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SEPTEMBER 2017 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2017
EDITOR Lee Atwater
RESEARCH & SPECIAL PROJECT MANAGER James Oxley
EDITORIAL TEAM David MacDonald Jamie Barrie Katie Davis
MANAGING DIRECTOR Stewart Gregg
RESEARCH Alia Morash Ashley Saint Ashley Lindsay Brent Brown
DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE & GRAPHIC DESIGN Carmen Fitzpatrick
CONTENT AND OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Rod Gregg
SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Calli Gregg PUBLISHER AIDACA Media
OFFICE MANAGER Sam Ford
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Janice Buckler Denise Alison Jody Euloth Ceiledh Monk
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Kyte Carter
Some say that this is the best time of the year, days are still warm, nights are cool for sleeping and depending on where you are in the world, leaves are starting to change. But not all change is good and when you read Ceiledh Monk’s open letter to the Liberal Party of Canada, you will get a better understanding of how these changes will affect our economy from the eyes of an International Business student and Daughter of a small business owner. It is important that we learn more about these changes and the impact that it could have on Ceiledh’s future and the future of entrepreneurism in Canada. This is also time for another change, when the hard work and dedication of farmers is at best, harvest time. Whether it is food for our table or hops and barley for our beers it is a great time of the year. Some celebrate this time of the year with friends and family at Oktoberfest festivals all over the world, with great food and even better beer. Others are heading to the local farmers market to take in the amazing variety and selection of the season for their family’s table or for some new creations at their restaurants for customers to enjoy. Some celebrate this time of year a little different- ly; after all it is the “everything” pumpkin spice season, so everything from donuts to beers gets a little pumpkin in it or on it. Farmers and their harvest play important roles to many businesses; it is not just about the food on the table, it also plays an important role in some of the beverages we love. The craft brewing and distilling industries rely on farmers for their hops, grains, barleys and local fresh ingredients that inspire many of their creations. Whether you are speaking with Patricia Szymkow and Adam Szymkow from Polonée Distillery, Kelly and Mark Huizink along with Jeremy Taylor of 2 Crows Brewing or have the opportunity to sit and chat with Jake Saunders of TrailWays Brewing Company like we did this month, you will learn that ingredients play an important part of what they do and the products that they offer. You will also see that they and many others like them have a strong passion for what they do, the industry that they are in and the brands and products that they represent and take to market.
There is also a change in the sports we watch and play this time of year, moving from the grass of the baseball field to that of the football field, or to a field of ice with hockey. Hockey will have all eyes on Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada this December and the Rath Eastlink Com- munity Centre, better known as the RECC, playing host to the World Junior A Challenge this year. This Internation- al event will not only spotlight amazing hockey talent from all over the world it will also have a positive impact on busi- nesses in the region, which is great for both Truro and the RECC. As you will read the RECC is also looking to make a big splash when it comes to other inter- national events next year. Thanks again to all involved with this issue and our readers as we look forward to telling more stories about successful businesses and the people making it happen.
AIDACA MEDIA TEAM
PO Box 350007 Halifax, Nova Scotia B3M 0G3 P: 613 699 6672 E: info@spotlightonbusinessmagazine.com spotlightonbusinessmagazine.com
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The world renowned wineries of the Niagara Region in Southern Ontario have made quite a name for the grape
that bears its name. With more than 90 plantations and vineyards – many of which predate Confederation – it’s under- standable that visitors and even residents are shocked when they hear that a handful of Canadian distillers are making a name for spirits in the land of Jackson-Triggs. But did you know that it isn’t all about the grape in Ontario? When Adam and Patricia Szymkow, the owners of Polonée Distillery in St. Catharines, Ontario spoke with Spotlight on Business in August, I left with grain on the brain. “It’s a $9 billion industry in this province,” Adam said. “People always assume that all Canadian grains come from the Prairie Provinces, but that isn’t so. We ferment and distill off Ontario-grown grain using our state-of- the-art GENIO still and, along with our Director of Creativity Arkadiusz Andrzejewski, fill and seal each bottle of Kannuk vodka by hand.”
There are more breweries per capita in Canada’s Ocean Playground than in any other province – 42 in total. That amounts to more than 3 million litres of beer per year being brewed from Cape Breton to Yarmouth. In late August, Spotlight on Business spoke with two of the three owners of one of the newest tributaries of Nova Scotia’s growing river of craft beer, husband and wife Mark and Kelly Huizink of 2 Crows Brewing– Jeremy Taylor, the Head Brewer and co-owner, was taking care of a batch of Pollyanna: Wild Northeast IPA at the time. What struck me most during my conversation with the Huizinks in the chic taproom of their brewery at 1932 Brunswick Street in Downtown Halifax was the lengths they’re willing to go to live up to their promise to craft beer enthusiasts.
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JULY 2017
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03 SPOTLIGHT ON SEPTEMBER
08 SEPTEMBER INDUSTRY EVENTS
10 SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS
10 STRATIGRO SMALL BUSINESS TIP FOR SEPTEMBER Getting What you Really Want, Means Doing Things that Really Scare you. 12 MESH MEDIA NETWORK Get Noticed. Get Leads. Close Sales. 16 An Open Letter to the Liberal Party of Canada 21 SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT MARKET ASSOCIATION (SEMA) Everything to Boost your Business is Here
When Jake Saunders, the co-owner of Trailway Brewing Co. in Freder- icton, New Brunswick, Canada, spoke with Spotlight on Business from his family-operated brewery on Main Street in late August, he admitted to me that he was currently out of his element. “You’d think that it’d be fairly easy to name a new beer, David,” he laughed as I could hear him walk past the new on-site canning line I’d just seen at Facebook.com/ trailwaybrewing. “We take a lot of time naming our beers. We do a lot of one-off beers and when a name sticks to those, we go with it; but this is a new core beer we’ve just brewed that we’re going to be pre- miering this winter. We’re going to be running this beer all winter long and we want to make sure that the name fits the brand and that kind ...
26 POLONEE DISTILLERY INC. Distilled Spirits. Redesigned. Reinvented.
30 2 CROWS BREWING CO. As the Crow Flies
36 TRAILWAY BREWING CO. Cheers!
44 MARTEN BREWING CO.
One of BC’s Top Tasting Rooms
52 BLACK BRIDGE BREWERY Explore our Beers
56 SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION
60 SPOTLIGHT ON INDUSTRY
When the puck drops at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre for a Truro Bearcats game, there could be as many as 2,500 MHL hockey fans in attendance. When big ticket bands like the Beach Boys and Kenny Rogers take to the stage, there are as many as 3,000 concert-goers coming through the gates. And when that puck drops and when ...
68 RATH EASTLINK COMMUNITY CENTRE Truro and Colchester County’s Premiere Recreation, Fitness and Events Facility
76 SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTH
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78 HOLISTIC HEALTH TIP FOR SEPTEMBER BY JANICE BUCKLER There is a Whole Other World Going on Inside Us!
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JULY 2017 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
A IDACA MEDIA understands that small and medium size enterprises and businesses are key to the successful growth of any economy and just as import- ant as big businesses to the global economy as a whole. By putting a spotlight on your business, organization or commu- nity with effective and interactive media and advertising we will help you capture the interest of business leaders and potential clients, giving you an opportunity to promote your brand and grow market share through mobile, online, print and social media support, helping your business connect and stay engaged with your customers.
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2017
On the way to Acadia University is Meander River Farm and Brewery, which is a 186-acre, 200- year-old mixed farm in Hants County, Nova Scotia owned and operated by the Bailey family: Alan and Brenda and their daughter, Campbell, and son, Fraser. Like Acadia University, Meander River Far cvhym and Brewery is about tradition, having a passion for the past, but a goal set for the future. It is a place where they value hard work and preserving the character and...
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fields of fresh hops ready for harvest. Every year, during the fall harvest season in Yakima, Washington, the Fresh Hop Festival takes place, show- casing more than 100 beers brewed with hops picked no more than 24 hours prior to brewing. If you’re a fan of fresh hop beers, you won’t want to miss this festival. For more information of the event: http://www.freshhopalefestival.com/ Follow on Twitter: WHAT THE FUNK?! INVITATIONAL BEER FESTIVAL 2017 October 4 th , 2017 The Studios at Overland Crossing – Denver, CO, USA What the Funk!? Invitational is a cele- bration of all things barrel-aged from boozy and strong to wild, sour, and funky. This festival features numerous breweries from across the United States and around the World making some of the best Barrel-aged liba- tions. Their mission is to operate as a premier festival, making available barrel-aged specialty and limited pro- duction libations from select artisans around the world. They have seeked out fascinating and inspiring artisans for this invitational style festival, in order to provide a curated interac- tive setting where beer enthusiasts can mingle, meeting the brewers and other alchemists who create sought after barrel-aged liquids. Please join us for this annual invitational festival that you will not want to miss! For more information of the event: http://www.wtfinvitational.com Follow on Twitter: @WTFInvitational Follow on Facebook: @WTFInvitational @FreshHopAleFestival Follow on Facebook: @FreshHopAleFestival
OKTOBERFEST OTTAWA
For more information of the event: http://oregoncraf tbeer.org/fresh- hopsfest/
September 28 th – 30th, 2017 Clarke Fields Park - Barrhaven, ON, Canada Ottawa Oktoberfest is the home of the biggest Bavarian Beer Hall in Ontario! This event has Fall Harvest inspired contests, games, fantastik food and marvelous musik not to mention seven craft breweries. This traditional Oktoberfest serves up local beer, food, and local perform- ers – all on-site all, inside the in the 21,600 square feet Myers Volkswagen Auto Haus Tent – making this year’s festival a party like none before it and one not to be missed! For more information of the event: http://www.oktoberfestottawa.com/
Follow on Twitter: @OregonCraftBeer Follow on Facebook: @OregonCraftBeer
Follow on Twitter: @OktoberfestOTT Follow on Facebook : @oktoberfestottawafestival
FRESH HOP ALE FESTIVAL
September 29 th – 30 th , 2017 Millennium Plaza - Yakima, WA, USA
14TH ANNUAL PORTLAND FRESH HOPS FEST
Fresh Hop Ale Festival is a cel- ebration of the hop and craft beer industry. The Yakima Valley produces 75% of the United States’ hop crop, and this festival showcases the unique beers that are produced with our valley’s hops. For a beer to be considered a “fresh hop ale,” it must be produced with Yakima Valley hops that were picked no more than 24 hours prior to brewing. This is a one-of- a-kind beer festival that is only possible in the heart of hop country! There’s nothing better than the smell and sights of fields and
September 29 th – 30 th , 2017 Oaks Amusement Park - Portland, OR, USA The Portland Fresh Hops Fest is a cel- ebration of the annual hop harvest that takes place from mid-August to mid-September in Oregon. The festival features Oregon craft beers made with hops that are freshly picked off the vine and used within hours of harvesting.
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2017
4 TH YUKON BEER FESTIVAL
kymountainwine.com Follow on Twitter : @RockyWineFood Follow on Facebook: @Rockymountainwineandfood
brewers, giving attendees a chance to meet some of the U.S.’s biggest beer heroes. Plus judges from the United States and abroad evaluate beer in two separate competitions, ultimately judging several thousand beers entered by hundreds of brew- eries and awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals for different styles and categories of beer. For more information of the event: https://www.greatamericanbeerfesti- val.com/ Follow on Twitter : @GABF Follow on Facebook : @TheGreatAmericanBeerFestival 20 TH CALGARY ROCKY MOUNTAIN WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL October 13 th – 14 th , 2017 Stampede Park BMO Centre - Calgary, AB, Canada
October 5 th – 7 th , 2017 Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre - White- horse, YK, Canada Love beer and ciders? Then the Yukon Beer Festival is the place to be this fall. Held at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre in picturesque Whitehorse, Yukon, this annual event features a wide selection of craft beers and ciders from across the globe. For more information of the event: http://yukonbeerfestival.com/ Follow on Twitter: @YukonBeerFest Follow on Facebook: @yukonbeerfest
ALBERTA BEER WEEK
October 20 th – 28 th , 2017 Various Locations - Calgary-Edmon- ton, AB, Canada Mark Your Calendars for Alberta Beer Week 2017 as breweries, pubs, liquor stores and beer supporters from across the province will celebrate their brewing industryat various locations in Alberta. All breweries that are members of the Alberta Small Brewers Association will be involved in Alberta Beer Week as we have a province-wide celebration of our burgeoning brewing industry. For more information of the event: http://albertabrewers.ca Follow on Twitter: @altabrewers Follow on Facebook: @ABBrewers
Turning 20 this year, so bring on the celebra- tion! Explore an incredible array of dynamic wines, smooth spirits and downright deli- cious beers from around the globe, all under one roof. Cap it all off with tantalizing bites from some of Cal- gary’s best restau- rants, and you’ve got a can’t-miss event. After all – that’s what we do, and with 20 years under our belt, we’d say we’re nearly aged to perfection. For more informa- tion of the event: https://www.roc-
GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL
October 13 th – 14 th , 2017 Colorado Convention Center – Denver, CO, USA The event was founded in 1982, and has been growing and evolving along with the American craft brewing industry ever since with more than 50,000 in attendance over the three days of the festival. GABF® has been voted the No.1 beer festival in the country and it is no surprise. The festival takes place over three days in Denver, Colorado and features sampling of 3800 plus beers from 800 US breweries. A highlight of the festival is that many of the beers are served by their
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SEPTEMBER 2017 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
By Denise Allison
The reality O wning and operating your own business is a lifestyle choice. It doesn’t matter what type of business you own, and it doesn’t matter if it’s big or small: the moment you decided to become a small business owner, your goal was to get more from life. You may have been motivated by survival (you needed money for food and shelter). You may have been seeking control over your own life (getting away from a world where others told you what to do and when to do it). Or you might have been driven by a burning need to make a difference. But regardless of your reason, it was that desire to get more from life that gave you the courage to act. That’s a big deal, because starting (or buying) a business takes a lot of courage. There’s a lot that could go wrong. For every business that survives, at least four will fail. But that doesn’t mean that you have a 20% chance of getting what you really want from your business. The odds are a lot smaller. That’s because so many small business owners settle. They figure out what they need to do to
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current customer attraction strategy). And that scared us. What if this new model is not a success? What if we create an amazing free online workshop, but nobody shows up? What if, even at a much-reduced investment level, we don’t see the expected growth in the number of coaching clients? What if all the work we put into building the Stratigro brand, is wasted? What if we fail? There’s a lot at stake here. On the other hand, if this works... • We get to work with entrepreneurs all across Canada • Tiring and expensive business travel is eliminated (we get to work from home) • The cost of working with us comes down exponentially • We get to connect with and help WAY more fellow entrepreneurs • We’re not scared of losing what we have. We’re scared that we may not get what we really want. How this applies to you Look, we’re not telling you to go out and take crazy risks just so you can feel scared. And the truth is that many small business owners settle for less than they really want, simply because they can’t overcome that fear. But before you decide to settle, ask yourself two simple, but important, questions:
keep the business going, but lack the courage to take their business to the next level. We’re not talking about size or money here. We’re talking about getting the things you really want from your business.
Why?
Because we’re scared. The more we want something, the more we fear that we won’t be able to get it. Stratigro’s case study We have a thriving coaching business. We truly enjoy working with our fellow entrepreneurs, making a differ- ence in their lives. But it’s an old school model. For many of our clients, the cost of the coaching is subsidized by local economic development organizations (it’s the only way they can afford it). We spend a lot of time, and money, finding those clients. It often involves delivering free in-person workshops. There is an almost unlimited number of small business owners that would benefit from these workshops, but getting a group of them, especially in rural commu- nities, to come together at one time is not so easy. And getting to those communities involves a lot of travel. Now we both love travel... when we’re on vacation. But eight- hour drives, or plane trips across Canada, for work… not so much. And to top it off, this model pays well, but really limits the number of small business owners we can help in any given year. We’ve known for quite a while that we wanted to change that. What if we delivered the free workshops online? There are so many advantages. Participants can join in from anywhere in the world (our initial focus is Canada). The workshop itself is much shorter. A half day live workshop has been condensed down to 60 minutes of content and a live Q & A session. And, follow up coaching can easily be delivered in a virtual world (we’re used to doing that already). With much-reduced expenses at our end, the cost of the coaching is far more affordable, within the reach of any small business owner. It ’s a no-brainer, right? Not so fast. Putting this new model together required a BIG investment of time and a fair sized investment of cash. We’ve invested in software and tools that are needed to market, and deliver a killer online workshop. We invested in back office tools that will save us time and allow us to coach exponentially more clients. We had to learn how to build an online client attraction strategy. All this while at the same time continuing to run our business.
What do I really love about my business and, What would I like to change?
Focus on the things you’d like to change. Start visualiz- ing what your life would be like if you could make those changes. Ask yourself what would need to happen to make that a reality. If it’s something that you really want, you’ll start to feel a tingle in your belly. Nervous apprehension. Instead of giving in, make a list of things you could do today that will start you on that journey to ultimate success.
In our world, that’s what being an entrepreneur is all about. We wouldn’t have it any other way!
But here’s the thing. In order to prepare for Stratigro 2.0 we had to stop delivering workshops (the backbone of our
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2017
By David MacDonald S o Jody, I know your readers want to hear about you and the Mesh Media Network. When and how did it all come together? I launched Mesh Media a little over a year ago. It was really about combining my passions of media and marketing with my skills of teaching and selling. I had done corporate sales for the majority of mycareer, selling everything you could possibly imagine. I’ve worked for HSBC Bank, Canon Canada, Carnival Cruise Lines – so I have a really strong sales background. And then I had an opportunity to take a position with Advocate Printing & Publishing where I did media for them for four years. I really enjoy media and the creativity that comes through experiential marketing and realized there really wasn’t anyone in Atlantic Canada doing partnerships and sponsorships. And that kind of work is really a combination of everything I’d done throughout my career to that point. That’s basically how I started Mesh Media Network. It seems like the kind of business where pre-existing connections were vital to your start-up. That’s the funny part about it. I was in the corporate world for 15 years and every sales position I took- on I was always asked if I was coming into the job with an established network. I always took pride in the business relationships I had in the community – I worked hard to nurture them. I got to a point where I realized that I was using my hard-earned connections to benefit a lot of other people’s businesses. I started to wonder how I could use my skills and network to exercise my own creativity rather being confined and working off someone else’s rule book. I’d say most successful entrepreneurs have a bit of rebellious streak, wouldn’t you? Well, I grew up not really knowing what I wanted to be; I wanted to be everything, really. And that, I think, is the power of curiosity. I wanted to be a lawyer; I wanted to be a sports broadcaster; I wanted to be a physiotherapist – and that’s really been my journey, dreaming big. I’ve also had the opportunity of a great education. I grew up in Hilden, Nova Scotia and graduated from CEC [Cobequid Education Centre], I went on to Dalhousie University in Halifax where I graduated with a BA, and from there I went to Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario to do my Bachelor of Education. I taught for a couple of years before I realized teaching grade eight just wasn’t a good fit for me straight out of university. I went back to university, to St. Mary’s in Halifax, to take some marketing courses toward my MBA – and to play another year of basketball. But my career has really benefitted from the amount of industries I’ve been fortunate enough to work in. I wouldn’t have the diverse list of clients in my network that I have now without my back- ground. Your list of current clients is impressive – and, as you
Readers, meet Jody Euloth. Jody, you’ll discover in the months to come, knows just how to close business deals by selling authentically and provide a unique experience for audiences. She’s a sales trainer and coach, network connector, marketing activator, keynote speaker – and as of this month, the writer of a monthly column here at Spotlight on Business. And I discovered as we chatted over the phone in early July that Jody is every bit teammate as she is coach – which is fitting as she’s a former AUS Basketball player and Dalhousie alum. Her column is ultimately an extension of her business, The Mesh Media Network, a full-service sales, marketing and PR agency which helps entrepreneurs, businesses and brands ‘Get Noticed, Get Leads, and Close Sales.’ Jody wants to share some of the strategies and tools her team at The Mesh Media Network uses to create integrated, multi-platform marketing campaigns, to secure partnerships and sponsorships, and to make activation development and custom-built communication strategies work for you. She’s on your side – to a fault. “I’m also going to share a few of my missteps starting out so that my readers won’t make the same mistakes I did,” she laughed. Becoming a part of the Mesh Media Network puts your business in good company alongside – or meshed with – the likes of Nike, DOVE, Casino Nova Scotia, the Port of Halifax, DIYMom, Steele Jaguar, Land Rover Halifax, Porsche of Halifax, the Nova Scotia Dental Ass ciation, and Atlantic Fashion Week.
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say, diverse. Is there any one thing that connects them in terms of what they’re looking for from you? They’re all looking for different things. One of the things we do as a company is connecting brands with property through partnership or sponsorship – we help to create an experience for the audience. We do everything from mar- keting strategy and PR to sales training and coaching to experiential marketing, which is one of our main focuses. Experiential marketing really engages a brand with poten- tial consumers and it evolves the brand by creating a memo- rable experience. Take, for example, Atlantic Fashion Week. We partnered with Porsche of Halifax and Steele Jaguar – because sexy cars align well with fashion – because it was a perfect fit with Atlantic Fashion Week. We created a unique experience for our clients and for the people in attendance. Being in sales is easy when everything clicks like that. It’s easy when you are providing a solution to problems and helping your clients generate brand awareness and ulti- mately increase their bottom line. What you do clearly goes beyond a keen business sense. You really have to have a genuine sensibility to do what you do. And I really take pride in that. Connecting with people has always been one of my strengths. It’s helped me in school and in sport and in my career. I thrive when meshing minds with people and building those relationships. I value having the opportunity to help my clients by providing them with strategies to be more successful in their businesses. They trust me to put them in a position that is most beneficial to them. And my teammates and other experts in my network who I collaborate with are so amazing – I learn so much from each one of them. How important is your image personally in creating networks like this? I would imagine you would have to do a lot of rubbing elbows. That’s the fun part, David; I really enjoy people. I always compare being in business to playing sports, which is a natural environment for me. You learn how to work best with teammates, how to get the win, how to get the com- petitive edge and how to learn from your losses. Our signature sales training, corporate workshops and keynote presentations are derived from our personal and proven success strategies and experience. We intimately connect with entrepreneurs and business professionals in either one-on- one or group settings to share our exper- tise. I work with a lot of experienced entrepreneurs in creative industries like art and fashion who are amazing talents in their fields, but admittedly, some know little about business and marketing. I’m there to get them out there, to help them with the sales process. I also help entrepreneurs who are asking things like, ‘What do I do when I do get
that meeting with the CEO? How do I conduct myself in a meeting? How do I close with confidence? How do I ask for the business without being salesy or coming across pushy? So in a sense, you’re as much a team player as you are a coach, aren’t you? I like to think so, David. It’s funny, when I went first considered entering the world of entrepreneurship, my vision was part isolation. There’s a lot of work that allows you to hide from the world and I get where people are coming fromwhen they say that it just takes a lot of energy to put yourself out there. But I always tell people my experience: When I did finally share my story and my journey, I saw how it actually helped and guided others who were looking for support or inspira- tion. I’ve been in sports my whole life; I’ve been the captain of the basketball team in high school and at University – lead- ership was always a natural role for me, so I think taking it into the business world is a natural fit for me. I know we’ve touched on it, but the scope of what you do is impressive and your website has it all so wonder- fully laid out. Has there been a lot of learning-as- you-go since you’ve launched The Mesh Media Network? You know, that’;s interesting. I’ve probably had to make fewer adjustments than you’d think. I have great business mentors who share their knowledge with me and I’m grateful for that. It was a leap to go out on my own, but I was so fortunate to be able to get top-quality training from the global brands that I worked for. HSBC and Canon, for instance, had top-quality sales training – as you’d expect. I’ve had training with Mary Jane Copps – “The Phone Lady” – who is an expert in the art of selling on the telephone – so really my skillset is pretty rounded. I share the systems and transferrable skills that I’ve had success with. I consider myself an ‘authentic seller.’ If I know I can’t help you in the exact way you need help, if I don’t believe it’s the right fit, I’ll let you know. My mission is to provide solutions for our client’s problems and if I’m confident we can do that for you, we will. “Connecting with people has always been one of my strengths. It’s helped me in school and in sport and in my career. I thrive when I’m connecting with people…” Your lead creative man, Zac Quinlan, has a solid reputa- tion entering the business world, doesn’t he? Well yes, Zach is extremely talented. He was valedictori- an at Mount Saint Vincent University here in Halifax – and he’s truly a bright go-getter with an entrepreneurial spirit like no one else. He has a degree in public relations; he’s a web developer, a graphic designer, and a digital marketing
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expert in general.
individual goals. People want to know how to seek out the same kinds of win-win situations that my network is made up of. I use this knowledge and apply it in my sales training and coaching in both one-on- one and group settings. Ultimately, it is business and the best way to do business is with those people who see the total value in partnership. The beauty of the landscape of media right now is that it’s truly global – it’s easier than ever to find people who see the value in win-win partnerships. My long-term goal is to have a network in every possible country. I have a particularly strong connection with Toronto because I’ve spent a lot of time there and in Ontario over the years and I have friends there, but that being said, I think it’s important to be bigger than any one local business climate. I stay as proactive on global a scale as I can. I do business coaching for entrepre- neurs in the United States and all across Canada – and it won’t be long until I branch out from North America. In your monthly column for Spotlight on Business, will you be responding to questions and comments on social media? Absolutely. I really want it to be as interactive as possible. I’ll be using LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to interact, get ideas, and get some feedback. I want to chat with people, really get the conversation going – I’m really going to value that, for sure. I think there’s so much value in the kinds of learning opportunities that an online commu- nity and dialogue can offer.
He really looks after the digital portion of The Mesh Media Network.
Depending on the project that we’re working on – and this is where the network comes into play – I’ll hire out or sub-contract out different experts to help us. I have many contacts in Toronto, for instance, where we work on differ- ent initiatives, so I can pull someone from my network there to really get the job done. I’m a fan of the website, but I understand that you have a revamp in the works. By the time the article launches, I’m hoping that the fresh new look will be up and ready. It’s a good lesson in the world of entrepreneurship and business in general, that you always have to be able and willing to adapt. The landscape is always changing. This is an opportunity to really explore the minds of other entrepreneurs and educators in a variety of different fields. We dive into their success stories and experiences with the goal of inspiring and educating others to ‘Find a way to do what MOVES you.’ We’ve partnered with and been supported by organiza- tions such as the Dalhousie Entrepreneurship Society, the Community YMCA, Basketball Nova Scotia and the Halifax Regional Municipality’s Souls Strong Program out of North Preston. In November, we brought in Dion Walcott, owner of iDEEa Consultancy, and a real visionary entrepreneur out of Toronto and students and aspiring entrepreneurs got to pick his brain for about a week in a multimedia platform. Through this relationship, we were then able to secure Akil Augustine, host of NBATV Canada, to come and join us for MOVES. We’re actually looking at expanding the format within the year and including one-on- one mock interviews, panel discussions, and podcast. I really feel like MOVES has given me free reign, which is something I felt like I didn’t have in previous roles. I get to control content now, I get to share my interpretation of the business world and see if it sticks with other entrepreneurs and business leaders. It helps to satisfy my curiosity of other professions. I’ve learned that if something intrigues me, it’s going to intrigue other entrepreneurs and professionals. So MOVES really depends on the expressive qualities of entrepreneurs, doesn’t it? Well yes, you can’t go on this journey of entrepreneurship without sharing your story, which I think is great in terms of mentorship opportunities and just being able to help up-and- coming entrepreneurs. I know that kind of arrangement has been valuable in my experience but MOVES is also about Last fall, we launched a platform called MOVES – Minds of the Visionary Entrepreneur/Educator Series.
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SEPTEMBER 2017 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
By Ceiledh Monk and Katie Davis W hen Ceiledh gave this letter to one of our directors to take a look at before she was going to send it off to Finance Minister Morneau and Prime Minister Trudeau, asking them to help her understand how their proposed tax changes were going to make Canada a better place to start and do business we just knew we had to publish it. How was it going to create more jobs and inspire Canadians to start their own businesses?
How will this tax change attract doctors to and wanting to stay in Canada?
How is this tax change going to help her achieve the Canadian Dream?
We are not sure what the answers will be or if she will even get them, but one thing we do know is that she is not alone and we recommend taking a few minutes to read her letter as many Canadians are feeling the same.
Dear Liberal Party of Canada, My name is Ceiledh Monk, a Bachelor of International Business student and the daughter of a small business owner, and I am sending this letter regarding the small business tax changes that are being proposed. I am aware and glad to hear that the government will be accepting feedback regarding this change until October 2 nd , 2017. In light of this, I would like to share my perspective as a future international business woman to allow our govern- ment to understand the severity of this “three pronged” tax change for small businesses and how it will affect not only our hard-working and economy supporting individuals but the entire Canadian economy. I will be graduating from university in 2021 as a fluently trilingual – English, French, and German - world citizen
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and from now until I graduate I will be weighing my options regarding where I would like to establish my career. As I face this difficult decision, I will be seeking a country beneficial for entrepreneurs; I will ask professionals for recommendations of places to work and live and I will be scrutinizing each country based on how they treat business men and women by researching recent legislation changes and trends of the country in terms of small business. I would always consider my home, Canada, to be an option but many other countries are intriguing and have astonishing reputations regarding innovation, entrepreneurship, and a progressive mentality, for example, Japan, Switzer- land, Sweden, and, particularly interesting to me, Germany. Canada is contending with many top notch coun- tries around the world for future entrepreneurs like me. Our government cannot make this decision without acknowledging the adverse effects it will have for current and for the future business people, employees of small businesses, and our entire economy. Canada should implement plans to attract entrepreneurs because we are the innovative individuals that develop technology, products, and strategies that contribute to our economic growth. Canada should work to surpass the countries I listed above by retaining entrepreneurs and incentiv- izing innovation. This legislation will accomplish the complete opposite; pushing small businesses away and the accompanying innovation, development, and efficiency. Not to mention that small businesses have made an incredibly powerful contribution of creating jobs for the middle class; according to Startup Canada, 48.3% of Canada’s workforce is employed by small businesses. Over the next four years, I will be actively searching for countries that prove to be appreciative of entrepreneurs and I hope this legislation is reconsidered so Canada can be a high contender for my innovation and leadership. Choosing to be an entrepreneur is a difficult decision that requires a certain type of individual to take on the associated risks. Our government needs to understand that the current tax system for small businesses in Canada is one of the only incentives to start a business other than pure passion for innovation, desire for challenge, and drive for prosperity. Just to name a few current disincentives for start-ups: no pension, no workers compensation, no sick days, no vacation days, no maternity or paternity leave, and, potentially, tax increases. Considering all of these obstacles, I would love to stay in Canada to begin my own career but as the government is proposing to take away the beneficial and strategically implemented tax structure for small businesses has sent a message that Canada does not value small businesses. Our government must consider that it feels as if business people are being pushed away from home, or foreigners are being deterred from Canada, as this is eliminating the incentive to start a business or establish an entrepreneurial career. One of the proposed tax changes that could be impactful on many new families, like myself in the coming years, is the passive investment income change with the goal of reducing the amount of income that can be saved by small business owners. It is imperative for self-employed business men and women to save because they must compensate for the lack of employee benefits listed above. As a business woman, I want a family of my own and I would like to have the option to take maternity leave, or be able to save enough to enjoy a family vacation, or have enough savings in case one of us becomes sick or injured. Small business is a major supporting factor of Canada’s economy, according to Industry Canada, small businesses account for more than 30% of Canada’s GDP and 90% of Canadian businesses classify as small, which includes contractors, farmers, doctors, accountants, and many others. The government cannot intelligently say that these changes will only affect the wealthiest 1% in the country because that is completely false; these changes are not discriminatory and will ultimately affect all families, firms, industries, and, by default, the entire economy. It is important to remember that these driven, passionate, self-employed business men and women have accepted the current circumstances, chose to work in Canada, and are of paramount importance to our economy. The government is labeling this movement as tax structure reform but business owners are simply becoming the victims of an increase in government income. Nine years ago, my father began his renovation company and I have been exposed to the elevated stress levels of entrepreneurship, the incredibly long work hours obligatory to support a household, and the family sacrifices necessary during this process. Statistically, according to Industry Canada, only 51% of small businesses survive their first 5 years in operation; this directly reflects the immense stress of starting up a business and now, our government is proposing to make it more difficult to survive in the Canadian entrepreneurial environment. In pointing out many of the obstacles, my father is proud to have grown his own company from the ground up and he has embraced this challenge whole heartedly. Starting and operating a successful family business is a group effort as it requires a lot of flexibility and support from all members. I have worked on the marketing and social media side of the company for around two years and painting, delivering flyers, and lawn mowing have been my summer jobs since I could remember. Income sprinkling has been portrayed as an unfair income sharing between immediate family members of the owner to reduce the family’s tax burden but,
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in my eyes, it is an extremely fair benefit for small businesses considering the sacrifices and overtime work needed to support a self-employed parent, sibling, or spouse. Those who have never experienced this family environment would not understand and may find it easy to ridicule the perceived inequities but I will not accept this accusation. It is time for these individuals to research and realize exactly how the government is manipulating the small business tax system for their own benefit without forethought. Another change that will affect many family businesses similar to ours is eliminating the lifetime capital gains exemptions. Currently, if anyone were to buy a small business, they would be entitled to $835 716 of non-taxed income. With these changes, I, as the daughter of the owner and a member of our family trust, would have to pay income taxes on the entire capital gain where as a non-related purchaser would be entitled to this exemption. There is no logical reason to change this tax exemption, it is offensive as I was raised by the income of this business, I have invested and sacrificed a fair amount of time into the business, and I care for its future success as it carries my family name. These tax structures were put in place to entice entrepreneurs to begin businesses and these advantages reduced the impact of other intimidating obstacles, outlined in the second paragraph, entrepreneurs incur simply by choosing self-employment over a safer, more consistent job. By taking away these benefits, this is actually placing small businesses at a disadvantage compared to, for example, a government or union employee. From my perspective, it is illogical to tax a relative and exempt a non-relative because the family have proven to provide jobs, invest in the economy, and collect taxes for our government where the non-relative has possibly proven nothing. All of the proposed changes have been pushed forward some of our key political leaders by means of misinformation which I consider offensive and highly inappropriate. Misleading language is being used by Finance Minister Morneau and Prime Minister Trudeau regarding tax structures that were purposefully and strategically built by the government to stimulate the economy. As an educated and opinionated individual, it has been difficult to hear extremely accusing phrases such as “wealthy small business owners,” “tax loopholes,” and “unfair tax advantages;” these have been popping up all over the media quoting our elected politicians. None of these phrases are actually true and they are simply being used as propaganda to enable the ignorant population who have no experience or background knowledge on small businesses to become angry and causing unnecessary grief towards business owners. In fact, very few of the small business owners who will be affected by passing this bill are actually in the top 1% of income earners; the majority of the general public would not know that according to Startup Canada, the definition of small business is a wide range of “5 to 100 [employees].” This fact demonstrates how the government is trying to hide behind lies in order to sway the opinions of many. The government needs to stop using decep- tive language and they must present all the facts to the citizens of Canada to allow them to form their own opinions and give our government necessary feedback. The responsible voters of Canada have deliberately elected our members of parliament to represent their beliefs and political views and to truthfully inform the public regarding proposed changes. Additionally, there are very few members speaking up for entrepreneurs, many Liberals are silent regarding the issue that may jeopardize many individuals, families, and, in reality, everybody because Canadian economy will be largely impacted. Our government must consider how these small business tax changes may affect Canada’s future in the global marketplace compared to current leading countries and the rapidly growing developing countries that will soon become direct competition for entrepre- neurs. The Liberals need to take time to think about the consequences of these changes and how they could negatively impact current business men and women, our job creators and economy drivers, across Canada. Lastly, politicians need to re-evaluate previously used phrases and begin to acknowledge the reality of the situation from an entrepreneur’s perspective and convey a truthful tax change proposition to Canadians. I ask for the Liberal Party of Canada to consider my perspective and opinions on regarding the proposed small business tax changes. Thank you for taking the time to read my comments. Sincerely, Ceiledh Monk
We hope that all Canadians will take the time to understand the impact that these changes can and will have should they be passed in the House of Commons and make sure that your MP and MLA are representing your feelings and bring forth your concerns. After all that is their job to make sure that you are heard so give them your feedback before October 2 nd , 2017.
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By Katie Davis D isney executives have been looking to make a change for well over a year now to their brick and mortar locations, with the precision of a remakes of classical movies Disney is starting to open newly redesigned retail stores promoting a stronger tie to its amusement parks and its media business- es in efforts to try and bring customers back to its stores. Newly designed stores will include live events streamed from Disney parks, interactive birthday celebrations to help build the association with fun and family. By building on the theme park feel, Disney plans to have carts selling mouse ears and cotton candy in their stores, similar to ones found at their amusement parks making your shopping experience more interactive and in line with the brand images. Do not think that these changes are only being revamped at the store level as Disney’s online shopping experience have also been revamped to feature more products for adults rather than just focusing on kids items with new brand offerings like Coach bags and Nixon watches.
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IN CASE YOU DON’T ALREADY KNOW, the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas is like the World’s Fair for people with gas in their veins 24/7 – and interestingly enough, it has a lot in common with the famous World’s Fair. The first historically recognized World’s Fair – The Great Exhibition – was held in the 990,000-square- foot exhibition space of The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London in 1851. Twenty years later in 1871, the first ever national motor show was held there on the grounds at Sydenham. And in 1905, the by-then long-famous Victorian exhibition palace became the home of the Premier League’s Crystal Palace Football Club. Similarly, the first SEMA Show in 1967 was held in the basement of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, the home then and the home now of Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers. But the pro sports team home field, or pitch in this case, comparison doesn’t quite do the SEMA Show justice – and neither does the image of late nineteenth-century steam locomotives and concept designs for horseless carriages. Where The Great Exhibition featured the first voting machine and the first modern pay toilet – no, I’m not making that up, they share a birthday, as it were – SEMA ’67 featured the Ford GT40 and a Dodge Dart ready to stare-down the Christmas tree. The SEMA Show quickly outgrew the confines of sports stadiums and by 1977, after a short three-year run at Anaheim Stadium, it permanently relocated to The Entertainment Capital of the World, ultimately becoming one of the biggest yearly conventions in Vegas. Every year over the course of four days during the first week of November, the best of the best in the motor vehicle aftermarket business make the 1,940,631-square- foot Las Vegas Convention Center your dream garage. In early September, SEMA’s Vice President of Communications and Events, Peter MacGillivray spoke with Spotlight on Business about the number one destination for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), specialty equipment distributors, members of the media, and buyers as diverse as the 6,383 companies around the world that make-up SEMA.
By David MacDonald P eter, I’ve got to say that I was pretty excited when the SEMA Show assignment came across my desk. I mean, the Show is a real institution in the auto- motive world, isn’t it? That’s absolutely right, David. You’re looking at more than 150,000 people in attendance every year in Las Vegas. That includes the OEMs, the buyers, everyone. As an entity separate from the Show, SEMA is a trade associa- tion representing the $42 billion automotive customization market. These are products in the industry that enhance the performance, styling and functionality of cars, trucks, and SUVs. The world’s premier automotive trade show, the SEMA Show, is, in addition to offering traditional associa- tion resources such as market research, an opportunity for training and education. I haven’t been lucky enough at this point in my career to go on-location at the SEMA Show, but I do know it’s a premier media event – a sought-after assignment.
Well, it’s the number one media destination in the after- market world. Media from all over the world come to the SEMA Show to see new products, vehicle unveilings, and to get the scoop on automotive trends. They come to meet face-to- face with more than 2,400 exhibitors and conduct interviews with company owners and executives. Nowhere else are they able to conduct so much business in such a short amount of time. The ‘Top Reasons Your Business Needs to Attend’ video found at SEMAShow.com and on YouTube really shows that the attendees, the buyers, are diverse represen- tatives of the automotive aftermarket world, but more importantly, Peter, it shows that they’re overwhelming- ly happy with their SEMA Show experience. Well, at the end of the day, the SEMA Show is the number one media destination because it’s the number one buyers’ destination. Buyers from retail shops all over the world come to the SEMA Show seeking the hot new products to
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