FINANCIAL POST
T H U R S D A Y, A P R I L 2 1 , 2 0 1 6
COMMUNITY QUESTION
HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD? Entrepreneurs on how they strive to be exceptional “We’re a small company in a fairly narrow market (up against) some very large competition with larger marketing budgets. Where we can differentiate ourselves is in our customer service — a live friendly voice on the phone rather than voice mail hell. Personal interaction with the customer rather than electronic. We go out of our way to find what the customer needs. A lot of our competition require a part number or at least good description of the required part. We’ll work from ‘the red thing in the top corner of the machine’ to find the correct part, even though this is a lot more time consuming. This commitment takes time but we see in the comments from our customers that it’s worth it.” Peter Stow, president of Isomass Scientific Inc., isomass.com
“For us it’s about doing the little things that show we care. For example, we do a lot of kitchen renovations and we saw that a big source of frustration for people is not having a place to cook while their kitchen is under construction. To make their renovation less stressful we’ve started giving our clients gift cards for Made Foods so that they can enjoy healthy, chef-prepared meals while their kitchen is out of commission. It shows that beyond offering a great product and service, we care about our clients’ well-being.” Jolanda Slagmolen-Flores, owner of Casa Flores Cabinetry, casaflores.ca
“We are all unique individuals, so no matter what we are selling or what service we are providing, we bring our unique personality to the table every time we interact with others. So if people buy because they know, like and trust you, they will be returning customers as well as champions for your business. Others will want to do business with you no matter how competitive a sector you are in. So celebrate your uniqueness and others will too.” Eric Boudreau, owner of Escape Capers YYC (escapecapers.ca) believes focusing on product customization is the key for his business. “Customers love options or a choice, especially if it’s a simple choice and they know they’re going to get the best product or service to match their wants and needs. We stand out in our market by being the only escape room in Calgary to offer two difficulty levels for each of our rooms, meaning all three can be enjoyed by both veterans and newbies alike. This, along with our dedicated game hosts, means we can personalize the experience for each group, ensuring that everyone is having a truly memorable adventure.” S UP P L I E D
”We respond to our clients promptly. ‘Thanks so much. I love working with you. You are always so quick to respond. Thank you.’ That’s an actual quote from a client. I’ve heard so many times how our clients appreciate just getting back to them, letting them know where things stand. It takes so little time to respond to an email, even to just say you are working on it, but it can have a huge impact to ease a client’s mind. And, well, it’s just good manners.” Rae Ann Bonneville, co-owner of Bluesky Design and Love Bites Photography lovebitesphotos.com
“In addition to the usual core bookkeeping services, we provide information, tools and services that show our commitment to our clients. It goes past merely providing the service. We make it easy for clients to bring us the work, ask questions and see results. We don’t only give them the financial reports, but offer to sit down with them and explain the financial story they tell. We seek to become part of their success team. We realize that our clients’ success is our success, and we make sure they know we’re here to help however we can.” Richard Sherry, owner of Minaris Bookkeeping Plus Inc., minarisbkp.com
Mitchell Ravvin, president and professional fundraiser of Rave Results, raveresults.ca
“I am me all the time. The person in the headshot is the person you meet in real life. I am fully invested in the success of my clients beyond the shoot date. I build a solid relationship based on trust, respect and transparency. And I’m fun.”
Dana Goldstein, CEO of Chicflicks, chicflicks.ca
“If you aim at everything, you hit nothing. Drill down to your target audience in your marketing, to the exclusion of everyone else. Let your audience know you are speaking specifically to them so they can self-identify. There is often a fear from business owners (I’ve been there) that we need to stay as general as possible so we don’t miss any opportunities. If you are a jack of all trades, how can a prospect identify you as the expert in your field that is going to solve their problems?”
B5
CAPITAL IDEAS UPCOMING EVENTS
M AY 6 AWE CELEBRATION OF ACHIEVEMENT Join Alberta Women Entrepreneurs at this celebration luncheon which pays tribute to exceptional entrepreneurs in the province. ■ Where: Hotel Arts (119 12th Ave. S.W.) ■ When: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ■ Admission: $50 and up. More info at awebusiness.com M AY 1 7 R E V: S U STA I N . ACCELERATE . THRIVE . Calgary’s only conference dedicated to growing your entrepreneurial business. ■ Where: Hall A, Big Four Building (1410 Olympic Way S.E.) ■ When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ■ Admission: From $75. More info at revyyc.com M AY 24 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR ETSY SHOPS Learn how to take and style product photos and more in this two-hour workshop, led by photographer and local Etsy seller Jillian Logee. ■ Where: The Camera Store studio (210-3060 9th St. S.E.) ■ When: 7 to 10 p.m. ■ Admission: $65. More info at etsycalgary.com/workshops For more great events, visit capitalideascalgary.com/ events
C A P I TA L QUESTION
What does your business need right now to grow?
Dave Byrnes, LinkedIn coach at Linking Leads, linkingleads.com
“Standing out in a world of noise today is not an easy task and ours is particularly difficult as many of our clients find it challenging to recognize the difference between what marketing companies offer. So we give, give, give as much as we can first to provide value even before and regardless of whether someone decides to work with us. We volunteer for various business programs providing education and participate in speaking engagements as often as possible. At the end of the day it’s easier said than done, but simply keeping that real, open, honest human connection with business owners in face-to-face situations is what makes us stand out from the crowd.” Trina Lo, CMO of FreshInk Communications, freshink.ca
These answers are in response to a question posed by Lisa Marie Genovese, president and CMO at BottomLine Marketing (bottomlinemarketing.ca). Here’s what she had to say: “Your business has to stand out from the crowd if you want to be successful. At BottomLine Marketing, we know it takes a whole lot more than just a great design to do it. Sure, the design is a pretty big part of it, but if the great design isn’t bringing in business, it’s useless to you. You have to stand out and be engaging. That means your idea has to match with the demographics and psychographics of your ideal client (plus) it has to be shown on the right platforms, at the right time and in the right way, in order to reach them. Truly standing out happens when art meets science to create magic.”
NEXT EVENT
CA LG A RY H E R A L D
There comes a point when every business needs a little something more in order to keep growing. From more funding to an extra set of helping hands, Wellington Holbrook, executive vicepresident of ATB Business, wants to know: What does your business need right now to grow? You can answer the question in two ways: Open today’s Capital Ideas email if you’re a member or visit capitalideascalgary.com. We’ll publish the best answers, along with your business name and website address, on April 28.
How do you creatively fund your business? When: April 28, noon to 1 p.m. Where: Glenbow Museum (130 9th Ave. S.E.) Join the wait-list at capitalideasyyc16.eventbrite.ca
Business owners helping business owners
Join Brad Churchill, president of Choklat, Stefan Radeta, co-founder and CTO of TLink Golf and Emily Hicks, CEO of FREDsense Technologies to discuss creative approaches for funding business ventures. Tickets are free and a light lunch will be served.
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