Marketing/Communication

Room A, 11:00 - 12:00

Pauline’s presentation on marketing communications will include innovative and easy to implement promotional ideas that will help position your business positively among its competitors.

Family Business

Room B, 11:00 - 12:00

A family business. The joys and the challenges of having a family business. Surviving the challenges and learning the balance of family and work.

Seeking Help?

Room C, 11:00 - 12:00

Any growing business ultimately learns this lesson: you can’t do everything yourself.

Eventually, you have to relinquish a bit of control and resign yourself to depending on the expertise of outsiders. Whether you’re installing computer equipment, embarking on a new marketing campaign, or designing your web site, it’s often best to stick to what you do best and pay experts to do what they do best.

Employers will accelerate their knowledge and awareness of when they need to look outside for help with their organization. Real things to consider when looking for a consultant and the right questions to ask when considering a consultant. Employers will learn that there are times to look outside of the organization, when to look outside and why. Employers who realize that they either don’t have the resources or the organization is underperforming will benefit from utilizing the services of a consultant.

Hiring for Success

Room A, 2:15 - 3:15

How to increase your rate of success in hiring the right person, with the right skill set and profile for the position you are looking to fill.

Succession Planning

Room B, 2:15 - 3:15

This session will outline the income tax considerations related to succession planning, including:

• Top ten reasons for succession failure
• Ways of realizing succession (sale, transfer to next generation, employee buyout, etc)
• Overview of tax implications on death of owner-manager including quantification of tax liability, funding of liability, double taxation and methods of minimizing these taxes
• Outline tax provisions available to minimize income taxes on transfers of businesses (either within or outside the family)
• Use of capital gains exemption
• Use of trusts

Innovation

Room C, 2:15 - 3:15

Today’s business is faced with a rapidly changing environment.  Globalization and free trade has resulted in competition and markets, which are no longer located down the street, within the province or even on the continent. The Internet has drastically changed the way companies and customers communicate and complete business transactions.  Product life cycles have reduced from decades to months. Product development cycles have reduced from years to months. Highly skilled employees are available but there is intense competition to attract and retain them. ‘Career’ employees are a thing of the past. These dynamic conditions reinforce the fact that in today’s business environment, change is the only constant. Cost cutting measures can only do such much to make us more competitive. Innovation and Innovative thinking are the way of the future to improving productivity and becoming a winner in your industry.

Learn how Innovation and Innovative thinking can make you and your organization more competitive.

Meeting Your Banker

Room A, 3:30 - 4:30

In his interactive presentation, Mathieu will share advice on how to better prepare to meet your banker. The presentation will be of benefit to all, from seasoned business owners to new entrepreneurs looking to obtain start-up financing.  Mathieu's experience with both short-term and long-term lending products will assist those who want to gain insight on how bankers review and evaluate financing requests.

Luann Jones-Foster

Room B, 3:30 - 4:30

Accessing Resources

Room C, 3:30 - 4:30

ACOA was created by the Government of Canada in 1987 as a full-fledged federal government department, totally focused on the economic development of Atlantic Canada. ACOA’s role is to improve the growth and competitiveness of small and medium-sized businesses as well as helping to build stonger, self-sustaining communities. This presentation will highlight key areas on how ACOA can assist SME`s who are focusing on growth opportunities.