october nsbj 2010

President of SpringvaleNurseries, Berwick

Paul H. Grimm

Jacqueline Holmes

Owner of AlphaComputer, Truro

Jeff Brown

Co-owner of Belisana SpringsIntegrative Therapy, Sydney

Amilyn Kearney

Owner of Rising TideExpeditions, Gabarus

October 2010 • Vol. 25, No. 05 Nova Scotia’s largest circulatedmonthly business publication

Uteck Speaks OutThey’re back, but not everyone is feelingthe love

Page 4

NewsResearch & Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Transportation & Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Service, Retail & Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Resources &Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . .10

ColumnsExit Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Uteck Speaks Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4WorkplaceWellness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Business Insight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Success in Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Special Ad FeaturesHalifax Christmas Decor . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12PRDA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-16Waste ReductionWeek . . . . . . . . . . . .17-19Mi’kmaq HistoryMonth . . . . . . . . . . . .20-23Small BusinessWeek . . . . . . . . . . . . .24-28

BUSINESS JOURNALN O V A S C O T I A

25 YEARSC E L E B R A T I N G

OF BEING NOVA SCOTIA’S LARGEST CIRCULATED MONTHLY BUSINESS PUBLICATION

Unweavinga tangled web

When a second gas station in Amherstannounced it was closing its doors due tothe border gas wars with Brunswick, itraised a red flag that could not be ignoredby small businesses and communitiesacross Nova Scotia.John and Kitty Baxter, the owners of

Steamboat’s Convenience, blamed the clo-sure of their business on the difference ingas prices between the two provinces.“We really tried to make it work, butwhen there’s such a huge gap in theprice of gas there’s no way we cancompete,” told Kitty Baxter in theAmherst Daily News. “I’m really dis-appointed with what has happened,but more than that I’m pretty frus-trated because it appears as thoughthis government really doesn’t careabout Amherst.” The Baxters’ deci-sion to close came just a couple ofweeks after Co-Op Atlantic announcedits gas station on Lawrence Streetwould be shut down, citing the sameissues.

Unfortunately, the challenges whichultimately sealed the fate of these gasstations mirror what many othersmall businesses across theprovince are facing today.Small businesses are an impor-

tant employer in the province.Small businesses with fewer than 50employees represent 97.4 per cent ofthe province’s approximately 54,000businesses and employ almost 29 percent of the total number of workers inNova Scotia, according to data fromStatistics Canada. StatsCan also reveals

that the number of self-employed individualstopped 60,000 in Nova Scotia last year.Every October, Nova Scotia pays tribute to

small businesses and the important role theyplay in our society and economy during SmallBusiness Week. While it is a celebration ofsmall businesses, it is also seen as an oppor-tunity to raise awareness of the challengesthey face.“Creating an environment where small

business can thrive is vital, but, quite frankly,we haven’t done all that we can do to makethat happen,” says Charles Cirtwill, presidentand CEO of the Atlantic Institute for MarketStudies.Cirtwill has been involved in public policy

discussions for the last 20 years and he saysthings are worse today.“We know our taxes too high, we know our

red tape is too intense, we know we are nothelpful to our small businesses, yet we con-tinue to do the same things year in and yearout,” he says.With the election of the provincial NDP last

year, there was hope for change. The partywas elected on the promise of making life bet-ter for Nova Scotians. Unfortunately changedoesn’t happen overnight and many say thechallenges facing small business are an accu-mulation of things years in the making.“It’s much tougher, way tougher,” says

Lawrence Sawler of Glyda’s Fruit andVegetables in Western Shore. “There’s no ifs,ands, or buts about that.”Glyda’s has been in operation for almost 30

years. Sawler says the recent minimum wageincrease is only one aspect making it tougherto make a profit. Finding qualified staff isanother problem.

Continued on page 3

This month’sView from TheCorner Officequestion is:What changes areneeded to make lifeeasier for smallbusinesses in NovaScotia and helpthem succeed?

We’ll hear from...

Check outpage 2

By Richard Woodbury

Do small businesses have a fightingchance against today’s challenges?

Photo of Kitty Baxter,co-owner ofSteamboat’sConvenience, byDarrell Cole/TheAmherst Daily News

� October 2010, Nova Scotia Business Journal �NEWSFor more business news daily: www.dailybusinessbuzz.ca

Compiled by Joanie Veitch

THE QUESTION: What changes are needed to make life easier forsmall businesses in Nova Scotia and help them succeed?

View from the Corner Office

Paul H. GrimmPresident of SpringvaleNurseries, Berwick

In our region it seems that not enough importance is placed on the socio-economic contribution provided by the entrepreneurial community.Entrepreneurs risk all in the dream of making a good living and buildingsomething worthwhile and lasting, but in our region it seems real accessto local markets is impeded by lack of political will supporting local enter-prise, ambivalence by the consumer and centralized purchasing by thecorporate giants. What can be done?More dialogue within provincial andmunicipal government to specific policy in contract specs requiring theconsideration of local sources and increased public demand for localsupply.

Jacqueline HolmesOwner of Rising TideExpeditions, Gabarus

The Government of Nova Scotia needs to address the needs of the ruralareas of Nova Scotia by rejuvenating small communities and their smallbusinesses. Rural communities are suffering from the inability to attractand retain young people, a situation which hampers businesses' abilityto recruit staff as well as limits the local customer base for these busi-nesses. Infrastructure — including roads, schools and communityrecreation and education centres— needs to be maintained or bettered.Government programs need to cooperate and cross-pollinate, combin-ing their portfolio interests in real ways to meet the needs of local com-munities and the businesses they start, support and grow.

Jeff BrownOwner of Alpha Computer, Truro

To help small businesses in Nova Scotia succeed, we need to increasetheir visibility throughout the world. Business is no longer just local. It hasgone international. Many businesses are realizing this. Businesses inNova Scotia need to be equipped with the skills to engage new customersin other regions around the world. New opportunities are presentingthemselves to business and they need to know how tomarket to this newmarketplace. As a province, we need tomake sure that businesses get thetraining and skills they need to do business farther out. Amilyn Kearney

Co-owner of Belisana SpringsIntegrative Therapy, Sydney

A large concern for many small businesses is the high cost of rentingcommercial space. Entrepreneurs are often forced to spend monies thatmay otherwise be used on expansion efforts, product production orstaffing. In some cases, this means that the small business ownerbecomes the primary asset of the business— running the daily businessand/or providing services — instead of developing the business into aviable asset one owns. In such cases, one might wonder why not just bean employee? More co-operative commercial properties in Nova Scotiacould be helpful.

What Daily Business Buzz readers have to say...Paul Beasant: Oh, where to begin! Decreasedbureaucracy… decreased taxes/fees… providemeaningful support through government andpseudo-government agencies. There is toomuch “cheerleading” going on and not enoughpeople actually in the game. Rip the oligopolyaway from the chartered banks — maybe withincreased competition, lenders will stop takingthis sector for granted. Get more regional coop-eration, less insular pettiness (in the tourismsector, for example).

Dan Joseph: Taxes are a big one. If you need toraise your prices by three per cent to “hopeful-ly” maintain an eight per cent profit margin, thishurts quite a bit as customers only analyze thebottom line. HST has increased two per cent.

There should be an offset program to help smallbusiness and the jobs they create. Minimumwage and payroll costs are another that quicklyeat into the eight per cent. It won’t be longbefore operating small business is no longerworth the effort necessary to succeed.

RC: We need a public service that works for us,instead of against us. Right now, at all three lev-els of government, civil servants try to put everypossible roadblock in the way. We are over gov-erned and over regulated.

Austyn: A pressing problem related to smallbusiness is the pressure on those businesses inthe downtown core who, along with everythingelse, have to subsidize the suburban sprawl

policies of government. The economic survivalof our downtowns is dependent upon a reversalof the current policies of all levels of govern-ment who promote suburban sprawl. Remove80 per cent of the income generated by smallbusiness in our downtowns towards taxationand the urban economy will crash. Take out thehub and watch the wheels fall off. It is only amatter of time.

Giles Crouch: We require tax reduction to helpwith attracting foreign direct investment, weneed a program to help new immigrants engagewith small businesses, and we must work close-ly with small business on retaining youth towork here after college or university.

Darryl Wile: Being in the tourism industry forthe last 14 years, instead of the situation gettingbetter it has only become more fragmented.Instead of buying a license and having everyassociated function covered, we have to have amembership in a dozen different organizations.The government is actually in the business oftourism as they get a huge amount of revenuefrom tourism but they are not prepared to paytheir share as any other business takes a per-centage of their revenue to cover their advertis-ing. The government expects us, the operatorsto pay their advertising as well as our own.Government needs to consider operating as abusiness entity would. It would improve thebusiness environment for us all.

Return undeliverable addresses to:Transcontinental Specialty Publications/

Holiday Media (Atlantic Region)1888 Brunswick Street, Suite 609, Halifax, N.S., B3J 3J8

*CCAB/BPA Worldwide Membership Applied for October 2006

The opinions expressed in the NSBJ are those of the authors and do not represent the official views of Transcontinental Specialty Publications orits management. NSBJ and its contributors can accept no legal responsibility for loss through any error in information contained herein.Submissions will be edited at the editor’s discretion. Contents of the NSBJ are not to be reproduced without written consent of the publisher.Transcontinental Specialty Publications does not endorse any advertiser or product, and it takes no responsibility for losses or damages causedthrough the advertiser/customer relationship.

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Publisher/General Manager . . . . . Jeff NearingSenior Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ken PartridgeNews/Features Editor . . . . Barb McCay CashinAdvertising Coordinator . . . . . Camille MacPhail

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BUSINESS JOURNALN O V A S C O T I A

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�NEWS Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010 �

To advertise, contact Peter Coleman: (902) 468-8027 (ext. 108) • [email protected]

For more business news daily: www.dailybusinessbuzz.ca

NSBJ REGULAR COLUMNIST

A homeowner will assess his or her home forthose improvements or modifications needed toincrease value and attract buyers at the time ofeventual sale. The question is when should thisbe done; just prior to sale or throughout the peri-od of ownership? The prudent owner realizes thata little pain along the way is normally easier toswallow than a lot at one time, especially if thereis uncertainty as to when a sale might occur. Thatowner most likely will solicit advice from realestate experts as to what expenditures will pro-vide the most bang for the buck in relation toincreasing ultimate value in the eyes of a buyer.

Like the prudent homeowner, the businessowner should also perform housekeeping dutiesin the form of business self due-diligence alongthe way and not leave all such matters until theend, whenever that may be. One of the first stepsin this assessment is to secure a preliminarybusiness valuation and then to develop a strategicand tactical plan based on what story unfoldsfrom the valuation. This due diligence processshould begin three or more years prior to anexpected sale. Just as Stephen Covey — authorof The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People —reminds us, “begin with the end in mind”. Thebusiness owner might consider reverse-engineer-ing the process from the end-game of an envi-sioned highly successful sale of the business.As noted by investment banker Dennis Roberts

in his book Mergers & Acquisitions – An Insider’sGuide to the Purchase and Sale of Middle MarketBusiness Interests, “the owner should develophis business to the point that it performs optimal-ly against a series of metrics or value driverswhich maximizes its value to a group of prospec-

tive buyers in a negotiated auction. The valuedrivers of A+ middle market companies include,among others:• Highly experienced independent managementteams

• Steady or increasing growth rates in revenuesand profitability

• Leadership in the business sector throughproduct/service excellence

• Barriers to entry to discourage competitors• Broad client base to minimize customer riskWith the end-game value drivers clearly in

mind, owners can then ask themselves “Whereare we now vis-a-vis these performance stan-dards?” Knowing where the business currentlystands and, having the appropriate amount oflead time, the owner can then move towardmaximizing business value.A study by Robert Spitalnic into the benefits of

the use of competitive intelligence by corporateacquirers revealed the 10 most frequently citedreasons for acquisition failure:1. Slow or little market growth

2. Low industry or geographic margins3. Target’s market position falling short ofexpectations

4. Tough competition5. Inadequate, inaccurate or poorlydefined pre-acquisition research

6. Weak management team7. Narrow profit margins8. Underdeveloped systems9. Large post-acquisition capital requirements10.Target lacked good strategic planA business owner wishing to maximize value

will pay attention to those issues that drive valuein the eyes of a buyer.

Martin Raymond CA, CVA, CEPA, is a chartered account-ant, certified valuation analyst and certified exit planningadvisor. He is a partner with CA firm Raymond Yuill andmanaging director of the Halifax office of The McLeanGroup, a middle market investment banking firm based inWashington, D.C. He can be reached at (902) 444-5540(phone), (902) 350-0656 (cell), or at [email protected] and [email protected]

ExitPlanningMarty Raymond

Dress up early before the party

Continued from cover

And with an aging population, finding qualifiedlabour is only going to get worse.This will hit small businesses particularly hard

for two reasons, says Cirtwill. First, smaller busi-nesses can’t afford to increase salaries the waybigger businesses can to attract and retain talent.The other reason is that small businesses rely onfamily to a greater degree for their labour pool.“With families shrinking, so is the labour pool,”

says Cirtwill.One hope for improving the business climate

lies with the economic development strategy theprovincial government is working on. The strategyshould be released “sometime soon,” says PercyParis, the minister of economic and rural develop-ment.While short on specific details, Paris says the

party wants to foster a culture of innovation wherepeople are encouraged to invest in themselves,invest in Nova Scotia and invest in Nova Scotians.“If there are barriers, we want to know about

them and will work together to try to eliminatethem,” says Paris.For many, the tax system is a barrier, especially

since New Brunswick started cutting taxes.“New Brunswick has a far more competitive tax

system,” says Leanne Hachey, Atlantic vice-presi-dent for the Canadian Federation of IndependentBusiness (CFIB).She says lower taxes allow business owners to

keep more of their earnings, pay employees high-er wages, invest in better equipment and offerlower prices. Meanwhile, the tax system in NovaScotia does the opposite, Hachey says.

“I, we as a government, don’t have any controlover what New Brunswick does,” says Paris.In Nova Scotia, the provincial government

strives to find the right balance between taxationand services offered, he says.“We also understand that we have to live within

our means and we can’t go further into this finan-cial hole that already exists for us.”But the news isn’t all bad for small businesses.

Hachey says in a survey of members, the CFIBfound members maintained a good work life bal-ance for themselves and their employees. Therehas also been improvement on reducing red tape.Nova Scotia is considered one of the leaders for itsefforts to reduce it.While Cirtwill appreciates the work done so far,

he questions how effective the efforts have actual-ly been.“When you start with a mountain and you

remove two feet a year, you’re going to be at it fora while,” he says.Looking to the future, Hachey has her worries

about small businesses. In talks with the CFIB’smembers, she says small business owners usewords such as frustrated, fed up and helpless.Some even wonder why they even started a busi-ness in the first place.And worst of all, “some don’t encourage their

kids to start businesses in Nova Scotia,” saysHachey.As Small Business Week — Oct. 17-23 —

nears, it’s clear Nova Scotia’s small businessesneed help.“Small business week is nice, but we need to

focus on small business year round,” says Cirtwill.Nova Scotia’s future prosperity depends on it.

Unweaving a tangled webNSBJ OPINIONIs New Brunswick really that great?Most Nova Scotians — including many small

business owners — are probably tired of hear-ing about New Brunswick right about now.After several weeks of hype leading up to the

Canadian Football League’s first regular seasongame in the Maritimes, the news has been fullof stories about New Brunswick, Moncton inparticular. There are stories about how great thecity is, its growing rivalrywith Halifax, the economicimpact of the game, howNew Brunswick is the lead-ing contender for an AtlanticCFL franchise.Now, as we enter October

and celebrate national SmallBusiness Week, we are hear-ing about New Brunswickagain –– how it has a more competitive taxstructure, how it’s lowering taxes, how peopleare leaving Nova Scotia (mostly in the borderregions) to shop and buy their gas in NewBrunswick rather than at home.But is New Brunswick really that great? Is it

really a better place to do business than NovaScotia? Maybe, in the short term, but that maychange very soon.New Brunswick has a massive debt problem

it will have to tackle sooner or later, and therecent defeat of Shawn Graham’s Liberals andthe election of a Progressive Conservative gov-

ernment just might be the start of some fiscalchange for our closest neighbour.Let’s face it. You can’t keep cutting taxes and

expect to continue to make all those debt pay-ments. Nova Scotia just had to bite the bulletand it’s coming for New Brunswick too. Grahamtried to be a little creative with the proposedsale of NB Power [and make no mistake, that

was all about debt reductionnot power generation] but weall know how that turned outin the end.The debt situation is even

harder to handle in NewBrunswick given its less-diversified economy. Think ofit as one of those old, one-industry towns that grew up

around the railroad or a mining operation.When you have an economy where the samecompany employs one out of every five people(in this case, Irving or one of its subsidiaries),there isn’t a lot of flexibility available.By comparison, Nova Scotia is far more

diversified and thus able to absorb any futureeconomic shock much more readily. We may bepaying a higher rate of taxes now, but we are ina better overall financial situation. The adjust-ments coming for New Brunswick will bepainful and long lasting. So maybe Nova Scotiaisn’t such a bad place to do business after all.

“New Brunswickhas a massivedebt problem itwill have to tacklesooner or later”


Every office has one (or two, or more!). You knowthe types. Those toxic co-workers who only look outfor “number one”, no matter what the cost to theirco-workers or the company that employs them.Here are four common crappy colleagues to

watch out for:

* The Politician: Promotions based on merit arenot what these schmoozers believe in. Instead,they participate in office politics — popping intothe boss’ office every five minutes, declaringtheir indispensable worth. Their work lifebecomes a game in which they are constantlytrying to “win” the next job, the next promotion,the next project. However, they spend little or notime fulfilling her current responsibilities. Theright documentation can stop politicians in theirtracks because they can't spread their lies whenthere is proof showing who is really doing thework. Save all of your emails and voicemails ifpossible. Make sure the information stream tothe boss flows directly from you. Don't give thepolitician an opportunity to put his or her nameon your work.

* The Tattletale: Tattletales deal mostly in nega-tive office rumors and gossip or in any otherinformation that they think they can use to getahead. They strive to be the bearers of badnews. Simply keep your mouth shut and don'tdisclose anything you don't want everyone toknow about.

* The Networker: The networker spends moretime networking than actually working. Theybelieve that the road to success is about whom

you know, not what you know. They may workfrom 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. almost every dayand look like very hard workers. In reality they’rejust spending their hours socializing with every-one. Avoid them and don't get sucked into theirweb. They “name drop” and appear to be con-nected. They’ll actually just burn up a lot of yourvaluable time with meaningless office chitchat.

* The Taskmaster: Taskmasters are quick toassign tasks to other people to avoid having todo anything and yet, as soon as a task is com-pleted, somehow the taskmaster is there to takecredit for getting it done. Beware of them. Keepthem at a distance or you will spend your daysdoing their job.

Just imagine what these workplace “BS”ers andthe rest of their ilk are costing in productivity, not tomention the overall morale of their companies. Theimportant thing is that you not get bogged down intheir nonsense. Find ways to protect yourself fromthem so you can ensure that you get the credit thatyou deserve and not get caught in any of theirschemes. Work smarter and you can get aheadevery time.

By Blaine Loomer, author of Corporate Bullshit: ASurvival Guide (Mitchell Publishers Inc., 2009,ISBN: 978-0-9842016-0-0). Loomer's expertise inthe corporate world evolves from over 20 years ofexperience in corporate management and sales. Hehas consulted with thousands of companies overthe years, from enterprising individuals of mom-and-pop shops to executive officers of some of thelargest corporations.

With co-workers like these,who needs enemies?


As the more than 40,0000 graduate studentsheaded back to universities and colleges through-out Nova Scotia this fall, the debate spotlight inHalifax Regional Municipality once again shone onthe location of the universities and the location ofthe students in the community.With a population hovering near the one million

mark, we are blessed with 11 universities, NovaScotia Community College programs at 13 cam-puses throughout the province and six communitylearning centres.The economic benefits that this segment brings

are immense. It is reported that in HRM the eco-nomic benefits alone amount to more than $330million per year. International students alone con-tribute $154 million per year including an initialinjection of $91 million in new money to NovaScotia.The cultural spin-off is difficult tomeasure but we

know throughmultiple surveys and studies that thecultural draw of HRM and smaller campuses con-tribute directly to the quality of life throughoutNova Scotia. Yes, it is more than happy hour at thebar — it is the musical scene, the art life, the festi-vals and civic events that all contribute to a stu-dent’s experience and they are happy to participateand spend dollars.

So what is the problem? Despite the benefits stu-dents bring to our communities, not everyone isfeeling the love for them.From a taxation perspective, many residents find

it unfair that two houses with equal assessments,one having a family and one having six students,are paying the same tax amount to the municipali-ty. This was an option that we were to examineunder our now failed (do not get me started!) taxreform. In Halifax Regional Municipality, the goingrate for a room is around $550— you do the mathon a five-bedroom house.Some believe living next to students will affect

their property value and future home resale. I amtold by real estate agents that this is a mixed case.The municipality does not assess the occupantsonly the property.Residents also often complain of “lost work

time” with the students keeping them up all night.This now becomes a quality of life issue with nodollar value and one which some residents wish tohave addressed though a student zoning bylawthat would limit where students could live.Many residents feel that as HRM continues to

grow, it is an opportune time to re-evaluate thelocation of the universities. I do not agree with this.Whether we like it or not, they are a lifeline toHalifax and our smaller towns of Nova Scotia. It isroughly five per cent of the population that causesthe problems. Let’s work to address that.

Sue Uteck is the councillor for District 13 Northwest Arm-South End Halifax. Uteck has represented the residents ofthis area since winning a by-election in the fall of 1999.You can reach Sue at: [email protected]

UteckSpeaks OutSue Uteck

They’re back, but noteveryone is feeling the love

Have you heardthe latest “buzz”?

The Canadian Press — Canada’spremier news agency for breaking

and developing business stories fromaround the globe — is now on The

Daily Business Buzz. Check us out today!



�NEWS Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010 � For more business news daily: www.dailybusinessbuzz.ca

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• LED Roadway sees bright future ahead with$1.6M contract: The future of an Amherstcompany continues to be bright after it signeda $1.6-million contract with Halifax RegionalMunicipality to provide 2,137 energy-efficientLED street lights. “It’s going to get very busyhere,” says Dave Scott, general manager andvice president of engineering for C-Vision/LEDRoadway Lighting. “This is a great newsannouncement for our company and is anexample of the growth we’re experiencing aswe continue to receive orders for our prod-uct.” The purchase will make Halifax RegionalMunicipality the first major Canadian munici-pality to convert to LED roadway lighting tech-nology. Scott said the contract and others arealready paying dividends for the Amherstcompany in that it’s hiring an additional 19people and bringing its workforce to over 80employees. The company also has 35 workingat its Halifax operation. “Right now we havefour lines set up and we’re running one of thefour lines, one shift. When all the lines arerunning on three shifts we’ll have the capacityto build about 5,000 fixtures a week,” saidScott. — By Darrell Cole, The Amherst DailyNews, Transcontinental Media

• DHX Media acquires L.A. entertainmentcompany: DHX Media Ltd., a Halifax-basedinternational producer and distributor of tele-vision programming and interactive content,has announced its acquisition of W!LDBRAINEntertainment. The Los Angeles-based,award-winning entertainment company pro-duces and animates The Ricky Gervais Showfor HBO and has turned Yo Gabba Gabba!, thelive touring show and hit television series onNickelodeon, into a durable franchise. DHX

Media says the acquisition further strengthensits position to become one of the top inde-pendent libraries of quality family entertain-ment in the world, with an eye towards devel-oping content with hit potential across currentand emerging broadcast channels, such as itsAnimal Mechanicals, Kid vs Kat and Franny’sFeet series. — By The Daily Business Buzz,Transcontinental Media

• Halifax waterfront goes wireless: One of themost visited destinations in Nova Scotia nowoffers free wireless service in key harbourwalkareas from the Cable Wharf to Tall Ships Quay.“The activity of the Halifax waterfront has his-torically connected Nova Scotians with theworld and the wireless waterfront developsupon this,” says Colin MacLean, president andCEO, Waterfront Development Corporation(WDCL). “From our shores, a person can con-nect with anyone around the globe, for free.”He says the wireless waterfront provides yetanother attractive feature for residents,tourists, and marine services users. Access iseasy: connect to Wireless-Waterfront througha wi-fi utility, choose a browser, review andagree to the user terms and conditions. Thewireless infrastructure was built using CiscoOutdoor wireless technology, a systeminstalled by Unis Lumin. WDCL invested$85,000 to purchase the network of antennae.The corporation expects this service will ulti-mately drive new traffic to the waterfront,increase marine services business, andenhance visitor experience. The infrastructureprovides an opportunity to develop new rev-enue streams and can support other functionssuch as security. — By The Daily BusinessBuzz, Transcontinental Media

Research & Technology

DaveScott of LEDRoadwayLighting looksonasemployeeDonnaGlennputs togetheranLED fixtureat theAmherstplant.ThecompanyrecentlysignedamajorcontractwithHalifaxRegionalMunicipality.-DarrellCole,AmherstDailyNews photo



Dear Floria:There seems to be bullying around my work-

place. Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint, becauseit’s so subtle. I’m afraid it’s going to slowlyerode our team. How can a workplace like mineidentify and tackle this? –– Joan

Thanks Joan. This is a great question and socrucial to creating a healthy, safe workplace.Let’s face it, healthy and happy individuals donot bully. They help others to be equally happyand healthy. People bully because they are hurt-ing and don’t feel empowered to do anything toimprove their situation.Bullying is a form of aggression, obvious or

subtle. It is usually considered to be a pattern ofbehaviour where one or more incidents willshow that bullying is taking place.Here are a few forms of bullying courtesy of

the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health andSafety (CCOHS):• spreading malicious untrue rumours/ gossip• excluding or isolating someone socially• physically abusing or threatening abuse• removing areas of responsibilities withoutcause

• constantly changing work guidelines• making jokes that are blatently offensive• criticizing a person persistently or constantly• issuing unwarranted punishment

• blocking applications for training, leave orpromotionMany studies acknowledge that there is a "fine

line" between strong management and bullying.Keep in mind, objective comments that areintended to provide constructive feedback arenot usually considered bullying, but ratherintended to assist the employee with their work.Bullying can affect the overall “health” of an

organization, leading to increased absenteeism,turnover, and stress, and decreased morale andproductivity. It can even lead to a reduced cor-porate image and customer confidence.According to CCOHS, there are many things a

workplace can do to foster a bully-free atmos-phere:- Encourage everyone to treat others in arespectful, professional manner

- Create a workplace policy- Educate everyone about what is consideredbullying and whom they can go to for help

- Train supervisors and managers to deal withcomplaints and potential situations

- Treat all complaints seriously, dealing withissues promptly and confidentially

- Have an impartial third party help with the res-olution, if necessary

*If you have a workplace wellness question,email “Dear Floria” at: [email protected]

Floria Aghdamimehr is a wellness life coach and nutri-tion consultant. Check out her website at www.RecognizeYourPotential.com

WorkplaceWellnessFloriaAghdamimehr

Battling bullying at the officeTransportation & Tourism

• A summer without the ferry — “it could havebeen worse”: Overall, the summer appears not tohave been the disaster that some people fearedafter the 2010 cancellation of Bay Ferries’ CATservice between Yarmouth and Maine. LindaDeveau, property manager for the Yarmouth Mall,said earlier this spring that there was no questionthe ferry loss would impact the community. Whencontacted in late August she said that their sum-mer appeared to be averaging out as a relativelynormal type of summer with all factors consid-ered. “However we are concerned that we will seenegative impact from the loss of the ferry forChristmas shopping,” she said. Curtis Saulnier,owner of Saulniers Home Hardware, was con-cerned that business from hotel operators in thearea that shopped the store for maintenance-relat-ed supplies would decline. “The summer was allright. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going tobe. I’m hearing the same from a lot of people,” hesaid. “July and August seemed to be somewhatslow, but over last year I think we’re about thesame… maybe a little better.” — By Carla Allen,The Yarmouth County Vanguard, TranscontinentalMedia

• Stop sitting “on your laurels”, warns Uteck:Halifax Regional Municipality councillor Sue Utecksays the recent expected announcement about theUteck Bowl leaving Halifax for Moncton is “awake-up call” to the city. “It says to Halifax, youcan no longer sit on your laurels and think that,just because we’re Halifax, the event will come tous. It’s no longer the case,” she said. “This hadbecome a destination event and if we don’tsmarten up and do something, Moncton will bethe destination event city.” The new MonctonStadium, located on the Université de Monctoncampus, was chosen as the CanadianInteruniversity Football semifinal’s future host. “Itcomes down to a monetary issue and, obviously,they saw more seats in Moncton’s stadium thanthey did down here,” saidMayor Peter Kelly. Utecksaid Halifax needs a new medium-sized outdoorstadium, in the range of 20,000 to 25,000 seats, totruly be competitive. — By Philip Croucher withfiles from Alex Boutilier, Metro Halifax

• Weather plays havoc with cruise ship season:Cruise ships Maasdam and Eurodam skipped vis-its to the Port of Sydney on September 21, bring-ing the number of cancellations to six so far thisseason that were mostly caused by unfavourableweather conditions. High winds and rough seasassociated with the remnants of hurricane Igor ledto the latest cancellation, said Bernadette MacNeil,

manager of cruise marketing and development forthe Sydney Ports Corp. Cancelled cruise ship vis-itsmean lostmoney both for the ports corporationand the larger Cape Breton economy inwhich pas-sengers and crew spend money on goods andservices while visiting downtown Sydney or takingbus trips to popular destinations like Baddeck.Losing the six cruise ship visits probably costCape Breton an estimated $620,000 in directspending, she said. The loss also includes an esti-mated $76,000 in ports corporation fees forthings such as berthage and passenger taxes.—By Chris Hayes, The Cape Breton Post,Transcontinental Media

• New hotel checks into Bayers Lake park: TheCanadiana Restaurant and Lounge in the BayersLake Business Park is expanding to include a newComfort Hotel and Suites.Work on the four-storeycomplex is underway and should be complete byearly February, says restaurant owner and newhotel franchisee, Peter Giannoulis. Giannoulis saidthe 80-room hotel will include a swimming pool,meeting rooms and a lounge. The CanadianaRestaurant, which itself has undergone an exteri-or facelift, will serve as the restaurant for hotelpatrons. While Giannoulis expects to attract main-ly business clientele to his Lakelands Boulevardhotel, he said its location near 100-series high-ways and Peggy’s Cove would be ideal fortourists, too. “So, we’ll see,” he said. Giannoulisexpects to hire about 15 new employees for thehotel initially. — By Kim Moar, Halifax NewsNet,Transcontinental Media

• Marine Atlantic overhauls controversial book-ing system: After months of backlash from inde-pendent truckers, Marine Atlantic recentlyannounced it has made several changes toenhance its commercial reservations system.Companies are now only allowed to make book-ings 28 days in advance. They will also have oneday to be able to change or cancel reservationsonline, depending on the length of time it takes toimprove the corporation’s computer program-ming. Late fees have also been eliminated.Instead, vessels will be loaded based on cut-offtimes of two hours for live traffic and three hoursfor drops. The changes follow an August 11meet-ing between Rob Merrifield, federal minister ofstate for transportation, Marine Atlantic manage-ment, and members of the trucking industry.Independent truckers had argued that the newsystem favoured larger companies by allowingthem to make block-bookings.— By Erin Pottie,The Cape Breton Post, Transcontinental Media

The CAT ferry is reflected in the water on Yarmouth's waterfront. So far its 2010 cancellation hasn’tbrought with it the doom and gloom predicted. — Photo by Tina Comeau, The Yarmouth Vanguard


Growing attention is being paid these days tothe concept of “employer of choice”. From annu-al awards given by national magazines to indus-try-led initiatives and dedicated websites andbooks on the topic, being designated an employ-er of choice is touted as an important recruitmentand retention tool. In fact, the phrase is more thana buzzword; it is representative of a whole newcorporate culture in 2010.A company that is given this coveted designa-

tion is typically recognized for meeting or exceed-ing high operational standards. While these stan-dards vary, employers of choice are generallynoted for accomplishment in the following: a nur-turing company culture, effective leadership, car-ing for their people, offering all employees mean-ingful work as well as growth and opportunity,attractive compensation and benefits, making adifference in the community, employee loyaltyand overall strong fiscal performance.In other words, an employer of choice is one

where its employees and contractors consistentlyreport that, should a competitor come calling,they would choose to stay with their currentemployer every time. And because they are com-mitted to the company, these employees offergreater productivity, less absenteeism, naturally

lower turnover, more creativity and heightenedjob satisfaction. This dedication helps contributeto workforce stability in a time where tighterlabour markets are aggravating already challeng-ing, everchanging economic conditions in themarketplace. It is key for a company to becomeskilled at attracting, developing and retaining tal-ent to remain competitive.What it means to be an employer of choice may

seem daunting. Rightly so. Labeling a companyan employer of choice should never be a fleetingnotion any more than it should be a mere market-ing ploy. If you have seen an episode of CBS’Undercover Boss you will know the commontheme denoting each CEO’s experience as they goundercover in their own companies. At the end ofthe day they all talk about the importance of hav-ing real conversations and genuine relationshipswith employees at every level of the organization,whether it is a company of five or 5,000. It allcomes back to what it means to be an employerof choice.

The founder of Abundant Living Personal Coaching,Debbie Lawrence is a life, business and career coach andauthor of “Standing In Your Light: Women andEntrepreneurship” and “Dancing in Your Light: 6 Steps toAttractingA Life That Makes Your Heart Sing”.The formerdirector of the Professional Ethics Review Committee forthe International Association of Coaches, Lawrence hasbeen an adult educator and business coach for the pasttwo decades. Check out her website atwww.abundantliving.ca or call (902) 895-6987.

BusinessInsightDebbieLawrence


Are you anemployer of choice?

Service, Retail & Trade

• Register.com hopes to burst at its seams:Now they sit and cross their fingers. Executivesat Register.com provided a tour and power pointshow on their operation in Yarmouth to ACOAminister Keith Ashfield and West Nova MP GregKerr on September 8. The company — aprovider of global domain name registration,website design and management services, andbusiness web hosting — is hoping for financialassistance from the federal government in con-nection with an expansion project. Sandy Ross,senior vice-president of Canadian operations,said the company hopes to have an announce-ment on more jobs for Yarmouth in the verynear future. Expanding the operation to down-town Yarmouth may also be a possibility withinthe next two years. In June, Web.com, head-quartered in Jacksonville, Florida, boughtRegister.com in a deal worth $135 million. Thecompany employs 267 in Yarmouth and 95 inHalifax. — By Carla Allen, The Yarmouth CountyVanguard, Transcontinental Media

• Auto retailers escape “doom and gloom” ofHST hike:Many auto retailers in the Amherst areaare reporting the two per cent HST increase inJuly has not had a major impact on their busi-ness. While sales figures dipped dramaticallyacross the province in July, partially as a result ofthe province’s decision to increase the tax, saleswere relatively stable in Amherst during themonth and have been booming ever since.“August was a record breaking month for all ofus,” said Don Furlong, president of the Amherstauto dealers association. Furlong, who is also amember of the provincial auto retailers board,said his dealership was so busy in August it out-sold dealers in Moncton and Fredericton. — ByDarrell Cole, The Amherst Daily News,Transcontinental Media

• Stifling of wine store simply “sour grapes”,claims Stuart: John Stuart finds the Nova ScotiaLiquor Corporation (NSLC) very perplexing. Hesays his Bishop’s Cellar in Halifax is its largestsingle wine customer, yet the crown corporationisn’t keen to allow the business to expand. Stuarthad submitted an unsolicited proposal in May tobuild a private wine and spirits store in Wolfville.He claims the NSLC does not want a store inWolfville promoting the wines of Nova Scotia

since it has already invested in a $1.3-millionWolfville outlet expansion. Stuart scoffs at theexpansion, which he sees as primarily a newwalk-in beer cooler for Molson and Interbrew.Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation spokeswomanJennifer Gray says the Bishop’s Cellar applicationis “currently being reviewed.” — By WendyElliott, Kings County Advertiser/Register,Transcontinental Media

• Call centre closure emotional for employees: Itwas an emotional day for some MillbrookConvergys employees on September 1 as the callcentre operated for the final time. “It’s a hard dayfor everybody. It’s a sad day,” said a woman whowished to remain anonymous. The middle-agedwoman told the Truro Daily News the closure ofthe centre was difficult to deal with even thoughemployees and public were made aware of theclosure in early June. At the time, the estimated250 remaining employees were told the shut-down was related to a drop in service calls whichresulted when the inbound contact centre lost amajor client. Convergys opened locally in 2004and has employed as many as 500 people.Layoffs began a year ago with about 70 peopleinitially losing their jobs. — By MoniqueChiasson, The Truro Daily News, TranscontinentalMedia

• Partnership opens doors to new marketsaround globe: On September 8, World TradeCentre Atlantic Canada (WTCAC) and the AtlanticProvinces Chambers of Commerce (APCC)announced a new partnership that focuses onpromoting economic prosperity in AtlanticCanada. Through a collaboration between the twoorganizations, members of APCCwill have accessto the World Trade Centers Association globalnetwork of 750,000 companies located in over100 countries. In addition, WTCAC will also pro-vide international trade services to APCC mem-bers. This month, WTCAC and APCC are leadinga trade and familiarization tour of China’s fivegreatest industrial centres, coinciding with the2010 Shanghai World Expo. Through these twoprograms, Atlantic Canadian companies will gainexposure to Chinese business leaders, insightinto the Chinese market and an understanding ofpotential business opportunities.—By The DailyBusiness Buzz, Transcontinental Media

Website designer Vanessa Goodwin chats with West Nova MP Greg Kerr and ACOA minister KeithAshfield at Register.com. The company is hoping to receive financial assistance from the federal gov-ernment in connection with an expansion project. — Photo by Carla Allen, Yarmouth County Vanguard



The right fit: What kind of salesperson do you need?

Not every good salesperson is suited to everykind of sales. Relating the products you sell to thekind of selling it takes is only part of the picture.Take the four following examples:*Commodity Sales: There are very few peoplewho walk into Harry’s location that he can’t turninto a sale. He is challenged every day to better hisrecord from yesterday. He loves the interaction,

moving people toward a decision, quickly buildingthat trust relationship, closing the deal and mov-ing on to the next prospect.*Account Sales:Marion is an account manager ata manufacturing company. Her customersabsolutely love her and wouldn’t think of dealingwith anyone else. She has a strong ability tounderstand her customer’s problems, to explorethe workings of her clients’ companies and tobuild loyalty. Rarely a day goes by when Mariondoesn’t have customers on the phone asking heradvice and placing large orders.*Consultative Sales: Brent is with an engineeringfirm and is their number one salesperson in newbusiness development. Brent sells very complex,customized technical solutions. His patience andorganizational abilities allow him to walk his cus-tomers through the long selling cycle thatincludes a very thorough exploration of their“pains”. Brent’s assertiveness, communicationskills, and confidence give prospects a belief thathe can solve their issues and he builds that trustover time.

*Unique Value Skills: Jane has been the topsalesperson at ABC Solutions, a specialized soft-ware company. Jane’s success is a result of herability to create demand through tough question-ing. She has differentiated herself and her prod-ucts from the competition through this strongability to ask the tough questions. Although it’snot a one-call close, Jane can usually close with-in two or three sales calls.All four have ambition and drive. They all have

the kind of sales job that suits their natural abili-ties and, therefore, don’t have to struggle trying tosell in an unnatural setting. They also have thecommunication and sales skills to heighten theirnatural tendencies and build success.Imagine someone with a strong need to control

and close quickly in an account manager’s rolewhere process orientation is the required mode.Might they be in too much of a hurry? Not listen-ing or impatient? How about someone who wasstrong in problem solving in a commodity salesrole where a one-call, simple close was required?What might the outcomes of that be? Might they

be trying to make the sale more complicated thanit was and lengthen the sales cycle, perhaps evenlosing that prospect to the competition?To determine what kind of sales your products

and services need, you have to ask yourself somequestions. To begin with, are you in the businessof demand creation or demand fulfillment? Doyou have a longer sales cycle or a shorter one?Are relationships more important than problemsolving? And is control and close more importantthan process orientation?Once you’ve determined what kind of sales

you’re involved in, the process of finding the rightsalesperson for that role will become clear.

©2010 Sandler Training Inc. (website: www.atlantic.sandler.com) is an international sales and managementtraining/consulting firm. For a free copy of WhySalespeople Fail And What To Do About It, call theSandler Sales Institute at (902) 468-0787 or [email protected]

Successin SalesThe Sandler Team

Resources & Manufacturing• Canaqua Seafoods nets $1.2M in federal fund-

ing: The smell of fish mixed with money onSeptember 15 in West Advocate as the federalgovernment announced a $1.2-million investmentin Canaqua Seafoods Ltd., a local Atlantic halibutfish farm. The funding will improve the sustainabil-ity and production efficiency of the operation byapplying an innovative water re-use system designthat will balance heating costs and the costs ofwater treatment, according to Canaqua owner PaulMerlin. Canaqua will use sea water from salt waterwells, low-energy water re-use equipment andhighly efficient water heating equipment, ultimate-ly resulting in an increase in productivity and thecreation of new jobs, he explained. “We’re hopingto double our job production within the next fiveyears here,” said Merlin.— By Andrew Wagstaff,The Amherst Daily News, Transcontinental Media

• Advanced Glazings wins industry achievementaward: Advanced Glazings Ltd., a Sydney-basedmanufacturer of daylighting glass units thatimprove energy efficiency, has been awarded the2010 Crystal Achievement Award for “MostInnovative Energy-Efficient Glass Product”.Selected by a panel of judges representing all seg-ments of the glass industry, the awards recognizethe best products and glass applications the com-mercial, retail and fabricationmarkets have to offer.“We’re extremely excited to be recognized for ourefforts with this award,” says AGL vice president ofArchitectural Products, Avi Bar. “Solera+Nanogelrevolutionizes the way architects can design withglass. Glass structures can now deliver diffusednatural light while insulating like a wall.” AdvancedGlazings commercialized Solera™ in 2001, with itsprimary market in commercial new construction.After extensive R&D and testing, Solera+Nanogelwas launched in 2009 at Greenbuild, the world'slargest conference and expo dedicated to greenbuilding. — By The Daily Business Buzz,Transcontinental Media

• Southern Ontario company headed to Truro: Aconstruction firm based in Bolton, Ontario, is com-ing to Truro. Concreate USL Limited will set up aregional office and construction facility in the TruroIndustrial Park this November. The company isexpected to employ between 30 and 50 peopleover the next five years, most of them skilled work-ers in the steel fabrication and concrete fabricationindustries. Concreate USL Limited is primarilyassociated with large highway and related bridgeprojects. It is already lined up to do a portion of theimprovements to the Trans-Canada Highway

between Antigonish and the Canso Causeway.Concreate USL Limited project manager SteveKelly says the company chose Truro because of itscentral location and close proximity to the intersec-tion of Atlantic Canada’s main north-south andeast-west highways.— By The Truro Daily News,Transcontinental Media

• Province moving in right direction on ban, saysNoRigs 3: For NoRigs 3, which had recently askedthe Nova Scotia government to implement a per-manent ban on oil drilling and exploration onGeorges Bank, comments made by the premier onSeptember 9 came as good news. The NoRigs 3Coalition of fishermen, fishing groups, environ-mentalists and Aboriginal groups is applauding theNova Scotia government for statements made byPremier Darrell Dexter, who said the governmentplans to introduce legislation in the fall session tosignificantly strengthen the protections on the fish-ing grounds and fragile ecosystem of GeorgesBank. Dexter is reported to be considering a per-manent ban on oil and gas exploration in the areawhich is home to lobster, herring, haddock andgroundfish, worth hundreds of millions a year.—By The Sou’wester, Transcontinental Media

• New website encourages people to buy local:Raising livestock can be a difficult way to earn a liv-ing these days, but a new website hopes to givefarmers another venue to sell their animals for afair price. Jonathan Rowe of Middleton has creat-ed www.annapolisvalleylocalfied.ca — a websitecovering the Windsor to Digby area. Visitors willfind information on local attractions such asbeaches and museums, links to local newspapers,andmore. However, themain purpose of the site isto provide a directory dedicated to locally-ownedbusinesses, encouraging consumers to buy local.Rowe said livestock farmers are being given theopportunity to submit a listing for free in hopes ofallowing them to make some private sales toincrease their profits. For other local businesses,he said it would be an affordable option in terms ofbeing listed in an online directory. — By KirkStarratt, The Kings County Advertiser/Register,Transcontinental Media

• Halifax Shipyard marks milestone:OnSeptember2, one year to the day the announcement wasmade regarding the awarding of a $194-millioncontract for nine new mid-shore patrol vessels toIrving Shipbuilding Inc., workers at the HalifaxShipyard celebrated by cutting the first steel platefor the Canadian Coast Guard project. The first ves-

Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley MP Scott Armstrong (right) and Canaqua Seafoods Ltd.owner Paul Merlin feed the fish at the Advocate fish farm which recently received major federal fund-ing. - Photo by Andrew Wagstaff, Amherst Daily News

sel should be ready for service in 2011. All ninevessels will be delivered by 2013. IrvingShipbuilding estimates up to 155 people will beemployed by the project over the next four years.“For the greater Halifax community this means anadded $35 million in payroll. As well, the companyestimates that approximately 50 local Nova Scotiansupplierswill benefit fromabout $32million in pur-chases of local goods and services,” said SteveDurrell, president of Irving Shipbuilding Inc.—ByThe Daily Business Buzz, Transcontinental Media

• Feds give $6.5M to support growth of organicfarming: Canadian scientists will collaborate dur-ing the next two-and-a-half years to try to developmore efficient and profitable processes for organic

farmers. Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritzannounced the $6.5-million investment onSeptember 1 at the Nova Scotia AgriculturalCollege in Bible Hill. Industry is also contributing$2.2 million towards the project. Ralph Martin,founding director of the Organic Agriculture Centreof Canada located on the NSAC campus, explainedthe organic science cluster has identified 10 subprojects to undertake. Those sub projects include30 research activities to be conducted by 50researchers and 30 collaborators at 45 institutionsin nine provinces across the country. Research willfocus on aspects such as soil fertility, greenhouseproduction, food processing and more. — ByJason Malloy, The Truro Daily News,Transcontinental Media

• A Special Feature of The Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010 Halifax ChristmasDecorWhy decorateyour businessfor the holidays?To trigger holiday shopping: It’s no secret thatretail sales peak during the holiday season.The presence of holiday decor reminds con-sumers that the season is upon them. Formost retailers, the holidays are a “make orbreak” season. It’s wise to leverage every pos-sible opportunity available.To highlight your storefront: The holiday sea-son can be a particularly competitive time foryour business. Holiday decor can set yourbusiness apart from the rest.To attract and retain customers: Why havepeople been decorating for the holidays forhundreds of years? Because holiday decora-tions create a warm, comfortable environment.Attractive decorations grab attention, andwhether you’re in retail, or leasing to others,customers aren’t in a hurry to leave a pleasingenvironment.To enhance employee morale:Much like yourcustomers, employees prefer a comfortableenvironment. And, the presence of holidaydecor marks the beginning of a busy, yet prof-itable season for your employees.To improve grand openings: Many business-es open their doors during the holidays to getthemselves off to a great start. The name of thegame in a grand opening is to draw attention,and holiday and event decorations do just that.Source: www.christmasdecor.net

TThe holiday season arrived a little early this yearfor one Burnside-based business. In July, HalifaxChristmas Decor, a franchise of the NorthAmerican-wide holiday decorating operation,was recognized at the 14th Annual NationalChristmas Decor Conference held in Boston.“We received the Canadian Franchise of the

Year Award,” says Halifax Christmas Decor’sgeneral manager Andrew Wheelock. “It was abig surprise and a great honour. We have a great

team of staff and great clients. That really helpedmake the past year so successful.”After 10 years of decorating the exteriors of

local homes and businesses in time for the holi-days, Wheelock says his company remainsfocused on customer service.“We want to create an excellent holiday expe-

rience for our clients and remove any frustrationand safety concerns they may have around dec-orating. We work with them to design the rightlook and we install all of the lights and decora-tions. When the season comes to a close, weremove everything and store it until next year.Our goal is to take the complication out of theChristmas season.”Although most of Halifax Christmas Decor’s

current clients are homeowners, Wheelock sayshis company also provides services to those inthe corporate sector wanting a more festive look.“Approximately 80 per cent of our business is

residential. But we’ve worked with businesses inthe past including Ashburn Golf Course and theHalifax Shopping Centre and have plans toexpand our corporate client base,” he says.According to Wheelock, the services available

through his company are wide ranging. In addi-tion to customized design, his team providesgood quality lighting (LED lights), high-end gar-land and lit wreaths ranging in size from 24 inch-es to 72 inches in diameter.“We provide decorations for windows, doors

and garages. We also do landscape lighting andwill decorate trees and shrubs,” he says. “It alldepends on what the client wants and how it willlook based on the specific layout of a particularlocation.”Although advertising for Halifax Christmas

Decor has largely been through word of mouth,Wheelock says his company will be promotingitself through radio ads and by attending morehome shows in the coming year.On the heels of a successful season,

Wheelock says his team is excited about its nextsteps.“We want to continue to grow our operation

and provide superior service delivery to ourclients. We just expanded into the Moncton andSaint John markets and are looking forward tothe opportunity to introduce new customers toour services.”

By Clare O’Connor

Halifax Christmas Decor can transform a property into a holidaywonderland.—Photo Contributed

’Tis the season to celebrate for local franchise

A Special Feature of The Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010 � PictouRegional Development Agency

Earlier this year, Pictou County launched its new regional economic development strategy entitled: "ForwardTogether: 2010-2010 Regional Economic Development Strategy".Representatives of Pictou County's sixmunicipalunitswerepresentedwithplaques to recognize their role andcontinuedpartnership inPictouCounty's new region-al economic development plan. Pictured are: Murray Hill (Chair, PRDA), Warden Ronnie Baillie (Municipality of theCountyofPictou),CouncillorHendersonParis (TownofNewGlasgow),MayorJoeGennoe(TownofStellarton),MayorGlen MacKinnon (Town of Trenton), Deputy Mayor Charlene Thompson (Town of Westville), and Mayor Joe Hawes(Town of Pictou). –– Photos courtesy of PRDA

OOn October 1, the Pictou Regional DevelopmentCommission became the Pictou RegionalDevelopment Agency, marking the beginning of anew era for the organization.But while its name has changed, its vision and

dedication to stimulating economic developmentacross the region remains the same. The PRDAsays, in many ways, its new name better expressesits role: to be an agent for community prosperity.The new name has also ushered in a new logo

to represent the organization. Pictou County ishome to numerous success stories in a widerange of industrial and commercial sectors. Tosuccessfully re-brand, there was a need to lookbeyond any single sector. Instead, an attempt wasmade to capture the spirit of the people, place andorganization as a whole. The ship is a sharedsymbol of journey and discovery. The sail is aniconic representation of new ventures and boldlyharnessing the winds of change. The winds thatguided many of the region’s forebearers here con-tinue to do so to this day through those seekingnew opportunities. The sail speaks of origins —the region’s history as a home to sailing, fishingand boat-building ports — while encouraging thepeople of Pictou County to continue exploring. As

such, the new logo is a fitting emblem of theshared history and entrepreneurial aspirations ofthe region. The PRDA performs a vital function asfacilitators for both economic and communitydevelopment and as such, is the vessel thatguides development and future prosperity inPictou County.The PRDA is one of 12 regional development

authorities (RDAs), a unique made-in-Nova Scotiamodel of community economic development thateffectively brings all three orders of governmentto the table — federal, provincial and municipal.Whether it’s spearheading a downtown revital-

ization project, helping businesses reach newexport markets, or supporting immigrants as theybuild their lives in a new place, RDAs facilitateeconomic development in the communities theyserve. They do this by leveraging private, publicand non-profit sector partnerships to resourceand support initiatives. They provide expertise inproject management, skills building and strategicplanning to ensure municipal, private and com-munity-based projects stay on the path to suc-cess.PRDA helps to build a prosperous, vibrant

Pictou County by delivering these core services:

For community groups…• Facilitation of planning activities• Foster community economic development

leadership• Assistance with government funding

proposals• Research for growth projects• Essential skills development

For business…• Business counselling• Research for start-up or growth projects• Community statistics• On-site business library

For municipal government…• Facilitation of strategic planning activities• Assistance with government funding

proposals• Research for growth projects

For business investors…• Community orientation• Community statistics• Available real estate, industrial parks• Labour force data

• Facilitation of government support programs• Support for business start-ups• Support for employee recruitment efforts• Coordination of meetings with other local

employers

For new residents, information on…• Real estate• Culture and entertainment• Education• Health care• Recreation• Neighbourhoods• Community supports

To learn more, contact Pictou RegionalDevelopment Agency: www.pictouRDA.caor 1-888-412-0072.

PRDA: New Name. New Look. Same Course.

PICTOU REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY � A Special Feature of the Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010

LLocated in the geographic centre of Nova Scotiaabout 90 minutes north of Halifax, on a sandystretch of the Northumberland Strait, sits PictouCounty. The region is home to six municipalitieswith a long history of industry and commitmentto collaboration.This year marked the release of a new econom-

ic development strategy that will provide focusedgrowth across the region for the coming decade.The spirit of the document is found in its name:“Forward Together” — a principle which eachpartner is committed to.In practice, that means taking a collaborative

approach to strengthen and expand seven coresectors of the economy:• Industrial manufacturing cluster - using spe-cialization and innovation to emerge as a world-class competitor in tire and metal fabrication.• Major business sector - supporting and lever-aging the continued health of the region’s majoremployers and generating new business develop-ment.• Tourism sector - marketing Pictou County as aday-trip and short-stay destination in close prox-imity to the Halifax-Moncton Growth Corridor andinvesting in online marketing tools.• Small and medium enterprise sector - provid-ing support for succession planning, new ven-tures and early adoption of new technologies.• Natural resource sector - developing new prod-ucts and markets.• Labour force supply - increasing participation,productivity and net in-migration.• Creative economy - stimulating an exchange ofideas across sectors and exploring ways to fosterinterconnectivity to marry the best of rural living

with the best of living close to an urban growthcorridor.

Building Success StoriesPictou County’s industrious and dedicated

workforce boasts a depth of skilled workers,including one of the largest pools of industrialfabricators in the province. This specializedlabour pool has contributed to the most recentsuccess story, the addition of DaewooShipbuilding & Marine Engineering Ltd. to theroster of firms based in Pictou County. Daewoowill be manufacturing industrial wind turbinesfrom its Pictou County facility.This region on Nova Scotia’s north shore is

also home to:• Empire Company Limited - headquarters for the$10-billion diversified holding company involvedin grocery distribution, commercial real estateand entertainment complexes.• Michelin Tire - a manufacturing centre andMichelin’s Canadian administrative and purchas-ing headquarters.• Northern Pulp - a company known for manufac-turing and shipping pulp from the Port of Pictouto destinations around the world.• Sobeys Inc. - Canada's second largest groceryretailer with annual revenues of $12.8 billionmanages its 35,000 person workforce and 3,000store locations from its Stellarton head office.• Advocate Printing & Publishing - a companydedicated to commercial printing, publishing anddistribution.• MacKay Meters™ - a world leading manufactur-er of electronic parking meters, multi-space park-ing meters and parking control software.

• Scotsburn Dairy - one of the top dairies inAtlantic Canada.• Stright MacKay - a marine equipment supplier

for dealers, boat builders, commercial fishers andrecreational boaters.

Continued on page 16

Forward together: Taking a regional approach to economic development

On March 5, the region received a major economic boost with news that Daewoo Shipbuilding and MarineEngineering Ltd. (DSME) had entered into an agreement with the Province of Nova Scotia to take over the formerTrentonWorks railcar plant for its large-scale manufacturing venture—awind turbine tower and blademanufac-turing facility.LegaldocumentsweresignedonJuly13officiallyclosing the transaction.In thephoto:PremierDarrellDexter andNamSang-Tae,CEOandpresident of DSME,shared a laughduring the newsconference onMarch 5.—Photo courtesy of Communications Nova Scotia

PICTOU REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY A Special Feature of the Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010 �

� A Special Feature of the Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010 PICTOU REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

AAn exciting new development is takingshape in Nova Scotia. An area under con-struction along the TransCanada highwaybetween Stellarton and New Glasgow willsoon become home to the Albion PlacePower Centre — a large retail area featur-ing amenities such as hotels, restaurantsand shops.“We plan to have the centre up and run-

ning by April 1, 2011,” says Paul Brown,vice-president of commercial operationsfor Sunrise Brokerage. “This will definite-ly be a major shopping destination site forthe north shore of Nova Scotia.”And, according to Brown, it’s just the

beginning.“We’re in the first phase of develop-

ment now and that covers 100 acres ofland. But we have 800 acres that we planto develop in five stages with the firstphase being entirely retail. Our plan forthe second phase is a combination ofretail wholesale and retail service. It’s tooearly to tell what the focus will be forstages three to five. That will depend onhow things progress.”But, so far so good, says Brown.“We’ve sold very quickly in phase one

and are now already selling into phasetwo. We’ve had a great response.”The development has also received a

great response from business and politi-cal leaders in the community.“This business park is a strategic asset

for Pictou County and we would like to

see businesses take advantage of theexcellent opportunities that this repre-sents,” says Gerald Gabriel, executivedirector of the Pictou RegionalDevelopment Agency. “It gives PictouCounty an opportunity to put its best footforward.”For Stellarton mayor Joe Gennoe,

Albion Place Power Centre will also pro-vide an opportunity for much needed eco-nomic growth.“Within the next year, we hope to have

1,000 people working at the centre. Ourarea needs to have sustainable businessoptions in order to keep professionalshere. This development is very excitingfor everyone,” says Gennoe.Although confidentiality agreements

prevent Paul Brown from divulging exact-ly which stores and businesses will opentheir doors at the Albion Place PowerCentre, he promises that visitors won’t bedisappointed.“We will have stores and shops that

don’t exist in this area at the moment.”And, he explains potential traffic issues

have been thought out in advance.“When this centre opens it will be the

only highway commercial site betweenAmherst and Sydney with two exits andtwo entrances. This is important becausewe’re addressing a potential traffic prob-lem before we get started. With 38,000cars going by this site everyday, we wantto make it easy for visitors to get in andout and we want to support the business-es that will be located on the site.”

By Clare O’Connor

Albion Place:A true “power” centre

Continued from page 14

• WearWell Garments - a company experienced inthe design, manufacture and distribution of careerand industrial apparel and customized uniform pro-grams.To bolster the future prosperity of these major

employers, the region is currently investing in amulti-year labour recruitment and retention initiativethat will increase labour supply in the short and long-term.

Focus on Quality LivingSod was recently turned on a $38-million wellness

centre that will serve the region with new recreationfacilities and services, covering everything from rockclimbing to childcare. The centre will include twoNHL size ice surfaces, an indoor track and gymnasi-

um, studios and fitness equipment.This initiative is complemented by downtown revi-

talization projects taking place in the region’s urbancore, a district that serves as the commercial servicecentre for the entire northeastern region of NovaScotia.

Always Opportunities to GrowWhile much is in place, there is always room to

grow and develop. Pictou County’s business parksprovide ample opportunity for new ventures. AlbionPlace Power Centre is immediately offering over 300acres of prime space along Trans Canada Highway104 with up to 400 acres for future development.This park is targeting a combination of retail orientedbig and small box enterprises for what is billed as thelargest power centre development outside metroHalifax.

Forward together: Regional approach

StirlingMacLean,president ofWearWell Garments Ltd.,stands in themainareaof thegarmentmanufacturing facil-ity in Stellarton.The company recently added 17,000 square feet to its 23,000 square foot facilitywhere the compa-nyproduces1,200 to1,500garmentsperday ranging frompantsandshirts toscrubs, labcoats,basiccoverallsandeven flame-resistant clothing.The company's growthhasallowed them toautomate,hire skilled staff,addexpand-edwarehouse space to accommodate their order fulfillment and distribution capabilities and to provide complete-ly customizedworkwear solutions developed by their in-house designer.—Photo courtesy of PRDA

A Special Feature of The Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010 � WasteReductionWeek (Oct. 18-24)

ColinMacLean, president and CEO ofWaterfront Development Corporation, is shown using the new eco-friendly receptacles.—Photo courtesy ofWDCL

AA new green initiative was launched on September 9at Nova Scotia's most visited destination — theHalifax waterfront.Waterfront Development Corporation, Nestlé

Waters Canada, and RRFB Nova Scotia announcedthe Halifax waterfront public spaces recycling pro-gram which is the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada.The initiative involves a usage study and incorporatesnew technology.Public spaces recycling captures the last mile of

recyclables — items normally collected throughNova Scotia's deposit-refund and curbside recyclingprograms but left by consumers in areas such asparks, streetscapes, and other public spaces.Four stream receptacles, manufactured by Big

Belly Solar, are located along the HalifaxHarbourwalk, from the ferry terminal to Tall ShipsQuay. The eco-friendly receptacles feature a solarpowered waste compacter that reduces collectionfrequency by up to 80 per cent, saving time, moneyand reducing pick-up emissions.“The Halifax waterfront is an ideal location to

launch our new clean, green initiative. The programwill enhance visitor experiences by making recyclingandwastemanagementmore convenient,” said ColinMacLean, president and CEO, WaterfrontDevelopment Corporation. “This partnership will seta strong example for waterfronts and communitiesnationwide.”The program targets waste, recyclables, paper and

organics. Considered one of the greenest initiatives inCanada, it complements aggressive Halifax RegionalMunicipality by-laws and reinforces Nova Scotia'sreputation as a leader in recycling.The partners will fund the cost of the new bin sys-

Halifax waterfront welcomes smart trash cans

tems that were set up in August throughStewardEdge, a leading national recycling consultant.The three-month study phase aims to change behav-iour in the most challenging realm for waste separa-tion compliance—public spaces. It also includes binsignage and public education. Waste audits will beconducted to measure the effectiveness with resultsof the pilot project being forwarded to the NovaScotia Environment Department.The Canadian beverage industry and Quebec

launched the program in 2008. This particular publicspaces recycling methodology is achieving recoveryrates as high as 97 per cent for items such as glass,aluminum, plastic and paper.“It is our objective to collect 100 per cent of the

plastic beverage containers we produce,” said JohnZupo, president of Nestlé Waters Canada. “If theresults we've seen in Quebec, Ontario and Manitobaare any indication, the introduction of this kind ofpublic spaces recycling in Nova Scotia will go a long

distance towards helping us to achieve that goal.”Other Waterfront Development Corporation-lead

green initiatives include: CarShare Halifax partner-ship reducing the number of vehicles on the road,additional waterfront bike racks, sponsorship ofFRED the Bus (Free Rides Everywhere Downtown),and active, healthy living options through Bedford,Dartmouth and Halifax Harbourwalks.For more information on the partners and pro-

gram, visit www.my-waterfront.ca .

WASTE REDUCTIONWEEK � A Special Feature of the Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010

EncanaCorporation is supporting efforts by SaintMary's researcher Dr.JasonClyburne to develop a safe and inex-pensive technology for removingcarbondioxide from industrial gases.—Photo courtesyof SaintMary’sUniversity

AA Saint Mary’s University researcher looking atways to safely remove carbon dioxide from indus-trial emissions is getting a helping hand from oneof the region’s largest offshore players.Encana Corporation, developers of the Deep

Panuke project, has committed $119,000 to helpDr. Jason Clyburne further develop inexpensivedesigner chemicals, called ionic liquids, whichhave shown promise for the safe and efficientremoval of toxins and environmentally hazardoussubstances from industrial processes such asburning coal.“The affordable removal of carbon dioxide from

gaseous industrial emissions is one of the holygrails in climate change research,” said Dr.Clyburne. “With Encana’s support, and earliersupport by GreenCentre Canada and SpringboardAtlantic, we can now move from the lab anddevelop a prototype to see if what we think works,actually does.”Earlier this year, GreenCentre Canada (GCC) —

a national Centre of Excellence for developing andcommercializing early-stage Green Chemistry dis-coveries — awarded Dr. Clyburne $25,000 inProof of Principle funding toward the commer-cialization of his ionic liquids. Saint Mary’s part-nership with GCC was further leveraged with thesuccess of a second award of $30,000 fromSpringboard’s Proof of Concept and Patent andLegal funds.Saint Mary’s University industry liaison officer

Gina Funicelli says the university is pursuingpatent protection that will lead to a license thatputs the technology into the hands of industry to

help curb, or even eliminate, carbon dioxide emis-sions from their manufacturing processes.Ionic liquids are specialized compounds that

can trap carbon dioxide from waste streams usingmuch less energy than traditional scrubbing tech-nologies. The carbon dioxide can then be separat-ed from the ionic liquid and stored, allowing theionic liquid to be recycled to remove additionalcarbon dioxide from the waste stream. Dr.Clyburne says some ionic liquids are made upfrom tried and tested commodity chemicals thatare inexpensive and easy to access.The move from beaker to breaking ground with

an industrial demonstration unit could take threeyears. Along the way he says post doctorate andundergraduate students will become experiencedin working with greenhouse gases, a vital skill incontinuing to develop relevant chemistry to solveenvironmental problems.Dr. Clyburne, who is also a Canada Research

Chair in Environmental Studies and Materials,said the effort dovetails nicely with The MaritimesCentre for Green Chemistry recently establishedby the university to enhance the undergraduateresearch experience in green discovery science.“There are many environmentally relevant

problems that can be solved using green chem-istry. If we are successful, this will be a gooddemonstration that often the simplest solutionsare the best ones,” he says.Encana is financing the work as part of a com-

mitment to the province to create spin-off benefitsfrom its Deep Panuke project by funding research,development, education and training.

Encana pumps fundinginto green research at SMU

Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) has an

internationally recognized waste resourcemanagement system. As part of this system,blue bag recyclables, fibre recyclables & organ-ic material are banned from landfill disposal.

A source separation system is required bylaw at all businesses in HRM. Failure tocomply with these regulations will result inissuance of a SummaryOffence Ticket.

www.halifax.ca/legislation/bylaws/hrm/bls600.pdfHow to comply with requirements for separation

Bins&ContainersThrough a commercial waste hauler, set upseparate bins outside of your building for

recyclables,paper,corrugat-ed cardboard & carts fororganics. Bins are availablefrom your hauler in varioussizes depending on yourneeds.

Containers for inside(kitchens, stockrooms &

public areas) separation of recyclables, paper,organics & garbage can be purchased from sup-pliers.www.halifax.ca/recycle/ici.html

Containers must be located in a convenientlocation for staff & the public, clustered next toeach other (recyclables, paper, organics &garbage).

SignageSignage is required to be posted & bins1.Organics 2.Recyclables3.Paper 4.Garbage5.Corrugated Cardboard

What do I Separate?In HRM, the following materials recyclable orcompostable, unacceptable are targeted fordiversion.

Blue BagRecyclables• Plastic containers labelled:• Refundable beverage containers &• Milk & juice cartons• All plastic bags, shrinkwrap & bubble

• Steel, tin & aluminum cans• Glass bottles & jars

OrganicMaterial• Food waste• Leaf & yard waste• Boxboard, soiled kitchenpaper paper plates

• Branches & brush• Natural Christmas trees free of stands.

Paper• Mixed & shredded paper• Newsprint,magazines, catalogues,• Telephone & other soft cover books• Paper egg cartons & drink traysCorrugated Cardboard

Materials Banned fromLandfill DisposalThe followingmaterials are banned from land-fill disposal as part of Nova Scotia’s Solid-WasteResourceManagement Regulations:• Redeemable beverage containers• Corrugated cardboard• Newsprint• Used tires• Lead acid (automotive) batteries• Waste paint• Automotive antifreeze• Compostable organicmaterial• Leaf & yardwaste• Steel/tin food containers• Glass food containers• LDPE bags & packaging• HDPE bags & packaging• Televisions• Computers, monitors, keyboards, printers,scanners,cables &mouse

• Audio & video playback devices• Telephones

Education&TrainingHRMSolidWasteResources staff are available toprovide restaurant owners & staff with free edu-cation sessions/workshops for staff.We also havea variety of brochures, pamphlets & signs avail-able.

Refer to the Guide toWaste Management forthe Commercial Sector, Businesses &Institutions – “What Goes Where” fordetailed information on how to separate all ofyour waste. Download a copy atwww.halifax.ca/recycle.

RenovationActivityConstruction & demolition (C&D) & renova-tion debris such as lumber, roofing & gyproc isalsounacceptable for landfill&mustbebroughtto a licensedC&Dprocessing facility.Arrange tohave separate bins for C&D from your hauler.

More informationonC&Dmaterialcanbefoundatwww.halifax.ca/recycle/cdrdebris.html.

HaulersHaulers provide bins & collection services forcommercial properties, typically charging a binrental fee,plus tipping fees.Check the telephonedirectory to find haulers who will arrange forseparate bins.One garbage bin is not accept-able. One garbage bin is not acceptable.Property owners are responsible to ensurebins are acquired for separation of BlueBagRecyclables,Paper,CorrugatedCardboard&Organics.

Waste Resource Information forBusiness Owners & Managers

1

PETE

2

HDPE

Contact Information

SolidWaste Resources,P h o n e : 4 9 0 - 5 0 4 0

[email protected] • www.halifax.ca/recyclePrinted on recyclable papercontaining post-consumer fibres.

WASTE REDUCTIONWEEK A Special Feature of the Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010 �

AA recent report issued by Accenture and the UNGlobal Compact provides some interesting insightsinto the perspectives of corporate CEOs and chair-persons on where sustainability might be going.The report is based on in depth interviews with 50

CEOs, chairs and presidents of companies from 27countries as well as an online survey of 766 CEOsfrom 25 industry sectors from almost 100 countries.The CEOs are from corporations such as: Alcoa,BASF, China Minmetals, DeBeers, Diageo, Eni,Xerox, HSBC Holdings, Norsk Hydro, Ericsson,Nestle, Novartis, Renault Nissan, Tata Motors, andUnilever — a who’s who of the corporate world.The overall conclusion is that while “the global

economic downturn might have been expected toweaken the commitment to environmental, socialand corporate governance issues, it seems to havehad the opposite effect” and further to that “whileenvironmental, social and governance challengescontinue to grow and CEOs wrestle with competingstrategic priorities, sustainable business practicesand products are opening new markets anddemand, driving new business models and innova-tion, changing cost structures and beginning to per-meate all elements of operation.” These CEOsbelieve that companies and their leaders will need todevelop a broader sense of what value creationmeans to society as a whole, expanding the tradi-tional measure of success beyond financial metricsand GDP to other non-financial measures.What might this mean for you and your compa-

ny? These CEOs believe that consumers and cus-

tomers will increasingly drive a company’s strategyfor sustainable products and services. Obviouslythis is not something new but expectations will riseover time. They also feel that partnerships and col-laboration are increasingly important in addressingsustainability issues. This includes collaboratingwith others in your industry sector, with others inyour supply and value chains and even with non-government organizations where there might be a fitfor mutual benefit. These CEOs also noted that newtechnologies will help to advance the sustainabilityagenda. These technologies include those in renew-able energy, energy efficiency, information manage-ment and communications. One might add low car-bon production and transport, process efficiencieswhere water and materials are concerned, and recy-cling.In Nova Scotia, we have a tremendous capacity to

take advantage of new technologies. We have adepth of university and community college capabili-ty as well as a wealth of consultants with widespreadexperience. We also have a variety of support sys-tems at the provincial and federal levels such as theIndustrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), thenew Efficiency Nova Scotia and the Eco-EfficiencyCentre.Where are you on the journey to sustainability?

By Ray Côté, senior research fellow with the Eco-Efficiency Centre and Professor Emeritus with theSchool for Resource and Environmental Studies atDalhousie University.

Is sustainabilitygaining or losing out?

There has never been a better time for a com-pany to assess how well its sustainability goalsare being incorporated into its day-to-day opera-tions.

Consider the action items listed below as youbegin your assessment:• Identify opportunities to incorporate environ-mental values into strategic decision making.Being proactive can strengthen your opera-tions and tap into new growth opportunitiesfor your business.

• Set reduction goals and targets. Calculate yourfootprints (energy, water, and waste) in orderto set baseline measurements and reductiongoals.

• Ensure efficient consumption of naturalresources. A sustainable economy relies onresponsible resource consumption by all busi-nesses now and into the future.

• Invest in new technologies and environmental-ly-responsible suppliers. These actions stimu-late the green economy and help foster long-term sustainability.

• Think outside the box by creating new posi-tions in your company as one way to accessthe green marketplace.

• Offer green products and services. Demand byconsumers for green services and productswill continue to rise. Businesses with provenenvironmental track records will reap thegreatest benefits.

• Reduce your dependency on finite resources.Investing in renewable resources will helpyour business overcome price volatilitiesassociated with non-renewable fossil fuels.

• Establish a sustainability training program foryour employees. This form of professionaldevelopment could result in new green initia-tives for your workplace.

• Engage with non-profit environmental organi-zations. Non-profit organizations are an excel-lent resource for accessing and disseminatingcurrent sustainability information.

By Laura Johnstone and Penny Slight of the Eco-Efficiency Centre (www.dal.ca/eco-efficiency).

Your “top 10” check list…There has never been a better time for a company to assess how well its sustainability goals are beingincorporated into its day-to-day operations—File Photo

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• A Special Feature of The Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010 Mi’KmaqHistoryMonth

UUlnooweg Development Group Inc. announcedthe winners of the 5th Atlantic AboriginalEntrepreneur Awards at the St. Mary’sEntertainment Centre in Fredericton onSeptember 9.The finalists and winners were celebrated

with a night of Aboriginal entertainment, tradi-tional Maliseet food, and a special venue.“This is like the Academy Awards for

Aboriginal people in Atlantic Canada. This showis the place for us to recognize the achievementsof each other, and to celebrate the progress thatwe have made as First Nations, and we are hon-oured to be part of it,” said Chief Candice Paulof co-hosting the event in her community of St.Mary’s First Nation.The show was attended by regional

Aboriginal business leaders and entrepreneurs,First Nations Chiefs, and a wide range of sup-porters. The Government of Canada, throughIndian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), andthe Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency(ACOA) has provided $146,853 in financialassistance to support this initiative.

The 2010 Atlantic Aboriginal EntrepreneurAward winners included:

• Cottage Craft: Emily Best, Em’s Gems -Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L.

• Youth Entrepreneur of the Year: ShanePerley-Dutcher, Aduksis Jewellery Design -Tobique First Nation, N.B.

• Woman Entrepreneur of the Year: HelenWard-Wakelin, Craft N’ Grow Indoor/OutdoorGarden and Pool Supply Centre - Eel GroundFirst Nation, N.B.

• Start-Up Business of the Year: Blair Bernard,Mikjikj Enterprises Ltd. - Eskasoni, N.S.

• Band-Operated Enterprise of the Year:- Gespe’gewaq Mi’kmag Resource Council -Eel River Bar First Nation, N.B.- Unama’ki Economic Benefits Office -Membertou, N.S.

• Economic Officer of the Year: Rose Julian -Paqntkek First Nation, N.S.

• Business of the Year - Nova Scotia: AldenDarville, The Biscuit Eater Cafe & Bookseller -Mahone Bay, N.S.

• Business of the Year - New Brunswick: BillNash, Earthly Enhancements Landscaping -St. Mary’s First Nation, N.B.

• Business of the Year - Newfoundland &Labrador: Tammy Lambourne, The LittleDipper - Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L.

• Lifetime Achievement Award:- Caroline Marshall, Basket-Maker -Membertou First Nation, N.S.- Odelle Pike, Dhoon Lodge - Black DuckSiding, N.L.

Honouring “best of the best”The Unama’ki Economic Benefits Office in Membertou was awarded a “band-operated enterprise ofthe year” award at the recent Atlantic Aboriginal Entrepreneur Awards gala. Unama’ki staff are shownstanding outside their new offices at the Membertou Business Centre (left to right): Maxine Stevens,training support officer; Laura Prosper, business support officer; Kim Milley, training coordinator;Owen Fitzgerald, executive director; Alex Paul, director of ASEP Training; Alyssia Jeddore, job coach,student support officer. — Photo courtesy of Unama’ki Economic Benefits Office

First Nations fisheries sector nets federal fundingA total of $7.7 million in new investment is on

its way over the next three years to help Mi’kmaqand Maliseet First Nations in the Maritimes andGaspé Region of Quebec pursue economicopportunities in new areas of the fisheries sector,including aquaculture, seafood processing andmarketing.First Nation fisheries enterprises will benefit

from new funds for business development andplanning as well as management support servic-es and training. This new support will be deliv-ered in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans

Canada and its Atlantic Integrated CommercialFisheries Initiative, along with First Nation part-ners such as the Atlantic Policy Congress (APC)of First Nations Chiefs.“This funding builds on the significant

progress made by Mi’kmaq and Maliseet FirstNations in wild capture fisheries over the pastdecade, and provides new opportunities toexplore untapped potential for employment, skillsdevelopment and wealth creation elsewhere inthe fisheries sector,” says Gail Shea, federal min-ister of Fisheries and Oceans.

MI’KMAQ HISTORY MONTH A Special Feature of the Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010 �

First Nations urgedto put purchasingpower to work

By The Cape Breton PostTranscontinental MediaA major economic study, completed by Saint

Mary’s University Business Development Centre, hasconcluded that upwards of $72 million is the com-bined purchasing power of the five First Nations com-munities in Cape Breton.Commissioned by theUnama’ki Economic Benefits

Office, the study makes several recommendations onhow best to harness the purchasing power of FirstNations to further economic self-sufficiency.It shows that among the spending contributing to

the total for combined purchasing power, almost $10million a year is spent by the Unama’ki communitieson construction services, $9 million per annum onfood, $5 million annually on financial services, $4.7million on fuel, $2.4million on constructionmaterials,$1.9 million annually on insurance and $800,000 onoffice supplies.Households spend approximately $1 million annu-

ally on clothing, $900,000 on health care and$800,000 on furniture.Completed earlier this summer, the report empha-

sizes that less than 12 per cent of suppliers of goodsand services to the Unama’ki communities are FirstNation owned and operated.About 72 per cent of total dollars spent by First

Nation communities are staying in Cape Breton butonly 21.6 per cent of that total is staying with FirstNation businesses.Among the recommendations is that amore exten-

sive study be completed involving individual house-hold interviews to identify more precisely how andwhere household dollars are being spent. This willassist in further determining potential businessopportunities, training requirements and businessdevelopment strategies.Further, the study suggests Unama’ki communities

pursue partnerships with certain suppliers andexplore new business ventures. It suggests the fivecommunities work toward more favourable purchas-ing agreements.Potential new business opportunities are identified

in construction, food and grocery, and financial serv-ices.

AA new training program is underway to help buildthe capacity of Atlantic Canada’s First Nations com-munities and achieve greater self-sufficiency.“The Government of Canada will contribute

$55,638 to support the development and deliveryAtlantic Aboriginal Business Works Program,” saidKeith Ashfield, Minister of National Revenue,Minister of the Atlantic Canada OpportunitiesAgency (ACOA) and Minister for the AtlanticGateway. “Supporting initiatives that provide skills-building tools and resources to Aboriginal programmanagers and officers helps to promote the eco-nomic growth and governance of Atlantic Canada’s

First Nations communities now and into the future.”The program, created by the Canadian Executive

Service Organization (CESO), will transfer skills andknowledge through a series of 24 business man-agement workshops, complemented by one-on-one mentoring. Topics include: communicationsskills, office management, project management,credit management and management skills. Theworkshops will be held during the 2010-2011 fiscalyear and will be delivered to approximately 240Aboriginal program managers and officers in theAtlantic region. The mentoring sessions will be ledby volunteer advisors who have considerable expe-

rience and expertise in the areas of governance andcapacity building to share with the program partic-ipants.

“Our clients appreciate the professional devel-opment opportunities this program offers their staffand they have encouraged us to expand and contin-ue the program,” said Robin Vernest, manager ofnational services for CESO Atlantic. “Through ourdelivery model, participants benefit from the lifeexperiences of our volunteer advisors. To date, 80per cent of workshop participants have indicatedthey have gained new knowledge that they canapply to their work lives.”

CESO is a non-profit, voluntary organization thathelps to build independent communities. CESOAboriginal Services has offered the services of itsvolunteer advisors to Canada’s First Nations since1969. Each year CESO carries out approximately1,500 assignments in collaboration with CanadianAboriginal and non-Aboriginal and internationalclients. CESO’s Atlantic office is located inDartmouth.

Funding for this program is provided throughACOA’s Business Development Program whichsupports projects that promote entrepreneurshipdevelopment, training and marketing.

ACOA invests in program for Aboriginal managers

“Kina’matnewey Wla’lulkitewKiskuk aq Elmi’knik”

47 Mallard St., Membertou, N.S. B1S 2P5Phone: 1-902-567-0336 • Fax: 1-902-567-0337

www.kinu.ns.caMicmac Post Office, Shubenacadie,

Nova Scotia B0N 1W0Phone: 902-758-1185 • Fax: 902-758-1184

Sub Office87 Millbrook Avenue Suite 111 Cole

Harbour, Nova Scotia B2V 0A1Phone: 902-407-4118 • Fax: 902-407-3528

4571

190

MI’KMAQ HISTORY MONTH � A Special Feature of the Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010

Well-known business leadersjoin energy corporation board:Dan Christmas and Rankin MacSween have

been named co-chairs of the Laurentian EnergyCorporation’s board of directors. Christmas isa senior advisor to the chief and council ofMembertou and MacSween is the CEO of NewDawn Enterprises. The Laurentian EnergyCorporation is a broadly held company with adiverse mix of shareholders. It was establishedto pursue strategic development opportunitiesin the interest of economic diversification, newincome generation and community advance-ment. The company owns and operates theSydport industrial park, along with one of east-ern Nova Scotia’s largest steel fabricationenterprises. Among Laurentian’s key assets isa significant tract of portside property on thesouthwest arm of the Port of Sydney. “Thecompany is a vehicle that can continue to besuccessfully engaged in ongoing, and everimportant, efforts to commercialize the port,”said MacSween. Christmas and MacSween willlead an internal review of company operations.— By The Cape Breton Post, TranscontinentalMedia

Government and Mi'kmaq of NovaScotia sign landmark agreement:An agreement to create one-window access to

consultation with the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotiawas recently finalized. The agreement estab-lishes an independent, clear and efficientmeans for Canada and Nova Scotia to consultthe Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia on proposed activ-ities or projects. The agreement on consultationis part of the broader negotiations to resolveoutstanding questions in relation to Aboriginaland treaty rights and self-government betweenCanada, Nova Scotia and the Mi'kmaq of Nova

Scotia, called the Made-in-Nova ScotiaProcess. “This agreement demonstratesCanada's commitment to finding common solu-tions that will lead to a more effective and effi-cient consultation process and consistent deci-

sion making,” says John Duncan, Minister ofIndian Affairs and Northern Development andFederal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-StatusIndians. “The spirit of cooperation that led tothis agreement will allow us to continue to

make progress on other, longer-term rightsnegotiations with the Mi'kmaq.” — By TheDaily Business Buzz, Transcontinental Media


In the News…

From left to right: Front row - Ben Sylliboy, Grand Chief, Mik'maq Grand Council; Premier Darrell Dexter; John Duncan, Minister of Indian Affairs andNorthern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians. Back row - Grand Keptin Andrew Denny; Judith Sullivan-Corney,Deputy Minister and CEO of Nova Scotia Office of Aboriginal Affairs; Ian Gray, RDG Atlantic Region INAC. — Photo courtesy of INAC

University Scholarships:Mary Jane Abram * - Millbrook First NationNadine Bernard - Waycobah First NationGarnet Brooks * - Indian Brook First NationAaron Cope - Millbrook First NationDylan Gloade - Millbrook First NationEmily Gloade - Millbrook First NationGerald Gloade * - Millbrook First NationMarcus Hancock - Eskasoni First NationMason Jeddore - Eskasoni First NationRosalie Julian - Millbrook First NationIsabella Marble - Shubenacadie First NationJade Monteith - Indian Brook First NationAndrea Paul - Pictou Landing First NationCatherine Paul - Eskasoni First NationJuliana Paul - Millbrook First Nation

Terry Peters - Glooscap First NationArthur Stevens - Millbrook First NationJames Stevens - Millbrook First Nation

High School AcademicAchievement Awards:Emily Cope - Millbrook First NationWilliam Gloade - Millbrook First NationTiffany Kennedy - Millbrook First NationMichael Peters - Glooscap First NationSamantha Prosper - Eskasoni First NationMarcella Rankin - Eskasoni First NationLauren Sylliboy - Eskasoni First Nation

MI’KMAQ HISTORY MONTH A Special Feature of the Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010 �

M

Membertou breaks newground with $15-million hotel

Membertou First Nation in Sydney broke new groundboth literally and figuratively on September 27 at a sod-turning ceremony for a $15-million hotel.Chief Terry Paul said the 124-room Membertou

Hampton Inn, by Hilton, which is a joint venture withCharlottetown-based DP Murphy Inc., will attract mid-sized conventions to the Membertou Trade andConventionCentre, towhich itwill be attachedby a ped-way.“It certainly fits in very well with our trade centre,” he

said.The National Police Association is already showing

interest in holding a convention at Membertou, Paulnoted.“That is an example of what new things can come

out of this.”Hotels and motels throughout the Cape Breton

Regional Municipality will also benefit from increased

convention business, Paul said.Membertou property manager Bill Bonnar said the

rooms in the new hotel will be mini-suites with sinks,microwaves and refrigerators and it will feature a swim-ming pool with a waterslide.He said the joint venture is a good example of a busi-

ness model in which Membertou can partner with suc-cessful companies.Danny Murphy of DP Murphy — which operates

Holiday Inn Express Hotels in both Charlottetown andSaint John, a Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton inMoncton andwill open another Hampton in Frederictonin 2011—said he is excited about the potential he seesat Membertou and in the Sydney area.“We are very confident that with the meeting space

that the Membertou convention centre has, the hotelwill ramp up very quickly and be a big success.”Murphy, whose company will operate the hotel,

expects to hire about 50 people, starting this fall, rang-ing frommanagers to housekeeping and sales staff.He expects the hotel to be open for business in the

fall of 2011.

By Chris HayesThe Cape Breton PostTranscontinental Media

Work is underway at the site of the future Hampton Inn, by Hilton, inMembertou First Nation.—SteveWadden,Cape Breton Post photo

In the News…Continued from page 22

Feds invest in Aboriginaleconomic development:Atlantic Canada’s Aboriginal communities will

benefit from a federal investment of more than$287,000 to implement an economic develop-ment strategy to strengthen and sustain FirstNations in Atlantic Canada. The initiative will becarried out by the Atlantic Policy Congress ofFirst Nations Chiefs (APCFNC). ACOA and Indianand Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) are eachcontributing $143,525 to the APCFNC. The fund-ing has been earmarked for specific initiatives.Among them are:

• APCFNC’s development of 33 AtlanticAboriginal community profiles featuringlabour and economic indicators, designed toassist communities in marketing themselvesin future business development endeavours.

• The ongoing work of the Atlantic AboriginalEconomic Developers Network (AAEDN),allowing economic development officers tocontinue to have a forum to share knowledgeand best practices and allowing for the devel-opment of regional-based projects and initia-tives.

— By The Daily Business Buzz,Transcontinental Media

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• A Special Feature of The Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010 Small BusinessWeek (Oct. 17-23)Our economy is driven by small and

medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) whichtotal 97.5 per cent of all Canadian compa-nies and employ the majority of workersacross the country.In recognition of the contributions and

achievements of Canada’s entrepreneurs,the Business Development Bank ofCanada (BDC) has been organizing SmallBusiness Week® in the third week ofOctober for over 30 years.Events held during the week bring

entrepreneurs together at conferences,luncheons and trade fairs where they havethe opportunity to learn, network andexchange information and ideas with theirpeers. Last year, hundreds of activitiesacross Canada attracted more than 10,000businesspeople. With the support ofsponsors from the private and public sec-tors, BDC branches play an active role inplanning and publicizing activities in theirareas.

The Origins of SBW…Small Business Week has become a

must-attend event for Canadian entrepre-neurs.Its origins date back to 1979 when BDC

branches in British Columbia’s LowerFraser Valley pooled their resources toorganize small business managementsessions during one week which theylabelled “Small Business Week.” BDCbranches in British Columbia repeated thissuccessful experiment the following year,

tripling the number of sessions presentedto local businesses. In 1981, SmallBusiness Week® was officially launchednationwide by BDC.In 1988, the Young Entrepreneur

Awards (YEA) were created to highlightthe success of young Canadian entrepre-neurs and recognize their innovative spiritand business acumen. The YEA nomina-tion campaign runs from the start of SmallBusiness Week, October 17, untilNovember 30. More details on the YEAcan be found at www.bdc.ca/yea

The Theme for 2010…As the economy recovers, the time is

ripe for entrepreneurs to gear up and seizenew opportunities. They need to honetheir competitive edge with dynamic plansand a renewed commitment to meetingthe needs of a rapidly changing market-place.The theme of Small Business Week

2010 is: “Power Up Your Business. Invest.Innovate. Grow.” It is a theme whichreflects the opportunities and challengesfacing entrepreneurs as the economybuilds steam. It’s a chance for a fresh startwith bright ideas, charged-up operations,and a re-energized team eager to breakinto new markets here and abroad.

*For further information about SmallBusiness Week, check out www.bdc.ca/sbw or call (toll free) 1 888 INFO BDC (1888 463-6232)

Power up your business: Invest, innovate, grow

Events held during Small Business Week® bring entrepreneurs together at seminars, conferences, luncheons and trade fairswhere they have the opportunity to learn, network and exchange information and ideas with their peers.— File Photo

Positive outlookCanadian SMEs are revealing a willingness to

gradually loosen the purse strings on capitalinvestments, but are keeping a cautious view onthe economic outlook and a steady hand onrecruitment plans, say respondents to the sec-ond wave of a semi-annual HSBC survey ofSMEs globally, released in mid-August. Nearlyall respondents across developed and emergingmarkets also say that their economic outlook ismore positive than it was at the beginning of theyear.For Canadian SMEs, who represent the vast

majority of our country's 2.3 million businessesand form an integral part of the Canadian econ-omy, this increase in confidence and investmentintentions is a welcome sign of gradual, but cau-tious economic recovery in Canada. Forming avital part of the Canadian economy, the collectiveimpact of small businesses is significant.The semi-annual HSBC Small Business

Confidence Monitor gauges the six-month out-look of SMEs on local economic growth, capitalinvestment plans and recruitment. This is thelargest international survey of its kind, covering6,346 SMEs across 21 markets in NorthAmerica, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, andLatin America. The results were used to calcu-late an index ranging from 0 to 200, where 200represents the highest confidence level, 0 repre-sents the lowest, and 100, neutral.Confidence increased across the globe from

111 to 118, with emerging markets (122)appearing seven points higher than developedmarkets (115). Compared to the previous resultsfrom the fourth quarter of 2009, developed mar-kets' confidence levels increased from 106 to115 (9 points), showing signs of increased opti-mism within their borders.


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SMALL BUSINESSWEEK A Special Feature of the Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010 �

Local entrepreneurs chapterseeks new members:In mid-September, some very well-known busi-nessmen came together in Bedford to help launchAtlantic Canada’s first Entrepreneurs’ Organizationchapter. Ron Joyce, co-founder of Tim Horton’s,was one of three guest speakers who attended theupscale event at the lakeside home of Rob Steele,chairman of Steele Auto Group and president andCEO of Newfoundland Capital Corporation. TheEntrepreneurs’ Organization is a global network ofmore than 7,500 business owners in 38 countries.The mission statement describes it as a “catalystthat enables entrepreneurs to learn from eachother, leading to greater business success and anenriched personal life.” About 50 businesspeople,had the chance to ask questions of Joyce, formerToronto Blue Jays athlete Kelly Gruber and StingrayDigital Inc.’s Eric Boyko. The September 16 launchserved as a kick-off and membership drive. Localbusinessman Ron Lovett, president of SourceSecurity and Investigations Inc., spearheaded themove to bring an EO chapter to Atlantic Canadaand is the chapter’s founder and president. Lovettsays membership to the Entrepreneurs’Organization is by invitation only and to qualify youmust be the founder, co-founder, owner or control-ling shareholder of a company and have grosssales of more than US $1 million annually. Moreinformation on the organization can be foundonline at www.eonetwork.org . — By HalifaxNewsNet, Transcontinental Media

Federal government makes furtherinvestment in Small BusinessInternship Program:The Government of Canada recently announced itis offering 33 additional internships for post-sec-ondary graduates in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland andLabrador through Canada’s Small BusinessInternship Program (SBIP). The SBIP is a collabo-rative effort of Canadian small businesses, post-secondary institutions and non-governmentorganizations that offers post-secondary studentshands-on experience working on e-commerceprojects. The program helps small and medium-sized enterprises across Canada improve their pro-ductivity and competitiveness by hiring approxi-mately 400 student interns annually to help withinformation and communications technology proj-ects. For more information on the SBIP and itsdelivery agencies, visit the SBIP website:www.ic.gc.ca/sbip . — By The Daily BusinessBuzz, Transcontinental Media

ClearPicture offers SMEs solutionwhere long-form census falls short:Halifax-based ClearPicture Corporation (CPC), aprovider of web-based human resources survey

solutions, has just unveiled an alternative way ofgenerating quality data that can be used for publicpolicy development. Its tailor-made quarterlyemployee engagement survey program will targetCanadian businesses and help industry sectorsacross the Canadian economy to better understandimportant factors that impact employee productiv-ity. “The ongoing debate around the federal gov-ernment’s decision to scrap the long-form censusshows howmany people rely on quality data,” saidScott Murray, president and CEO of ClearPictureCorporation. “While there has been a lot of focuson how important the long-form census is in shap-ing effective policy, it does have its limitationswhen it comes to gathering industry-specific data.”ClearPicture provides solutions designed to helpbusiness managers and policy makers based onemployee engagement data. The ClearPicture sur-vey of Canadian small and medium size enterpris-es will help draw out important information,through a series of over 50 questions, to betterunderstand what makes employees interested andengaged. Each participating company will receive areport showing their employee engagement scorescompared to industry benchmarks. To learn more,visit www.clearpicture.com . — By The DailyBusiness Buzz, Transcontinental Media

ACE launches entrepreneurcompetition:If you are a successful entrepreneur attending aCanadian university or college full time, or youknow someone who is, now is the time to submit

Making Headlines…

your nomination for the 2011 Student EntrepreneurNational Competition. Operated by ACE and present-ed by CIBC, the competition celebrates the commit-ment, determination and achievements of studententrepreneurs. It provides a platform for young busi-ness leaders to showcase their business on a region-al and national stage to top executives and leadingentrepreneurs, receive relevant training, network withlike-minded students, and leverage valuable guid-ance to accelerate the growth of their business. Eachprovincial champion will receive complimentary

lodging and travel to attend the ACE RegionalExposition in their area. Regional champions willreceive a $1,000 cash prize plus complimentarylodging and travel to the ACE National Exposition,and the national champion will receive a $10,000cash prize. If eligible, he or she will also representCanada at the 2011 Global Student EntrepreneurAwards operated by Entrepreneurs’ Organization(EO). Nominations close on December 3. Visitwww.acecanada.ca for further details. — By TheDaily Business Buzz, Transcontinental Media

Attending the launch of Atlantic Canada’s first Entrepreneurs’ Organization chapter were business leaders: Eric Boyko, Ron Lovett, Ron Joyce, KellyGruber and Rob Steele. — Photo by Mike Tompkins (www.miketompkins.net)

SMALL BUSINESSWEEK � A Special Feature of the Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010

W

Naughty Cookie Co: Mompreneur discovers niche in biscotti

What started as a pet peeve, has resulted in asuccessful business for a Lower Sackville stay-at-home mompreneur of four.While living in Vancouver, Dawn Emson, like

many people, got caught up in the biscotti biscuitrage.Biscotti are oblong, thick, brittle cookies tradi-

tionally designed to be dipped in coffee, cocoa, orwine. Originally from Italy, biscotti translates astwice baked because the cookies must be bakedlong enough to make them dry and crunchy.While she liked the hard, crunchy treats, she

didn't like to have to dunk them to eat them, andbegan experimenting with her own recipes athome.“I didn't like the crumbs in my coffee, so I cre-

ated these dunking-optional recipes that I thoughtwould work,” said Emson.When the publishing company she worked for

transferred her to Halifax, Emson began thinkingabout the day she might start her own biscottibusiness.Not long after being transferred to the East

Coast, Emson's company decided to close itsoffices here, and the idea of starting her owncompany took shape.While Emson had a pretty good idea of what

she wanted to do, she enrolled in the Mount SaintVincent University's Centre for Women inBusiness. She was already attending MSVU part-time working on her business degree.Taking the centre's Blueprint for Success work-

shop helped Emson make her dreams a reality.“Everything that goes into a business plan, you

learn during this workshop, so it was really goodto take it,” Emson said. “I've got nothing but goodthings to say about how supportive they've beento me, and other women I've seen succeed thatare connected to MSVU or the Centre for Womenin Business.”The Naughty Cookie Co. officially opened in

2008. While Emson does not have a storefront,her biscottis are sold at a number of local cafésincluding The Daily Grind on Spring Garden Roadin Halifax, the Newsbreak Café on Ilsley Avenue inDartmouth, and the Treehouse Café on GlendaleAvenue in Lower Sackville.Emson hopes to expand her business to

include an online store by year's end where peo-ple can order their favourites and have themshipped wherever they are in Canada.On her website (www.thenaughtycookie

company.com), Emson offers 17 different biscot-ti biscuits, but has as many as 45 working recipeson the go.“I have been creating recipes since 2001. I love

to bake –– it is a great form of relaxation for me.In addition to the biscotti, I have created TheOriginal Naughty Cookie. This is a double choco-late oatmeal two-handed cookie.”Emson said over the years her kids, aged 12, 9,

7 and 4 years, and her husband have served astaste-testers for all of her products and give thethumbs up to anything she sells.“They all have their favourites,” she said.While Emson realizes there is a lot of biscotti

competition out there, she aims to be the localchoice.Emson bakes her biscotti in a commercial

kitchen on the Herring Cove Road and labels,packages and delivers them herself.“These are handmade with love,” Emson said.

By Kim MoarHalifax NewsNetTranscontinental Media

Lower Sackville mom Dawn Emson owns the Naughty Cookie Co. She handbakes, wraps and deliversher biscotti to local cafés, and plans to start an online store by year's end. — Photo by Darrell Oake,Halifax NewsNet

SMALL BUSINESSWEEK A Special Feature of the Nova Scotia Business Journal, October 2010 �

Continued from page 24

Most markets across the globe held apositive outlook, with Turkey leading at 138,followed by the Middle East (132), GreaterChina (121), India (121), South-East Asia(119), Latin America (118) and Europe (99).North America showed the second highestoverall increase of all regions (up 12 points),with only a single point separating Canada(119) and the United States (120).“Earlier this year, Canadian small busi-

nesses expressed a fair deal of optimism,and we're encouraged to see that feelingimprove further,” saysMiguel Barrieras, sen-ior vice president and national head of busi-ness banking, HSBC Bank Canada. “Asemerging markets continue to drive a largeportion of the globe's economic recovery,Canadian SMEs are uniquely placed toexplore new trading and investment oppor-tunities beyond our traditional partner, theUnited States.”

Canadian SMEs sticking close to homeThe HSBC Small Business Confidence

Monitor once again asked SMEs about theextent of their cross-border trade and otherinternational business, such as overseasoperations. In Canada, 28 per cent ofrespondents say they do business interna-tionally, which represents an increase ofnearly 10 per cent in just over six months.This compares to 36 per cent of SMEsacross all 21 markets surveyed, whichincreased just five per cent more over thesame period.

Outlook on local economic growthIn terms of economic growth, 61 per cent

of Canadian SMEs expect local GDP growthto maintain the same pace in the comingmonths, while only 10 per cent expectgrowth to slow and 28 per cent expect thepace to increase.

Outlook on capital expenditureFifty-four per cent of Canadian SMEs indi-

cated that their plans for investing in theirown businesses through capital expendi-tures have not changed, down from 59 percent. A corresponding increase in capitalexpenditure plans saw a rise from 27 to 32per cent of respondents who would slightlyor significantly increase their capital expen-ditures. Only 14 per cent would decreasecapital expenditures slightly or significantly,down one percentage point over the sameperiod.

Outlook on recruitment plansThree-quarters of Canadian SMEs, the

bulk of whom (80 per cent) employ no morethan 10 employees, foresee their hiringplans to remain unchanged in the comingmonths. A slight bump from 22 to 25 percent of respondents plan to increase staff,while the number planning to reduce staffdipped from four to three per cent.

Barriers to doing business internationallyThe chief barrier to doing business inter-

nationally was identified by 33 per cent ofCanadian respondents as the risk of doingbusiness in foreign currencies, followed bylocal regulations and complexities (28 percent), complexity of certain internationalmarkets (18 per cent), solvency or reliabilityof overseas suppliers (18 per cent), and sov-ereign risk (16 per cent).

Positive outlook Beware of shortcuts in green marketingThere has never been a better time to promote

your company’s “green” credentials. In fact, formanyindustries it’s become a prerequisite for attractingand retaining customers, employees and suppliers.But beware: Consumers have already become

quite adept at spotting questionable green market-ing claims and won’t hesitate to “out” your mis-deeds through social networking sites likeFacebook and Twitter.“You can get the word out for virtually no money

and instantaneously through social networking, andthat puts the onus on companies to be more trans-parent and more honest,” says Jed Goldberg, pres-ident of Earth Day Canada. “Those that aren’t will bestruggling with damage control.”Michel Bergeron, vice-president of corporate

relations at the Business Development Bank ofCanada (BDC), says it’s not only customers thatcompanies should worry about alienating.Greenwashing can also tarnish a company’s credi-bility with suppliers. For example, an increasingnumber of large retailers now require their suppliersto measure the environmental impact of their goodsas part of a new green labeling program, akin tonutritional labels on food.Not living up to your environmental claims could

also trigger a backlash from employees, and dimin-ish your company’s ability to hire and retain top tal-ent.Bergeron says there are three steps to creating a

truly green marketing strategy:1) Understand the environmental impact of your

activities.2) Take action to reduce that impact. There are agrowing number of companies and organizationsthat can help small companies assess their environ-mental footprint and recommend ways to reduce it.The Eco-Efficiency Centre in Halifax is one suchorganization (http://www.dal.ca/eco-efficiency).3) Tell your story.To avoid even the perception of greenwashing,

companies should partner with credible organiza-tions or, where possible, seek quality certificationswhich offer concrete, measurable performancestandards.

“Be sure there is substance and real actionbehind your message. A reputation takes manyyears to build, but it can be lost in minutes.”

� October 2010, Nova Scotia Business Journal �NEWSwww.dailybusinessbuzz.ca

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