We’re collecting comments in many ways. One is through posters in library branches.

We’re in the process of updating the Whitby Public Library’s strategic plan and we’re looking for your input. We’re actually looking for input from a wide variety of Whitby residents, but we’d definitely like to hear what the business community has to say.

You can comment on our Facebook page, send us an email, write out your thoughts on posters at our branches and more. Or, you could attend one of our public forums. We’re holding them on Wednesday, June 26th, at 1 PM and 7 PM. You can join us at the Central Library or at the Brooklin Community Centre and Library, whichever is more convenient for you. Please register for one of the sessions on our events page so we have an idea of how many people to expect:

• - 10 -11 AM, Central Library
  - 10-11 AM, Brooklin Community Centre & Library
  - 7-8 PM, Central Library
  - 7-8 PM, Brooklin Community Centre & Library

Help us plan for the future!

Ignite is an entrepreneurial program started in Durham Region, sponsored by the Spark Centre, Region of Durham and other community partners. Over the last several months, entrepreneurs have been working through a series of challenges. Over 100 companies applied. Successful applicants first learned how to craft an effective pitch, then applied those newfound skills in front of Ignite’s Power Panel at Pitch Night. From there, five successful candidates further honed their entrepreneurial skills with additional training, and made a boardroom presentation and interview.

After all of this, two successful candidates were named the Ignite Start-ups of 2013. They received intensive entrepreneurial training at the Ignite Boot Camp, where they received expert advice, support services and cash. And everything culminates in this month’s finale – the successful applicants (and entrepreneurship in general) are celebrated with a celebration that includes some great guest speakers, lively discussion and a street party!

So come out and enjoy the finale! Tickets are $45 per person ($60 at the door). The fantastic array of guest speakers include Bruce Croxon of Dragon’s Den fame, as well as author Tim Ferriss (check out his books here).

For more info (and tickets), visit the Ignite Durham website.

The internet is what they call a ‘disruptive’ technology. That means that it’s disruptive to a great many fields, causing massive change. It isn’t intended as a value statement, as in this change is good or bad, but the change is taking place nevertheless. Books and libraries are a good example of this, but that’s a post for another blog. Another example is advertising. Not so long ago, advertising revolved around traditional media like newspapers, TV and radio. Now, we have online advertising, Facebook, Twitter, etc., etc. – everything has changed and no one really knows what the future of advertising will be.

But advertising is still with us, and while TV, radio and newspaper advertising is diminished, it’s still a major force. And if you’d like to see the best of the best of all form of advertising, look no further than our collection. Every year, the Marketing magazine releases its annual Marketing Awards issue, showing Canada’s best commercials and campaigns. And for a broader perspective, check out books like Terry O’Reilly’s Age of Persuasion or James Twitchell’s Twenty Ads That Shook the World. And of course, we have a whole section on the subject.

 

Or so says a new book. Social Media is Bulls**t (the actual book doesn’t star out any letters, but this is a family blog), by B.J. Mendelson, posits exactly that. Mendelson makes several points in the book, but here are some highlights:

Much of the hype about social media comes from people who profit from that hype through speaker’s fees, consultant’s fees and book deals. Be skeptical of people who call themselves experts.

• Most things that go ‘viral’ are driven more by celebrities, corporations or traditional media. In other words, it’s extremely rare for an amateur to create something that everyone watches or read – in Mendelson’s words, you have better odds of getting struck by lightning than going viral.
• The number of followers, fans, likes, etc., is meaningless. What matters is how often people visit your website, how long they stay and how often they click on the ‘buy’ button.
• You don’t need to be on Twitter, Facebook, et al. What you need is a good website and maybe a blog. And neither of these things need to be expensive – you could set up a free WordPress blog, which is what we did.
• Large corporations see social media as a loss leader, but most small businesspeople can’t afford to invest time and money into loss leaders.

His most important point is summed up by this quote: “Offline matters more than online.” In other words, business success depends on old-fashioned ideas like having a good product or service and real-world connections.

It’s an interesting and provocative read. Check it out.

If you know a high school student who would like to start his or her own business, there’s a contest that could help them along their way. The prize? A spot in the Summer Company. The Summer Company program provides start-up funds ($3000), coaching and mentoring to help young entrepreneurs get established in the business world.

To enter the contest, create a two-minute pitch video. If your video gets enough votes and is liked by a panel of judges, you’ll be one of 18 finalists chosen to pitch in person in Toronto. Full details can be found at the Make Your Pitch homepage.

Summer Company is aimed at 15 to 29 year olds, but this contest is for high school students only.

For more information (and help on any business question), contact the Business Advisory Centre Durham. Good luck!

 

Many of us have Facebook accounts, but what about LinkedIn? LinkedIn has been called the Facebook of business networking. It can help you stay in touch with friends and colleagues, make connections to further your business and career, and might even be a place to seek advice.

Want to learn more about LinkedIn? Join us on Monday, April 22 at 7:00 PM at the Central Library. Join us as we review how LinkedIn works and what you can do to make it work for your business.

Please note that registration is required. You can register online here or at any Whitby Library branch.

Lots of business programs in April!

On Monday the 15th, join us for Getting My Name Out There, presented by Bob Weese of B2B Sales Connections. This is the fourth session in our Small Business Series: What’s Marketing Got To Do With It?

Bob will talk about ‘Shoe Leather” marketing and give you ideas on how to sell your business on the street!  With cost effective marketing strategies and networking, learn how you can grow your sales.

Registration is required. To register please call the BACD at 905-668-4949; email clientservices@bacd.ca or register online at
http://www.bacd.ca/
.

Our final session, Presenting and Pitching your Business Idea, will be held on May 13. Save the date!

One of the more common business questions we receive relates to starting a business. Of course, there are many things an entrepreneur needs to do and know before they open – determining viability, business plans, financing, marketing, etc., etc., etc. But people often ask about another step – registration with the government. Where to start?

We’ve set up a page on this site (see the tabs above) called Starting Your Business to sum up of the registration information in one place. Mostly, we refer you to Canada Business Network’s Business Startup Checklist, an excellent resource that sums up some of the decisions you’ll need to make. For example, you’ll need to determine the best basic structure for your business – sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, so you’ll have to figure out what works best for you, possibly in consultation with a lawyer or other professional. This in turn leads to registering a business name and setting up a business number.

Check out our page and start your entrepreneurial journey on the right foot.

 

We like pictures of apples!

Don’t forget – the third session of our small business series ‘What’s Marketing Got To Do With It’ will take place on Monday the 18th here at the Central Library.

This session is called BRANDing in 5 steps and will be presented by Don McCallen of PostNet Whitby. Branding is more than your logo. It’s everything associated with your business. It’s your level of customer service, your business card, brochure, website, social media and how you carry yourself in your market.

Join us and learn more about effective branding. You can register online through the Business Advisory Centre Durham website, or call the BACD at 905-668-4949. You can also send them an email. See you there!

The Whitby Chamber of Commerce recently highlighted a terrific post from Inc.com about customer service. Entitled Turn Your Toughest Customer Into Your Biggest Fan, the author outlines seven tips that can help you turn your toughest, most cantankerous, hardest to please customer into a fan. It’s hard to distill the tips into a few words, but they generally come down to listening, being open to and accepting of criticism, and being positive. They’re great tips and can be used anywhere and anytime one has to deal directly with customers.

What’s more, the post refers to a book called Who’s Your Gladys: How To Turn Even The Most Difficult Customer Into Your Biggest Fan by Marilyn Suttle. As you may have guessed  from the link, this book is available at the Whitby Public Library and is one of several titles on customer relations and service. Learn more about making your customers happy at your library!