http://albertaventure.com The Right Call is a rotating panel examining issues of corporate ethics. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:04:20 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 The Right Call is a rotating panel examining issues of corporate ethics. Fil Fraser http://www.albertaventure.com/audio/righcall/Vent_Fil_Fraser9.jpghttp://albertaventure.com Fil Fraser, Right Call, Corporate Ethics no Alberta Venture gblodgett@albertaventure.com http://albertaventure.com/2011/08/alberta-venture-podcast/ http://albertaventure.com/2011/08/alberta-venture-podcast/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2011 06:58:03 +0000 Duncan Kinney http://albertaventure.com/?p=19511 Continue reading →]]> http://albertaventure.com/2011/08/alberta-venture-podcast/feed/ 0 This month’s cover story on Spark, a retail electricity co-operative, is an interesting case study in community building. The community they want to build, in this case, revolves around your electricity bill. Jeff Senger is a serial, social entrepreneur and one of the co-founders of Spark. “It’s so easy through social media and technology now to make this a living thing, so that the utility bill isn’t going to the bank and getting a letter stamped,” says Jeff Senger. “It’s about an event in your community. It’s about starting a discussion.” We profiled Senger in another web exclusive and his enthusiasm, as well as the enthusiasm of his co-founder really comes across. In our podcast our web editor Duncan Kinney and our managing editor, Max Fawcett, explore the Spark story in further depth. Check it out. In this edition we explore Alberta's electricity market, its many shortcomings and a possible ray of hope <a href="http://albertaventure.com/2011/08/alberta-venture-podcast/">Continue reading <span [...] Venture Publishing Inc. Spark Energy clean http://albertaventure.com/2010/10/the-alberta-venture-podcast-craig-alexander-chief-economist-at-td-bank/ http://albertaventure.com/2010/10/the-alberta-venture-podcast-craig-alexander-chief-economist-at-td-bank/#comments Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:35:25 +0000 Max Fawcett http://albertaventure.com/?p=13649 Continue reading →]]> http://albertaventure.com/2010/10/the-alberta-venture-podcast-craig-alexander-chief-economist-at-td-bank/feed/ 0 By Max Fawcett It’s not often that you get the opportunity to pick the considerable brain of a chief economist at one of Canada’s big five banks. That’s why we jumped at the chance to speak with Craig Alexander, TD’s chief economist, who was in Edmonton last week. In a wide-ranging discussion that covered everything from the possibility of a double-dip recession to the upside of moderate economic growth, Alexander outlined the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for Alberta’s business community. The Alberta Venture Podcast – Craig Alexander, Chief Economist of TD Bank Some highlights: -Alexander expects “modest to moderate economic growth” over the next few years, with national GDP growing by 2 per cent. He expects Alberta to outperform the national average “by a significant margin.” -About the Canadian dollar at parity, Alexander notes that “it’s here to stay for the foreseeable future.” But, he says, most Canadian companies have responded admirably to this new reality. “They didn’t play ostrich,” he says. “They recognized that there was a problem and they changed their business models to adapt to that.” -He doesn’t expect to see runaway resource prices in the near term, and while that might be a disappointment for some of Alberta’s resource companies it also means that wage and salary growth will be muted. -Alexander believes that it’s a perfect time for businesses to invest in expanding their own productive capacity. “I think the stars are aligned remarkably well for business investment,” he says, noting the unique combination of strong balance sheets, rising corporate profits, low interest rates, tamped down wage and cost growth, a strong Canadian dollar (applied to the purchase of machinery commonly denominated in US dollars) and a favourable tax regime for investment. -We’re not out of the woods just yet. While he notes that he’s no Nouriel Roubini, Alexander pegs the possibility of a double-dip at one in three, and identifies continuing weakness in the U.S. economy and concerns about sovereign debt risk in Europe as the most likely culprits for such an outcome. “I worry about the psychology,” Alexander says. “I think if the U.S. actually saw an outright contraction in GDP it would reinforce the expectations or the fears of a downturn, and fundamentally that’s the environment that you have to worry about.” -QE2 isn’t the answer, either. “The piper will eventually have to be paid,” Alexander says. “Spending more now is going to make the pain down the road worse. I can understand why America feels like it needs to do more, but my assessment is that if you just give it time it will heal. But you have to understand it’s a multi-year process.” -Exporters should be looking to international markets, which Alexander believes will comprise 70 per cent of global output in 20 years (as compared to 30 per cent 20 years ago, and 50 per cent today). But, he says, that doesn’t meant that companies should ignore the American market. With ten times our population there are still opportunities of scale there to be had, even in a weak economic climate. By Max Fawcett It’s not often that you get the opportunity to pick the considerable brain of a chief economist at one of Canada’s big five banks. That’s why we jumped at the chance to speak with Craig Alexander, TD’s … <a [...] http://albertaventure.com/2010/10/action-plan-online-part-10-of-12/ http://albertaventure.com/2010/10/action-plan-online-part-10-of-12/#comments Fri, 01 Oct 2010 07:51:11 +0000 Gunnar http://albertaventure.com/?p=13407 Continue reading →]]> http://albertaventure.com/2010/10/action-plan-online-part-10-of-12/feed/ 0 When your business foundations are good, look to the small details to give you an added edge by Lindsey Norris // // Small Business, Big Website You’ve seen them. You’ve undoubtedly been irritated by them. Bad websites – with annoying flash, clashing colours, spelling errors, broken links or insufficient information – can quickly turn off potential customers. Here, Darlene Goode, a co-owner of Professional Web Studio, which specializes in designing sites for small business, offers three tips on how to make your site work for, not against, your business. Add content pages Helpful fact-filled pages related to your services or field may be what encourages people to contact you over a competitor. A current example: bedbugs. “People who have keywords like “bedbugs,” “kill bedbugs,” they are getting a lot of traffic right now,” Goode says. “So if you’re an exterminator and you have pages on bedbugs, your chances of getting a phone call are greater.” If there are things you can do or things you see that you can implement to save your customer money or time, by all means, do it. Just make sure you keep track of it and the cost to report back. “Start implementing the lowest costing ones at first, track how sales are affected, and keep adding value if improved sales justify doing so,” Howse says. Nothing makes people talk like saving money does. Ask for a content management system Nothing looks less professional than out-of-date information on your site. When you have one designed, as for a content management system that will let you do small updates yourself. “It should be as easy for them to use as a word processing problem, and it doesn’t need to be expensive,” Goode says. If it is expensive, it may be time to look around for other quotes. Satisfy the needs of your target audience Your website should attract new customers, but to do that effectively your content has to be worded in a way that explains to potential clients why your service is for them. Goode says that many business owners try to attract everyone. “For example, a cupcake bakery may say their target market is ‘everyone.’ But if you’re not shipping around the world, it isn’t everyone,” Goode says. “So you want a site that will attract local customers who will find you online.” RELATED LINKS Action Plan 2010 in Print, Part 10 of 12: Building Customer Demand If your otherwise sound company is still feeling the harsh effects of the recession, some small tweaks could make the difference between a flat profit line and a rising one. More > Take ideas from whiteboard to market October’s Action Plan Podcast:Greg Kopchuk of Action Coach Canada on how to get more out of your sales transactions Click here to listen Subscribe to Action Plan podcast 1 Double your effort to make current customers happy 2 Readjust your expectations of growth 3 A back-up line of credit can help make your biz more flexible 4 “Upsell” to get a greater return on each transaction 5 Don’t go it alone – get a network to hash over your issues with When your business foundations are good, look to the small details to give you an added edge by Lindsey Norris // // Small Business, Big Website You’ve seen them. You’ve undoubtedly been irritated by them. Bad websites – with annoying … [...] http://albertaventure.com/2010/07/action-plan-online-part-7-of-12/ http://albertaventure.com/2010/07/action-plan-online-part-7-of-12/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 07:50:40 +0000 Gunnar http://albertaventure.com/?p=11305 Continue reading →]]> http://albertaventure.com/2010/07/action-plan-online-part-7-of-12/feed/ 0 How to integrate new people into your employee team by Lindsey Norris // // Who to hire first? When you want to grow, you must add people. But who should you add first – sales people to get orders, or production staff who can learn the ropes and be ready to turn out a top-notch product? The quick answer, says Marty Park of Evolve Business Group, is sales. Here’s why. Bottlenecks are likely It’s unlikely any growth will unfold as smoothly as you’d like it to. Accept that, and it’s easier to decide where you want to the hold-up to come from. “I don’t want the bottleneck to be in business development. It’s easier to make production your secondary focus – a very close second,” Park says. “I see so many companies that start to ramp up on production and forget it may be a 12-month selling cycle.” With much of the labour pressure relieved, it isn’t as difficult to add good staff in a hurry as it once was. Evaluate the Economics In stronger economies you could afford to take a misstep here and there when it came to hiring. “If it didn’t work out, you burned through some money and you let them go,” Park says. Today the financial penalties of doing so now will likely hurt a bit more. That isn’t a bad thing. You have to be more cautious, evolve the economics of adding that person, and essentially do business better – a good rule to live by regardless of the economy. And the one caveat… You must make sure you hire salespeople. The emphasis being on sales. “In 2007-2008, a lot of managers thought they had salespeople, but they really had order takers,” Park says. “They had people who have been able to answer the phone on the ongoing basis.” In a recovering economy, and even a recovered economy with a little less bloom, that won’t cut it. RELATED LINKS Action Plan 2010 in Print, Part 7 of 12: Integrating New Staff to Your Team If there are such things as business truisms, one would be that companies that succeed in the economic recovery will be those who prepared for it before their competitors. More > Winning the price wars July’s Action Plan Podcast: Marty Park, President of Evolve Business Group, on how to integrate staff into your business when your company is expanding Click here to listen Subscribe to Action Plan podcast 1 Google “onboarding.” Learn its principles and implement 2 Don’t mistake an employee handbook for an orientation 3 Involve multiple players in new employee orientations 4 Explain what a new manager has been hired to do to employees 5 Hire right the first time to save money in the long run How to integrate new people into your employee team by Lindsey Norris // // Who to hire first? When you want to grow, you must add people. But who should you add first – sales people to get orders, or … <a [...] http://albertaventure.com/2010/07/david-emerson-podcast/ http://albertaventure.com/2010/07/david-emerson-podcast/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 07:50:00 +0000 Gunnar http://albertaventure.com/?p=11245 Continue reading →]]> http://albertaventure.com/2010/07/david-emerson-podcast/feed/ 0 Click here to download the entire podcast. David Emerson on the Premier’s Council for Economic Strategy David Emerson on the diversification of Alberta’s economy David Emerson on the economic realities that Alberta is facing David Emerson on Edmonton’s bid for Expo 2017 David Emerson on the mandate of the Premier’s Council for Economic Strategy David Emerson on the power of people within the system David Emerson’s predictions for Alberta’s economy David Emerson’s advice for businesses Click here to read our feature profile of David Emerson. Listen to excerpts from Paul Marck's interview with David Emerson <a href="http://albertaventure.com/2010/07/david-emerson-podcast/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a> http://albertaventure.com/2010/06/when-to-push-for-productivity-audio/ http://albertaventure.com/2010/06/when-to-push-for-productivity-audio/#comments Tue, 01 Jun 2010 08:28:00 +0000 Gunnar http://albertaventure.com/?p=10197 QUESTION: Question: How do you get more out of your staff, and stay within the bounds of good corporate ethics? Continue reading →]]> http://albertaventure.com/2010/06/when-to-push-for-productivity-audio/feed/ 0 THE PANEL: D’Arcy Levesque: vice president, public and government affairs, Enbridge Stephen Murgatroyd: chief scout, Innovation Expedition, Inc. Subscribe to The Right Call podcast This month’s audio comes from the interview that shaped the column When to Push for Productivity The Right Call is a rotating panel examining issues of corporate ethics. If you’d like advice on a compromising situation (no names used), send details to feedback, or login to this site and post a comment. <strong>QUESTION: </strong> Question: How do you get more out of your staff, and stay within the bounds of good corporate ethics? <a href="http://albertaventure.com/2010/06/when-to-push-for-productivity-audio/">Continue [...] Fil Fraser 13:49 Right Call, Fil Fraser no http://albertaventure.com/2010/05/action-plan-online-2010-part-5-of-12/ http://albertaventure.com/2010/05/action-plan-online-2010-part-5-of-12/#comments Sat, 01 May 2010 07:45:43 +0000 Gunnar http://albertaventure.com/?p=9828 Continue reading →]]> http://albertaventure.com/2010/05/action-plan-online-2010-part-5-of-12/feed/ 0 How to launch a new product by Lindsey Norris // // The Price is…Wrong Pricing your new product or service is one of the most important elements to introducing it to the market. Get it wrong, and it may never get off the ground. Laura Sullivan, a program manager with Calgary Technologies Inc., offers three tips to help you keep from pricing yourself out of (or too far into) the market. Problem #1: Shallowly Skimming A “skimming” strategy – charging more for a new, novel product that offers a lot of value – can be a quick way to make a large profit. Amazon’s Kindle is a good example, but as competitors come on the market, it has lowered its price. For this strategy to work for you, you must make sure your product warrants the higher price. “You have to make the comparison to your competition and your relative value,” Sullivan says. “If there is a similar product that costs less, you need to ensure a premium price is warranted.” Problem #2: Penetrating Too Deeply The opposite approach to skimming is the penetration strategy: pricing your product low to try to get as many customers as possible. But don’t price yourself out of a reasonable profit just for more market share. “If you find that uptake is much more than you expected, you may be pricing too low,” Sullivan says. “You want to try to make enough money to fund R&D….If the uptake is fast, there’s a chance you are leaving profit on the table and may want to change your strategy and try for a higher price.” Sheer volume of customers, while alluring, doesn’t always mean higher profits. Nokia has far more of the mobile phone market than Apple, for example, but the entire lineup of all of its mobile phones generates a similar profit as the iPhone alone. Problem #3: Trying To Be Everything To Everyone You may have the opportunity to position your product to different market segments. Think of the way Microsoft sells Windows – they have a product for students, home use and business. It is essentially the same product, but may have different price points, service terms, etc. You can do that too, but Sullivan counters many try to do it too soon. “We think it’s really essential that you pick a single segment, go after it and do a really good job and expand from there,” she says. “Many companies try to go after many segments and try to make them fit. They may be able to sustain their business, but can’t grow unless they focus.” RELATED LINKS Action Plan 2010 in Print, Part 5 of 12: Prepare to Launch Whether your aim is to increase market share or to create something groundbreaking that will forever change your industry, launching a new product is a tricky business that can trip up even the most well-established companies. More > How to handle your tardy receivables May’s Action Plan Podcast: Robin Winsor, President and CEO of Cybera, on launching unique products Click here to listen Subscribe to Action Plan podcast 1 Have a comprehensive advertising strategy in place pre-launch 2 Make sure the product/service is market ready 3 Know exactly what the market conditions are and price accordingly 4 Don’t think of a new product as a separate entity: think of it as an expansion of your existing brand 5 Don’t sacrifice existing customers or services for the new venture How to launch a new product by Lindsey Norris // // The Price is…Wrong Pricing your new product or service is one of the most important elements to introducing it to the market. Get it wrong, and it may never … <a [...] http://albertaventure.com/2010/03/unconventional-wisdom/ http://albertaventure.com/2010/03/unconventional-wisdom/#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:05:20 +0000 Gunnar http://albertaventure.com/?p=8267 Continue reading →]]> http://albertaventure.com/2010/03/unconventional-wisdom/feed/ 0 Interviews by Emily Senger Ian MacGillivray, Conference Planner In a market brimming with event planners, Ian MacGillivray saw the need for a company that takes a different approach to conference planning. “We hire business people and then turn them into event planners, not the other way around,” he says. In 2004, Oomph! Events Inc. was born, and the Edmonton-based company that bills itself as “the best in conference management” began organizing every little conference detail, from the initial concept to the final cleanup. How do you get people to meet your deadlines? Ian MacGillivray: The first thing is communicating that you have a deadline. I think, often, we forget that little detail, that I need this answer by a certain date. I also think making sure that the person who needs to meet the deadline understands the importance of the deadline and how missing it might impact the overall project. What kind of costs can you negotiate with a venue and what is fixed? IM: Typically, catering costs are pretty fixed. They have a set menu and prices on the actual food. Usually space rental is negotiable, in particular in hotels. If you’re booking a bunch of guest rooms in the hotel, typically they’ll negotiate fairly well on the actual conference space. They’ll always want a guaranteed minimum, the minimum number of people or the minimum amount you’ll spend on catering – that’s usually negotiable. Are you seeing any increased willingness to negotiate in the economic climate we’re in now? IM: Yes. Alberta venues are still pretty busy. In particular for the bigger events in conference centres, we only have one conference centre in Calgary and one in Edmonton that can handle the big ones, so they’re still busy. Hotels are a little hungrier, for sure, and they’re willing to negotiate a bit more. What kind of tips do you have for organizing an event from a distance? IM: There are certain things that do need somebody locally on the ground. Definitely, sponsorship is one of those things. Sponsorship is about relationships, so you need to either find a partner or send somebody to travel to that place to be there. Otherwise, honestly, we’ve done an event in Vancouver and the first time we set foot there was the day before the event set up. What kind of things do you do to maximize attendance at your events? IM: In this day and age, there is such information overload that relying on just emails and sending out brochures isn’t working as much anymore. Have strong partnerships with associations, or groups, or networks where your target audience already belongs. Have that organization market the event for you; it’s a lot more authentic when it’s coming from them. Definitely social media is starting to play more of a role, depending on the audience. I mean, if it’s a bunch of grey-haired oil executives, those guys aren’t on Twitter and Facebook, but if it’s a youth conference, or a professional conference where the audience is fairly wired, then you want to be playing it on Facebook and tweeting about the event. What are your tips for keeping a cool head on the big day of the conference? IM: [Laughs] That’s an experience thing. You can only have a cool head if you’ve been there and done that. If you don’t have event professionals involved, then you should probably involve one on site. I’ve got a few people that you could throw any curveball at them and they’re cool, because they’ve seen it and done it before. From monthly committee meetings to the annual corporate bash, three industry experts give tips to plan an event that will leave participants counting down the days until the next one <a [...] http://albertaventure.com/2009/11/action-plan-online-part-9-of-10/ http://albertaventure.com/2009/11/action-plan-online-part-9-of-10/#comments Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:33:21 +0000 Gunnar http://www.albertaventure.com/?p=5914 Continue reading →]]> http://albertaventure.com/2009/11/action-plan-online-part-9-of-10/feed/ 0 Win the Bidding War How to keep your head (and your wallet) when you find yourself in a bidding situation Rules of the Game Whether you’re bidding on a job, a home, another company or a fruit basket at a fundraiser, many of the same principles apply. Here, people who know how to navigate the bidding-war trenches offer tips that apply in every situation. Do Your Research “Bidding auctions work so well because you’re presenting items or services to the mass market and the highest bidder wins – you find the true market value. That said, we want you to get caught up in the excitement of bidding. Your approach should really be very basic: set your price and be prepared to stop. It is very important to do your research. And don’t be frustrated if the bidding goes too high, just carry on to the next. You’ll find out soon enough if you have underestimated the value.” Ron Sekura – co-owner of Secure Auctions and past-president of the Auctioneers’ Association of Alberta, Edmonton Stress Your Strengths “I would say that non-price-related factors are the most important part of 99% of most of the bids we participate on. Once we have established that our bid meets all requirements, we can explain what we offer that should have a significant impact on the decision-maker: local support throughout all communities in North America, in-depth service, support and training. Our bid success rate is in the 90 percentile, but whether we are successful or not, we make a point of understanding other bid submissions. We ask our customer what led them to the decision so that we can learn from each of them. Not to downplay the work that goes into the bid, but I would suggest that the real work starts once the decision is made.” Patric Nagel, vice-president, North American sales, Smart Technologies, Calgary Play in Fair Arenas “The most important aspect of the bid management process is that all bidders must be treated equally. When a project is put out for tender, everyone must have access to the same information. From a bidder’s perspective, the value of bidding is a transparent, fair and equitable process. Bidders themselves should do their due diligence so they don’t waste their time and can focus on projects they’re likely to win. For example, they can ask the number of other bidders, how questions will be handled and when they will be answered.” Alice Reimer, president and co-founder, and Carey Houston, vice-president of marketing, Evoco Inc., Calgary RELATED LINKS Action Plan in Print, Part 9 of 10: Win the (Bidding) War Bidding for a contract or customer is a fact of life in many industries, including real estate, advertising, construction and engineering. But if you aren’t accustomed to competing for business, the process may seem daunting. And so it should; it is one of few instances where the winner may ultimately be the loser. Here’s how to keep your head and win the job (or recognize when it’s time to fold). More > Changing the Corporate Mentality November’s Action Plan Podcast: Responding to a Request for Proposal with Jim Nicholson, City of Calgary To listen, click here 1 Your price doesn’t have to be the lowest in order to win. 2 Announce changes all at once to avoid upsetting the apple cart more than once. 3 Stress your company’s quality, reputation and reliability. 4 Don’t sacrifice profitability to net the contract. 5 Consult a lawyer before you submit a bid as well as after. 6 Sometimes you should lose. If you always win, you may be too cheap. Win the Bidding War How to keep your head (and your wallet) when you find yourself in a bidding situation Rules of the Game Whether you’re bidding on a job, a home, another company or a fruit basket at a … <a [...] Lindsey Norris 7:40 Alberta Venture, Action Plan, Jim Nicholson no http://albertaventure.com/2009/10/building-the-economy-of-ideas/ http://albertaventure.com/2009/10/building-the-economy-of-ideas/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:03:14 +0000 admin http://www.albertaventure.com/?p=4775 Continue reading →]]> http://albertaventure.com/2009/10/building-the-economy-of-ideas/feed/ 0 Interviews by Michael McCullough Click here for the Economy of Ideas podcast The Innovation Czar Doug Horner Since being named minister of Advanced Education and Technology in 2006, the former banker, businessman and MLA from Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert has earned the respect of many in the technology sector for his advocacy of industry interests, willingness to listen and implementation of Alberta’s Action Plan. What we’ve been able to provide with the Action Plan is alignment – alignment of the various providers within our system. I think you go anywhere in the world and what you’ll find is in one area they know of some service delivery or commercialization piece but they may not necessarily be cognizant of what’s going on in other areas of their own jurisdiction. We had the same issue. What’s going to help us is giving that alignment to the entire Campus Alberta commercialization activity. So if you walk into TEC Edmonton and you’re at a certain place in the value chain in the development of your idea, they’ll immediately be able to identify anywhere within the system you need to go to get that help to turn that into a viable idea within the province. It comes back to the cluster idea, to have all the pieces available and the concierge service that tells them where and who and how. And that is a tremendous competitive advantage. In the past there were all these roadblocks: getting IP [intellectual property] out into the open where it can be used, not knowing where to go for your venture capital, your business plan, your mentoring, those sorts of things. Not knowing where to go for your prototype. You spend a lot of time finding that out. You lose a bit of your entrepreneurial zeal when things start to get a little bit tough. Companies may find themselves in the valley of death at some point. We have to bridge that with mentorship, good business plans, good deal flow. One of the things we heard [in our consultations with industry] is there’s this great basic research and all these good things happening, but there’s no deal flow happening. So we have to create better deal flow. All of that is why we’re doing what we’re doing…. Investors are looking for that cluster of things that support the company they want to invest in. So we had to get all that stuff aligned and in play. Then we had to create the Alberta Enterprise Corporation – then the investors are saying, “They’re actually putting some skin in the game here. They’re leveraging my dollars. Now I can go do the proper due diligence that I need to do. And then I can make that investment with the knowledge that all that other stuff is there.” The venture capitalist looks to money and support and then the market and the financial side of it. Management is a critical factor. Support for that management is a critical factor. We’re an energy province. We’ll always be an energy province, whether that’s in hydrocarbons or alternative energy. We’re taking the lead in those areas as well. It’s our technology and the commercialization of that technology that’s going to keep us at the forefront of the energy requirements of the globe. There are areas where we have strength. It’s energy and the environment, whether it’s alternative energy, environmental stewardship and hydrocarbons. It’s the bio-industries, the life sciences, the biofuels. It’s the health services delivery: cardio, diabetes, neuroscience. These are the areas of strength…. And that’s where I think you’ll see us going. All the other things going on are enabling technologies. You’ll notice I didn’t mention nanotechnology. If you’re going to have alternative energy, you’re going to need new composites that might be “smart.” The only way you’ll have new composites that are smart is if you have a very strong nanotechnology, world-leading research and development and commercialization cluster within your economy. ICT [information and [...] Insiders’ perspectives on what’s right – and wrong – with Alberta’s innovation system <a href="http://albertaventure.com/2009/10/building-the-economy-of-ideas/">Continue reading <span [...] http://albertaventure.com/2009/06/web-exclusive-the-right-call-audio-collection/ http://albertaventure.com/2009/06/web-exclusive-the-right-call-audio-collection/#comments Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:27:09 +0000 Rachel Singh http://www.albertaventure.com/?p=3047 Alberta Venture's "The Right Call" column Continue reading →]]> http://albertaventure.com/2009/06/web-exclusive-the-right-call-audio-collection/feed/ 0 NOW PLAYING: An Ounce of Flesh What can business people do to reverse the eroding public perception of the free enterprise system? Business’s Big Black Eye What can business people do to reverse the eroding public perception of the free enterprise system? It’s the Women, Stupid Should companies mandate female representation on boards and in management? Ethical Downsizing If you have to cut your payroll, how can you do the least possible harm? Religion and the Workplace In an increasingly diverse workplace, should employers accommodate everyone or no one? Subscribe to The Right Call podcast – The Right Call is a rotating panel examining issues of corporate ethics. If you’d like advice on a compromising situation (no names used), send details to feedback@albertaventure.com, or login to this site and post a comment. Audio from the interviews that shape <em>Alberta Venture</em>'s "The Right Call" column <a href="http://albertaventure.com/2009/06/web-exclusive-the-right-call-audio-collection/">Continue reading <span [...] http://albertaventure.com/2009/04/action-plan-online-2/ http://albertaventure.com/2009/04/action-plan-online-2/#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:30:16 +0000 Gunnar http://www.albertaventure.com/?p=3137 Continue reading →]]> http://albertaventure.com/2009/04/action-plan-online-2/feed/ 0 <br /> <span class=”mceItemObject” classid=”clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000″ codebase=”http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0″ width=”570″ height=”290″ id=”actionplan2″ align=”middle”></p> <span name=”allowScriptAccess” value=”sameDomain” class=”mceItemParam”></span> <span name=”allowFullScreen” value=”false” class=”mceItemParam”></span> <span name=”movie” value=”http://www.albertaventure.com/videos/actionplan2.swf” class=”mceItemParam”></span> <span name=”quality” value=”high” class=”mceItemParam”></span> <span name=”bgcolor” value=”#ffffff” class=”mceItemParam”></span> <span class=”mceItemEmbed” src=”http://www.albertaventure.com/videos/actionplan2.swf” mce_src=”http://www.albertaventure.com/videos/actionplan2.swf” quality=”high” bgcolor=”#ffffff” width=”570″ height=”290″ name=”actionplan2″ align=”middle” allowScriptAccess=”sameDomain” allowFullScreen=”false” wmode=”transparent” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” pluginspage=”http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer” /><br /> </span><br /> Lower Your Lease By Lindsey Norris Until 1993, Dale Willerton, the Lease Coach, was a shopping centre manager. He saw tenants overpaying for their business space every day. Today, he and his team of negotiators help tenants get a better deal. Here Willerton identifies three common mistakes to be aware of when negotiating leases. MISTAKE #1: Failing to create competition for your tenancy. Willerton tells all his clients to pick two to four locations, even if you have a favourite, because then the landlords have to compete against each other. If one landlord will give you three free months of rent, maybe the next will give you four free months. “But tenants say, ‘we love this building, we drive by it every day’ and then the landlord has you over a barrel.” MISTAKE #2: Mistaking the timing of your move. The best time to open a new location in a shopping mall is two to three months before Christmas. “I had tenants who had bought a franchise and were putting the lease agreement together and planned to open in October. Instead, they opened on December 21 because they just didn’t factor in how long it takes,” Willerton says. It’s no use moving into a great location if your timing is poor – allow more time than you think you need to get the maximum value out of your move. MISTAKE #3: Adopting the wrong mentality. “Most people negotiate not to lose,” Willerton says. “But that’s like the Calgary Flames negotiating for a tie.” As an example, Willerton says he had a client in Calgary who said, “Don’t even show me a location if I can’t get three months free.” “So I showed him a location offering 12 months free rent. He said, ‘How did you possibly get a year’s free rent?’ I told him, ‘I asked for 18 months.’” Lower Your Overhead – Painlessly A few ways to renegotiate your “fixed” expenses. [audio=http://s3.amazonaws.com/albertaventure/ActionPlan/Barb_Stephens.mp3] Q&A with Barb Stevens, trade manager at SabreTEC, on how to barter your way to a lower overhead Subscribe to The Action Plan podcast Reduce Your Overhead 1 Offer employees voluntary sabbaticals or time off. 2 Reduce unnecessary expenditures. Start with your utility bills and banking fees. 3 Barter services with other companies. (Try Calgary’s Sabre Trade Exchange Corp. at bestinbarter.com. 4 Consider hiring contractors or freelancers rather than more staff. 5 Hold off on any unnecessary expansion plans. 6 You will never negotiate a better deal unless you ask for it. Remember: rejection is not personal. 7 Begin renegotiating long-term contracts nine to 10 months in advance so you aren’t [...] <br /> <span class=”mceItemObject” classid=”clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000″ codebase=”http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0″ width=”570″ height=”290″ [...] http://albertaventure.com/2008/11/eric-newell-grey-eminences-audio-collection-part-2-of-12/ http://albertaventure.com/2008/11/eric-newell-grey-eminences-audio-collection-part-2-of-12/#comments Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:00:57 +0000 Rachel Singh http://www.albertaventure.com/?p=2844 Continue reading →]]> http://albertaventure.com/2008/11/eric-newell-grey-eminences-audio-collection-part-2-of-12/feed/ 0 Former Syncrude CEO Eric Newell Offers Life Lessons All Should Heed Subscribe to Eric Newell: Grey Eminences podcast back to Grey Eminences Audio Collection NOW PLAYING On Advice To Premier Ed Stelmach On Alberta As The Energy Province And Nuclear Fusion On Prescription For White Collar Crime On Broadening Our Global Perspective On Beyond Maximizing Profits For Sustainability On Smart Regulation Of Executive Compensation On Corporate Management And Making The Tough Decisions On Education As The Great Equalizer On Social Responsibility On Moving to Fort McMurray IN PRINT Read the article from the pages of Alberta Venture, Social Beacon, crafted by Fil Fraser from thisinterview. – The Grey Eminences audio collection is a 12-part, audio series of conversations on today’s business issues with retired leaders in business and public life led by Fil Fraser – Edmonton-based writer, broadcaster, film and television producer, Athabasca University professor and member of the Order of Canada. Former Syncrude CEO Eric Newell Offers Life Lessons All Should Heed Subscribe to Eric Newell: Grey Eminences podcast back to Grey Eminences Audio Collection NOW PLAYING On Advice To Premier Ed Stelmach On Alberta As The Energy Province And Nuclear [...] http://albertaventure.com/2008/10/oilman-jim-gray-grey-eminences-audio-collection/ http://albertaventure.com/2008/10/oilman-jim-gray-grey-eminences-audio-collection/#comments Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:59:57 +0000 Rachel Singh http://www.albertaventure.com/?p=2748 Continue reading →]]> http://albertaventure.com/2008/10/oilman-jim-gray-grey-eminences-audio-collection/feed/ 0 Oilman Jim Gray on Facing Alberta’s Problems Subscribe to Jim Gray: Grey Eminences podcast Back to Grey Eminences Audio Collection NOW PLAYING: On the Government as Referee On Health Care On Canada First, Alberta Second It’s Time for Alberta to Grow Up On Messages to Alberta’s Next Generation Things to Develop, Things to Avoid On Alberta Circa 1960 The absence of establishment and the rebirth of the Calgary Stampede On Being Part of the Establishment Disengaged youth and the dilemma of schools losing students to the booming economy On Public Life Peter Lougheed’s cabinet and making the choice not to join it On the Spirit of Alberta Farmers, immigrants and energy On the Boom The social costs and problems surrounding attracting the right leadership On Transit to Fort McMurray Investing in a high speed rail for quality of life On the Government The capacity to get it right On Executive Compensation The next big hot button On Young, High Earners The need for confidence IN PRINT Read the article from the pages of Alberta Venture, Just Fix It, crafted by Fil Fraser from this interview. – The Grey Eminences audio collection is a 12-part, audio series of conversations on today’s business issues with retired leaders in business and public life led by Fil Fraser – Edmonton-based writer, broadcaster, film and television producer, Athabasca University professor and member of the Order of Canada. Oilman Jim Gray on Facing Alberta’s Problems Subscribe to Jim Gray: Grey Eminences podcast Back to Grey Eminences Audio Collection NOW PLAYING: On the Government as Referee On Health Care On Canada First, Alberta Second It’s Time for Alberta to [...] http://albertaventure.com/2008/04/good-grief/ http://albertaventure.com/2008/04/good-grief/#comments Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:54:04 +0000 Scott Messenger http://www.albertaventure.com/?p=39 Continue reading →]]> http://albertaventure.com/2008/04/good-grief/feed/ 0 Editor’s Note: On March 28, 2008, after this story went to press, an airplane carrying Reagan Williams, two other employees of A.D. Williams Engineering and two contractors went down near Wainwright, Alberta, killing all on board. Alberta Venture offers its condolences to A.D. Williams staff and family members of the deceased. Photography by Tina Chang Gord Rajewski hadn’t been home long when the phone rang around eight, Sunday evening, Oct. 28, 2007. It was Rhonda Quirke, then controller for Edmonton-based A.D. Williams Engineering. Had circumstances been different, Rajewski, manager of the firm’s Edmonton branch, would have been allowed some free time with his family. After all, the job had kept him in Golden, B.C., on retreat for three days. Even though president Reagan Williams had given him a lift back in one of the company’s planes, a six-seater Piper Malibu JetProp, the weekend was virtually over without having afforded much rest. The annual retreat, held in a rustic lodge just outside of Golden, was no vacation, regardless of appearances. No phone calls, no Internet access – no distractions other than stunning views of mountains rising up on either side of the Columbia Valley. Reagan’s father, Allen Williams, the company’s 65-year-old CEO and founder, expected much. From arrival to departure, his group would cook together, eat together, team up to keep the place tidy, and, in the time remaining, take stock and plan the firm’s future. Given its recent success, it was a time for thinking big. Listen to Reagan Williams On creating a new position for Rhonda On Steve’s value to A.D. Williams Phil is considered for the CFO position But with that phone call, the brightness of the future envisioned in Golden darkened. Quirke bore grim news. The company’s other plane, a Cessna 172 flown by Allen Williams and carrying chief financial officer Steven Sutton, 49, and Williams’ three-year-old granddaughter, Kate, never arrived in Edmonton after leaving B.C. that afternoon. Allen’s championing of their planes as a competitive edge came with years of experience as a pilot. But that day, unlike the Malibu with its pressurized cabin, Allen’s Cessna couldn’t climb above bad weather. The plane failed to emerge from a snowstorm that would make its crumpled fuselage, partly submerged in a shallow creek, tough to locate. The Canadian Forces Rescue Squadron arrived roughly four hours later to find Kate upside-down, strapped into the car-seat her grandfather had painstakingly secured, cold and afraid, but alive. She was the only survivor. What would you do if your company’s founder, namesake and guiding force was suddenly out of the picture? Following an accident last October, A.D. Williams Engineering found out <a [...]