yes entrepreneurship conference program book 2011

YES ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE

PLANNING COMMITTEE

CHAIRPERSON

Chris Emergui, YES Board Member & President of BAM Strategy

Herman Alves, Owner of Hermedia Marketing, Bitoque Inc

Pino Di Ioia, Co-Founder, Moozoo Juices & CEO, BeaverTails

José Miguel Fernández-Busto, Management Consultant,

International Business Strategist

Louise-Anne Côté, Manager, Business Development

at Career Management Services,

John Molson School of Business, Concordia University

Marvin Garellek, President & CEO, Internet Capital Bulletin Board

CONFERENCE AGENDA

8:00 AM - 8:45 AM REGISTRATION / BREAKFAST

8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

9:00 AM - 9:45 AM

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM WORKSHOPS – SESSION A

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM EXHIBIT & COFFEE BREAK

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM WORKSHOPS – SESSION B

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM LUNCH

1:45 PM - 2:45 PM

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM WORKSHOPS – SESSION C

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EXHIBIT & NETWORKING COCKTAIL

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

John Aylen, President, YES

Chris Emergui, Chairperson, YES Entrepreneurship

Conference Planning Committee

PANEL OF ENTREPRENEURSYES Alumni: Looking Back, Moving Forward

MODERATOR

Ric Peterson, CJAD Radio - Astral Media

PANELISTS

Marc Merulla, Founder of H2O Adventures &

Team Building Montreal

Melissa Holland, Artistic Director of Dr. Clown

Anastasia Lomonova, Fashion Designer

Hernando Alecina, Founder of Ziebeq Canada

Michael Brownstein, President

David Brownstein, Vice-President of Sales

The vision behind the success of Browns Shoes

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

4

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

Senateur

Ambassadeur A

Ambassadeur A

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Les Verrieres

Senateur

Senateur

Ambassadeur A

Les Verrieres

Les Verrieres

A1 BUSINESS 101: Legal & Accounting

B1 FINDING YOUR FINANCIAL FOOTING

C1 MARKETING & ROI: The Marketing Arsenal

SESSION A

SESSION B

SESSION C

WORKSHOPS LOCATION

A2 E-MARKETING TACTICS TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS

B2 DESIGNING WITH PEOPLE IN MIND

C2 WHAT SUSTAINABILITY CAN DO FOR YOUR BUSINESS

A3 BEYOND THE TECHNOLOGY: Excelling in a SALES 2.0 Environment

B3 USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO TARGET THE CUSTOMER NEXT DOOR

C3 BUILDING YOUR BRAND FOR A DIGITAL WORLD

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

As Montrealers, we have much to be proud of. We are truly a city of entrepreneurs going back to the

business people who built our city and made it the centre for business in the country. Today, we are leaders

in aerospace, transportation, health care, IT, telecommunications, entertainment, fashion and a varied

number of other sectors. Our entrepreneurs are signifi cantly involved in creating and maintaining this

leadership. That success has not been an accident. Those leaders have chosen to STEP INTO SUCCESS

just as you are doing today.

YES recognizes that the economic contributions of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs-in-the making such

as yourself, go a long way towards enriching our community. For 15 years we have been providing support

services to ensure that the level of contribution increases with each passing year. Successful futures really

do start with YES.

I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to all of the people who have donated their time, energy

and remarkable talents in organizing this year’s Entrepreneurship Conference. The tireless dedication

of Chair, Chris Emergui, and his committee have succeeded once again to create a truly memorable

and useful conference. The extraordinary efforts of YES staff members and our many volunteers have

culminated in an amazing roster of workshops, panel discussions and guest speakers.

YES is a not-for-profi t organization that relies on the support of government, media, businesses,

corporations, foundations and individuals. Their ongoing support and the support of all of our sponsors is

greatly appreciated.

We would also encourage you to think about donating to YES, especially if you have used our services and

taken the fi rst step into the success of your enterprise. Consider it paying it forward.

This year’s conference has been created to celebrate and enhance your sense of independence as you

take the next steps in realizing your entrepreneurial dreams.

YES: STEP INTO SUCCESS

John AylenPresident – Board of Directors, YES

Welcome to the 14th Annual YES Entrepreneurship

Conference. YES has organized and hosted this

inspirational event since 1998 and it has grown to

become the largest conference of its type

in the city.

This year’s theme is STEP INTO SUCCESS and it

celebrates the success stories and shares the know-

how of more than 20 highly successful Montreal

entrepreneurs, experts and professionals, including our

keynote speakers, representing two generations of the

Brownstein family and Browns Shoes.

WELCOME & INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

Our keynotes certainly know a little about adapting to a changing market. After a fi re gutted their

location in 1954, Morton Brownstein, who had taken over the business from his father, gave the

company a new direction, focusing on exclusive designer and fashion footwear.

This year, we are fortunate enough to have Michael and David Brownstein from Browns Shoes as

our keynote speakers. Browns Shoes, a family-owned business established in Montreal in 1940, is

synonymous with top international designer collections, luxurious leather goods, and exclusive street

savvy fashion for ladies, men and children.

This conference would not be possible without the dedication and commitment of the many people

involved. Specifi cally, I would like to thank the partner organizations and volunteers of the YES

Conference Planning Committee who graciously offered their time, knowledge, and resources in

making this conference possible. I would also like to thank the speakers who volunteered their time and

expertise.

It has been an honour and a pleasure to work with the YES staff, which has again gone to great effort

and demonstrated true dedication in realizing this conference. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I

would like to thank the entire YES team for their patience and effort, and I would like to extend a special

thank you to Iris Unger, YES’ Executive Director. The continued success of this annual conference is a

collaboration of the staff, Board of Directors, and team of volunteers that contribute in various ways and

possess a strong belief in Montreal’s entrepreneurial community. A special thank you to our sponsors,

without whom this event would not be possible.

I have learned so much from attending this conference over the years so hopefully you will leave

here more knowledgeable but also motivated and inspired to take that next step. Please enjoy the

conference, and on behalf of YES, we want to wish you every success in your business venture.

Chris EmerguiPresident, BAM Strategy

Chairperson, Conference Planning Committee

As a new Spring in Montreal is upon us, it is also a great time

for entrepreneurs to take the next step in building their business.

Whether that is writing a business plan, making that fi rst sales

pitch or hiring your fi rst employee, what better time than now.

Many entrepreneurs often wait until they feel the timing is just

right before moving forward, but the reality is businesses and

challenges will continuously change. In fact, change is probably

the only constant. Therefore, the ability to get it just right the fi rst

time is probably a lot less important than being able to “pivot”

as your business evolves. Hugh McGuire, who spoke at our

conference last year, shared that term with me and I think it is

brilliant. We all should be prepared and have a plan, but be ready

to pivot and chart a different course when necessary.

7

MICHAEL BROWNSTEIN & DAVID BROWNSTEIN

Mr. Brownstein has brought Browns to the forefront of the 21st century by creating a new chain

of stores, B2, which focuses on edgy, street fashion, appealing to a younger generation as well

as to trend-conscious consumers. He has also continued the company’s tradition of creating

personal relationships with the leading designers of today, who provide Browns with many

exclusive styles.

Along with his son David as Vice-President of Sales, and his daughter Julia as a Senior Buyer,

Mr. Brownstein has assured the growth of Browns with a fourth generation of Brownsteins to

guide the company, which celebrated its 70th year in 2010. In addition to three new locations

in 2011, a renovated fl agship store will open on Ste-Catherine Street which promises to be the

most exciting retail concept Montreal has ever seen.

As a strong supporter of education, Mr. Brownstein gives an annual lecture at the McGill

University School of Management. Michael is also committed to Browns’ philosophy of donating

10% of pre-tax profi t to charity each year.

David BrownsteinVice-President of Sales, Browns Shoes

Mr. Brownstein graduated from McGill in 2002 and joined Browns as a Sales Associate in

Montreal. He then spent a year in the buying department for men’s shoes before moving to

Toronto to work in several Browns’ locations.

In 2006, he created and developed Browns’ extremely successful e-Commerce division. Two

years later, in addition to being e-Commerce Director, he initiated the Browns University sales

training program.

Mr. Brownstein is currently Vice-President of Sales, with responsibilities for store and sales

operations for all 42 locations, as well as the e-Commerce, sales training and communications

departments.

Michael BrownsteinPresident, Browns Shoes

After graduating in Commerce from McGill

University, Michael Brownstein joined Browns

Shoes in 1973 and became president in 1998. He

has successfully expanded the chain to its current

42 locations in Canada, assuring Browns reputation

as the leading retailer of fashion footwear.

ABOUT YES

YES ARTISTS PROGRAM • One-on-one coaching with a dedicated

artists’ coach

• Thematic workshops by industry

professionals

• Consultations with business coaches

• Specialty coaching: legal & accounting

• Consultations with career counsellors

• Mentorship for artists

• Two annual events:

– Business Skills for Creative Souls

Artists’ Conference

(learning & networking)

– YES Art Expo (showcasing &

networking)

• $1000 annual project grant (contest)

• Business Skills for Creative Souls:

The Montreal Artist’s Handbook

YES ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM • One-on-one business coaching at our centre

• Workshops on how to start your own

business

• Meet the Experts Seminar Series

• Business start-up loans and grants

information for new entrepreneurs

• Mentorship program

• The Montreal Entrepreneur’s Guidebook,

3rd Edition

• Legal & Accounting information clinics

• Online one-on-one business coaching

& video conferencing workshops

• The Annual YES Entrepreneurship

Conference

• Computer Lab & Resource Library

YES JOB SEARCH PROGRAM • Individual employment and career counselling

• Career planning and employment strategies

• Workshops on job-search strategies,

résumé writing and more

• Intensive French for job seekers

• Career Exploration Workshop Series

• Career testing services

• Internship programs

• Mentorship program

• Computer Lab & Resource Library

• Job Postings

As a not-for-profi t organization, YES Montreal (Youth Employment Services) enriches the community by

providing English-language support services to help Quebecers fi nd employment and start businesses.

Since fi rst opening its doors in 1995, YES has developed into Montreal’s one-stop-shop for entrepreneurs,

job seekers and artists. YES’ dedicated staff provides clients with personalized services tailored to their

individual needs to help them build their entrepreneurial, professional or artistic dreams. Along with its

resource centre, which is open to the public, YES provides the following:

9

MODERATOR Ric Peterson, CJAD Radio - Astral Media

Mr. Peterson is known in Montreal for what he says “on the air” at

CJAD 800. He has worked for the Astral Media owned company for

29 years. From 4 to 7pm weekday afternoons, he provides informed

opinion, laughs, and good company for thousands of listeners as they

make their way home through our sometimes impossible traffi c.

Mr. Peterson has become one of the industry’s top performers.

PANELIST Marc Merulla, Founder of H2O Adventures &

Team Building Montreal

For the past 15 years, Mr. Merulla has been developing and delivering

advanced experiential adult learning programs throughout Canada

and the United States. He is a specialist in fusing proven professional

development training with entertaining team building activities that

ensure interactive learning and great fun for all participants. He has

developed successful team development programs for such leading

organizations as RBC, Pfi zer, Hydro Quebec, L’Oreal, Rolls Royce,

Bombardier, Molson, Bell, Environment Canada, Canada Revenue

Agency and many others.

Mr. Merulla is a graduate of McGill University’s Education program

and remains passionate about helping individuals and organizations

to realize their potential. He has served on the Board of Directors of

Youth Employment Services, founded a Montreal chapter of Executives

on Auction and was the president of a chapter of Business Networking

International (BNI).

This year’s panel discussion will explore the personal success stories

of four extraordinary YES entrepreneurs and how they overcame the

obstacles to be successful. Learn from the triumphs and mistakes

of these entrepreneurs as they refl ect on what they wished they’d

known when they became entrepreneurs and share some of their

experiences and lessons learned.

PANEL OF ENTREPRENEURS

9:00 AM - 9:45 AM YES ALUMNI: LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD

PANELIST Melissa Holland, Artistic Director of Dr. Clown

Ms. Holland is the Artistic Director of Dr. Clown, a charitable

organization that provides the service of therapeutic clowns to

hospitalized children and the elderly. Ms. Holland has a Bachelor’s

degree in Fine Arts with a specialization in Drama in Education from

Concordia University, and a degree in Education from McGill University.

Her principal clown trainers are Francine Côté, Sue Morrison and

Magdalena Schamberger. In Scotland, she trained and worked as a

clown doctor for the charitable organization Hearts & Minds. She also

carried out a two-month pilot project in Windsor, Ontario that led to the

establishment of a program called Fools for Health. Founding member

of Dr. Clown as well as The Canadian Association of Therapeutic

Clowns, Ms. Holland continues to visit children and seniors as Dr. Fifi .

PANELIST Anastasia Lomonova, Fashion Designer

Initially trained as a visual artist, Ms. Lomonova became involved

in fashion at the age of 18, upon entering Ryerson University’s

prestigious fashion program. After completing two years of the course,

the young designer relocated to Montreal, famous for its European

allure and style. Here, she apprenticed with several established

designers before creating her own line in 2007. Since its inception,

the line has enjoyed success across Canada, winning the hearts

of Canadian press, retailers and fashionable women alike. Born to

Russian parents in Odessa (Ukraine), Ms. Lomonova spent many

years living on the island of Cyprus. Sharing her time between the

Mediterranean coast and historical sights of Europe resulted in a vast

source of inspiration which she has applied to all her designs. In May

2010, Anastasia Lomonova was named the winner of Toronto Fashion

Incubator’s New Labels competition and was named one of the most

promising young designers in Canada.

PANELIST Hernando Alecina, Founder, Ziebeq Canada

Since elementary school, Mr. Alecina has cultivated his entrepreneurial

skills. At the age of 17, he managed his family business in the

metallurgical industry. By the age of 19, Mr. Alecina’s consultations

became sought after on a global scale, prompting him to establish a

consulting fi rm providing services for small and medium companies. In

2005, he started a wholesale business selling his product lines across

Canada. Since 2004, Mr. Alecina has developed a consulting practice

for corporations and individuals through his company Ziebeq Canada.

Ziebeq Canada liaises with major fi nancial institutions such as London

Life, Great West Life and Mackenzie Financial.

PANEL OF ENTREPRENEURS

11

Harness the power of fi nancial and legal tools to structure your business

fl awlessly. Getting your company’s fi nancial statements in order,

keeping Revenue Canada away from your door and legally protecting

your personal assets from creditors, are essential to your success.

This information-packed workshop of concrete direction from legal and

accounting experts will help you get it right, right from the start.

SPEAKER Nancy Cleman, Lawyer, Sternthal Katznelson Montigny

Ms. Cleman holds a B.Sc., a B.C.L and an LL. degree from McGill

University and is a member of the Québec Bar (1983) and the Law

Society of Upper Canada (1990). She is also certifi ed as a commercial

mediator (Bar of Quebec) and is a trademark agent. Prior to joining

Sternthal Katznelson Montigny she was Corporate Counsel to Autodesk

Inc. and General Counsel to Discreet Logic Inc. Before joining Discreet,

she was a partner in a major Canadian law fi rm.

Ms. Cleman is active in community work and has served on a number

of boards and committees. In addition, she has spoken at various

conferences on topics including doing business abroad, the art of

preparing Canadian companies for export markets, and the licensing of

intellectual property.

SPEAKER Sam Lackman, Tax Manager, Nexia Friedman

Mr. Lackman is a chartered accountant and tax manager at Nexia

Friedman, LLC. He joined the fi rm’s tax department over ten years ago

and has been extensively involved in the tax department’s growth ever

since.

Mr. Lackman began his career at Nexia Friedman as an auditor.

Since becoming a manager, he is principally involved in corporate

matters such as reorganizations, scientifi c research and experimental

development, compliance review and tax planning. He is also involved

in writing articles for both internal and external newsletters and

newspapers, and in presenting tax seminars for Nexia Friedman’s staff

and for outside organizations.

He is on the Advisory Board for the Centre for the Arts in Human

Development at Concordia University and is also actively involved in

other charitable organizations.

WORKSHOPS – SESSION A

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM A1 BUSINESS 101: Legal & Accounting

12

This workshop explores how to market your business without spending

big dollars using social media and other e-marketing tactics. To do this,

we will investigate examples of others who have grown their sales in

this very way.

SPEAKER Chris Emergui, President & Founder, BAM Strategy

As President of BAM Strategy, Mr. Emergui brings his fi fteen years

of industry experience to the interactive marketing community. He

is dedicated to the continuous development of the industry through

education at all levels, speaking at over twenty industry events such as

Internet World, Online to Profi t, and E-Loyalty. Mr. Emergui was a winner

of the BDC Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2000) in Ottawa.

BAM Strategy has had the pleasure of working with several companies

large and small including Olay, Gillette, Tide and Catelli. BAM Strategy

also started Divine.ca, Canada’s fastest growing woman’s portal with

over 600,000 visits per month. Most recently, they launched webSaver.

ca, a site where Canadians can request coupons from over fi fty leading

brands.

SPEAKER Robert Porrello, Principal, Nexia Friedman

Mr. Porrello is a Principal at Nexia Friedman where he manages

assurance engagements, accounting research and prepares supporting

analysis for special transactions. He has gained experience in external

auditing through his participation in auditing clients working mainly in

the technology sector. He has considerable experience in serving growth

companies and Canadian public companies. Prior to working at Nexia

Friedman, he was a Senior Manager at Deloitte & Touche in Montreal

where he worked for 11 years in the assurance department mainly in

the technology sector.

In 2003, Mr. Porrello worked in the United States on a special mandate

on loan to MCI WorldCom. He also teaches accounting courses at

McGill University and has been a member of l’Ordre des comptables

agréés du Québec since January 1998.

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM A2 E-MARKETING TACTICS TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS


13

In today’s challenging business environment, traditional brick & mortar

businesses are struggling to keep up with the latest changes in

marketing strategies, sales tools and technologies. New entrepreneurs

or start-up businesses would seem to have a slight, temporary

advantage when they launch, leveraging Web 2.0 technology such

as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and SalesForce.com. What other

pieces are needed to bridge the sales / marketing gap? How can

you get your sales and marketing efforts to give the greatest results,

blending traditional strategies and the best of Web 2.0 technology?

This workshop will address these questions, giving you the tools and

strategies to thrive in a Sales 2.0 environment.

SPEAKER Peter E. H. Palmer, Vice President of the Dale Carnegie

Group in Quebec

Mr. Palmer is Vice President of the Dale Carnegie Group in Quebec.

Throughout his 20 plus years with Dale Carnegie, he has coached some

of Canada’s top business leaders to better present and defend their

ideas in front of critical audiences. His mandates have included the

high-tech, medical and service sectors, and he has worked with some

of those industries’ biggest players, including Novartis, Bombardier and

PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

Mr. Palmer taught for several years at the McGill International Executive

Institute and is a frequent guest lecturer at many of Quebec’s top

universities.

One of the main themes of Mr. Palmer’s public and corporate group

work has been assisting people in offering strong value propositions

through the presentation of their ideas, their products and their

services.

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM A3 BEYOND THE TECHNOLOGY: Excelling in a SALES 2.0 Environment


14

Whatever stage your business is at, fi nancing is one of the most

challenging matters. In this workshop, you will fi nd everything you

need to know about how to raise money for your business. Explore

your funding options including self-funding, grants, venture capital,

conventional loans, and special programs. Our experts will give you tips

and advice on how to manage your fi nances, impress your banker and

attract investors.

MODERATOR Douglas Leahey, Business Coach,YES

Mr. Leahey is the Business Coach at YES, helping entrepreneurs to

build their business plans and fi nd funding through grants and loan

offerings. He has had an extremely varied, successful career working in

start-ups and large multinationals. Trained as an electrical engineer and

economist, Douglas has brought his varied experience to YES.

Mr. Leahey has been in marketing, product management, sales,

business development, communications, and investor relations. In

addition to his professional experience, he has volunteered extensively

and has been involved in numerous community organizations.

SPEAKER Carrie Wertheim, Account Manager, Small Business and

Professionals, Scotiabank

Ms. Wertheim is an Account Manager for Small Business and

Professionals at Scotiabank. She graduated from Concordia University’s

Bachelor of Commerce program with a Major in Finance and has spent

10 years working in the fi nancial industry (covering both retail and

commercial banking). As a Small Business Advisor, Ms. Wertheim’s

focus is to help unlock the potential of a business by providing practical

approaches that are key to helping it grow, be more dynamic, and more

profi table. She is actively involved in several community programs

including YES, in order to help new entrepreneurs.

WORKSHOPS – SESSION B

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM B1 FINDING YOUR FINANCIAL FOOTING

15

SPEAKER Paul Dawalibi, Partner, Dawalibi Capital

Mr. Dawalibi is a Partner at Dawalibi Capital, focusing on funding and

building exciting, new technology companies as well as forwarding the

cause of entrepreneurship in Canada. Previously, he was President &

CEO of Praized Media, provider of the world’s fi rst social media lead

generation engine. He was also a venture capitalist at Saint Lawrence

Capital, focused on internet, software, and mobile investments.

Mr. Dawalibi frequently writes and speaks about start-ups and the

venture capital industry. Some of his commentary can be found

through his alter ego, the VC Whisperer. He is also a guest lecturer

on entrepreneurship at Concordia University’s John Molson School of

Business and speaks at many other prominent universities across North

America, including MIT and McGill. Prior to joining Saint Lawrence

Capital in 2006, he was the founder and CEO of Cereal Technologies

and previously worked in sales and marketing at IBM, American Express

and Sun Microsystems.

Mr. Dalwalibi holds an Hon. B.Sc. in Computer Science from the

University of Toronto and received his MBA from the MIT Sloan School

of Management.


16

The term “design” is usually reduced to a cosmetic function. Some

companies even think that something “designed” may move away from

the true essence of its products or services; as if design were the icing

on the cake and not the cake.

Whether it is applied to industrial, graphic or any other medium, design

has to speak to your target audience and make people feel connected

to your purpose, product or service. In this workshop, we will explore

how to think in terms of design, as well as how to design in terms of

people.

SPEAKER Juan-Carlos Fernández Espinosa, Creative Director/

Founder, Ideograma Consultores

Mr. Espinosa was born and raised in Mexico City. He studied graphic

design at Universidad Iberoamericana and was a Design Director at

Design Center/Zimat. He conducted post-graduate studies in design

and corporate identity at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena,

California.

After fi nishing his MFA, Mr. Espinosa was hired by Addison Design

Company and moved to New York. Two years later he was hired by

Siegel + Gale as Vice President Design Director. During his fi ve-year

stay in New York, Mr. Espinosa obtained a Certifi cate in Marketing at

New York University. In 1999, he went back to Mexico and founded

Ideograma, a positioning and corporate identity consulting fi rm.

In the summer of 2009, Mr. Espinosa moved to Montreal to open

the fi rst Ideograma offi ce abroad. He continues his work as Creative

Director of the company and is developing the Canadian market.

He has been a judge in many design competitions and continuously

gives lectures at design conferences and universities nationally and

abroad.

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM B2 DESIGNING WITH PEOPLE IN MIND


17

Social media has opened up the potential to reach huge audiences

across the globe, but most businesses are locally focused, targeting

prospects and customers right next door. There are billions of people

online, but all that really matters is whether or not you can reach and

engage the ones that are important to you.

SPEAKER Ben Yoskovitz, Founding Partner, Year One Labs

Mr. Yoskovitz is a serial entrepreneur with 15 years experience in web

software. He is currently a Founding Partner at Year One Labs, which

is an early stage accelerator funding start-ups in the web and mobile

spaces. He is actively involved in the Montreal tech start-up scene and

has been blogging since 1996, focusing on social media, start-ups,

entrepreneurship and marketing.

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM B3 USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO TARGET THE CUSTOMER NEXT DOOR


18

One of the most unfortunate expressions in marketing is: “I know that

50% of my marketing budget is wasted, but I just don’t know which

50%.” Pity the fatalistic businessperson who is resigned to throwing

money blindly at a problem with faint hope that it will go away. If there

was ever a time for Guerrilla Marketing – it is now. Get creative by

marketing your business EFFECTIVELY without spending a fortune on

promotion. Find out how to acquire the strategic weapons that will help

you generate the biggest bang for your buck.

SPEAKER Robert Soroka, Juris Doctor, Lecturer, Professor

JMSB – Concordia University, McGill University, Dawson College

Mr. Soroka has a varied background as a criminal lawyer, professor,

marketing analyst, TV and radio personality, actor and playwright. He

began his career in the marketing industry working as a marketing and

fi nancial analyst for chain-store retailers. After earning his Juris Doctor

degree from the State University of New York, he practiced criminal law

in Buffalo, NY.

Mr. Soroka resumed his teaching career upon his return to Montreal

and now teaches business and law courses at McGill and Concordia

Universities and Dawson College. His teaching was recognized when he

received Concordia University’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 1997

and the McGill Management Undergraduate Teaching Award in 2009.

He is also a private consultant for both public and private organizations.

WORKSHOPS – SESSION C

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM C1 MARKETING & ROI: The Marketing Arsenal

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Ever wondered what sustainability stands for, or what it can do for

your business? Are you looking to gain visibility and credibility, to open

up new lines of customers, products or services, or to boost your

employees and partners’ commitment and mobilization? This is your

opportunity to fi nd out how to make business sense of sustainability

and explore ways to positively impact your business operations and your

bottom line.

SPEAKER Thibaud Joubert, Sustainability Consultant

Mr. Joubert is a veteran CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) marketer

and entrepreneur who turned to the world of corporate sustainability.

After managing global cheese brands The Laughing Cow and Mini

Babybel in the USA for French dairy powerhouse Groupe Bel, Mr.

Joubert came to Montreal seven years ago to successfully start up the

company’s Canadian operations. He is now consulting with companies

to help them integrate sustainability into their business model and

operations.

Your brand is not what you say it is, it’s what Google says it is. How do

you make sure your business can be found in a world where everyone

is always connected? How do you make sure potential customers

convert into clients once they have found you? Discover the essentials

of using digital channels effectively to grow your brand.

SPEAKER Mickael Kanfi , Chief Product Offi cer, Twist Image

Inspired by a talent for design and technology, Mr. Kanfi tapped into

his entrepreneurial spirit and founded Twist Image in April 2000.

Over the past ten years, he has touched all aspects of the business

– from project and operations management to creative and technical

direction – helping successfully launch countless marketing initiatives

and major websites. Mr. Kanfi is responsible for overseeing the Twist

Image product which is defi ned as the integration of breakthrough ideas

across all departments. Furthermore, he is charged with guaranteeing

the quality of the work, and the effi ciency of the process.

C2 WHAT SUSTAINABILITY CAN DO FOR YOUR BUSINESS

C3 BUILDING YOUR BRAND FOR A DIGITAL WORLD

WORKSHOPS – SESSION C

21

KEY POINTS FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS

• A GOOD PRODUCT AND/OR SERVICE

• GOOD MANAGEMENT

• ADEQUATE PLANNING

• EFFECTIVE MARKETING

• SUFFICIENT FINANCIAL RESOURCES

• HEALTHY CASH FLOW

• MENTORSHIP & COACHING

• CONTROLLED SPENDING & THE ABILITY

TO COLLECT MONEY OWING

• Assess your interests, skills and hobbies

• Soak up business examples

• Pay attention to trends

• Validate your idea

EVALUATE YOUR BUSINESS IDEA

Is there a need for my idea?

What are the benefi ts of my idea?

What are the negatives of my idea?

Do I have what it takes to put this idea into practice?

Do I have any fi nancial resources?

Do I have time?

Do I have the knowledge?

Am I dedicated enough?

What do I need to learn or research to make this idea a reality?

CONDUCT A MARKET ASSESSMENT

Defi ne your concept

Understand your market

Know your customer

Know your competition

Do your research

ASSESS COSTS & PROFITABILITY

Determine your start-up fi nancial requirements

Develop short-term fi nancial projections

Find out your break-even point

TIPS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

BUSINESS IDEA ––> BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY ––> BUSINESS SUCCESS

22

2011 SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCE LIST

ACCOUNTING TOOLShttp://www.xero.com: awesome personal and business banking software

http://www.getballpark.com: billing software for small biz: invoice, get paid, bid, conversation

http://www.billable.me: create an invoice in 30 seconds

ANALYTICS TOOLSGoogle Analytics – web analytics

Kissmetrics – actionable analytics

GetClicky – real-time web analytics

Swix – analytics for social media and online

Mixpanel – real-time event tracking

Crazyegg – visualize analytics

Mint – site analytics

Performable – personable web analytics

Visistat – web analytics measure marketing campaigns

Webtrends – analytics and segments

http://chartbeat.com: real-time site analytics (“Google Analytics on crack”) - $10 per month

http://www.seevolution.com: real-time analytics and heat maps overlaid on your site

AVATARShttp://faceyourmanga.com/faceyourmanga_eng.html: cartoonize yourself

Billing/Subscription Management

Chargify – recurring billing without the headaches

Recurly – subscription billing

Aria – online billing platform

Braintree – online credit card merchant processing

Vindicia – on demand billing and fraud management

Volusion – shopping cart software

CheddarGetter – online recurring billing

Cloudware City – online app store for subscription services

Spreedly – sell subscriptions on your site. Signup, upgrade, trial pricing

Zuora – online subscription management

BLOGGING PLATFORMShttp://tumblr.com

http://posterous.com

http://wordpress.com

http://blogger.com

http://twitter.com

23


COLLABORATION TOOLSDropbox – store, sync, and, share fi les online

Google Apps – Email, Chat, Docs

Skype – free voice and video communication tool

Campfi re – team collaboration

Slideshare – share Powerpoints and docs with customers

EMAIL BLASTINGTout – email blast and management software

Campaigner – email marketing suite

Exact Target – social media and email marketing

Postmark – email blast and management software

Mad Mimi – email blast software

SendGrid – email blast software

Campaign Monitor – basic email software

Emma – basic email marketing

MailChimp – free basic email blast software

FEEDBACKhttp://getsatisfaction.com: customer feedback and support

http://uservoice.com: customer feedback forums

http://tenderapp.com: customer feedback and support

http://kampyle.com: feedback and analytics

http://surveymonkey.com: survey creation and management

FILE SHARINGhttp://dropbox.com: the best way to have a shared drive

https://www.wetransfer.com: for large fi les (2Gb)

http://ge.tt: any kind of fi le. Share URLs instantly. Users can download while you upload

FONTShttp://typekit.com

FORMShttp://wufoo.com: online form builder for contact, survey and payment forms

FORUMShttp://vanillaforums.com: open-source, white-label, highly customizable forums Freelance Help

Amazon Mechanical Turk – set up any task and get answers

Elance – fi nd/hire freelancers

Odesk – hire low-cost international engineering talent

Freelancer – outsourcing for small business

24


GROUPSLean Startup Circle – Google Group for startup advice

INTERNET SPEED TESThttp://speedtest.net

IMAGES AND PICTUREShttp://skitch.com: the best, lightweight image editor for Mac (downloadable application)

http://picnik.com: simple online picture editing

http://www.fl ickr.com: image organizing and sharing

http://compfi ght.com: easily search Flickr for images

ON-LINE COMMUNITIESStack Overfl ow – questions and answers for programmers

Quora – questions and answers for non-programmers

Yahoo Answers – post questions, sometimes get answers

WordPress – king of blogging platforms, doubles as startup website

Tumblr – another blogging platform

Posterous – yet another blogging platform

ONLINE MARKETING SUITESHubSpot - online marketing and web analytics system

Custora – customer retention, churn reduction, lifetime value

Zoho – free/cheap web customer relationship mgmt software

Highrise – small business CRM

Zferral – affi liate and referral marketing on the web

Genoo – marketing automation software

MarketBright – marketing automation suite

PAYMENTShttp://paypal.com

PEOPLE RESEARCHhttp://www.linkedin.com: professional and educational info

(speculatively test URLs e.g. linkedin.com/in/fi rstlast)

http://pipl.com: deep web search; good for both current and historical content and records

http://www.zoominfo.com: people and companies; also good for historical content

http://twitter.com

http://www.facebook.com

http://www.artfox.com: professional networking for people in the arts

25


PRODUCTIVITYhttp://evernote.com: best note taking software around. Learn it and it becomes your virtual brain.

http://blacktree.com: Quicksilver launcher - rocket booster for Mac workfl ows

http://docs.google.com: good for light DOC, XLS, PPT docs; fi le sharing up to 100Mb

http://qollaborate.fabriqate.com: instant, real-time notepad

http://www.businessplanworks.com: Business Planning Software

PROJECT MANAGEMENTBasecamp – web-based project management and collaboration tool

Github – Free public repositories, collaborator management,

issue tracking, wikis, downloads, code review, graphs

Pivotal Tracker – Agile project management tool that enables real time collaboration

Mercurial – free, distributed source code control management system

Milestone Planner – planner for deadline or outcome driven environments

AgileZen – project management visually see and interact with your work

Kanbanery – simple online team or personal kanban board

LeanKit Kanban – great for visualizing work of product development

Kanban Pad – “nice and lean” and free online Kanban tool

Banana Scrum – a tool simple as Scrum itself

Kanban Tool – another Kanban tool

Acunote – Agile project management

RallyDev – Automates Agile / Scrum development

5pm – online project management tool

Surveys

Quickker – Create surveys, manage respondents, track responses

Qualtrics – cloud-based survey, free account

KissInsights – survey visitors while they surf your site

Wufoo - create contact forms, online surveys and event registrations.

Poplytics – online surveys and analytics

AskYourTargetMarket – market research surveys

SurveyMonkey - granddaddy of on-line surveys

USER INTERFACE / UX960 Grid System

Six Revisions

Smashing Magazine

A List Apart

Design Instruct


UTILITIES THAT ARE REALLY HELPFULhttp://www.techsmith.com/jing: take a picture or short video of what you see on your screen

http://www.wordle.net: generate “word cloud” images from text you provide

VIDEOhttp://www.youtube.com

http://www.vimeo.com

WEBSITE TOOLSZozolo – start a website within Facebook

Weebly – get a site up quickly with no tools

Unbounce – create, publish & test promotion specifi c landing pages

Microsoft WebMatrix – web server, database, and ASP.NET and PHP

Corona – mobile development platform

Twilio – add mobile and sms to your app

AppMakr – Mobile Ap Creator create quick mobile apps

EditMe – create collaborative websites

NewRelic – manage and tune website performance for Rails

GooglePageSpeed – optimize your web pages

99 Designs – marketplace for crowd sourced graphic design

IconFinder – great way to fi nd free graphic icons on the web

Launchbit – online web site class for novices

Ning – create your own social network

Yammer – free enterprise social network

Doodle – online group scheduling

Freeconferencecall.com – free conference calls

Syncpad – collaborative whiteboard

CLOUD SERVICES AND TOOLSAmazon Web Services – Amazon’s cloud solution

Google App Engine – Googles version of a cloud solution

Scalr – tool to manage scaling servers in Amazon’s cloud

CUSTOMER SUPPORTTender – support, knowledgebase tool for your site

GetSatisfaction – conversations between companies / customers

SnapEngage – live chat integrates with your apps

Zendesk – web help software

UserVoice – turn customer feedback into action

Kampyle – turn customer feedback into sales and relationships

Ideaffect – customer feedback, vote, comment, manage

Olark – live customer chat

27


COMMUNICATIONhttp://skype.com: free IM / phone / video calls and tech support via screen sharing

http://www.viber.com: iPhone / Android app. Free VoIP calling over 3G / Wi-Fi;

no sign-up / sign-in required

DOMAIN SEARCHhttp://www.whois.com

DOMAIN NAMES - PICKING ONEhttp://wordoid.com

http://www.nameboy.com

http://www.bustaname.com

EMAIL (INBOX ENHANCEMENTS)http://gist.com: Gmail social dashboard for your contacts (add-ins for Chrome, Firefox)

http://rapportive.com: contact profi les within Gmail (awesome tool!)

EMAIL (MARKETING)http://sendgrid.com: bulk email sending and management (used by many major, well-known.coms)

http://postmarkapp.com: email delivery for web apps (set-up, delivery and analytics)

http://www.mailchimp.com: email delivery for web apps (set-up, delivery and analytics)

http://www.campaignmonitor.com: used by SXSW, eBay, Twitter, Facebook, 37 Signals, Wufoo

LOGO DESIGNhttp://99designs.com

http://idesignyourlogo.com

http://logopond.com

http://inkd.com

http://Upstack.com

http://sortfolio.com (37 Signals)

http://crowdspring.com

http://logotournament.com

http://logosauce.com/competitions

http://pick.im

http://elance.com

MARKET RESEARCHhttp://askyourtargetmarket.com: target market research at affordable prices

http://google.com/trends: trends search & competitive info

28


MARKETINGhttp://pressdoc.com: professional press releases without the PR fi rm

http://slinkset.com: create your own social news site in seconds

MISC OFFICE HELPGoogle Apps – cloud mail server, calendar, docs, etc.

Grasshopper – virtual phone system

Ringio – cloud phone system

RingCentral – cloud based phone system

Expensify – billing, expenses, receipts

Resumator – applicant tracking and social recruiting

RecruiterBox – recruitment software, applicant tracking

ActiveInterview – video interviewing

MOBILE APPShttp://bump.com: Bump iPhone / Android phone together to do cool stuff

http://whatsapp.com: cross platform IM client for smartphones (iPhone / BlackBerry)

MUST READ BLOGSTop VC Blog List

Fred Wilson – A VC

Marc Andreessen

Paul Graham

Hacker News

Brad Feld

Chris Dixon

OnStartups-Dharmesh Shah

Both Sides of the Table – Mark Suster

37signals

Eric Ries – Startup Lessons Learned

Venture Hacks and http://twitter.com/venturehacks

Andrew Chen

Dave McClure

Venture Made Transparent

QR CODEShttp://www.qurify.com: generate free QR codes and download images in JPG and PNG

http://www.socialqrcode.com: generate Facebook “likes” using QR codes

http://qrcode.kaywa.com: generate free QR codes

29


RANDOM STATISTICShttp://numberquotes.com: enter a number and get a ton of random facts to go with it

RSS / CONTENT READERShttp://reader.google.com

Reeder for iPhone / iPad

Flipboard for iPad

SCHEDULINGhttp://tungle.me: awesome for scheduling meetings across calendar platforms

http://calendar.google.com: good for shared calendars

Search Engine Optimization Tools

AdGrok – Google adwords optimization tool

http://seo-digger.com: fi nd the top ten keywords ranking to your websites

SEMRush – SEO and campaign management tool

Clickable – pay per click management

Spyfu – tells you how much adwords cost

Market Samurai – SEO Keyword Analysis Tool

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENThttp://balsamiq.com: create software mockups in minutes and collaborate

http://mockupstogo.net: templates for Balsamiq

http://www.mockfl ow.com: more mockup software

http://www.psd2html.com: takes photoshop designs and builds the HTML, CSS etc.

http://beanstalkapp.com: web-based version control (managed Subversion, Git servers)

SOCIAL NETWORKINGhttp://ning.com: create and join new social networks for your interests and passions

http://tweetboard.com/alpha: twitter conversation board for your website

http://www.90-9-1.com: resource about how users participate in social communities

SEO AND ANALYTICS TUTORIALSStartup Metrics for Pirates – read this before you spend time elsewhere

SaaS Metrics Tutorial – worth reading as well

Analytics review – mix panel vs. kiss metric vs. goggle analytics review

Analytics blog – good analytics tutorials

SEO for Startups – good tutorial

Andrew Chen’s Essays – great web customer acquisition tutorials

30


WEBSITE USABILITY TESTINGVisualWebSiteOptimizer – A/B testing (split tests)

Optimizely – A/B testing (split tests)

OptimalWorkshop – tool suite for remote user research

Adobe BrowserLab – cross browser testing for Creative Suite

Google Website Optimizer – google optimizer for A/B testing (split tests)

Silverback – usability testing for designers and developers

Userfy – web usability testing

FeedbackArmy – web usability testing

WhatUsersDo – UK web usability testing

Fivesecondtest – landing page optimization

Usertesting – live users testing your site – cheap

Clicktale – watch clicks and browsing, optimize usability

Clickheat – heat map of a website (where do users click)

Clixpy – tracks users clicks and browsing

Usabilla – micro usability tests

Tea Leaf - usability

Crazy Egg - usability

WEB DEVELOPMENT TOOLSRubyon Rails – open source framework for Ruby

CakePHP – a PHP open source framework

Drupal – open source content management platform

Heroku – Ruby cloud platform. Rails deployment made easy

Django – high-level Python framework

Cappuccino – open source framework for app development

Kodingen – cloud development environment, code editor,

hosting service, collaboration platform.

JSFiddle – preselect/add JavaScript frameworks and test your code

TeamCity – continuous integration and unit testing, code quality analysis,

pre-tested commits, reporting on build problems

Sauce Labs – cross-browser testing in the cloud

Rdbhost.com – SQL database hosting from browser. Python/Javascript APIs

yUML – sketch uml diagrams.

WebSequenceDiagrams - sketch sequence diagrams. automatic links to generated images

Rietveld - asynchronous code reviews on changesets

Thank you to Chris Emergui and Marvin Garellek for compiling this resource guide.The publication of this list does not imply YES’ endorsement of these resources.

Step Into Success.

YES Montréal

Step Into Success.

YES Montreal

Jacques Chagnon

Jacques Chagnon

In order to succeed, your desire for successshould be greater than your fear of failure.

Bill Cosby

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Brent Walker, CA, CPA (Illinois)

Accounting, Consulting, Technology

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41

NOTES

42

NOTES

SPONSORSHIPA special thank you to our sponsors, without whose support this event would not have been possible.

MEDIA PARTNERS

Thank you as well to

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yes entrepreneurship conference program book 2011

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