Teara Fraser

An Indigenous Wonder Woman to Follow!

LEO / Founder at Iskwew Air

Teara Fraser could be gladly called as a wonder woman entrepreneur in Canada. She is the Founder of the first-ever female-founded airline company, Iskwew airlines, which is now buzzing in and out from the Vancouver Island airport. Teara is now one amongst the top 25 Women of Influence in Canada. Fraser wishes to do more for the indigenous community. She also believes that the indigenous youth is one of the fastestgrowing demographics in Canada. And with Iskwew airlines, she just took her first step towards uplifting this community in her own way.

How Did it Start?

Teara, a Canada-based single mother of two, got into a small aircraft in October 2001, and soon realized that she was meant to be a pilot. She made up her mind of flying airplanes and within a year, she became a certified commercial pilot. She would fly passengers in northern British Columbia and as a young indigenous woman, she aimed at making it big in the male-dominated aviation industry.

She founded Iskwew (pronounced as ISSKWAY-YO) airlines, an air charter company based out of Vancouver International Airport, it recently started its operation between Vancouver International Airport and Qualicum Beach Airport, four times a week.

About Teara Fraser

Tara was born in the Northwest Territories of Canada. This 49-year-old indigenous woman entrepreneur calls herself a ‘ proud Métis woman. She is a part of the indigenous group with very distinctive customs, collective identity, and a way of life. In 2010, she started as an entrepreneur and founded an aerial survey business that allowed Fraser to combine two things that she dearly loved; aviation and the land that belonged to her ancestors. After six years, she sold that business and a kind of rebirth happened with her dream of being an indigenous entrepreneur.

While launching her airline, she said,

“We need airplanes, but we also need to be really thinking about reciprocity with the land and how we walk more gently on our Mother Earth. ” And while doing so, she wishes to be part of the solution that will “honor, uplift and energizes [the] indigenous land story, sovereignty and stewardship

To know more about Iskwew airlines, visit here https://www.iskwew.ca/

To know more about Teara Fraser, visit here https://www.iskwew.ca/our-people

To learn more about such dynamic women entrepreneurs in Canada, do not forget to subscribe to our monthly CanadianSME Small Business Magazine.

Business owners: Are you purchasing equipment that Ayming can finance for you?

Every year, companies invest thousands of dollars in purchasing new or used equipment for their businesses. Many will choose to finance this expensive equipment to spread the expense over the asset’ s lifespan or to free up capital that can be invested elsewhere in the business. Whether you are looking to purchase a single piece of equipment while maintaining cash flow, wanting to upgrade multiple pieces of equipment to keep up with evolving technology, or seeking financing solutions for your ongoing equipment needs, Ayming can help.

To understand equipment financing it is important to understand what is considered ‘ equipment’ . Any tangible asset, other than property or a building may be considered business equipment. For example, desks, chairs, copiers, phones, or printers for a new office, X-ray or ultrasound machines for a medical office, and construction or heavyduty material machinery all qualify as business equipment.

Buying and maintaining equipment is expensive, and as soon as you invest in a piece of equipment, it’ s only a matter of time before a new version comes out, making yours obsolete or inferior. Due to the high costs involved in owning and operating equipment, many business owners opt to finance these purchases.

In addition to securing government receivables like Grants or SR&ED Tax Credits, Ayming ’ s funding experts are focused on delivering creatively structured financing solutions to meet the needs of your business. From small to large corporations, Ayming is here to support all your equipment financing needs for any size business.

Will you expand and modernize operations or replace outdated machinery shortly? Get financing to cover the cost of new or used equipment so you can increase production and fuel your growth.

Financing solutions to help your business grow

Getting the right equipment for your business is critical to successful operations. Ayming can finance your equipment purchases so you don ’t have to tap into your cash, line of credit, or apply for a bank loan. Financing with Ayming means you can secure the equipment you require at any time.

Secure non-dilutive financing from one trusted source:

Ayming!

Stay current with the latest technologies and upgrades.

Simplify your annual budgeting and maintain cash flow.

Explore a streamlined partnership with no manufacturer financing restrictions.

Highly competitive financing rates from our top Canadian banking partners.

Attractive financing offers to align with the unique needs of each individual business

Full Pay-Out Funding: Lease to own at expiry Pay for Use Financing: Acquire new technology/ equipment at Expiry Purchase Fund Back: Reimbursement for Purchases Already Made

Equipment Ayming Can Finance

If you are planning on investing in any of the below equipment, Ayming can offer financing options to support you…

Material Handling: Blowers, Compressors., Dryers, Pumps,Lathes, Forklifts, Shelving, Injection, Moulding, Milling, Woodworking, LaserCutting, Scales, Conveyers & more. Construction: Aerial Lifts, Compactors, Cranes, Class 8Trucks, Scaffolding, Excavators, Mixers,Planers, Bull Dozers, DemolitionEquipment Trailers, Generator Sets etc. Agriculture: Bailers, Grain Bins, Plows, Sprayers,Tractors, Harvest / Irrigation/ Livestock, equipment , Combines & more. Office & I.T. : Laptops, Monitors, Printers, Cell Phones, Conferencing, Servers, Software, Desks,Chairs, Coffee Makers, Lighting, POS Systems, Cameras, Modems & more. Medical: Scanners, X-ray, Ultrasound, Dental, Lab,Optometry, Laser, Chiropractic, Furniture& more.

Are you considering investing in new or used equipment for your business? Reach out to an Ayming expert today to explore all the ways you can finance your purchase(s) in addition to potentially securing highly lucrative government grants and tax credits.

Contact Ayming at https://www.ayming.ca

How to keep Canadians engaged

in a cause during a pandemic

Terri Drover

Director General at Health Product Stewardship Association (HPSA)

Terri Drover leads the national non-profit that runs takeback programs for medications and sharps in Canada called the Health Products Stewardship Association (HPSA). Before joining the HPSA, Terri gained over 30 years of executive experience in the pharmaceutical industry, holding many decision-making roles in North America.

As Director-General at HPSA, Terri leads the team to protect the health and safety of Canadians and the environment from improperly disposed of medications and sharps. She ' s passionate about translating visions and objectives into reality and ardent about health care and the environment. Terri believes that giving back to your community is as important as giving back to your environment. She has been a board member of the Canadian Association of Healthcare Reimbursement, Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy and GS1 (Pharmacy Sector), a not-forprofit organization that develops and maintains global standards for business. She is also currently a volunteer Board member for CHATS (Community and Home Assistance to Seniors).

How was the Health Products Stewardship Association (HPSA) affected by the pandemic?

As the national not-for-profit that operates return programs for medications and sharps, various elements of our programming were affected by COVID-19. Like many other organizations, our office shifted to working remotely. But most importantly, we had to ensure that the Canadians who rely on our programs still had the access they needed to return their unused or expired medications and sharps to the right places. We were able to find new ways of working while ensuring that we have a robust IT system in place, making us come out more resilient than ever.

What would you say are the inherent risks of leading a non-profit during the pandemic?

By no means has the non-profit sector been spared by the pandemic. A study completed by the Ontario Non-profit Network (ONN) showed one in five nonprofits may have shut down by the end of last December. Many roadblocks have been placed in the way for non-profits over the course of the pandemic; from employee retention, service offerings, and the ongoing threat of lockdowns.

Canadians have had a lot on their minds, too. Before the pandemic, the sector had to work hard to bring attention and awareness to causes but with the added stress and distraction of the pandemic, that task becomes even harder.

However, despite the turbulence, opportunities have also presented themselves. With new ways of working, teams can engage remotely, bringing talent in from anywhere.

What did you predict will be the most challenging aspects of working with your organization during this crisis?

One of my first thoughts, when COVID hit, was how we were going to keep our team engaged. As a team, we learned quickly that with the right resources and communication, remote working couldn ’t stand in our way. We found new processes that worked and now feel second nature to us, as much as we miss seeing each other in person. We also focused on our strategic plan, anchoring our activities and ensuring the team was aligned. Another challenge was of course ensuring that Canadians could continue to be educated and engaged when it comes to safely dispose of medications and sharps. At a time where Canadians ’ attention is being pulled in every direction, it’ s never been more important to ensure that our message as a not-for-profit is clear and meaningful to Canadians.

How to engage Canadians at a time where their attention is being pulled in every direction, from health concerns to economic upheaval to personal and family stress.

So much has changed over the course of the pandemic. It makes sense for our attention to be focused elsewhere. However, I’ ve found that the most important step to keep Canadians

engaged in these turbulent times is to ensure that your message is meaningful, simple, and relatable.

While safely disposing of medications and sharps may not be at the top of everyone ’ s mind, it’ s a message that drives an impact, especially when you consider that 97 percent of Canadians keep expired and unused medications in their homes just in case. When you factor in the concerning rise of accidental drug overdose and poisoning, disposing of your unused or expired medications and using sharps to a participating pharmacy for safe disposal not only simplify the message but make it clearer than ever. About the HPSA

What should other small business owners consider when developing their own visions for the future of their company?

When developing a vision for the future of your company, small business owners should expect the unexpected. The pivots that we had to undertake nearly two years ago are still in full swing, and while we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, there is still quite a way to go. While it is important to have a clear vision, leave some room to be flexible and ready for anything. The Health Products Stewardship Association is a national not-for-profit organization representing over 140 brand owners and manufacturers, responsible for the effective and safe collection and disposal of unused and expired medications and used medical sharps. On behalf of producers, HPSA administers 7 collections programs in 4 provinces with the support of more than 5,800 community pharmacies acting as collection sites. HPSA’s mandate is also to educate consumers on the responsibility of safely disposing of unwanted medications and medical sharps before they end up in the garbage, poured down sinks, flushed, or misused by others. Since its inception, HPSA has collected more than 3,750,000 kg of pharmaceutical products and 2,250,000 kg of medical sharps.

Black Friday can be an opportunity for many businesses to boost their sales, rid themselves of unwanted or over-ordered stock, and attract new customers to their products and offerings.

These money-saving deals and incentives can appeal to potential customers seeking a pre-Christmas bargain, but how can smaller retailers get in on the action?

For small business owners, Black Friday can often seem like an overwhelming event that their infrastructure is not adequately prepared to take on.

Sam O’Brien, Chief Marketing Officer at performance marketing platform Affise, has compiled a list of easy-to-implement expert tips aimed at helping small businesses maximise their profits, and execute a streamlined promotional event on Black Friday:

Sam O’Brien

Chief Marketing Officer at performance marketing platform Affise

1. Create some noise on social media

In the lead-up to Black Friday, it’ s important to make sure you ’ re posting plenty of content to your social channels, in order to create a buzz around the event.

This content can be organic, paid or a combination of both, but with competition around this period being extremely high, you want to keep your brand and business at the forefront of customers ’ minds

and cut through the Black Friday noise.

2. Promote stock you’re struggling to sell

Black Friday is a great way to push any out-ofseason or over-ordered stock that you might that you ’ re struggling to sell at its current RRP. Creating price promotions for these products will make them appear more attractive to customers in search of a bargain.

3. Keep an eye on competitors

It’ s important to stay informed on what kinds of promotional activities your competitors are offering in the lead up to Black Friday and align your strategy to coincide with theirs.

By ensuring you

’ re offering similar (but not the same) deals to customers as your competitors, your deals won ’t pale in comparison to theirs, but also your business won ’t be seen to be undercutting the competition with deals that could be deemed as ‘too good to be true

4. Bundle your products

Grouping products together to create a bundle is a great way to sell your products and entice customers to your Black Friday offers.

Many shoppers are looking to get more value for their money, so the chance to secure multiple bargains or Christmas gifts in one go will be very tempting to those with limited time, plus the promotion of bundles as gift sets ‘just in time for Christmas ’ or with free products included will even more enticing to bargain hunters.

5. Special deals for mailing list subscribers

A tactical way to make customers feel like they are ‘ special’ and are being rewarded for subscribing to a mailing list is to offer exclusive discount deals to them as a

‘VIP customer ’ , and before they are advertised anywhere else publicly.

This can be through a promotional code to use at the checkout for extra discounts, through specific pre-Black Friday deals, or on specific products just for them.

6. Give an additional promo code for a later date

Enticing customers to buy from your business on Black Friday can be a great way to quickly boost sales, but how can you ensure customers will return?

Creating a promotional voucher that can be used for a few weeks after Black Friday, will encourage customers to return to your shop again, perhaps to stock up on any last-minute Christmas bargains.

Sam O'Brien, Chief Marketing Officer at performance marketing platform affise. Sam joined affise earlier this year after working with RingCentral as their Digital and Growth EMEA Director. During his time at RingCentral, he supported the company in their growth to $1bn ARR, maintaining the expansion into Europe and APAC. With a passion for branding and design, Sam has proven himself to be a leading growth marketer.

How Small Businesses Can Harness The Power Digitization

Brian Green works as a President, Merchant Services (Canada) at Fiserv, which is a Credit Cards & Transaction Processing company with an estimated 44 K employees; and founded in 1984. They are part of the Executive team within the C-Suite Department and their management level is C-Level. Brian is currently based in Ottawa, Canada

Brian Green

Country head of Canada, Fiserv

What are some challenges you feel small businesses now face? Do you think small businesses are successful because they stay in close proximity to their customers?

Historically, small businesses have been able to differentiate themselves with personalization and service. Your local barber or barista has an advantage if they know your name, your preferences, and add personal touches to the services they provide. With the Covid-19 pandemic creating physical distance between the small business and their customer, small businesses had to find new ways to deliver on that commitment to personalization and service.

One way businesses are creating a better experience is by activating commerce options that cater to the changing ways customers want to buy. This can include online ordering, curbside pickup or buy online pick up in-store (BOPIS) for the customer on the go, buy now pay later (BNPL) plans for customers wanting payment flexibility, or even expanding contactless payments to promote touchless commerce instore.

Do you think changes in media consumption habits will change how many customers visit storefronts or online shopping sites longterm?

Consumers increasingly consume media in the same manner in which they shop – on their phones. Small businesses must account for this pattern and ensure they are doing everything in their power to market their business digitally and enable consumers to pay from the palm of their hand. This includes considering how to effectively use social media to engage with customers, manage an online presence, and being able to sell via a traditional eCommerce storefront or in apps. The key is meeting the customer wherever they want to transact.

What are some trends local restauranteurs are experiencing as the country reopens? If there was one tip that restaurants might do differently this year, what would it be?

Hiring continues to be a challenge for restaurateurs as they balance reopening at full speed with operating with limited staff.

One tip for any business trying to navigate staffing issues is to invest in technology that can streamline operations. It may sound simple, but many point-of-sale systems like Clover have built-in capabilities that automate administrative tasks like payroll administration and scheduling staff, or restaurant-specific tasks such as managing bar tabs and table mapping.

Automating even one or two simple tasks will lessen the burden on staff and allow for more time serving customers.

How do you ensure success considering the possibility of a future pandemic? Can you share examples of some marketing strategies that might work during and after a pandemic?

What I admire about small business owners most is their resilience and ingenuity. Faced with adversity we ’ ve seen many business owners be very successful by adopting new ways of operating and interacting with customers. A few examples include:

Integrating with third-party apps – Almost onethird (32%) of Canadians are already using thirdparty apps to order food.

Pay-at-the-table via the customer

’ s mobile device – Many customers no longer want to present a card or touch a payments terminal; as such, some businesses are adopting technology that enables payment digitally through the customer ’ s mobile device

QR Codes – Many restaurants now present QR codes in lieu of physical menus, QR codes to activate promotions or even a QR code to be scanned for payment What advice can you give to other small business owners about thriving in such an environment?

Consumers have gained the ability to buy on their own terms and don ’t want to go back to the way things were. While in-person shopping will return, the pandemic has radically changed consumers ’ expectations for businesses, especially when it comes to online ordering.

According to a recent study by SOTI, expectations are high for businesses to create a more seamless consumer shopping journey, including inventory and fulfillment, shipping, and online returns. Over 60% of respondents felt businesses should improve their return processes, with an additional 57% saying they find delivery times too slow, and 45% noting if they can ’t receive an item within two days of ordering they 'll go elsewhere.

While speed and customer service will continue to be important, especially as we transition back to a

“ new normal, ” my primary piece of advice would be that catering to consumers ’ digital experiences online – from browsing to checkout and delivery –is vital for long-term success.

WHAT EVERY CEO

NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT TALENT-AS-A-SERVICE

Perhaps the greatest shift across all business segments postpandemic—if indeed that’ s where we are—in the acceleration of the gig economy. A term that once referred mostly to on-demand consumer services such as ridesharing (like Uber) and one-off projects (like UpWork), the gig economy phenomenon is now in full bloom across the employment spectrum, including the C-Suite.

A perfect storm of technological capabilities and desperate requirements has fed this beast and is changing the landscape of talent acquisition and sourcing forever. Already, some 35% of workers in the U.S. are part of the gig economy, and if the growth trend continues, most of the American workforce will be freelancing by 2027.

By Pete Hayes

Principal and CMO of Chief Outsiders.

#1 Technology Was Ready for Remote Work

For white-collar employees who were forced to work from home over much of the past 18 months, the norm of high-speed internet, a computer with a camera and mic, plus reliable video conferencing applications allowed work to get done. At every level of the organization, including companies who had yet to condone or encourage remote work, the new normal kicked in. Executive team members who ’d never been challenged to convene from remote locations learned how to do just that. Parents showed their children how to participate in remote learning, while children showed their parents how to share a screen. Has anyone reflected how difficult this would have been had the pandemic hit even a decade earlier? We were enabled by technology. Thank God it was ready!

#2 Talent Shopping Made Easy

Searching for talent through online resources isn

’t all that new. LinkedIn has had decades to mature and capture almost everyone working or looking for work. Indeed and other players have made talent shopping even easier. But what has emerged is TaaS – or Talent-as-a-Service. Need a pre-vetted SEO expert? Visit MarketerHire.com and find what you need. Right off the shelf. Or instant C-suite talent? Check out CeriusExecutives.com. Full time? Got ‘ em. Just for some project work? Check. Fractional or part-time? Of course. TaaS is in full swing. Enabled by prevalent technology. Remote workers, even executives, are now acceptable, sometimes preferred. Instant-on. As much or little as you need. Seemingly coming from the cloud. It' s changed talent sourcing forever.

#3 Beware Imposters

Diligence is required. Especially for fractional hiring in smaller companies. For example, the rise in demand for fractional CMOs—Chief Marketing Officers—has resulted in all sorts of people who have not held executive positions in business, let alone served as a CMO, hang a shingle that declares the title. Even marketing and advertising agencies have gotten into the game. A principal in the firm will declare themselves a fractional CMO, and position their agency resources as a ready-to-roll outsourced marketing department. Not that there isn ’t value in agency-provided marketing and creative services, but buyers must beware of the credentials of the talent they are acquiring. Imposters aren ’t limited to the marketing role. Numerous fractional CFO providers serve up executives with this title that only served as a controller, not a CFO. If you need CFO talent, your diligence in background checking and interviewing expertise is going to pay off.

#4 Still Room for Recruiters

All of this newness in talent acquisition platforms and offerings is not only good news for hiring organizations, but it also brings powerful tools to recruiters. And given the requirement to separate the wheat from the chaff, recruiters are as welcome as ever for some searches. What’ s changed is the breadth of searching, the precision, and the speed of finding a fit.

#5 Flexibility and Fit Win the Day

Finally, one more thing to consider: given the option of remote working, which represents really the whole value of TaaS, hiring organizations can often try before they buy. Or, they may recognize their requirements will change over time, and the talent they need in a role today may quickly evolve. So, they can more flexibly deploy today ’ s talent, and swap it out with a better fit as tomorrow ’ s needs emerge. The pandemic has accelerated the emergence of Talent-as-a-Service. New options. New ways of acquiring. New levels of flexibility include remote work, instant on and off, as well as a wider search window, resulting in a “best fit” for today and tomorrow. With diligent vetting, organizations can win big, as can the freelancers in the growing gig economy.

About Pete Hayes

Pete joined Chief Outsiders after realizing that he wanted to take everything he ’d learned in the large corporate world and help smaller companies who could move more quickly. The way the founders were using their big-company experience to quickly and efficiently make struggling small and midsize firms into star companies resonated with him. His background in technology, technology marketing, and digital marketing provides the perfect complement to CEO Art Saxby ’ s classic marketing and consumer package goods experience. Co-author of #1 Amazon Best Seller "The Growth

Gears

" , Pete and the Chief Outsiders tribe apply a rich playbook and a demonstrated process to turn your midsize company or new marketing unit into a proven revenue generator. Through the Chief Outsiders practice, and as the firm ’ s CMO, Pete helps mid-market technology and professional services businesses implement business development and operations plans for healthy growth. Effectively applying his digital marketing, promotion strategy, brand development, and professional services expertise, he develops, markets he directs all of Chief Outsiders ' growth programs and operations.