Montreal, May 22, 2013

In 2012, over 140  businesses participated. Combined, they garnered over 31,000 votes and the Love Your Local Business contest website registered more than 126,000 thousand hits.  This year, CEDEC wants to grow this number in order to increase its impact on Quebec businesses and heighten their visibility in the province and beyond.

“Quebec’s small businesses play an extremely important role in our economy,” said Stacey Dakin, Operations Manager at CEDEC, who presented the contest. “In Quebec, 310 000 small and medium-sized enterprises make up 97% of all businesses.  They employ over half of our province’s workforce. But they need visibility and support to grow, which is what the Love Your Local Business Contest is all about.”

The Love Your Local Business Contest will have a one-month registration period throughout September with tools to help businesses develop creative and dynamic entries.  Voting will be open on October 1-31, 2013, and the race will be on for businesses to garner the most votes.  The top five vote getters will be scrutinized by a jury, which will select one business to receive the Grand Prize, a 30-second television commercial which will air on CBC Television.

Natalie Gore, Owner/Founder of Bailey Blu Pet Boutique in Montreal and last year’s winner of the contest, benefited from the Grand Prize, a commercial that aired on CBC Television in December and January.

“We really had to work hard to get out there in our community and ask our friends, family, customers, suppliers, even our bank tellers, to vote for us,” said Gore. “I learned so much from this contest like the importance of community to the growth of my business and the importance of having a solid on-line presence.”

CEDEC is lining up additional sponsors and supporters which will be announced at www.cedec.ca and through a social media campaign starting this summer.

In addition to the Love Your Local Business Contest, the CEDEC Small Business Support Network works year-round to host learning opportunities, workshops, and networking events, and provides direct links to partners with specific expertise to help their businesses develop.

Membership offers benefits such as discounted rates on business training, and access to CEDEC’s partners and service providers.  Business owners across Quebec can become members by registering at www.cedec.ca/sbsn.

About CEDEC

CEDEC is a leading partner and driving force for community economic development and employability. A volunteer-driven organization, CEDEC sparks economic innovation in building forward-looking, prosperous and confident communities across Quebec through sharing expertise, knowledge and building partnerships. CEDEC is funded by the Government of Canada’s Enabling Fund.

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Source:

Kirsten Hathaway
Communications Officer
CEDEC
514.755.7043
kirsten.hathaway@cedec.ca

However, many small business owners still can’t see how spending a few minutes a day on social media (SM) platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Pinterest could possibly increase their bottom line.

At its core, social media is a medium for communication and information sharing; it can enhance what already exists to build something greater; it can extend your reach, improve your customer response time and effectiveness, and help you learn about your customers and market trends.

Social media is about engaging people rather than just talking to people as with traditional media or a website. It’s two-way communications.

If time is in fact money, then you’ll certainly be doing yourself a favour by spending about 15 minutes a day using these new marketing tools.

F-Commerce (or Facebook Commerce) is an example of how you can monetize social media.  It is highly likely that your target customers are already on Facebook (there are currently over 1.06 billion active users). By providing content they can use you’ll build relationships with and offer value to current customers. For example, you might want to offer exclusive promotions or discounts to your Facebook fans, answer customer questions, or provide links to complementary, helpful information, share upcoming events – even throw in a few funny videos now and then to prove you’re human! Posting a few times a week builds relationships which in turn builds trust which keeps you top of mind when it comes to their next purchase.

Social media can also help position you as a thought leader. Build your authority as an expert in your field by posting informative, knowledgeable content then. Encouraging people to like and share increases your online reach – again placing you top of mind with potential customers.

A lot of small businesses may not be able to afford a website (though with tools like VistaPrint, Weebly, and WordPress you should be able to at least throw together a topnotch basic website). We know that being visible online is imperative to business success; not taking advantage of the many free social media tools out there is a critical mistake.

Social media is not just about promotions and advertising; it’s about building relationships – as crucial to business success whether in-store or online. As such, don’t inundate people with all-about-you posts; keep the needs of your customers in mind. (A good rule of thumb is to post in a 4-1-1 ratio where: 4 = new pieces, 1 = self-serving post i.e.: promoting yourself and/or your business, 1 = a re-share.)

Also keep in mind that 92% of consumers say they trust word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family compared to only 36% who trust sponsored ads on social networking sites – so unique and updated content is king! (Use stuff that people will want to share and you’ll gain new fans and consequently new customers!)

And if that hasn’t changed your mind here are a few statistics that just might convince you that SM is where you need to be and is indeed a valuable marketing tool:

• 43% of B2B (business to business) and 77% of B2C (business to consumer) have acquired a customer through Facebook
• 51% of consumers said they are more likely to buy a product after ‘liking’ it on Facebook
• 61% of consumers interact with companies on SM to receive discounts
• 95% of brands do not respond to comments by users – leaving the door wide open between you and your competitor!
• 42% of companies have acquired a customer via Twitter
• 64% of Twitterers are more likely to make purchases from businesses that answer their questions on Twitter
• 59% of Pinterest users report making a purchase after having seen the product on Pinterest

When deciding to delve into social media start small, find out where your target audience is (do they hang out more on Facebook or LinkedIn?), and choose what makes sense for your business. Look at what other successful companies in your industry are doing and replicate; there’s no point in reinventing the wheel! Perhaps most importantly, don’t forget to establish what success will look like to you (20 new fans every month; five mentions on Facebook; 50 links over to your website from your Facebook page; an increase of 20% in online sales thanks to Facebook or Twitter promotions; etc.) and modify your social media strategy as necessary.

When used strategically social media can help you increase sales and attract customers. That’s a definite return on investment for a few minutes a day!

African-Canadian Career Excellence (ACCE) is a CEDEC programme that aims to help educated Blacks establish and grow rewarding careers in their field in the Greater Montreal Area. ACCE has one of the longest anticipated timelines of any CEDEC project, with activities and objectives planned across a twenty year span. The ultimate objective is to engage educated Black youth into the Quebec labour market by ensuring university graduates are able to find gainful and sustained employment in their fields of interest.

Our previous blog posts have documented the story of Tamara, a Haitian woman who has faced the challenge of finding work in a province with a history of employment and employability struggles for many minority groups; in particular, for Blacks. After a year of programme development, 2013 will mark the unveiling of some of ACCE`s first milestones along the road to helping educated Blacks find meaningful employment in the Quebec labour market.

In the fall of 2011, ACCE initiated the first in a series of annual studies to identify the needs and employment challenges facing Black students in the city of Montreal. Over 90 Black undergraduate students from the four major universities participated and shared their experiences, wants, and needs as aspiring workers, innovators, and leaders in the province of Quebec.

Based on the survey results, four topic-themed training workshops will be offered this summer to African-Canadian undergraduate students in Montreal. The workshops will provide support tools and orientation to young African-Canadian graduates with the goal of increasing their retention in Québec and decreasing outmigration to Toronto and other large metropolitan areas in pursuit of employment opportunities.

Left to right: Dorothy W. Williams (BCRC), Larissa Milo-Dale (CEDC), Dwight Best (ACSioN), Karima West (ACCE volunteer)

In November, a 5 à 7-style event in downtown Montreal will formally introduce the ACCE initiative to the various faculties and student bodies from the four universities of the city and highlight the two key partners, the Black Community Resource Centre (BCRC) and the African-Caribbean Students Network (ACSioN).

At this occasion, the 2011 Undergraduate Survey Summary Report will also be released to the public: we will share the study’s major findings on Black student experiences and career aspirations from the 2011-2012 academic year and encourage faculty and staff to engage students for future ACCE surveys. The committee responsible for bringing this report together is pictured above.

By this time, the Graduate Student Survey will be underway (to be conducted from September-December 2013) and stakeholders will be invited to promote it to both students and faculty. Presenting the ACCE programme, sharing the elements we have accomplished thus far, and revealing a long-term intention will all support our solicitation for participation in these studies. The report for the Graduate Student survey will be published in the spring of 2014.

If you or someone in your network represents an organization that holds a vested interest in issues of employment equity for Blacks and minority groups in Quebec or across Canada and would like to know more about opportunities to speak at or sponsor the ACCE event in November, please contact Larissa at larissa.milo-dale@cedec.ca. For more information on ACCE, please visit the ACSioN webpage.

Coopérative de développement regional (CDR) Québec Appalaches co-op business advisors Anne-Julie Poirier and Anabelle Perron are busy these days sharing their knowledge and their passion for the values, flexibility and, most of all, the reasons behind opting for a co-op business model.

Participants learned about the different co-op business models.

Recently, the expert duo shared their passion at CEDEC SBSN’s Go Co-op for your business model! workshop at Québec City’s charming new “terroir” grocery store, La Coopérative Les Grands Rangs.

Les Grands Rangs Manager Amélie Tendland explained that the goal behind the co-op was to connect small, rural agricultural producers in Portneuf with their urban consumers in the big city down the road. Through this business, a collaborative effort has emerged between the producers who have products on the shelves and the chefs from the neighbouring popular eatery Le Clocher Penché.

Participants savoured a scrumptious sampling of Quebec-produced cheeses, breads and fruits, which fueled their networking and increased their appetite for exploring business solutions cultivated collectively, collaboratively and through decisions made democratically.

Ever wondered what the co-op model could bring to your business? Discover the variety of co-ops out there!

New SBSN members Joey Hayes and his son, Spencer, make use of the opportunity to promote their Seagro products, which include amongst other things, gardening soils, protective fences, and other gardening and landscaping products and services.

Planting the seeds of economic opportunity was the main purpose behind the Growing Forward Gardening Forum in Hopetown on March 23. With the numbers of participants far surpassing expectation, it looks like we may have a formidable harvest of local products and new entrepreneurs.

More than 70 people travelled great distances to take part in the various gardening workshops which featured experts on topics concerning fine herb production, wild foraging, market gardening, heritage seeds, biodiversity, and how to turn their gardening into an economic opportunity.

Turning your green thumb into a different kind of green

Recently, CEDEC has promoted the development of a farmers market circuit in certain municipalities in the Gaspesie to provide increased venues for food producers and artisans to sell their wares and create a broader network of agri-businesses.

Last July, Shigawake hosted a very successful local products festival which highlighted the great potential and demand for other sites.

David Felker of CEDEC presented this new opportunity to the community of Hopetown to inspire potential producers to turn their passion for gardening and any underused land into an entrepreneurial venture.

“The Gaspé coast is quite a little tourist hot spot in the spring and summer months with various festivals and fairs,” says David Felker of CEDEC. “These farmers markets are an important attraction too. At low-cost, hobby gardeners can turn a profit by selling fresh local products and produce to tourists who have pointed out a lack of local produce.”

CEDEC is promoting this opportunity to inspire citizens to build their community’s economic potential and create their own revenue from these events. And it’s not just about selling products to tourists. Business to business partnerships were proposed as well. Ron Dulbec, owner of La Ferme Restaurant located in Paspebiac, announced that he is looking for local gardeners to supply him with what he needs; another opportunity.

Jennifer Hayes, Revitalization Agent for the MRC of Bonaventure (a CEDEC, CLD, and CASA collaborative project) and primary organizer of the event, envisions future developmental opportunities that stem directly from this event. “We’re just beginning to recognize the potential of our agricultural resources here,” says Hayes. “If we can align our developmental goals with a strong group of mobilized individuals, we could be on our way to achieving the beginnings of a golden age of agriculture here on the Gaspe coast.”

About the presentations :

The day began with a presentation by Annie Poitras who shared her best organic gardening practices and Brigitte Beaudoin, resident of Cascapedia-St. Jules educated her group with all there is to know about garlic. Etienne Goyer from Jardin du Village in Caplan provided some insight on how to grow your gardening hobby into a gardening business.

SBSN member Etienne Goyer, owner of Jardin du Village, demonstrates how to sell products from your garden for a profit.

“I think market farming is the most exciting trend in farming these days,” said Goyer. “I am very passionate about growing for the local market, and I was very pleased with the opportunity to share my experience with similarly-minded would-be entrepreneurs. The turn-out was tremendous, with an attendance of over 30 people just for my talk. I was quite surprised that the topic would be of interest to so many people!”

Lyne Bellemare came to the region to present on behalf of Seeds of Diversity, a national organization that boasts 1400 members from coast to coast who are dedicated to the conservation of seeds and plants of Canadian significance. Her presentation addressed how to collect and preserve your own heritage seeds as well as the importance of protecting biodiversity.

Lyne Bellemare from Seeds of Diversity gives a workshop on the importance of saving heritage seeds to, amongst other things, increase product!

Carole Chartier from Le Potager in Caplan spoke to the finer side of gardening with her insight into the growing, use and preservation of herbs and edible flowers, which led nicely into the final workshop of the day entitled From the Forest to your Table, which filled the room to capacity. Marjolaine Bernier Leduc and Christian Besnier of St. Godefroi shared their passion for wild foraging and identifying edible local fruits, spices and mushrooms from the forests of the Gaspésie.

Here is a list of the top 10 common mistakes that start-ups and small companies make:

1- Not being financially responsible – A lot of small business owners and start-ups will want to put their all into their business – including their savings. The purpose of the business, however, is to make it work for you, not to send you into bankruptcy. You should start by determining how much capital you’ll need to operate your business for the first year, keeping your initial capital separate from your income. The income of your first year should become the capital for your second year of business. If you do this, the only amounts you will need to finance are your initial capital and any possible growth you may want to introduce above and beyond the initial start-up period. You should also determine what your main, up-front costs will be, for example professional fees and payments, technology costs, administrative costs, sales and marketing costs, and employee wages.

2- Not determining your niche beforehand – Just saying you’re a web designer or a carpenter is much too vague; this puts you in the running with hundreds of other business owners in your region. By saying you specialize in creating websites for veterinary supply companies or that you specialize in custom building and installation of cupboards in heritage houses provides you with an important edge over generalists. Find out what you’re really good at or what you’re passionate about and build your business offerings around that niche market.

3- Failing to plan – As the old saying goes, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Of course all businesses start with a great idea, but an idea is just an idea after all; it’s not a business or marketing plan. Without concrete elements built around your idea, you won’t be able to set sales goals or business growth objectives.  Your business plan should guide you, not constrain you.

4- Spending too much on advertising, websites – Back in the day you had little choice in business advertising: print or TV ads – both of which are very expensive especially for a small business or start-up. Traditionally, small businesses could only afford the small ad way down in the corner of a back page – which isn’t going to get you very many customers. Today, with the advent of social media, you can stand out in a targeted market for little to no cost. Do some on-line research regarding how to use social media for business, ask a friend  or better yet, sign up for CEDEC SBSN’s upcoming workshop ‘Social Media: Promoting Your Business While You Sleep”. Additionally, don’t accept the first print shop’s business card printing fees. Shop around or use really affordable and user-friendly on-line services like vistaprint.ca or moo.com. Barter your services with a graphic or web designer for your cards, brochures or website. As for websites, there are a lot of options out there for you to create and manage your own (CMS or Content Management Systems) such as WordPress, Vistaprint or Weebly.

5- Not being where your target audience is – Does it make sense to hand out fliers for a manicure business outside of a sports bar? Not really. Do your homework: who is your target audience (age group, male/female, and other important demo- and psychographics) and where do they generally congregate? Most importantly, don’t overlook where they’re congregating on-line. Facebook, for instance, has a handy little analytics tool so once you’ve set up a business profile page you can check in and see who is ‘liking’ your content, where they live, and more.

6- Promoting yourself rather than your solutions (benefits not features) – It’s not the features of your product or service that actually clinch the sale, but the benefits those features can provide and solutions for your customers. Furthermore, you shouldn’t be promoting yourself and your credentials. Instead, give specific examples of solutions you’ve come up with for clients with similar problems. Make sure that potential clients who visit your website are able to quickly pick up on what kind of solution you’re offering and can easily reach out to you for help (meaning, if they have to search for five minutes all over your site for contact info, you’ve lost a sale!).

7- Using cookie cutter marketing solutions for your business – The business world is not high school: you don’t call your friend up and ask what they’re wearing tomorrow so you can plan to wear the same outfit – so why would you use the same marketing tactics as your next door business neighbour? You can certainly explore what marketing tools are being used in your industry, but you’ll have to figure out which will work and should be applied to your unique business situation best.

8- Not being flexible – There was a marvelous book a few years back called ‘Do One Thing Different’, the basic premise of which is that if you keep doing the same things and getting the same unwanted results, simply switch out one little element in that string to get vastly different results. By being flexible and open to experimenting with various elements of your business you might just end up with a whole new product line or service or find your niche.

9- Ignoring criticism and feedback - The ability to accept criticism can determine your learning curve and ultimately whether you succeed or fail. This doesn’t mean every criticism is valid or offered in a constructive manner, but you should learn to listen to customers’ feedback to modify and develop your service offerings for optimal sales.

10- Not seeking out the right resources/advisors – Quebec has a growing culture of entrepreneurialism and, along with that, hundreds, if not thousands, of advisors whose jobs are to help your business succeed. If you’re unsure of what to do about a particular business challenge, don’t pull your hair out; ask someone who works with other entrepreneurs and similar challenges on a daily basis. For starters you can connect with the CEDEC Small Business Support Network!

At the first Foire des entrepreneurs, held by the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Québec, you’ll find the tools you need for your business. Don’t miss it!

Foire des entrepreneurs

 ExpoCité – Thursday, April 25, 2013.

Doors open at 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Look for the CEDEC Small Business Support Network. Our team will be on-hand to answer questions and provide information on our upcoming events across the province.

Don’t miss this opportunity to talk about your business challenges and opportunities with representatives from organizations businesses that serve entrepreneurs,  Take in presentations by well-known entrepreneurs, tour kiosks and network with other small business owners onsite.

If you’re a CEDEC SBSN member, let us know if you’re planning to attend. We hope to see you there!

Become a CEDEC SBSN member

Before the days of internet, a new business introduced itself by advertising in the local paper, sending flyers and passing out business cards. With the introduction of the internet, online marketing became a faster and more cost effective way to reach more people. With time, businesses became to realize that it is not a matter of one method being better than the other, it is about being complimentary: If you mail a promotional flyer, you can monitor your website activity to determine the effectiveness of your mailing.

Offline marketing is about working locally and many small businesses overlook their most valuable customers, local people. For example, figuring out where locals gather and strategically placing advertisements and business cards are ways to increase your business’ visibility at the local level. Finding clients this way can be time consuming but the positive word of mouth marketing can be very rewarding. It is a much more personal approach and will ultimately give you much more credibility and authority than businesses that only operate on-line (it’s a lot easier to pass yourself off as an expert online).

Join us, your customers and business will benefit!

Workshop Information: Marketing as Talk, Not Tech with presenter Diana Lidstone
May 2, 2013 at 7 pm
Chateauguay Valley Career Education Centre – 54 rue Roy, Ormstown, QC

Price:
$35.00 General admission
$30.00 CEDEC SBSN members (to become a member and benefit from the reduced price please register at www.cedec.ca/sbsn/become-a-member/)

For more information please contact: frederick.perrier@cedec.ca
Click here to register

Montreal, QC – March 28, 2013  – In response to today’s official announcement from Hon. James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, on the renewal of the Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages 2013-2018, CEDEC is pleased to share that it will be well positioned to continue creating entrepreneurial communities and strengthening the labour force.

“Today’s announcement outlining the scope of the renewed Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages sends an important signal that our efforts, and those of our colleagues RDÉE Canada, to contribute to Canada’s prosperity through business development, job growth and community economic development are recognized as achieving results,” said John Buck, Executive Director of CEDEC.

As part of the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2013, the Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages 2013-2018 was confirmed as a continued priority to strengthen Canada’s economy through strategic investments in Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs) of Canada.

During the 2008-2013 Roadmap CEDEC effectively supported communities to innovate, thrive and become more resilient through the execution of well-planned projects supported with meaningful partnerships. Small businesses benefited as well from support through the CEDEC Small Business Support Network (SBSN).

CEDEC SBSN is the only resource actively connecting English-speaking small business owners across Quebec. CEDEC SBSN supports small businesses by providing access to networking, professional development, and personalized services enabling them to be more competitive in the global economy. CEDEC is also positioned to support businesses to navigate the language, legal, and jurisdiction opportunities that are unique to Quebec in order to facilitate new economic development initiatives and partnerships across Canada.

“In 2012, entrepreneurs represented only 10.2% of Quebec’s population compared to 17.5% in the rest of Canada. Clearly, there is still a lot of work to do to support the development of small businesses in Quebec and CEDEC will continue to focus on results based on the sustained contributions available through the renewed Roadmap announced today,” said Buck.  “Partnerships are critical to our work, even more now as we seek additional ways to leverage the resources available in the Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages for 2013-2018, as well as those announced in the Economic Action Plan 2013 last week.

Strong businesses also require a strong labour force. Quebec’s highly bilingual and multilingual labour force is a key opportunity yet to be fully tapped. To ensure that Canada is competitive in a global economy, CEDEC works with strategic partners to address labour force opportunities and to identify the training, skills, and investments required for workers’ full participation and alignment with labour market demands.

On-going support for efforts such as these is essential if we are to continue to make a positive impact on the development of an entrepreneurial culture in Quebec for innovation, productivity, economic growth and, ultimately, wealth creation,

CEDEC is a leading partner and driving force for community economic development and employability.  A volunteer-driven organization, CEDEC sparks economic innovation in building forward-looking, prosperous and confident communities across Quebec through sharing expertise, knowledge and building partnerships.

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Source:
Kirsten Hathaway
Communications Officer
514.755.7043
kirsten.hathaway@cedec.ca
www.cedec.ca

In recognition of this important opportunity, CEDEC organized “Entrepreneurship in Quebec”, a bilingual forum held on Friday, March 22 in Montreal.

Facilitated by Noah Redler, owner of NR Project Development and Publikit, the purpose of this conference was to discover new opportunities to stimulate entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development. Guest speakers discussed business incubation and mentorship as a means to stimulate economic opportunity.

Rina Marchand, Director of Products and Innovation at the Fondation de l’entrepreneurship presented a portrait of entrepreneurship in Quebec.  She stressed that the Fondation’s main objective is to increase the overall number of entrepreneurs and promote entrepreneurial culture in Quebec.

Michel Auger, Head Mentor at Réseau M at the Fondation de l’entrepreneurship, discussed how much mentorship can help the small business owner and ultimately contribute to a strong, sustainable economy.

Mr. Auger said that today, 2500 mentees have benefited from mentoring services at 82 service points across Quebec. He went on to say that a successful mentorship is contingent on a good matching system.

Presentations given by the Fondation de l’entrepreneurship

Daniel Béliveau, Executive Director of the Entrepreneurial Centre in Shawinigan, told the story of how the centre was created and the impact it has had on entrepreneurs in the area and the sustainability of the economy in this region.

Frédérick Perrier, of CEDEC, presented the results of a recent study on business incubation and how CEDEC is planning on incorporating business incubation into its activities.

Business Incubator Report given by Frédérick Perrier

Thanks to the active discussion that the presentations stimulated among participants, there is general interest and sentiment in developing a collaborative approach to support the development of SME’s in Quebec and increase access to services in order to foster success and business innovation. This will be essential if we are to make a positive impact on the development of an entrepreneurial culture in Quebec for wealth creation, innovation, productivity and economic growth.

“Entrepreneurs are the driving force behind the new businesses that bring innovations to market, launch novel industries and create high-paying jobs. … These dynamic business owners can inspire others to start exciting new ventures and offer valuable advice to the next generation of Canadian entrepreneurs”, CANADA’S ECONOMIC ACTION PLAN 2013, p 206, Promoting an Entrepreneurial Culture in Canada.

CEDEC is a leading partner and driving force for community economic development and employability.  A volunteer-driven organization, CEDEC sparks economic innovation in building forward-looking, prosperous and confident communities across Quebec through sharing expertise, knowledge and building partnerships.

The CEDEC Small Business Support Network (SBSN) supports communities across Quebec by providing personalized business development services in English.  It is the only provincial network positioned to help English-speaking entrepreneurs network, acquire new skills, and build successful businesses that are competitive in the global economy.