A little can go a long way St. John s restaurant puts winnings from national contest to good use

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THE WATER COOLER A little can go a long way St. John s restaurant puts winnings from national contest to good use WINNING $10,000 is always welcome, especially if you happen to own a small business.

across the country to win a grant from the Canadian arm of this human resources services firm. The St. John s restaurant was one of two Atlantic Canadian small businesses to win $10,000.

1 THE WATER COOLER A little can go a long way St. John s restaurant puts winnings from national contest to good use WINNING $10,000 is always welcome, especially if you happen to own a small business. That s what happened to Chinched Bistro co-owners Michelle LeBlanc and Shaun Hussey, as they recently won $10,000 from ADP Canada s Small Business Grant contest one of six small businesses from across the country to win a grant from the Canadian arm of this human resources services firm. The St. John s restaurant was one of two Atlantic Canadian small businesses to win $10,000. Halifax Mermaids was the other business from the region to reap the rewards from applying to the contest. The cash infusion came in handy for a business with just 12 employees and run by the husband and wife team of LeBlanc and Hussey. She says they used the winnings to update the décor of their bistro, including changing artwork and the colour of the establishment. It was winning the contest that gave us that little bit of cash we wouldn t normally have had to do these things. Along with the $10,000, there was another advantage to entering the contest in this age of social media it gave the business some free publicity. LeBlanc says once she submitted the application for the contest, anyone could vote for the restaurant to be a finalist, which Chinched Bistro promoted on its Twitter and Facebook feeds. ADP Canada also promoted the voting portion of the contest on social media. Since being named a winner of the contest, LeBlanc says she has done some radio interviews and had the bistro featured in the trade Chinched Bistro in St. John s, owned by Michelle LeBlanc and Shaun Hussey, was one of two small businesses in Atlantic Canada to win $10,000 publication, Atlantic Restaurant News. The win has resulted in advertising that would have cost Chinched Bistro thousands of its own dollars to pay for. It definitely provided a little bit of promotion for us, LeBlanc says. 12 Atlantic Business Magazine November/December 2015

Pounding the pavement P.E.I. association hit the road to hear from women entrepreneurs HANNAH BELL and the P.E.I. Business Women s Association did their best rock band impersonation in 2015, going on tour across the gentle island.

We re a provincial organization based in Charlottetown and it s easy to sit at your desk, says Bell, the Association s executive director.

Every Monday from late June until the end of August, Bell and Association staff held gatherings (nine in total) in different areas throughout the province.

It also allowed the Association to hear about the challenges P.E.I. women are facing running their businesses.

2 Pounding the pavement P.E.I. association hit the road to hear from women entrepreneurs HANNAH BELL and the P.E.I. Business Women s Association did their best rock band impersonation in 2015, going on tour across the gentle island. Dubbed the The Great PEIBWA Road Trip, the Association spent the summer visiting communities to get feedback from women involved in business. We re a provincial organization based in Charlottetown and it s easy to sit at your desk, says Bell, the Association s executive director. But when you re standing on their doorstep and having a conversation, that s when they will tell you how they feel. Every Monday from late June until the end of August, Bell and Association staff held gatherings (nine in total) in different areas throughout the province. The meetings served to inform businesswomen about the services the Association can provide for them like the formal mentoring program it launched this year. It also allowed the Association to hear about the challenges P.E.I. women are facing running their businesses. Two of the challenges that came up often during the visits included the lack of recognition on the value of small businesses, many of them run by women, to the P.E.I. economy When you re standing on their doorstep and having a conversation, that s when they will tell you how they feel. Hannah Bell executive director P.E.I. Business Women s Association and the lack of government support being provided to small service and product-based businesses compared to the information technology and bioscience sectors. Solving these challenges isn t easy, but thanks to the road trip, the Association knows what concerns its membership and can work on ways to address them. Being in business is really hard, Bell says. We re looking at ways to support women and help their businesses grow. Mulitiple locations in downtown St.John s, NL. Fully furnished office and boardroom spaces with complimentary internet and refreshments. No contracts just settle in and get to work! businessportals.ca info@businessportals.ca 40 Quidi Vidi Rd. St. John s, NL atlanticbusinessmagazine.com Atlantic Business Magazine 13

THE WATER COOLER Search and rescue Looking for an investor to fund your bright business idea?

I needed someone else s money to finish it off, says Ross, who now owns and operates Sunshine Renewable Energy in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. But where can you find these investors?

Yet there are avenues where entrepreneurs can unearth the people to provide the financing to turn a business dream into a reality.

pollen attracts bees. If you think you ve got a great business idea, then you need to get off your keister and attend as many of these functions as possible.

Crowd funding This is the practice of funding a venture by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically through the Internet.

Family or friends Don t discount relatives and friends as potential investors. Yes, it can be tricky getting a loan from your brother or a high school buddy.

3 THE WATER COOLER Search and rescue Looking for an investor to fund your bright business idea? Here are some options WHEN RICHARD ROSS was trying to get his business off the ground, he knew he needed to find other sources of capital besides himself. I had given all the money I could into it. I needed someone else s money to finish it off, says Ross, who now owns and operates Sunshine Renewable Energy in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. But where can you find these investors? John Beaton, senior manager of entrepreneurship development with the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development in Halifax, says that s a common problem for first-time business owners. Yet there are avenues where entrepreneurs can unearth the people to provide the financing to turn a business dream into a reality. Networking and competitions Events that showcase novel startup ideas like Nova Scotia s I-3 Technology Competition or entrepreneur networking conferences like Mashup Weekend attract investors like pollen attracts bees. If you think you ve got a great business idea, then you need to get off your keister and attend as many of these functions as possible. They are a great way to reach out to investors, Beaton says. Crowd funding This is the practice of funding a venture by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically through the Internet. Beaton says it can be a great option for startups. But it works better if you are selling a product or catering to a gap in society, not so much if you are selling a service, Beaton says. Family or friends Don t discount relatives and friends as potential investors. Yes, it can be tricky getting a loan from your brother or a high school buddy. But the advantage is they can be more willing to provide the cash because they trust you to use their money wisely. You have already established your character with them, Beaton says. WE SHIP INTERNATIONALLY FROM TOWN TO THE BAY OR EVEN TO HONG KONG OUR LOCAL AND NATIONAL SHIPPING WILL GET YOUR PACKAGE TO ITS DESTINATION, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. A TRADITION OF SERVICE MILLENNIUM EXPRESS IS A FAMILY AT HEART. WE TREAT OUR CUSTOMERS TO THE CARE AND ATTENTION WE SHOW OUR OWN. LET US QUOTE YOUR DELIVERY TODAY. ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED 100% Newfoundland-owned and operated since /7 Customer Support 165 McNamara Drive, Paradise, NL Atlantic Business Magazine November/December 2015

Hoop dreams Investors gamble that pro basketball can be profitable in Halifax DON MILLS says it was easy to find people besides himself to bankroll another professional basketball team in Halifax.

But Mills is confident the team will succeed on and off the court. The group has developed a three-year business plan and the goal is to be profitable by the end of its third year.

Mills is no slouch in the business department himself. He is the CEO and co-founder of Corporate Research Associates, a Halifax-based public opinion and market research firm.

4 Hoop dreams Investors gamble that pro basketball can be profitable in Halifax DON MILLS says it was easy to find people besides himself to bankroll another professional basketball team in Halifax. That s surprising considering the city s last entry in the eightteam National Basketball League of Canada, the Halifax Rainmen, declared bankruptcy this summer. But Mills is confident the team will succeed on and off the court. The group has developed a three-year business plan and the goal is to be profitable by the end of its third year. Whereas Mills describes the Rainmen as a cash-strapped franchise, the new Halifax team has an impressive roster of 25 investors, including developers Jim Spatz and Wadih Fares. Mills is no slouch in the business department himself. He is the CEO and co-founder of Corporate Research Associates, a Halifax-based public opinion and market research firm. While the goal is to turn a profit in three years, it s unlikely the investors will make a killing off of the team. However, Mills says the group is thinking beyond bank accounts with their involvement in this basketball franchise, which didn t have a name as this magazine went to press. They see professional basketball as an asset to Halifax, Mills says. This is part of building an interesting and exciting city for people to live and work in. 1,000 The number of season ticket holders the franchise wants to have within three years 40,000 The number of people in the Halifax urban core who said they would attend at least one professional basketball game a year 90% The percentage of Haligonians who believe a professional basketball team is good for the city. Source: Halifax Professional Basketball Club Inc. market study atlanticbusinessmagazine.com Atlantic Business Magazine V26 N indd 15 Date: Page: 15.p1.pdf :46 AM

and a leg. Shipping costs are a limiting factor, admits Leblanc, who started Maritime Madness Inc.

If Leblanc can solve his shipping cost quandary, Maritime Madness could go from being a niche business to one that s a

-made maple syrup, honey and jelly, it s the hot sauces that are its signature product made (mostly) from peppers grown on

He just has to find a way to get them there cost-effectively.

besides the typical hot sauces to spice up their meals.

5 THE WATER COOLER Outmigration P.E.I. hot sauce company looks to the west for growth opportunities EMIEL LEBLANC S hot sauce flavours are a hit in the friendly confines of Eastern Canada. But how can his small business (he says he has one-and-a-half employees besides himself) located in rural P.E.I. get to the next level? Leblanc says a key piece of the puzzle is finding a way to get his hot sauces to Western Canada without it costing an arm and a leg. Shipping costs are a limiting factor, admits Leblanc, who started Maritime Madness Inc. in his hometown of Cardigan in If Leblanc can solve his shipping cost quandary, Maritime Madness could go from being a niche business to one that s a household name. While the business sells other items, such as P.E.I.-made maple syrup, honey and jelly, it s the hot sauces that are its signature product made (mostly) from peppers grown on the island. Emiel Leblanc of Cardigan, P.E.I. believes Western Canada is hungry for his Maritime Madness hot sauces. He just has to find a way to get them there cost-effectively. Photos by Mandy Leblanc Maritime Madness has tapped into a market of food lovers who are looking for something different besides the typical hot sauces to spice up their meals. Leblanc s sauces can be found at 72 Sobeys stores across Atlantic Canada, although they are sold under Miracle Sauce brand. He says they are also found at retail outlets in every province except Manitoba. However, his reach in Western Canada is limited to a handful of stores. He would like to change that. One option is to subcontract production to someone in the West. But his preferred solution is finding a Western Canada-based distributor that can get Maritime Madness products in more stores west of Ontario. We could send the products to them and then they could ship orders from Western Canada, Leblanc says. The more locations we are at, the more customers we can get. 16 Atlantic Business Magazine November/December 2015

New and improved Could a new home make a Saint John organization a beehive of entrepreneurship? THE Saint John Community Loan Fund is moving up in the world.

The building will be 15,000 square feet and have three floors. Seth Asimakos, the Fund s general manager, says getting the facility built has been its dream since 2009.

Training in financial literacy, community leadership, enterprise development and youth entrepreneurship is also provided.

We re hoping it will expand our ability to take risks and innovate, Asimakos says. The facility will be built next to the Fund s current location on Prince Edward Street.

6 New and improved Could a new home make a Saint John organization a beehive of entrepreneurship? THE Saint John Community Loan Fund is moving up in the world. This summer, the organization reached its goal of raising the $2.3 million it needed to build a new home for itself, something it s calling the Social Enterprise Hub. The building will be 15,000 square feet and have three floors. Seth Asimakos, the Fund s general manager, says getting the facility built has been its dream since The Fund gets its capital from various investors and then uses that cash to provide loans to people in the community so they can start businesses, get back to work or obtain housing. Training in financial literacy, community leadership, enterprise development and youth entrepreneurship is also provided. The Fund has been around since 1999 but it s never had a home quite like this facility, which should be completed by April or May of We re hoping it will expand our ability to take risks and innovate, Asimakos says. The facility will be built next to the Fund s current location on Prince Edward Street. The first floor will house a social enterprise cafeteria and a cluster of micro-enterprises launched by the Fund. The Saint John Learning Exchange will occupy the second floor, training people to get their grade 12 diploma or gain workplace skills. The third floor will have nonprofit organizations like the Atlantic Coastal Action Centre as tenants. By housing non-profits and small businesses in the same building, Asimakos expects a lot of brainstorming on how to create more businesses and social enterprises in Saint John. It s a neat mix of organizations, Asimakos says. I think we ll come up with new ideas while we are in the space and that means more businesses started and more income and taxes generated here. The Saint John Community Loan Fund is moving into a larger space to foster even more creativity and entrepreneurship for poverty reduction. The 15,000 square foot building will be located at 139 Prince Edward St. and encompass three floors. The Hub City Advantage: Moncton Industrial Development We re designing, fabricating and shipping components to the Gulf of Mexico, the Asian Pacific, and West Africa for clients such as Total and Shell Energy from right here in Caledonia Industrial Estates. Kim Carruthers, President Maritime Hydraulic / MHD Offshore Group Moncton s highway, rail, and air links make it the central transportation hub of the Maritimes. With land available in two strategically located industrial parks Moncton Industrial Park West, and Caledonia Industrial Estates and a highly skilled bilingual workforce, the Hub City is all the advantage your business needs. 655 Main Street, Moncton NB E1C 1E mid@nb.aibn.com atlanticbusinessmagazine.com Atlantic Business Magazine 17

BUILDING THE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE HUB

SCALING IMPACT THROUGH COLLABORATION BUILDING THE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE HUB SAINT JOHN, NB Presentation by: Seth Asimakos, GM, Presentation for: Local Prosperity Conference, Miramichi, NB November 4, 2016