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FEATURES
20 Collaboration & Community
Gustavson School of Business
Dean Anita Bhappu has visions of community collaboration.
BY DAVID LENNAM
What Gets Made Here Matters
Why it’s so important to support the local maker movement.
BY DALLAS GISLASON
40 The Ultimate Election Year
More than half the world is voting this year. We map it out.
42 All Hands on Deck
How to keep Greater Victoria’s thriving marine service industry afloat.
BY ANDREW FINDLAY
62 Committing to E-Commerce
Everything you need to know about getting your products and services online.
BY ALEX VAN TOL
49 Meetings & Retreats
You just get more accomplished when you connect face to face. We have everything you need to know when planning your next event.
• WHY YOU NEED A TEAM RETREAT
• MEETING TRENDS
• RETREAT PLANNING CHECKLIST
10 NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
15 IN THE KNOW
In booming Esquimalt, a stylish new neighbourhood pub; the soaring demand for firefighting planes; election issues for business owners; millions for Island businesses; SIPP’s new leadership; local business closures; rising retail thefts; Douglas Reads.
70 INTEL
70 TAKING YOUR STARTUP TO THE NEXT LEVEL Here’s what you need to do to keep growing your business. BY MIA MAKI
72 PR ON A SHOESTRING Tips for promoting your business without breaking the bank.
BY ROBYN QUINN
74 THE EVERYTHING OF DOING ... NOTHING Sometimes, it’s the most productive thing you can do. BY INGRID VAUGHAN
76 LIFE + STYLE
Why the breakfast meeting is the most important (or at least, the most effective) of the day; Mandarin lessons; meditation for greater success.
78 DID YOU KNOW
Business travel is up; so are disruptions.
JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE
Small Business, Big Impact
THERE IS A SIMPLE DEFINITION of what makes a business a small business in Canada: It’s one that employs between one and 99 people. According to stats from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, are some 1.19 million small businesses in this country. comprise nearly 98 per cent of all businesses, employ nearly half of our workers and produce more than 65 per of the goods we export.
It’s fair to say that small businesses form the backbone of the Canadian economy.
But the numbers don’t tell the whole story. As South Island Prosperity Partnership cofounder Dallas Gislason writes in his essay on the maker movement, it’s these small businesses that are the beating heart of any community. That’s especially true here in Greater Victoria.
“It’s fair to say that small businesses form the backbone of the Canadian economy.”
This community nurtures the kind of innovators, problem solvers, dreamers and makers who begin small projects that become big successes. They include the mom who starts making kombucha while she’s on mat leave, the retired athlete who opens a new wellness spa, the builder who prioritizes sustainability or the boater who designs a tracking system that catches the attention of international investors.
Each April, Douglas recognizes the most impressive of these fledgling businesses in our 10 to Watch Awards, and each year we are amazed by the talent, innovation and determination that thrives in this city.
C.P. (Chuck) McNaughton, PFP Senior Wealth Advisor 250.654.3342 charles.mcnaughton@scotiawealth.com themcnaughtongroup.ca
Each of these businesses keeps money here at home rather than sending it abroad to some faceless international corporation. More than that, every time you buy, say, a Viberg boot or a Phillips beer, an Ecologyst sweater, Zingaro perfume or peetz fishing reel, every time you support a local retailer or independent restaurant, you’re making connections, building networks, creating a vibrant and prosperous community.
That’s what our annual Small Business Issue is all about.
In these pages, you’ll find inspiring success stories, our special section on meetings and retreats, handy information for planning purposes and useful solutions to the questions you might have for your own business.
Because if there’s one thing we know for sure, your business may be small, but its importance is anything but.
Joanne Sasvari Editor-in-Chief editor@douglasmagazine.com
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VOLUME 18 NUMBER 5
PUBLISHERS Lise Gyorkos, Georgina Camilleri
EDITOR IN CHIEF Joanne Sasvari
BUSINESS EDITOR Fiona Anderson
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jeffrey Bosdet
LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kelly Hamilton
ASSOCIATE GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Janice Hildybrant, Caroline Segonnes
ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Deana Brown, Jennifer Dean Van Tol, Cynthia Hanischuk, Brenda Knapik
ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR Rebecca Juetten
MARKETING & EVENTS
CO-ORDINATOR Lauren Ingle
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Carolyn Camilleri, Andrew Findlay, Dallas Gislason, David Lennam, Mia Maki, Robyn Quinn, Liam Razzell, Alex Van Tol, Ingrid Vaughan
PROOFREADER Lionel Wild
CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Getty Images p. 40-41. 49, 50-51, 54, 56, 58, 62-65, 67, 77, 78
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COVER
Drew Irwin, owner, Philbrook’s Boatyard Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet
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IN THE KNOW
Esquimalt on the Rise ITK
Saxe Point Public House is among a wave of new developments in the community.
BY FIONA ANDERSON
Demian Merino has been in the hospitality industry for more than 30 years and, as he says, he’s no spring chicken. So he figured it was his turn to take a kick at the can.
That can was opening his own pub, the Saxe Point Public
House, which he did this past summer in Esquimalt.
After first looking at locations in downtown Victoria, he turned his attention to Esquimalt when his Realtor suggested a space in a new development there.
JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS
IN THE KNOW
“Esquimalt was never on the radar,” Merino says. “But after doing a little bit of research, and realizing that it would be the only little pub in town, I thought this is the right fit. It’s a great location. It’s right on the corner of Esquimalt Road and Park Place. And it has great window appeal [as well as] a nice little patio in the Library Square.”
He’s also got a growing market to serve. One of Greater Victoria’s biggest highrises, several condo projects and new police and fire stations are all being built in the area. Plus Esquimalt is becoming something of a foodie hub that includes the new, upscale Janevca Kitchen & Lounge at Rosemead House, the award-winning Middle Eastern restaurant Syriana and popular Filipino hotspot Benjamin’s Cafe.
“There’s a lot going on,” he says. “So I’m fortunate to get in on the ground level.”
When Merino first saw the location, a 10-minute walk from Saxe Point, it was a bare room with a junction box for the electrical and pretty well nothing else. Local artisans several of whom were about to retire but were up for one more project helped build the bar and install the lighting and upholstery.
“A lot of family and a lot of good people helped me get to where I am today,” says Merino. He also credits the City of Esquimalt. “They’ve been just so helpful and accommodating. They really wanted something local [in the spot] and run by a local operator.” That local flavour extends to the beer and spirits selection as well as executive chef Leon McIntyre’s elevated pub menu.
“It’s going great,” Merino adds. “The support from the community has been amazing. Everybody’s been loving it, and telling us that they’re so happy that we’re here in the neighbourhood.”
Meeting a Soaring Demand for Firefighting Planes
Aircraft manufacturer De Havilland expands Saanich operations in preparation for Europe’s anticipated 2028 wildfire season.
BY LIAM RAZZELL
Last year, when wildfire raged in the hills surrounding Athens, firefighting planes made by Canadian aircraft manufacturer De Havilland came to the rescue. Now nearly two dozen more are on the way to Greece and other European countries made with parts manufactured right here in North Saanich.
Commonly called scoopers, these planes can lift water out of lakes, rivers and oceans to drop on nearby fires. Now a new, state-of-the art scooper is about to join the 162 Canadian-made aircraft already in operation globally.
The twin-engined DHC515 has an improved drop
system and avionics suite, compared to the DHC-415 that is currently in use, allowing pilots to scoop and release water faster and more precisely. The air-conditioning system will also outperform those in earlier models.
“It’s anywhere from 35 to 50 degrees in the cockpit,” says Neil Sweeney, the manufacturer’s vice-president of corporate affairs. “Having a really strong air-conditioning system allows [the pilots] to fly their missions longer.”
Otherwise, he adds, “In terms of the performance of the aircraft, it’s pretty much the same.”
Canada has long been a leader in building these
amphibious aircraft. They were first manufactured by Canadair, then Bombardier and now De Havilland Canada, which is making parts for these planes at the former Viking Air plant in Saanich. It will then ship those components to its Calgary plant, where another team will assemble the aircraft.
There is so much demand for the new scooper, De Havilland recently doubled its Saanich workforce to 300 and has implemented an in-house training academy designed to get workers on the floor quickly.
There have already been 22 orders for the new plane, 12 of them for Europe’s civil
The De Havilland-manufactured ‘scoopers’ lift water out of lakes, rivers and oceans to drop on nearby fires.
protection body, RescEU. It will split the order evenly between six member states that have been the worst affected by wildfires: Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Croatia. Greece and Spain have each purchased an additional five aircraft at a reported cost of $392 million for seven DHC515s.
European partners will receive the planes in time for the start of the 2028 fire season. Says Sweeney: “We believe our aircraft will help mitigate the impact of the wildfires and help countries around the world protect communities and the environment.”
TOP 3 ELECTORAL ISSUES
As British Columbia heads to the polls on October 19, three issues have been top of mind for voters, according to a survey commissioned by the B.C. Chamber of Commerce and conducted by Counsel Public Affairs: health care (57 per cent), the cost of living (50 per cent) and housing (45 per cent).
Ottawa Invests in Island Businesses
BY FIONA ANDERSON
Four Victoria-area businesses are sharing some of the $3.5 million announced by the federal government in September to help Vancouver Island businesses.
14% 65%
British Columbians feel that opportunities for business have improved Employers feel government regulatory changes are causing investment uncertainty
39% 72%
British Columbians feel that opportunities for business have worsened Employers who say the cost of doing business is higher
New leadership at SIPP
Partnership ready to build the region’s growth.
The South Island Prosperity
Partnership has named Aaron Stone as new CEO. Stone takes on the new role starting October 7; to do so, he has had to step down as mayor of Ladysmith, a position he has held since 2014. He has also held a number of other positions, including chair of the Island Coastal Economic Trust and chair the Cowichan Valley Regional District.
Stone wants to continue building “on the strong foundation” the team at SIPP has created.
“And then with the expansion into COAST [the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technology] and the Indigenous Prosperity Centre, [this position] really spoke to me as an Ec Dev geek,” Stone says. “My passion has really been around economic reconciliation, diversification and innovation.”
SIPP has also named Terry Gunning, a partner at accounting firm EY, as the new chair of the board, along with new directors Evan Machin, Katie McGowan, Mark Donahue and Jenny Farkas.
Industrial Plankton, which creates bioreactors that produce seaweed and algae that are used to feed shellfish, largely oysters, for consumption and restoration, is receiving $900,000. CEO Robert Roulston, who founded the company with two others in 2010, says the company has grown 30 per cent annually over the last five years.
“We’re just totally out of space here, so that’s going to let us keep that momentum going,” Roulston says.
The company plans to build a new facility in Langford that will be three times larger than its current location.
In addition:
The Métis Provincial Council of British Columbia is receiving $250,000 to transform the historic Point Ellice House into a showcase for Métis culture and heritage.
Open Ocean Robotics will receive $800,000 to increase production of its solarpowered, uncrewed boats that monitor ocean conditions and track marine life. The money, according to the media release, is to help the company access new markets.
Fluorescent Design, an e-commerce software design and development company that helps other companies develop their online presence, including providing templates for Shopify, is receiving $569,000.
ALFREDO
Aaron Stone is the new CEO at SIPP.
Retail Theft is on the Rise
Today’s shoplifters are more violent and cost us all money.
Retail theft now costs this country $5 billion a year, according to the Retail Council of Canada, and it’s not only increasing, but becoming more brazen.
Shoplifting is no longer just a case of a stickyfingered customer slipping a lipstick or mickey of gin in their pocket. Often, it involves organized crime and/or groups of thieves who enter a store to steal multiple items at the same time — even removing entire shopping carts full of merchandise.
Experts blame inflation, the high cost of living, mental health issues and addiction problems.
The RCC says that, on average, retail thefts have risen by about 300 per cent since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Those thefts have also been accompanied by a rise in abusive behaviour, which is one reason police advise against confronting a suspected thief directly.
RETAIL THEFTS COST
$ 5B PER YEAR
Shoplifting affects all types of retailers, and the cost to a business can be enormous.
RETAIL THEFTS HAVE RISEN
SINCE 2020 300%
Some employees report being threatened with knives, needles, machetes and bear spray; one London Drugs staffer was even hit with a hatchet. And when the Canadian Federation of Independent Business surveyed its members last year, they found that small-business owners in B.C. were significantly more worried about employee safety than their counterparts in other provinces.
Shoplifting affects all types of retailers, and the cost to a business can be enormous. It’s not just the loss of merchandise, but the expense of security measures, the difficulty retaining staff and a likely increase in insurance rates, all of which result in lower revenue for the store and higher prices for customers. In some cases, retailers have been forced to close their doors for good.
Retail organizations have appealed to governments at all levels to tackle the underlying issues, but so far it seems like a problem with no solution in sight.
Greggs Furniture Shutters
Business closure comes with a warning about Victoria’s street chaos.
BY FIONA ANDERSON
After more than 70 years, much of it in the same neighbourhood, Greggs Furniture & Upholstery on Government Street near Queens Avenue has decided to close its doors this fall, citing, in part, street disorder in the area.
Owner David Screech’s family has been running Greggs since his wife’s uncle took it over in the early 1960s. The company makes custom-upholstered furniture, with reupholstery as the biggest part of its business and clients including the B.C. Legislature and many of Victoria’s hotels.
“What I’m most proud of is the fact that we have repeat customers who come back time after time after time, who appreciate what we do, who have furniture that we built for them originally reupholstered or to have pieces that we upholstered reupholstered again,” Screech says. “And that’s what kept us going for so long: those loyal, dedicated customers who’ve appreciated what we do.”
And the demand is still there.
“That’s one of the things that breaks my heart,” he says. “We’re a profitable business, and it’s sad to close it down. But it’s just the reality of what we have to do.”
Screech says his business has faced a
number of challenges, including a lack of skilled trades and rising property taxes. Plus he’s not getting any younger.
“But definitely the tipping point is the street chaos,” he says. “For the last five or six years, it’s been getting continuously worse, and I just personally don’t want to deal with it anymore.”
Screech thinks the City of Victoria needs to be far more responsive to local businesses.
“They tend to have the attitude that it’s private property and therefore they can’t help,” he says. “And they need to. If the problems are going to be as critical as they are, they need to appoint a liaison officer to the business or some direct contact, someone that we can call when the situation is bad.”
The province has to step in, too, and look at involuntary care, he says.
“We see people daily on the street that lack the ability to look after themselves, and they just shouldn’t be there. It’s cruelty.”
He adds: “I think what upsets me the most is that I’ve worked in this block for 42 years, and all I see is it getting worse, and nothing to give me any encouragement or inclination that it’s going to change for the better.”
JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE
DOUGLAS READS
Rather than a “how-to” book, Small Enterprise Marketing: Eighteen Case Studies is more of a “how-done” book. Released in September, the book is described as “a collection of narratives about the journeys made by inspiring, determined, innovative individuals who have applied their passion and skills to the creation of successful small businesses.” Author Carolyn Strong is a professor of marketing at Cardiff Business School and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Strategic Marketing.
Every business knows that social media is a must. But what does that mean? Do you need to be on every platform, TikToking and X’ing between Facebook posts? You’d need a small army to cover all the sites and a small army is exactly what a small business does not have. The Art of Small Business Social Media, coming out in November, promises to provide the tips you need to figure out which sites to focus on and how. Author Peg Fitzpatrick is a self-proclaimed social media expert who has orchestrated successful social media campaigns for companies like Audi, Google and Virgin, according to her website, and co-authored The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users with Guy Kawasaki in 2014.
& Community Collaboration
An entrepreneurial new dean brings a dynamic spirit of co-operation to UVic’s Gustavson School of Business.
BY DAVID LENNAM
|
PHOTO BY JEFFREY BOSDET
Collaboration and co-operation come up a lot when you talk to the new dean of the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business.
Since taking over the job at the University of Victoria a year ago, overseeing 1,000 undergrads, 150 to 200 grad students and 130 faculty and staff, Anita Bhappu is continuing the school’s innovative approach and core values of sustainability, entrepreneurship and an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach.
Bhappu has plenty of experience outside of the classroom, including several years working as a product development engineer for Procter & Gamble.
Bhappu was born in Karachi, Pakistan, where she lived until her early teens, when her family emigrated to Arizona. She attended the University of Arizona for an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering before also earning a PhD in organizations and management there.
She’s already implementing a philosophy of collaboration and engagement, saying the school is ready to step out and ask people’s opinions and ensure there’s community involvement.
Douglas: What appealed to you about the role at Gustavson?
Anita Bhappu: I saw myself and my journey in what I read about Gustavson the international, the innovative entrepreneurship piece, the sustainability piece and also this idea of the way we teach business here, that integrative view of business, that was my background. I knew I wasn’t going to fit a traditional business school.
Douglas: Was being able to set the culture and tone part of the attraction?
AB: I’m training my own people to be comfortable with stepping into courageous conversations. But that requires people to trust and have psychological safety and that’s the human organizational perspective I bring. How do you build a culture? How do you build the organization and how do you structure people and attach them in teams so that we get there and people can have innovative solutions because they’re actually expressing truly what they think? That’s how you get to better decisions.
Douglas: Tell me about when you went back to school for post-grad work.
AB: My dissertation and early research were framed around the issues that I experienced at Procter & Gamble about managing teams that are both diverse, in terms of culture and demographics, but also function and background. P&G had teams that were distributed around the globe. How do you manage that complexity? How do you deal with the conflict that comes up? How do you help the teams communicate and align? I went back to grad school to see if I could learn something about how to do this better.
Douglas: One of Gustavson’s pillars being entrepreneurship intrigued you, didn’t it?
AB: That was a point of connection for me. The people here have that and I relate to that and I think we also do a lot of entrepreneurship training and a lot of innovation and I think that goes back to the engineer in me.
I’m training my own people to be comfortable with stepping into courageous conversations.
Academia is about critical thinking, and really learning how to think and make decisions that are evidence-based.
Douglas: You’ve talked about “intrapreneurship.” How is that different from entrepreneurship?
AB: We need that entrepreneurial mindset and action within to drive change from the inside out. Sometimes companies set up competitive entities within their corporate structure to develop the next solution that would drive them out of market so that they can capitalize on that innovation. So it’s this concept in organizations where
you want to create safe spaces or groups inside that are insulated in a good way from the bureaucratic inertia and can push that inertia by developing solutions, but with that inside acknowledge so they can really bring that change.
Douglas: Isn’t that the role of a consultant?
AB: That’s one of the problems with the consulting model where you have external people come in. They do their analysis, they give you a solution or a set of recommendations, and then they walk away. And even if they stay to try to implement it, most of it fails because they’re not from the inside. So the intrapreneurship is change agents who are bringing perspectives and driving innovation from the inside out.
Douglas: What changes at business schools don’t thrill you?
AB: There’s this proliferation of degrees and various speciality hot areas … I worry we are losing sight on why you get a degree. Academia is about critical thinking, and really learning how to think and make decisions that are evidencebased. We seem to be moving to degrees
that are a compilation of technical skills. Education never was about always aligning to the market for a job. It was about creating thoughtful, mindful citizens first.
Douglas: Is this another reason you decided to take this job?
AB: Why Gustavson for me was such an attractive choice is because that’s our DNA here. We focus on that integrative product, teaching students how to be thoughtful, mindful, responsible people in the world. We’re not just training your next employee.
Douglas: How does a business school work with Victoria’s business community?
AB: My understanding is our school came about as Victoria’s business school and the business community in Victoria essentially lobbied for it. We are going back to those roots to ask the community how can we help?
Douglas: What philosophies are you bringing in?
AB: There are two mantras my people walk around saying: “We’ve got to stop doing some good things to do some great things.” And the other one is, “We’ve got
to stack value because we no longer are resourced where we can use one strategy for one outcome.” We need one strategy to affect multiple outcomes and you only can do that if you’re collaborating and communicating well.
Douglas: If you could tell business grads one thing, what would it be?
AB: When you’re asked to share resources, when people ask you to help or to give, bring an abundance mindset. And when you’re taking or using resources, bring a scarcity mindset.
Douglas: What does the business school of the future look like?
AB: It will be less competitive and more collaborative. I don’t think there’s room for the business school of the past much like, quite frankly, the extractive-only profit model. We’re talking about triple bottom line or the idea of people-planet-profit and, in order to do planet and people, along with profit, by definition you’re stepping away from a competitive mindset to a more holistic or integrative view. And while there’s a lot of lip service to that word sustainability, whether the schools are actually executing at that level is another question. Gustavson is.
Douglas: The TV show Succession business elite as incredibly accurate?
AB: [Laughs.] I have never people in real life. But I very interesting narrative want to believe but in that I’ve been around I’ve people.
Douglas: What advice can entrepreneur who never school?
AB: You have to invest in have to seek it and I would sometimes when you’re [of entrepreneurship] you’re the doing. But in order to doing you have to reflect academia pushes you to learning and doing.
Douglas: Tell me about offering its students other conventional business training.
AB: We spend a lot of time how to work together. And mindfully in the curriculum experiential learning, through and coaching and that’s called it in the past soft power skills now learning to work with others and work with different others.
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made herematters
BY DALLAS GISLASON | PHOTOS BY JEFFREY BOSDET
REAL PEOPLE WHO CREATE REAL THINGS FORM THE HEART OF OUR COMMUNITY. IN THIS SPECIAL GUEST ESSAY, ONE OF SIPP’S COFOUNDERS DALLAS GISLASON EXPLAINS WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL MAKER MOVEMENT.
Maker Movement: A Definition
The “maker movement” is an umbrella term for independent inventors, designers, tinkerers and artisans. It comprises traditional craftspeople, high-tech innovators and everyone in between, but mostly it defines a dreamer who has both an idea and access to powerful personal technology to create something unique and new and personal.
What those dreamers make is the exact opposite of the generic, massproduced stuff that fills our homes and landfills. Most of all, they are the ones who truly know what a community needs even before a community itself realizes it.
“Keeping the customer at the heart of everything” is what has driven Sean Hoyne, founder of Hoyne Brewing, to build a business that puts people — from employees to customers — first.
What is at the heart of “the economy”? On the one hand, we have modern innovations that add convenience but remove connection from our lives. On the other, we have community real people and real-life interactions involving trade, commerce and making things.
The origin story of every human settlement on Earth revolves around these elements, from the mountain communities of the Gold Rush to the grain-rich Prairie towns that became centres for mechanics, grocers, barbers and household goods retailers.
And at the heart of all of those communities are the people who make the stuff we need. Unique and vibrant local economies the farmers, authentic cafés, walkable streets buzzing with energy deliver connection.
But what happens if you take the community connection away from what gets made locally in favour of mass-produced goods, centrally managed chain stores and commodification of everything from cake mix to razor blades to fast fashion?
In short: A globalized economy disconnects us from the human and placecentric elements that were fundamental to community economies since the dawn of human civilization.
The Case for Local I’m writing this article to highlight how valuable makers are to our local
communities, and what we can do to nurture them.
Why do I care about this? The short answer is that it’s my job. I’m an economic developer who helped create the South Island Prosperity Partnership, which launched in 2016 as a region-wide alliance. I get paid to think about the local economy, and to develop interventions that improve it. And I love this job.
The longer answer is that it’s in my blood. I grew up in a multi-generational family business in rural Saskatchewan. In the early 1950s, my grandfather bought a furnishing and home appliance business from his employers. My dad started working in the business when he was 12 years old. As I grew up, he was always ready to fix a customer’s broken fridge or stove. But as time went on, those customers started looking for better deals elsewhere. The business went through different owners and eventually merged with a chain store that just closed it down.
What was lost wasn’t just a local business, but its community. Yet the trend of small, local businesses being swallowed by large multinationals is a trend that just keeps growing.
Now let’s add another trend from the last few decades: the outsourcing of manufacturing from developed countries. That doesn’t just mean the loss of local businesses it also puts at risk our capacity for making stuff, creating and retaining wealth in our communities.
What comes to mind when you read these phrases to yourself:
Amazon’s two-day delivery
A.I.-produced art available in seconds Every album ever recorded, downloadable through Spotify
Now let’s try again:
A farmer’s market vendor tells you how wildflowers make his honey taste better
Wood chips gather slowly around the feet of an Indigenous artist as he carves a mask
“Cheers!” Your friend smiles back at you as you both take a sip of local craft ale
What came to mind for you this time?
Something quite different, I bet.
The purpose of this word association is to prompt our thinking about what is at the heart of “the economy.” On the one hand, we have modern innovations that add convenience but remove connection from our lives. On the other, we have community — real people and real-life interactions involving trade, commerce and making things.
Vic West-based Rainhouse Canada Ltd., a paragon in the maker movement, works in the marine and aerospace fields, more recently moving into circuit-board manufacturing and repurposing batteries.
What It Takes to Get Started — And Then Scale Up
Brewing Success
The story of B.C.’s craft beer industry provides useful lessons and parallels for what might be possible in other industries.
Over 50 years ago, a 22-year-old microbiologist fresh off the plane from England discovered something abysmal: the bland, light-coloured lager that defined the Canadian beer industry. The “big three” (Molson, Labatt and Carling O’Keefe) were constantly cutting costs. And quality suffered.
That young man, named Frank Appleton, took a job at O’Keefe and over several years, his dissatisfaction with not just the product, but the workplace culture led him to throw in the towel. He moved to the Kootenays where he made his own beers in his garage and earned his income as a freelance writer. Then, in 1978, he published an article in Harrowsmith magazine called “The Underground Brewmaster” that would change British Columbia forever.
John Mitchell, the owner of the Troller Bay Pub in Horseshoe Bay, was also frustrated with the lack of quality and diversity in the beer market. Reading Appleton’s article prompted him to travel 600 kilometres to convince the young microbiologist to help him start a brewery.
After some trial, error and machinery cobbled together from old dairy equipment, their experiment worked. They launched B.C.’s first commercial craft beer: Bay Ale.
This prompted interest from other places. In Victoria, Mitchell and Appleton partnered with Paul Hadfield on Spinnakers, Canada’s first brew pub. Then, with a new protegé named Sean Hoyne, Appleton created what is now Swan’s Brew Pub. Hoyne went on to become the brewmaster at Canoe Club (now CRAFT Beer Market) in Victoria’s Inner Harbour. A few years later he launched his flagship brewery, Hoyne Brewing.
A few years later and voilà!, British Columbia now has an estimated 230 brewpubs and microbreweries.
My conclusion is that one early mover who was willing to nurture others around him made the craft beer movement possible — and the people he nurtured, in turn, nurtured others.
Growing Businesses
Perhaps the hardest proposition within the maker movement is scaling up from one’s garage (or the maker space) into a viable manufacturing business.
Ray Brougham, president of Rainhouse Canada Ltd., has operated such a business for over 20 years. From its base in Vic West, Rainhouse can build pretty much anything, but has specialized in marine and aerospace sectors and, more recently, in circuit-board manufacturing as well as clean-energy products through repurposed batteries.
Rainhouse has long promoted the value of local manufacturing and bringing back Canada’s capacity for building things.
“We offer mentorship programs, where experienced team members guide and inspire younger professionals,” says Brougham. “We also prioritize community engagement by sponsoring local engineering teams and hosting educational events. These efforts not only strengthen our workforce, but also contribute to the vibrant culture of innovation and craftsmanship in our region.”
Brougham has many thoughts on how we can better nurture manufacturing in Canada:
• Encourage vocational training that involves apprenticeships. Getting people out of the classroom and onto the shop floor can accelerate learning.
• Develop world-class facilities that inspire people to get involved in manufacturing. These facilities could also attract businesses to locate in them to gain access to shared equipment, a trained workforce and a ripe R&D and testing environment.
• Streamline regulations while also introducing programs that help promote and incentivize made-in-Canada products, from early-stage R&D and innovation, through to commercialization and market growth.
Ray adds that doing this effectively requires collaboration between postsecondary institutions, industry associations, governments, regulators and businesses.
“During the pandemic, we accessed a program that helped us create a partnership with an academic institution and another manufacturer to develop a portable machine that could disinfect PPE equipment using ultraviolet light,” Brougham explains.
“This was something the market needed urgently due to the COVID 19 crisis, but it was only possible because multiple partners — including the government — came together quickly and worked through the whole process.”
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By “wealth” I don’t mean appreciating real-estate values. I actually mean the ability of our local economy to bring in money from the outside world through exporting something of value. And, more importantly, the ability to circulate that wealth in such a way that more people benefit from it through supplier relationships and limiting the amount of wealth that leaks out of the economy through imports.
A great example of this here in Victoria is Phillips Brewing’s recent transition toward employee ownership. It would have been easier for Matt Phillips to fuel the growth and transition of the business through a private equity transaction; instead, the shift toward employee ownership will mean that these people have a direct stake in the future success and wealth creation of the business.
According to the Conference Board of Canada, an estimated $7.2 billion of retail spending will occur in Greater Victoria in 2024. Now, that’s a lot of potential for local businesses and local spending. How much of that will be spent on locally made goods or locally grown food? The answer is: not nearly enough.
Yet, according to research conducted by the non-profit LOCO BC in 2019,
up to 4.6 times more revenue than multinationals, keeping up to 63 per cent of revenue in B.C., compared to just 14 per cent. Independent businesses also produce 8.4 times more jobs per square foot of operational space.
LOCO BC also found that local businesses donate 24 times more money per dollar of revenue to charities and local causes than multinationals.
Human Connections
We might cruise by Forest Technology Systems in Langford, Crust Bakery in Victoria or Titan Boats in Sidney without ever knowing the origin story or the people behind those businesses. These three companies have unique stories: The first was founded by a Canadian Forest Services employee and has gone on to install over 5,000 forest-monitoring stations globally. The second was started by an Australian immigrant and now serves lineups of satisfied customers that often stretch across the entryways of neighbouring businesses. And the third is a multi-generational family business whose aluminum boats, made in their expanded 28,000-square-foot facility, are sold around the world.
One of my favourite examples of the brand” is the
first time I met Sean Hoyne, founder of Hoyne Brewing. I had an appointment to interview him for a project and when I walked in I found him up on a platform, stirring a large, shiny container full of hops. (This was several years before Hoyne invested in the automated equipment they use today.) He told me he’d have to do the interview while stirring because the special hop soup had to be moved into another container at a precise time. (Quality control!) So we did exactly that. He stirred, I asked questions.
Thirteen years after launching Hoyne Brewing, Hoyne offers some new insights on how their brand operates as a personcentric enterprise.
“I really wanted to create a business that I would want to work for,” he says. “Doing this effectively has had cascading effects. A team that trusts each other, has fun together, genuinely enjoys each others’ company and holds no hostility, even when there’s conflict, has contributed to our common goals while also maintaining a remarkably low employee turnover rate.”
He also explained that their key to success has been about living by wellarticulated values.
“For us, it’s about keeping the customer at the heart of everything,” he adds. “Every bottle or can must go out the door
Globally or Locally Made?
On the left, a well-known global brand; on the right, the local maker with a similar product of equal or greater quality. Which will you choose?
BIG OUTSIDE COMPETITOR LOCAL ALTERNATIVE
Starbucks
Vista Print
Level Ground Coffee Roasters
Metropol Print Shop
Anheuser-Busch InBev Hoyne Brewing
Frank And Oak Ecologyst
Glad ClingWrap Naturebee
Serta Mattress Faucett Mattress
Gillette Razors
Marley Machine Works
Breyers Cold Comfort Ice Cream
Coca-Cola
Red Wing Shoes
Derek Jacoby, founder of Victoria Makerspace, sees the tangible rewards of using your own ingenuity to build a product or solve a problem.
Phillips Soda Works
Viberg Boot
with the expectation that the person who consumes it will not only recognize it a quality product, but they’ll get the same experience each time. It comes down trust. When they make the decision to spend their hard earned money on one [Hoyne’s] beers, we want them to feel was a good decision. Every time.”
“Innovation happens best when you work on things together. Our constrained spaces in the city make this difficult, so having a place where people can congregate and collaborate brings value.”
— Derek Jacoby
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Nurturing Makers
What about other types of makers? How do we nurture them? One answer might be through the Victoria Makerspace.
“There are various types of maker spaces in the world,” says founder Derek Jacoby. “Our Victoria Makerspace is a 500-squaremetre workshop facility located at the Vancouver Island Technology Park that encompasses everything from woodworking to robot building to synthetic biology, all under the same roof.”
According to Jacoby, the benefits of working in such an environment are plentiful.
“Innovation happens best when you work on things together. Our constrained spaces in the city make this difficult, so having a place where people can congregate and collaborate brings value. We have members who can help you learn how the machines work or help you experiment with a new idea.”
He adds: “We’re also a foundational node in MIT’s How to Grow Almost Anything synthetic biology course. So the values are multifaceted: people pursuing passions and projects that mix learning, business development and hobbies in equal measure.”
Wealth management
Regional Strength
A maker doesn’t need to be owned locally to have a positive impact on our community. For instance, Schneider Electric is a France-based multinational that acquired a local business called Power Measurement in the early 2000s, but continues to represent a high-quality, niche product line that has buyers all over the world. Not only that, they are the Island’s No. 1 employer of UVic engineering graduates, keeping our young people here with well-paying, career-oriented jobs. It is among a range of locally made products and services (some locally owned, like Titan Boats, and others not) that play on regional strengths such as our long history as an ocean city.
GLOBAL COMPETITOR
Metal Shark Boats
Cessna
Dropshipping from China
LOCAL MAKER
Titan Boats
Viking Air / De Havilland
Rainhouse Manufacturing Canada
Siemens
Hyundai Heavy Industries
GE HealthCare
Shimano
On a more personal level, Jacoby says that it’s simply rewarding to be able to build something or solve a problem using your own ingenuity. He notes an example where members ran workshops on how to assemble 3D-printed LipSync devices, enabling paraplegic computer users to operate a mouse with just their mouths.
Is this community model catching on? Well, in 2013, they had just 50 members. Today they have 250.
“We are once again grappling with the question of how we balance growth with a focus on our existing members,” Jacoby explains, “but we are still welcoming new members and encouraging folks to join our community.”
A Stronger Future
A few days ago while en route to pick up
Mentorship programs are a
component
Schneider Electric
Seaspan Shipbuilding
StarFish Medical
PEETZ reels
a friend from the airport, I sat at the red light at Island View Road beside Michell’s Farm, facing north. Across the way the vehicles waited for their green light, facing south. It was there in that lineup of vehicles that I noticed something I’d seen a hundred times, but had never given a second thought.
This time I decided to count: six, seven, eight … nine! Nine Amazon delivery trucks waiting at one red light!
Quite the contrast: On one side of the road, Michell’s Farm. A local, multigenerational family business. And on the other, Amazon. A global multinational, owned by one of the wealthiest people in the history of the world, here to ensure rapid delivery of household goods everything from toilet paper to flat-screen TVs available at our fingertips.
Both of these businesses may be deemed essential to our 21st-century way of life: one providing access to quality, locally grown food; the other, bringing us household goods that make our daily lives easier and more convenient.
It’s with this observation at that red light that I offer this challenge: How can we embrace the modern-day conveniences of 21st-century technologies and services things such as A.I., digital streaming and Amazon Prime delivery while also preserving the health, vibrancy and unique character of our local economies?
I don’t pretend to have all the solutions, but one thing is for certain: We must nurture and support the local makers. Our cities, towns and neighbourhoods will be stronger for it.
key
of skills development and community engagement at Rainhouse Canada Ltd. in Vic West.
TRACEY BURNS, COACHING & CONSULTING
Transforming deep differences into innovative dialogue
Tracey Burns is a Master Certified Coach and the founder of Tracey Burns Coaching & Consulting, which has been supporting clients across Canada and the US since 2007. Her business specializes in transformative coaching and leadership development, offering a unique approach that combines profound self-awareness with practical strategies for achieving sustainable personal and professional growth. Her services include one-on-one coaching, team coaching, workshops, consulting and customized programs that address real-time challenges. Tracey is known for delivering measurable results and a strong return on investment. Her mission is to inspire meaningful change, nurture environments where people flourish, and cultivate spaces where innovation and creativity are boundless.
hether it’s through generous donations to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation and BC Children’s Hospital Festival of Trees, enthusiastic participation in initiatives like Think Local First and Power to Be, collaboration with the Victoria Chamber of Commerce on advocating for local small businesses, or proud sponsorship of The Royals and The HarbourCats, the clinic has prioritized giving back for over 35 years.
Patients trust Mayfair Optometric Clinic not only for exceptional eye care but also for their genuine investment in the well-being of our community.
Photo: Chas Holzworth
SEA POWER MARINE CENTRE
Powering boats and empowering boaters since 1978
Sea Power Marine Centre, often referred to simply as Sea Power, has been a trusted name in the boating community since its establishment in 1978. Based in Sidney, Sea Power is a familyowned and operated business dedicated to providing comprehensive boat services and high-quality parts to boat owners along the west coast. The business has been under the leadership of Andrew Gill, Owner and President, since 2000. His commitment to the boating community is evident in the company’s dedication to customer service and marine education.
At Sea Power, the goal is to simplify the complexities of boat ownership. The company’s full-service department is equipped to handle all types of engines and yacht systems, with a particular specialization in Volvo Penta products, making Sea Power one of the largest Volvo Penta dealers on the island. The in-house parts department stocks thousands of items, ensuring clients receive the best parts at the right price. Connor Gill is one of Sea Power’s service writers, which is a key role in managing customer communications and
Melissa Gill is the Finance Administrator, handling budgets and invoicing.
Sea Power’s sister company, Clear Marine Canvas & Upholstery, known as Clear Marine, was launched in 2019. Clear Marine specializes in high-quality marine canvas work, from full enclosures to custom cushions. Maddy Gill, a Canvas Fabricator at Clear Marine, works closely with clients to create functional and aesthetically pleasing solutions for their boating needs.
The values that drive Sea Power are rooted in education, communication, and top-tier service.
new to the experience, Sea Power ensures they fully understand the work being done on their vessel and feel comfortable asking questions throughout the process. The team’s ongoing training on the latest technologies ensures that any issue a boater might encounter can be effectively addressed.
The values that drive Sea Power are rooted in education, communication, and top-tier service. The company’s mission is to revolutionize the marine service industry by being the ultimate caretaker for boaters and their vessels. This mission is accomplished by blending expert repair services with unparalleled education on maintenance and safety, empowering boat owners to be more confident and self-reliant.
Sea Power’s competitive advantage lies in its open line of communication with clients. Whether a client is a seasoned boater or
As a leader in the boating community, Sea Power Marine Centre is committed to making boating easier for its clients through education, communication, and reliable service, ensuring that every trip on the water is a trouble-free and enjoyable experience.
2280 Harbour Road, Sidney, BC
250-656-4341 seapower.ca
Left to right: Melissa Gill, Connor Gill, Maddy Gill and Andrew Gill
LUMERA PRODUCTIONS
Providing outstanding event and production service
Lumera Productions Inc. is based in Victoria and was founded by its president, Shane Archer in 2009 as a sole proprietor operating out of his car. He provided livestream services for small events and concerts. Lumera became incorporated in 2014 and grew to take on film and video production services. Marty Schoeps joined Lumera as its vice president in 2021. Together with their vast knowledge in many areas of audio and video, Shane and Marty have grown Lumera into many service offerings including Event Production, Commercial Video Production, Audio Services, LED Video Wall Services, Drone Services including standard and FPV, Broadcast and Livestream Services and the latest addition, AV Installation Services.
Equipped with a broadcast truck, cameras, a plethora of drones, and professional digital audio equipment, Lumera is ready to service any production. They now have served clients in Federal and Provincial governments, municipalities, military, corporate, education, not for profit, hotels,
sports, Indigenous communities, meetings, conferences, festivals, and concerts.
“We’re not afraid of the unknown or to try something different. We draw on a vast array of experience to tackle issues and think of new, innovative ways of doing things. Many companies offer LED wall, but how creative can they be with it?” says Shane. They also ensure the quality of equipment they provide is outstanding.
Shane and Marty are passionate about their work and the quality of services they offer. They envision continuing to grow a company that truly cares about people, both clients and their staff. The company strives to offer staff livable wages that support their families and to give back to the community by offering mentorship programs for youth and college or university students.
When asked why they strive to be a betterthan-average company, the answer is because they care about people and want to change people’s lives.
This passion is catching on as is evident by the 400% growth in 2024 over 2023. Why would people want to work with Lumera? Because they are creative, knowledgeable, collaborative, open, honest, and transparent. Their service is desirable, they’re flexible, easy to work with and have a higher standard that most local AV companies. So, if you want quality people and service, Lumera Productions Inc. is the company to work with.
They are a small company capable of big things and are quickly becoming known in many sectors and industries.
LED Wall Stage Backdrop - Rising Economy Conference 2023
Left to right: Shane Archer, founder and president, and Marty Schoeps, vice president
PACIFIC SCHOOL OF INNOVATION AND INQUIRY
Brave new model of what school can be
In 2012, Jeff Hopkins started constructing the foundation for a new independent high school. In 2013, that became a reality with the opening of Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry (PSII for short, pronounced “sigh” for even shorter) beginning a new chapter in BC education. Flash forward 11 years and PSII has grown from 36 learners to over a hundred, has attracted teachers and community mentors who embrace the PSII values of meaningful, personalized education, and has seen over 2600 visitors from all over the world coming to Victoria to soak up the brave new model of what school can be.
you are walking into a tech startup, or an arts collective, or a writers’ workshop, or a research facility. Because PSII builds individual curriculum for each learner based on the questions they have about the world and the things that they are passionate about exploring, the school can look like many things depending on when and where one is looking.
“What we do should not be ‘alternative’; it should be the norm.”
“That was our intention all along,” says Hopkins. “Our goal has always been to create a living model and proof of concept, wanting to help others adopt our approach and supporting structures and to take it all into the public mainstream. What we do should not be ‘alternative’; it should be the norm.”
Walking into PSII today might feel like
“School needs to be different if we are to truly meet the needs of adolescents, based on what we have learned through the years since schools were first conceptualized during the industrial revolution,” says Hopkins. PSII embeds best practice based on modern adolescent psychology and research about engagement, motivation and learning, helping learners of all kinds thrive. But this school model is not just about helping individuals. It is also about helping the world by playing a part in creating individuals who can think beyond a static curriculum and can ask the big questions that lead to positive change.
So far so good, as many graduates have stated that PSII has played a significant role in helping them discover their true selves, making it easier for them to choose pathways beyond high school that are fulfilling and meaningful.
Looking ahead, PSII is excited to welcome its next cohort of learners. Through its consultation arm, it also sees opportunities to help schools and education jurisdictions ready to make the leap.
For more information about the school, visit learningstorm.org.
Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry 100-808 Douglas Street Victoria, BC V8W 2B6
778-676-7744 (cell) learningstorm.org
Jeff Hopkins, co-principal, centre
Jeff Hopkins, co-principal
KING BROS. LIMITED
The Island’s importing experts
In business since 1911, King Bros. Limited is a customs brokerage and marine agency providing service to Vancouver Island importers of all kinds. “Industry knowledge, tailored customer service, and adaptability are some of the key factors behind the continued success of King Bros.,” says Simon Smith, president of the company, “We offer a boutique service to our clients, understanding their needs, and ensuring we are providing the correct advice to complement their business. We are acutely aware of the logistical challenges that importers face on the island, and we work with our clients and trade chain partners to mitigate those challenges and to minimize associated costs.”
The interconnectedness of the island economy is not lost on Smith, a member of the VIEA, Think Local First, and other island affiliations. “I have witnessed first-hand the growth of manufacturing, retail, and the overall entrepreneurial spirit on the island, and I know that we are just getting started. The island economy continues to expand along with the growing population which in turn propagates new business. I am proud to be able to helm a local company that has a proven track record of resiliency and adaptability that has allowed us to remain an important asset to importers up and down the island. We continue to employ new technologies that allow us to compete
with national brokerage companies whilst contributing to and supporting island businesses and the local economy.”
The importing landscape faces potentially massive upheaval this October with the introduction of CARM (CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management System) which will become the new system of record for importing to Canada. CARM will replace the decades old system of duty and tax collection and will, among a myriad of changes, require importers to obtain their own customs bonds.
“I am proud to be able to helm a local company that has a proven track record of resiliency and adaptability.”
“CARM represents the single biggest change the importing community has ever faced, full stop,” says Smith. While apprehensive about the pending launch, he states that it is absolutely critical that importers engage with their customs broker to ensure continuation of service when the new system goes live.
Simon Smith, president of King Bros. Limited
“King Bros. Limited has been working tirelessly to prepare for this day, and we are in a position to provide the necessary tools and support to all island importers. We are the island’s importing experts after all.”
Simon Smith, president
AGELESS LIVING WELLNESS CENTRE
Reshaping how we view aging and disease prevention
Michael Forbes is a seasoned entrepreneur with a successful track record in the medical industry.
Graduating from the University of British Columbia with a BSc. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Michael began his career shortly after as a compounding pharmacist, developing treatments through a combination of drugs to deliver a more tailored experience for his clients.
At the time, conventional hormone therapies, particularly for menopause, relied on substances like estrogen extracted from horse urine—an option later confirmed to increase cancer risks. Forbes recognized the dangers of these treatments and turned to bioidentical hormones (compounds identical to those produced by the human body) as an effective alternative that would reduce risk and provide relief for his patients. What these hormones offered was a safer solution for patients given that they were derived from natural sources. Moreover, these compounds could not be patented by pharmaceutical companies, making them a more cost-effective and accessible solution.
Over the past decade, Ageless Living has grown into a cutting-edge facility that focuses on disease prevention, longevity medicine, weight management and recovery.
However, there was a problem. As his compounding pharmacy business grew, he quickly realized a gap in the healthcare system: a lack of doctors trained in this evolving field of bioidentical hormone therapy. Determined to fill the void, he began sending doctors to specialized training programs in the U.S., planting the seeds for what would later become the Ageless Living wellness centres.
Over the past decade, Ageless Living has grown into a cuttingedge facility that focuses on disease prevention, longevity medicine, weight management, and recovery. As the world of medicine accelerates, Forbes is committed to staying ahead of the curve. He rejects the outdated model of traditional medicine which relies on a reactionary approach where ailments are diagnosed once they have been discovered. Instead, Ageless Living champions a proactive strategy, focusing on early diagnosis and prevention as the key to a healthier, longer life.
“As cancer risks rise, being diagnostic and preventative is the key to a long and healthy life,” Forbes says, emphasizing the importance of pushing medicine into uncharted territory. His mission is deeply personal: to help people live their best, healthiest lives and leave the world a better place. Under his leadership, Ageless Living continues to lead the charge in innovative healthcare, reshaping how we view aging and disease prevention.
Forbes’ dedication to advancing medical practices through personalized, preventative care is more than just a business, it’s a commitment to a healthier future for all.
Take control of your health — embrace prevention, longevity, and personalized care, book today Langley@agelessliving.ca.
Michael Forbes, founder, Ageless Living
FEAD
Empowering resilience in the agri-food sector
Female Entrepreneurs in Agri-Food Development, known as FEAD, was founded by the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre (Saskatchewan Food Centre) and is funded by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). FEAD is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting women and gender-nonconforming individuals in the food and agriculture industries across Canada. With a focus on providing tailored resources and opportunities, FEAD empowers these entrepreneurs to start, grow, and sustain their businesses.
Led by Executive Director Kendra Wack, FEAD is committed to helping its members navigate the unique challenges of the industry.
“Our goal at FEAD is to support growth for founders and leaders in the agri-food industry with accessible and relevant resources, learning, and networking opportunities,” Wack explains. “We have a dream where agrifood leaders and food-based businesses feel confident and secure navigating the intricacies of our complex sector.”
FEAD’s comprehensive support system is designed to meet the diverse needs of its members. Through its free membership program, participants gain access to a wide
array of benefits, including all FEAD events, four application-based accelerators, venture capital training, over 50 agri-food-focused webinars, instant-download worksheets, and more. Additionally, through its unique partnership with the Saskatchewan Food Centre, members can access technical expertise and state-of-the-art facilities to support the growth of their agri-food businesses.
One of FEAD’s standout initiatives is the Sohkitehew Circle Program, which specifically addresses the unique barriers faced by Indigenous founders in the agri-food sector, providing them with personal and business growth support. This program is facilitated by Membership and Marketing Coordinator Lindsay Toth, who also hosts the Friends of FEADies Podcast. The Podcast highlights food entrepreneurs and the impact of their work. Programs and Operations Coordinator Nafisa Mahabub also plays a crucial role in FEAD’s mission by offering venture capital training as an Investor Q&A Certified Trainer through the Small Scale Food Processor Association (SSFPA). Toth and Mahabub’s work underscores FEAD’s commitment to inclusivity and tailored
support, ensuring that all members, regardless of their background, have the tools they need to succeed.
Beyond education and training, FEAD is deeply committed to community engagement and social responsibility. The organization actively invests in the future of the food and agriculture industries through initiatives such as supporting Ag in the Classroom and Women’s Business Hub. By fostering a collaborative and supportive community, FEAD not only empowers individual entrepreneurs but also contributes to the broader growth of the agri-food sector across Canada.
Left to right: Nafisa Mahabub, Kendra Wack, Lindsay Toth
Sources: National Democratic Institute, International Foundation for Electoral Systems, Anchor Change. Note that countries, dates and other information are subject to change.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Population: 345 million
Election: Presidency, Senate, and House of Representatives Date: November 5
MEXICO
Population: 131 million Election: Presidency, Senate, Chamber of Deputies Date: June 2
THE
ULTIMATE ELECTION YEAR
This historic year, more people than ever before are voting in national elections around the world. Some two billion eligible voters in at least 64 countries, plus the European Union, are either casting their ballots or have already done so. The results so far suggest the planet is hungry for change, and that will almost certainly have an impact on your business.
But what “change” means depends on where it’s happening. Midway through 2024, far-right parties made significant gains in Europe while the centre-left British Labour Party ended 14 years of conservative Tory rule in the U.K. In India and South Africa, long-ruling parties were forced to form coalitions after losing their majorities. Senegal’s presidential vote, which saw an anti-
EUROPEAN UNION
Population: 449 million, comprising 27 E.U. member states
Election: European Parliament
Date: June 6 to 9
SOUTH AFRICA
Population: 64 million
Election: National Assembly Date: May 29
In 2024, half the world is heading (or has headed) to the polls in a make-or-break year for democracy.
corruption candidate replace that country’s decades-old ruling coalition, was considered a victory for democracy; Venezuela’s disputed return of authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro was not.
And in countries where opposition has been discouraged if not outlawed entirely, such as Russia or Bangladesh, voters have few options aside from spoiling their ballots or boycotting elections in protest, which more and more are doing.
Little wonder, then, that Staffan Lindberg, the director of the Swedish think tank Varieties of Democracy Institute (better known as V-Dem), has said: “2024 may be the make-or-break year for democracy in the world.”
IN FACT:
• 59% of respondents were dissatisfied with how their democracy was functioning;
• 74% said elected officials don’t care what people like them think;
• 42% believed that no political party in their country represented their views.
As the year winds to a close, all eyes are on the United States. Meanwhile, on this side of the border, British Columbia’s provincial election will be held on October 19 and Canada must hold its own national election by October 2025.
Given all the change happening around the globe, it will be a very different world by then.
INDIA
Population: 1.45 billion
Election: Lok Sabha (House of the People)
Date: April 19 to June 1
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Population: 145 million Election: Presidency Date: March 15 to 17
ALREADY VOTED
AMERICAS
EL SALVADOR Date: February 4
PANAMA Date: May 5
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Date: May 19
MEXICO Date: June 2
VENEZUELA Date: July 28
OCEANIA
TUVALU Date: January 26
SOLOMON ISLANDS Date: April 17
KIRIBATI Date: August 14 to 19
EUROPE
FINLAND
Date: January 28
BELARUS Date: February 25
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Date: March 15 to 17
PORTUGAL Date: March 10
NATIONAL ELECTIONS AROUND THE WORLD IN 2024
STILL TO VOTE
TUNISIA
Population: 12.6 million
Date: October 6
MOZAMBIQUE
Population: 34.9 million
Date: October 9
LITHUANIA
Population: 2.7 million
Date: October 13 and 27(parliament)
REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
Population: 3 million
Date: October 20 to November 3
GEORGIA
Population: 3.7 million
Date: October 26
URUGUAY
Population: 3.4 million
Date: October 27
UZBEKISTAN
Population: 35.7 million
Date: October 27
BOTSWANA
Population: 2.7 million Date: October 30
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Population: 345 million Date: November 5 PALAU
Population: 18,000 Date: November 5
GUINEA BISSAU
Population: 2.2 million Date: November 24
NAMIBIA Population: 2.6 million Date: November 27
ROMANIA Population: 19 million Date: November 24 to December 8
MAURITIUS
Population: 1.3 million Date: November 30
CROATIA
Population: 4 million Date: December
GHANA
Population: 34.8 million Date: December 7
SOUTH SUDAN
Population: 11.9 million Date: December 22
MALI
Population: 24.5 million
Date: unknown; postponed indefinitely by junta for “technical reasons”
UKRAINE
Population: 37.9 million Date: unknown; delayed due to martial law
SLOVAKIA
Date: March to April
NORTH MACEDONIA
Date: presidential election April 24; parliamentary elections May 8
ICELAND Date: June 1
EUROPEAN UNION Date: June 6 to 9
BELGIUM Date: June 9
SAN MARINO Date: June 9
UNITED KINGDOM
Date: July 4
CZECHIA
Date: September 20 to 28
AUSTRIA
Date: September 29
ASIA
BANGLADESH
Date: January 7
BHUTAN
Date: January 9
TAIWAN Date: January 13
AZERBAIJAN
Date: February 7
PAKISTAN
Date: February 8
INDONESIA
Date: February 14
CAMBODIA
Date: February 25
SENEGAL
Date: February 25
IRAN
Date: March 1
SOUTH KOREA
Date: April 10
INDIA Date: April 19 to June 1
MALDIVES
Date: April 21
MONGOLIA
Date: June 28
SYRIA Date: July 15
SRI LANKA Date: September 21
JORDAN Date: September 10
AFRICA
COMOROS
Date: January 14
TOGO
Date: April 29
CHAD
Date: May 6
SOUTH AFRICA Date: May 29
MADAGASCAR Date: May 29
MAURITANIA Date: June 22
RWANDA Date: July 15
ALGERIA Date: September 7
All Hands on Deck
Greater Victoria has a thriving marine service industry. It just needs enough skilled workers to keep it afloat.
BY ANDREW FINDLAY
PHOTOS BY JEFFREY BOSDET
Atthe bustling Philbrook’s Boatyard in Sidney, owner Drew Irwin and project manager Jamie Hansen are stickhandling a full slate of more than 60 work orders. Jobs range from the straightforward plumbing of a new toilet to multi-month refits of pride-and-joy classic yachts.
Saying “no” to a customer is hard to do for any business, but that’s the current reality at Philbrook’s. The phone keeps ringing with more than enough demand to keep the company’s 200-plus skilled technicians and tradespeople busy.
“If we had more people we could add a night shift and still be turning away
customers,” says Irwin, who joined Douglas magazine for a Zoom interview from London after completing a transatlantic sailing adventure with five others aboard a 72-foot Oyster yacht.
A surplus of demand is either an enviable problem to have or a limiting frustration. Either way, it’s an indicator of the many untapped employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in Victoria’s thriving yet somewhat unsung boat-building and maintenance sector.
From Rowboats to Subs
Given its 25,725 kilometres of rugged coastline, it’s not surprising that British
Columbia has a vast “blue economy” comprising everything from fisheries to ocean tech to marine services like shipbuilding and just keeps on growing. According to the Government of B.C., the maritime economy already contributes $7.6 billion to the province’s GDP and 43,000 jobs. Of those jobs, 22,000 are in the industrial marine sector, many of them right here. Greater Victoria has a 130-year history of shipbuilding, refit, repair, maintenance and supply-chain activities and is, among other things, home to Esquimalt Graving Dock, the largest on the west coast of the Americas.
Among the more than 40 Greater Victoria-
THE BLUE ECONOMY
HAS CREATED 43,300 JOBS IN B.C. — MANY OF THEM HERE IN GREATER VICTORIA — AND ADDS
$ 7 6 BILLION TO THE PROVINCE’S GDP.
based companies involved in the marine service industry are big players like Victoria Shipyards, owned by Seaspan, Canada’s largest private marine transportation company. Its 800 workers are deep into a contract with the federal government to modernize a fleet of four Victoria-class submarines, a 1980s vintage diesel-electric variety of submarine built in the United Kingdom. On the other end of the spectrum are innovative boutique companies like Whitehall Rowing, founded in 1987 by Harold Aune and Marie Hutchinson, which designs and builds all-weather rowing boats with the sort of sliding seats normally found in racing sculls.
Philbrook’s is one of the big players. It has a history as storied as the weathered mast on the Dorothy, a 30-footer built in 1896 at the James Bay boatyard, where the Inn at Laurel Point stands today. (This classic boat had a dozen owners before it was donated to the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, restored, then relaunched in 2023 as the oldest sailing vessel in the Pacific Northwest.)
Following the Second World War, Eric Philbrook and Ernie Butler launched a company that made cabinets and wooden Venetian blinds. In 1947, they caught the “boat bug,” according to the Philbrook’s website’s colourful company history, and
Philbrook’s Boatyard owner Drew Irwin says the business could add a night shift, due to surplus demand, if it could find more skilled workers.
built the 31-foot Bonnie Lou. The company went on to build and repair commercial boats throughout the 1950s. Then, in the mid 1960s, Philbrook’s scored a big contract to build two 65-foot Fisheries and Oceans Canada patrol boats from the keel up.
In 1971, the original founders sold to new owners, who tooled up for a production run of a 39-foot sailboat design dubbed Fast Passage. They would build and sell 36 of these sailing vessels during their 16-year run, while growing the repair and refit side of the business. The year 1987 saw another ownership change when Hal Irwin, a Toronto accountant, and his son Drew bought the company and moved west. By that time, Philbrook’s was primarily a boat repair, refit and restoration specialist. (The company completed its last keel-up new boat build in 2003.) Over the following decade, the company experienced huge growth.
“In the late ’90s we went from 30 employees to more than 230 employees,” Irwin says.
Roughly two-thirds of Philbrook’s business comes from American owners in the Seattle area, Oregon and California. They’re generally affluent. They know and love their boats and are willing to spend to keep them shipshape. And anyone who buys a boat
quickly learns that it requires constant and often expensive maintenance.
Painstaking Workmanship
Abernethy & Gaudin Boatbuilders and its small staff of 12 also serves a well-heeled, private-boat-owning demographic, mostly dwelling in the Victoria region but also in Puget Sound south of the border.
It’s a hot July afternoon at the company’s Brentwood Bay boatyard. The smell of wood shavings mingles with the sharp scent of solvent in a cluttered shanty that buzzes with activity. Two craftspeople are finishing a new transom made of gorgeous, auburn-hued teak on a boat that’s out of the water and on the rails. It’s one of countless details in a painstaking two-month restoration of this sleek, wooden power cruiser, one of roughly 100 that were built by Vancouver’s Grenfell Yachts back in the 1960s and early ’70s.
Owner Bruce Reid, of Sidney, is a Grenfell aficionado. His grandfather had a Grenfell and his son is also a proud owner. Reid now holds the rights to the design. One look at the work being done on his 35-foot, B.C.made wooden beauty and it’s immediately clear that quality trumps cost on this restoration.
After fielding a few phone calls, Jean
Gaudin wanders down to the dock with a retired couple who have made a surprise visit to check progress on their sailboat refit. It’s getting a bunch of new woodwork, including new gunnels currently being planed to perfection by a technician.
“My dad was designing and building boats, so I kind of grew up around it,” Gaudin says. “I worked at Jespersen [Boat Builders] for six years on many different projects and I learned a lot.”
In 1999, Gaudin teamed up with Rob Abernethy to launch a business. Their boatyard has been busy ever since. This past spring they opened a second facility in Sidney, realizing that they were outgrowing their space on Brentwood Bay’s picturesque and historic waterfront.
Gaudin pauses when asked if he and his partner want to continue growing their business. He says he’s content with the current scale, which already has him spending more time on admin and less on the tools than he would like. But even if Abernethy & Gaudin wanted to expand, finding shipwrights and skilled craftspeople wouldn’t be easy.
“It’s not a common profession. They’re usually avid boaters,” Gaudin says.
A Bespoke Training Centre
Attracting new talent is an industry-wide challenge. Philbrook’s Boatyards identified a labour shortage in the marine service and boatbuilding sector decades ago. At the time, nobody was offering apprenticeship training specific to their industry. Recognizing this gap, in the early 1990s, Philbrook’s owner Drew Irwin and several other companies approached Camosun College with the idea of starting a marine service trades program. The basket of skills required to work on boats is huge and diverse electrical, mechanical, woodwork, painting, rigging, composite and steel fabrication, onboard systems and all the other specialities of interior and exterior restoration and service. The challenge was that the number of graduates needed was insignificant compared to other, more familiar trades like carpentry and plumbing. It was a tough sell.
“We needed 30 [graduates] a year and they wanted 300,” Irwin says.
In other words, most post-secondary institutions felt the math didn’t make sense for them to invest in developing a new speciality program.
So in 1995 Philbrook’s and nine other industry partners decided to address the issue themselves and form Quadrant Marine Institute, a privately funded marine service training centre.
The program had its first student intake in 1996. Now nearing its 30th anniversary, Quadrant is currently managed from a small, nondescript office in the heart of the action at Canoe Cove near the Swartz Bay ferry terminal. It’s the perfect place
Philbrook’s Boatyard employs more than 200 skilled technicians and tradespeople.
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to be, surrounded by companies involved in all aspects of marine service including Jespersen Boat Builders, Canoe Cove Marina & Boatyard, and more than 20 other businesses.
“Despite British Columbia having thousands of kilometres of coastline, the marine sector is not on the general public’s radar,” says Shelley McIvor, Quadrant’s managing director, who was a chemist by profession and a sailor by hobby before joining Quadrant in 2015.
Besides managing the marine service technician apprenticeship program and marine service manager training and certification, McIvor spends a lot of time doing outreach at high schools, job fairs and with government officials in an effort to raise the industry’s profile. She also manages partnerships with more than 100
Even if Jean Gaudin wanted to scale up his boutique boatbuilding business, it would be a challenge to find the skilled craftspeople.
marine service businesses on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland (selling the importance of taking on apprentices to time-stressed owners is part of the job).
Despite the age-old tradition of shipbuilding and ship maintenance, it wasn’t until 2011 that SkilledTradesBC (formerly the Industry Training Authority of B.C.) recognized marine service as a distinct trade.
In 2017 and 2018, Quadrant conducted an industry scan that included detailed interviews with 100 companies employing 1,450 people. Though the numbers are dated, the scan was revealing. Of the participating companies, roughly 75 per cent were focused on the pleasure craft market and two out of three reported that they were turning down work because of a lack of skilled workers.
Despite the efforts of Quadrant and its
industry partners, the employee shortage persists. Among trades, marine service is like the jack of all trades. One day, a technician might be installing new rigging on a sailboat, the next repairing a composite hull damaged by a rock strike. Variety is the spice of this job and it appeals to a certain type of person. Getting the message out to the right candidates remains the challenge.
“We want to train people who enjoy variety and have great problem-solving skills,” McIvor says. “I would say that nearly every single one of our employers is hiring right now.”
Great Potential
Those employment odds certainly appealed to Nicholas Guns. So did the nature of the work. The 18-year-old is in the first year of a four-year marine service technician
Robert Abernethy (above) of Abernethy & Gaudin Boatbuilders works on the details of a wooden vessel at its boatyard in Brentwood Bay. The company’s small staff of 12 largely serves a private-boat-owning clientele.
apprenticeship through Quadrant. He’s learning a wide variety of skills while earning a good wage at Delta Marine Service, where he was busy this past summer retrofitting new electronics and doing metalwork and fabrication on several Fleming yachts.
“The marine industry is so broad and all the paths have great potential,” says the self-assured teenager. “Every day I come in, there’s a new challenge or task that I’ve never done before. The learning is always an entertaining challenge and keeps my brain focused. And it’s been nothing but great training and coaching from the skilled trades people at Quadrant.”
Guns already has his career path well mapped out. In three years, when he finishes his marine service apprenticeship, he plans to hit the books again and pursue his Red Seal heavy duty diesel mechanic certification.
This kind of motivation and energetic youth is something that Drew Irwin of Philbrook’s would love to see more of in his line of business.
“If we could hire six or even four skilled people today, that would be a dream for us,” Irwin says.
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Why You Need a Team Retreat
Bottom line? It can improve your business’s morale, communication and even profitability.
These days, when everyone is so quick to criticize every decision made and penny spent, you may wonder if a corporate retreat is really worth your while. The short answer? Absolutely yes.
Unlike meetings and conferences, which focus on networking and education, corporate retreats are designed to encourage team building, boost morale, promote personal development and self care, and offer rest, relaxation and fun with your coworkers. They can take place at hotels, wilderness retreats, corporate retreat centres, even spas.
Whether biannual, annual, seasonal or even just a one-off, a team retreat encourages collaboration, communication, motivation and engagement, and can lead to a better, more positive company culture.
And that results in, well, results.
According to Forbes magazine, “Highly engaged teams show 21 per cent greater profitability per year,” while on the flip side, “disengaged employees cost U.S. companies up to $550 billion a year.” Those are some pretty compelling numbers.
Post-COVID, many employees are feeling disconnected, disillusioned and overwhelmed. Studies have found that as many as 80 per cent of them report being stressed by their work. More than 60 per cent report feeling burned out. And that means unfocused, unproductive, unhappy employees.
That’s where a team retreat comes in. Holding one will almost certainly improve these 10 things in your workplace.
01 Communication
Effective communication is a common challenge for many businesses, especially those with employees still working remotely or in a hybrid situation. In the relaxed environment of a company retreat, conversation flows naturally. This allows team members to spend time understanding not just what their coworkers have to say, but how they learn and share new information. If it is a safe space for them to do so, corporate retreats also allow teams to confront conflict head-on, away from the pressure and tension of the workplace. And the benefits can be long-lasting: Strengthening relationships outside of the office also encourages team members to communicate better and more clearly at work.
02
Creative Thinking
When work means completing the same tasks in the same place day after day, it’s easy to fall into a creative rut. One easy way to get out of it? Changing the environment. Being in a new space and enjoying new experiences can spark creativity, critical thinking and collaborative brainstorming. It helps, too, if you schedule specific workshops or brainstorming sessions, and offer new tools for coming up with ideas and how they can be implemented. Besides, the casual setting of a retreat can remove many of the barriers between managers and employees, fostering a comfortable environment for open sharing of ideas and feedback.
03 Collaboration
Corporate retreats are a great way to redefine company goals and inspire team members to work together toward a common goal. Leadership coaching can help here, but just the shared experience of a retreat will bring them closer together. Consider scheduling events that have team members working together on fun challenges — such as puzzles or secret missions — that highlight individual strengths, leadership skills and clear communication. Back at work, this improved collaboration not only makes the business more efficient, but motivates employees to stay with it — and help their colleagues succeed, too.
04 Productivity
Low morale is costly. Unhappy employees are less productive, do poorer work and spread their negative energy to others. Workplaces with low morale also find it harder to attract and retain good employees. One of the best ways to keep employees happy? A team retreat. It is a reward that makes employees feel valued, knowing their managers are genuinely grateful for their hard work. It is also a good way to communicate that a business cares about their well-being — and, according to Forbes, 89 per cent of workers at companies that support well-being initiatives are more likely to recommend their company as a good place to work. Taking time away from the stress of deadlines encourages workers to return to work refreshed and re-energized, ready to take on new challenges and tackle big projects.
05 Balance
With so many demands on their time, it’s easy for employees to become overworked, which in turn leads to feeling physically and emotionally burnt out. A team retreat can provide much-needed rest and relaxation — and, more importantly, encourage good mental health and a proper work-life balance. It can also remind employees of their “why,” reconnecting them with the company’s greater mission and the important role they play within it. A wellplanned retreat should have plenty of opportunity for both training and relaxation. The result will be energized team members with a reignited passion for their work.
06 Training
Fun’s fun, but a retreat is still work, and perhaps the most important job it has is educational. Most retreats comprise several courses and workshops that, depending on the event’s theme or goal, can cover leadership training, communication exercises, improving specific skills or learning about a specific aspect of the business. One good example could be problem-solving exercises that can enhance a team’s strategic planning skills. Whether courses are optional, mandatory or both, they are a great way to encourage career and personal development.
07
Strengths and Weaknesses
For managers, putting employees in a new environment offers an insight into their true selves, their hidden strengths and natural leadership capabilities. It’s a good way to identify future leaders in some cases and, in others, areas that need improvement. And, in the relaxed setting of a retreat, weaknesses can appear in a new light that illuminates creative solutions to what may have seemed like insurmountable problems. For employees, it’s an even better way to discover their own strengths and weaknesses — and those of their colleagues, too.
08
Company Priorities
Retreats are also an excellent opportunity to revisit a company’s priorities and determine if they’re still relevant. With everyone in one place, managers can gather a wide range of honest opinions and encourage the entire time in revising them if need be. Just as importantly, this collaborative effort ensures that all employees are aware of the company’s direction and expectations.
09
Fun
Having fun may not seem like the most important priority for your business. But taking the time to disconnect helps reduce stress, prevent employee burnout and encourages your team to create connections with each other. Most importantly, it shows them that their managers care for them and recognize their hard work and that, in turn, encourages loyalty, creative collaboration and productivity. Remember: Money isn’t your employees’ only motivator. Feeling valued and included can be just as rewarding.
10
Company Culture
Every aspect of a team retreat is designed to reinforce a company’s culture. Team retreats bring people closer. They encourage employees to feel like they’re part of a happy work family. During the work week, busy schedules, urgent deadlines and everyday stresses make it challenging for people to connect, but the relaxed environment of a retreat can create strong bonds that continue back in the office. They inspire employees to connect with each other, to collaborate and communicate, to take time for their physical and emotional health, to come up with new ideas, build new skills and get excited about the work they do. Most of all, they create a deep, lasting awareness and understanding of a company’s values. And that can be priceless.
STRAIGHT TO THE POINT:
You come here to connect and to inspire. Inn at Laurel Point offers one-of-a-kind meeting spaces that enhance team communication. Bright, open view rooms, connected break areas, our spaces facilitate productivity and relaxation at the same time - and don’t get us started on our homemade pastries.
Plan to get them talking, today.
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Meeting Trends
In-person meetings and conferences are on the rise again — but with some interesting and exciting twists.
BY CAROLYN CAMILLERI
The past few years have really changed how we work and meet. The bright side of those darker times is that we have learned a lot and very quickly, especially about technology.
We have also grown to appreciate connecting face to face with our colleagues, but with more emphasis on the experiences we share, the value of our work relationships and the learning we can do together. Life is too short for the same old, same old.
Here are just a few of the latest trends that reflect how meetings continue to evolve.
Hybrid is Here to Stay
The virtual work and meeting platforms we all learned to use during the pandemic (albeit unwillingly, in some cases) have become a completely normal part of our work lives. The flexibility these platforms provide has even become a factor in employee retention. People like having the option to be in person or online. The same trend applies to meetings.
Hybrid meetings give attendees the option to choose what works best for their schedules, budgets and learning styles. It’s also a cost-effective way to boost attendance, increase your reach and be more accessible to a diverse audience. Today’s technology opens up possibilities with guest speakers, as well as with engagement opportunities, sponsorships, insight and data tracking plus website traffic. And remember when climate activist Greta Thunberg announced that she would only travel by plane in emergencies? She got a lot of people thinking about their
own travel-related carbon footprints.
For the in-person crowd, seeing speakers on large screens on stage is perfectly normal now, as are engagement and messaging apps. However, in-person meetings offer more opportunities for deeper engagement and networking. A study commissioned by Cvent, a cloudbased event management platform, revealed that 89 per cent of global event and meeting strategy leaders say inperson events are important or critical to increasing revenue.
Hybrid offers the best of both worlds at the same time.
89 per cent of global event and meeting strategy leaders say inperson events are important or critical to increasing revenue.
Be Green, but Really Mean It
With the effects of climate change headlining news on an almost daily basis, it isn’t enough only to have recycled paper and refillable water bottles at meetings.
As a Tourism Montreal post on meeting trends says, “Positive impact is now a clear differentiator.” To do that, sustainability needs to be part of the planning discussion right from the start. Is the venue you want green-certified in some way? What about the accommodators? Is clean power a possibility? How can attendees contribute to a net zero strategy?
Energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, paperless communication, zero-emission coaches to offsite events, carbon offsets, meals made with local sustainable ingredients, minimal swag these are just a few ideas. Big bonus points if you can measure and track your meeting’s carbon footprint and tell everyone about it.
Education Is More Valuable than Ever
While education of some kind has
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always been an aspect of big meetings, Forbes predicts that it will become even more important. Opportunities for skill development and practical training are very appealing to people now, especially if they are selective about how they spend their time. To capitalize on this trend, Forbes says event organizers will pack as much value into their events as possible. Boost the appeal even further by including workshops and training sessions towards accreditation or certification.
You may even want to work an education angle into after-session activities a cooking class with a local chef, a craft session with an Indigenous instructor, native plant identification with a botanist, etc.
Focus on Inclusion, Accessibility and Neurodivergence
A quick glance down the list of sessions at The Event, an annual gathering held in September 2024 of three Canadian chapters of Meeting Planners International, is revealing. Inclusion, accessibility and neurodivergence are hot topics in the meeting world. Events are being planned to ensure people who have accessibility needs for mobility, vision and hearing feel welcomed and included. That inclusivity has expanded to make meetings more comfortable for neurodivergent individuals.
Addressing barriers is one aspect of accessibility for example, elevators, transport options, floor space, counter and table heights, signage, captioning, sign language, etc. But there are other more subtle considerations, such as colours
A trend that has been popping up are quiet zones — restful, sound-muffled spaces with dimmed lights and comfortable seating.
and fonts on materials and lighting and sound in meeting spaces. Technology has a huge role to play in making events more accessible both in person and online, and the advances are astounding. Getting an accessibility professional involved in meeting planning is highly recommended as is accessibility training for meeting staff.
Artificial Intelligence Is Everywhere
AI is trending for meetings, whether as technology used in organizing events or as a topic in meeting sessions and workshops. Depending on the industry or profession of the people meeting, they will have more or less knowledge and experience with AI. Many people are worried about AI and what it means for
their jobs and their lives. Forbes lists AI as its top trend, predicting more AI tools will emerge and more people will be asking questions about how it will affect them professionally, ethically and socially. Education is the antidote to fears around AI, and training sessions in understanding what it is and how to use it will figure into meetings for some time into the future.
Entertainment Means Different Things to Different People
After a long day of intensive sessions, people need a way to relax and unwind, ideally in ways that allow them to network with their colleagues. But not everyone has the same entertainment interests, so having choices for different demographics is encouraged. A Meeting Spotlight article on upcoming trends reminds us to consider the interests of Gen Z and include options like a games room where they can challenge their colleagues to a game of pool or ping-pong.
Quiet Zones
After the isolation of the pandemic years, big gatherings are exciting, but they can also be overwhelming. A trend that has been popping up is to offer quiet zones restful, sound-muffled spaces with dimmed lights and comfortable seating where attendees can recharge their social batteries without feeling like they are being anti-social. While quiet zones are particularly important for neurodivergent individuals, providing a space for people to decompress and rebalance seems like a good idea for everyone.
Retreat Planning Checklist
Pre-Planning
Define objectives: Set clear goals and expectations for your retreat, whether it’s for team building, strategic planning, brainstorming a specific project or just to have fun.
Set — and save — the dates: Consider the best season for the activities you have in mind, and work around any major business deadlines as well as your employees’ schedules. Be sure to let potential attendees know what you have planned, and gauge their interest and availability.
Create a budget: Depending on the event, include costs for accommodation, transportation, activities, speakers, meals and supplies.
Select the venue: It should meet your needs in terms of size, amenities and location. If possible, do a site visit beforehand.
Logistics
Plan the event: Depending on the goal of the retreat, organize a mix of work-related sessions and fun activities, including downtime for attendees to recharge. If needed: Book speakers or hire facilitators to lead the events.
Send invitations: Include dates, times, location, agenda, dress codes and anything else attendees need to know. Keep track of RSVPs and the number of expected attendees.
Plan travel: If the retreat is out of town and/or overnight, organize and book accommodation for all attendees and arrange transportation to and from the event. Alternatively, make sure all employees have the necessary information to book their own.
Plan meals and snacks: This could mean booking a restaurant, ordering catering or planning on-site cooking. In any case, make note of any dietary restrictions.
For a team retreat to be productive, you need a plan. Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting it right.
Provide an itinerary: Closer to the date of the event, create and share a detailed schedule that includes meetings, seminars, breakout sessions, speakers, etc., as well as team-building activities, meals, free time and contact information.
Prepare materials: Gather any projectors, flip charts, pens or other materials needed for workshops or meetings, and prepare any handouts or presentations in advance.
Assign roles: Designate responsibilities among team members, and make sure everyone knows their role.
Finally...
Confirm bookings: Right before your event, reconfirm all reservations and verify any special arrangements.
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Committing to E-COMMERCE
BY ALEX VAN TOL
It’s 2024. Do you know where your customers are?
Yep, they’re online. And that’s where you need to be if you’re looking to grow, scale and reach as many customers as possible. For products and services alike, e-commerce is an easy game to get into, but it’s becoming an increasingly tough game to win. The playing field is mature Amazon is 30 years old, after all. There’s a lot to know, and your go-forward strategy will differ depending on whether you’re selling products or services.
Because e-commerce is an enormous topic, we’ve narrowed the scope somewhat for this article to mostly focus on those businesses that are selling products.
TYPES OF E-COMMERCE
A quick primer on types of e-commerce:
E-commerce shakes out into different types based on the nature of transactions and the parties involved. It’s also possible to operate across multiple types to reach a broader audience and diversify your operations.
• In business-to-consumer (B2C), you’re selling your products or services directly to consumers, the way Amazon or Gap do. This is the most common type of e-commerce.
• In business-to-business (B2B), you’re selling to other businesses, like a manufacturer selling components to a car company or a software company selling enterprise software to other businesses.
• In business-to-government (B2G), you’re providing products or services IT services, say to government entities.
There are other kinds of e-commerce, but since you’re reading Douglas, we’re assuming you’re selling as a business and not as a consumer.
Why should I consider e-commerce?
Well, it’s a bit of an expectation nowadays. In a web-first world, having an online presence is necessary to remain competitive and meet customer expectations, and all the better if they can buy when they’re on your site. People kind of expect to be able to shop for everything they want online, so unless you’re offering giga services like house building or an elite, hyper-specialized service like ghostwriting, having a digital storefront makes it easy for people to buy from you.
Adding online sales expands your market reach beyond your location and improves convenience for your customers, as e-commerce platforms operate around the clock and on all continents. E-commerce also provides the flexibility to scale your operations quickly and efficiently, adapting to changes in demand and customer growth.
Arguably the biggest advantage of engaging e-commerce is the ability to leverage data analytics to enhance both your decision-making and your customer’s experience. Mainstream platforms like WooCommerce and Shopify provide
Adding online sales expands your market reach beyond your location and improves convenience for your customers, as e-commerce platforms operate around the clock and on all continents.
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granular data about your customers’ behaviour, preferences and trends, which you can then use to inform product development and build more targeted marketing strategies.
When
is the right time to move into e-commerce?
For a product-related business, you should consider e-commerce when you’ve got an established product that’s attractive to a known audience. You know your customers, their demographics and why they buy. You know what’s creating the demand and you’re very comfortable with it.
A key question to answer at this point is whether you’re going to simply sell from your own website or on Amazon. If both, your next question is: How do I manage the tension that immediately emerges between the two? That’s because selling on Amazon is a game of margins unless you’ve got a stellar product that nobody else has thought of. “If your customer lives outside of your neighbourhood or your city and you believe that you’ve got a differentiated product,” says Mark How, CEO of NewGrowth eCommerce and Origins Ecommerce, “and you have margins that enable you to survive
RESTAURANT
on 25 to 35 per cent of revenue you have a 3X margin it’s possible to be able to sell online.”
A 3X margin? Well … yeah. Because the field is mature and diversified, it takes a stiff game to beat out your rivals unless you’re selling something very innovative without a lot of competition. “The challenge around e-commerce is people think it’s going to be high margin,” How says. “Unless you’ve got that sort of unicorn, it’s going to be lower margin because you really are going to end up in a fight with people who are ahead of you in the game … or just with you in the game.”
If you do opt to sell on Amazon, your second set of challenges is to have enough margin in your product sale that you can sell competitively via advertising (which costs money) or via competitive ranking on Amazon (which requires you to pay Amazon out of your sales). “Amazon takes quite a bit of money,” How says. “You need to rank competitively, and in order to rank competitively you must advertise on Amazon. It’s not a requirement, but more and more, to compete you must.”
As a mature sector, e-commerce is so widespread now and competition is so dense that achieving great results demands expertise in a number of areas.
As a mature sector, e-commerce is so widespread now and competition is so dense that achieving great results demands expertise in a number of areas. “You have to have the capacity for a broad amount of learning,” How says, “or have the capital to hire experts.”
If you’re going it alone, take your time, do your research, prepare to learn and adjust, and take the long view.
And if you’re a business with capital? Hire a digital agency.
I’m up for the fight. How do I get in the game?
Depends on your business. Are you a hotel worth $200 million with a killer advertising budget? Or are you a mom-and-pop retail shop? The questions you’ll ask and the answers you’ll find are extremely different.
What you do here also really depends on your capacity to invest. You can wade in slowly, commit to the enormous learning curve (and, if you’re smart, a long horizon) and your margins can be really terrific IF you can be patient. “If you’re actually needing to move with any kind of gusto or speed,” How says, “it can be not just expensive to get set up, but it can be costly on an ongoing basis.”
Some web platforms like Wix and Squarespace enable e-commerce, but since they weren’t specifically built as online marketplaces, a lot of beginners go with Shopify. It’s a user-friendly one-stop-shop for a fledgling e-commerce business, from building your storefront and managing orders to processing payments and making sense of user data. You can set up a new
business quickly, and there’s plenty of functionality, options and room for growth. But no matter your preferred method of entry, like any strategic initiative, getting started in e-commerce demands that you get intentional with your planning and execution.
First you’ll want to identify your niche and conduct your market research. Assuming you’ve got something unique that an online marketplace like Temu won’t just carbon-copy and outsell you on, do all the due diligence of researching your target audience, competitors and industry trends. If you’re just testing the waters, you might try some low-stakes market testing, launching your product on an innovator’s platform like Indiegogo or Kickstarter. This is a cheap way to see if anybody cares; early adopters go there to keep an eye on what’s coming up. “It helps you learn about your competition, and it focuses your mind on how to differentiate your product,” How says. “Everybody thinks they understand how to differentiate their product, but they very rarely actually understand what a brassknuckle duke session [Amazon] really is.”
HOW TO GET IN THE GAME IDENTIFY YOUR NICHE
DO MARKET RESEARCH
ENSURE YOUR PRODUCT IS MARKET READY
CREATE A BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL PLAN
SET UP YOUR WEBSITE
You also want to ensure your product is truly market ready. “Make sure your product has all the kinks worked out and that 99 per cent of your customers are happy before launching any commerce program,” advises Don Wharton, chairman of SureSwift Capital, a venture capital firm that buys profitable SaaS (software as a service) companies and rolls them up into impeccably managed funds with monthly distributions. “A product that isn’t consumer ready could invite negative reviews, which are difficult to come back from.”
Next, put together your business plan. Define your value proposition, pricing
strategy and revenue model. Build out your financial plan, estimating your startup costs, ongoing expenses and revenue projections. Don’t overlook any costs for inventory, website development, marketing and logistics. Set your short- and long-term goals, including your sales targets, market penetration and how you plan to acquire customers.
Now the shovel hits the ground! Set up your site’s core features like product listings, your shopping cart, payment processing and your SSL (Secure Sockets Layer, an encryption-based security protocol) certificate. Some e-commerce platforms WooCommerce, Shopify,
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BigCommerce and others will do all this for you. When you’re considering platforms, look at things like how easy they are to use, customization options, scalability and integrations with payment gateways and shipping services.
Many people choose Shopify as an efficient way to enter the e-commerce space. It does a great job of supporting businesses that make $5 million or less in revenue and offers a ton of functionality. “Shopify is sort of like a vacuum cleaner,” How says. “It’s got a core engine that does a set of jobs, and then you have all these accessories that you can put on depending on the job you’re going to use it for.”
Now add the essential tools and plugins that will help your business run.
Great systems for things like inventory management, analytics, email marketing and SEO will help you manage your store efficiently and track performance from the start.
Heads up: When you get a little bigger, suddenly payment processing becomes a BIG deal.
Obviously for e-commerce, the payments side of it is key. A lot of folks get themselves into a jam because they’re in such an excited hurry to get started that they don’t think about how things will play out in the future. If you don’t plan ahead, you may find yourself years down the road with a much bigger business but paying an outsized percentage with the payment provider(s) you signed up with when you made your first candle.
“What you’ve got to be careful of is getting too ingrained and too built into it so that when you do become successful, you grow and you scale and those payments become millions and millions of dollars every year amounts that really, really matter,” says Peloton Technologies CEO Craig Attiwill. “If you’re creating a business plan, there should be a very big section on how you’re going to get paid, what type of payment methods you’re going to accept. And then have a payments expert look into the regulation.”
Otherwise, as your business evolves more complex payment needs, you might find yourself juggling a Jenga tower of fintech that’s cobbled itself together over the years, taking money through different payment processors (Stripe, Moneris or Square, or electronic funds transfer) while at the same time paying suppliers, payroll, international money wires and GST/HST payments through a fistful of different routes, from bricks-and-mortar banks to EFTs, Moneygram and Canada Post.
Taking a good, hard look at what you’re signing up for and how easy it’ll be to
L-R: Kent Brown, Sanci Solbakken, Luke Biles, Simon Daley, Emma Miller, Steve Wellburn, Adam Taylor, Bill Reid
shift to a more suitable, integrated paytech over time can help you from getting hosed on payments as you grow.
“Most things in e-commerce are best thought of through a lens that looks something like a nautilus shell,” How says. Start close, with what you really know and can differentiate, then move one tier further from the middle. “Run a very efficient experiment under excruciatingly tight budgets until you see that you’re actually starting to succeed,” he adds. “Keep your bets close, narrow and very, very much within focus. You have to pay attention, otherwise your money can just disappear on you.”
Dip Your Toes in with Affiliate Sales
You don’t have to set up a whole business to benefit from e-commerce. You can sell other people’s things instead! Referral-based marketing has been around since before the days of Mary Kay Cosmetics, and it’s particularly great for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) wanting to exponentially increase their opportunity for exposure through other people’s networks.
Having an affiliate program is a really low-entry threshold,” says Tracie Clayton, director of corporate marketing for SureSwift Capital and former interim GM of LeadDyno. “You don’t have to be an expert in many things to be able to start an affiliate program. The threshold and investment is minimal, and you could be up and going overnight.”
Make sure you vet and monitor your affiliates, to ensure they’re following policies and procedures regarding any appropriate laws and designed to protect your brand. “Without monitoring, overzealous affiliates may spread misinformation or overpromise, both of which may put your brand at risk,” says SureSwift Capital chair Don Wharton.
Hold customer satisfaction as your north star. Data is power in the e-commerce space, so set up a Net Promoter score program to help you gauge feedback from customers. You can assess scores for different groups. For example, grouping all customers referred by each larger affiliate, or grouping by affiliate-driven traffic separately from organic traffic and surveying each group independently.
Affiliate-management software makes keeping track of affiliates and their sales a snap. LeadDyno’s downloadable checklist will guide you through all the steps of setting up a robust affiliate sales program. leaddyno.com
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faculty outreach, at the Gustavson School of Business at UVic; a professor of finance, accounting and entrepreneurship; and a principal at Quimper Consulting. Maki has helped raise over $50 million for international initiatives, including acquisitions, strategic partnerships and joint subsidiary creation projects.
Taking Your Startup to the Next Level
Is your brilliant creation destined to be a unicorn or a zombie?
The atomic theory of entrepreneurship, according to Dr. Ron Mitchell, is to build from a single transaction, a scalable series of transactions. That seems easy enough. So why do some startups succeed while others cannot achieve a sustainable growth trajectory?
Are You an Architect, or DIY?
“Building a business is fundamentally really hard,” says Eric Jordan, CEO, Codename Entertainment. “A business is a system, and the people who know what they are doing how to build the system have a better shot at success. A business is an interlocking system of pieces that build value through a financially profitable relationship between a company and its customers. Startups are groups of people who are hoping to build one of those.” When Jordan transitioned his former company, PureEdge, to an external CEO, he was struck by how the new CEO ran his first sales retreat. “He had each salesperson pitch, and everyone both critiqued and learned from each pitch.” The new CEO had worked for larger companies and had innate knowledge not readily available to a startup founder without that experience.
Cinderella’s Shoe — Fit Matters
Beyond the system, the product-customer fit takes time to research, test and hone. Rob Bennett, founder of Municipal Software and now COO at VIATEC, knows this well. “At Municipal Software, it took 11 years before we finally figured out what the customers really wanted. What is essential to startup success is that customer relationship, communication and iteration cycle.”
Startups that are able to create a profitable transaction that delivers the right amount of value to a good-sized group of customers position themselves for success. In comparison, startups that fail often position themselves for a small group of customers the innovators and early adopters and fail to adapt the product or service to the larger market, as described in Geoffrey Moore’s classic book, Crossing the Chasm.
What Comes Next? Cash is King
Rajiv Khaneja, serial entrepreneur and investor, believes that math matters most: “Having invested in dozens of companies and built a few, the
key to long-term viability is just basic financial sustainability. Companies that don’t turn a profit can only survive for so long before investors lose interest and stop funding them. Conversely, a company that turns a substantial profit can continue to exist until it ceases to do so,” he says.
“If a company is profitable, a founder losing interest or becoming fatigued is not an existential problem. There are options such as hiring a CEO or selling the company. The company will continue to exist. The reality is that some ideas work and some don’t. It’s a good thing; founders can move on to something else that may have a higher chance of success.”
So a founder might not be essential once a company has found its cash “flow.” Do founders matter?
The Entrepreneur-Founder as Goldilocks It depends on the founder and their ability to get it “just right.” For example, they need to choose between humility or tenacity at different moments, something that Rob Fraser, founder of Outway, calls ego toggling. “A founder must reinvent themselves through each phase of the business. This requires a high level of self awareness and ability to toggle ego when it’s not serving them. This sometimes means getting out of their own way when the business no longer succeeds under their leadership. This also sometimes means pivoting the business away from the founder’s vision, to one that better serves the customer.”
Manfred Lotz, founder of AdOrganic, has worked with many founder clients and sees this “just right” challenge in micromanaging versus the big picture. Sometimes a focus on the details is required to deliver the quality that a customer requires, but the big picture is essential for long-term success. “Founders can get stuck in perfectionism and details, neglecting the big picture. For example, some founders often tend to spend too much of their focus on text fonts, colours and styles, while neglecting to focus on the message they are communicating with the text. That is usually a sign that the business will not succeed.”
Jordan concurs with the challenge of getting it just right: “You have got to be confident, but not so confident that you can’t listen to others. You
have to be tenacious, but not so tenacious that you just can’t let it go.”
This challenge also shows up in the number of options that an entrepreneur is pursuing at any given time. Garth Wardle, principal of OnRock Advisory, puts it this way: “Initially, success or failure is about the entrepreneur. They can chase too many options, especially when things get tough.”
The Startup Dream Team
Wardle goes on to say, “When it comes to forming a startup team, opposites attract. Successful entrepreneurs attract organized people who need structure. When things get tough, the pursuit of too many options is hard on the team. That can lead to losing key people.”
Another common team-building challenge is recruiting people who are better than you to increase your own skills and capabilities. If you want to get better at something, you need people who are really good at that something, and you must engage with them as often as you can. Scott Phillips, CEO of StarFish Medical, goes further: “I have found that healthy conflict with my expert team members is critical to levelling up. It’s when we disagree that I am able to understand my own bias and learn something new.” This requires curiosity and the ability to create an environment where conflict is healthy and productive.
The Path Forward
Building a startup isn’t a linear process it’s a constantly shifting landscape that demands an adaptable entrepreneur. A resilient, customer-centric entrepreneur is more likely to build a resilient, customercentric business by:
• Learning how to build a business system and its components, or hiring experts to do this work, i.e. building the team;
• Finding the fit between the company’s offering and a large group of customers;
• Charging toward profitability and managing cash through the growth stage;
• Managing self, i.e. ego toggling, and creating the opportunity for productive, healthy conflict in order to level up skills and knowledge.
It’s a tall order, but one that comes with substantial rewards, including a positive impact on our community.
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Robyn Quinn is an award-winning storyteller. A public relations entrepreneur and small business owner of Big Bang Communications, she is happiest when her clients shine in the spotlight.
PR on a Shoestring
How smart, thoughtful storytelling can help build your business.
There is something very powerful about a welltold story. Stories make information memorable and build trust. We lean toward someone when they offer to tell us a story and that’s why basic public relations efforts can yield very positive results by inviting people to “lean in.”
Have you ever noticed a business being celebrated on local news or see their product or service championed by a celebrity influencer and wondered: How did that happen? How can I do that? Small businesses often dismiss building PR into their marketing mix mostly because it can feel a bit overwhelming. I’ve been working with large and small organizations across a dozen sectors to build brands and create connections and I have always believed PR and the stories they can share are the best possible way to strengthen their brand. The story creates a connection between the listener and the information, making it so much easier to remember or to base an action on.
So, whether you’re global or local, try these five simple strategies to generate your own publicity and positive attention without paying for an expensive public relations or marketing agency.
Media Defined
First, let’s look at the three types of media.
Owned media: Your website, social media feed or traditional research papers. This could include how-to materials, beautiful images, recorded webinars you’ve hosted or trade-show videos posted on your social media accounts. Make it shareable.
Paid media: Traditional advertising often referred to as time and space. Facebook ads, event sponsorships, broadcast ads and print media. All come with a price, but do offer useful analytics about the types of audiences they reach and help track conversions and sales.
Earned media: Here is the sweet spot for creating interest in your company, products and/or services. These are stories all about you and yours. This requires commitment and a plan to get your desired outcomes.
Five Strategies
Here are five essential PR strategies to try even with a small budget.
Tell stories. Storytelling is the foundation for PR on a shoestring. Talk to your front-line staff or ask long-time customers, not for testimonials, but stories. Human beings are hard-wired to pay attention when we tell a story. Remember: What makes a story most engaging is often the hero’s journey. Big dreams, massive obstacles faced, success. Think about an opening to grab their attention. (“Once upon a time” is taken.)
Be curious. Don’t send out a media release and expect results. Build relationships with writers, editors, journalists, producers, podcasters and show hosts you listen to yourself. Contact them and ask them questions about show themes and story ideas. Make sure you make it clear that you actually know what they cover. Keep notes on possible ideas for them.
Keep them interested. Writing in active voice makes things exciting. You know what’s boring? Any content that sounds like that one teacher in high school who could put you to sleep with their first words. How to spot passive voice? When the sentence puts the subject last. Think about this example, “The boy rides his bike” versus “The bike was ridden by the boy.” The structure in the second sentence made the action less important and, yes, made it boring. Best advice here is to ask for honest reviews of any stories you want to share and, if they aren’t boring, pitch to those editors and journalists.
Identify the audience for your story. They may not be your customer, but someone your customer trusts. By connecting to their world, you are inviting your potential customers to get to know you through a mutual friend. This is especially true with online content creators, podcast hosts and digital magazine editors who are hungry for interesting, helpful or entertaining content. Their audience can be yours. The important part here is to spend a bit of time asking your current customers where they get their news and information. Then have one or two team members check out those channels and see if there is an opportunity to tell a story on their podcast or show. Local news? Focus on community work?
Be a community champion. Strong relationships with not-for-profit groups can be leveraged in a way that benefits everyone. Why did
Be a community champion: Online searches will find a company that gives back to the community. This builds reputation and credibility, and increases the chances that traditional media will find your goodnews stories.
your company choose to support a specific charity or project? What was accomplished as a result of your support? How do your employees get involved and how do they feel about the contributions they help to make? All of these short but powerful stories can be posted on your owned media and shared across the active partners. Searches online will find a company that gives back to the community. This builds reputation and credibility. Traditional media often use social media as a source for story ideas themselves so this strategy makes a lot of sense. If you are already actively supporting a charity, talk to them about amplifying your support. Authentic, feel-good stories are one way to reach new customers and clients. Being a good citizen is showcased on your channels and shared by all those who support that same charity.
Final words of advice: Don’t confuse PR with sales or copywriting for advertising. Public relations is essentially investing in strategic relationships to help you create a stronger brand while understanding and leveraging your own stories.
Ingrid Vaughan, principal of My Smart HR and founder of the Smart Leadership Academy, provides HR support and leadership coaching to small-business owners and managers.
The Everything of Doing … Nothing
How three productivity-free days inspired new ideas, insights and solutions.
A few weeks ago I made the decision to embark on my first ever solo trip. It wasn’t a big one an adorable little Airbnb overlooking Maple Bay was far enough for me and, while I initially had some trepidation, it turned out wonderful and had some unexpected outcomes.
I’m usually a “get ’er done” kind of person, and in the past when I have dedicated time for business thinking and planning, there would absolutely be an agenda, a time frame, productivity and a concrete result. Except after an incredibly busy (and, if I’m honest, stressful) first part of this year, I felt what I needed was rest and a clear head about where I was going in my business. I kept hearing how smart, successful people take time away not to be productive, but to be creative. To
listen to their gut, to give their brains a break and to tune into their hearts. All of which flies in the face of productivity.
So, I took a giant box of books, planning tools, productivity exercises and the like, but promised myself I would only look at what was calling me at any given moment. It was hard not to dive in and start with a plan, but I was committed to the gut, brains, heart thing, so I relaxed into it. I read a few chapters of a few books, I did some financial forecasting, I journalled, I meditated and did only what I felt like doing as each moment unfolded. I also binged Netflix, played games on my iPad, cooked delicious meals, drank some outstanding Island wine, listened to music, did some yoga, saw the northern lights, sat by the fire and allowed
All employers must ensure the health and safety of their workers. Generally, you need to register with WorkSafeBC if you:
• Employ and pay workers on a regular, casual, or contract basis
• Are a homeowner and hire someone to work in or around your home (e.g., child care, landscaping)
Are you self-employed?
In most cases, you don’t don’t need to register with WorkSafeBC. You may be eligible to buy optional coverage to cover expenses if you have a work-related injury.
space to see how everything would converge. No guilt over lack of productivity.
And you know what? Lightning did NOT strike when I was “wasting” time. I did NOT have a massive paradigm shift about my business. I didn’t finish a single book or come up with a brilliant plan for my next quarter.
But here’s what DID happen.
I sat on the balcony almost all weekend, taking in a breathtaking view of Salt Spring Island and the water in between. I felt an ease and peace flow through each day that made stress feel far away. And I rested. Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. And that easy pace, the rest I felt in body and soul, began a stirring in me that I haven’t felt in a long time and that has not left me since. It created a space for new ideas to emerge about my business AND my life. Ideas I don’t think would have come in my day-to-day rushing around, getting-things-done, productivity-focused craziness. And it felt so good! I found myself on the third day wondering how I could do this more often, or even ... every day? Was it possible to create that kind of margin on a regular basis?
I may not have accomplished anything of note that weekend, but I experienced a small shift and that change allowed me to see things in a new way. I have since thought about some things I want to change. Some things about my business have come into focus, as well as finding clarity about decisions I need to make. Some important perspectives have shifted on what I want to accomplish and what’s really important, which activities are (and are not) aligned with my values.
In a world where productivity, busyness, action and sacrificing to get ahead are considered keys to success, there is a paradox that an over-focus on those things also produces exhaustion, disillusionment, hopelessness and burnout. Research is emerging that it’s the quiet, non-busy, workfree, apparently time-wasting moments that create the space our minds and hearts need to come up with the best ideas, the truest goals and the greatest clarity.
One of my favourite authors, Anne Lamott, said: “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” What if we all could create this kind of space to unplug from busyness? For the free flow of ideas, the convergence of unrelated things that become the right thing? For unearthing buried, but important, thoughts?
What if we regularly felt the kind of rest that only comes from intentionally committing to the flow rather than the outcome, even if it’s just for a few days, or hours? How much better might we all feel? Clearer we might see? Or aligned we might live?
MEETINGS, OVER EASY
Why breakfast is the best time for a business gathering.
Rise and shine! Sleepyheads may grumble, but there are many reasons why you should be holding your important meetings over breakfast. Breakfast meetings are productive and a good way to build camaraderie with your team and clients alike. And they have other advantages, too.
• Because they take place early in the day, breakfast meetings are less likely to be delayed by another meeting running late or other unexpected circumstances.
• They are time efficient. They rarely encroach on participants’ private time, which encourages attendance, and they usually finish within the allotted time, unlike lunch meetings.
• They are both physically and emotionally nourishing, which creates a positive impression.
FIVE TO TRY
• They are relatively economical compared to lunch or dinner, and avoid the complications that can arise with alcohol service.
• Most importantly, participants are energized, relaxed and not distracted by the day’s problems, which means they are more focused and likely to get things done.
As Canada’s breakfast and brunch capital, Victoria has plenty of delicious places to start the day, including these five restaurants.
House of Boateng:
If you are out in Langford, this charming eatery is the place to go for hearty breakfast bowls and bennies. houseofboateng.ca
TIPS FOR A GOOD BREAKFAST MEETING
Be prepared: Send invites at least a couple of weeks beforehand, giving participants time to put the meeting into their calendars, do any necessary research and get organized for it. Schedule it so that it’s early enough not to disrupt the day, but not so early that it’s unreasonable.
Be nourishing: Have tea and coffee ready for guests when they arrive so they can relax and network. Serve food as soon as is reasonable — attendees are likely to arrive hungry, and will focus better after eating. The menu doesn’t have to be the full bacon-and-eggs meal deal, but should be more than carb-heavy pastries; offer fruit and proteins and be sure to accommodate a range of dietary needs.
Be hydrated: Offer tea, coffee, water and/or other beverages throughout the meeting.
Be focused: The meeting should have a focus with specific objectives. An agenda is essential; any off-agenda topics that arise during discussion can be scheduled for another meeting.
Be positive: A breakfast meeting sets the tone for the whole day. It should be motivational and energizing, with constructive workshops and inspiring speakers.
Be timely: Wrap it up on schedule so everyone can get on with their day.
Nourish KItchen & Cafe:
Vegetable-forward dining in a James Bay heritage home with lots of handy, private gathering spaces. nourishkitchen.ca
The Courtney Room: Elegant and serene, conveniently located right downtown, with gourmet breakfasts served as early as 7 a.m. thecourtneyroom.com
John’s Place:
For 40 years, Victorians have been happy to line up for the hearty comfort fare at this fun, funky local favourite. johnsplace.ca
Duo Café Bakery:
A stylish new spot at the Inn at Laurel Point, perfect for very small meetings over coffee and pastries. duocafebakery.ca
MAKE IT MANDARIN
Why you should be learning the Chinese language.
China is home to more than 1.4 billion people, a sixth of the world’s population, and has the world’s second largest economy, with a GDP of US$17.9 trillion. (The United States is still first, with a GDP of US$25.44 trillion.) It has become such an economic superpower that, if your business has international clients or makes, sells, designs or purchases goods, at some point you are likely to be dealing with China.
So it’s not surprising that more and more people are studying Mandarin Chinese, the official language of mainland China.
It is, for one thing, the world’s second most spoken language (after English), with over 1.1 billion Mandarin speakers worldwide. And, as many Mandarin speakers don’t speak English, being able to communicate with your overseas connections is a benefit for any business.
3 WAYS TO GET STARTED
Victoria Mandarin School: Owner and instructor Ariel Chiu teaches Mandarin as a second language to children and adults through classes or private lessons. victoriamandarin.com
University of Victoria
BE MINDFUL
Why meditation could be the superpower you bring to your business
Bill Gates does it. So do Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga and tech giants like Jack Dorsey (Twitter, Square), Jeff Weiner (LinkedIn) and Marc Benioff (Salesforce, Time). Maybe it’s time you tried meditation, too.
If you think you don’t have time, think again. As little as five to 10 minutes of meditation a day is enough to make positive changes like reduced anxiety, improved health, better sleep and increased concentration.
There are several different types of meditation, most using a combination of mental and physical techniques to clear and focus the mind. Among them:
Contemplation: Concentrate on a question without letting your mind wander.
Repeat a specific phrase or sound, such as “ohm.”
Focusing on breathing while performing specific body movements, such as walking.
As little as five to 10 minutes of meditation a day is enough to make positive changes .
Once you’ve decided what kind of meditation you want to try, follow these tips for making the most of it:
Set aside time in your day. Some prefer to meditate in the morning, others at night; the key to getting the most out of the practice is making it a regular part of your routine.
Find a space that is calm, quiet and comfortable. Different types of meditation can involve sitting up, lying down or walking, so plan accordingly.
Dress comfortably in clothes that let you breathe and move.
Continuing Studies: UVic offers four levels of study for adults looking to learn basic communication skills in Mandarin. continuingstudies.uvic.ca
Pandanese: This app is designed to help build vocabulary and learn Chinese characters known as hanzi through a combination of mnemonics and SRS. pandanese.com 1 2 3
If you’re finding it hard to get started or stay committed, reach out for help. There are plenty of resources online (such as the apps Calm and Headspace) and in person, including meditation instructors and centres. And remember: Meditation is all about the process. Take a deep breath and open your mind to the possibilities.
CANADA’S TURBULENT SKIES
Business travel is up. So are delays and disruptions. Here’s what you need to know.
The demand for business travel is up some 11 per cent this year, and the Global Business Travel Association projects it’s just going to keep growing. But it’s not all smooth sailing for those travellers. A recent Corporate Traveller survey conducted by YouGov found that 70 per cent of air travellers have experienced disruptions, including delays, cancellations and lost luggage. It’s not just a minor inconvenience; it’s a serious problem, especially as the Government of Canada has just allocated $50 million to Destination Canada specifically to attract major international conventions, conferences and events to this country. Here’s what else you need to know about business travel in Canada.
COSTS TAKE OFF
TRAVEL DELAYS IN CANADA
Flight delays and disruptions are on the rise. The Corporate Traveller study shows that among business travellers who have experienced such disruptions, a staggering 91 per cent report an adverse impact on their business plans and 12 per cent state that the disruption had a significant adverse impact.
Frequency of Travel Disruptions
• 10% of travellers experience regular disruptions
• 27% encounter occasional issues
• 33% rarely face problems
Common Causes of Travel Disruption
• 63% Flight/travel delays
14% Overall, March 2023 to 2024
Although costs were expected to decrease post-pandemic with the higher number of travellers, the exact opposite has happened thanks to a combination of factors, including labour woes, fewer airlines (Lynx Air and Swoop have shuttered; WestJet has absorbed Sunwing Airlines) and plane delivery delays caused by production problems at aircraft maker Boeing. All of that means fewer seat capacity and higher prices, though there is reportedly some relief in sight. HERE’S THE AVERAGE PRICE INCREASE FOR A PLANE TICKET IN SUMMER 2024:
Source: Flight Centre Travel Group
27% One way Calgary to Vancouver
36% One way Montreal to Toronto 82% One way Edmonton to Vancouver US$1.48T
BUSINESS TRAVEL IS BIG BUSINESS
Global business travel industry spending is expected to hit a record US$1.48 trillion by the end of 2024, and surpass US$2 trillion by 2028, according to the 2024 “Business Travel Index Report” produced by the Global Business Travel Association, which surveyed 72 countries, 44 industries and 4,100 business travellers across five global regions.
• 32% Flight/travel cancellations
• 31% Missed connections
• 29% Lost or delayed luggage
• 22% Overbooked flights
• 17% Overbooked accommodation
• 9% Denial of departure or entry (i.e., visa expiry)
Reasons for Flight Delays
• 43% Mechanical faults
• 43% Severe weather
• 19% Administrative errors
• 17% Transport worker strikes
• 15% Health emergencies
• 15% Incomplete paperwork
• 13% Critical security concerns
Regional Disparities
