B6
business
Thursday, November 13, 2014
calgaryherald.com
CAPITAL IDEAS COMMUNITY QUESTION:
UPCOMING:
What business skills do you wish you had learned in your youth?
NOV
17-21
Entrepreneurs reflect on lessons learned and longed for John Kittell, president of Cheque Print Solutions Inc. (chequeprint.ca), says he wishes he had learned about mentors and peer groups. “Without the help of people that have been there and done that, it’s very hard to know it all and learn it all. A lot of time is wasted, because you don’t know what you don’t know. Mentors can help you with what you don’t know, and peer groups can help you to not feel so alone. Both can be vital in teaching you not only to ask questions, but what questions to ask.” Photo supplied by John Kittell
“Growing up, I wish I was given the room to dream; youth need to feel comfortable to set big goals. By the age of 35, I achieved every goal I set for myself as a kid. The system did not allow for big goals, because a kid may be disappointed when they didn’t make their dream come true. I would like to see a world where we allow kids to dream big, and give them the tools to make those dreams come true.” — Ryan Berry, president of Level 2 Sportswear — level2sportswear.com “How to close a sale! Had I learned how to market myself and my business as a youth, I would not have had such a steep learning curve as an adult. We need to encourage kids to become entrepreneurs earlier in life and create the jobs they want rather than the jobs they get.” — Natalie Blais, owner of Natalie Blais Consulting Inc. — natalieblais.com “Thanks to my early IBM career, I learned three solid skill sets: The many steps of prospecting, relationship building, and business development; how to conduct a specific sales call process; and how to customize clientfocused presentations. Internalizing the belief that life is one long sales call has made my work, relationships and the achievement of mutually beneficial results less stressful and tremendously gratifying on many levels.” — Dr. June Donaldson, president of Donaldson & Associates Inc. — drjunedonaldson.com “Looking back, I wished I had learned about marketing and sales earlier in my life. I was so confident on what I was doing when I started my online tea business; I thought that my 30 years of working as accountant was all I needed to successfully grow any kind of business. Today I know I was naïve. Fortunately, I was blessed to meet a marketing coach, a great social network consultant and an experienced business mentor to guide me and support me when things got tough.” — Guylaine Gagnon, owner and professional tea sommelier at Zen T Boutique — zentboutique.com “Because I participated in Junior Achievement 42 years ago during my high school years, I learned such great lessons that have benefited and served me well. l learned about raising capital, creating and living within a budget, how to sell a product and most of all, how great it is to have a dream and then work to have it come true. I loved Junior Achievement!” — Brian Heninger, president of Heninger Holding Ltd. — heningertoyota.ca “I wish I had learned much more about finance from both a business and a personal perspective. It would have been great to have had some good, solid entrepreneurial business training in school. Much more useful than advanced sciences or calculus for the general population!” — Darlene Hull, founder of HotSpot Social Media — hotspotsocialmedia.com These answers are in response to a question posed by Scott Hillier, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta (southern-alberta. jacan.org), as part of our Community Question series. Sign up at capitalideascalgary.com to submit a business question of your own.
“The single biggest learning lesson for me was to ensure you surround yourself with good professionals that you are comfortable with and trust, [particularly] a good banker, accountant and lawyer. We all seem to make the mistake of trying to do too much, which is a critical mistake. Having all legal, financial and financing options [taken care of] is critical to ensure you can focus on what you do best, which is run your business and service your clients.” — Greg Keller, manager, director and COO of The Bon Ton Meat Market Ltd. — bontonmeatmarket.com “You can never develop enough communications skills, either verbal or written. You are constantly communicating and marketing at the same time. Every meeting, phone conversation and presentation involves communication, and are also all marketing opportunities. With this goes the skill of being a good listener, and getting to what the client or potential client needs … Know your strengths and weakness, and promote your strengths while constantly working on your weaker points. Finally, do not be afraid to seek help, and build a team of trusted advisers.” — Leo Kelly, partner at Kelly & Creaghan — kellyandcreaghan.com “The one thing I wish I had learned in my youth was the confidence to speak in public. Whether it’s just speaking up in class, giving a toast at an event or giving a speech — I was terrified. I believe that having this confidence in my youth would have helped me immensely during the start of my business. I’ve since had to overcome this fear in order to promote my business and network at events, and it only came from putting myself in situations where I had to speak. My three tips would be to know your audience, know your speech, and practice.” — Valery Klassen, owner and designer of Sun 7 Designs — sun7designs.com “The best advice I can give to our youth is to do what you say you’re going to do. If you stick to it, it will help you develop a strong leadership brand, and in turn, will allow you to open doors and build your own career path. In regards to entrepreneurship, working for yourself doesn’t mean you are working alone; being an engaged member of your community is a worthwhile way to live, and a great networking strategy.” — Carolyn Levy, executive vice-president of Randstad Canada — randstad.ca “Presentation skills, leadership and finances. It wasn’t until I was in my third year of business that I took a presentation-skills course through the Junior Chamber of Commerce. I became much more confident when talking to potential clients than I was when I first got into business at the age of 23. Today I’m earning a living as a professional speaker delivering presentations to business owners and managers. Leadership skills are also essential to running a business. I was a very shy individual when I was younger. And after 35 years of being in business and living through three recessions, I wish I had learned more about finances early in my career. These three skills are fundamental to sustaining and growing a business.” — David Saxby, president of Spark Communications Inc. — sparkcommunications.com
Global Entrepreneurship Week 2014 University of Calgary hosts various creative events designed to engage all audiences in entrepreneurship Where: Various locations on U of C campus (2500 University Dr. NW) Admission: Free. Details at haskayne.ucalgary.ca/hunter-centre
NOV
BizConnect
NOV
Small Business Tuesday — Understanding Financial Statements
18 18
NOV
29
Meet, mingle and network at this monthly event hosted by The Business Link When: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Where: Momentum (16-2936 Radcliffe Dr. SE) Admission: Free. Details at meetup.com/The-Business-Link-Calgary
Learn the importance of understanding financial statements, including income statements, balance sheets and cash-flow statements, with Jorge Gonzalez. When: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Where: Calgary Public Library (616 Macleod Tr. SE) Admission: Free. Details at calgarypubliclibrary.com
Shop the Neighbourhood A national initiative of Yellow Pages which supports small businesses and reminds Canadians how local shopping makes a difference Where: shoptheneighbourhood.ca Admission: Free. Small businesses may register before Nov. 21 at register-shoptheneighbourhood.yp.ca
Have an event that Capital Ideas should know about? Contact us at hello@capitalideascalgary.com. “Financial awareness is the skill I wished I had mastered in my youth. Understanding a balance sheet was not taught in school, and yet finances are a key element in every business’s success. The ability to calculate the return on investments can make or break a business.” — Nancy Seeger, CEO of Seeger Consulting Inc. — seegerconsultinginc.com “As a small, home-based business owner, I have to be a jack of all trades. I am the owner, employee, trainer, marketer, money manager, social media expert, etcetera, all while juggling family and personal responsibilities. I wish I had learned more effective organizational skills, and how to make and execute an effective action plan. The ability to balance shifting responsibilities is essential as an entrepreneur. In addition, I wish I had learned more effective communication skills. The art of tailoring your communication style to different personalities is essential in growing your business and motivating the people around you.” — Lauren Whitfield, owner of Fired Up Fitness — firedupfitness.ca
CAPITAL QUESTION: What question do you always ask in a job interview? Asking the right questions can go a long way toward finding the best employees for your business, which is why Wellington Holbrook, executive vice-president of ATB Business, is curious: What question do you always ask in a job interview? 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 Nov. 20. For great information on businesses in Alberta, visit atb.com/businessbeat.
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