Centre for Women in Business: Year in Review [2013-2014]

Centre for Women in Business

YEAR IN REVIEW2013-2014

Mount Saint Vincent UniversityThe Meadows, Second Floor166 Bedford HighwayHalifax, Nova ScotiaB3M 2J6

1 902 457 64491 888 776 9022

[email protected]

www.centreforwomeninbusiness.ca

A Year in the Life

Contents

A Day in the Life

Membership: Operation Impact

Behind the Scenes

Signature Event Showcase

Onward

Section 1 :

Section 2 :

Section 3 :

Section 4 :

Section 5 :

Section 6 :

1

4

10

11

15

16

Looking back, the Centre’s first event of 2013-2014 set the tone for our year, and sent a message to all of our members, clients, and partners. We called it Rev Up 2013. Held on the evening of September 17th, members were invited to a motorcycle showroom where they could network in jeans over a glass of Yellowtail wine, and learn about the evolution of brand and gender from a senior marketing strategist at Harley-Davidson Canada.

In the months leading up to this event, the team had many round table talks about the launch of our new year and what it would entail. Executive Director Tanya Priske wanted the venue to scream fresh, and reflect some of the exciting new changes in the works.

Her idea was to hold it at Privateers Harley-Davidson in Halifax. Not only would it provide the perfect backdrop for a presentation on gender and brand strategy, it would help us roll out our new schedule in a truly unique way, and allow everyone to roll out of their comfort zones as we journeyed into our 21st year.

And what a year it was. We launched six new training opportunities; 755 women registered for these and the other ‘tested and true’ programs that were reintroduced by popular demand.

Two business development officers carried out an incredible 379 business advisories:

184 were with start-up entrepreneurs, and 195 were with experienced operators looking to grow.

Questions concerning efficient growth strategy flowed steadily, so no one was surprised when seats for a new workshop series, the Advanced Mentoring & Management Program (AMMP), filled in just a few days. But program coordinator and Business Development Officer Laurie Sinclair received so many applications that she started a waitlist, and a second program was added to our schedule in January with 14 participants.

Photo credit: Rebecca Clarke

Rolling out our 21st year with Harley-Davidson

1 | A Year in the Life

A Year in the Life

Section 1:

A Year in the Life | 2

Centre member and Whitestone Developments CEO Tamara Barker Watson (second from right), at the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards in November. She took home the award for TPH Sustainability.

International communication and supplier diversity expert Julia HubbelWBE Canada Conference 2013

eye masks landed a glowing product review in Toronto Life Magazine.

We brought Canada, and the world, to Halifax. We hosted a workshop with international communication and supplier diversity expert Julia Hubbel,

and a full-day of video pitch training with Canadian broadcaster Jaeny Baik. Perhaps most notably, we hosted a professional development day featuring eight of Canada’s most prominent female entrepreneurs: Christine Magee, president and co-founder of Sleep Country Canada; Eleanor Beaton, award-winning journalist and founder of Eleanor Beaton Communications; Margaret Hachey, founder of tech communications giant Duocom Canada Inc.; Kathryn Coll, managing partner of HRA Associates Inc.; Peggy Gates-Hammond, director of wealth management at BMO Harris Private Banking; Suzanne Larochelle-Bachur,

Our first 11 AMMP participants ‘graduated’ in fall 2013, but many requested a second, more advanced program in order to continue the work they were doing. So we created one, and all 11 women signed up.

Other highlights, to name just a few: we nominated Centre member and Whitestone Developments CEO Tamara Barker Watson for an RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award. She won, and would go on to share the experience, and entrepreneurial success story as the keynote speaker for our International Women’s Day (IWD) luncheon on March 6th.

IWD and our three other signature events were sell-outs, or reached our registration targets: Rev Up 2013 on September 17th; our first-ever Professional Development Day: Your Essential Business Toolbox on January 29th, and our year-end wrap up, Breakfast and Answers with Margaret Trudeau on June 6th.

We filled not one but three sessions of Blueprint for Business Plan Success this year. Led by Business Development Officer Nora Perry, the reach of this program continues to grow, along with the number of start-ups opening their doors and expanding their operations throughout Atlantic Canada in 2013. Atlantic business news publication, Entrevestor, surveyed the region’s 280 new start-ups, and 162 reported total employment of 1453, up 43 per cent from 2012. It’s projected that by the end

of 2014, there will be a 52 per cent jump in start-up employment. Our program structure, and the Blueprint series in particular, will help facilitate this boom.

Senior Business Development Officer Gordia Macdonald once again created a workshop for women looking to max-out their presence at business conferences, trade shows, and high-level networking

events. She then led a delegation of eight women business owners (our largest group to date) to the WBE Canada Conference in Toronto held in November. In addition to the rich learning experiences and national exposure that characterize this annual two-day conference, several delegates came back with big wins, including member Brenda Gallagher, whose UNISON

3 Sold Out Signature Events

AMMP was hands-down one of the very best training programs I have completed during my 10 years in business. I found the peer-to-peer learning, content and guest facilitators to be wonderful. – Eleanor Beaton, Eleanor Beaton Communications


Photo credit: Emma Geldart

Christine Magee, President and co-founder of Canada’s largest mattress retailer, Sleep Country Canada, joined our all-star business panel at Professional Development Day, provided the keynote and took part in round table discussions on leadership.

president of Premiere Executive Suites Atlantic Ltd.; Colleen Cole, founder, president and CEO of PERMA-DRY, and Judy Garland, marketing manager for Sobeys Atlantic.

We collaborated with key players in Nova Scotia’s tech industry sector, co-hosting training with Digital Nova Scotia, Canadian Women in Technology (CanWIT), and teamed up with MSVU’s Industry Liaison Office to facilitate new opportunities for member Pam Streeter of Birch Hills Academy, and Melanie Fiske of Fiske’s Animal Care Products. We assisted both women with successful applications to the Nova Scotia Productivity and Innovation Voucher Program, allowing each to receive $15,000 in innovation expertise from Nova Scotia post-secondary institutions.

Together with MSVU, we are proud to be a part of the province’s business innovation

‘sandbox,’ which will provide resources to students interested in pursuing entrepre-neurship as a career.

That on-campus work extended to Advancement, where we focused on drawing more MSVU alumni into the Centre community to help support all those pursuing entrepreneurship. We joined forces with the Public Relations department to offer complimentary communication plans to our members, and were inundated with responses. We were pleased to help these already accomplished PR students gain even more professional polish.

We were ‘out there’ more often: our Executive Director, Tanya Priske, and business development officers spent a lot of time on the go, meeting potential partners, government representatives, and local women business owners at various

events and brainstorming sessions. We were on the phone with current and past Centre members to ask them what we can do better. In late fall, we took it one step further and sent out detailed surveys to find out what specific resources, training programs and support opportunities they require, and committed to bringing those recommendations to life. The result was staggering: between January and early

March of 2014, we processed more membership applications than we did during 2013 in its entirety.

We poured over the survey results and in March, we introduced a new, more clearly defined membership plan with greater opportunities for exposure and essential training.

Encapsulating all of this: the launch of a new tagline that clearly expresses our mission.

Exposure, Connection, Learning.

Those three words have guided the Centre since its inception back in 1992, and will keep us on track as we motor into a brand new year of business challenges and professional milestones.

Start-uphires up

CENTRE MEMBERS SPIKE IN

2014

Needless to say our days were, and remain, very busy. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

This year, a typical morning at the Centre included scheduled business advisories and walk-ins from women seeking appointments, information on our services, workshop recommendations or program schedules.

We took many calls and emails from women wanting to discuss our membership plan and upcoming workshop opportunities.MSVU students (both male and female)

contacted us looking for ways to advance their business skills through volunteer and networking opportunities. We encourage this dialogue, and made it our priority to work with them as much as possible.

We brought financial institutions, government organizations, and research and technology partners to the table. We split our time between round table discussions, individual meetings and online interaction. Our e-advisor, located on the Centre’s website, provided busy entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners with an opportunity to pick the brains of our business experts without having to step outside. We received dozens of e-advisor queries each week; most questions dealt with ‘next steps,’ in respect to training, expansion, financing, or making new business connections. We answered all of them.

The business development officers on the receiving end of those queries offered up their educational, business and financial expertise. Each sharpened that expertise through various forms of training: in the classrooms of universities and colleges; at

As of Spring 2014, the Centre for Women in Business had 255 members and several hundred clients. These are women from Atlantic Canada that we have worked with in some capacity. Of them, 158 were brand new members. We conducted 379 business advisories, hosted four large-scale signature events, and presented 18 workshops and networking opportunities, some ongoing and some offered multiple times throughout the year to accommodate our clients. We had close to 3,500 followers and fans across our social media channels and engaged countless more through shares, wall posts, and private messages.

We did this with seven full-time staff and a rotating intern position filled by some of the very best students in the MSVU Public Relations Coop Program.

A Day in the Life | 4

AMMP NS 2013Photo credit: Kate MacLeod, Halifax Headshots Photography

AMMP NFLD 2013Photo credit: Denise Dunn/NLOWE

Section 2:

A Day in the Life

professional development days, and in business training conferences held across North America. All brought back valuable insight, hot business trends and entrepreneurship strategies to share with our clients, and incorporate into the training opportunities offered by the Centre.

We met clients where they were: literally, in terms of their geographic locations, and also in respect to their experience. Our workshops were offered wherever there was a demonstrated need, and meetings were held here at The Meadows, in the offices of our clients, and in coffee shops all across Nova Scotia.

When we had an advisory request outside of the HRM, we made it happen; when those meetings resulted in a need for additional resources, like a financial

advisor, a marketing plan or a mentor, we facilitated those connections.

Though our team remained in demand and on the go, we took time to sit down together as a group. Our monthly team meetings ran a full day, and gave us an

opportunity to check in on the objectives of the annual plan and program strategy we devised during the summer of 2013, and unveiled at Rev Up 2013 to mark the official start of our year.

Tanya Priske Executive Director

“Our goal is to be the leader in entrepreneurial success, and 2013-14 certainly set the tone. Innovation and creativity were at the forefront of everything we did. The Centre played on the national stage this past year and your voice, the Atlantic Canadian women business owner, has been heard loud and clear. Building linkages, creating partnerships and opening doors to benefit the women business owners we work with will continue to be our core strength. Engagement from companies such as Emera and Shell are paving the way for diversity and inclusion, and we were pleased to work with them to help create new opportunities for the women business owners in our community. It was an exciting year, and 2014-15 only looks brighter.”

Innovation and creativity were at the forefront of everything we did.

Photo credit: Trevor Kennedy, Healing Tree Communications

The Meadows, home of the Centre for Women in Business, MSVU.

5 | A Day in the Life

Gordia Macdonald Sr. Business Development Officer “It’s been a pleasure working with established women business owners looking for new markets this year. Again, with Women Business Enterprise Canada, we’ve grown our community by connecting more Maritime women business owners with national and international opportunities. There are big things on the horizon for women entrepreneurs in Atlantic Canada.”

Nora Perry Business Development Officer

“It was exciting to hear the creative ideas women had for businesses, and to work with them to ‘get the plan done’ and progress through the start-up phase. We did a lot of work with students on the MSVU campus to help them develop business ideas; this year we had 12 students complete the Entrepreneurship Leaders certificate program, where groups developed business plans for student-run businesses. This year has been very rewarding; it’s been all about building relationships with our members and clients, and working with them to, in turn, help them build relationships with their clients, suppliers and business contacts.”

Laurie Sinclair Business Development Officer

“When I look back on this year, I think of the story of the heavily loaded down business owner who is overwhelmed with the burden of having to function in all roles within their business. Many women who came to us with an organizational chart that contained their own name in all of the boxes; as their businesses grew, it was exciting to partner with them and watch them develop the skill sets and management teams needed to delegate effectively. Congratulations to all of the brave women business owners I have worked with this year—those who have taken this leap and accomplished sustainability and growth—you are all inspiring.”

There are big things on the horizon for women entrepreneurs in Atlantic Canada.

Congratulations to all of the brave women business owners I’ve worked with this year.

This year has been very rewarding. It’s been all about building relationships.





Michele BraymanOffice Coordinator “It has been a busy first year for me and one that I have truly enjoyed. With the help of the team here at the Centre I understand the importance of the collaboration we have with our members and clients. When I first arrived I was told we are a big family, and it’s true. From our kick-off last year at Halifax Harley-Davidson to our breakfasts together here at the Meadows, I appreciate being part of a group that is dedicated to furthering women’s voices in the business community. I am looking forward to another busy year and the opportunity to continue learning.”

Melanie MacDonaldMembership & Events Coordinator

“I’m excited to be rejoining the Centre team in the role of Membership/Events Coordinator. Having previously worked with the diverse and business savvy members here, I am excited to continue the momentum of the 2013-2014 year to ensure every woman entrepreneur can leverage her business with the membership program. I am always seeking suggestions and feedback from you to continually improve our events and member benefits, and I look forward to connecting with each of you in the coming year.”

Janna MacGregor Communcations Manager

“Our membership and social media following saw a huge spike this year, and with it, a major boost in client engagement. New names who liked our Facebook page and followed us on Twitter became members of our community. They called, emailed and connected with us online; they attended events and registered for training sessions, and the result was a year of sell-out events and workshop waitlists. On any given day, our business development officers were booking back-to-back advisories to keep up with the demand. Entrepreneurship is booming in Nova Scotia, and we get to see that first-hand every day.”

Entrepreneurship is booming in Nova Scotia, and we get to see that first-hand every day.

I’m excited to continue the momentum of 2013-2014.

I appreciate being part of a group that is dedicated to furthering women’s voices in the business community.






AMMP (Phase I & II) A workshop series that takes 10 seasoned entrepreneurs with revenues of over $500,000 and uses mentoring and education to kick business development into high gear.

BizConnectA workshop series that shows women how to connect with other businesses and access their supply chains.

Blueprint for SuccessA six-part workshop series that guides participants through the process of creating a business plan.

Breakfast & Answers with Margaret TrudeauA presentation and talk-show style Q&A featuring Margaret Trudeau, focusing on her high-profile life as wife of Canada’s 15th Prime Minister, and her trailblazing advocacy of mental health awareness.

Business Certificate ProgramThree 10-week certificate workshops offered in partnership with Nova Scotia’s Department of Labour and Advanced Education, complimentary to our members.

Communications Planning for Small BusinessA complimentary program for Centre members to get a custom designed communicationplan for their business, offered in partnership with MSVU Public Relations Department.

Conference ReadyExpert panel discussion and presentation by Jaeny Baik.

Entrepreneurship Leadership Certificate ProgramHosted by the Centre for MSVU Tourism and Hospitality students who are considering entrepreneurship as a career and are in need of practical business skills training and experience.

Holiday Cheer Open HouseOur annual holiday networking event, complimentary to our members.

International Women’s Day 2014An annual luncheon celebrating the advancement of women in business.

Learning Passports A program for MSVU business students to earn grades through Centre designed skills training.

Fall 2013 / Winter 2014

Fall 2013

2013 / 2014

June 2014

Spring 2014


October 2013

Fall 2013/Winter 2014

December 2014

March 2014


The highlight for me is the relationships that have been formed

between us participants. Yesterday I felt so happy to be in this

group (AMMP) and to see how each of us has progressed in our

business and personal life over the past six months. I also feel the

skills we are learning in the round table discussions are invaluable. I’m

very pleased that (AMMP) will be continuing in the fall.

Meryl CookHomeopathy & Bowen

Centre Events A-Z2013-2014


LinkedIn for BusinessA workshop on ways to leverage LinkedIn and create new customers, complimentary to our members.

Making Connection$: Serious Networking with Julia HubbelTraining designed to help women business owners develop a strategy to leverage their connections, and develop and execute sales tactics that work.

Professional Development Day: The Essential Business Toolbox A day of one-on-one training and mentorship featuring a cross-section of national and regional business leaders.

Rev Up 2013A networking and learning event held at Privateers Harley-Davidson, designed to kick-start a brand new year at the Centre.

The Rewards of RecognitionA lunch and learn designed to walk women business owners through the benefits of business awards, along with application processes and selection criteria.

Supplier Diversity A-ZAn afternoon workshop with Julia Hubbel, where she defined supplier diversity, why it matters, and how local business owners can use it to increase their sales and clientele.

ToastmasterA group of women who meet twice a month to engage in exercises to improve their public speaking skills.

Video Pitch PerfectionA workshop on how to use video for business marketing purposes, where participants were able to work with Jaeny Baik to create a high-quality promotional video.

WBE Canada Conference 2013A delegation of Centre members attended a two-day conference in Toronto, where some of Canada’s most successful women entrepreneurs and business leaders converged to discuss practical growth, supplier diversity and proven success strategies.

Women, Business & BreakfastSponsored by TD Canada Trust, these monthly breakfasts feature small group networking and facilitated business discussions for both start-up and established business owners.

Women Presidents Organizations – Atlantic ChapterA peer advisory group for women presidents and leaders of multi-million-dollar companies headquartered in New York City, and brought to Atlantic Canada by the Centre.

July 2013

May 2014

January 2014

September 2013

March 2014

July 2013

Monthly

October 2013

November 2013

Monthly

Monthly

2013-2014

Centre Events A-Z

The Centre acts like a family of support. I feel like I can open up to

the Centre and other members to get advice and just share common

experiences. Knowing they’re there for me is very comforting,

especially when I’m just getting started with my business.

Tammy BuchananOwner of Small Jobs Plumbing

How do you...

Women came to our business development officers with the above questions and many more.

We didn’t just provide answers; we helped create strategies infused with opportunities for promotion, networking, and skills development. In short: Exposure, Connection and Learning.

We connected with our members and clients at events; through regular e-blasts; social media; personal follow-up by our business development officers, who often touch base to recommend workshops that will help clients achieve identified goals, and our BizBeat e-newsletter.

Take a great idea and turn it into a viable business?

Pick up needed business management skills or become more savvy?

Attract new clients and keep them coming

back?

Find a mentor and mine their experience?

Break into new markets, or launch a sustainable

expansion?

As of spring of 2014, BizBeat was being received by 2,576 people.

Each signed up to receive it, and the distribution list contains entrepreneurs, media, government representatives, partners, academics, research professionals, and members of the community, to name just a few.

BizBeat is sent out the first Friday of each month, and beyond keeping people ‘in the know’ about all things Centre for Women in Business, its purpose is to showcase our members. It features our Member Spotlight, an in depth profile of a Centre member chosen by our team to showcase business success stories, and the kind of entrepreneurial experiences other business owners will relate to.

Wisdom, advice, and good old-fashioned storytelling are the hallmarks of our Member Spotlight articles which, throughout the year, were also published by the Chronicle Herald. They appeared each month in the form of a Community Herald series called Fempreneur that reached over 140,000 readers in Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, and Sackville.

The profiles are written by our public relations interns, giving them an opportunity to hone their interview, writing and research skills while providing each featured entrepreneur a chance to get their names and businesses ‘out there’.

Membership: Operation Impact | 10

Membership: Operation ImpactSection 3:

The Centre for Women in Business has been a huge help

to me. I was able to meet with a business development officer

who gave me lots of feedback on my business plan which

earned me some investor interest and even some funding.

Katelyn BourgoinFounder of RedRiot Branding & Swapskis

11 | Membership: Operation Impact

WINTER 2012

SPRING2013

SPRING2014

1164 1710 1978

Behind the Scenes

Social Media Stats

WINTER 2012

SPRING2013

SPRING2014

673 983 2002

Section 4:

FOLLOWERSTwitter

FOLLOWERSFacebook

For me it was a no

brainer to become a

member; I’m proud to

be associated with this

organization because

I’ve had some

opportunities that I

wouldn’t have

otherwise had.

Jennifer StewartFounder of JAS Potential

SPRING2013

SPRING2014

234

FOLLOWERS

LinkedIn

WINTER 2013

SPRING2014

648 1680

AVERAGE MONTHLY PAGE VISITS

LinkedIn

Business conversations sometimes begin online with a simple retweet viewed by someone who is perhaps unfamiliar with the Centre, or a simple Facebook query: “I heard about the Centre and am wondering what you do...” or “How can you help me?” We use social media to connect with our community and other business resources; to spread the word about our services, events, trade missions and workshops; to share member news, show-off our team, and to ignite conversation.

192

Top 5 Most Viewed LinkedIn stories of 2014:

5 “Our AMMP participants

are hard at work

with facilitator and former

international journalist Halina

St. James.” – March 21

4 “In the past eight weeks,

we have processed the

same number of membership

applications as we did for all of

2013!” — March 4

3 “Exactly one week to

go before we celebrate

International Women’s Day

2014.” — February 28

2 “The Centre and

Canadian Women in

Technology (CanWIT) present

the impact of entrepreneur-

ship awards and application

‘how-tos.’”

— March 25

1 “MEMBERS: We are

looking for graphic

design support.”

— March 27

It’s like a Masters program in business development. To be able to have that

education, support and mentorship is just unbelievable. Joining the Centre has

been a major game changer for us: we wouldn’t be in the position that we are in

right now without the support of the Centre. Sarah ArnoldCo-founder of Halifax Learning


Member Stats BY SECTORUncategorized is commonly selected by members who have not yet started a business or are pursuing “intrapreneurship” (applying entrepreneurial strategies in a leadership role).

77 22 16 8 13 39 2133 476

BUSIN

ESS SUPPO

RT SERVIC

ES

PRO

FESSION

AL ARTISTS & D

ESIGN

SERVICES

LEGAL & G

OVER

NM

ENT

SERVICES

REAL ESTATE &

CO

NSTR

UC

TION

FOO

D SERVIC

ES

HEALTH

& PER

SON

AL CAR

E

PET SERVICES

TRAVEL & TO

UR

ISM

RETAIL

EDU

CATIO

N &

TRAIN

ING

UN

CATEG

OR

IZED

It’s a great community. Now, instead of

attending the presentations, I turned into

somebody giving the presentations.Brenda FairFairwinds Training

Client feedback and the overall membership experience is

always a focal point of internal discussions. Much of the

conversations focus on our major events, in particular,

our four signature celebrations:

Our year-end wrap in June; our September kick-off; International Women’s Day, and our annual conference or as we prefer, ‘professional development day’.

A typical signature event might see the team devote 50-plus hours to prep and promotions, ensuring our speakers, venue, food and the overall experience meets the needs and the expectations of our participants. At the end of these events, we circulate a feedback survey, either in print or via email, which lets us know if we’re doing a good job and what we can do better.

Those same goals were applied to the design of our fall membership survey, for the purpose of creating a more clearly defined membership plan. All members were sent this survey via email, and almost all responded. We took that feedback and incorporated it into our new membership plan, and will continue to apply it when we sit down over the summer months to plan the structure of our 2014-2015 year. Some member feedback:

Armed with this evaluation feedback, we launched a members’ blog, and an online membership directory that is managed by our members, and allows each the opportunity to showcase their businesses, or themselves as individual business professionals and industry experts.

As I look back at the growing

of my own business (and look

forward too), I know I couldn’t

have done it alone. At various

pivotal points in my business

growth I needed: consultants,

partners, sounding boards and

solid business advice, much of this

advice came from the team and

various programs at the Centre for

Women in Business. Thank you for

your help and support so that I

could do what I love, but also fine

tune the other business skills

required for success and business

growth.

Just a couple of the most

obvious external victories that my

company has received as a result

of AMMP, is Fiske’s has been

accepted to go on a New

Exporters Conference to

Germany. Also Fiske’s is now

Trade Marked in the EU, US and

Canada. These accomplishments

would not have occurred without

this program. It is one thing to

plan the work, but it is another to

work the plan! I can’t express my

most sincere appreciation for

creating this wonderful program.

Don’t let it ever end.

Melanie TaljaardFounder and CEO of More in Store Marketing

More training

opportunities (these are also

networking opps), discounts

for other off-site training

opportunities, e.g. university

operated training, or

conferences, Halifax events.

I’d like the opportunity to showcase my business and to have

other showcase their business so I can learn more about the

services they offer. I would be more likely to support them and

get the services I require.

Promote membership to

influential women leaders

in HRM and create an

environment and activity

schedule that would appeal

to them.

Melanie FiskeOwner Fiske’s Animal Care Products on the Centre’s Advanced Management and Mentoring Program

Located on our homepage,

member profiles include

the option to add business

images, social media links

and location mapping;

each profile then becomes

part of a logo based listing,

categorical and alphabetical

name search.

As of spring 2014, we had 104 members listed there, and hope to see all members featured by the end of the summer. We streamlined our website with a specific focus on refreshing our homepage and events calendar so that upcoming opportunities are easy to find. We sourced internally: when we needed design or photography support, we emailed our members and shared the call-outs via social media. We also diversified our training opportunities and event offerings significantly in order to attract new members (this year, we counted 158) and influential leaders, including acclaimed

CBC reporter and international video marketer Jaeny Baik for a workshop called Video Pitch Perfection; a who’s-who of Canadian women business leaders for our Professional Development Day panel in January (our first-ever Essential Business Toolbox event that combined one-on-one networking and Q&A with the experts), and Margaret Trudeau as the keynote at our year-end event in June. Opportunities for members to promote their businesses and professional expertise were built right in to our events. For example, we frequently used members to emcee our events (Corina Walsh, a training consultant and facilitator, at the Essential Business Toolbox), and to be a part of them: Tamara Barker Watson of Whitestone

Developments gave the keynote at our International Women’s Day Celebration, and Eleanor Beaton of Eleanor Beaton Communications acted as moderator during Breakfast and Answers with Margaret Trudeau. Often times, our team will get a good sense of the value and level of interaction that goes on at our workshops, because we attend as participants. For example, when we hosted Video Pitch Perfection, a workshop designed to help our business owners create a short, effective video pitch showcasing their businesses and expertise, staff member Gordia Macdonald took part. Gordia created her own pitch on the Centre’s supplier diversity programming, and how training can help women business owners access more clients and sales opportunities beyond our Canadian borders.

New Member Comment:

Centre networking worked for me on my first full day as a member. I ended up sitting next to a colleague I had lost touch with over the past couple of years. We exchanged contact info and I expect some business may come my way as a result. I also got a request from a colleague to sit on a panel during an upcoming conference. But here’s what I liked the best..this breakfast started at 8:30 and I felt ready to tackle the day when I got there; the pace was much more leisurely and it allowed lots of time for networking. If this the kind of thing I can expect from my Centre membership over the next year, I would say it’s money well invested.

Gordia Macdonald with broadcaster Jaeny Baik during the Video Pitch Perfection workshop in October


Allison BrewerOwner, Dance Card Communications

15 | Signature Event Showcase

Signature Event Showcase

Section 5:

September Kick-Off:Rev Up 2013 September 17, 2013

Privateers Harley-Davidson, Halifax featuring Tara Hunter, Manager of Brand Strategy and Analysis at Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada; with her, Privateers General Manager Bic Carew and Centre Executive Director Tanya Priske.

International Women’s Day Luncheon March 6, 2014

Sold-out, featuring Centre member Tamara Barker Watson, CEO of Whitestone Developments and RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur of the Year award winner.

Professional Development Day: Your Essential Business Toolbox January 31, 2014

Sold-out, featuring eight of Canada’s most prominent women entrepreneurs: from left, emcee and Centre member Corina Walsh; Suzanne Larochelle-Bachur, president of Premiere Executive Suites Atlantic Ltd.; Christine Magee, president and co-founder of Sleep Country Canada; Judy Garland, marketing manager for Sobeys Atlantic; Kathryn Coll, managing partner of HRA Associates Inc.; Margaret Hachey, founder of tech communications giant Duocom Canada Inc.; Eleanor Beaton, award-winning journalist and founder of Eleanor Beaton Communications; Peggy Gates-Hammond, Director of Wealth Management at BMO Harris Private Banking; and Colleen Cole, founder, president and CEO of PERMA-DRY.

Breakfast & Answerswith Margaret Trudeau June 6, 2014

Sold-out, featuring a keynote on her life as the wife of Canada’s 15th Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau; on finding balance, and becoming a best-selling author and leader in mental health advocacy; this was followed by a question and answer segment moderated by Centre member Eleanor Beaton, and a meet and greet and book signing. Quote from Margaret: “The only thing that can change you, is taking the first step in changing yourself.”

Photo credit, Rebecca Clarke Photography.

Photo credit: Kate MacLeod, Halifax Headshots Photography Photo credit: Kate MacLeod, Halifax Headshots Photography

Photo credit, Emma Geldart.

Eleanor Beaton moderates a Q&A with Margaret Trudeau

Sponsored by TD Canada Trust

Sponsored by RBC

Sponsored by BMO & Royer Thompson

Sponsored by Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women (NSACSW)

Onward | 16

Onward

Section 6:

Looking ahead to 2014-2015, our training and events calendar is already starting to fill up,

and we won’t even begin our strategic planning sessions until mid-summer.

Already on the books: Our September kick-off, a professional development day scheduled for fall, our annual Holiday Cheer open house, and a year’s worth of monthly Women, Business & Breakfast events.

We’re considering potential keynote speakers and workshop topics based on your feedback, and the challenges brought up in business advisories.

With increased partnerships between financial institutions, the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women, the Mount, a focus on women in technology and trades, we are always at the table brainstorming, and building new opportunities for our members.

Members will undoubtedly be the keyword; the addition of a membership coordinator, Melanie MacDonald, in late spring 2014 will impact our operations in a significant way. Expect more personal follow-up and increased visibility at external networking events, where we will be working to build our community, and learning how we can better serve its needs.

The Centre for Women in Business team, 2014

www.centreforwomeninbusiness.ca

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Documents

Centre for Women in Business: Year in Review [2013-2014]