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2 Red Deer Express Wednesday, October 15, 2014 - Small Business Week

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Small Business Week - Wednesday, October 15, 2014 Red Deer Express 3

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2014 was a milestone year for

the Red Deer & District Chamber

of Commerce; we celebrated our

120th anniversary. We refl ected

on our history and the partner-

ships and community that have

been a driving force in our suc-

cess.

Since our inception in 1894 it

has been our vision to help all

businesses succeed by fostering

the most vibrant community in

Canada.

Your support is an important

part of our history and provides

the foundation for our continued

growth.

To this very day, the Chamber

is run by a local group of hard

working and community-minded

members, volunteers and staff,

brought together by the desire

to continue the legacy of success

and betterment of our commu-

nity.

Together we are building net-

works and inspiring success.

The goals of the Chamber have

always been centered on enhanc-

ing business growth and prosper-

ity through leadership and inno-

vation in the Red Deer region.

The Chamber is a leading or-

ganization in the business com-

munity and it is imperative the

Chamber brand refl ects this.

Going into our 121st year we

will have a new brand that best

represents our forward outlook

and strong history.

Our promise is to respect our

history and utilize wisdom from

our past, but also look forward,

embrace progress and inspire

success. We take a proactive ap-

proach to the future and place

high priority on building strate-

gic relationships that will benefi t

our members and the business

community.

For example, our partnerships

through the Agri-Trade Equip-

ment Exposition and Central

Alberta; Access Prosperity; pro-

mote growth and have signifi cant

economic impact in our commu-

nity.

We also leverage our Cham-

ber partnerships to provide our

members with great discount

programs and value added ser-

vices.

Among the many benefi ts of

being a Chamber member is our

policy and advocacy work. Our

policy committee acts quickly

and effectively to respond to busi-

ness concerns to ensure the voice

of Red Deer businesses is heard

at all three levels of government.

The Red Deer & District Cham-

ber of Commerce is owned by its

members and is invested in help-

ing them generate long-term ben-

efi ts for their business.

We invite you to connect with

us to learn more about the ben-

efi ts of being a member.

Join us at one of our events and

enjoy the speakers and network-

ing opportunities, or get involved

with our committees.

Our future is promising and we

look forward to your continued

part in it.

Reeve Martin,

Chamber president 2014-2015

President’s message for Small Business Week

CHAMBER PRESIDENTREEVE MARTIN

Small and medium-sized businesses are the

cornerstone of the Canadian economy. They ac-

count for 99.8% of all Canadian companies and

employ more than 60% of private sector workers.

At the Business Development Bank of Canada

(BDC), we believe this contribution deserves to

be celebrated. We also believe entrepreneurs

need support in build-

ing successful, in-

novative businesses.

BDC Small Business

Week™ activities pro-

vide an opportunity to

celebrate, develop new

skills, make new con-

tacts and plan for new

opportunities.

About BDC Small

Business Week™. For

35 years, the Business Development Bank of

Canada has been organizing BDC Small Business

Week ™ in recognition of the contributions and

achievements of Canada’s entrepreneurs. Events

held during the week bring entrepreneurs to-

gether at conferences, luncheons and trade fairs

across the country where they have the opportu-

nity to learn, network and enjoy themselves in

the company of their peers.

BDC Small Business Week™ 2014 takes place

Oct. 19 – 25 under the theme: ‘Back to basics, Re-

energize your business.’

Every business begins with an idea and a vi-

sion. Yet the roadmap

to growth is never

simple. Canadian en-

trepreneurs know

that long-term suc-

cess requires passion,

commitment, hard

work, a great offer-

ing and a solid plan.

Expanding your mar-

ket—whether at home

or abroad—demands

determination and adaptability, resources, an ap-

petite for greater risk and even a little luck. Use

BDC’s Small Business Week 2014 - a time to cel-

ebrate and recognize the nation’s business own-

ers - to get back to basics and reenergize your

business.

BDC – Small Business WeekOctober 19 - 25

‘Back to basics, Reenergize your business’ Small Business Week is an

extremely important time to

recognize the contributions of

the local business community.

Each year at this time, this

designated week is a terrifi c

opportunity to highlight the

differences these companies

make to Central Albertans on

a day-to-day basis.

Small businesses make up

a large part of Red Deer and

Central Alberta’s economy,

and it’s important to acknowl-

edge their dedication and

range of services to the re-

gion. We are very pleased to

again team up with the Red

Deer & District Chamber of

Commerce to bring our read-

ers the annual Small Business

Week feature.

It includes many stories

about an array of local small

businesses on a variety of rel-

evant topics. There are also

practical articles about en-

hancing business strategies

from the Business Develop-

ment Bank of Canada.

We want to thank the Red

Deer & District Chamber of

Commerce for the opportuni-

ty to bring this feature to our

readers. We would also like to

extend our thanks and appre-

ciation to the local small busi-

nesses that participated.

Tracey Scheveers

Publisher, Red Deer Express

Publisher’s message

TRACEY SCHEVEERS

Recognizing small businesses in Central Alberta


BY MARK WEBERRed Deer Express

Marking 120 years this past summer,

the Red Deer & District Chamber of Com-

merce continues to spread the word about

the many ways they can help bolster busi-

ness growth across the region.

Key networking opportunities with

Business After Hours get-togethers, educa-

tional Chamber business luncheons with

well-known speakers, premium group

insurance rates, a range of cutting-edge

workshops, legislative infl uence, Member-

2-Member discounts and free listings in

the Membership Calendar & Directory are

just some ways local businesses can ben-

efi t by joining, staff say.

“The Red Deer & District Chamber of

Commerce is primarily an advocacy group

for business,” explains Tim Creedon, ex-

ecutive director. “We were founded in 1894

by a group of traders here in Red Deer who

banded together in such a way as to be able

to petition the then territory to have the

municipality of Red Deer founded. They

had identifi ed that was going to be impor-

tant to them in growing their businesses.”

The group was later incorporated

around 1912, and then the name effectively

changed to a Chamber of Commerce. “A

Chamber of Commerce is actually a form

of franchise because you have an area that

you are mandated to serve.

“Our area is from Delburne in the east to

Poplar Ridge in the west to the Blindman

River in the north to Penhold in the south.

So we have the pleasure of representing all

of those businesses in that area.”

Creedon also noted how the Chamber

came to realize that in terms of business

attraction, “We needed to be doing busi-

nesses attraction for a larger area than

just the City or the County. An investor

doesn’t see what we see – they don’t see

a County boundary, they see a region. So

regional economic development gives you

the ability to have a larger product to offer

to people.”

Raising the profi le of the Chamber in

the view of the provincial government has

also been a priority, as the province then,

in turn, can help steer prospective busi-

nesses to the Central Alberta region.

“The other thing that we’ve been work-

ing on very hard is emphasizing the agri-

cultural opportunities, and the agricultur-

al food processing opportunities because

of the amount of food that is produced

around here.”

Between 850 to 900 businesses are repre-

sented by the Red Deer & District Chamber

of Commerce, which is a not-for-profi t or-

ganization.

Rick More, manager of member services

and community relations, works to touch

base with members and connect with pro-

spective business owners.

“I go out and sell our three main arms

– one of the pillars is the networking part

which include the Business After Hours

and the luncheons.”

The luncheons provide both the latest

in knowledge and trends as well as those

vital opportunities to network, he said.

Topics featured at the luncheons are con-

sistently diverse because the membership

is, he added.

“There is also the value-added side of

things – we can save businesses money

through the reduced rates on merchant

cards, better rates on group insurance –

those are probably the two main ones that

would also pay for their membership and

more.”

More said the Chamber also develops

business policy that wields a real impact

on the business environment in general.

Locally developed policy is directed to

the provincial Chamber of Commerce

level and ultimately to the national Cham-

ber level where delegates from across

the country carefully study it within the

context of what can help spur economic

growth in general.

“They don’t take these policies lightly –

they are there to speak and to listen. The

policies are then voted on by all the Cham-

bers and then move forward to the govern-

ment.”

Locally, More emphasized the Red Deer

& District Chamber of Commerce’s con-

cern and care for the community.

“That’s why we do things like hosting the

Business of the Year. One of the mandates

for those who win those awards are that

they are community-driven, that they fi t in

well and that they make a difference in the

community. That is a part of growth.”

More said ultimately, members are

proud to have the Chamber’s logo within

their business as it also lends a sense of

credibility to the operation.

Looking ahead, the annual Agri-Trade,

which the Red Deer & District Chamber

of Commerce partly owns and is a manag-

ing partner of, is just around the corner

and organizers are excited about what’s in

store this year and in the years to come.

Dianne Smirl, show manager, said there

are several changes in the works with the

goal being providing those in the industry

with the very latest practical information

on trends and the direction that farming is

predicted to go in the coming years.

“Most of the changes so far have been

on the back-end and on the strategy side,”

she said, pointing out that the industry is

changing quickly on many levels. “Tech-

nology will be 10 times better, if not 100

times better. Robotics is a big thing com-

ing in, and that plays into labour shortages

around the world.

“We’re going through a generational

shift, too, where a lot of people are retiring

and their sons and daughters are return-

ing to take over the farm.

“What we are fi nding with this next gen-

eration is that they are very tech savvy

and they want to do more with less. That’s

a shift for the show – going from a straight

equipment show to how do we get to ser-

vicing our attendees’ needs 10 years from

now.”

To help guide the changes, Smirl said

there is a solid advisory committee made

up of people involved with the agriculture

industry both from fi nancial and agricul-

tural businesses.

“We also have young next generation

farmers on there to tell us what they are

interested in. They are the ones working

with myself to develop strategy.”

Meanwhile, the aforementioned Busi-

ness of the Year Awards are organized by

the Red Deer & District Chamber of Com-

merce as well, and the event is held annu-

ally in conjunction with Small Business

Week.

The Business Awards are presented, in

three categories, to exceptional businesses

within the Red Deer area.

“The Chamber is also all about partner-

ships – the City, County, Red Deer College,

Westerner Park, the Central Alberta Eco-

nomic Partnership – it’s all about working

with people to achieve what we have to do,”

added Creedon. “We’re working alongside

others to achieve common goals.”

For more information, visit www.red-

deerchamber.com.

[email protected]

Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce marks 120 years Central Alberta offi ce offers an array of services for local businesses

LEADERSHIP - Pictured here is Tim Creedon, executive director of the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is celebrating 120 years of service to the local business community in 2014. Jenna Swan/Red Deer Express


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BY KALISHA MENDONSARed Deer Express

Just outside of Lacombe

lies the family farm that

produces a high quality yo-

gurt that is rapidly spread-

ing across Alberta – Bles-

Wold yogurt.

Hennie Bos and his wife

Tinie needed a healthy

breakfast for their diabetic

daughter so Tinie got a rec-

ipe from her brother in Hol-

land – a sugar free, no pre-

servative yogurt that would

be healthy, good tasting

and quick in the mornings.

“We had a hard time

fi nding something that was

healthy, had no sugar or

added sweeteners and tast-

ed good. Tinie started to

make yogurts for her, and

she enjoyed it.

“Our whole family en-

joyed it, and our friends

and neighbours liked it,”

said Hennie.

“That’s kind of how we

got the ball rolling.

“Eventually, we were

making more and more and

the idea came to turn it into

a business.”

Since 1996 the family has

utilized the empty barn

on their farm and trans-

formed it into a production

plant for their products.

They began remodelling

sections at a time, adding

and retrofi tting the space

until it evolved into the

current offi ce/production

facility that exists today.

They offer a wide selection

of Greek yogurt products,

drinkable yogurts and sour

cream.

The farm sits close to

Lacombe on the QEII Hwy.

and is centrally located be-

tween Calgary and Edmon-

ton.

This ideal location

helped form the distribu-

tion that continues to grow

throughout Alberta, reach-

ing now out to Medicine

Hat and Lethbridge.

“When we go into a store

and see our product on the

shelf, and see people pick-

ing it up and looking at it,

and then putting it in their

baskets, that really feels so

good.

“It’s a tremendously

good feeling and I’m very

proud,” said Hennie.

Hennie said that when he

and his wife sell their prod-

ucts, they also ‘sell service

and quality.’

“When a store phones

and says the shelf is empty,

we jump in the truck and

we go – even if it’s to Cal-

gary or Edmonton.

“We are in direct contact

with pretty much every

store we deliver to, at least

once a week, sometimes

twice.

“If there’s a problem, we

go and get it fi xed.”

What sets this small busi-

ness apart from other yo-

gurt manufacturers is that

from grain feed, to milking

the cows to product manu-

facturing and packaging,

everything takes place on

the farm.

The Bos family grows all

of the food for their cows,

milks the cows themselves,

processes the milk and cre-

ates the products on site.

The Bos family also

works with a close group of

friends and help that keeps

the business going.

They are close to their

employees and trust them

to continue to make the

high-quality products that

Bles-Wold stands for.

“It’s very rewarding.

I think we like people to

know that we are making

a very high-end product

with no preservatives, no

colours and no artifi cial

fl avours.

“It’s all natural. We also

think people need to know

how healthy yogurt is for

them,” said Tinie.

“There are all the cul-

tures and the probiotics

that are great for your

health.

“It’s very healthy and

tasty and it’s fast. It’s not

a fast food, but it’s ready to

go and ready to eat. It’s con-

venient.”

Since 1996 the produc-

tion, distribution and

venue have all grown very

rapidly.

The whole Bos family has

a part to play, from Hennie

and Tinie to their children

and their children’s part-

ners.

The success of Bles-Wold

products is a testament to

the family’s many years of

hard work in Alberta.

“We came here in 1994

from Holland. We were

looking for more opportu-

nity, more space and a chal-

lenge.

“We got the farm and

started to build on it, which

we did very rapidly. Within

six or eight months, we

were back in business.

“A few years later, we

started the yogurt com-

pany.”

[email protected]

Yogurt company offers quality products

FAMILY AFFAIR - Hennie Bos and his wife Tinie stand proudly by the logo of the business they have built through a wide range of yogurt products. Kalisha Mendonsa/Red Deer Express

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2014 Small Businessof the Year Finalist

“Center for Excellence in Pet Health Care”Our Mission:

To improve the health, wellness and quality of life of your pet by providingexcep onal veterinary care and services in a kind and compassionate manner.

#1, 7644 Gaetz Ave., Red Deer, AB403.347.2676

A er Hours Emergency Call 403.347.3277

Mon/Wed: 8am – 9pm; Tues/Thurs/Fri: 8am – 5:30pm *Note: We are closed Mon/Wed from 5:30-6pm

www.cedarwoodvet.ca

2014 Small Businessof the Year Finalist

11-20 Full Time Employees

Congratula ons to all Nominees and Finalists!

Canine Reproduc on

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Working with

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BY ERIN FAWCETTRed Deer Express

A local pet store continues to fl ourish in Red Deer.

Randy and Beth Beagle opened the Pet Planet in Red

Deer in 2012. About six months prior to the Red Deer store

opening, they opened a store in Sylvan Lake.

Pet Planet is an Alberta-based franchise that originated

in Calgary.

“We offer affordable, healthy pet food for all dogs and

cats. We also carry limited amounts of small animal items

as well,” said Beth. “It’s really important to us to carry

quality products.”

In additional to pet food, Pet Planet also carries a num-

ber of different supplements for animals as well.

“Just like people, you don’t get all of the nutrients out

of your food anymore. The supplements are all natural,”

said Beth. “It’s just like going to a health food store for

yourself. We want to help our customers fi nd a solution

to whatever their pets are going through in terms of their

health. We really care about our customers’ pets.”

There are also a number of treat options as well as ac-

cessories for pets and even a dog wash.

Randy said all of the products are thoroughly re-

searched before they are brought into the store to sell. “It

is all of the highest quality and we feel good about selling

the products to our customers,” he said.

“We want to give people a reasonably priced food that is

really good for their pet so we can extend that pet’s life.”

Randy and Beth both agreed that Central Alberta is a

great place to do business.

“We are true Albertans. There’s a good mix here – there

is urban and there are farmers,” said Beth. “We just love

Red Deer. The people are friendly and nice.”

Randy added, “We love Central Alberta and Red Deer

out of any other city. It is a great place to be.”

In addition, Beth said there are many benefi ts to being

a small business.

“There is a level of intimacy. We get to know our cus-

tomers and they get to know us,” she said.

“We get to really develop a good relationship with our

staff too. It becomes a family – our staff becomes our fam-

ily and our customers become our family. That is why we

love small business.”

Looking ahead, the couple said they plan to continue to

grow and offer quality products to their customers.

“We want to keep building and try to do the best job that

we can,” said Randy.

[email protected]

Local pet store fi nds success in Red Deer

ALL ABOUT ANIMALS - Randy and Beth Beagle opened Pet Planet in Red Deer in 2012. Jenna Swan/Red Deer Express


Business of the Year Finalists 1 - 10 employees

Dr. Joelle Johnson started Family First Chiropractic

and Wellness in 2009 after practicing in Red Deer since

1999. Partner Dr. Stephen Kelly joined in 2010 and part-

ner Dr. Elton Clemence joined more recently stating, “I

started with this clinic because of its remarkable repu-

tation.” The doctors are from Central Alberta and want

to raise their families here.

“This business allows us to give back to the commu-

nities that helped shape our childhoods,” says Johnson.

“Our practice is to create a family-friendly environ-

ment that supports parents and children in their health

care practices with play areas, books and games and

by keeping pregnant moms comfortable with special

tables, diapers and pillows as well as space for breast-

feeding moms before and after appointments.”

Health care for mothers is a focus for Family First

Chiropractic and Wellness. Johnson had a pediatric fel-

lowship with the International Pediatric Chiropractic

Association and with the specialized training, John-

son says, “I have a strong prenatal and pediatric-based

practice. We wanted to make the clinic comfortable for

busy, often stressed mothers by providing a supportive

environment. I wanted a clinic that was fun for kids and

has a relaxed home-like atmosphere.

“Chiropractic treatment really helps pregnant moth-

ers with back pain and discomfort. We take a very

gentle approach with our adjusting. If a baby is out of

alignment then the baby can put pressure on structures

and cause pain and cause a rougher birth. Chiropractic

care for pregnant mothers has proven to reduce labour

time by up to 50 per cent.”

The doctors all strive to grow cross-professional rela-

tionships in the health care and holistic areas of care.

Clemence says, “We always refer a patient to the doctor

most equipped to deal with specifi c health issues when

necessary. We have an amazing referral service and

Red Deer has some amazing practitioners and we will

connect our patients with them when necessary.”

“We have also put on events and tradeshows to bring

awareness and to support funding of midwifery in Al-

berta and to support birth and parenting,” says John-

son. ”We recently had a huge Five-Year Patient Appre-

ciation barbeque to say thank you to patients and the

communities of Eastview and Clearview where we are

located and in time we hope to have a location with dif-

ferent health professionals under one roof.”

Giving back to the community with wellness and a family focus

Frustration is often the mother of invention

and for Heather Murphy and Craig Howes, as

parents of young children and owners of the Red

Deer Budget Blinds franchise with a fl eet of sev-

en vehicles, the most expensive part of changing

their fl eet’s tires was the downtime for staff and

the lost sales. So they asked themselves, “Why

won’t someone just come to us?” The result was

the birth of Go Tire, Canada’s fi rst franchised

mobile tire service company.

By spring of 2011 Go Tire had their fi rst van on

the road and was starting the new franchise. A

breakthrough for marketing came when Go Tire

presented on CBC’s Dragons’ Den. The episode

aired in January 2013 and less than two years lat-

er Go Tire has 20 franchised locations all across

Canada.

In 2014 Go Tire expanded into the U.S. and a

major tire manufacturer quickly purchased one

of their vans. These vans are a feat of engineer-

ing and over $2.5 million was spent on research

and development. The result has been requests

to purchase from Dubai, Australia, the U.S. and

India. According to Howes their vision is simple:

“Change the way that Canadians change their

tires by attracting quality franchisees and ex-

ceeding customers’ expectations. It is our goal to

provide the best quality products at a reasonable

price with the highest standard of customer ser-

vice.”

Great employees are also a key ingredient for

success. “Our staff embraces change,” says How-

es.

“They understand the nature of a startup and

are as excited as the owners by the new oppor-

tunities that are consistently being put forward.”

Being based in Red Deer was an obvious choice

for Howes as he views Red Deer, “As an economic

powerhouse with a huge drawing area but with

the appealing feel of a small town. Because it is

relatively close to two major cities we can acquire

our equipment but at a lower operating cost. And

the community support for Go Tire has been

amazing from the public, our customers, the busi-

ness community and the media. For us, it is the

best of all worlds.”

Go Tire is speeding ahead with an expanding international franchise

While celebrating the recent 10th anniversary of

Larkaun Homes and their ongoing effort to be leaders

in new home design, innovation and sustainability,

the two owners, Cory Kaun and Natalie Larkam, are

still keeping their eyes on the long term development

of their home building business and increasing Red

Deer and Central Alberta’s awareness that their goal

is ‘building value for life.’

“Initially, as a young company, we had to build

respect and rapport both within Red Deer and the

home building community,” says Larkam. “And we

still believe in our original vision that we had as a

young team that there is a niche in Red Deer for qual-

ity homes that would benefi t the community. Over the

last 10 years we have developed a substantial reputa-

tion for building homes in the mid- to high-end range.

But our real goal is long-term and our belief is that

our satisfi ed customers will keep returning to us and

eventually their children will build with us as well.

It’s totally about our reputation as quality builders

who involve their customers every step of the way.”

Building on their reputation for quality, Larkaun

Homes has introduced a ‘Pride by Larkaun’ line of

homes that is more affordable for new home or fi rst-

time homebuyers. “With this affordable new line we

take very seriously the need to maintain our high

standards for quality and service. We want the buy-

er’s fi ngerprints on the home in the design and cus-

tomization of the home. We want the homebuyer’s

total involvement in the building of their home. And

we know what a huge investment it is for the home-

buyer.”

Larkaun’s success includes the creation of a work

team of motivated people who are all committed to

constantly learning and growing. “We develop a team

culture at Larkaun in which everyone supports each

other and we are all equal. Most importantly, we are

all passionate about building homes.”

Recognition for Larkaun Homes has come from the

Canadian Home Builders Association with the 2013

award for Builder of the Year in the Small Volume

category and Larkam acknowledges with pride that,

“Building the 2013 Kinsmen Lottery Dream Home in

Red Deer was a huge honour and being awarded the

2015 Kinsmen Lottery Dream Home is a real feather

in our cap.”

Larkaun Homes continues to build quality for future generations


Business of the Year Finalists 11 - 20 employees

Ken Hubbard started Cedarwood Veterinary Hospital

with his wife, also a veterinarian, in 1978 and recalls that,

“In the early days we did very basic veterinary services

with minimal equipment and we did a good job with what

we worked with. But there has been a huge change in pets

as they have moved from the barn on the farm to living in

the house to sleeping in a family bed and are now consid-

ered to be a part of the family. “Expectations are huge and

we must provide whatever that pet needs. So basically we

provide the same care for your pets as for what your child

receives in the hospital and this increasingly means new

specialized equipment.”

Expensive equipment, sometimes in the $100,000 range,

can mean big bills and Hubbard has addressed this by pro-

viding 24-hour veterinary care for pets with the adjacent

Animal Emergency Hospital. Sharing staff, equipment and

costs with the Emergency Hospital makes it affordable for

pet owners. Hubbard states that, “We can provide an elite

veterinary service at an affordable price in Red Deer.”

Hubbard advocates embracing technology and change.

“I am fascinated by where things go and I want to be in

front of where things are going. I realized early on that the

potential with computers was unlimited for medicine. At

fi rst it was adopted as an accounting package but it has now

evolved into the whole area of information management,

medical records and even diagnostics.”

Through innovation in his cryo-genetics work and use of

frozen dog semen, Hubbard has helped the RCMP produce a

high functioning multi-purpose dog that can do search and

rescue, tracking, criminal takedown and drug detection.

At one time the RCMP had to import quality dogs but with

their breeding facility in Innisfail the RCMP now produces

all its own working dogs. As well, due to huge genetic im-

provements, up to 80% of a litter will get into the training

program with nearly always a 100% graduation rate.

The Cedarwood Veterinary Hospital has made other cut-

ting edge changes. Hubbard reports the hospital, “Now

does blood work with its in-house lab. This provides faster

results and better care. We also have a blood transfusion

service for pets and we have an in-house blood bank with

donor pets from cooperative pet owners. Because of this, we

have our own blood supply for critical surgery.”

Hubbard acknowledges his plans for new technology,

new staff and expansion but says, “Growth can never come

at the loss of care. We always deliver absolutely fi rst-class

care for pets.”

Top notch care is fi rst, growth is second in importance for Cedarwood

Collegiate Sports Medicine Inc. was established in 2003

with a mandate to meet the sports medicine needs of Cen-

tral Alberta’s growing athlete population.

The business is the brainchild of Melanie Tuck, a for-

mer 15-year instructor at Red Deer College and a certifi ed

athletic therapist with a background of working with pro-

fessional sports teams. Armed with a business plan and

a broad-based, formal needs-assessment survey that did

show a tremendous need for such services to be provided

locally, Collegiate Sports Medicine Inc. fulfi lled a personal

dream of Tuck’s who says, “I really wanted a private clinic

for clients to be here in Red Deer.”

From its inception, the innovative clinic offered inter-

disciplinary services coordinated to minimize the exten-

sive travel required of Albertan athletes. The basic goal of

Collegiate Sports Medicine Inc. is the promotion of sport

performance, treatment of sports injuries and restoration

of function to the greatest possible degree in the shortest

possible time. Tuck cites her vision statement as their

fundamental purpose with the sports medicine team’s

dedicated, “To achieving positive results and enhancing

sport performance through a multidisciplinary, profes-

sional approach.”

The staff team includes sport physician services, four

physiotherapists, fi ve certifi ed athletic therapists, four

massage therapists and contracted services with a sport

neuropsychologist, a sport nutritionist and a sport psy-

chologist. “The beauty of this group of people is that we

are brought together with a common interest. It is a col-

laborative arrangement. Individually, everyone is strong

but together we are stronger. We share information, skills

and experience together.

“We are a teaching and learning, college-like organiza-

tion and environment and the clients love that – they love

learning about the diagnosis, the assessment and treat-

ment process. Our patient ratios are low, only two an hour

per therapist. It is really our niche and what we do best.”

The staff is involved with many minor sports programs

in Red Deer including skiing, midget hockey, high school

football, lacrosse and marathons.

“We provide thousands and thousands of volunteer

hours with coaching services. Red Deer has an amazing

sports community with many championship teams and

the sports community really fosters excellence and com-

petitiveness up to an Olympic sports level,” says Tuck. “As

I see it, that’s really the Red Deer culture.”

Collegiate Sports Medicine supports clients with teaching and learning

Red Deer Electric was started in 2005 by Master

Electrician Nolan Nicoll with the support of his

wife Yvonne. Beginning with one employee and an

old van, within three years Red Deer Electric grew

to become the largest volume residential electrical

contractor in Red Deer.

Nolan still modestly describes the business as a

‘mom and pop’ operation but with its 11 employees

and steady growth it is a major service provider for

Red Deer. Nolan says that there was lots of work

when he started the business in 2005 and starting

his own business in Red Deer appealed to him with

his Red Deer College training as an electrician and

having been born and raised in Red Deer. Recently,

despite three children under 10, Nolan’s wife man-

ages to come in three days a week to help with ac-

counts.

Managing business is not without challenges and

when the economic meltdown of 2008 hit, Nolan ad-

mits that, “We took a hit but we were aligned with

some pretty good builders by then and we scaled

back and we weathered it pretty well.”

Nolan also acknowledges that the Alberta Ad-

vantage of lots of work being available in a highly

competitive work situation means that it can be

challenging to compete with bigger companies for

workers. But he has his own approach. “We get

family orientated guys who want to be close to the

family and see the value of being home every night

rather than picking up a big paycheck from work-

ing in a remote camp somewhere. And we do long-

term sustainable work rather short-term projects.

We plan to keep our guys around and we want slow

sustained growth.”

Nolan says the key is to develop a system in which

all the workers produce the same high quality work

that minimizes inspections by clients. One result,

says Nolan, “Is that our customers – Red Deer’s

major homebuilders - know our guys by name and

know what to expect.”

Nolan sees change in his industry with lots of

new gadgets available. “We defi nitely see innova-

tive products. New computers, televisions come out

and it impacts on what we do. People want to charge

their gadgets and have outlets nearby along with

dimmers and timers and we deliver for them.”

For Red Deer Electric, consistent and steady growth wins the race


Business of the Year Finalists 21 plus employees

With 150 full- and part-time staff, Boston Pizza is a

major employer in Red Deer. It also has two of the most

successful BP restaurants with sales that are typically

within the top 10% of all BP restaurants. According to

Manager Richard Carramusa, “Boston Pizza is really

four businesses under one roof. We are a full service

family-casual dining establishment that has a sports

bar and we have take-out and delivery businesses.”

Economically, BP is a major player with $1.7 million

in renovations of the north and south Red Deer loca-

tions in 2013, a new 4,400 sq. ft. restaurant in Blackfalds

that opened in December of 2013 and a new restaurant

under construction in Gasoline Alley which will open

in December. “There is no question that Red Deer’s geo-

graphic location, vibrancy and demographic make it a

perfect community to do business in,” says Carramusa.

Innovation is an essential part of BP’s growth. In

response to long line-ups for delivery and in-house

service in 2011, Carramusa and his partners decided

to take the pressure off the restaurants by moving

the delivery operation kitchen off-site to a stand-alone

location near Red Deer’s main arteries. The kitchen

only prepares food for delivery services. “We call this

our Remote Kitchen Operation and we created a one-

phone number system for delivery orders with the or-

der placed through Edmonton and then relayed to Red

Deer and the food was cooked and delivered from our

new Remote Kitchen Operation. The end result was

that we were able to signifi cantly reduce our wait time

for deliveries.”

BP caters to families rather than just the 18 to 35 de-

mographic. “We have lots of high chairs, coloring book

menus, chocolate milk and orange pop which kids like

and an ice cream cart that delivers the ice cream and

a choice of toppings. The kids love that,” says Carra-

musa. “We also encourage large groups and teams to

come and sit together and the restaurants are set up

specifi cally to accommodate those customers.

“We are a community-minded restaurant,” Carra-

musa points out with pride for BP’s support for Red

Deer minor sports. “We currently sponsor 20 children’s

soccer teams and have supported minor hockey for

years as well as the Red Deer Rebels and Red Deer Col-

lege athletics and the Blackfalds BP just gave a check

to Big Brothers and Sisters for $25,000 on behalf of the

BP Foundation.”

With a focus on the community, Boston Pizza delivers expansion

The focus of Carpet Colour Centre, owned by the Wiebe

family since 1988, is interior design and fl ooring and Man-

ager Andrew Wiebe enjoys going to work each day and

working in Red Deer, saying, “I love Red Deer and it is a

wonderful place to do business.

“On the whole, people still know each other here and

the atmosphere is largely one of cooperation. We all have

a vested interest in each other’s success and business own-

ers here largely recognize that.”

Wiebe also recognizes the rapid changes in today’s world

and especially the impact of technology, the need to meet

customer needs and the need to maintain a healthy work

culture.

Wiebe says that, “A major impact of technology has been

that at least 20 per cent of our customers are coming to our

store with their iPads and tell us exactly what they want.

Red Deer people are increasingly on top of current trends

and no longer behind Calgary or Edmonton. We have in-

telligent, design-savvy and affl uent customers in Red Deer

who want cutting edge stuff and we have to be on top of

design trends and material.”

Another benefi t of technology is that Carpet Colour Cen-

tre designers work directly with customers in their homes

on a computer and build with them exactly what they want.

Wiebe says that, “Going digital has saved us and the

customer an incredible amount of time. Even if the cus-

tomer decides to totally change their choice for material,

it is just a matter of a click of the computer to integrate

those changes into the design. And our quote turnaround

has also shrunk dramatically because of this. And we can

get anything from anywhere.”

Wiebe points out another unique aspect of Carpet Colour

Centre. “We offer a Beautiful Guarantee – if, for any rea-

son, our customers do not like the way their new fl ooring

looks, we’ll replace it free, including installation.” Wiebe

says that installation is also crucial for customer satisfac-

tion. “Our installers are certifi ed Red Seal Journeyman

certifi ed and if an installer is willing to invest three years

of his or her life to achieve a journeyman ticket we hire

them.”

Carpet Colour is very involved with A Better World Can-

ada. Wiebe’s father Rick Wiebe is one of the project manag-

ers for A Better World’s operations in Kenya and has been

directly involved in the construction of water projects, pri-

mary and secondary schools, clinics, training and agricul-

tural projects in Africa.

Carpet Colour Centre continues to work with savvy style-wise clients

Accu-Thread Machining provides quality machining, repair

and design services with much of its work dealing with oilfi eld

equipment repair and design.

For owners Barry and Sherry Daniluk, Red Deer is the perfect

place for their business. “We have a strategic location from which

An international clientele depends on City’s Accu-Thread Machiningto serve customers,” says Barry. “And we benefi t from

the thriving economy, from having the amenities of a

larger city without the downside of traffi c congestion,

affordable real estate and a great, supportive commu-

nity.”

The high-pressure world of the oil patch is well

known to Accu-Thread Machining. Barry observes

that, “With the fast pace of the oil and gas industry we

began operating a night shift. We offer 24-hour service

to quickly repair broken tools or to build new tools. We

have a reputation for excellent customer service, qual-

ity and a quick turnaround. You can call us at four in

the morning or four in the afternoon and our services

are available. If you call us at four in the morning, we

know that the customer wants as little downtime as

possible and we do our best to accommodate that.”

With increased square footage from 6,000 to over

10,000 sq. ft. and an investment of $2 million in new

machinery, the business has gone from being one of

the smaller machine shops to one of Red Deer’s larg-

est.

Barry is proud of the fact their fi vefold increase in

sales over the past few years has come with no sales

staff. “We work for companies around the world and

have an international reputation. During the 2008 eco-

nomic meltdown we still had overtime for our workers

and we believe this was because of our international,

diverse customer base. Word of mouth has been the

basis of our success and it has been an incredible

ride.”

Adapting to change is essential. “What distinguishes

our business is our willingness to take on complex and

challenging projects and successfully complete them,”

says Barry. “But the real secret to our success is hir-

ing and working with good employees. Our employees

know our customers and meet their needs. Our state-

of-the-art technology really motivates our employees.

We got rid of the old machines and replaced them with

faster and newer computer assisted digital technol-

ogy.”

Accu-Thread also gives back to Red Deer through

participation in the Red Royals Golf Tournament to

support Red Deer’s youth, as well as being a fund-

raiser for Aspire, a charitable organization support-

ing children with special needs and their families in

Central Alberta.


Minimun purchase required. Expires Nov. 2

Red Deer South3215 Gaetz AvenueRed Deer, AB, T4N 3Y1Store Information: (403) 343-7777

Red Deer North7494 50th AvenueRed Deer, AB, T4P 1X7Store Information: (403) 342-4446

Gasoline AlleyOpening

November 2014

Blackfalds#3 - 37 Cottonwood DriveBlackfalds, AB, T0M 0J0Store Information: (403) 885-7771

FUN & FLEXIBILITYWe understand that our employees have a number of responsibilities that they need to juggle. At Boston Pizza, we’ll help you manage that schedule while working and having fun at the same time.

SCHOLARSHIPS & TRAININGDid you know that some of our best servers and cooks have moved up to become managers and even franchisees? Learn how we can help you get to where you want to be.

OPPORTUNITIESDo you love people and the restaurant industry? Want to be part of Canada’s largest casual dining chain? Then we have the job for you.

BEST PERKS IN THE INDUSTRY!• Above average pay •Shift premium for extra helpful staff •Friends & family discounts •And more!

PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE WITHOUT SETTING FOOT IN THE KITCHEN

Local boy, Richard Carramusa, started his Boston Pizza journey at the tender age of 17, serving tables to save for Pharmacology studies. After 2 semesters, he quit school to continue with the

pizza chain. As the modest franchise grew into a billion dollar chain, he matured with it. Working his way through various positions and locations, including a stint at ‘corporate’ in Richmond, B.C. he eventually beacme a partner in the Red Deer locations.

Fast forward 26 years and he’s still a ‘Pizza guy’. Now the owner of 6 locations with a 7th under construction, he’s focusing on creating careers for the dedicated staff under his employ. Often he still rolls up his cuffs and starts cooking, just because he enjoys the camaraderie. “That’s why he does so well,” says longtime friend Don Riep, co-owner of an Edmonton software company. “Everyone’s on an equal playing eld and, with Richard, he’s the rst guy to show respect to anyone working hard. He’s that kind of guy.”

CAREER PATHS ~ WHY WORK AT BP?We’ll help you get to where you want to be.

®

BP DELIVERY IS FASTER THAN EVER!CALL 343-FOOD (3663)TO ORDER TODAY!

2014 Business of the Year Finalist Congratulations to all the nominees!

®


Every entrepreneur feels it at some

point: the fear of failure.

Only half of new businesses make it to

their fi fth birthday, and that can cause en-

trepreneurs a lot of stress.

However, experts say failure can actu-

ally lead to major accomplishments.

In fact, failure has been a key ingredient

in some of the business world’s great suc-

cess stories, says Michel Bergeron, senior

vice president of marketing and public af-

fairs at the Business Development Bank of

Canada (BDC).

“Canadian entrepreneurs and the public

at large need to be more forgiving about

failure.

“Failure and learning from mistakes is

often an important milestone on the path

to success,” Bergeron says.

“We have to change our perception about

failure in order to help business owners

stay in the game.”

Deborah Conroy of EY agrees. She

points to the new BDC Entrepreneurial Re-

siliency Award, an initiative that recogniz-

es a Canadian business that has success-

fully undergone a turnaround or pivotal

event in the past and come back stronger

because of it.

“Many entrepreneurs talk about some

kind of massive failure or hurdle they’ve

overcome,” says Conroy, vice president of

transaction advisory services at EY.

She is also president of the Montreal

chapter of the Turnaround Management

Association, a group for corporate turn-

around experts that teamed up with BDC

for this award.

No business is too big or too small to con-

front roadblocks.

Bergeron cites the example of Groupon,

the giant deals web site.

The company

got its start as a

social media site

called The Point,

which was cre-

ated to help peo-

ple connect for

social activism

purposes.

After a year of

effort and U.S. $1

million in operating costs, the start-up was

going nowhere.

“The founders shifted gears and turned

their offering into the discount coupon ser-

vice Groupon.

“They learned, adapted and made a for-

tune,” Bergeron says.

Two years later, the shift in focus proved

profi table: Groupon ballooned from a few

dozen employees to 10,000 and was the fast-

est company in history to make U.S. $1 bil-

lion in revenue.

Bergeron advises entrepreneurs to

adopt a ‘try, try again’ philosophy.

At its core this means learning from mis-

takes and showing resilience, a new busi-

ness approach that is growing in popular-

ity in today’s rapidly changing economy,

he says.

Instead of the old model, which empha-

sized extensive planning before launching

a new venture - by which time technology

and markets may

change substan-

tially - the new

approach favours

a lean and nim-

ble start-up, ex-

perts say.

The idea is to

engage custom-

ers early with a

basic product,

even if you haven’t worked out all the bugs.

The second step - learn quickly from

customer feedback and missteps.

Third - constantly refi ne your efforts.

And the fi nal secret ingredient- don’t give

up.

“I don’t think fear is all bad. It can be

healthy and reasonable. It keeps entrepre-

neurs from making rash decisions,” Con-

roy says.

“But it’s important to avoid excessive

hesitation and waiting for the exact perfect

moment.

“Trying, failing and trying again is

much better than not trying at all.”

How do entrepreneurs turn failure into

success?

“They have had a knack for seeing fail-

ure as an opportunity or challenge,” says

Bergeron.

“When solution ‘A’ didn’t work, they

tried solution ‘B’ if they were still con-

vinced there was a need. Or they decided

to meet a different need and, in the process,

found a new path. The setback helped them

identify a weakness, and they fi xed it.”

Conroy agrees. She cites a 2013 EY sur-

vey that found the following:

Over one third of Canadian entrepre-

neurs (35%) said business failure is seen

as a barrier to future business prospects.

This is nine percentage points higher than

the average across the G-20 countries,

which was 26%.

Canadian entrepreneurs may be more

worried about failure because of ‘higher

expectations,’ but they should also keep

in mind Canada’s ‘many entrepreneurial

upsides,’ such as the low cost of starting a

business, the survey authors noted.

- supplied by the Business Development Bank of Canada.

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A long-term business in

Red Deer continues to ex-

pand and see much success.

Central Alberta Tile One

fi rst opened in 1997. Since

then the business has fl our-

ished and now offers a one-

stop shop for customers

looking to build or remodel

a home or business.

“We started out as a tile

store and then we learned

very quickly that people

like one-stop shopping,

so that is how we got into

carpet, hardwood, lino and

laminate,” said Shannon

Moench, owner of Central

Alberta Tile One. “Every

time a homeowner wanted

their countertops taken off

to put granite on or to put

their toilet back on, they

didn’t want to call another

trade, so we have to step up

to the plate and do that.”

Moench is also partners

with Troy Larsen and Dean

Gillespie in Central Alber-

ta Tile One.

The non-commission

staff are also a benefi t to


customers.

“All of our customers

get the same attention and

get the quality service,”

said Moench. “We’re big

on service, quality control

and the bottom line is my

goal to take care of the cus-

tomer. It’s all about the cus-

tomer. Our goal is to meet

every need that we can.”

Central Alberta Tile

One also boasts the largest

showroom if its kind in the

City with more than 12,000

sq. ft. There is a variety of

products on hand and cus-

tomers can check out the

between 12,000 and 15,000

samples and sample boards

that are available.

There are also a num-

ber of entities under the


umbrella including Stone-

worx Masonary and Stuc-

co, which offers customers

options for the exterior of

their homes or businesses

as well.

“We do as much stuff as

we can, so we do rubber

product outside, Epoxy

fl oors, synthetic grass and

outside decking material,”

said Moench. “These things

really set us apart.”

Another branch of Cen-

tral Alberta Tile One is

Rave Designs. Designers

are on hand to guide cus-

tomers on custom design

elements from blinds to

custom furniture. There

are 12 designers in house

and customers are wel-

come to walk in – no ap-

pointments are needed.

Meanwhile, Moench

is reaching out even fur-

ther and will open a light-

ing store in the City next

month. Central Alberta

Lighting, set to open on

Nov. 1st, will offer a wide

range of lighting products.

The store will be managed

by Barry Whitlaw.

“We have partnered with

one of the biggest LED

franchises in North Ameri-

ca, called LED Source. That

will be half of the lighting

store and the other half will

be known as Central Alber-

ta Lighting,” said Moench.

“Central Alberta Lighting

will take care of every cus-

tomer that comes through

that door. LED Source will

cater to those who are in

need of big, commercial

lighting like hospitals and

buildings.”

In addition, Moench said

he enjoys doing business in

this area. “There is no bet-

ter economy than Central

Alberta anywhere in the

world that I know about.

It’s the best economy.”

As well, Moench said at-

tributed his business suc-

cess to the great staff he

has.

“If I didn’t have the ex-

cellent staff, I would never

be here. For Central Alber-

ta Tile One to be success-

ful, the number one thing

is staff. I have the best staff.

I also have the best custom-

ers and a lot of great rela-

tionships.”

Another important as-

pect of Moench’s business

is giving back to the com-

munity.

“It is important for us to

support our community.

The vast majority of our

business is in this commu-

nity, so we need to support

our community.”

[email protected]

Central Alberta Tile One continues to growBusiness set to expand with new lighting store which opens next month

LONGTIME SUCCESS - Shannon Moench, owner of Central Alberta Tile One, stands in the showroom of the City-based business.Jenna Swan/Red Deer Express

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Entrepreneurs have to innovate to survive and thrive.

However, innovation often doesn’t come easily. Let’s face

it. It’s the rare business that strikes it rich with some

mind-blowing high-tech invention or cool new wonder-

product.

In fact, that’s not the kind of innovation that has the

most impact in the small business world, says Michael

Selci, senior vice president, Finance and Consulting, at

the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). Much

more important is something called incremental innova-

tion—small, manageable improvements in your business.

They might not be as sexy as a fancy new product that

makes a big splash in the news or revolutionizes an indus-

try, but they’re the bread and butter of most highly inno-

vative businesses, Selci says.

And given the limited R&D resources at most small

companies, incremental innovation probably offers the

best payoff for entrepreneurs over the long-term.

“If you don’t innovate, you risk falling behind,” Selci

says. “But radical innovation isn’t the answer for most

businesses. Small incremental steps are what they need to

work on to help their business grow.”

Rob Read of Bison Fire Protection agrees. His company,

which supplies fi re protection products and services, is

growing at an impressive clip, with sales shooting up 20%

each year since 2001.

Bison has ranked as one of Canada’s top 500 fastest-

growing companies two years in a row.

What is Bison’s secret? Constant improvement, Read

says.

“I think if you’re not innovating, changing or trying

things, you’re dying. If you think business is done the

same way as 10 or even fi ve years ago, you’re wrong,” he

says.

“It doesn’t have to be the clouds parting and light beam-

ing down. And we’re talking doable things - little changes

on a regular basis.”

Read recently brought in an outside consultant to audit

his business processes and look for effi ciencies. He had

noticed some of his employees were overworked, so he

wanted to fi nd ways to make their lives easier. “If you’re

running a marathon every day, you’ll lose a lot of your

people,” he says.

The expert recommended some simple streamlining

measures, such as processing paperwork more effi ciently

and improving scheduling and inventory management.

It sounds like simple stuff, but these innovations made a

huge difference.

“That marathon turned into a walk in the park. People

are less stressed. We’re getting better production with the

same people and lower costs,” Read says. “The staff have

repeatedly come to me and said, ‘Thank you.’”

Another recent innovation was to start having weekly

meetings to brief sales people and project managers on

the status of various jobs.

That’s resulted in better productivity and customer ser-

vice, Read says.

One more innovation: hiring a supervisor for each of

Bison’s three divisions. Thanks to these managers, em-

ployees are now getting better support and training. Bison

has also started investing more in its people by offering

weekly staff training sessions.

And Read’s not done. Upcoming plans include a cus-

tomer survey and another outside audit in a year or two.

“As we grow,” he says, “I’m continually looking at ways to

innovate.”

Many entrepreneurs shy away from innovation. “They

view it as something complex or revolutionary that only

the big guys can take on. Or they’re so busy trying to man-

age day-to-day operations and customers that they say

they don’t have time for it and are fi ne as is,” Selci says.

However, innovation can be tackled in small steps that

are easy to manage. Here are some tips:

1. Constantly review your processes and products to

see what you can improve. Seek advice from an industry

expert or an external consultant with expertise in func-

tional areas such as human resources, lean management

or information and communication technology. Talk with

suppliers and listen to customers to get new ideas.

2. Form partnerships with universities and colleges to

cultivate ideas and potential employees.

3. Shorten your idea-to-market cycle. Quickly see wheth-

er there is market interest in your idea. Test a new product

inexpensively by promoting it on eBay or YouTube. Gauge

market reaction, and innovate based on the feedback.


Step by step: how to innovate incrementally

RM 139 5201 - 43 Street, Red Deer Main fl oor - east corridor 403.324.1434Hours:

Mon. - Fri. 9-6Sat. 10-4

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& Finalists& Finalists

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SPONSORS

BDC is the Business De-

velopment Bank of Cana-

da. From over 100 offi ces

across the country, BDC

promotes entrepreneur-

ship by providing highly

tailored fi nancing, venture

capital and consulting ser-

vices to entrepreneurs.

A fi nancial institution

owned by the Government

of Canada, BDC has been

serving Canadian entre-

preneurs for more than

66 years. Our team helps

more than 29,000 business-

es reach their full poten-

tial. As a complementary

lender, we offer loans and

investments that supple-

ment services available

from commercial fi nancial

institutions.

We put special focus on

SMEs in sectors such as

manufacturing, exporting,

innovation and knowledge-

based industries. We pay

particular attention to

start-ups, innovators, fast

growth companies, manu-

facturers and exporters.

We also focus on entrepre-

neurs who are working to

commercialize the fruits of

R&D to create innovative

products and globally suc-

cessful companies.

We put entrepreneurs’

success at the heart of all

we do.

Newcap Radio, own-

ers and operators of KG

Country and ZED 98.9 FM

in Red Deer is honoured to

be a contributing sponsor

of the 2014 Business of the

Year Awards. On behalf of

our clients and listeners

we would like to thank the

Red Deer Chamber of Com-

merce and the business

volunteers who judged this

year’s stellar entries. It is

through exemplary busi-

ness contributions like

those nominated that our

community, region, prov-

ince and country benefi ts.

The employees of these

companies help make a

better quality of life for

all of us while at the same

time inspiring opportunity

which leads to even greater

Servus Credit Union is

proud to sponsor the Busi-

ness of the Year Awards

and celebrate Small Busi-

ness Week. In fact, we cel-

ebrate the success of small

businesses all year.

Our Business Banking

Centre, located in Servus’

south hill branch, has a

focused, experienced and

supportive team ready to

meet the needs of the busi-

ness sector, and our knowl-

edgeable and friendly staff

can manage your day-to-

day business banking needs

at any Servus branch.

We understand your

community and the local

economy, and we consider

these factors when explor-

ing fi nancial solutions for

your business.

We have local infl uence

over the fi nancial decisions

that impact you and we’re

fl exible.

Servus has a fi nancial

solution for any business.

Whether you’re an estab-

lished business or just

starting out, we can help

you fi nd just the right bank-

ing solutions to help you

make the most of your time

and energy. After all, we’re

also an Alberta-based busi-

ness that understands the

economic climate you’re

operating in.

Servus Credit Union is

member-owned and pro-

vides fi nancial services

to nearly 390,000 member-

owners from more than

100 locations in 62 commu-

nities across Alberta. Our

vision of building a better

world – one member at a

time inspires our commit-

ment to provide sound, ad-

vice-based fi nancial prod-

ucts and services.

Diamond

Gold

Silver

Platinum

prosperity for our region.

Our congratulations goes

to the business owners,

their management team

and to the staff of all the

companies nominated and

in particular to the win-

ners chosen. Whether you

are being recognized for

the impact on our commu-

nity, exemplary customer

service, growth, staff and

facility development, in-

novation or positive media

attention you have shown

the business you repre-

sent excels at its core func-

tion and is making a very

positive difference here in

Central Alberta through

business and community

service. KG Country and

ZED 98.9 is proud to have

this opportunity to be a

part of your success and to

share in this recognition.

Sincerely, Hilary Mont-

bourquette, director West-

ern Regional Operations,

Newcap Radio.

Platinum Platinumulate all of the nominees on

their achievement.

Silver

L.A. Radio Group is

an independent, locally-

owned company operating

two radio stations in Cen-

tral Alberta: Sunny 94 in

Lacombe and KRAZE 101.3

in Red Deer.

KRAZE 101.3 is Red

Deer’s hit music channel

reaching thousands of lis-

teners each week with a

Top 40 music format target-

ed at Central Albertans 18

– 44 years of age. Sunny 94

is Central Alberta’s great-

est hits station. Thousands

of Sunny 94’s listeners tune

into Sunny each day for

their favourite classic hits

music.

At L.A. Radio Group we

believe a community’s suc-

cess is our success. We’re

proud to sponsor the Red

Deer Chamber of Com-

merce Business of the Year

Awards to honour excep-

tional businesses for their

role in making Red Deer

such a strong, vibrant and

successful community.

Husband and wife team

Troy Schaab, president and

Sonia Sawyer-Schaab, CFO

are the founders and own-

er-operators of L.A. Radio

Group. As small business

owners, we know the dedi-

cation it takes to succeed in

providing exceptional cus-

tomer service, innovation

and community involve-

ment. We want to congrat-

This year, TD is celebrat-

ing business and entrepre-

neurs throughout the en-

tire month of October.

It is our way of recog-

nizing the incredible con-

tributions that businesses

make to our communities

through business oppor-

tunities, employment, and

their overall contribution

to Canada’s GDP.

· Fact: small businesses

drive almost half of Cana-

da’s Gross Domestic Prod-

uct.

· We know that local busi-

nesses are extremely im-

portant to the fabric of our

communities.

· Throughout the month

of October, TD will be spon-

soring, hosting and partici-

pating in a number of ac-

tivities and events across

the country.

These will be local and

national in fl avour; they

will include a variety of

media, local sponsorships

and customer appreciation

events.

· We have a team of busi-

ness banking specialists

spread across our com-

munities including Small

Business Banking Advi-

sors, Commercial Account

Managers and Agricultural

Specialists.

These Specialists are

dedicated to supporting

business owners and to

helping them succeed.

· Business Banking Spe-

cialists provide advice,

tools and products to help

businesses achieve and be-

come both sustainable and

profi table.

· They have expert

knowledge in a variety of

products and services cred-

it for your business needs

such as: banking accounts,

Business Credit Cards, Op-

erating Lines, Merchant

Services, and much more

including Agricultural spe-

cialists in our market.

· Leveraging the knowl-

edge of our Business Spe-

cialists, can help you make

better decisions to grow

your business in a more ef-

fi cient and effective way.

· TD is committed to the

continued support of local

businesses in Canada.

And this October we are

proud to be a part of the

National and local celebra-

tions.

· Without the commit-

ment, dedication, hard

work and creativity of lo-

cal business owners in

our own communities, op-

portunities and the over-

all prosperity of Canada

would look very different

indeed.

We look forward to meet-

ing you and helping you

achieve your dreams.

Gold Gold

Small business owners

often start up businesses

based on a deep personal

passion. They bring their

own special talents to the

products and services they

offer to consumers – tal-

ents that are more enjoy-

able and often far removed

from the many ‘paperwork’

details that often take up so

much of a working day.

“Small business owners

can fi ll in the gaps between

what they like to do and

what they have to do, by

having better and easy ac-

cess to relevant resources,”

says Rina Pillitteri, nation-

al director, small business,

RBC Royal Bank. “That’s

where the expertise of or-

ganizations such as banks

comes into play.”

Pillitteri adds that in

addition to providing tai-

lored products and advice

to clients, they also pro-

vide online resources to

all small businesses. This

web site, www.rbc.com/

tips, provides advice on

key aspects of starting up

and growing a business,

including matching fi nanc-

ing solutions to your needs;

keeping your cash fl owing;

building a better business;

making sense of taxes and

opening a business depos-

its account.

New tips are added

throughout the year to cre-

ate a comprehensive advice

archive for Canadian small

business owners. People

who visit the site also have

the opportunity to submit

tips of their own – the web

site is an interactive meet-

ing place, where small busi-

ness owners and aspiring

entrepreneurs can share

and learn from the real

life experiences of others.

For more information, call

1-800-ROYAL-20 (769-2520)

and to fi nd valuable small

business tips and resources

online, please visit www.

rbc.com/tips.

Bell is a Canadian leader

in information and com-

munications technology

(ICT) strategies that help

enterprises improve busi-

ness performance, speed

time-to-market, and realize

peace of mind. The founda-

tion of our world-class ICT

infrastructure is a high-

powered reliable network

backed by a multidisci-

plinary team of experts.

Our highly skilled profes-

sionals offer diverse exper-

tise in business process as-

sessment, solution design

and deployment across a

wide range of industries.

Bell solutions and services

can be customized to meet

industry-specifi c needs

and satisfy current and fu-

ture business demands.

Since our inception in

2010, our family owned

and operated fi rm – The

Coverall Shop, has grown

quickly and now employs

26 people in total. Our sis-

ter company, Parkland

Coverall Cleaning, was ac-

quired in April 2012.

Together we are a one-

stop, full service fi rm for

coverall supply, clean-

ing, embroidery, altera-

tions, repairs, safety

products, footwear, spe-

cialty work clothing, gloves

and more.

Our leadership team is

involved in many commu-

nity initiatives - integrity

is of utmost importance

to us. We strive to deliver

what we say we will de-

liver. These are the prin-

ciples in which we believe

in and are building our

business with. In 2008 and

2013 our leadership team

won Business of the Year

Awards - we would like to

thank the Chamber and

the community for all of

the support we receive. We

are honoured to be a part

of the Red Deer business

community!

Central Alberta: Access

Prosperity is a not-for-

profi t economic develop-

ment organization promot-

ing economic growth in the

Central Alberta region.

Representing the over 40

municipalities in Central

Alberta, we focus on local

business development and

attracting foreign direct in-

vestment to the region. We

use our vast network, trade

missions (both outbound


and inbound) and other

targeted events to con-

nect local companies with

international investment

or trade opportunities.

We are here to support lo-

cal businesses. To learn

more about how Access

Prosperity can help your

business expand and ac-

cess new markets contact

us today, www.access-

prosperity.ca, and give

your business a competi-

tive edge.

Silver

We’re active members

of the communities we

serve. That’s why at Stan-

tec, we always design with

community in mind.

The Stantec community

unites more than 14,000

employees working in

over 230 locations.

We collaborate across

disciplines and indus-

tries to bring buildings,

energy and resource and

infrastructure projects

to life. Our work - pro-

fessional consulting in

planning, engineering,

architecture, interior de-

sign, landscape architec-

ture, surveying, environ-

mental sciences, project

management, and project

economics - begins at the

intersection of commu-

nity, creativity, and client

relationships.

Since 1954, our local

strength, knowledge and

relationships, coupled

with our world-class ex-

pertise, have allowed us

to go anywhere to meet

our clients’ needs in more

creative and personalized

ways.

With a long-term com-

mitment to the people and

places we serve, Stantec

has the unique ability to

connect to projects on

a personal level and ad-

vance the quality of life

in communities across

the globe.

Stantec trades on the

TSX and the NYSE under

the symbol STN.

The Red Deer office

serves as the hub of

Stantec’s Alberta Cen-

tral & Territories Region

which includes over 240

staff and regional offices

in Yellowknife, Iqaluit,

Whitehorse, Lac la Biche,

Cold Lake, Fort McMur-

ray and Grande Prairie.

The Red Deer office has

grown to over 190 full time

staff that occupies the top

six floors of Stantec Exec-

Silver

At ATB Business, we

have tailored solutions to

fit business owners’ needs

and are looking for ways

to continuously help grow

Alberta. Like our Mer-

chant Services offer for

members of local cham-

bers, we’re partnering

with Alberta businesses

to find solutions to save

you and your business

time and money. To find

out more information,

contact our Business

Banking Centre at ATB-

[email protected].

And to see what else we

are doing this October to

celebrate small business

across the province, vis-

it www.atb.com/business-

week2014.

Since 1988, the Red Deer

College Alumni Associa-

tion has worked to engage

our alumni and promote

the goodwill, prestige

and reputation for excel-

lence RDC has earned in

its first half century. The

Association is dedicated

to ensuring that RDC

continues to be a critical

service for all Central Al-

bertans.

Maintaining informed,

interested and commit-

ted alumni is the optimal

way to promote and en-

courage the well-being of

the College. Building on

the friendships and asso-

ciations established while

they attended RDC, our

alumni share a rich and

rewarding legacy as they

pave the way for future

generations to share in

that success.

HSBC Bank Canada, a

subsidiary of HSBC Hold-

ings plc, is the leading in-

ternational bank in Can-

ada. With around 6,600

offices in 80 countries and

territories and assets of

US$2,645 billion at June

30, 2013, the HSBC Group

Silver

Friends ofBusiness

of theYear

Awards

REaction Marketing

is a marketing, web de-

sign and creative services

agency located in down-

town Red Deer.

We are a team of nine

full-time creative profes-

sionals that love what we

do and always put our cli-

ents fi rst.

We do this by listening,

learning and defi ning re-

alistic goals that ensure

you are receiving value

and ROI for your market-

ing dollars.

We value the lasting re-

lationships we have built

with so many of our cli-

ents, but this wasn’t by ac-

cident - it comes from con-

sistently delivering a very

high level of service while

offering original, strate-

gic and creative thinking,

backed up by design and

technical excellence.

utive Place in downtown

Red Deer.

Stantec Red Deer was

recognized as the Cham-

ber of Commerce Busi-

ness of the Year in 2009.

is one of the world’s larg-

est banking and finan-

cial services organiza-

tions. For nearly 150 years,

we have been where the

growth is, connecting cus-

tomers to opportunities.

Today, HSBC Commercial

Banking serves businesses

ranging from small enter-

prises to large multination-

als in over 60 developed and

faster-growing markets

around the world.

Whether it is working

capital, trade fi nance or

payments and cash man-

agement solutions, we pro-

vide the tools and expertise

that businesses need to

thrive.

With a network covering

three quarters of global

commerce, we make HSBC

the world’s leading interna-

tional trade and business

bank.

The Market you are looking to reach is reading the

66CREDIBILITY – Polls show people believe newspapers offer the most believable advertising. The offer is there to read over and over again. It does not intrude uninvited and then vanish.sh.

ASSURANCE – Our newspaper circulations are verifi ed and audited. Tear sheets verify that an ad ran as scheduled. Advertisers have tangible proof that their ad reaches their audience.

PERMANENCE – Newspapers allow readers time. Readers have the time to digest and consider an advertising offer at their leisure. Consumers need not to be in the right place at the time to see or hear the advertiser’s message. Studies prove that our papers are kept longer than a week and are read by more than one person in a household.

LOCAL COVERAGE – Newspapers occupy a unique position in reader’s lives. Newspapers contain news on local people and events, while providing the most reliable source of in depth local coverage of everything in your community, including what businesses are offering this week.

ECONOMY – Cost per thousand is very competitive, but the results of good newspaper advertising are the best measure of its benefi t.

LOCAL INVESTMENT – No other medium can compare to a newspaper that continues to service the local community. An advertising order is an investment by the advertiser, not only in their business but in the community.

reasons why you

should advertise

in the Red Deer Express

Talk to a sales representative today for more information

403.346.3356



With many years of com-

bined experience in the

industry, the staff of Park-

land Funeral Home are

committed to personal and

sensitive guidance in all

aspects of funeral arrange-

ments.

As a locally-owned and

operated funeral home lo-

cated at 6287 – 67A St., staff

offer funeral directors with

more than 105 years of

combined experience pro-

viding professional funeral

services to the region.

Services provided in-

clude cremation, burial

caskets and vaults, a cha-

pel, reception room, on-

line condolences, personal

alternatives and choices,

cemetery services, AISH/

income support funerals,

a Memorial Tree Park and

grief counseling among

many others. According

to their mission state-

ment, “With every family

we serve, we will attend to

the needs of families and

friends of deceased loved

ones in a personalized, car-

ing and distinguished man-

ner.”

And as the site also goes

on to say, “Funerals are not

just a ceremony to honor

those who have died. Fu-

nerals are also an impor-

tant ritual that helps sur-

vivors start dealing with

their loss by sharing with

those around them.

“With a modern facil-

ity conveniently located

off Taylor Dr., we promise

to offer caring, compassion

and community.”

Maryann Hansen, man-

ager and funeral director,

started her career in the fu-

neral industry in 1987, with

her training having been

completed in Calgary. In

1991 she relocated to Rocky

Mountain House.

“I really wanted to see

the rural part of the indus-

try, too,” she recalled. She

was there for nearly three

years. It was also a new ex-

perience working with fam-

ilies and then being able to

touch base with them on a

regular basis long after the

funeral services were com-

pleted.

In a bigger city, that was

clearly much harder to do.

“You were given a role,

making funeral arrange-

ments, and sometimes

you never saw that family

again. The relationship you

built with them was then

quickly dissolved.”

An opportunity to move

to Red Deer surfaced in

1994, and she accepted it. “I

fell in love with Red Deer –

the size – so again I could

do what I was passion-

ate about with the follow-

through.”

Parkland Funeral Home

was built in 1999, and a

connection to the business

stemmed from Hansen

having met owner Gordon

Mathers in the late 1980s.

As for some of what

helps to set Parkland Fu-

neral Home apart, Hansen

points to her team of pro-

fessionals. “It’s the team it-

self – we are all passionate.

I’m proud of this team. And

the families that we serve –

everyone is treated exactly

the same. We are passion-

ate about it.” It’s about

putting families fi rst, she

added. “We have a beautiful

facility which is also easily

found. We have ample park-

ing. And we have a crema-

torium onsite.”

Hansen said staff also

know that their line of

work carries a signifi cant

sense of responsibility to

the public. “We are respon-

sible to make sure their last

viewing of the deceased is

perfect. Because they are

grieving we understand

how delicate people are

emotionally at this point.”

Services can follow a tra-

ditional format, but there

is room for originality as

well.

“We want to promote a

celebration of life – if you

look back in history, there

has always been a celebra-

tion of life as well. But we

respect a family’s wishes

– everybody has individual

needs.” That means that

families can tailor a ser-

vice to suit their loved ones

as well. “We also welcome

anyone who has any kind

of questions or concerns,

or if they would like to

pre-arrange a service. Or

if they would just like to

see our facility. We’re very

welcoming. And it’s always

with no obligation.”

Hansen said pre-ar-

rangement is also key be-

cause it helps to establish a

sense of trust with staff at

the funeral home as well.

That’s important also be-

cause when a loved one

passes, there are several

decisions that typically

have to be made in a short

period of time – from work-

ing through some legali-

ties to choosing a casket to

planning a service. If much

of it has already been laid

out, the stress on a griev-

ing family can be eased to

a degree.

Staff also like to know

how the families they have

provided services for are

doing down the road. “We

do offer consultation with

a psychologist who deals

with death and dying.”

For Hansen, a desire to

work in the industry was

apparent early on.

“I was interested in this

profession in junior high.”

And career testing through

those years suggested it

would be indeed be a fi tting

line of work. “It’s fulfi lling.

“If I can make this pro-

cess a bit easier for some-

body else, then, at the end

of the day, I feel fulfi lled,”

she said.

“And if you are in the

profession for the right

reason, it’s not a job – it’s a

calling. And if you fi nd peo-

ple that have retired from

this industry, they are the

ones that get involved in

their communities; they’re

the ones that are still giving

all of their time back.”

[email protected]

Parkland Funeral Home helps to support families

COMPASSIONATE - Maryann Hansen, manager and funeral director of Parkland Funeral Home, stands in the chapel area of the business. Jenna Swan/Red Deer Express

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BY JENNA SWANRed Deer Express

Have you ever dreamt of fl ying high

above the City? Or maybe you’ve always

wanted to know the feeling of fl ying a

plane across the expanse of the oceans?

Sky Wings Aviation Academy, located at

the Red Deer Airport in Springbrook, can

make your dreams of fl ying come true.

After years of fl ying privately, Dennis

Cooper, CEO of the Academy borrowed

$18,000 from the bank and bought himself

a few planes and began renting a hanger

until he eventually ended up buying one.

Fast-forward over 30 years and Sky

Wings has trained more than 4,000 pilots

and now operates 11 aircraft between their

Red Deer and Okotoks fl ight schools.

Along his journey as a pilot and fl ight

instructor, Cooper met his wife Sherry

while teaching her to fl y, and together he

says they operate Sky Wings as a family, in

which they look at their staff, students and

graduates as members of their family.

Sky Wings is currently one of around

120 fl ight schools in Canada, with Den-

nis stating when he fi rst began the school

there were more than 400 schools with the

number continuing to shrink everyday

due to the high costs of operating a fl ight

school.

Dennis explains it’s not just in Canada

that fl ight schools are disappearing with

the rest of the world feeling the crunch for

trained pilots as well, which has led to a

slew of international training and develop-

ment for Sky Wings.

“There is a large shortage of pilots

throughout the world and so there is a

huge demand for training everywhere as

schools continue to disappear all over the

world,” explained Dennis who has trav-

eled extensively through Europe and Asia

training pilots as well.

Currently Sky Wings also hosts a highly

successful International Student program,

which sees hundreds of foreign pilots

learning to fl y out of the airport every

year.

“Everyone asks, ‘Well why would some-

one want to travel around the world and

learn to fl y in Red Deer’ and that’s a com-

mon question,” said Dennis.

“But the fact of the matter is we are

probably one of the clearest locations with

the best fl ying weather in all of Canada.”

He explained that not only are the clouds

on average higher than a 1,000 ft. provid-

ing optimal fl ying weather, but they are

also located about 50 miles from two major

airports.

“Fifty miles north and south you’ll have

the Edmonton and Calgary airports, 50

miles west you have the mountains for

mountain training and 50 miles east you

have near desert terrain so it makes the

students have to work a lot harder to navi-

gate and that’s why it’s the perfect place to

learn to fl y because you have so many dif-

ferent elements close by,” he said.

He added that if you look through his-

tory, the airport location was originally

a training centre for the Royal Canadian

Air Force and the British Commonwealth

Air Training Program, an agreement with

Britain to train pilots that was a key com-

ponent in Canada’s contribution to the

Second World War.

Dennis explained the location was cho-

sen by the air force specifi cally because

of the impeccable fl ying conditions and

also because of the diverse terrain located

near the area. Another note in the history

of Sky Wings happened in 1988, when the

academy partnered with Red Deer College.

This meant students of RDC could now

obtain an Aviation Diploma while simul-

taneously earning a certifi cate in business

management which Dennis says is a great

way to meet most airlines’ education and

fl ying prerequisites.

He added that a number of his students

now work for airlines throughout the world

and some are employed right at the Red

Deer Airport running Air Canada fl ights.

“If you fl y in or out of the Red Deer Air-

port, it’s Sky Wings students and staff that

take care of everything from your tickets

to your baggage.”

Sky Wings offers certifi cation for ev-

ery level of fl ying from a recreational li-

cense up to a commercial pilot’s license

with courses in night endorsements to fl y

at night as well as multi-engine endorse-

ments to fl y planes with multiple engines.

Dennis believes much of the success of

Sky Wings is due to the support he has re-

ceived over the last 30 years from the Red

Deer & District Chamber of Commerce.

“We are very fortunate to have such a

great Chamber of Commerce, they give me

a lot of my business training and I have

a high regard for the Chamber and how

they’ve helped us develop as a company.

“I have had a number of mentors

throughout my life in both aviation and

business, and when I think of the business

side and how it’s developed I think very

fondly to the Red Deer and District Cham-

ber.”

[email protected]

Sky Wings Aviation Academy provides optimal training

FLYING HIGH - Chief Flight Instructor Sherry Cooper and CEO of Sky Wings Aviation Academy Dennis Cooper display one of their planes in which they teach students how to fl y.

Jenna Swan/Red Deer Express

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One business in Red Deer con-

tinues to reap the benefi ts of be-

ing located in a busy central cor-

ridor.

Kathy Taylor and Evan Taylor,

owner/operators of Totally Re-

freshed Steam and Spa said they

enjoy doing business in the City.

“It’s a nice small community

but it is still a growing communi-

ty, so you have the opportunity to

get to know your clients very well

on a name by name basis,” said

Kathy. “But it’s growing every

day so you can grow with your

clientele.”

Kathy and Evan purchased the

business last November. “I’ve

worked for two different places

prior to this in the past and that

really got my foot in the door and

I loved the experience of work-

ing with people in the health and

wellness industry,” said Kathy.

“My husband and I have always

been very active and into nutri-

tion and health and wellness so

when the opportunity came up

we knew we would be passionate

about it and we would love going

to work everyday.”

Totally Refreshed Steam and

Spa offers a number of services

including massage, esthetics

including waxing, facials, mud

wraps, salt scrubs and make up

services. The business also offers

steam baths with private suites as

well and some retail items includ-

ing professional skin care and es-

sential oils, among others.

“What I really like about our

place is that we have a big team,

but it’s a dedicated and passion-

ate team,” Kathy said about the

more than 40 staff at the facility.

“We have 17 massage therapists,

16 estheticians and hostesses and

receptionists.”

Kathy said they also pride

themselves on offering continu-

ing education to their staff to

help ensure they continue to im-

prove their skills and offer the

best to their clients.

“Every three months all of our

massage therapists and estheti-

cians as well as our receptionists

get continuing education. They

get advanced therapeutic classes,

advanced training in facials and

nails, etc.,” she said. “The bet-

ter services that we can provide

for our clients, the better enjoy-

ment they will have, the better

treatments they will get and the

better health benefi ts they will

experience. It’s important for our

clients to feel confi dence in the

services they are getting.”

Kathy said there is much about

her job that she loves.

“Coming from working really,

really hard, I understand that

people invest so much time into

giving – they give at home, they

give at work. A lot of people ne-

glect themselves and to be a part

of the process, whether it be

health and wellness where they

can take one hour out of their

day, put their cell phone away

and have someone focus solely

on them and pamper them – it’s

great,” she said. “Seeing some-

one come in with some stress and

then seeing them leave relaxed –

it sets a tone for the rest of their

day. It’s gratifying to see that.”

Looking ahead, Kathy and

Evan said they hope to continue

growing Totally Refreshed Steam

and Spa.

“We defi nitely want to grow in

the community. It’s a great place

to be,” said Kathy.

[email protected]

City couple enjoys challenges of new business

EARLY SUCCESS - Kathy Taylor and Evan Taylor, owners/operators of Totally Refreshed Steam and Spa, pose in the reception area of the City business. Jenna Swan/Red Deer Express


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BOND Nutrition Inc. con-

tinues to expand their lines

of supplements, weight lift-

ing equipment, energy, diet

and sport nutrition prod-

ucts and lifting equipment

and accessories.

Bryson Bond, who co-

directs the business along

with Tyler Brake, has had a

long-time interest in the fi t-

ness and nutrition industry

having worked in and man-

aged Popeye’s years back.

But it wasn’t long before he

began to develop his own

business model for his own

establishment.

“When I was down in

Medicine Hat I gave Tyler a

call and sent him the plans.

He replied quickly and was

super interested so we sat

down last October.”

They got to work in fash-

ioning the space at Unit

4B, 6842 – Gaetz Ave. into

a custom-built, sophisti-

cated, spacious showroom

to feature an array of prod-

ucts. Their doors opened

this past January. Things

were off to a brisk start

from the get-go with plenty

of folks making New Year’s

resolutions about adopting

a healthier lifestyle.

He also had lots of sup-

port from clients he had

met and worked with over

the years from being in-

volved in the industry. “Red

Deer has really helped our

business grow.”

Bond said staff aim to

serve all demographics,

from those who are just get-

ting started with exploring

what it means to enhance

nutrition to those who al-

ready have specifi c dietary,

fi tness and nutritional

goals in mind.

He added that staff have

been selected on the basis

of education, determina-

tion and a commitment to

quality and service. Each

have the experience and

the knowledge to provide

customers with the most

up-to-date information.

“There is something to be

said for experience. You

will receive pretty much

the same knowledge and

experience levels here, no

matter who you talk to.

“We offer nutritional

consultation as well. We’ll

take on a select number of

clients and we help them

reach their goals. We set

them up and we coach

them through – they pretty

much get 24/7 access to a

consultant.”

As mentioned, Bond’s

interest in athletics and fi t-

ness goes back to his teen

years.

“I took an interest in

helping other people reach

their goals,” he said, adding

that each product featured

in the store is hand-picked

by BOND Nutrition certi-

fi ed experts to meet their

standard of excellence.

“The number one thing

is seeing clients and cus-

tomers reach their goals,

and just progress over

time,” he said.

Another highlight is

observing how the knowl-

edge of the general public

in terms of fi tness, health,

nutrition and supplements

has grown over the last few

years. Bond said the plan

is also to take information

about the company out into

the community in the com-

ing months.

Brake, who also does en-

gineering consulting work,

said joining forces with

Bond was an ideal opportu-

nity, and it fell in line with

his long-time interest in

the health and fi tness life-

style. His expertise is what

helped transform the space

into what it is today.

“It didn’t take us long to

discover that we could take

both (our areas) and make

something like this that we

both wanted to be involved

with,” he explained. He

added that they appreci-

ate what customers have to

say about the business, and

are always ready to add ele-

ments here and there. “We

get very good feedback.

“It’s one thing to have

a picture in your head of

what you would like to be

able to do, but to take that,

build it and physically have

it and see results - I’ve en-

joyed seeing that.”

Meanwhile, services are

tailored to an individual

customer’s goals. Those

with comparatively little

knowledge about what

the business has to offer

shouldn’t feel intimidated

about dropping by for a

chat, he said.

“We really appreciate

those customers and those

are the ones we want to get

set on the right track be-

cause there are so many fad

diets out there. We can help

the customer cut through

all the weeds and say this

is where you need to start,

and this is how to get on the

right track.”

Ultimately, some folks

are squarely focused on

sports nutrition. Others

want to learn more about

lines of vitamin and min-

eral supplements. “We’re

trying to do our best to hit

all the demographics and

to really cover it all,” said

Bond.

“You are always going

to get the excellent service

also.”

[email protected]

BOND Nutrition Inc. committed to customer service

GROWING BUSINESS - Tyler Brake, a co-director of BOND Nutrition Inc. stands in front of some of the products featured at the new business. Jenna Swan/Red Deer Express

Visit our Showroom

Awards2013 BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Congratulations to all the best of luck to all the finalists at the

nominees and

Thank you to all our 2013 sponsors!

RedDeerChamber.com 403-347-4491

PROUDLY SUPPORTS THE2014 SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Awards2014 BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Thank you to all our 2014 sponsors


Cash is king - it’s a common saying in the business

world. But few entrepreneurs take steps to manage their

cash fl ow so they don’t wind up with an empty bank ac-

count and nothing to pay the bills.

“One of the main causes of business failure is poor cash

fl ow management,” says Susan Rohac, senior vice presi-

dent, Financing and Consulting, at the Business Develop-

ment Bank of Canada (BDC). The good news: cash fl ow

management is easy to improve with a few simple steps.

“Getting control over your cash fl ow helps you prepare

for slow periods, plan your fi nancing and have peace of

mind,” Rohac says.

Follow these steps to get a better handle on cash fl ow.

Profi tability check

First, make sure your business is earning a reasonable

profi t. Even the greatest cash fl ow management won’t

help if your fundamentals are out of whack.

Analyze each product and service separately to see

whether it’s pulling its weight. Make sure your products

are appropriately priced, and work to eliminate ineffi -

ciencies. Instead of just chasing sales, chase profi table

sales.

In 2007, Mike Whittaker’s company Bonté Foods learned

the consequences of poor cash fl ow the hard way after fac-

ing large cost overruns on two major projects.

The company had to act quickly to restore its cash po-

sition. It analyzed its profi tability and realized it had to

raise prices to better refl ect costs. Bonté also unloaded

lower-margin product lines and launched an effi ciency

drive while tightening cash fl ow management.

The changes had a huge impact. Sales in Bonté’s meat

division are up 36% since 2009, while gross profi t is up al-

most 6%.

“We learned to watch our cash very carefully,” Whit-

taker says. “You need to always be ahead of the curve on

cash fl ow management.”

Do a cash fl ow projection

Next, prepare a cash fl ow projection for the coming year.

This is your early warning system for cash fl ow hiccups.

Use an Excel spreadsheet or accounting software to plug

in expected monthly cash infl ows and outfl ows, including

anticipated big-ticket purchases.

Use the projection to anticipate slow periods and plan

in advance what to do about them. “Through the year,

check your actual cash position regularly—once a week or

month—against your projection to see how you’re doing

and deal promptly with any divergences,” advises Rohac.

Finance big buys instead of draining cash

One of the most common cash fl ow mistakes is using

cash to buy a major long-term asset, instead of getting

fi nancing. Even if you feel fl ush right now, you may sud-

denly wind up short of cash if you experience a sudden

revenue shortfall or rapid growth. Use your cash fl ow pro-

jection to plan your fi nancing needs ahead of time, not in

the midst of a crisis, when bankers may be wary to lend.

Rohac also recommends matching the lifespan of a pur-

chase with fi nancing of similar duration.

Speed up cash infl ows

Getting money into your business more quickly can

save you carrying costs on your line of credit. Some tips:

send out invoices more quickly, ask customers to pay elec-

tronically and charge interest to slow-payers.

Raise cash quickly in a crunch

Facing an unexpected cash fl ow crunch?

You can raise cash quickly using various techniques:

approach your bank for help; check your inventory and

assets to see what you can sell off, even at a discount; ask

suppliers or your landlord for extra time to pay bills; or

offer your customers a big discount to earn some quick

sales.

BDC’s Susan Rohac points out that managing fi nances

is one of the main challenges for entrepreneurs, coming

in second after marketing and sales.

The fi ndings of a BDC survey this year confi rm her ob-

servation: more than four out of fi ve entrepreneurs (82%)

say they’re the ones managing cash fl ow and fi nancing in

the company.

However, many of the entrepreneurs don’t take basic

steps to control their fi nances. Almost half say they don’t

make cash fl ow projections and check them against actual

results—a basic procedure of fi nancial management.

- supplied by Business Development Bank of Canada.

Five tips to managing your business cash fl ow

We wouldn’t be here without our customers and community partners.

2014Red DeerBusiness of the Year

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Customization, craftsmanship

and giving the customer a qual-

ity kitchen are key for Red Deer’s

newest high-end cabinet gallery

Arbor Valley.

Stefan Forschle, owner of Ar-

bor Valley Cabinet Gallery, ex-

plains his business is all about

making a client’s kitchen dreams

come true.

“Our approach with Arbor Val-

ley is to create a high-end, fully-

loaded kitchen and to give the

customer maximum value for

their money,” said Forschle.

“There is more to a high-end

kitchens than just really nice

empty boxes on the wall, there is

a lot of technology you can inte-

grate along with accessories.”

Arbor Valley is a one-stop shop

for all custom kitchen needs, as

they not only offer high-end cabi-

nets but full pantry and counter-

top creations.

Each Arbor Valley kitchen

comes standard with automated

drawer systems which allows

drawers to open and close with a

light push as they are propelled

by electro servo-drives.

Soft-close hinges on the cabi-

net doors allow for doors to softly

close with out slamming.

LED lights are used to illumi-

nate back splashes throughout

kitchens, as well as integrated

LED lights into all top drawers to

allow clients ease of access.

Forschle references these stan-

dard features in Arbor Valley’s

kitchens to the automotive indus-

try saying, “If you buy a Bentley

or a Rolls Royce, you don’t have

to ask or upgrade to leather seats

and air conditioning. These lux-

ury cars come with these feature

standards.”

Technologies such as these

are integral components at Ar-

bor Valley, along with features

such as pop-up knife blocks, spice

racks, power outlets and TVs can

all be hidden within countertops

and easily accessed with a gentle

push.

“Kitchens are all about conve-

nience. Making a beautiful design

is one thing, but if you can’t work

in your beautiful kitchen then it’s

all meaningless, so we really fo-

cus on the functionality of these

beautiful designs.”

One feature that can be added

to an Arbor Valley kitchen is

known as the Control 4 system.

This home automation system

allows homeowners to control

lights, TVs, and heat all through

an app on their smart phones.

“The focal point of Arbor Val-

ley is fi nding out what it is our

customer likes and what they

want in their kitchen, and then

to create the perfect kitchen that

they will use every day and love

every second they are using it,”

explained Forschle.

“We want to hear our custom-

ers say that’s exactly how I imag-

ined it, after they see their kitch-

en for the fi rst time.”

Forschle added that because

Arbor Valley manufactures all of

their own cabinets at their shop

in Blackfalds they are able to cre-

atively customize every aspect

of a project. “The main benefi t

of making our own materials is

quality control,” said Forschle.

“We have the ability to ensure

everything is perfect because we

are not relying on a third party as

well as creative control because

we have the freedom to create

anything we can imagine.”

This even includes paints,

stains and other colours used in

the creation of a kitchen through

the use of their paint lab, where

they create their own custom co-

lours exclusive to Arbor Valley.

“Customers can come in and

bring us something and say I

want to match to this colour,”

said Forschle.

“Or if they don’t know what

they want we can even take them

to the paint lab and mix new co-

lours until they fi nd exactly the

colour they want.”

Arbor Valley is not only known

for their high-end cabinetry and

integration of technology into

kitchens, but also their impec-

cable creations of custom walk-in

closets, bathroom vanities, en-

tertainment centres and ‘man-

caves’.

Forschle added Arbor Valley

is also available to designers;

particularly those working form

home-based offi ces.

“Our selection centre is open to

designers to come in and use as

a professional set up and use the

location to help their customers

to get exactly what they want as

well,” he explained.

Because Arbor Valley is able to

provide everything from counter-

tops to fl ooring, it is the ideal one-

stop shop for designers and their

clients.

[email protected]

Kitchen cabinetry at its fi nest at Arbor Valley

CUSTOM KITCHEN - Owner of Arbor Valley Cabinet Gallery Stefan Forschle displays one of the many custom kitchens in the business’s downtown show room. Jenna Swan/Red Deer Express

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The faces behind Fixer’s Furniture Re-

fi nishing may have changed in the last two

years, but their dedication to a high qual-

ity product and refurbishing has remained

the same.

Purchased by Ross and Kerri Towers in

2013, Fixer’s has been established in Red

Deer for over 20 years.

Fixer’s deals primarily in kitchen cabi-

nets, doors, bedroom suites, dining room

suites, chairs, spindles, couches, any bro-

ken wood products, and ‘ugly’ paint how-

ever they are always excited and ready to

jump in any challenging project a custom-

er can throw at them.

Ross, whose family has lived in the Red

Deer area since 1896, explains his desire to

purchase Fixer’s came after he was told he

was too young to retire and when he heard

the establishment was for sale he said they,

“Jumped at the opportunity to do some-

thing interesting.”

And interesting it has been for the Tow-

ers in the last two years of business.

Kerri says it has been both a challenge as

well as very rewarding, with Ross adding,

“To be able to see our clients’ faces when

they come in to pick up their items and see

it refi nished and refurbished - you can see

in their eyes the memories attached to that

item coming back to them.”

Kerri agreed. “A woman brought us in

this rocking chair – something most peo-

ple would have looked at as fi rewood and

I honestly didn’t think Ross was going to

be able to do anything with it. But when

he showed me the fi nal refi nished piece, I

couldn’t believe how stunningly beautiful

it was.”

Ross explained because Alberta’s cli-

mate is so dry, anything made from wood

that has seen signifi cant age will experi-

ence a good deal of shrinkage, so generally

the glue will let go.

“Refi nishing allows us to takes these

things apart, re-glue them, fi x all of the

nooks and crannies and strip the var-

nish and stain and then sand it to fi x any

scratches and then fi nish it with a colour

and sealant of the customer’s choice,” said

Ross.

“It’s taken a lot of sweat and arm muscle

some days, but any time you get to help

someone to bring back those memories

I think the day has been a success and it

gives you a great feeling.”

Ross stated the success of Fixer’s is due

largely to the high standard they hold

themselves accountable to which he says

comes from his and Kerri’s farming back-

ground.

“It’s a service that’s always going to be

needed – our services have extended north

to south from Edmonton to Calgary and

east to west from Consort to Rocky Moun-

tain House.”

He added with a smile, “There are al-

ways things to fi x.”

The couple agreed that last spring and

summer were particularly challenging

for Fixer’s after the fl ooding in southern

Alberta. “Over the last two years we have

been brought a lot of items from people

who were affected by the fl oods that had

extensive water damage and incredible

stories to tell,” said Kerri.

Ross added, “It was challenging because

a lot of it was falling apart from being

soaked in six feet of river water and mud

and it really made us realize how fortunate

we were here in Red Deer.”

He added that other challenges Fixer’s

has faced are people trying to fi x things

fi rst themselves. “Most times people with

no experience just wreck it even more

but we understand that human nature re-

quires everyone to try fi xing it fi rst them-

selves,” he said with a laugh.

He explained some of the challenges

with newer products are the materials

they are made of. Something that may look

like it’s made out of wood is very likely

made from a micro fi berboard and is not

real wood.

“The truth of the matter is, we live in

such a throw away society – if most people

want to change the look of something they

throw it out and buy a new one and don’t

even consider a refi nish,” said Ross. “But

with the old furniture you can completely

revitalize it and bring it back to life and it’s

a beautiful thing to be able to do that.”

Fixer’s is also well-known for the ease

of access they accommodate by work-

ing closely with moving companies to get

large items from a customer’s home to

their shop, as well as their close work with

Bruce at the Chesterfi eld Upholstering

Clinic in Red Deer with whom they do all

of their upholstery work.

[email protected]

Local business makes old furniture new

RESTORATION - Ross and Kerri Towers display an antique organ they recently refurbished after it was saved from a house fi re. Jenna Swan/Red Deer Express


At Frima Studio, a fast-growing video

game maker, the challenge of attracting

and keeping talent got harder fi ve years

ago, when a pair of deep-pocketed multi-

national competitors opened offi ces near-

by. “We couldn’t compete on salary, so we

decided to create an attractive workplace

- one that was fun and inspiring,” says

Nathalie McLaughlin, Frima’s Human Re-

sources Director.

Twice a year, Frima emulates the Drag-

ons’ Den TV show and invites its employ-

ees to pitch innovative projects to a panel

of judges. “If we judge a project to be solid

enough and to have suffi cient marketing

potential, we will release its creators from

a few of their usual tasks so that they can

devote one day a week to the development

of their amazing idea. A few months later,

we review the state of the project and de-

cide if it’s worth pursuing, in which case

we green light its production and mar-

keting. This program is already start-

ing to yield impressive results,” explains

McLaughlin.

The array of benefi ts designed to make

Frima’s employees’ lives easier includes

fl exible work hours, as well as a week of

paid vacation time between the 25th of De-

cember and the New Year. The company

offers employees gaming areas and an

on-site gym. Twice a month, two massage

therapists and a hair stylist also drop by.

Frima isn’t alone in turning to creative

ways to provide employees with non-mon-

etary rewards.

“Companies in all industries - not just

high-tech - increasingly see non-fi nancial

compensation as vital to their growth,”

says Nathalie Gélinas, senior vice presi-

dent, consulting, at the Business Develop-

ment Bank of

Canada (BDC).

In today’s chal-

lenging econo-

my, it’s harder

than ever for

many entrepre-

neurs to fi nd

the resources to

draw in and re-

tain skilled em-

ployees, she adds. At the same time, boom-

ers are quitting the labour market, leading

to labour shortages in many fi elds. This

means businesses are increasingly com-

peting for good workers, but they have less

money to do it with.

The good news - non-fi nancial benefi ts

can be inexpensive and can even boost

a company’s productivity, Gélinas says.

“The cost is a lot smaller than what the

employer gets back. Losing an employee

is very costly. Human capital is the most

important resource a business has,” she

says. “The ultimate challenge is to mobi-

lize employees. Salary alone will never mo-

bilize or retain talent over the long-term.

Businesses should be creative about

fi nding ways to attract and engage talent.”

At Frima, the employee-friendly work-

place became a beacon for smart, enthu-

siastic workers who helped propel the

company’s explosive growth. “The key to

our success is our

work culture,”

McLaughlin says.

“We listen to em-

ployees a lot. Peo-

ple always talk

about the custom-

er experience. We

have developed

the employee ex-

perience. It means

people don’t want to leave.”

Frima also has a performance reward

system that awards points that employees

can exchange for services, thus reinforc-

ing the company’s commitment to help-

ing employees maintain work-family bal-

ance. Perks include tax preparation, lawn

mowing, babysitting, movie/dinner com-

bos and more. “Our offi ce is completely

different from anything else in the area.

It’s really made a difference in attracting

people,” McLaughlin says.

Frima’s success shows that while pay is

important, it isn’t what makes employees

happy at work, Gélinas says. Employees

want fl exibility, trust and the chance to

develop as part of a team, she adds. “We

spend a lot of time listening to customers

to serve them better. We also need to listen

to employees.”

Entrepreneurs should listen to employ-

ees to learn what benefi ts they value and

work on non-fi nancial compensation con-

stantly until it becomes part of the com-

pany’s way of life, Gélinas says. Here are

three types of non-fi nancial compensation

to consider.

1. Flexibility. A fl exible workplace is in-

creasingly in demand. You can offer fl ex-

ibility in terms of time (variable work

hours) and space (opportunities to work

outside the offi ce).

2. Trust. Employees like to have respon-

sibility, work in a harmonious environ-

ment and be trusted to make decisions. At

the same time, you should hold employees

accountable via solid performance ap-

praisals.

3. Self-development. Entrepreneurs

should think about how to help employ-

ees develop themselves. The result will be

more a productive and motivated work-

force.

- supplied by the BusinessDevelopment Bank of Canada.

How the non-fi nancial benefi ts can be a game changer for local business

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For commercial towing in Red

Deer, Hitch Depot has been a sta-

ple of the community for nearly

15 years thanks to brothers Wade

and Tim Davies who began the

company together.

Wade said that they were look-

ing for a business opportunity

and an associate told them that

Red Deer needed a hitch business

on the north end of the City. Ap-

parently it worked out well.

“It’s been a good business. We

focused our business a little bit

differently than other hitch shops

because we focus on the commer-

cial and agricultural side of the

industry, focusing on people who

pull trailers for a living more

than people who pull for recre-

ation,” he explained.

“Because of that focus, we do

a lot of trailer work and a lot of

repair. We obviously do a lot of

hitch work but they compliment

each other, especially in commer-

cial.”

Both of the Davies brothers

have a mechanical background

and have used that to their advan-

tage, as they are able to service

both trucks and trailers unlike

most other hitch service busi-

nesses.

“We have lots of steady clien-

tele all the way from the North-

west Territories and B.C. In the

northwest, there aren’t a lot of

trailer dealerships so people kind

of migrate here. We’ve also got a

really loyal commercial following

here in Red Deer. A lot of larger

companies with multiple trucks

and trailers come to us. It’s a nice

mix for us because there’s some-

thing to do everyday.”

Hitch Depot offers services

such as hitch installation for

recreation and commercial pur-

poses. They also do trailer repair

and electrical work on both trail-

ers and trucks. They also offer

services to repair brake systems,

axels and bearings.

Other services that are avail-

able are parts, service and repair

to stock trailers, horse trailers,

snowmobile trailers, boat trail-

ers, RVs and utility trailers. The

business specializes in light and

medium duty axles, breaks, bear-

ings and electrical.

Wade said that there are other

places in Red Deer to have a hitch

attached to a small vehicle, but

there are little options for trucks

and trailers that get up to 100 ft.

He said that some trailer dealer-

ships will service the trailers, but

not vehicles. Likewise with ve-

hicle dealerships, so Hitch Depot

became the place to go for servic-

es to both units.

“When we looked at starting a

business, we looked at what was

available in Red Deer. With both

my brother and I coming from

mechanical backgrounds, we

were able to see who is serving

those business sectors and there

wasn’t a lot.

“That’s a big part of what we

do. We really want to focus on the

commercial side of the industry

because there isn’t really any-

body serving them.”

Most of the available hitches

are gooseball hitches that come in

a variety of brands and strengths.

Hitch purchasing and installa-

tion is available for fi fth-wheel

trailers, cargo beds, commercial

vehicles and more.

Davies explained that several

varieties of hitches are offered to

satisfy the needs of the specifi c

industry.

“We pride ourselves on very

professional workmanship and

professional product. We seek out

the best of everything we can sell.

Both Tim and I had a motto when

we started – if we wouldn’t do it

to our vehicle, we won’t do it to

yours. We stick with that today.”

[email protected]

Hitch Depot serving commercial Red Deer for 15 years

SOLID SERVICE - Owner Wade Davies smiles in the store front of Hitch Depot where commercial hitch, towing and repair needs are serviced. Kalisha Mendonsa/Red Deer Express



Shalom Counselling Centre’s vision is to

help people fi nd peace in life and relation-

ships, and it’s a mandate that continues to

fl ourish as a new executive director settles

into her post.

Lisa Smith started with Shalom Coun-

selling in August. Smith, who has been

employed in the non-profi t sector for many

years, has called Red Deer home for the

past 20 years.

“I’m very excited to be working with

such an amazing staff,” she said. “One of

the reasons I applied for the position was

because of the values of the mission that

Shalom has – the core values of truly help-

ing people that are hurting, and to work

through those things together.

“I also want to continue on the path that’s

been laid for us – for the past 15 years, Sha-

lom has been known as a counselling cen-

tre where people can come – whether they

are children, youths, couples, or families –

and get the support that they need. We also

have subsidies available, so for those fami-

lies struggling fi nancially as well we aren’t

turning anyone away.”

Shalom is a word describing deep inner

peace - a sense of well-being - and that’s

precisely what the counselling staff aims

to help instill in clients, she said. The or-

ganization has also received referrals from

more than 60 churches, representing over

25 different denominations in Central Al-

berta. As well, about 50% of their clients

identify no connection to any church or

faith community.

“We don’t want the fact that we are faith-

based to be a barrier to people,” said Bon-

nie Joyes, community relations coordina-

tor. “We want them to know we will serve

them regardless.”

Adding to the overall mandate, staff

also decided a few years back to launch

educational opportunities for the commu-

nity as well. “The vision of the board is to

continue down that road – develop those

programs as well.” They are also careful to

not duplicate courses and workshops be-

ing held by other local organizations.

Joyes said all kinds of topics have been

planned and presented under the guid-

ance of professional facilitators, and care-

ful consideration is given in the process of

planning what programs will be provided.

Looking ahead, ‘Freed Up Financial Liv-

ing’ runs Nov. 1st from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at

Balmoral Bible Chapel. Couples pay $75;

singles $40. Coffee and lunch will be pro-

vided.

The session will be facilitated by Helmut

Giesbrecht. Participants will learn how to

develop a personal spending plan, priori-

tize fi nancial goals, reduce debt and more.

Call Shalom at 403-342-0339 to register.

Also, ‘Forming Healthy Relationships

for Teens’ runs Oct. 18th from 9 a.m. to

noon in Lacombe. Cost is $30, which in-

cludes refreshments. This course discuss-

es the markers of a healthy relationship,

be it with friends, parents, teachers, or ro-

mantic partners.

Joyes also said that Shalom hosts sev-

eral therapy workshops which focus on

topics ranging from stress and anxiety

reduction to building better boundaries to

dealing with grief.

“Those are therapeutic groups facili-

tated by the counsellors; they’re smaller

groups and you are discussing these issues

in a group setting and getting feedback and

support from one another.”

It helps reduce the isolating feeling that

such problems can contribute to, she said.

“You can also be receiving counselling

individually and complementing it with

one of these workshops.” Or conversely,

taking part in a group can show a person

they might need more extensive, individu-

al sessions. “Everything we do is meant to

complement other programs that we have

– everything we offer within the agency.”

Meanwhile, although Shalom does re-

ceive some grant funding, the facility

mainly relies on sponsorships and gifts of

individuals, churches and local business-

es. And each year, the number of people

seeking help continues to grow.

“Certainly, there is still a need out there

for support,” added Smith. “There are still

lots of families coming to us that need that

subsidy. In order for us to continue to serve

those families – and the new ones coming

in the door – we need that continued sup-

port. “We are always looking for others

ways to build new partnerships as well.”

Meanwhile, staff are also gearing up for

Shalom Counselling Centre’s annual Fall

FriendRaiser & 15th Anniversary Celebra-

tion – Memories and Beyond, set for Oct.

24th at First Christian Reformed Church

(16 McVicar St.)

Featuring singer/songwriter Steve Bell,

tickets for the event are $20 and are avail-

able online at www.stevebell.com or phone

Shalom at 403-342-0339.

Proceeds will help Central Alberta fami-

lies with counselling for emotional and

relational concerns and a portion of ticket

sales will also go to support the Alzheimer

Society.

[email protected]

Shalom Counselling Centre continues to expand mandateOrganization has recently welcomed new executive director Lisa Smith

HELPING HANDS - Lisa Smith and Bonnie Joyes, of Shalom Counselling Centre, look forward to further outreach into the local community. Jenna Swan/Red Deer Express

Cal DallasLegislative Secretary,

Intergovernmental Relations

MLA Red Deer South403-340-3565

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403-342-2263

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Equine-assisted learning is a way of get-

ting a person to learn to communicate bet-

ter as they work with a very responsive,

intuitive animal – a horse.

At Whispers Equine Learning Ltd.

(WELL) a person comes to the facility in

need of bettering communication, human

relations and leadership skills. Owner

Shana Nicholls explains the process best.

“Using horses as teachers completely

changes the dynamics of learning. The

non-verbal communication of a horse re-

fl ects an immediate and honest reaction to

the energy around them,” she said. “That

reaction causes participants to identify

their strengths and limitations and learn

to modify their behaviour.”

The process at Whispers Equine Learn-

ing Ltd. starts with a conversation between

Nicholls and whoever is engaging in the

program. They discuss their goals and

objectives for the program. Then a person

and a horse work through the obstacles as

they alter behaviour and attitudes to coop-

erate with each other.

There are a variety of horses, each with

different personalities and strengths that

are coordinated with what a person seeks

from the program. Someone who is timid

or young will get a calm, easygoing horse.

Someone who is older or is looking to gain

more confi dence might get paired with a

horse with a stronger personality.

“There are exercises laid out at the are-

na, each with a simple set of instructions.

People then work at their own pace and

work through the exercises that are laid

out. There’s no right or wrong - we’re en-

couraging creative thinking, problem solv-

ing and communication,” she said.

Nicholls is hoping to engage people who

wish to develop workplace-essential skills

such as communication, trust, address

group dynamics, responsibility and lead-

ership. She also would like to reach out to

at-risk youth. While Nicholls is not a thera-

pist, she can facilitate a comfortable envi-

ronment for youth to develop communica-

tion skills and accomplishment.

“The horse is a teammate. Off (the per-

son and the horse) go and work through

objective-based exercises, where the horse

responds to the person’s energy and dy-

namics. If they are in the arena and the

horse stops listening, the person has to al-

ter their behaviour to get the horse going

again,” said Nicholls.

“I never give an answer or a solution,

people have to come to it on their own. We

can tell someone all day how to communi-

cate effectively and it might go in one ear

and out the other. With this program, I fa-

cilitate and promote creative thinking and

problem solving.”

Equine-assisted learning does not in-

clude riding of the horses. Nicholls said

it is merely an interaction between an

animal that relies on leadership and a

person who needs to work on relationship-

building skills. Horses are good animals to

participate in a program like this because

they rely on a leader and someone to guide

them.

She said people respond to this type

of learning because they have to engage

themselves and there is no person to judge

them for their behaviour. It drives the stu-

dent to look at their own attitudes and re-

actions and how they relate to the horse

and translate those into other obstacles

and relationships they may be facing.

Nicholls came up with the idea for

WELL because she has had a lifelong close-

ness with horses and spent many years as

a rider. She wanted to do something that

gave her the freedom to enjoy time with

her animals as well as work with people.

“I bought a farm in a beautiful location

but I wasn’t really sure what to do with it. I

threaded the things together that made me

get out of bed every morning and be happy

– that’s my horses and helping people. It

was a profound moment when I realized

how to put that all together.”

[email protected]

The unique experience of equine-assisted learning

HELPFUL HORSES - Shana Nicholls, pictured with her horse Junior, operates a facility where people explore their own attitudes and goals while working through obstacles with a horse, developing leadership skills, confi dence and trust. Kalisha Mendonsa/Red Deer Express

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Looking for an easy and inexpensive

way to energize your business, boost sales

and plan for the future?

Here’s an often-overlooked idea: create

an advisory board.

Only a meager 6% of Canadian entre-

preneurs have an advisory board for their

business, according to a survey this year

by the Business Development Bank of

Canada (BDC).

However, 86% of entrepreneurs who

have an advisory board say it’s had a sig-

nifi cant impact on their business.

“Once people understand the ben-

efi ts, they become big fans,” says Pierre

Cléroux, BDC’s chief economist. “There

are really practical, tangible benefi ts for

the bottom line.”

BDC’s research bears that out.

The study shows that annual sales at

businesses with an advisory board were

24% higher than those at companies with-

out one, and productivity was 18% higher.

An advisory board is an informal body

of outside experts that an entrepreneur

can use as a sounding board or to fi ll in

gaps in expertise and contacts.

Unlike a board of directors, advisory

boards have no legal responsibility for

the company’s

governance, but

experts say they

still bring a lot of

value.

J e a n - Y v e s

Sarazin knows

the benefi ts fi rst

hand.

He created an

advisory board

back in 1990 at his company Groupe De-

lom, which offers maintenance and manu-

facturing rotating equipment such as mo-

tors, pumps and ventilators.

At his advisory board’s very fi rst meet-

ing, Sarazin was referred to a fi nancial in-

stitution that allowed his company to save

tens of thousands of dollars through lower

interest charges on a loan.

“Every entrepreneur should have an ad-

visory board.

“Each time I’ve seen a company create

one, the fi rst meeting produces a return

that is enough to cover the compensation

for the whole year,” he says.

Sarazin has become such a big support-

er of the idea that he has agreed to sit on

several other companies’ advisory boards

as a way of giving back for the help he’s re-

ceived over the years.

Another benefi t - an advisory board

obliges entrepreneurs to periodically step

back and look at

the overall direc-

tion of their busi-

ness.

“Just getting

ready for my

meeting with the

advisory board

forces me to take

stock of the busi-

ness and consid-

er it from new angles,” says Sarazin.

Having an advisory board also reassures

fi nancial institutions, which examine the

quality of the company’s team when as-

sessing a loan application, he says.

“It shows you’re not alone in making de-

cisions.”

So why don’t more businesses have an

advisory board? Some entrepreneurs

think it may be too time-consuming to cre-

ate one or are simply unaware of the ben-

efi ts, Cléroux explains.

But the payoffs, he says, are usually well

worth the effort and cost (some compa-

nies offer advisors a nominal honorarium,

while others don’t compensate them).

“An advisory board is a good tool to force

the business owner to think more about

the company’s vision, long-term goals and

how to achieve them,” Cléroux says. “The

benefi ts are way bigger than the cost to the

business.”

Setting up an advisory board is easier

than you might think. “It’s not that hard

to fi nd people to sit on an advisory board.

“Experienced CEOs often agree because

they want to help their community,” says

Cléroux.

Ask your accountant, lawyer or busi-

ness network to refer potential candidates.

Some business associations offer a service

to help companies fi nd advisory board

members. Effective advisory board mem-

bers tend to be veteran business people

who offer expertise an entrepreneur may

lack. They should be completely indepen-

dent of the company, rather than your ac-

countant or lawyer - “someone who will

give you the true story,” as Cléroux puts it.

Entrepreneurs should meet their advi-

sory board regularly - for example, on a

monthly or quarterly basis.

About 60% of advisory board members

receive no compensation, while others

usually get a modest honorarium.

A restaurant meal or retreat can also be

a way to thank advisors.


Advisory boards can help boost your business

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Proud to be Locally Owned and Operated

“ONCE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS, THEY BECOME BIG FANS.

THERE ARE REALLY PRACTICAL, TANGIBLE BENEFITS FOR THE

BOTTOM LINE.”

PIERRE CLÉROUX

Effective board members tend to be veteran business people

Ph. 403-373-7765www.reddeerelectric.ca

www.reddeerelectric.ca [email protected]

403-373-7765

Serving Red Deer Serving Red Deer since 2005since 2005

Best of Red DeerGOLD WINNER

2014 Readers’ Choice Awards

Best Electrical Company

Proud to be a 2014 Finalist

New Home & Commercial ConstructionNew Home & Commercial ConstructionRenovationsRenovationsHot TubsHot TubsPanel / Service UpgradesPanel / Service UpgradesAir ConditionersAir ConditionersFloor Heat Hook UpsFloor Heat Hook UpsBasementsBasementsDesign ConsultationDesign ConsultationCable / SatelliteCable / SatelliteTelephone / DataTelephone / DataGaragesGaragesSecurity LightingSecurity LightingFire & FloodFire & FloodBackup GeneratorsBackup Generators

RED DEER ELECTRIC

RESIDENTIAL &

COMMERCIAL


continuingeducation

Advance your career with high quality training from Red Deer College. We offer training that will take you to the next level:

• Accounting and Bookkeeping• Advanced Management• Human Resource Management• Leadership Development• Management Skills for Supervisors• Marketing and Social Media for Business• Microsoft Office Training• Occupational Health and Safety• Organizational Change Management• Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP)• Project Management• Supply Management

Need customized corporate training? We will work with you to identify your training needs and recommend effective and affordable training solutions, customized to your exact requirements.

Make training part of your plan for SUCCESS

immediate innovative impactful

Register today! Visit www.rdc.ab.ca/continuing-education or call us for your

free copy of RDC’s Continuing Education Course Guide at 403.356.4900


When it comes to the health of your employees… it’s important to have a plan.Alberta Blue Cross delivers the group benefits that employees prefer, and the value your business needs.

Call us today for a confidential, no-obligation quote or talk to your plan advisor.

Red Deer 403-347-7999 Toll free 1-866-513-2555

www.ab.bluecross.ca/group

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Special Features - Small Business Week 2014

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