industry
Ep67 – Email Marketing Campaigns
Ep66 – Power Talk-Focus/Action/Results
Ep65 – Customer Service Strategies
Small business owners and
entrepreneurs who find
themselves scrambling to
build a business, generally
think they have little time to
relax or explore new
business ideas through
reading.
But reading is never a waste.
The time it takes to find out
what others have to teach
you about business is time
you might save in the future.
Believe it or not, there is a
business book that
chronicles exactly what you
are experiencing.
The best leaders are always
looking to learn from others,
and top business people never
stop learning or reading.
Summer is upon us and now is
the time to take a moment,
gather these books, and give
them a read.
With contributions from
military leaders and
experts in the fields of
transformational
leadership, systems,
critical and historical
thinking, and corporate
culture, this work teaches
mid-level managers how to
become high-level
executives.
Strategic Leadership: The
General's Art offers:
- Strategic thinking and
leadership processes
taught by the military to its
senior leadership.
- Strategic leadership
theories and practical
exercises to help put those
theories into action.
In line with the curriculum followed by senior officers, this
book teaches leaders how to think and lead strategically in
uncertain environments.
- The valuable knowledge that Fortune 500 companies,
government agencies, and non-profit organizations gain
through U.S. Army War College workshops.
Book Review #10
Recruitment and Selection Systems for SMB's
David Prang is currently
completing course work
and extracurricular
projects towards the
CHRP designation after a
10 year career in Student
Services at Laurier
Brantford.
When you need help or
specialized work done, often
times the easiest and quickest
method for hiring new staff is
through existing staff, friends,
family, or other close contacts.
Alternatively, an online or
newspaper ad may generate
applicants from those looking
for jobs. This may lead to an
interview, seeing how the
person "feels", and perhaps
checking some references, then
your new staff member(s) are
hired.
Recruitment and Selection Systems for SMB'sHowever, this hire may not
work out, and it may cost
you up to 1.5 times the
person's salary in terms of
time, wages, and
replacement costs, in
addition to frustration,
moral issues, and lack of
employee engagement and
interest in the success of
your business.
Recruitment and Selection
is an essential component
to the success of all
organizations. Finding the
ideal employees, at the right
time, to fit the right jobs, can
be a complex process to
establish, but once a system
is in place, it can save an
organization substantial time,
effort, and aggravation, and
increase productivity and
profit.
Recruitment is the generation
of a pool of candidates for a
position or job. Selection is
the choice of job candidates
from this pool to meet
management goals &
objectives, and legal
requirements for employers.
A simplified hiring model can
begin with a ―Job Analysis‖:
1) Define carefully what the
position is.
2) Establish the knowledge,
skills, abilities, and other
attributes required (KSAO's).
3) Determine how to measure
the KSAO's with valid means.
4) Review 1-3 for defensibility,
procedural fairness, and
consistency.
An emerging field of practice is
the use of Core Competencies
in the hiring and performance
management field. This
involves defining for your
company the groups of related
behaviours required for
successful job performance,
or, the motives, traits, skills,
body of knowledge, and self-
image desired.
KSAO's can then be
developed regardless of the
specific jobs. This approach
may be more useful for the
small but growing
organization requiring a
diversity of skills.
Once the KSAO's are
Recruitment and Selection Systems for SMB’s
established, you can then
develop a position
description, and subsequently
a job ad or brief based on
your position description. This
should briefly outline for
potential candidates the key
KSAO's and information about
your company, and how to
apply for your position(s).
With a small amount of
focused effort, a small
business owner can quickly
establish the key skills and
attributes required to support
the business, and establish a
strategy about how to staff
for those priorities to create
an environment of trust,
commitment, & loyalty, that
will result in reduced turnover
and dysfunctional behaviour,
and a positive correlation to
long term profitability and
productivity.
The next article will involve a
more in-depth look at the
Selection portion:
Screening/testing,
Structured interviews and
decision making.
Connect with
David!
Beyond the Square – Small Business Magazine
One of the nation's biggest music labels briefly signed Taylor
Swift to a contract but let her go because she didn't seem worth
more than $15,000 a year. At least four book publishers passed
on the first Harry Potter novel rather than pay J. K. Rowling a
$5,000 advance. And the same pattern happens in nearly every
business.
Drawing on the best advice
of these and other talent
masters, Anders reveals
powerful ideas you can
apply to your own hiring.
Each field that Anders
explores has its own lingo,
customs, and history. But
the specific stories fit
together into a bigger
mosaic. In any field, there's
an art to clearing away the
clutter and focusing on what
matters most. It's not
necessarily hard, but it
requires the courage to take
a different approach in
pursuit of the rare find.
Book Review #9
True leadership isn't a matter of having a certain job or title. In
fact, being chosen for a position is only the first of the five levels
every effective leader achieves.
To become more than "the
boss" people follow only
because they are required
to, you have to master the
ability to invest in people
and inspire them. To grow
further in your role, you must
achieve results and build a
team that produces. You
need to help people to
develop their skills to
become leaders in their own
right. And if you have the
skill and dedication, you can
reach the pinnacle of
leadership-where
experience will allow you to
extend your influence
beyond your immediate
reach and time for the
benefit of others.
Through humor, in-depth insight, and examples, internationally
recognized leadership expert John C. Maxwell describes each of
these stages of leadership. He shows you how to master each
level and rise up to the next to become a more influential,
respected, and successful leader.
Book Review #8
Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with
rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach. That's a
mistake, says Daniel H. Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The
Surprising Truth About Motivating Others).
In this provocative and
persuasive new book, he
asserts that the secret to
high performance and
satisfaction-at work, at
school, and at home—is
the deeply human need
to direct our own lives, to
learn and create new
things, and to do better
by ourselves and our
world.
Drawing on four decades
of scientific research on
human motivation, Pink
exposes the mismatch
between what science
knows and what business
does—and how that
affects every aspect of
life.
Book Review #7
30 Days of Progress is a Brantford
based philanthropic program and non-
for-profit organization that is designed
to help build sustainable small
business communities and encourage
youth leadership – locally in Ontario
and internationally around the world.
This coming November, a team of
qualified individuals will be embedding
themselves into the community of
Saint Lucia to assist their economy
with a strategic hands-on approach to
entrepreneurial success.
“The Consulate commends you on
your efforts to assist the schools and
small businesses in Saint Lucia, in
developing and enhancing their
leadership and entrepreneurial skills.”
– Saint Lucia Consulate in Toronto.
When it comes to Saint Lucia‘s
small business community, and
even the local community here in
Ontario, we know micro and small
businesses have the potential to
create and expand employment
opportunities, develop
entrepreneurial skills, enhance
market opportunities, and
encourage export promotion and
import substitution. We recognize
the important role this sector plays
in contributing to the social and
economic development of the
area and this is why we are
excited about the opportunity
ahead.
The visual impression of a
community is very important to us,
which is why we are also helping
the students of Saint
Lucia, and those here in
Ontario, to improve their
literacy & personal
development skills, while
building awareness for
dreams to one day
become an entrepreneur.
This is what we call
building the foundations
for a stronger and
sustainable community.
With thriving small
businesses, the
impression can be one of
vitality and wealth. It can
also create positive vibes
for the entire community,
and this is important to us,
both locally and
internationally.
As with any large scaled
non-for-profit project
comes large-scaled
expense. Our goal is to
raise anywhere between
$30,000-$40,000 in terms
of monetary gains and
technology per year. We
plan to donate a minimum
of $3,000 to the schools of
the chosen country along
with leaving them with
resources such as books,
school supplies, and
computers.
Consider helping to
support local and
international
entrepreneurs and
encourage youth
leadership. Thank-You!
I am a freelance
photographer for the
Brantford Expositor and for
the City of Brantford. I am
married to Chris Wilson;
together we have 3 boys,
Cord (19), Justin (15) and
Lucas(13). Both our families
grew up in the Brantford and
Paris, Ontario region.
I have always been an
athlete and a sports
enthusiast, so living in the
tournament capital of
Ontario and being a
Sports Photographer has
blessed me with some
amazing opportunities to
photograph talented
athletes of varying ages
and levels from beginners
to Olympic athletes.
How long have
you been a
photographer?
I have always loved
photography. From an
early age I knew what I
liked and didn't like in a
photo. I collected my
favourite images and
put them on my
bedroom wall. I
remember admiring my
parents‘ camera
equipment. They had
this one camera that
had a blue cube flash
on it; I was so determined to
figure out how to use it. I think
my mom ended up hiding it on
me, due to how expensive film
and the pretty blue flash cubes
were. It was not until 2 1/2
years ago that I actually put a
high quality camera and lens in
my hands and chose to get
more serious about
photography.
What inspired
you to become
a “Sports
Photographer”?
I grew up an athlete. I
represented the Niagara
Falls Optimist Track and
Field Club and I participated
in elementary and school
sports.
My parents worked long,
weird hours missing my
events and games. As an
adult I continued to
participate in sports. I have
competed in 4 marathons, a
handful of half marathons,
triathlons, adventure racing,
and local community
team sports like baseball,
volleyball, and hockey.
A few years ago I injured my
knee. While recovering from
this injury I needed to get
my mind onto something
else. My son, Justin,
intercepted a play and ran a
75 yard dash for a
touchdown.
While Justin was celebrating
in the end zone I was still
waiting for my camera to
take the shot. My
husband knew I was
disappointed. He did his
research and surprised
me with a Canon T2i with
a variety of lens and
accessories and said “to
no more missed
moments“, and with a
hug and a kiss from my
husband, my journey
began.
I have attempted other
careers before
photography, but nothing
has made my heart sing
as loud as photography
since I picked up my first
DSLR, two 1/2 years ago.
It was the creative outlet I
needed and craved.
How would
you describe
your “style”?
Hmm.... I am a young
photographer so my style, I
think, is still developing. I
am not the same
photographer a month ago
compared to the
photographer I am today.
I love the bright, colourful
jerseys and capturing the
raw emotion of winning or
losing. As a kid, I would
photograph sporting events
on my parents’ floor model
TV. I remember Elizabeth
Manley winning the Gold
and I was there in my living
room photographing it.
When I shoot, I strive to
capture stunning, iconic and
inspiring images. It’s so
easy for me to slip into their
cleats, skates, boots, or
shoes and imagine what
they are feeling. I am not
sure if that's my style but it
is what is going on in my
head while I am shooting.
What has been
your biggest
challenge
since starting?
My biggest challenge so
far is maintaining a
healthy balance with my
family, business,
and health.
I love sharing my passion
for photography with my
family and I love to hear
about their passions.
Photography in general
creates awesome
conversation in our
house.
I have taught them all
how to use my camera
and they have kept me
grounded while I develop
my business. I just need
to go to the gym more
often to maintain and
improve my fitness.
Meet Kara Wilson of Wilson Sports Photography
www.wilsonsportsphotography.com
What has been your most memorable
moment so far?
My most memorable
moment so far would be
photographing the
International Team Canada
Vs Team Italy Rugby game
on the BMO field in
Toronto.
I kept saying to myself;
stay cool, breathe in every
moment, capture shots you
will be proud of, meet new
people, watch the crowd
for shots... you know
typical stuff you say to
yourself on your first day at
a new job. ―Don‘t screw up
on the first day‖.
I remember when scouting
for a location to shoot from,
I heard people in the crowd
yelling "WILSON―
..."WILSON"..."WILSON".
I thought oh cool there is an
athlete named Wilson here.... I
checked the roster to figure out
the player‘s position, thinking
photographing a fan favourite
would be cool.
Beyond the Square – Small Business Magazine
Like These Stories? Visit Our Website!
I didn't see it; I looked out to the field and then back to the
crowd, and because Wilson is a pretty common name I
had no reason to think anybody would be calling my
name.
But there in the stands attempting to get my attention were
members of the Brantford Harlequins (my home pitch).
It was pretty cool!
Where do you see yourself in three years?
In three years I see myself as a stronger,
wiser photographer. I will have a better
understanding of the photography industry.
Every day I learn something new. It‘s so
exciting and I am so grateful to be doing
something I love and that I am good at.
What sporting
event is your dream
to photograph?
The sporting event I would love
to photograph is the Olympics,
even though every
photographer says it‘s super
busy, there is no time to sleep
or eat, and it‘s totally crazy.
Yet, not one of the
photographers I have met, or
read of in their bio‘s, have ever
regretted photographing it.
Photographing the 2016 Rio de
Janeiro would be a sporting
event dream come true for me.
Yeah that would be pretty
awesome!!
Thanks so much Doug, I have
really enjoyed this interview and
opportunity.
Photo of Kara Wilson by her friend
and photographer Heather Cardle.
- Contact Kara for your next sporting event -
“Legendary leadership lessons from the greatest football coach of all time”
Leadership continues to
be one of the most
trained-for skills in
business today. And no
figure so fully embodies
the leadership qualities
managers hope to
cultivate in their
professional and personal
lives than Vince
Lombardi, the greatest
NFL coach of all time.
In What It Takes to Be #1,
author Vince Lombardi
Jr.--America's most
sought-after motivational
speaker-- examines the
leadership qualities that
his father considered
essential to success. He
explores the leadership
philosophy of Vince
Lombardi, extracts
powerful lessons about
what it takes to be an
effective leader.
For all business leaders, or those
who aspire to leadership, What It
Takes to Be #1 is a blueprint for
achieving Lombardi-like success
in virtually any endeavor.
Book Review #6
(Click to Buy)
Optimize provides insights from Lee
Odden, one of the leading
authorities on Content and Online
Marketing.
Optimize is designed to give readers
a practical approach to integrating
search and social media
optimization with content marketing
to boost relevance, visibility, and
customer engagement. Companies,
large and small, will benefit from the
practical planning and creative
content marketing tactics in this
book.
The power of glitzy
advertising and
elaborate marketing
campaigns is on the
wane; word-of-
mouth referrals are
what drive business
today. People trust
the thoughts of a
friend, family
member, colleague,
or even a stranger
with similar tastes.
Review #5 & #4
(Click to Buy)
Born to Blog is filled with practical,
street-smart techniques and ideas
to help you create and manage a
winning business blog. Learn how
to attract a loyal following, promote
your blog, and write powerful
content that generates new
business.
"If your dream is to launch a
business or publish a book, then
read Born to Blog! You'll realize
the blogger way is your fastest path
to success." -- MICHAEL
STELZNER
Most business
owners believe that
whether customers
refer them is
entirely out of their
hands. But science
shows that people
can't help
recommending
products and
services to their
friends-it's an
instinct wired deep
in the brain.
Review #4 & #3
Photos Courtesy of AP
By Ron Vitale
After a long day in which police went
door to door searching homes for
Dzhokar Tsarnaev, I listened to
officials in the Boston area tell the
public that they were opening the
subway, roads, and allowing people
back out on the street. Minutes later
I watched in horror as shots rang out
in Watertown and the hunt for
Dzhokar Tsarnaev continued. On my
TV, I watched as helpless news
anchors talked about what they
knew, realizing that none of them
had the power of Twitter at their
disposal.
News Truly Is at the
Speed of Light.
With my laptop on, I started
searching on Twitter and
within minutes I saw reports
from people in Watertown
filling up my tweet stream.
Were these reports true or
false? It was tough to say,
but I think I knew about 15-
20 minutes before national
news that Dzhokar Tsarnaev
was holed up in a boat on
Franklin Street.
With the internet, people
started using Google maps to
post satellite pictures of
the house and the boat in the
backyard. Gone are the days
in which onsite reporting of
the type we had last night
matters. Anderson Cooper
might as well have been in
Europe because the news on
CNN was out of date to what
was happening in real time
on the web.
CNN and NBC desperately
tried to get confirmation from
officials that the suspect had
been found but they lagged
woefully behind what
everyone already knew on
Twitter.
Granted I had no
confirmation that the tweets
that I were seeing were true,
but I started seeing reports
about flash bangs going off
and a good while later the
TV anchors talked about the
same thing. I also knew
about the thermal imaging
from the helicopter and how
it was used to find the
suspect and saw that many
of the tweets were coming
directly from what people
were hearing via the online
police scanners. Much of the
tweets I saw were right on
the money, but I had to ask
myself: Was this good?
Is Social Media Harmful During a National Crisis?
Beyond the Square Magazine @BTSMagazines
quotes from local police
scanners and it soon
became apparent that
hundreds of thousands of
people were listening to the
online scanners.
And no matter how many
times local TV stations
urged the public to not
report what was being
broadcast on the police
scanners, people tweeted
more and more of what they
heard.
I'll ask it again: Was that a
good thing? Did being cool
and sharing out what the
police were saying on the
radio do more harm than
good? I can only imagine
what police, the FBI and
Homeland Security must
think about this latest fad
with the public wanting to
participate in the real time
What About People's
Safety?
I wasn't the only person
worried about what was
taking place in Watertown and
how people on Twitter were
communicating that to the rest
of the world. @gwynnek
made a good point: People
were tweeting what they
heard from police scanners
and there was no way to tell
how giving that information
out might aid the suspect or
those who might have been
working with him.
What unfolded quickly on
Twitter amazed me as I
watched the hunt and capture
of one of the Boston
Marathon suspects take place
on live television. But that's
where the darker side of
social media crept in. In order
to spread the news, be the
first one "in the know," people
continued to tweet direct
chase and capture of a
suspect. What we know is
very little: It is alleged that
two brothers worked
together and set off the
bombs at the Boston
Marathon, but there are
many questions still
unanswered. Did the
brothers have help?
“Could other sleeper cells be
listening in to the news and
twitter chatter that night to
learn from the event?”
Beyond the Square Magazine @BTSMagazines
Is Social Media Harmful During a National Crisis?
We Are Helping Our
Enemies.
I love social media, I truly do.
I've been on Twitter since
April 2008 and have seen
many wonderful uses of
Twitter, but I have to say that
last night was a much darker
side. Anyone who wishes to
harm our country simply
needs to listen in on last
night's chatter and learn
about the online police
scanners, learn of the
position of the police from the
public and could have easily
mislead the public by
spreading false rumors
through social channels.
The genie is out of the
bottle. I get that. I know that
there is no turning back and I
also understand that many
using Twitter do not have the
maturity to understand the
power of the tool that they
are using and how they could
be assisting criminals.
We live in a world in which
we are the judge and jury all
at the same time. We can
participate in a live event and
spread our thoughts out to
the world while it's unfolding.
I saw many tweets similar to
the one below in which angry
people wanted the suspect's
head. But we don't know all
the facts, many people were
wounded and people lost
their lives. We're angry, we
want revenge, but we also
need to take a step back--
unless we want to go back to
the era of the Roman
Colosseum.
Does anyone wonder why
the Hunger Games was so
popular? Truly we're not
too far from those books.
Whose Fault Is it?
I remember watching the OJ
Simpson chase and how my
friends and I were all glued to
the TV.
Beyond the Square Magazine on Facebook
Connect with Ron Vitale
Now it's a totally different
world. With Twitter, we can be
snarky, a jokester, spread the
word and make other
comments all in real time with
anyone in the world. Maybe
it's already happening, but I'm
waiting for the next crisis to
have the suspect tweeting
back to the world.
I believe that tweeting out
police scanner information
during a crisis in which
people's lives are at stake is
flat out wrong. I'd suggest that
the online scanners be taken
down during such an
emergency. Flip that switch
off. We don't truly know how
we might be aiding criminals
by sharing out information or
helping our overseas enemies
plan their next attack on us.
In the end, as with many
things in life, it comes down
to personal responsibility.
Each person needs to take
responsibility for his or her
own actions. And
unfortunately, from
people's behaviors on
Twitter last night, we're in
for one hell of a bumpy
ride.
By Ron Vitale
Director, Electronic
Communications at Temple
University and author of the
Cinderella's Secret Diaries
young adult fantasy series for
teens and adults.
In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencioni once again
offers a leadership fable that is as enthralling and instructive as
his first two best-selling books, The Five Temptations of a
CEO and The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive.
This time, he turns his keen intellect and storytelling power to the
fascinating, complex world of teams.
Throughout the story,
Lencioni reveals the five
dysfunctions which go to
the very heart of why
teams even the best ones-
often struggle. He outlines
a powerful model and
actionable steps that can
be used to overcome these
common hurdles and build
a cohesive, effective team.
Just as with his other
books, Lencioni has written
a compelling fable with a
powerful yet deceptively
simple message for all
those who strive to be
exceptional team leaders.
Lencioni's utterly gripping tale serves as a timeless reminder that
leadership requires as much courage as it does insight.
Book Review #2
Founded in 1994, GolfNorth
Properties was created with a
vision of providing golfers with the
option of affordable golf at a
variety of locations. Since its
inception, GolfNorth has evolved
to become the leading Canadian
operator of successful semi-
private and public golf courses.
GolfNorth's philosophy is to
provide the public with the
greatest value in daily golf green
fee play, golf
memberships, tournaments,
banquets, weddings and
corporate functions, while at the
same time providing a positive
experience for its various
stakeholders, including
associates, employees, partners
and charitable organizations.
GolfNorth believes in supporting the communities in which we
carry on business. Over the past year, GolfNorth has
helped community organizations and local charities raise over
$1.0 million. GolfNorth is also a major sponsor of Canadian junior
golf through its commitment to the Golf in Schools program and
GolfNorth's junior golf camps and clinics. GolfNorth welcomes you
to take advantage of any one or more of our numerous offerings,
including memberships and player's club programs, green fee
offerings, weddings, corporate functions, tournaments and junior
golf programs. Rediscover golf, discover GolfNorth!
HOME OF THE 2013
MANULIFE
FINANCIAL
LPGA CLASSIC
(Click Photo for Tickets)
Over 20golf
facilities across
Ontario!
How many courses does Golf North
have now and what do you look for in a
facility that you take on as an asset?
GolfNorth currently has 22
facilities. We own 19 of them
and lease 3 of them. When
looking for a property we
take the following into
consideration; business
viability, market share
potential, synergies with
existing GolfNorth
facilities, and existing solid
operational platforms
including course and
facility condition.
With
Mike Garside –
V.P. and C.O.O
Interviewed
By Doug
Radkey
You recently purchased a
ski resort called Cobble
Hills. What made you want
to get into the ski industry?
Yes. The ski business was
essentially something that
came with the golf course. We
knew that we could take
Cobble Hills golf operations to
the next level and thus
ventured into the ski side of
the business as it has existed
for over 50 years. We are
excited about it!
It seems the weather climate
in Ontario is changing, is
there anything Golf North is
doing to cope and prepare
from a grounds keeping
perspective?
Even though the weather
patterns are ever changing,
our superintendents are fully
capable of changing with the
weather and using their skills
to ensure the conditions are
the best and consistent they
can be.
1-888-8
Golf in Ontario is obviously
seasonal, what goes on
during the off-season from
a head office point of view?
The off-season is actually the
busiest time of the year for our
head office staff. Starting with
the closing of facilities, to
finalizing our accounting for the
season, to sitting down and
analyzing the good and bad of
the season and of course
improving on the bad, creating
supplier relationships for the
next season and looking at
ways to make our operations
better and more efficient.
How did the golf industry
fair over the past couple of
years during the economic
downturn?
The economic downturn
obviously hit everyone hard in
regards to the reduction of
consumer disposable
income. As a company we
held our own and are looking
for brighter days ahead for the
industry as a whole.
33-8787
Which of your courses
do you think is the most
overlooked in terms of
difficulty and scenery?
This is a tough one. Each
GolfNorth course brings its
own uniqueness to the
table. Canterbury and
King's Bay Golf Clubs
bordering Lake Scugog are
two of the most scenic and
well conditioned golf
courses you will find
anywhere.
Photo of the Riverhouse at Paris Grand CC. Book Your Play & Stay Packages.
What has been the most
rewarding moment for
GolfNorth since its
inception?
The most rewarding moment
is every time we bring on a
new facility. I think it's great
for our company, great for our
employees in regards to
potential to grow within the
company and most of all, great
for our customers. I've
witnessed 20 acquisitions and
the excitement of a new one
never goes away.
Many of the facilities cater to wedding functions. Book yours today!
How important is the mix
of amenities such as
restaurants and wedding
facilities at a Golf
Course?
They're important but not
essential. Our courses all
vary in what they offer in
terms of amenities. Courses
can be very viable no matter
what the scope of offering
may be. People come to play
golf first and foremost. That
course product must exceed
the customers expectations
first. Everything else is just a
potential of additional
revenue.
The game of golf is
known to be very social.
How is Golf North
utilizing social media
tools to be social off of
the course?
We currently use email
marketing blasts,
Facebook, Twitter, and we
also have relationships with
numerous organizations
that get the word out to their
members for us.
What can we expect from
Golf North over the next
couple of years?
GolfNorth will continue to grow
and offer the best possible
product for the golfer's
dollar. We will continue to
expand our offerings, expand
our market and thus
expanding our market share.
Current
Locations
Acton GC
Beaverdale GC
Brant Valley GC
Brookfield CC
Burford GL
Calerin GC
Canterbury GC
Cedar Creek GC
Coble Hills Golf & Ski
Contestoga CC
Dundee CC
Fergus GC
Current
LocationsThis will definitely enhance the
consumer's golf experience. We
will continue to promote our
products and services using all
social media along with
radio. Reputation of value and
course conditions is what
continues to bring our golfers
back and create new
customers. Increased market
share just creates more market
share, but you need to be able to
guarantee a solid product and
solid service. We're continually
working towards that.
Thank-You for the interview
Doug, I appreciate your time.
Foxwood CC
Grey Silo GC
King‘s Bay GC
Mystic GC
Orangeville GC
Paris Grand CC
River Edge GC
Scenic Woods GC
Stay Tuned For
More Properties by
GolfNorth.
Follow On Twitter
@GolfNorthToday
Most startups fail. But many of those failures are
preventable. The Lean Startup is a new approach being adopted
across the globe, changing the way companies are built and new
products are launched.
Eric Ries defines a startup as an organization dedicated to
creating something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty.
This is just as true for one person in a garage or a group of
seasoned
professionals in a
Fortune 500
boardroom. What they
have in common is a
mission to penetrate
that fog of uncertainty
to discover a
successful path to a
sustainable business.
The Lean Startup
approach fosters
companies that are both
more capital efficient
and that leverage
human creativity more
effectively.
Book Review #1
“I am willing to work
an 80 hour work
week so I don’t have to
work a 40 hour work week”
VS.usiness Plansusiness PlanningB
lthough the overall
economy hasn‘t changed too
much, the details surrounding
your business may have. How
is your market & industry really
doing?
What are your competitors up
to? What technological or
regulatory changes have
happened or are going to
happen within your business‘
environment?
Most people operating
businesses know how
important it is to have a
business plan, particularly if
they are looking to secure a
loan or other form of financing.
By Doug Radkey
A However, a business plan is
only half of what your
business needs in order to
become successful. You
also need a strategic plan
that will allow you to keep
building on your success.
This is all a part of business
planning process.
William E Rothschild once
said, “What do you want to
achieve or avoid? The
answers to this question are
objectives. How will you go
about achieving your desired
results? The answer to this,
you can call strategy.”
These words provide a nearly
exact description of the
differences between the
business plan and the
strategic plan.
Things have evolved so much
over time, and today modern
business planning is flexible,
agile and concise, and more
about goal setting than bound
physical documents. This
planning process brings
numerous benefits for the
entrepreneur, with at least an
ability to look at the operation
holistically, to ensure internal
focus and to ensure that cash
flow management is a key
priority.
While a strategic plan is a type
of business plan, there are
several important distinctions
between the two types that are
worth noting.
A strategic plan is primarily
used for implementing and
managing the strategic
direction of an existing
organization.
A business plan is used to
initially start a business,
obtain funding, or direct
daily operations.
The two plans cover
different timeframes as well.
A strategic plan generally
covers a period of 3 to 5+
years, whereas a business
plan is normally one to two
years.
A strategic plan is for
established businesses,
organizations and business
owners that are serious
about growing their
organization. Whereas, a
business plan could be for
new businesses and
entrepreneurs who are
considered start-ups.
Beyond the Square Magazine @BTSMagazines
Engage with Doug @BBusinesses on Twitter
By Doug Radkey
Business Plans Vs. Business Planning
With that being said,
there is still one more
aspect to the
business planning
spectrum. The
question is what‘s a
business model?
How does it relate to
a business plan and
strategic plan? Or,
better yet, business
planning?
They all live together.
They synchronize.
Your business
planning makes your
business model
happen. And your
business plan is a
regular step in your
business planning. It
isn‘t business plan
vs. business model,
the way some people
seem to think. The
business model is
like a destination.
The strategic planning is how
you‘re going to get there. Critical to
every business plan is also a
marketing plan that will identify
target markets, trends and
establish how you will
communicate what you have to
offer.
And no business plan would
be complete without a
financial plan. In fact, this is
crucial if you are planning to
seek investors or as
mentioned before, needing a
loan.
And finally your plan should
include background material
such as research statistics
and other information that is
critical to how your business
operates.
The components of a
strategic plan on the other
hand are more focused on
your company‘s long-term
future. It is designed as a
process that looks ahead
three, five, or more years in
terms of where you see
yourself going.
Engage with Doug on Facebook
Beyond the Square Magazine @BTSMagazines
A strategic plan sets out the
vision and mission,
establishes goals and
objectives, details timelines,
and outlines what needs to
happen in order for you to
achieve success.
One of the key elements of
a strategic plan is that it
provides you with tools on
how you can measure your
success. It will tell whether
you are on target to
achieving your goals and
with review can highlight
what areas you need to
focus on or improve upon to
achieve your key
objectives.
In a sense the strategic
plan provides the overall
direction for your business
and establishes a set of
By Doug Radkey
Business Plans Vs. Business Planning
guidelines that can be used
as benchmarks to help keep
you moving forward. A
strategic plan can be summed
up by asking five key
questions.
Where am I now? Where am I
going? Where do I want to
be? How will I get there? And
finally, am I on the right
course?
In summary, let‘s just write
this in stone… “A business
plan is important, but planning
is essential‖. With that being
said, what parts of the
synchronized business
planning process do you need
to start working on tomorrow?
“A
business
plan is
important,
but
planning is
essential”
Let’s Chat About
Your Planning
Process.
Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat
evaluations are a popular tool used in
business today to help with the planning
process, but it is often used quite poorly.
The truth is that when used correctly, by tying it in with a few other
components of the business planning process, the SWOT
evaluation can be quite powerful. Here is a simple plus effective
five-step process that will take your SWOT analysis to the next
level.
1. Set Your Goals - A general need or higher level analysis of
the business; what you want to be or do for your customers.
2. Personal SWOT – Complete a list of five Opportunities,
Threats, Weaknesses and Strengths for personal
assessments. Notice for personal - It is done backwards.
3. Business SWOT – Complete similar list. You should include a
final statement at the end of each component that
summarizes the impact the items will have on the business.
This is what many business owners miss from their plans and
are critical to the final step to make sure this process
is meaningful.
4. Your Summary - The purpose of this whole process is
to guide you through some discovery and come up with a
decision statement on what you‘re going to do and perhaps
more importantly, what you‘re NOT going to do.
www.boomingbusinesses.ca
www.boomingbusinesses.ca
Booming Businesses
Your Restaurant & Retail Specialist
“There is Nothing We Can’t Do When It Comes
to Marketing & Business Development”
What We Can Do For You:
• Professional Business Planning Services
• Market Research & Planning Services
• Concept Design & Campaign Execution
• Advanced Pricing & Positioning Strategies
• Professional Video & Photography Services
• Design, Print, & Sign Installation Services
• Digital Media Installation & Management
• Social Media Training and Implementation
• Web Design, Hosting, & Marketing Services
• Employee Hiring, Training, & Procedures
• Design of Memorable Customer Experience
• AND MORE SPECIALTY RESTAURANT &
RETAIL BASED SERVICES
Doug RadkeySolution Specialist
519-771-3475
Ask About the 300 Point
Reality
Now Only
9999+HST
They are the most tiresome
responses that people give to
problems. And no one likes
excuses. Truth be told, most
don‘t like making excuses,
but they do because they
fear the alternative would be
worse if they didn‘t try to
explain why the blame isn‘t
on them. But excuses are
nothing but road blocks to
nurturing relationships,
building brands, and meeting
goals. An excuse is normally
a lie as to why something
can‘t or won‘t get done rather
than admitting fault or
shortcomings. And if you‘re
in business for yourself, an
excuse will be one of the
most detrimental blows to the
image of you and your
company. And accepting
excuses is not much better.
Excuses hurt a business and
it doesn‘t matter whether the
people in the business are
making the excuses or if
they‘re getting excuses from
those they‘re servicing.
Excuses hurt.
They can mean late
payments, short cash flow,
lack of customer loyalty, poor
customer service, low
employee retention,
poor company culture &
morale, a damaged image, or
a suffering business. But
when you put a stop to giving
and accepting excuses, your
business will have a better
chance to thrive, succeed,
and grow. It all depends on
implementing a no excuse
policy.
Excuses. Excuses. Excuses.
By Intel Boutique
The Employee
The company is run by
people who have limitations
and limited knowledge. No
one person knows
everything, can do
everything, or is expected
to. So before the people in
your company give you an
excuse as to why they can‘t
or didn‘t complete a task or
project, first ensure that it‘s
something reasonable that
can be performed and that‘s
within their job description.
Let them know it‘s okay not
to know as long as they‘re
willing to find the
answer. And ask for their
feedback as to how your day-
to-day operations can run
better, more efficiently, and
with more ease. You might
be surprised how much the
front line people have to offer
toward your business‘
growth.
The Customer
We‘ve heard it for decades
about how the customer is
always right. Businesses
have had to bend to the will of
an irate, irrational, and wrong
customer because of an
outdated philosophy.
The customer is human just
like the rest of us. And if we
can be wrong, so can the
customer. But we don‘t
remind the customer they‘re
wrong, and we don‘t let them
run over us with excuses.
How? We go over with them
our policy, rules, limits, and
expiration of promotions. If
we have to, we read to them
the fine print. So the next
time a customer tells us they
can‘t make a payment right
now or something else came
up, remind them of your
business‘ policies, about late
fees, and other
consequences.
Excuses. Excuses.
Customers tend to have less
excuses and are more willing to
cooperate when it will cost
them.
The Business/ Owner (You)
We are our own worst
enemy. We‘ll doubt ourselves,
we‘ll sabotage our progress,
and we‘ll rest on our laurels.
Stop!
Success is achieved through
both time and practice. Take
the time to be patient with the
growth of your business, take
the time to learn as you‘re
growing the business, and be
open to suggestions and
feedback. Practice what you‘re
good at until you are an expert
at it. Take time to listen to your
employees & customers and
put to practice their ideas and
thoughts that will work well.
Always strive for
improvement, not perfection.
Above all, never let yourself
give an excuse as to why your
business isn‘t
succeeding. It‘s just a lie to
cover that you don‘t want or
feel you can do all you need
to be successful. It‘s just an
excuse.
Intel Boutique is for those
businesses and persons that
would like someone else to do
the ‗homework‘, have it
explained to them, and share
with them what that mumbo-
jumbo means (minus the legal
jargon and issues) while
sharing with them what‘s in
their best interest. Honestly.
By:
Intel
Boutique
Excuses. Excuses
Top Related