Volume 1, Issue 1 Fall 2014 Metro Business Opportunities Corp. Chairperson’s Message Small Business – Big Deal Welcome to the First Edition (save this one!) of the Metro Business Opportunities News – another way MBO will be reaching out to connect entrepreneurs and the local business community with information about services, support and professional development. The newsletter will also keep you up to date about upcoming events, training and other opportunities, and serve as a venue for sharing experiences and advice. This inaugural edition also marks Small Business Week in Canada (October 19 – 25), a time to acknowledge and celebrate the aspirations and outstanding accomplishments of the 1,000,000 plus small businesses that drive the Canadian economy. This year is the 35th anniversary of Small Business Week, a concept that has been sustained since 1979 through the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). This year’s theme, “Back to Basics: Reenergize your Business”, reminds us of where we started, why we decided to take up the challenge, and points us back to those ideas and ideals that energized and inspired us to go our own way as independent entrepreneurs. For MBO, a central part of our celebration of Small Business Week is our annual Open House (October 23rd), here at the MBO offices. This is a great opportunity to connect with other members of the family of small business entrepreneurs in our area, to network, and to learn more about us and each other. Please join us for food and refreshments, and share the pride in being part of something big. See you there! Rob Pitt 961 Topsail Road, Suite C Mount Pearl, NL A1N 3K1 Featuring Brett Thornhill ADHD Coaching Jamie Robinson NL Modular Jennifer & Ted Lacey Del Sol Our Programs Brett Thornhill ADHD Coaching Brett Thornhill ADHD Coaching is Newfoundland and Labrador’s first and only professional coaching service dedicated to providing coaching and consulting services to individuals and families affected by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The independent business operates as a sole-proprietorship as part of a joint marketing venture under the umbrella brand of Spectrum Consultants Group at 193 Lemarchant Road in St. John’s. I founded the company in August 2014 after my own ADHD diagnosis four years earlier, at age 43. At the time of my diagnosis, I had already built a successful 20-year career in the field of Marketing and Communications in both the public and private sectors, but secretly struggled internally with considerable anxiety related to significant discontent in my professional life. Following my diagnosis, I embarked on what became a four-year journey of both personal and professional selfdiscovery, which ultimately led to re-inventing myself into what I now happily refer to as “Brett 2.0”. On the path toward my ultimate goal of operating a business that would allow me to capitalize on my passion and natural talents, I trained with the ADD Coaching Academy (ADDCA) based in Albany, New York. There, I completed the requirements for my initial ADD Coach Certification in June 2014 and received the designation of ADDCA Associate Coach (AAC). Subsequent to that, and with the invaluable assistance and guidance of Metro Business Opportunities, I was able to open my practice, which I now operate as I continue to work towards my advanced coaching designation of ACG anticipated in May 2015. Most people are familiar with Life Coaches, who assist people in meeting the challenges and better capitalizing on the opportunities that life presents. The work I do with my clients is similar in approach. However, as a Certified ADHD Coach, I use my training and experience to recognize and appreciate the unique challenges of individuals and families impacted by ADHD and specialize in helping them deepen their learning, improve their performance, and enhance their quality of life. Together, we accomplish this by focusing on where they are now, what’s standing in the way of their goals, and by providing a safe and non-judgmental space in which to explore what they need to do to get where they want to be in the future. ADHD coaches honour the client as the expert in his/her life and work with the belief that every client is capable, creative, resourceful, and whole. For years I thought that business ownership was a path for only a select few: those who held some valuable secret or mysterious key to their entrepreneurial dreams. I had spent most of my life believing that there were things that I just couldn’t do. With the help of the great team at Metro Business Opportunities, I have been able to transform my thinking and approach from “I can’t do that” to “I haven’t learned that yet”. That change, along with the process of learning to focus on my strengths instead of dwelling on my challenges, has made all the difference in re-writing the story of my life. By: Brett Thornhill NL MODULAR is a Newfoundland and Labrador manufacturer of temporary and permanent modular buildings including a premier line of Construction Office Trailers. All of our products are manufactured using local services and resources to our rigorous standards of quality for commercial and industrial customers throughout Atlantic Canada. Our company was established in 2013, with the assistance of Metro Business Opportunities, to bring the advantages of modular manufacturing to our province. We are proud to manufacture in Newfoundland and Labrador and, because we are located here, our full manufacturing, service and management team is available to our customers at a moment’s notice. We are a family-owned company and as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, we believe in the development of this province and its economic future. We take every opportunity to support our home and the people and companies that contribute to our collective long-term success. Jamie Robinson NL Modular Upcoming Training Social Media Content Marketing Business Legalities By: Jamie Robinson Small Business Week HAPPY SMALL WEEK! October 19BUSINESS – 25 2014 Metro Business Opportunities would likeOctober to 19 – 25, 2014 Metro Business Opportunities’ Staff and Board would like to wish everyone a Happy Small Business Week! We firmly believe in recognizing the outstanding efforts of small business owners in St. John’s and Mount Pearl. Keep up the amazing work! Del Sol colour change St. John's is a store completely unique not only in its products but also in its shopping experience; all of the items sold will change color when exposed to UV light (daylight). When you leave the store, we want you to feel like your day is brighter than when you first walked in, regardless of the often disappointing weather outside. When we first discovered Del Sol for ourselves we were vacationing in the Caribbean: we noticed immediately the upbeat and happy atmosphere inside the store. Not only are the prices reasonable, with a high standard of quality - many of them come with a lifetime guarantee - but they are also just plain old fun! Even to this day - though we know what to expect to happen with our products when we go outside - it still brings a smile to our faces when we look down at our shirts or nails, for example, and see how bright they've become! On top of the joy they bring, they are also great eye openers about the amount of UV to which passes through the clouds and even fog to which we are all exposed. Jennifer & Ted Lacey Del Sol MENTORS WANTED Interested in mentoring one of our entrepreneurs? Call us today! 738-1626 During the process of opening our store, we found that we weren't being financially supported in the way we needed from the banks. We turned to MBO who were extremely easy to deal with, fast acting and to the point. If it weren't for MBO we would not have had the support needed to develop our business within the same time constraints. They've been a constant source of information and support and we couldn't have done it without them. Thank you, MBO!!! :-) By: Jennifer & Ted Lacey STARTING A BUSINESS? LOOKING FOR FUNDING? EI ELIGIBLE? INCOME SUPPORT RECIPIENT? WE’RE HERE TO HELP! 738-1626 | mboc.ca OUR PROGRAMS The SEED Capital Program provides loans up to $20,000 for small businesses. Applicants aged 34 and under may invest the loan in the start-up, expansions or modernization of a business. Applicants aged 35 and over must use the loan to start-up a business. Metro Business Opportunities wants to Kick$tart the future generation of entrepreneurs. This program offers a $5,000 low interest loan to youth aged 35 or less. The Self Employment Assistance provides an extension of employment insurance benefits for a period of 52 weeks to successful applicants who wish to start their own business. Eligible clients for SEA are individuals who are receiving EI, have received EI in the last 3 years, or maternity/paternity benefits in the last 5 years. Targeted to those in receipt of Income Support, the Entrepreneurial Opportunities Program provides counselling, continued financial assistance and a term loan up to $3,000 to successful applicants. Futurpreneur, formerly Canadian Youth Business Foundation, is a national non-profit organization committed to providing entrepreneurial programs and support services to young Canadians. The program offers start-up mentoring, financing up to $15,000, and business resources for youth ages 18-39. n Support Small Business!