I understand that not everybody likes golfing but if you do (or are thinking of getting into it) it really is a great way to network and build relationships. If you are trying to develop a relationship with someone golf has several key advantages. Here are a couple examples...

1. Depending on who you are offering it to, an invite to a game of golf might have a better chance than an invite to a boardroom meeting.

2. Depending if you are playing 9 or 18 holes that is approximately 2-4 hours you are spending with a person to build and establish your relationship. And chances are people are hungry after a golf game so you have time to eat too!!

3. Shows people you are not all about the business and have a personal side. So don't be bringing up business on the first hole. Wait till after the drink cart.

That being said, here are a couple photos from our latest Golf Event at Cardinal Club this past Tuesday. We all had a great time and will probably do it again shortly so stay tuned for more golf events. Who wants to be on the golf committee?

Note to self. Blues are far

Great vistas if you are shooting from the blues...

Every hole was pretty impressive...

 
Par for the course...

John Hotson with another great shot straight down the fairway. (and proof we were playing from the blues)

These were the only birdies I saw :(

The should hae had the G8 here and saved on the fake lake

The man with the Plan, John Traczyk coming back for another lap...

Another great view from the blues... in retrospect my scorecard would have looked alot better from the reds

An impromtu BNI meeting on the 12th hole...

Now this is where the rubber hits the road... and good thing as it would have been a long walk.

Dinner was also incuded for the whopping $47 dollars we paid for 18 holes (althought we only played 12) and a cart rental.

Leaving the clubhouse... Couldnt have asked for a better day to play... (well except maybe not a tuesday :)

Hope to see you out there next time!!

By Cathleen Filmore

1. Define Your Value - Start With Positioning

The first question to ask is what value do you bring?  If the answer is none, it’s time to rethink the proposition. The second question to ask is whether the mission statement you created for your event REALLY conveys the value you bring. Don’t be afraid to make a big promise.  If you call your workshop ‘Present with Power’ you’ll attract people who know they need to improve their presentation skills.  But if you make a bigger promise and call it “Own the Podium” you’ll draw in a much larger group.  Who here doesn’t want to own the podium when they speak?

 2. Build Your List

Nothing is more important than building a strong loyal database that you keep in contact with. You can build lists using your website, social media and by collecting business cards and attendee information when you’re a guest speaker.

 It’s not uncommon for speakers to purchase lists. While it may be necessary to use a purchased list in the beginning, in my experience, organic lists are most effective.

 3. Find a Hungry Crowd

Now that you’ve established your topic, you must decide if there’s a crowd hungry for the value you provide. If so, you need to go where they go so you can find them. I recommend that you write a list that covers:

• Where they hang out
• What associations they belong to
• Individual influencers already in your database

 4. Determine Content and Fee and Create Promotional Material

Content: Now it’s time to create an outline that will be part of your marketing material.  The key questions to ask are 1. How will people benefit from attending?  And 2. What bonuses can you add? Consider if you have a colleague with an equally valuable message they’d be willing to share and how you could work that into to your presentation or your bonuses.

Fees: Most speakers go one of two ways with fees: Either they’re afraid to charge what they’re worth or they start out expecting exorbitant fees!  The trick to escaping this trap is to simply ask yourself how much you’d be willing to pay to attend this seminar. What price would be a deal-breaker for you? 

Promotional material: Your promotional material needs to include the following things:

• A great headline
• A stated problem
• Your unique solution
• Testimonials from other gatherings
• A call to action
• An order form

 5. Test Your Premise

Now it’s time to test your premise!  Once you’ve finalized your promotional message and material, run your idea by a few trusted colleagues for feedback before you launch. Keep an open mind and make sure you incorporate this feedback. By this time, we’re often so close to our presentation that we lose our objectivity so it’s important to pay special attention to the opinions of those around us.

 6. Find the Right Venue

The right venue can help your presentation go from good to great – especially if the venue reflects your brand or shares your values. I use Verity Club because it’s a great venue and positions the event as high end.  Also there’s no financial penalty for cancelling. Hotels can be tricky, as they often charge outrageous fees for catering and equipment and have strict cancellation policies. Another trick is to use venues that are designed for daytime events and meetings. For example, St. Andrew’s Conference Centre is an excellent venue.

 7. Sign up for Cvent.com

Cvent is a free service thtat allows you to send out an RFP to every venue in the city.  I recently targeted downtown hotels for my annual speakers showcase. It saved me hours of time because the request is sent out by simply checking off venue names and the responses are all blocked together on Cvent so you can keep track of who replied and who didn’t.  Cvent will also allow attendees to register using credit cards, and good news:  they only charge $1.00 per registration.

 8. Create a Marketing Plan, a Timeline and a Budget

Your marketing plan should cover how many people you want to attend your event and how you plan to reach them.  Create a comprehensive campaign that uses your current database, social media, flyer distribution and some guerilla marketing. 

 Next consider your timeline.  I recommend you work backwards from your end date and try to have all your registrations in a month before the event. 

 Finally, create a budget; how much will you bring in and how much will you spend to you meet your goals?

 9. Find Affiliates

This is a lucrative and often overlooked marketing tactic. Who do you know who will help you spread the word?  I find that my BNI colleagues are a good place to start, but you can go much further than that.

Surely  you have a colleague you’d be happy to cross-promote?  If your event is sponsored, your sponsors may be happy to help you promote too. Don’t overlook them.

 10. Plan the Agenda!

Always remember to prepare for the unexpected and go for it.  Have a great event! 

Cathleen Filmore owns and runs Speakers Gold Bureau.  A well-known industry expert, Cathleen has spoken at national conferences and delivers Fast Track marketing seminars for speakers. Speakers Gold holds an annual search and contest for North America’s top amateur speaker and can be contacted at www.speakersgold.com. 

By Kevin Maynard

Every small business will eventually be faced with the prospect of entering into an exchange of services.

You’ll ask yourself if you should forgo the revenue opportunity. The answer is usually “Yes”. Here’s why:

While you don’t get cash, you get services you would otherwise pay for. This reduces expenses, and in many cases enables you to take steps to improve your business which you could not otherwise afford.

Your accountant will tell you to record the transactions as revenue on both sides, and to issue credit notes. She is right – this way the amount of business you conduct is still reflected in your overall revenue totals – important for many reasons including figuring out how much work you’ve done for how much money.

The major caveat has to be – are the services offered in return services you need or want?

This is not worth doing just for the goodwill – although goodwill does factor into the decision.

To get around this, I recommend never broaching the idea of contra services unless the other partner has indicated a need for your own. It is rude and potentially sabotages relationships to discuss purchasing services, then suddenly suggesting that you will pay in kind.

“I would be open to discussing exchange of services, if that’s of interest to you.” Stick to this line as your way on introducing the concept. It ensures that both sides are willing, and don’t feel obligated to play along.

Removing that imposed obligation is critical, because it allows you to benefit from a new perceived obligation – an alliance. When a service partner has performed services for you, you will feel obligated to refer them. It’s natural, and you can speak from experience about how well they executed. You don’t get the same perceived obligation in a transaction where money changes hands – think how hard it is to get testimonials from your customers.

The trick to making a barter or contra job work for you is for it to be roughly equitable. Be up front about this for best results. “I normally charge $2500 for this – how does that compare?” If the answer is $2000  or $3000, you are in the ballpark, and this should work fine. Don’t be stingy, but don’t give away too much for free, or you will build hidden resentment.

Finally, also be up front about passing through direct charges for materials, sub-contractors etc. These are not the important parts to making this work – so don’t lose money on them and build value for your own services instead. Even if you aren’t being paid.

Kevin Maynard is a marketing strategist and president of Growth Path Strategic Marketing. To learn more about Kevin,continue to his site here.

By Helen Xenedis

Fit is important. Not just for clothing, but for services or products you use every day.

Consider – would you look for a fine rosewood dining suite at the local big box store? Would you expect a Georgian bookcase from your favourite boutique to perform well as garage storage for skis and winter tires? And how about asking the corner lube-shop mechanic to fine-tune your vintage Jaguar?

It is important that products suit your needs, and that you have the right supplier for them.

And less tangible things – including financial products like your home insurance - must fit as well. 

Not all policies, or Insurers, are the same.   Dozens of companies offer homeowners coverage, most with several variations.  A few specialize in protecting luxury homes, and hire underwriters and claims personnel specifically experienced with these properties. Each policy, however, has different features which may or may not appeal to you.

Knowing the differences exist, the challenge is finding the right Insurer for your particular needs.   

And while it is often true that you get what you pay for, the best fit doesn’t always have to cost more.

The best way to start is to consult your broker.  As professional advisors, brokers work for you – not for Insurers – to help you evaluate the available options and make informed choices.  Some are specialists as well. Selecting a broker who understands your lifestyle gives you access to the experience and information most relevant to you, and helps ensure that your insurance fits.

Helen Xenidis is an insurance broker with FCA. FCA has the leading program in Canada for trustees and receivers and a substantial cross border practice for companies that have a presence in Canada and the US. For more information on Helen`s practice, please continue to FCA`s website.  

by Shawn Rosenzweig

As an entrepreneur, you have a lot on your plate – handling employee issues, growing your customer base, managing the operations, sourcing suppliers, and so on.

You might have a capable management team in place to help carry the load, but they may not be in a position to help you strategize and plan for the future of your company. You need someone who can challenge your thinking, provide constructive advice, and keep you focused on implementation. Who should you turn to?

Your accountant.

We can all picture in our minds a stereotypical accountant – the introverted, socially awkward type with a pocket protector and calculator in hand. But a new type of chartered accountant is making an appearance on the Canadian business scene. And, although they may still be the exception, rather than the norm, they are worth their weight in gold.

In essence, your accountant should become your most trusted business advisor – and below are three things that you should expect from the relationship:

1. Proactive, regular communication and contact.

Accountants traditionally meet with their corporate clients only once or twice a year – during tax season and at fiscal yearend. This is simply not good enough. As a business owner, you must make strategic and financial decisions year-round. Your accountant should be plugged into what is happening in your business at all times; otherwise, opportunities may be lost forever.

2. More than just number-crunching.

Financial statements and corporate tax returns should be the absolute minimum in terms of what your accountant delivers. By virtue of understanding the numbers, a good accountant is well-positioned to recommend strategies for improving the bottom line, saving taxes, identifying and filing for special tax credits, and protecting and growing your assets.

3. Guidance for managing and eventually exiting the business.

Good accountants believe their task is to help businesses go from good to great; to help clients lead and manage, rather than just operate the business. Your accountant should be able to help you plan your future exit (the earlier you plan, the better) and implement strategies to help you maximize the value of your company when you are ready to sell or transfer it.

I often hear business owners say that it can be lonely at the top, and indeed, without the right advisors in place, it often is. But if you surround yourself with service providers who truly understand your business and have your best interests in mind, you will be well-positioned to succeed.

At SBLR, we're not your average bean counters. We meet proactively with our entrepreneurial clients on a quarterly basis to employ high-impact strategies for saving thousands of dollars in tax. We help our clients uncover opportunities such as multiplying the capital gains exemption, income splitting with family members and R&D tax credits so they can keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets.