1. No category

HAMILTON BUSINESS LEADER
Richard Koroscil
President and CEO of the
JOHN C. MUNRO HAMILTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT p9
HAMILTON/HALTON
www.BUSINESSLINKNEWSPAPER.com
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 7, SEPTEMBER 2010
THOUGHT DEDICATION. YOU DECIDE WHAT
TO THINK, AND HOW TO REACT.
Hamilton Makes
Canadian
Investment Top 10
BY JEFFREY GITOMER
BY MICHAEL R. MARINI, MA, CERT. PR, APR
W
H
SALES MOVES WITH JEFFREY GITOMER
hat is the importance of attitude?
Every person, you included, wants to achieve
more, earn more, find happiness, be successful, and be
fulfilled. At the root of all these elements is attitude. Positive
attitude. Your positive attitude.
Every person, you included, instinctively knows that. Yet most
people, you included, don’t really possess a positive attitude. Oh,
you may think you do, but I promise you, you don’t.
• Most people don’t read about attitude.
• Most people don’t study attitude.
• Most people don’t practice attitude.
• Most people don’t live the essence of attitude.
• Most people don’t live the principles of attitude.
• Most people are not dedicated to attitude.
You included.
In fact, you may have never read a book on the subject
of attitude.
PAGE 5
BUILDING HAMILTON
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Mechanical Contractors
Association of Hamilton
The City of Burlington
Proudly serving since 1966!
This up-and-coming city has become one
Canada’s most attractive place to work and live.
PAGE 10
PAGE 14
amilton is once again one of the top places in Canada
to invest according to American based Site Selection
Magazine. Consistency in corporate project attraction, job creation,
regional partnership, proactive programming and quality data
and web resources distinguishes Site Selection’s Top Canadian
Economic Development Groups of 2010; placing Hamilton directly
in the Top 10. This ranking derived from tracking private-sector
facility projects around the world with Site Selection’s proprietary
Conway Data New Plant Database, which tallies projects when
they qualify according to one of three criteria: at least $1 million
invested, at least 50 new jobs created, or at least 20,000 sq. ft. of
space from June 1, 2009, through May 31, 2010.
“The City of Hamilton has displayed its prowess in cultivating
corporate projects, and there’s every reason to believe the city’s
success derives in part from the other factors we examine,” said
Adam Bruns, managing editor of Site Selection. “The Hamilton
Calling program is a first-rate example of what business
retention really means. The Web data and assistance offered
by the Economic Development & Real Estate Division is deep,
broad and to the point. Perhaps most important, the array of
programs and projects the team has a hand in shaping from
streamlined permitting to the Innovation District truly displays
regional partnership in action.”
Michael R. Marini, MA, Cert. PR, APR, Coordinator, Marketing
Economic Development & Real Estate Division, Planning
& Economic Development Department, City of Hamilton
Located at 71 Main St. West, 7th Floor, Hamilton, On L8P 4Y5
Phone: (905) 546-2424 ext. 1781 Fax: (905) 546-4107
michael.marini@hamilton.ca
Independently Owned and Operated
PUBLISH E R
The Business Link Niagara Ltd.
13 Secord Dr., Unit #3
St. Catharines, ON L2N 1K9
Tel: 905-646-9366
Fax: 905-646-5486
email: info@BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
CO-PUBLIS H E R S
Jim Shields, Adam Shields
DIRECTOR OF AD V E RT I S I N G
Julie Shields
SALES MAN A G E R
Dave Hicks
CONTRIBUTING W R I T E R S
J. Gitomer, M.R. Marini, J. Singer, B. Weatherdon
S. Leirsch, N. Thornton, B. Banner, S. Leslie, G. Visca
M.C. Vanderschouw
CIRCULAT I O N
The Business Link—Hamilton-Halton’s Business Newspaper is published 12 times per year and distributed to
26,000 businesses throughout the Hamilton and Halton
regions via Canada Post. For a detailed distribution list
please email: info@businesslinknewspaper.com
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damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond
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of the advertisement in which the error Occurred.
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may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, without prior permission of the Publishers.
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2
DEVELOP THE
MINDSET OF A
CHAMPION IN
YOUR SALES
CAREER
Proven Techniques to Skyrocket
Your Performance, Even During
Uncertain Times
behaviors and actions. Therefore, negative, pessimistic thoughts will ultimately lead to procrastination
and poor sales outcomes. Such thoughts actually
convince your mind that you will fail.
Action Plan 1: Keep a written journal of negative
thoughts that enter your mind regarding your sales
performance and notice the patterns. Then, use
rational thinking to counterpunch each negative
thought with a healthy, positive thought. Example:
Change “This economy will drive my customers
away now.” to “I don’t have to be successful with
every client. This is a numbers game. I am a sharp,
creative person and I’ll find new markets/customers
for my product, despite the economy. I’ll keep my
eyes open for opportunities, which I really believe
will present themselves.”
BY JACK SINGER, PH.D.
W
hy is it that some salespeople with the
most talent are often not the most successful? What gets in their way? How can some
sales people with less natural talent over-achieve
and reach much more sales success than their more
talented colleagues? Are there specific mental skills
that can lead anyone toward championship levels
of sales performance? What separates the mindset
of a champion from that of the also-rans?
Traditional sales training programs ignore the
biggest obstacles to success. Instead, they focus
on specific sales and closing techniques. But the
biggest obstacles are not sales talent, motivation
or knowledge of techniques. The biggest obstacles,
like those overcome by champion athletes, are the
internal, mental and emotional barriers that sales
professionals face on a daily basis.
Below are three powerful components of the
mindset of a champion. Put them into action today
and watch your sales performance skyrocket!
Take Charge of Your Internal Dialogue: Engage the
linguistic nutrition of championship performance
Your self-talk is the foundation of your belief system
and your belief system determines your attitudes
about your success or lack of it in your sales career.
Inner thoughts either set you up for success or failure. So often, people unconsciously use self-limiting
thoughts which prevent them from being successful.
It’s a form of unintended self-sabotage. Examples
of such self-talk phrases, are: “The economy will
make this a tough sell now” or “I’ll be lucky if I
make half the sales I made last year.” These kinds of
thoughts are like eating junk food once you decide
that a healthy eating lifestyle is just too difficult to
maintain. Your thoughts set you up for failure.
Your thoughts determine your beliefs and your
beliefs develop your attitudes, which determine your
THE BUSINESS LINK HAMILTON/HALTON BUSINESS TO BUSINESS NEWSPAPER
Unleash the Power of Your Mind: Plow through the
mental road blocks to championship performance
Your subconscious mind takes orders from you without judging success or failure. You always have the
choice in what you feed to your subconscious mind.
Therefore, you must believe in yourself and in the
value of the products you are selling. Eliminate “imposter fears,” which are the belief that you really
are not good at what you do or your products are
really not as valuable to potential customers as you
propose they are.
So often, salespeople focus on their failures and
what they did not achieve. Instead, you need to
focus on what you have achieved. You can actually
program your mind to believe in your strengths and
your ultimate success.
Just as athletes focus on their strengths, you
can focus on yours. Always remember that your
product knowledge, your customer service skills
and your sincere concern that the customer is satisfied and better off having purchased your products
or services will overcome any deficiencies you see
in yourself.
Action Plan 2: Practice presenting a positive attitude toward everyone you meet, not just prospective
clients and customers. Constantly pat yourself on
the back with positive self-talk, such as, “I provide
a valuable service to my clients” and “I help people
achieve their goals.”
Focus on good results you have achieved in your
sales career and pat yourself on the back. Learn
from results you were not pleased with in the past
and move on. Keep a SUCCESS JOURNAL. Record
times you were on a roll and situations where you
were really proud of what you accomplished. Each
day put at least one item on your list. Review the
list of successes regularly, especially when you are
having a worrisome day.
Fill Your Mind with Optimistic Expectations:
Unleash the most powerful mental tool that
drives championship performance
Research conducted over 30 years with over one
million participants has determined that there is a
single, powerful predictor of sales achievement-optimistic expectations. Ability and motivation in ones’
sales career are not always enough to guarantee
consistent results. Expectations of success or failure
are self-fulfilling prophecies that often determine
the outcomes, regardless of ability and motivation. The
research also shows that people who develop learned
optimism live longer and healthier lives, so there are
major benefits that go far beyond your career.
The key here is to believe that you will succeed,
despite the challenges, obstacles and setbacks that
are inevitable in your sales career. Continue to believe
you will succeed, even in the face of resistance, rejection and hostility. How you explain to yourself and
react to setbacks in your sales career is a crucial determinant of how successful you will ultimately be.
Training yourself to look at setbacks as temporary
challenges and minimizing those setbacks with the
knowledge that you can find a solution and overcome them, predicts ultimate success.
Action Plan 3: Developing optimistic expectations
can be learned! Even if you are a chronic pessimist
and your parents or spouse is a pessimistic thinker,
you can absolutely learn ways to overcome the negative beliefs that underlie your pessimistic explanatory style. Revisit Action Plan 1 (above) because the
best way to develop an optimistic explanatory style
is by understanding your own negative thinking
patterns and practicing changing them. You can
also get cognitive training from a professional psychologist or by attending training seminars directed
at teaching you learned optimism.
Such training will do wonders for your career
and in your life!
Dr. Jack Singer is a professional speaker, trainer
and licensed psychologist. He has been speaking
for and training Fortune 1000 companies, associations, CEO’s, sales forces and elite athletes
for 34 years. Dr.Jack is a frequent guest on CNN,
MSNBC, GLENN BECK, FOX SPORTS and countless radio talk shows across the U.S. and Canada.
He is the author of “The Teacher’s Ultimate Stress
Mastery Guide,” and several series of hypnotic
audio programs—some specifically for athletes
and others for anyone wanting to raise their selfconfidence, self-esteem and optimism. To learn
more about Dr. Singer’s speaking and consulting services, please visit www.drjacksinger.com ,
email him at: drjack@funspeaker.com or call him
directly at: (800) 497-9880.
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
SEPTEMBER 2010
SEPTEMBER 2010
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
THE BUSINESS LINK HAMILTON/HALTON BUSINESS TO BUSINESS NEWSPAPER
3
BUSINESS LETS YOU CHOOSE YOUR SEASON AND THE
EXPERIENCES YOU WANT TO ENJOY
“Obstacles can become rocket-fuel to create the life and retirement you choose!”
BY BRIAN WEATHERDON MA, CFP, CLU, MDRT
R
ecently I heard from an
advisor in Oakville asking
how we do what I mentioned in
a recent article. I appreciate this,
because you’ve found my writing helpful and you’ve
shared it with an advisor you trust. Kudo’s to you! I
welcome hearing from you directly on any question,
and this includes having your advisor reach me for
clarity you may need.
I’m excited to share ideas with you to enhance
your financial security—so you can be free from
anything that held you back from enjoying life.
I want you to be more secure and resourceful,
and boost your optimism and opportunities to
fully enjoy the life you choose.
So if you’ve been celebrating summer this year,
what would it be like if you could extend it another
few months? ...or even into next year? ....or permanently? What if your financial security allowed
you to “control the seasons”... ie. enjoy exactly the
activities you choose year-round?
Putting your LIFE, BUSINESS and FINANCIAL
PLANS into a zone where you have total and permanent control over the season is part of the magic
and goodness you can enjoy. With a bit of travel
and some secure, lifelong income guarantees, this
is possible.
Many are wishing to retire in the next year or
two. Or arrange a succession while keeping a foot
in the business. Without proper preparation it might
never work out the way you wanted. So your team
is here to make it easier, less taxing, and let you
focus on getting on with your dreams.
Can you imagine anyone ever delayed retirement, and I don’t want to talk about this here
but it could have been fear of running out of
money, or because life, activity, and even our
identity can be wrapped up in our business and
career? But what if your identity and joy aren’t
from the business itself, but the personal values
you’ve built within your business? So we address
this to prepare and capture the opportunities
that await you.
So back to YOU! Let’s discuss how you want to
enjoy life, and the experiences you desire and deserve. If any hesitation or concerns, we’ll address
these. Obstacles can become rocket-fuel to create
the life and retirement you choose!
Don’t let money be an obstacle! Don’t be in the
position where you would worry how long your
money would last. A trusted certified advisor will
link your financial assets to your personal life &
dreams to ensure safety and happiness through
the years ahead.
Guarantees? Absolutely!
1. First you want a process that assures strong value
from your business (and assets / pensions linked
to your financial future). The hours you put into
this process with your advisor(s) can be your most
lucrative hours ever!
4
THE BUSINESS LINK HAMILTON/HALTON BUSINESS TO BUSINESS NEWSPAPER
2. Second, especially with a business, we want
you to crystallize asset values tax-effectively.
Without proper attention, you could sell a business below its potential, and wind up paying too
much tax.
3. Third, selling a business gives you money that
needs to be invested. This column in past has shown
how to create high income and lifelong guarantees
—so you avoid worries and remain secure for life!
It could be like getting a 50% bonus on the FMV
of your business!
“A trusted certified advisor
will link your financial
assets to your personal life
& dreams to ensure safety
and happiness through the
years ahead.”
4. Fourth, your money is like a statement of lifevalues, a window to your true legacy for family
and community. Together we focus income—and
estate-plans on your personal values. This lets you
live “bigger than life” and seals your impact on the
world and those dearest to you.
When a lump-sum event happens such as selling
a business, making pension options, downsizing a
house or disposing of cottage or other properties,
the four areas above can give you the highest personal satisfaction.
Brian Weatherdon, MA, CFP, CLU, MDRT. of
SOVEREIGN WEALTH MANAGEMENT INC can
be reached at (905) 637-3500 x 223 or email
brian@sovereignwealth.ca
Disclaimer: This column is presented as a general source of information only and is not intended as a solicitation nor is it intended to
provide professional advice including, without limitation, investment, financial, legal, accounting or tax advice. The publishers
assume no responsibility in the correct or incorrect use of this information. For more information on this topic or any other investment
or financial matters, please contact your financial consultant.
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
SEPTEMBER 2010
SALES MOVES WITH JEFFREY GITOMER
THOUGHT DEDICATION. YOU DECIDE WHAT
TO THINK, AND HOW TO REACT.
Continued from page 1
I believe I was born with a positive
attitude, and I believe you were
born with a positive attitude. It took
24 years for me to discover mine. I
wonder if you have found yours yet.
Everyone, you included, has heard the expression,
“Attitude Is Everything!”
Let me break down the elements of that
expression for you—maybe for the first time.
Attitude controls, rules, affects, and directs your
career, your family life, your personal life, and you.
It affects or can impact your relationships, your
business success, and your health.
Attitude has power. Personal power. And the best
part is: YOU CONTROL IT. You determine the way you
think about, develop, and deliver your attitude.
In my Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude I explain
the simple difference between “positive” and “YES!”
When something great happens to you, you don’t
scream “POSITIVE!” When something great happens
to you, you scream, “YES!”
It’s subtle, but powerful, language when you come
to that mental and verbal understanding.
What language do you speak? No, I don’t mean
Spanish, French, or English. I mean positive or
negative. Attitude language.
The other day I was looking out the window at
the pouring rain. “It’s gonna be a rotten day,” I said
to my partner. “I don’t think so,” said Jessica, in a
soft, reassuring tone. You see, from where she was
sitting, she couldn’t see the rain, and was thinking
about “the day” not “the weather.”
It’s the small wording of expressions like that,
that lead to a “bad day” for anyone. Even you. A
rotten day starts with the way you think about it,
and the way you talk about it. It’s not about the
weather outside. It’s about the weather inside—
inside your mind.
• How’s the weather where you live?
• How’s the weather where you work?
• How’s the weather where you play?
• How’s the weather where you think?
SEPTEMBER 2010
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
One of the definitions of a positive attitude is: The
way you dedicate yourself to the way you think. And
you are in complete control of it.
Thinking positive is a self-discipline. A daily selfdiscipline. You control it. You make it happen. Or
not. Taking positive actions is dependent on positive
thought. If you don’t THINK positive, you will not BE
positive, and you will not DO positive.
There are many definitions of attitude, and there
are many ways to look at attitude. Books have been
written on attitude that you have not exposed
yourself to. All of them are helpful, all of them are
good, and all of them must be studied if you want
to achieve your positive attitude.
Books like How to Win Friends and Influence
People or The Power of Positive Thinking contain
the philosophies, strategies, and the connected
stories of men and women who have achieved
their positive attitude—and can help you achieve
yours. You should own them and read a few pages
every day. (That’s one of the secrets of attitude:
read and study attitude for 15 minutes a day).
Positive attitude is yours for the taking, all you
have to do is read, study, and apply—every day.
The challenge of positive attitude is for you to
decide that you’re willing to dedicate the time,
and that you have the desire to make it happen
for yourself.
If you want some ideas for the achievement of
attitude, go to www.gitomer.com and enter the
words ATTITUDE STARTERS in the GitBit box.
Using Social Media Marketing
as a Sales Tool
BY SAM LEIRSCH
M
any companies are successfully using social media marketing (SMM) as a sales
tool, and rightfully so. When used properly, social
media connects you with existing and potential customers. It allows you to create a relationship with
a broad range of people that otherwise you could
never contact. You are gaining exposure to these
customers by joining the ranks of friends, families,
hobbies and interests on their social media networks. Successful social media marketing is more
than generating sales from customers/friends/followers you gain online. It’s about establishing a
presence, creating and maintaining a relationship
and gaining their trust.
One of the biggest misconceptions with social
media is that it is only the younger crowds that use
it. There are over 500 million users on facebook, and
the age group for users is quite surprising. Facebook
reports a growing demographic of users aged 35
and older, Twitter’s median user age is 31 years old,
and LinkedIn’s reported median user age is 41 years
old. With social networking and multimedia reaching more than 80% of the North American population, chances are your target audience is already
online. One of the strongest points about SMM is
the viral capability. The active user has an average
of over 100 friends in their network. Each time they
interact with your company’s profile, page or event
those 100 friends can view this activity. If even 5 of
their friends take the same action, each of their 100
or so friends can see this activity and do the same.
This causes a chain reaction within the networks,
providing your company with an outstanding level
of exposure.
In order to create a successful online following
and take advantage of all that potential, you need
to be personable and conversational. Posting sales
pitch after sales pitch on your networks is only going
to deter people from following your page. Interesting facts, helpful information regarding your industry, and things consumers should know are all good
topics to be posting about online. Make them want
to listen to what you have to say. Be the answer
to their questions, and a resource for information.
While social media is an effective and fast growing
way of communicating with your customers, it is
important to remember that this is a sales tool, not
a miracle. It can take anywhere from 6-12 months to
build a strong social media/online presence. Much
like other forms of sales and marketing, you will only
get out of social media what you put into it. It will
take time, energy and effort to build and maintain
your SMM successfully, but the rewards are well
worth it.
For more information call 905-333-5576
or visit us at 1439 Caroline Street in
Burlington, Ontario. www.graphicattic.ca
Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible
and The Little Red Book of Selling. President
of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer, he gives
seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and
conducts Internet training programs on selling
and customer service at www.trainone.com.
He can be reached at 704/333-1112 or e-mail
to salesman@gitomer.com. © 2010 All Rights
Reserved - Don’t even think about reproducing
this document without written permission
from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer, Inc.
704/333-1112
THE BUSINESS LINK HAMILTON/HALTON BUSINESS TO BUSINESS NEWSPAPER
5
ASK THE EXPERT WANT SAGE ADVICE? YOU’LL GET IT HERE!
Darryl A. Willer
B.A., LL.B.
FAMILY LAW EXPERT
BRANDING AND MARKETING EXPERT
QUESTION
QUESTION
What obligations do I have
to support my children when
they are attending college or
university?
Is it time for a new website?
ANSWER
Here are 7 questions you need to ask yourself when
determining whether it’s time for a new website.
Jim Albanese
ANSWER
The obligation to pay child support exists as long as the child is a
“dependent.” Children who are enrolled in post–secondary education are generally, but not always, considered dependents. In situations where the child is only enrolled
part–time, is doing a second or third degree, or is not pursuing the program efficiently, courts have held
that these children are not dependents and therefore no support of any kind is owing.
If a child is over 18 and is found to be a dependent, there are two types of child support potentially owing.
First, there is the regular monthly child support based on the income of the parent with whom
the child does not primary reside. This amount is often reduced during the school year if the child
is residing away from home while attending school.
Second, there is the potential requirement of a parent to contribute to the actual costs of post–
secondary education. This includes such things as tuition, books and meal plans. This amount is
reduced by a portion of the child’s summer earnings, loans, and scholarships. The revised amount
is then generally pro-rated between the parents in proportion to their respective incomes. This
support is usually paid to the parent with whom the child primary resides, but in certain cases it
can be paid directly to the child or the school.
1. What kind of message is your website sending to existing
and potential customers?
2. Is your design and branding consistent with your other marketing materials?
3. Does your website stand above your competition?
4. Is it Search Engine friendly and are all the links working?
5. Is your content up to date and organized?
6. Is your navigation logical and efficient?
7. Is your website generating opportunities?
Don’t let your online presence undermine your strengths. We can help.
tel: 905.634.3155
darryl@jaskotfamilylaw.ca
4200 South Service Rd., Suite 101
Burlington, ON
www.jaskotfamilylaw.ca
tel: 905.526.0067 x 14
jim@albanesebranding.com
435 York Blvd., Hamilton, ON
www.albanesebranding.com
CULINARY EXPERT
ADVERTISING EXPERT
QUESTION
QUESTION
Does a Chef have to be a
businessman?
Why should I buy a long-term
advertising plan?
ANSWER
ANSWER
Our students work with our Red Sealed
Murline Mallette
Chefs daily to develop exceptional
Liaison College—Hamilton Campus
knife skills and are able to work hands
on in any genre they choose. However, we at Liaison College
understand that a Chef who dreams of owning his/her own
restaurant must also become a businessman.
There are many things to consider when opening up your
own business that we discuss in our program. Equipment,
establishing your menu, wages, furniture, costs, are just a few
things to consider when starting your own business. It isn’t
just about being a great Chef that will make your restaurant
a success. It is also about running a great restaurant that will
make you a great Chef.
Advertising is a frequency industry. You need to say the same message to the same
people over a long period of time in order to achieve the greatest amount of success. By
investing in a long-term advertising campaign you will receive a number of benefits:
Adam Shields
Gives you a set advertising plan – By setting an advertising campaign in place
you won’t have to worry every month about where you should advertise. Many
consumers tend to brush off a single advertisement no matter how incredible it might be. This is because people are bombarded day
after day with thousands of ad impressions. It has been said that the average person will see over 5,000 ads in one day. One way
to overcome this obstacle is to invest in a long-term ad campaign where people will consistently see your ad time and time again
stamping its place in their minds.
Lets you focus on YOUR business – Each time the ad is published you know you your message is getting out to prospective
clients enabling you to invest your time into other important aspects of your business.
Create Top-Of-Mind-Awareness – Long-term advertising makes you a household name. People will see your company name on
an on-going basis, which will build trust with your target audience. Advertising is a statement of confidence: little advertising equals
little confidence, much advertising equals much confidence. When potential clients go to buy, you want them to be thinking of your
company and not the competition.
Increases your Branding – This is a very important aspect of business that people often overlook. By placing the same ad throughout the year will help you create a brand name for your company, which in turn will also lead to a larger share of market in your
industry. Advertising effectiveness is cumulative, in fact studies have shown that readers must see an ad six or seven times before
they recall the product being advertised.
Saves you money – The longer you sign up for, the more cost effective your advertising will be. Advertising mediums, in most
cases, give discounts to advertisers who commit to them for a longer term.
The Business Growth Coach Dennis O’Neill once stated 2 key points to remember when advertising and they are:
1. MAKE IT SIMPLE 2. SAY IT OFTEN
By keeping the message in your ad simple, you will increase the chance of people reading it and by stating your message over
and over again you ensure people will remember who your company is and what it is you do.
Liaison College
Culinary Arts
Hamilton Campus
2 King Street West # 260 (Upper Level)
Hamilton ON L8P 1A1
Advertising is an INVESTMENT in your company, not an expense.
*Note* Adjacent to the
Farmer’s Market (Upper Level)
liaison.hamilton@sympatico.ca
http://www.liaisonhamilton.com
tel: 905-308-9333
tel: 905.635.0583
adam@BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
ADVERTORIAL
6
THE BUSINESS LINK HAMILTON/HALTON BUSINESS TO BUSINESS NEWSPAPER
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
SEPTEMBER 2010
THE DISCIPLINE OF INTENTION AND EFFORT
“What is one thing missing for you; that if it were in place, would make all the difference?”
BY NEIL THORNTON
R
ecently I was at a local
Starbucks waiting for a
client meeting. I always like to
arrive early, enjoy a beverage and
reflect upon my day.
I sat at a table close to the Barista and watched
the social interaction unfold before me. Human interaction and observation has always fascinated me.
On this particular day, I was to observe an interaction that I felt important to share with you.
I watched as a professionally dressed young lady
waited patiently in line for her turn at the counter.
Upon approaching, she gestured by handing her resume over to the cashier, and I could hear her say
the typical. ‘Could I please drop off my resume for
any possible openings?’ The cashier accepted the
resume with a smile.
The young girl glanced away nervously, turned
and was gone as quickly as her brief interaction.
I watched with amazement as the store manager
approached the cashier and asked what had just
happened. The resume was exchanged and the cashier commented on the image of the young girl
and how she may impact the team if interviewed
and hired. The manager, who looked quite busy and
distracted by the crowd, took the resume and ran
off into the back.
SEPTEMBER 2010
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
My initial thought was how the resume would
have probably been tossed onto a large in-box
pile to quickly be lost in the endless pit of loose
papers and never looked at again; or worse yet
placed in the infamous ‘resume’ file with all the
other numerous applications. The positive image
and impression explained by the cashier would be
quickly forgotten.
I thought about what I had just observed and
what this young girl could have done differently.
Every month I have a habit of listening to the famous
Earl Nightingale audio recording, “The Strangest Secret”.
(If you do not have a copy of this, please get one as soon
as you can.) In the 1950’s, Mr. Nightingale talked about
being aware of your daily planning and actions and how
your results are a direct reflection of your thoughts. One
key factor of success comes down to ‘intentionally doing
more each day’, and holding yourself accountable for
this action.
Reflecting on the interaction with the young girl,
I thought about how her results and possibility of
employment could have been improved significantly
if only she made a choice to stay one more moment,
influence the cashier even more, and quite possibly
met the manager in person. At that time she could
have requested an interview and influenced her destiny by choice. This would have required ‘one more
step’ that could have changed her career and life.
It is safe to bet that the same girl dropped off
numerous resumes that day, working through the
same routine and ultimately getting the same disappointing results.
Now this is where you come in. Please think of
your intentions and actions for today and what is
one area of your career and life that you could do
‘one more action’ that will make all the difference
for you, your career, your results and your success.
In my coaching work I often ask, “What is one
thing missing for you; that if it were in place, would
make all the difference?” Though coaching thousands of leaders, the answer inevitable always
comes down to action and effectiveness.
It is my intention that this article will drive even
a few people to take that extra step and reap in the
guaranteed results.
For more ideas about coaching, business
strategy and communications, please visit us
at www.thorntongroup.ca.
Neil Thornton is the Lead Executioner of the
Thornton Group of Companies. Neil can be
reached at 905.401.1434 or neil@thorntongroup.
ca. © 2010 All Rights Reserved—Don’t even think
about reproducing this document without written
permission from Neil A. Thornton and 1707021
Ontario Limited—The Thornton Group
THE BUSINESS LINK HAMILTON/HALTON BUSINESS TO BUSINESS NEWSPAPER
7
TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE
NEXT LEVEL CONTEST WINNER!
Jim Ervin, President of Canadian I.S., is the winner of a contest held by
FocalPoint Coaching of Hamilton and The Business Link.
BY BILL BANNER M.B.A., P. ENG.
T
he contest sponsored by The Business Link and FocalPoint Coaching of Hamilton has been won by
Jim Ervin, President of Canadian I.S.—an on-site Information Technology service provider. (www.
canadianis.com). Congratulations Jim! Over the next few months I will be working with Jim through the
first module of the FocalPoint Coaching program. This module, entitled “Gain Power through Clarity”
focuses on the fundamentals of the business and its owner.
We start with a behaviour style assessment of the owner (called a DISC assessment) and get to understand
not only his/her style but also the characteristics of each of the predominant styles (D, I, S, and C.). The great
benefit of understanding DISC is that it is a very important tool in support of effective communications
with our Customers, Employees, and virtually anyone we come in contact with. By understanding the
different behavioural styles, how to recognize them and how to communicate with them, we can become
much more effective in delivering our message—whether
it is in the sales process with clients, communicating with
our team members or negotiating with suppliers. Making
“As the coaching
subtle adjustments in our communication style can mean
progresses, the business
the world of difference in the results we achieve.
owner is learning
The next areas we focus on involve where the business
owner is today and where they want to get to. Not only
new techniques and
do we look at the business per se, but we also consider
strategies
that build on
the owners aspirations for their personal and family goals.
those from previous
Success is all about balance both inside and outside of the
business. We review where the owner would like to take
sessions. We continue
the business—what will it look like in 3 to 5 years—and
to fine tune the
what will their role be? It’s amazing how this exercise can
business
model and
really cause the owners to think and re-think about how
they see themselves in their business future. We examine
implement techniques
their personal strengths and preferences and clarify the
and actions that will
vision. We will be getting into an analysis of the business,
competitors and customers—but more on that later.
ensure success.”
Along with all of this analysis we are of course developing
strategic plans to achieve the goals that are being set out. In
addition to longer term strategies, we set short term goals to implement actions that will have immediate
positive impact on the business and its owner. Effective business coaching will provide the owner enough
input and guidance to enable them to apply at least some of what they have reviewed within 24 hours
of the meeting. The effective coach will also keep the owner accountable to make sure that they in fact
do apply the material! As the coaching progresses, the business owner is learning new techniques and
strategies that build on those from previous sessions. We continue to fine tune the business model and
implement techniques and actions that will ensure success.
In the coming months we will review more aspects of the content we are reviewing in the coaching
process and Jim will also be giving his take on what he is getting out of Business Coaching and how it is
impacting him and his business.
Bill is a Certified Business Coach with FocalPoint Coaching. He can be reached at 905.627.9285 or via
email at: bbanner@focalpointcoaching.com. Learn more at his website: www.billbanner.ca
8
THE BUSINESS LINK HAMILTON/HALTON BUSINESS TO BUSINESS NEWSPAPER
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
SEPTEMBER 2010
HAMILTON BUSINESS LEADER
RICHARD KOROSCIL
President & CEO
JOHN C. MUNRO HAMILTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
905.679.1999 | rkoroscil@flyhi.ca | www.flyhi.ca
BY SCOTT LESLIE
The Business Link
SL: How did you first become involved with the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport?
RK: I was previously with Vancouver Airport Services (YVRAS) in their head office in Vancouver. YVRAS
was one of the original partners in Tradeport International, which is the operating company of Hamilton
International Airport. I moved to Hamilton in 2003 when YVRAS purchased the majority shareholding of
Tradeport. Hamilton International Airport is one of YVRAS’ most important assets.
SL: What are some of the major challenges you’ve had to deal with since coming on
board at the airport?
RK: The ongoing changes in the airline industry—including bankruptcies, mergers and acquisitions,
particularly during this last economic recessionary period. There have been many other challenges including
SARS, wild fluctuations in fuel costs, limited fuel capacity, low consumer awareness and brand recognition,
and issues relating to road access, terminal capacity and equipment. I’m very happy to report that we’ve
worked our way through these issues and are successfully moving Hamilton International Airport forward.
We have much more to do and are very optimistic about the airport’s future.
SL: Hamilton International has become the largest inter-modal freighter airport in Canada and
provides daily service to more than 30 destinations worldwide. What are a few of the initiatives
the airport has planned to enhance its existing services?
RK: Significant investments in growing our air cargo business have resulted in attracting most of the
largest operators in the world. Going forward we’ll continue to add new passenger and cargo airlines
and new destinations. Our current priorities include Ottawa, Montreal, Florida, the U.K. and a U.S. hub
airport. We expect to see further expansion of our passenger terminal, cargo facilities, runway, taxiway
and apron areas.
SL: You’ve spent over 30 years in airport management in both the public and private sectors. What
is it about your field that you find attractive?
RK: No two days are the same. Things are always changing, new challenges and opportunities to deal with.
It’s a very exciting and dynamic industry and I get to work with amazingly talented and dedicated people.
SL: You sit on several community boards such as Theatre Aquarius, St Joseph’s Hospital Foundation
and the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. What advice would you give someone looking to
become more active in their local community?
RK: First and foremost, don’t just talk about it, get out and do it! Find something you can be passionate
about or that you can make a contribution to. Play to your strengths and use those strengths to add value
to the organization you’re volunteering with.
SEPTEMBER 2010
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
THE BUSINESS LINK HAMILTON/HALTON BUSINESS TO BUSINESS NEWSPAPER
9
BUILDING HAMILTON
“WE’RE COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES THAT WILL HELP ENHANCE THE PRODUCTIVITY
AND PROFITABILITY OF MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS…” – Wanda Heimbecker, Association Manager
MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF HAMILTON
Leading contractors association provides strength, resources and stability their members can count on.
BY SCOTT LESLIE
The Business Link
B
eing a success in today’s mechanical contracting industry takes hard work and determination. But most of all it takes real leadership—like the
kind being offered through the initiatives and selfless
efforts of the Mechanical Contractors Association of
Hamilton. For nearly 40 years now, their association
has been serving the greater Hamilton’s unionized
mechanical contractor industry while helping members reach their fullest potential.
“We’re committed to developing programs and
initiatives that will help enhance the productivity
and profitability of mechanical contractors,” says
Wanda Heimbecker, Association Manager at the
Mechanical Contractors Association of Hamilton.
“We work hard to help our members meet the
challenges of our industry while providing the best
service possible.”
The Mechanical Contractors Association of Hamilton (MCAH) is a not-for-profit organization. Located
at 370 York Boulevard, the MCAH is the accredited
bargaining agency with the Ontario Labour Relations
Board representing all unionized mechanical contractors working with the United Association Ontario
Provincial Pipe Trades Council (U.A. Local 67).
The MCAH represents unionized contractors and
industry suppliers throughout Hamilton and the surrounding area including Wentworth, Halton, Lincoln,
Wellington, Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk counties—and currently has over 70 life and associate
member companies.
“We provide our members with a wide range of
initiatives and benefits that can help them grow their
business and realize significant cost savings,” Wanda
explains. “We’re also committed to providing several
10
annual social networking opportunities for our membership resulting in new relationships and opportunities. This includes our Pub Night, Christmas Party,
AGM, new Trade Show and annual Golf Tourney.”
Education and Training
Since the MCAH’s inception, one of the greatest
strengths of the association has been their belief
in providing educational opportunities for their
membership. In 1995 for instance, the association
formed the MCAH Education Committee who plan
their annual training programs, many to address
changing legislation, industry trends and also determine member cost-saving subsidies for training
participants. Topics might include LEED (Leadership
in Energy & Environmental Design), an internationally recognized green building certification system,
Gold Seal Certifications, supervisory and project
management, productivity, scheduling, and soft
skill building such as negotiations.
“Many employers in the contracting and construction fields attract, keep staff and maintain their competitive edge in today’s changing marketplace by investing in professional development courses,” Wanda
notes. “We always strive to offer the most innovative
and effective training courses for our members.”
Recent programming for instance, the MCAH Education Committee offered a free Building Information
Modeling (BIM) Information Session. This workshop
attracted over 30 construction managers that were
committed to learning more about integrating engineering, construction and architecture workflows for
their construction projects. As a planning partner and
sponsor of the new Supervisory Program, annual member subsidies offset attendee education costs. This also
includes the Project Management Program.
“We’re committed to improving our members’
THE BUSINESS LINK HAMILTON/HALTON BUSINESS TO BUSINESS NEWSPAPER
ability to offer quality workmanship through the
delivery of the highest industry standards and practices,” Wanda explains. “We help our members to
stay on the cutting edge by offering exclusive member rates and free education seminars.”
Earlier this year supplier members (associates)
also offered pioneering ideas to utilize their expertise and equitable goodwill. The Member Plus
Program was launched and designed to save companies money, and build new business relationships
while increasing MCAH membership benefits. To
date, 49 new free education seminars are now in the
planning stage, many offered by certified instructors
with specific programming targeted to meet current skill and training needs. Cost-saving, preferred
member discounts are also being offered. This has
established a new market penetration of suppliers’
product and services with measured increases in
the areas of recruitment of new associate members, event registrations and sponsorship, not to
mention the synergy and teambuilding acceleration.
This “peer mentoring” model has been recognized
through the national MCA network.
Looking Ahead To The Future
With the demand for skilled trades people expected
to rise, encouraging today’s students to become the
trades of tomorrow has become a pressing issue.
In order to help address this challenge, the MCAH
has launched a number of initiatives over the years,
which include working with economic development
departments, national lobbying and mentoring.
“Our U.A. Local 67 partnership also governs our
industry’s next generation of plumbers, and steamfitters through the Joint Apprenticeship and Training
Committee’s annual apprenticeship intake program
attracting the best and brightest,” Wanda says.
In 1995 for instance, the association established
the MCAH Scholarship Program. This initiative provides financial support to children of employees of
member companies to help them further their postsecondary education in the construction industry
and other career fields.
The program has become tremendously popular
in helping cultivate the next generation of leaders in
the skilled trades. Scholarships matched last year’s
record-breaking 42 submissions again this year.
“Through the generosity of our members, our
scholarship program has provided over $302,000 in
scholarships,” Wanda says. “The selection process is
always a challenge because the calibre of applicants
is extremely high.”
The MCAH recently entered a partnership with
McMaster University, the Hamilton & District Heavy
Construction Association and several other industry
partners to create an endowed Chair in Heavy Construction. This establishes a new faculty position in
the McMaster’s Department of Civil Engineering and
will be heavily involved in their applied Bachelor of
Technology (B.Tech) program—a joint venture between McMaster and Mohawk College. The faculty
position will be filled this fall.
This new endowed Chair receives an annual
$125,000 gift over five years. The Chair will be
responsible for several areas including graduate
recruitment, courses and workshops, and developing research strategies for the industry.
“We’re extremely proud to be funding this program
and have been taking an active role on the Advisory
Committee,” Wanda says. “Our participation is critical
if we want to ensure the Civil Engineering program
remains strong and produces graduates that are fullyequipped to meet opportunities in our industry.”
The MCAH has also taken their commitment to
our young people a step further, forming a student
chapter with McMaster University. The MCAH McMaster University Student Chapter (MCAHSC) is
one of only two MCA student chapters in all of
Canada, and takes part in several annual activities
including site tours, networking events and industry
conferences. The MCAHSC offers internship and employment opportunities with MCAH members and is
now leading a national mentoring program.
Caring For The Community
The MCAH is also strongly committed in terms of
supporting their community. Over the years, their association has donated funds and resources to a wide
range of worthy charities, events and organizations
including the Good Shepherd Centre, the Hamilton
Catholic Youth Organization and the CHML/Y108
Children’s Fund.
Recently, the MCAH and the U.A. Local 67 formed
a new community partnership to help raise monies
for McMaster Children’s Hospital. Funds were raised
through member donations and several fundraising
events such as the U.A. Local 67 Awards Night.
“Our member companies and employees are dedicated to maintaining our reputation for delivering
the highest quality standards and practices in the
industry, but they’re just as committed to helping
the communities we serve,” Wanda says.
Since 1990, MCA Hamilton employer members
have contributed $18,248 to various Hamilton Health
Sciences Foundation campaigns, which include McMaster Children’s Hospital, St. Peter’s Hospital, and
the Juravinski Cancer Centre. This fall, MCAH’s generous donor history will be formally acknowledged and
celebrated at the annual Hamilton Health Sciences
Foundation donor recognition ceremony.
Driven By Volunteers
The MCAH is governed by their members through
an appointed, volunteer Board of Directors.
“We wouldn’t be where we are today without the
dedication and leadership of our exceptional team,”
Wanda says. “We’re grateful to all our board directors, volunteers and members for their extraordinary
commitment and teamwork.”
The association recently announced their new
slate of officers for 2010-2011. Their new Board includes Vice-President Lorraine Waller (Aker Construction Canada Limited), Past President Doug Cormier
(BML Multitrades Group), Treasurer Jason Campbell
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
SEPTEMBER 2010
BUILDING HAMILTON
THE MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF HAMILTON
The Mechanical Contractors Association of Hamilton and U.A. Local 67 make a gift of $2,968 to the
McMaster Children’s Hospital and the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation.
From left to right: Mechanical Contractors Association Hamilton President, Paul Shewfelt, Hamilton
Health Sciences Foundation Development Officer Corporate and Community Initiatives, Parker Neale, and
U.A. Local 67 Business Manager, Mark Ellerker.
(Black & McDonald Limited), Director Mike DiLallo
(Alberici Constructors Limited), Director George Furness (Geonis Mechanical), Director Dominic Fazio
(E.S. Fox Limited), and Director Bill Patterson (Comstock Canada Limited). Paul Shewfelt of the TESC
Shewfelt Contraction Corporation is now serving his
third term as President of the MCAH.
Although the current economic climate has been
a challenging one for the MCAH’s membership, Paul
is encouraged by what he sees.
“The business climate in Hamilton and the surrounding regions continues to improve,” he says.
“Right now, MCAH members are actively involved in
a number of infrastructure projects that are helping
offset the impact of the economic downturn on our
local manufacturing base.”
The MCAH’s membership has continued to rise.
In 2009, membership increased substantially with
the addition of 16 new members. There have also
been significant increases in revenue through new
paid event registrations and sponsorship.
“Even though many of our member contractors
felt the pressures of the economic downturn, our reported man hours actually rose in 2009 from 2008,”
Paul says. “Our partnership with U.A. Local 67, the
JATC, and all Labour Relations initiatives are stronger than ever. The result is stability and strength in
our association that our member contractors can
count on.”
The MCAH always has their sights set on the
future—whether it’s fostering a dialogue between
various members and agencies or raising awareness
of industry issues in their community. And with its
growing membership and sharp vision, the MCAH’s
future looks as strong as ever.
Mechanical Contractors Association Hamilton
370 York Blvd, Suite 105, Hamilton, ON
tel: 905.522.1965 www.mcahamilton.org
SEPTEMBER 2010
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
Mechanical Contractors
Association of Hamilton
Membership List
Contractor Members:
Aecon Industrial
Aker Construction Canada Ltd.
Alberici Constructors
Bennett Mechanical Installations
2001 Ltd.
Black & McDonald Ltd.
BML Multitrades Group
Bramkal Contractors Inc.
Comstock Canada
E.S. Fox Ltd
Geonis Mechanical
GLC Contracting Ltd
Gowing Contractors Ltd.
Hoffer Mechanical Co. Ltd.
Johnson Controls
Lockerbie & Hole Eastern Inc.
Mainway Industrial Installations
Onyx Mechanical
R.D. Stewart Mechanical
TESC Shewfelt Contracting Corporation
Siemens Bldg. Tech.
S.N. Agnew Mechanical Ltd.
The State Group
Trade-Mark Industrial Inc.
Urban Mechanical Contracting Ltd.
Varan Mechanical Cont. Ltd.
Vette Mechanical
Western Plumbing & Heating
Associate Members:
Advantage Featherstone Travel
Ainsworth Inc.
Allison F. Gowling Professional Corporation
Aluma Systems
Anvil Canada
Aon Reed Stenhouse Inc.
BMF Fabrications Ltd.
BOC Gases Canada
BDO Canada LLP
Brant Steel Products Ltd.
Control Chem
Crane Supply
Engineered Air
Federated Insurance Company of Canada
Harsco Infrastructure
Hub International Ontario Ltd.
It Works Promotions
IPEX Inc.
Lefroy Management Training Inc.
Levitt Training & Consulting
Marin & Associates
Marks Supply Inc.
McGowan Insulations Ltd.
McKeough Supply Inc
Minuteman Press
Pearson Dunn Insurance
Proval Equipment (Hamilton) Ltd.
Robbinex Business Intermediaries
Stepright Capital Planning Inc.
The Printing House (Hamilton Branch)
Ultra Torq
Victaulic Company of Canada Ltd.
Viega LLC
Wellington At Work Inc.
Wentworth Financial Services Inc.
Westlake Industries
Wolseley Mechanical Group
J.H. Young & Sons Ltd.
THE BUSINESS LINK HAMILTON/HALTON BUSINESS TO BUSINESS NEWSPAPER
11
BUILDING HAMILTON
12
THE MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF HAMILTON
THE BUSINESS LINK HAMILTON/HALTON BUSINESS TO BUSINESS NEWSPAPER
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
SEPTEMBER 2010
SEPTEMBER 2010
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
THE BUSINESS LINK HAMILTON/HALTON BUSINESS TO BUSINESS NEWSPAPER
13
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: BURLINGTON
All Photo credits to Tourism Burlington
Compass at Waterfront
Discovery Landing
Patios Downtown
The Joseph Brant Museum
Promenade at Waterfront
Hendrie Park Gates
THIS UP-AND-COMING CITY HAS BECOME ONE CANADA’S
MOST ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO WORK AND LIVE.
BY SCOTT LESLIE
The Business Link
A
ccording to MoneySense Magazine, Burlington was recently named the third best
city in Canada to live. That may be news to some
people. But it’s no surprise to companies that have
decided to locate there, not to mention all the
residents that have chosen to call this burgeoning
community home.
Located in the heart of the Golden Horseshoe,
14
Burlington is the largest municipality in the Halton
Region with a population of 165,000. With the stabilizing effect of Lake Ontario and the shelter of the
Niagara Escarpment, Burlington enjoys a moderate
climate, making it ideal for agriculture, enjoying the
outdoors or year-round living.
The city is a prime location for both industry
and tourism with its extensive network of major
highways and close proximity to the U.S. border.
Burlington has commuter rail access to much of the
Greater Toronto Area and North American market
THE BUSINESS LINK HAMILTON/HALTON BUSINESS TO BUSINESS NEWSPAPER
through GO Transit and VIA Rail. It even has rail
cargo service with Canadian Pacific and Canadian
National Railway.
Burlington has become a popular bedroom community for residents working in nearby Hamilton
and Toronto. But the city offers many diverse industries of its own such as food processing, packaging, electronics, financial services, chemicals and
pharmaceuticals, process automation, software and
metal finishing. The city’s major employers include
Boehringer Ingleheim, the Joseph Brant Memorial
Hospital, the Halton District Board of Education,
Evertz Microsystems, EMC2 and Cogeco Cable.
Something For Everyone
Through the years, the city has launched a wealth
of community events—and one of its most popular
mainstays is Burlington’s Sound of Music Festival
that takes place every June. Named one of the Top
100 Festivals in Ontario by Festivals and Events
Ontario for the eighth consecutive year, this fourday music festival presents dozens of acclaimed
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
SEPTEMBER 2010
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: BURLINGTON
Celebrating Joseph Brant Day
Laking Garden
Niagara Escarpment in the Fall
Lasalle Marina in the winter
musicians and a wide range of genres including
jazz, folk, pop, big band, country, blues, Latin and
children’s music.
Another of Burlington’s biggest annual events
is Canada’s Largest Ribfest. Organized by the
Rotary Club of Burlington—Lakeshore, this food
extravaganza has been running for the past fifteen years. Many teams come to this event from
across North America to compete for the Best
Ribs Title. The festival even boasts an exciting
line-up of musicians, activities and games for
children of all ages.
Nature lovers will find a lot to enjoy in the city of
Burlington with its 75 parks and over 800 acres of
parkland. The city’s most notable park area is LaSalle
Park. Located on a scenic hilltop, the park offers
spectacular views of Burlington Bay and the LaSalle
Marina, and features a wading pool, baseball diamonds, picnic areas, nature trails and a playground.
There’s even a impressive replica of the 1917 pavilion that once stood on the site and is now available
for weddings and other special events.
In terms of attractions, outdoors enthusiasts
will enjoy the Royal Botanical Gardens. Open
year round, this sprawling 2,700-acre property
is Canada’s largest botanical garden with several lush gardens and nature sanctuaries. One
of Burlington’s most popular attractions, the botanic gardens features a 20 km network of walking trails and more than 1,100 distinct kinds of
plants. The site is also an ideal venue for special
SEPTEMBER 2010
www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com
events and corporate functions with its many tea
houses, garden areas and meeting rooms.
Burlington also features several museums for
visitors to explore including the Joseph Brant Museum and the Ireland House at Oakridge Farm.
Dedicated to preserving Burlington’s past, the Joseph Brant Museum features a number of artefacts
and exhibits that detail the founding, settlement
and development of the Burlington area. Named
after the legendary Mohawk Chief Joseph Brant,
the museum also presents a number of travelling
exhibitions from various public and private collections across Ontario.
Built in the 1830s, the Ireland House at Oakridge
Farm was originally the home of Joseph Ireland, one
of Burlington’s first settlers. In 1987, the city acquired the property and converted it into a museum
that now features historical exhibits and demonstrations, special events and educational programs
as well as four acres of woodland, gardens and
picnic areas.
the Crown during the American Revolutionary
War—and the name “Burlington” was adopted.
Following The War of 1812 and the end of
hostilities between Britain and the United States,
the land began to open up for settlement and
Burlington’s population grew accordingly. In
Burlington’s formative years, agriculture played
a lead role in driving the area’s economy. With its
rich soil, pleasant climate and strategic location
as a water port, Burlington became a haven for
wheat production which was shipped out through
the neighbouring lakeside docks of Port Nelson,
Wellington Square and Port Flamborough. By the
late 1800s, however, increased competition from
wheat farmers in the Prairies forced local farmers
to shift their crops into other areas like fruits and
vegetables. But Burlington’s era as a farming belt
wasn’t to last. Over the years, residential development, businesses and light industry began to take
over and by 1967, the last remaining farm within
the city limits was levelled to make way for the
Burlington Mall.
Continued on page 16
Historic Beginnings
History has always played a key role in the life
of the city of Burlington. The city’s name goes all
the way back to 1792 when John Graves Simcoe,
the lieutenant governor of Upper Canada, named
the harbour area “Burlington Bay” after the small
seaside port of Bridlington in Yorkshire, England.
By 1798, the British government had deeded the
adjacent lands to Joseph Brant for his service to
THE BUSINESS LINK HAMILTON/HALTON BUSINESS TO BUSINESS NEWSPAPER
15
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: BURLINGTON
Continued from page 15
Burlington’s growth has led to a great deal of organization over the years. In 1873 for example,
the hamlets of Port Nelson and Wellington Square were amalgamated to create the village of
Burlington. By 1914, Burlington became a town—but its growth didn’t stop there. By the 1960s,
Burlington had continued to grow, building on its two key strengths: affordable local electricity
from Niagara Falls and convenient transportation via highways like the QEW. In 1974, Burlington
was officially incorporated as a city and a new era had begun.
Building For The Future
Burlington has a long storied past—but the city is not standing still by any means. In 2009 for
instance, Burlington issued a total of $301,002,290 in new building permits. One of the city’s largest
new construction projects is the multi-million dollar Ron Joyce Centre—the home of McMaster
University’s MBA program. Located on 4350 South Service Road of the QEW, the nine-acre site
was recently completed and features a four storey 90,000 square foot building housing state-ofthe-art classrooms, meeting spaces and lecture facilities.
Burlington also began construction on the new $36.2-million Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Designed by Diamond + Schmitt Architects Inc., the new centre will boast a 730-seat main stage
theatre, a 225-seat studio theatre, an atrium space and an event patio. Slated to open in 2011,
the building includes a six-storey fly tower that will allow the city to host a wide variety of major
productions.
Due to recent investments from the federal, provincial and municipal governments through
programs like the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund (ISF), the city has been busy making enhancements
to a number of its municipal buildings, outdoor venues and recreation facilities. These include
the redevelopment of Mountainside Park, the improvements of the Duncaster, Hidden Valley and
Nelson Park trails, and an upgrade of the soccer field at Orchard Park.
The federal and provincial governments are also helping to fund the $10-million expansion of
the Appleby Ice Centre which will include the addition of two new 200 by 85 foot ice rinks to the
existing building. This newly-renovated facility is expected to be opened later this fall.
Burlington has seen more than its share of development in recent years. But with their attractive
business climate and world-class amenities, the city’s status as one of Canada’s fastest growing
communities is assured.
BURLINGTON PURSUING
INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT
“This year BEDC has enlisted the support of public and private community
partners to assist with securing these investment opportunities.”
PRESS RELEASE
T
o residents and employers it’s not a secret that Burlington is a great community, having been
ranked as the best city in the GTA in which to live and as the third best in Canada in a recent
study done by Money Sense magazine. Building on its strong reputation, Burlington is now taking this
message to the world.
Earlier this year the Burlington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) launched their Investment
Attraction Strategy to target its direct marketing efforts. “Attracting foreign investment to a community is
a highly competitive game”, said Kyle Benham, BEDC’s Executive Director, “to be successful you need to
be very focused on strategic opportunities that are right for both the investor and the community.” The first
step toward engaging international investors was to showcase the community’s unique attributes—why
Burlington would be of interest to a foreign company.
Extensive interviews with foreign-owned businesses highlighted their increasing interest in being close
to their customer base. Burlington’s main competitive advantage is driven by the overlapping opportunities
its key economic sectors create for a company looking to grow and diversify. BEDC’s strategy targets
international companies that serve a combination of advanced manufacturing, financial/business services,
information technology, and earth/life sciences sectors.
A software development company specializing in internet security would be a perfect example. The
company would easily find local financial and health service customers and be able to partner with
established technology partners in the area to grow. “We believe that our sector convergence opportunities
will give a foreign company a unique chance to successfully launch their North American business”, noted
Benham, “access to a highly skilled workforce, education and research facilities, and central transportation
network in the region will guarantee their ability to continually expand their operations across Canada
and the United States. “
BEDC, utilizing this focused approach, has already identified twenty-five international investment
leads. These potential investments are spread around the globe and evenly split between the U.S., Europe
and Asia, and are being actively pursued. They include such business operations as financial services
software-providers, wastewater treatment solutions, supply chain solutions software, telecomm and heath
care electronics suppliers.
This year BEDC has enlisted the support of public and private community partners to assist with
securing these investment opportunities. A formal “Rapid Response Team” has been developed to
ensure that potential investors will receive the essential information and support they need to make
their investment decision. “The City of Burlington is currently on the short list for a Fortune 500 company
looking for a new location”, said Benham, “the rapid response team approach gives us the in-depth
resources that we need to address the potential investor’s requirements and ideally choose Burlington
as their location of choice.”
For more information about BEDC and their plans for International Investment please visit www.bedc.ca
or call 905.332.9415.
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SEPTEMBER 2010
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: BURLINGTON
SEPTEMBER 2010
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THE INNOVATION GAP™ –
CULTIVATING CREATIVITY
IN LIFE AND BUSINESS
BY GERRY D. VISCA
International Speaker
C
reative Law No. 6—Building Momentum
Innovation is more than problem solving, it is about continually maintaining an eye on the end
prize. Wayne Gretsky (a famous Canadian hockey player) said it well, “The key to my success is guessing
where the puck was headed and getting their in advance to play it”. Greatness requires innovation and
leadership with a clear vision for the future. So many of us have the ability for greatness, to push our current
potential and achieve goals we have set forward for ourselves. How do you know what you would fail at,
if you never take the first step? So many companies have an inherent fear of change. Change is innovation
and at the root of it. Innovation is problem solving through creativity and intuition, it’s about guessing
where the puck will be before it is there and moving yourself to be there at the right time. Momentum is
crucial the moment that you decide to think like an entrepreneur. Typically, entrepreneurs are engrained
with a sense of urgency. Successful entrepreneurs get an idea and quickly want to act. They prepare in
far less time than non-entrepreneurs. They fire, aim and then re-adjust their target and modify their plan
accordingly. This approach allows the entrepreneur to build momentum quickly and more efficiently than
their competitors. The essence of innovation and progression is based on learning from failure. To become
successful you will need to fail in order to strengthen your approach and grow into your greatness. This
does not mean that planning is not required or an essential part of the process, however, it should not
prevent you from moving forward and achieving your goals.
What is your biggest challenge facing Innovation?
• Is it a lack of collaboration among departments?
• Is it speed to market? Over seventy five percent of companies have a similar challenge in
that they can not get their ideas through the innovation chain fast enough.
New innovation concepts that have evolved as a result of the market changes are based on building
momentum; based on ‘gut feeling’. This process involves quickly incubating an idea or prototype and
getting it to market faster through a small select group of brand enthusiasts.
One of the greatest things in this world is not where you are at the present moment but the direction that
you are heading in. ‘Be the one that drives change and take the first step in creating your life’. Recognize
that discomfort is growth and a signal to help move you in the direction that you need to be heading in.
Getting to comfortable in your life is a sign to introduce discomfort and move yourself into action.
This is what I love most about inspired action as a creative vehicle to drive you forward. When you
continually fixate on the end prize you help bridge the gap between the starting point and the end
destination.
The following tips will help you apply this principle to your business:
• Use simple gut checks and quick analysis in order to bring a new idea to market.
• Bring your team (various departments) together on a regular basis in order to streamline
the innovation process and strengthen collaboration.
• Avoid lengthy and costly studies that will delay your ability to get to market.
• Build momentum by taking the first step.
• Have a clear vision of the end result—what it is that you want to create. Then chunk down
the major steps to help you build momentum.
Article Reference Source: The Innovation Gap™ written and published by Gerry D. Visca – Sept. 2010
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SEPTEMBER 2010
WHO OWNS YOUR
STRATEGY?
BY MARTIN C. VANDERSCHOUW, PMP
L
ook at the executive program at almost
any major business school and it becomes
quickly apparent that having a good, and hopefully
a great, strategy is critical to organizational success.
A quick search of Amazon.com for business strategy
resources shows more than 1,270 items. Many of
these tomes provide fantastic instruction on developing a basic strategy, building strategy maps, and
other similar topics. However, even with all these
resources most organizations largely fail to successfully implement their strategy. Why? The answer can
be found in who actually owns the strategy.
In most organizations the senior leadership team,
or their official designees, come together for a series
of meetings with the help of a high priced consultant and a “winning” strategy is developed. With
much fanfare the strategy is then rolled out to the
organization where things begin to fall apart. Oh
sure, everything seems fantastic at the start. Leadership is excited and everyone is saying the right
things, but those good feelings just don’t last for
very long. The problems begin to surface at both
ends of the workforce spectrum. For most in the
senior leadership ranks, keeping a daily focus on
strategy is tough. How can you find an hour a day,
as many authors suggest, focusing on your strategy
as well as the 100+ e-mails, phone calls, meetings
and hundreds of other things you are supposed to
get done. For the rank and file members of the organization it is a question of change.
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To a large number of our resources these ideas
represent change. Changing the way they do their
daily work, changing the way they interact with
each other, or maybe changing the way they think
about their job. No matter what it is. Many of these
people have learned that if they just keep their head
down long enough they will be ignored and they
can keep doing things the way they always have.
This notion has a massive implication on your organization’s ability to achieve its strategy.
To understand why doing things the way they
have always been done impacts strategy, begin with
a simple premise: strategy only achieves value to
the organization if it leads to results, specifically the
desired organizational results. This notion creates
a dichotomy within most organizations. There is
the perceived strategy, or the formally documented
strategy supported by senior management, and
there is the actual strategy or the one actually being executed by the organization.
To better understand this concept imagine you are
leading an average organization with 40-60 initiatives being worked on at any one time in addition to
all the standard operational efforts. These initiatives
have been initiated for reasons such as new product
or service development, product or service expansion,
process improvements, regulatory requirements, or
several other reasons. Many of these initiatives are
critical to the organization’s success and are tagged
as A1 priorities. So what’s the problem?
The problem comes from two issues. Firstly, if
you are like most organizations the leaders of each
of these 40-60 initiatives have planned their work
using a perfect resourcing assumption. This means
whenever their schedule says the work should be
done the resource is magically available to start
on time without consideration for all their other
work. In the real world this never works as most
resources are tasked with multiple tasks on multiple
projects as well as operational responsibilities. A delay in one area will impact all other. Yet, rarely does
management have visibility to these impacts so they
can make informed, proactive decisions. This means
everything will be on schedule till the last possible
second when suddenly it isn’t and we manage by fire
drill. In the end, the assumption of perfect resourcing
means your strategy will not be achieved.
The second issue is simply deciding what will
be completed first? If the scenario described is
anywhere close to your organization you have a
very serious problem. What should your people be
working on first, second or third and how do they
know? If the organization does not have priorities
set by the senior leadership team that align to the
strategy individual resources are controlling the organizational strategy based on the work they are
completing. The way most resources do this is by
using either the squeaky wheel principle (whomever
is yelling the loudest gets theirs first), or they work
on what they like the best. Neither of these has
anything to do with achieving the organization’s
strategy. Furthermore, if the organization has more
than one A1 priority, has several priorities with the
same ranking, or regularly is changing priorities
you have NO priorities. Prioritization is the single
most difficult thing for more leadership teams to do.
It means ranking all the work of the organization
from one to the end and then making hard decisions
based upon those priorities.
So you are concerned about addressing these
issues what should you do? The following steps
should help:
with input from all levels of the organization and
reviewed, not just presented, to everyone.
2. Establish a portfolio management committee
that will own responsibility and authority for setting the organizational priorities based upon the
approved strategy.
3. Establish quantifiable metrics to evaluate all
members of the team against their ability to achieve
the most important work first, and hold ALL members of the organization accountable to the same
standards.
4. Do not allow the organization to constantly flipflop priorities. Remember stuff will always happen.
Great leaders drive results and do not allow the
results to drive them.
Succeeding with strategy is a messy process, and
it should be. However, with a little practice senior
leadership can ensure proper strategic ownership
and success.
Martin VanDerSchouw, PMP currently serves as President & CEO of Looking Glass Development, LLC., and
he is the author of the book “Flavor of the Month.”
Martin regularly makes more than 50 presentations
per year to groups in the areas of leadership, performance management, and program / project management. He has lectured at the Daniels School, the
Kellogg School, the Krannert School, the Price School
and many other colleges and universities throughout
the United States. For more information, please visit
www.lookingglassdev.com.
1. Make sure you have a well thought out strategy
with a strategy map that includes clear measureable
objectives. The strategy should have been developed
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