Hello, my name is: Mike Andrusyk

Name ofcompany: Joe Barista Gourmet Coffee

Position: Joe’s Major Domo

In business since: 2012

I’d describe this business: A unique alternative to regular brewed office coffee. Espresso based coffee fresh from bean to cup.

Smartest thing I’ve done: Go into business for myself. Dumbest thing: See above…

Success for me means: Providing gourmet coffee and service at a competitive price while giving back to the community.

You can find me: www.joebarista.ca I 902.469.2008

“Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesperson, not the attitude of the prospect.”

This is a lesson I learned very quickly in my first year of ad sales. being a recent Saint Mary’s university grad and having just less than two years experience in ad sales, I quickly realized that the learning curve in sales is ongoing. knowing the customer, being consistent and persistent, and maintaining a positive attitude (especially towards clients) are some of the key lessons I have learned.

A bit of advice for all of you recent grads and ad boys and girls: don’t think you’ll learn everything you need to know in school or in a textbook.You may learn the basics that way- teamwork, theory, ad models, but the key to being successful in sales is to find a good mentor to continue learning.

My employer and mentor, Jeff brooks, once told me, “you have to make twenty-two calls a day to get five maybes, and out of those five maybes, you might get two sales”. This is another lesson that I would like to pass along tosalesnewcomers:thinkingeveryone will say yes, then getting discouraged when they don’t is counterproductive. knowing your customer starts with knowing yourself. Admitting your knowledge gaps (a hard concept to swallow) will tremendously improve how you interact with your clients.

One last piece of advice: clients know what they want and they usually have a vision in their head. It’s your job to work with them. You can give them advice along the way, but trying to change their vision entirely will only frustrate your client and discourage you if they resist your suggestions.

So good luck out there. happy selling and keep following the learning curve!

Submitted by: Greg Field, Account Director at Apeeling Orange.
Call him: 902.220.3732 or Email him: Greg@minglemag.ca

Yes, we have vacant storefronts, but most are vacant because they are being redeveloped or plan to be redeveloped in the very near future. And yes, there is turnover as some businesses just don’t survive, but that is not a problem unique to Downtown halifax. We have more great shops in our downtown than a decade ago and things will only improve in the coming years.

Is our downtown perfect? No. Can and should it be better? Yes. But put things into perspective: there is currently more development and redevelopment happening in downtown halifax than at any point over the past 20 years.The rumours of its demise are far from true.

New hotels, office buildings, a convention centre, residential and retail spaces are all being created – right now. Yes, office vacancy rates are up, but there is also more office being accounted for and any increase is temporary. The positive impact these developments will have will affect the downtown for decades and will be a catalyst for more businesses and people who move to downtown.

We do need more public infrastructure and beautification in our core, but make no mistake, private companies continue to invest in downtown and more will be coming. Downtown is convenient, has lots of amenities, and since 1749 has been the heart of halifax – suburbs be damned!

Submitted by Kenzie MacDonald
Keystone Business Centre
kmacdonald@ay-ns.com

historically, interviews explored an applicant’s education, skills and experience. The wild card in the process came in determining that applicant’s fit with the organization, as well as their fit for the specific job for which they were being considered. The current trend we are seeing is employers asking about the “bona fide occupational requirements” of the job.

bona fide occupational requirements are the qualities or attributes associated with a job that employers are allowed to consider when making hiring decisions.These qualities or attributes, when considered in other contexts, might constitute discrimination and breach the intent of the human rights Act.

Consider the following scenario: you hire an employee who will be required to regularly lift up to 50lbs only to have that new employee provide you with a doctor’s note indicating that they cannot, in fact, lift because of a medical condition.

If you found yourself in a situation like this, it would mostly likely be because the recruiter failed to ask about the applicant’s ability to carry out bona fide occupational requirements during the formal interview. Without confirming an applicant’s ability to meet those occupational requirements, employers risk experiencing scheduling issues, gaps in operations, and perceived favouritism. If not managed correctly, employers might also face costly human rights complaints.

In Nova Scotia there are 14 Prohibited Grounds of Discrimination; age, race, colour, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, irrational fear of contracting an illness or disease, ethnic/national/aboriginal orientation, family status, source of income, marital status, political belief or association with an individual or class of individuals.

Interview strategies should include bona fide occupational requirement questions. To be legal, those questions must directly tie the requirement- for example, a physical requirement- to the actual job duties as outlined within the job description. When formulated correctly, employees are bound to honestly answer bona fide occupational requirement questions, providing an assurance to the employer that they are making the best hiring decision, and alleviating the possibility of a human rights complaint.

Knowing and documenting the bona fide occupational requirements of the job, and respecting obligations set out within the human Rights Act, are necessary pillars of strong recruitment strategies and tools.

Submitted by Angela MacCabe
HR, OHS & WCB Senior Consultant
Find her at: HR pros Inc.

For those of you who are not so monetarily monumental, and might just be looking to catch up on some sleep, iNap@Work might be what you’re are looking for. enjoy a peaceful workplace slumber, and let this nifty app do the work for you. Or at least pretend to.Through the sound of your closed door, passersby will hear random office sounds like mouse clicks, typing, paper crumpling, stapling, and page turning. Depending on the level of busyness that you care to simulate, you can turn up the productivity level. Just don’t forget to program the alarm, or you may risk napping through coffee break.

All joking aside, growth of the mobile application market has been massive. Technology research bigwig Gartner Inc. predicts that in 2013, mobile applications will pass PCs to be the most common web access tools, and Marketsandmarkets. com states that by 2015 it will be a $25 billion dollar per year market.

Locally you can ride this wave by signing your business up for a listing on the Visit halifax mobile application. Close to 2,000 businesses are categorically listed there in a show of strength of all things local, making it a great tool for the app happy traveler. Take advantage and add your free business profile; visit www.destinationhalifax.com/taptheapp.

Help make Halifax the destination of choice for business and leisure travel.

Submitted by By Jan Napier
Find her at: www.jnapier.ca
Contact her: mnapier@eastlink.ca

If you don’t have that perfectly ergonomic desk/chair set up and you work all week, here are some stretching tips to help get back into the swing of things.

1. Start with laying stomach down on the floor

2. Put your hands directly under your shoulders, shoulder-width apart

3. Slowly lift your upper body, arching your back, toes facing the wall behind you, looking up towards the ceiling

4. Slowly come back to original position and repeat

Tip: Do not over-extend the arch, simply bend until you feel a good stretch, but not so it is uncomfortable.

For those of you who may need more, try lifting your pelvis and top of your thighs off of the floor as you arch your back.

Nest Thermostat learns the way you live your life: when you leave for work, when you come home, when you go to bed and (more importantly) when you get up in the morning. It learns as you control it, changing the temperature until it knows your schedule.What makes it even better is that it can be controlled from your phone! Okay, maybe not the most exciting thing anymore, being able to control something from your phone (are there even just phones anymore?), but we’re talking about complete control over your heating. being able to jump in the car after work and, if the weather is colder or hotter than expected, changing your in-home thermostat with the touch of a button on your phone.

And DIY fans, according to Nest “If you’re comfortable installing a light fixture you can install Nest yourself. Three out of four people install Nest in 30 minutes or less”.

So what can you save? Well according to Nest, if you properly configure the Nest Thermostat you can save up to 20% on your home heating and cooling bill. Not something to be sniffed at. And Nest works with different heating systems. Most thermostats are made for forced air systems but with System Match “Nest activates custom energy saving features, depending on the system you have”.

Personally, I can’t wait to get it. Nest starts retailing for about $249.00, which is not bad. Check out the full details at www.nest.com

Submitted by: Jonathan Lyons,
Owner : The TechCUBE, Technology Centre, Chester
Find him at www.thetechcube.ca
Contact him at: (902) 704-0662 E: info@thetechcube.ca

The customer experience is no longer limited to what happens at a retail location or at home behind closed doors.There are no closed doors any longer – social media has blown them wide open.

The customer experience happens largely online.Accordingto2012figuresfromThe huffington Post, 77% of b2C* companies and 43% of b2b** companies acquired customers in 2012 through social media.

In addition to that, one in three social media users would rather address their customer concerns through social media than by contacting a company by phone. (Nielson 2012)

Why, then, are 56% of customers’ tweets to companies being ignored?

If your company is not participating in the social media world, how can you be sure you are delivering the level of customer care you’re committed to delivering?

It’s imperative that businesses listen to their customers, and in order to listen to them, companies must be where their customers are. Find out if your customers are on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest or linkedIn, then make sure your company is there.

It isn’t enough to have a page or a profile. You need to be participating in the conversation.

How can a company offer good social care?

1. Be present. have pages and profiles on relevant social networks.

2. Listen. be aware of what users are posting about your company.

3. think before you speak. have guidelines that define how to respond to a variety of situations, and make sure all team members understand the guidelines.

4. Respond. Answer every post, every tweet, every comment with personalized responses that address audience concerns and follow the company’s engagement parameters.

5. engage. be proactive about sharing content and information that will help provide a consistently positive online customer experience.

Social media communication is part of the overall customer experience. use that as a guide. Consider what type of customer experience you want your customers to have, and use social care to help make that happen.

Submitted by Frances Leary, owner Wired Flare
Find her at www.wiredflare.com
Contact her: info@wiredflare.com

*Business to consumer
**Business to business

1) If you have earned income are you taking advantage of RRSP’s? The amount allowable each year to deduct from your income is based on the amount of your total RRSP room, which builds up each year at a rate of 18% of your previous year’s earned income.

2) If you are a working parent, are you getting receipts for child care expenses?You can claim up to $7,000 for children under age 7, and $4,000 for any children from age 7 to 18.

3) have your children who are under 17 been involved in active sports or arts? If so make sure you get receipts and claim tax credits up to $500 per child.

4) Do you have a pension income and a spouse? For certain types of pension income you may be eligible to split up to 50% of that income with a spouse.

5) Do you have any non-registered investments? If so you may qualify to claim carrying charges, including interest or professional fees.

6) If you are attending a university or college you may claim tuition fees as well as an education and textbook amount. Also up to $5,000 may be able to be transferred from a child or spouse.

7) If you make donations up to $200 you only get a total tax credit of 23.79%. On every qualified donation over $200 there is a 50% tax credit.

Submitted by By Gary C. Graves, Public Accountant, Owner, Gary C. Graves Accounting Inc..
Contact Gary and his staff at 444-5925

You probably also imagine a health and fitness coach to fit the mold of buff parts and toned muscles, too. Molds, however, can be broken and Tara MacDonald is determined to bust that one. She is on a very public journey toward a healthier self and, no stranger to entrepreneurism, she sees possibilities for making the journey a profitable one, financially as well as physically.

An important factor in having your own business is passion for what you do. Another is finding your market. Tara is passionate about getting in shape and, as a plus-size woman, she recognizes a plus- sized niche market she can tap into. If those of us who are average-sized are coyed by the nubile-looking, yoga-bodied instructors that urge us to push our bodies, what must it be like for those who have a very long way to go before ever being considered lithe or sculpted? Statistically, they are a large percentage of our North American population. In Nova Scotia alone, the rate of obesity doubled between 1987 and 1995.Tara is right about market potential, and she has first-hand knowledge of what is motivating that market.

Tara graduated with a degree in english literature from Trent university, then did a six year stint in Toronto working for a publishing house. She came back east to do Marketing and Management at Mount Saint Vincent. While at the Mount, she came to terms with the fact that she was gaining too much weight, too fast. As she says, “size 26 went by, and passed”. She needed to do something. She had been strong and active through high school, playing rugby and other sports. however, too many years sitting in front of a computer for work and school, combined with unhealthy eating habits, had caught up with her. Determined to make changes, she started a non-profit for plus-size women called NSFIT4u. She had a trainer design a program for them, and made it available for free.They worked out for 6 weeks.

When she graduated in 2006, she decided to go to banff to work for the summer because “everything was uphill”. She was 400lbs, and something had to give. The hills would force her activity level. It was while she was there that she came across the beach body® products. She and her friends were trying to get in better shape and saw the ads for the Turbo Jam® DVD on the Shopping Channel. She ordered the DVD and became a beach body® member.

Losing her dad to a heart attack that same year was the first serious wake-up call. She came back to Dartmouth to go to film school and to start her film production business, Charlie Mac Productions, named in his honour. Tara invested heavily in it over the first two years, and while getting the business off the ground, she continued to try to get herself grounded.Through a combination of personal trainers, workout DVDs and new approaches to nutrition, she dropped 115lbs. Charlie Mac was doing well. She teamed up with a l.A.-based producer with whom she had connected through linked In, and they specialized in film shorts- videos, trailers, ads. She also had a direct selling business on the side, representing a Canadian jewellery line called Fifth Avenue Collection, and used her income from sales to finance her love of travel.

She was still losing weight, albeit sporadically, but her energy was more focused on her business than on herself or her health. Then came another wake-up call. This time it was the death of a beloved aunt, whom she describes as having been “a rock”. her aunt had been primary caregiver for Tara’s grandmother, and had been devoted to her. Shortly after her grandmother passed away last year (at 102 years old),Tara’s aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had denied the symptoms, and not gone for care or investigations. That was october 2012. She died a month later.

This sudden death has been a huge motivator, not only for Tara but for many in her family, to be more proactive about their health.Tara had had her beach body® membership status for years when she discovered through her own coach that beach body® was bringing their direct selling business to Canada. She sold her Fifth Avenue stock, and signed on with beach body® .

So now Tara MacDonald is a beach body® coach. beach body® is responsible for products like P90X® , Shakeology® , and Turbo Jam® . In her role as a coach, she reps the products and helps to keep people on track with their fitness goals. beach body® uses a team and buddy support system that Tara finds tremendously helpful. buddies email each other daily and are accountable to each other.

She uses her website and blog, Facebook page and the beach body® coach site to reach clients. With the online buddy system, her clients can be anywhere. She knows that her market is with the plus-size men and women who find her approachable because of her own goals. The biggest obstacle her clients face is the same one many businesses face: not seeing instant results. but she advises “goals need to be measurable, there are always set backs. have a big vision goal.”

There are the nay-sayers. When people say “you’re overweight, how can you call yourself a beach body® coach?” she’s ready for it.“Success stories” she says,“only happen if you start somewhere. I’m already a success because I’ve lost 5 pounds.”

Last year Tara brought back NSFit4u, formalizing it with a board of directors and running a program through 360fit in Dartmouth. She hopes to keep it going. She still has Charlie Mac Productions but now has an employee run it. She says this is her “year to make it happen”.

Sometimes, in business, it’s all about knowing when to get smaller.

Submitted by Jacquie Thillaye
Find her at www.shapecommunications.ca
Contact her: jacquie shapecommunications.ca

Consumers love to be entertained rather than pitched, and humour can be injected into a whole realm of marketing endeavours. If done really well, a campaign with comedy can have great longevity as consumers continue to discover and share it. Who knows, maybe you’ll have the next viral hit on YouTube or the tweet that circulates ad infinitum.

Local marketing expert at Kula Partners Carman Pirie  says “there is almost limitless application for humour in marketing . Humour can:

• help a brand break through and get noticed, maybe even after they’ve fallen off of the consumer radar (remember Diamond Shreddies?)

• help a brand talk about issues that are potentially sensitive (Philips Bodygroom is a great example)

• give a brand personality (has certainly worked well for Virgin over the years…)

• help a brand reach a new audience (Samsung’s recent Galaxy S3 campaign has certainly helped introduce the brand to Apple devotees)

Simply put, not taking yourself so seriously can sometimes be an awfully serious way of improving your bottom line.

A FEW TIPS:

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.
Put in the time and research to know your potential market. Reduce the risk of your humour falling flat by anticipating what your audience will think. Unfunny is annoying, but then again not everyone has a sense of humour.

USE TACT.
Impeccable tact is paramount. In this big old www dot world, your content must be tasteful to the masses. Know what is politically correct, and know when sexy becomes lewd.

COMEDY 101.
Poke fun at situations not people, and do it in an original and genuine way. Study what has worked for other companies and what different types of humour (whether dark, parody, satire, etc.) work best for selling different products or services.

TEST IT.
Whether friends, colleagues, or focus groups, test your humour first. Is it really funny? Is it relevant, thought provoking and inoffensive? Eliminate the need for damage control at the front end.

GETPROFESSIONAL HELP.
Improve your success rate dramatically- call in the pros.

Submitted by Jan Napier Find her at www.jnapier.ca

1. Stand with your back straight and your feet approximately 15” apart

2. Keeping both feet pointing straight ahead, slowly raise straight up transferring your weight to your toes

3. Slowly lower yourself taking the weight off your toes (be sure not to let your heels come in contact with the floor)

4. repeat until you ‘feel the burn’ in your calfs, repeat ten times, each time come to the burning sensation

To make this workout more challenging, hold onto a weighted object in each hand or find a slightly raised surface allowing the back of your feet (your heels) to hang off of the edge.

My Name: Renée Gruszecki

Position: Owner

In business since: 2011

I’d describe this business: I help people ‘get lucky’ by mixing history with fortune, creating one-of-a-kind, Canadian-made coin jewellery designs inspired by vintage jewellery, and by the enchantment of my found lucky-penny collection.

Smartest thing I’ve done: Save my pennies!

Dumbest thing: That I even doubted my abilities to launch a business. We are all capable of accomplishing anything that we set our minds to do. Stubbornness helps.

Success for me means: Creatively sharing lasting memories, experiences, dreams and mementos, rich with meaning, with others.

You can find me: www.coincoin.ca and the fabulous Argyle Art Gallery – If not haunting the NSCAD library, hiking along the Coast, art tarting about the city or hanging out with the handsome gents at Citadel Coins.

At home rehab physiotherapy services

My name: Stephen Richey

Position: Owner/physiotherapist

In business since: November 2012

I’d describe this business as: As an opportunity for individuals who have difficulty leaving the house to have a therapist come to them and have their therapy in the privacy, comfort and convenience of their own home.

Smartest thing we’ve done: was take a chance on myself and start the business

Dumbest thing: was underestimating the power of networking and the impact of professional relationships

Success for us means: Making a positive impact in the lives of my patients, helping them reach their potential and improve their quality of life

You can find us at: online at www.athomerehab.ca
or on the phone at 445-7987