Canadian Small Business Women

Connection, Synergy, Community

Jane Cotnam – Featured Member

I am a strong woman.

I am a feminist.

I am a mother.

I am a business owner.

I am a perpetual optimist.

I am a dreamer.

I am a volunteer.

I choose to believe the best in everyone.

I have strong beliefs that I am passionate about.

I love a good debate.

I was born in Montreal, but spent equal time in Mont Tremblant.   French is my first language, but my mom, Liz, knew that my English needed to be better, so she sent me to English high school for my last year.  While in Mont Tremblant I worked every kind of hotel and resort job there was starting at 14, finally becoming a ski instructor, and skiing for my high school.

In the early ‘80’s I moved to Toronto to pursue a career in insurance (following my father), and immediately gravitated to the group benefits side of the business, where I have stayed ever since.  In ’84 I assisted in developing the Canadian Organization of Small Businesses, an association plan that allowed small businesses to have group benefits that had previously been unattainable.  I helped put together the first online billing system for group benefits.   I am proud of being a dedicated independent group benefit plan broker and advisor, and I specialize in groups that are hard to acquire benefits for.

I am a hearing-impaired member of CHS (Canadian Hearing Society) and had the privilege of teaching ASL (American Sign Language) to kindergarten children in a play environment. I am still a member of the CHS Board.  As someone who believes in volunteering, I was also involved in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer Canada (following Liz’s passing) and that lead me to being a Palliative Care Liaison Volunteer, being part of the program and workshops at Credit Valley Hospital. I have also volunteered with my children’s schools as a fundraising chair.

I was introduced to Arbonne in November 2009 and became a consultant after trying the products for only a week.  Arbonne was easy to integrate into my life. It allowed me the time to work in insurance and to continue volunteering. I chose Arbonne for several reasons; it is a safe, botanical product and all their products are vegan and gluten free. Another reason for me is that Arbonne is certified cruelty free. Being someone with 4 rescue dogs, this was extremely important to me. Animal testing is completely unnecessary, and Arbonne understands that. When I started using the products, I immediately loved the results. Whether it is from our anti-ageing skin care line or the nutrition products, Arbonne consistently comes out on top in the market place.

Arbonne’s business design is created to help you succeed. The support offered by your upline and sidelines is inspiring. There is no competition between consultants. It offers an environment of support and recognizes success. Arbonne gives consultants the ability to control their lives the way they want to live. You may be in business for yourself, but you are never by yourself. They offer amazing training for all products and every facet of the business. I love sharing the business with others. It may start off as a secondary income for someone, and quickly become their primary source. It offers people the opportunity to be their own boss, manage their time differently and enables them to live the life they want, not the life they have to. The fact that the products are consumables means that your clients reorder from your own website that Arbonne sets up for each of its consultants. We, as consultants, can cross-border sponsor other business builders. It is a global business, run from the comfort of your own home. We are expanding all the time, and currently we are in Canada, the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Poland and Taiwan. This is a company that is growing globally and the ability to manage my time and have a residual income appeals to me.

The wonderful thing about Arbonne is that it’s not just about great products, it’s also about great people. The Arbonne family is made up of thousands of individuals working to make their dreams come true. Through sales incentives and rewards, travel opportunities, a generous Success Plan and great products, Arbonne offers a unique opportunity that can help make anyone’s vision for the future a reality.

I am always looking for quality individuals who are ready  to earn more income, create a business that is for themselves, or to simply begin a new chapter in life. I am always there to help anyone who starts an Arbonne business. I will help you get to where you want to be with training, support and lots of encouragement. We are always better together!

Body, mind, spirit, friendship, community, earth. Wherever you decide to start, one change leads to another … and then another. Over time, many little changes can equal one total transformation. Arbonne has shown me that.

 

www.janecotnam.arbonne.com

Assiatou Diallo of TAAB Cleaning

assiatou-diallo

Assiatou Diallo was born in Guinea, a small country in West Africa, into a polygamous family of 11 children.  Assi was the last and only girl born with 6 brothers from her father’s side and second born with 4 children (2 girls and 2 Boys) on her mother’s side. She never new her dad, because he passed away when Assiatou was 9 months old.

Assiatou endured many hardships growing up, including being raped at the age of 11 and twice more at the age of 16.  It was clear that the fighting spirit inside her would be required to survive.  Assi did more than just survive…In 1998, she worked in a gas station to support herself while going to school.  When she finished College, she always dreamed of getting out of Guinea and going to Europe, but destiny chose a different path for this young dreamer.

In 2000 she got hired by a German company called Hydroplan, who had a project to build 250 water pumps in rural communities, to access clean water.  This opportunity changed her life. For the next 2 years she started travelling out of the city and country through her work. Her first time to take an airplane was in February 2001, at the age of 25. She got so stressed before getting on the plane, but once again her fighting spirit took control and she went to Gambia for work.

She performed so well that Hydroplan decided to pay for her to take a vacation to Paris (visa, pocket money and so on).  She went to Paris in August 2001 for 3 weeks. She was so culture shocked, when she arrived, that she decided to go back to Guinea after 2 weeks and decided not to be so adventurous, because her experiences did not match the expectations she had for this dream trip.

After her contract with Hydroplan ended, Assi got married in November 2002.  She was excited to start a family with her new husband, but destiny stepped in, once again. After 5 miscarriages and extremely poor health, she decided to go to Germany to study the language and seek medical advice about the difficulties she was experiencing trying to conceive a child.

After living for 1 year in Germany, she went back to Guinea and started all over again. She opened Nayleen Drugstore, where she sold cosmetics and fragrances (Lancome, Chanel, etc). Before moving to Germany, in 2000, she had also registered a cleaning, childcare and security company and was actively networking to develop the business.

In 2003 she went back to Germany, as an au pair, where she lived with a German family for 1 year, taking care of their 2 children, while at the same time acquiring her German Language Certificate.  In 2004, she went back to Paris, where she lived for 1 year.

In 2006, Assi was blessed with a pregnancy that would finally lead to her first child; a beautiful baby boy.  She arrived in Montreal, Canada, in October 2006,

6 months pregnant and looking to start a new life. She knew this was the place for her, because she fell in love with Canada the moment she stepped off the plane.  You can only imagine how difficult it was to be alone and pregnant in a new Country, trying to navigate the bureaucracy of immigration, but she kept fighting and received her Permanent Residency in just 5 months.

Assiatou Diallo was still fighting to make her life better and help others.  A single mother, with a 1 year old son, she got involved in volunteering and went back to school at H.E.C. (an affiliate with the University of Montreal) to study Human Resources. Although she went through depression and stress, she never gave up and decided to move to Toronto.

She came to Toronto and lived in a shelter (transitional housing, Beatrice House) for 2 years. When she arrived in Ontario, she could not speak a single word of English. She decided to go to school for ESL classes at College Boreal and, in just 5 months, got her ESL level 6.  Next, Assi went to do her upgrading with Woodgreen through the Boundless Possibilities for Women Program.

Assi had aspirations of working in the banking industry in Canada and it seemed that her hope was going to become reality when she was promised a position with BMO.  She planned to move out of the shelter, got an apartment and began making plans for her new career, when the job was pulled out from under her due to personnel changes and poor internal communication at the bank.  Another obstacle that would test Assi the fighter.

She was undeterred by this latest disappointment and bounced right back by securing a position at the Centre Francophone de Toronto.  She worked at the non-profit for 4 years as an HR Assistant, Receptionist, Executive Assistant to the Executive Director and Settlement Worker in the schools. Although the work was fulfilling, Assi decided to go on her own, be her own boss, focus on her business and go back to school part time to study Business Management.

Assiatou Diallo is an entrepreneur, mother and avowed feminist. From a young age she has actively participated in initiatives supporting women’s issues. Her current interest is to promote the emancipation and financial independence of women in general and especially women who are victims of domestic and family violence.  She is dedicated to helping others and is very involved in her community. In 2013, she was recognized by the YWCA for her success and delivered a keynote speech at the YWCA Women of Distinctions Awards, in recognition of her positivity and incredible perseverance.

Assiatou is currently the president and CEO of TAAB Cleaning Inc., a commercial and residential cleaning business, which also offers nanny and home babysitting services. She plans to dedicate a part of this community enterprise to support the elderly.

Assiatou Diallo will make it to the top, because she is a fighter, positive, and strongly believes in herself and her own future success.

‘’My vision of entrepreneurship is to inspire others.”

taab-cleaning

TAAB Cleaning Inc. offers various services for many different needs. Whether you are a company or an individual, we can assure you that we will offer the utmost care and professionalism to bring that sparkle and beauty to your space. All of our equipment is highly specialized, making us the perfect solution for any project or circumstance!

Our services:

  • Office cleaning
  • Condominium cleaning
  • Industrial Plant
  • Day porter custodial services
  • Warehouse cleaning
  • Construction clean-up
  • Carpet steaming cleaning
  • Strip and wax
  • Green cleaning

TAAB Cleaning Inc. is confident in its ability to offer the best service anywhere. With that claim we can offer a Service Guarantee to our customers!

“If your request has not been handled adequately, during the next service day you will be entitled to receive the next service for free”

TAAB Cleaning Inc. is the only cleaning company to offer what the competition will not and cannot! Your satisfaction is our motivation!

Contact Assiatou

PHONE: 647 458-7789
E-MAIL: INFO@TAABCLEANING.CA

Do you Qualify for a Fixed or Variable Rate Mortgage?

 

 Amina

Last week I was at the #CAAMP (Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals) #Mortgage Symposium. The event happens once a year and highlights what happened in the #mortgage industry in the previous year and talks about the upcoming year and what we should expect.

It became very interesting when the #economist #Ted Tsiakopolous from #CMHC got up to speak. He spoke about the #Canadian #real estate landscape and provided #statistics. One statistic that was very surprising was the fact that only 30% of mortgages in Canada are #variable rate mortgages. So I thought this would make an interesting post.

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The first thing to note is the differences between fixed and variable mortgages. #Fixed rate mortgage – A #fixed rate mortgage is a mortgage where the #rate of interest and payment are fixed for a specific period of time. Generally known as the #mortgage term, it usually ranges from between 6 months and 10 years. As time goes on, more of the mortgage payment goes towards the #principal and less of the payment goes to the #interest. Furthermore, the #fixed rate mortgage is based on the #bond yield so as it rises, so do the fixed rates. #Variable rate mortgage – A #variable rate mortgage is a mortgage where the interest rate fluctuates with any changes in the lenders #prime rate. If interest rates go down, your mortgage payment will go down, but if rates go up, your payment goes up.  With some variable rate mortgages you can fix the payment and as long as rates stay below that required payment it will not change.  If rates rise high enough that you are not covering the necessary payment, your payment will be increased.

The important thing to note is that #qualification differs between fixed and variable and thus this is why it is only at 30% variable mortgages vs. fixed mortgages in Canada.

In a fixed mortgage, you will qualify at the #5 year fixed rate, which today is 2.73% and a 25, 30 or 35 year #amortization. The important thing to keep in mind is that with less than 20% down, you cannot qualify for an amortization greater than 25 years. The benefit of course with a #lower amortization is that you incur l#ess interest over the life of the mortgage.

Conversely in a variable mortgage, you must qualify at the #benchmark rate otherwise known as the #Bank of Canada #qualifying rate, which is currently 4.74%. if you remember only a few short weeks ago, the #BOC rate fell 5 #basis points after# oil prices also tumbled.

So which should you choose? Unfortunately it might not be up to you if your #GDS (#Gross Debt Service Ratio) and #TDS (#Total Debt Service Ratios) are not in line for qualifying for the Variable rate. Most “A” lenders look for a ratio of GDS – 32% & TDS-40%. “B” Lenders are more flexible but you will incur higher rates.

When I do a purchase analysis for my clients, I look at both options and present the pros and cons of both fixed and variable. I take into account my clients current monthly obligations, their current lifestyle and what they can afford.  Fixed or variable, it comes down to affordability and qualifiying. Don’t forget if you, a friend or family member have any questions about mortgage financing I’m here to answer those questions and to work with you to arrange the best product to fit your specific needs and comfort levels.

To your Wealth!

Amina

Please “like” my facebook page here Please follow me on twitter here

A Roadmap for your Journey

Sheralyn

Every day we are surrounded by the need to make decisions. The sheer multitude can be overwhelming, from the trivial “what should I make for dinner tonight?” to the triumphant, “should I invest in a storefront location for my home-based business?” When you’re an entrepreneur, these decisions are often made alone or in consultation with family or friends who while helpful, are not as invested (literally and figuratively) in the business as you are. Decision – making can be daunting.

Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield identified the ability to make a decision and stick to it as one of life’s five most critical skills. I couldn’t agree more and struggle daily to help instill this skill set in my children. Decision-making must be fostered from a very early age and parents should recognize that allowing a child to stomp her feet at age 4 and refuse to wear a coat in winter will help her to understand the consequence of that decision – that she’ll get pretty darn cold! Determining whether to attend College or University is more daunting than a coat crisis but the process remains essentially the same – it’s only the magnitude of the decision that varies.

My suggested Decision Making Model runs almost counter-intuitive to many other business theories that require a solid foundation upon which you should build your framework. That is, that in decision-making, you should be working from a top down approach. What is your ultimate goal or vision? If decision-making is about “identifying and choosing alternatives among several possibilities” (1) shouldn’t you know where you want to go first? It helps narrow down the field of choice. Once you have a clear goal, (your Destination) start determining all the necessary steps (your ROUTE) that you need to take in order to get there. Visualize this process as you would a road map. We know that we need to get to Indiana for a hockey tournament. Indiana is the goal. What steps need to be taken to get us there? Using a map we might plot several routes. We should ask ourselves questions to help more clearly define the route chosen based on criteria that is important to us: which route is fastest, do we want to see any sights along the way, will we travel during the day or at night? Knowing clearly and precisely what the final destination is allows us to make the smaller decisions required to get us there.

It’s the same with business decisions. Using our store-front analogy, if you run a cake business from home and your dream is a clearly visualized bakery window on a pretty main street in your home town, start working backwards from that to determine what you need to do in order to make it happen. There are a multitude of business models for decision-making but really, it’s this simple: “G.G.W.C.I.” – it’s not pretty as an acronym but the process is “Goal, Gather, Weigh, Choose, Implement.” Your goal is a storefront location. Gather means to collect information related to that goal – in other words, do your research. Is such a location available and if so what is the cost and should you lease or buy? These questions will lead you to undertake a full financial analysis. Do you generate enough income to cover the monthly expenses, how much take home income do you need to finance your preferred lifestyle and you’ll need staff, can you afford to hire someone? Once you’ve gathered all your facts, weigh your options (a good old fashioned “pro and con” list never goes out of style) then choose. Make your decision, implement and watch it flourish.

As an entrepreneur, being successful also means asking for help from experts. I’m not going to plan that trip to Indiana without consulting Google maps – why try to accomplish something alone when information already exists and is readily accessible? Successful entrepreneurs don’t just learn by doing, they learn from the success and failure of others. When you’ve got a decision to make ask for help, support and guidance from your financial advisor, your bank, even your local Small Business Centre. Certainly, one of the smartest decisions you can make when going solo, is to surround yourself with a “team” of experts that can provide this kind of assistance along the way.

Making a decision also takes time. If your GOAL was clearly defined in the first place, it will already have a timeline associated with it. Colonel Hadfield, in his book “An Astronauts Guide to Life on Earth” also shares insight on the importance of being able to make a decision quickly. Sometimes, like when you are strapped into a rocket, you don’t have the luxury of time to make a mission critical decision. That’s the other reason it is so important to start practicing decision-making as a skill set from an early age. That and about a million simulator experiences will ensure you can make a decision in seconds flat if required to. For those of us just making the decision whether to drive to Indiana and not something as dramatic as flying into space, it could just mean knowing how to react to icy road conditions in an emergency. Regardless of what your decision is, the making of that decision is a journey. Having a clearly defined map will help get you there but only if you know where you want to go first!

Your G.G.W.C.I. “Road Map” – Sheralyn Roman

  • GOAL- Your Destination
  • GATHER – Do your research, pull out maps, determine who or what can help you get to your destination and how you want to get there, by car, plane, train? Having a firm timeline helps you not only to reach your destination but to do so effectively and efficiently.
  • WEIGH your options: Which route is fastest and meets all my stated criteria and plan alternate routes in case of road-blocks.
  • CHOOSE & IMPLEMENT– pack up the car and go! (Always plan for emergencies too by taking along your tool-kit. Literally and figuratively!)

 

(1) Wikipedia

and

Chris Hadfield’s “An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth.

 

As Owner and Principal partner of “Writing Right For You” Sheralyn is a Communications Strategist – working together with entrepreneurs to maximize profit through effective use of the written word. Looking for web content that works, blog articles that engage or communications strategies that help you get noticed?  Contact Sheralyn today. Sheralyn is also the mother of two children now entering the “terrible and terrific teens” and spends her free time volunteering for several non-profit organizations.

Sheralyn Roman B.A., B.Ed.

Writing Right For You

Communications Strategies that help you GET TO THE POINT!

416-420-9415 Cell/Business

writingrightforyou@gmail.com

LinkedIn / Facebook / www.writingrightforyou.weebly.com

Khalilah Brooks: Canadian Small Business Woman of the month of June 2014

Khalilah Brooks 2014 headshot

Khalilah was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia on September 10, 1977. Like most singers, Khalilah grew up in the church singing with her family. Khalilah learned through song, there was joy, tears and praise. At the tender age of 16 Khalilah really began to flourish when recognized by David Woods, the Artistic Director of the Black Artists Network of Nova Scotia.

David Woods gave Khalilah her first break to dance for his production group” Voices”. It was here where she discovered the need to perform. In 2002 Khalilah took the lead vocalist in the band “Faith in the Making” where she performed steady throughout Ontario until 2004. After the band parted Khalilah continued to preserver and joined a Hip hop group called “DaMovemeant” where she joined forces with two male artists to create a new Canadian sound.

Khalilah was recognized by American Modeling Talent Convention (AMTC) in 2005 where she traveled to Kansas City Kansas and ranked top 10 out of thousands of competitors for her unique style and vocal skill. Khalilah also did a short film where she made an appearance playing the character of “Sadie” the rebel biker in the film called “Sitting Kills”.

Her journey to Toronto since September 2009 has already been successful. She’s performed at local Toronto hotspots such as Sydney’s and Jo Mamas, Placed 2nd in the Istars Zack Warner competition for singer / song writer in April 2011, and 2nd place for her vocals in the “La Musique Circle” competition in May 2011. You might have seen her perform at Famous PEOPLE Players Theatre in Toronto as their lead female performer or News Talk 1010 jingle. Khalilah also plays an important role in the Toronto community working with Mentoring Junior Kids Organization (MJKO) through the sport of non-contact boxing.

Khalilah is now the founder of B-AM Children’s Entertainment a Musical Theater Story telling Company performing live shows where she plays the character Aunty B, teaching children how to love themselves and others and in June 2014 Khalilah published her first children’s book called “Feels Good to Be Kind.”

 

Our Q & A with Khalilah Brooks:

 

*What inspires you? 

I get inspired by the innocence and laughter of children; it triggers joy and an overwhelming feeling within my heart, it allows me to connect to a greater purpose.

 

*As a small business owner, what achievements make you most proud? 

The very thought of having an idea that turns into a  dream and then to see it manifested is my great achievement as a business owner and of course becoming an author and  writing my first children’s book.

 

*What advice would you give to other aspiring small business owners? 

If you are a small business owner and know that as long as you have a vision and you can reach each challenge one at a time and of course Stay Groovy (singing) while doing it.

 

*What new things can we look forward to from your business in the upcoming year? 

In the upcoming year our business will have more stories to share and merchandise for purchase. 

 

You can connect with Khalilah Brooks via the following:

kbrooks@b-am.ca

www.khalilahbrooks.com

www.auntyb.ca

Phone: 647.884.7546

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Spam Compliance from a Tech Perspective

Laura Bungarz

I’m sure you’ve been hearing a lot about the change in Canada’s anti-spam laws that is taking place on July 1st.  It’s been on my mind and I’ve been seeing a lot of meetings and blog posts about it.  I wanted to come at it from a different angle though, the techy side.  What does all this mean for your mailing list in terms of the software you’re using to manage it?  Do you have to change anything?  Do you need to switch providers?

In terms of providers, if you’re using one of the major ones such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Mad Mimi or Infusionsoft (plus many others), the short answer is no, you don’t have to change.  All major providers are already compliant with these new laws.

They will all offer at least the option of the unsubscribe link at the bottom of your email or newsletter.  Now would be a good time to make sure that the option is actually on and working properly.  Send yourself a fake newsletter to test this if you’re worried.

They will all give you the ability to add a checkbox to your web form that basically asks the user to agree to be signed up to said newsletter.  Turn the default checkmark off.  This option should be unchecked when the newsletter goes out.  This might require making changes to your forms, but it certainly won’t require a change in providers.

I have seen some Canadian companies going as far as to send out a newsletter asking existing subscribers to re-subscribe and anybody that is not interested to use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email.  Again, this is no harder than sending out a newsletter linking to a form that the user fills in and having that form add the user to a separate list that you would begin using on July 1st.  There is nothing really technical about this process.  All major providers will allow multiple lists.  Simply create a new form and a new list and off you go.

The other piece you need to do is make sure that your business contact information is visible somewhere in the newsletter, for most of us that will either be in the header or in the footer.  You should include your business name, an email address and some other method of contact either via snail mail or phone.  There should be a clear form of contact for your subscribers.  From a technical perspective, this might mean editing your header or footer to display the new information.  It should be easy to modify your newsletter template to include this information if it’s not already there.

Your newsletter provider will automatically be tracking the exact time and date of the sign up to your list.  You will also be able to see the IP address from which they signed up.  It will be important from now on to keep that information and export it with your list information any time you switch providers or make changes.  This information is generally exported in CSV format which is easily opened and edited in Excel.

If you’re adding people to your list from your storefront and they aren’t necessarily signing up electronically, make sure you keep that information as well.  The form they fill in needs to clearly state they are agreeing to receive your newsletter and it will also need to show the date and time the form was filled in.  Either file the form away or scan it and store it electronically and then manually add the person to your list.

From a technical perspective for a small business owner that’s using something like Mailchimp, this shouldn’t be a difficult process.  The tools for compliance are readily available and the changes that are required are fairly minor.  Certainly for a major company with a huge marketing department, this may prove to be a challenge.  But I suspect most of the rest of us can handle this without any major difficulties.
Still need help?  Contact me using the information below.

Laura Bungarz Computer Training
212-207 Fort Street
Winnipeg, MB R3C 1E2
(204) 421-6679
Laura@Laurabungarz.ca
www.LauraBungarz.ca

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