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Summer Company is an Ontario government program that has been helping students aged 15-29 start up and run their own businesses.
London's Jen Van Herten ran a business that was a standout in the province-wide program.
Her business idea to create and sell her own hand-crafted jewellery was great. All she needed was a little help with her business plan from the Small Business Centre team, and some funding from Summer Company.
For more details on
how to create your own summer job, get hands-on business training, and receive up to $3,000 in awards, click here.
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Dear Friends,
We started the month off with our Networking Wednesday event. It turned out to be a terrific evening with over 80 attendees. Thanks to everyone who joined us at The Small Business Centre. Watch for the pictures on the Networking Wednesday Photo Gallery! Want to join us next month? Keep reading to learn where we are going in April!
Coming up on Wednesday, March 11 we've got a great seminar on how to build an effective website and drive traffic to it. See details for eBusiness 101: Getting Your Business Online below.
We were pleased to be a part of the 2009 VenturePrize London Business Plan Competition. The winners were announced on February 10th. Are you interested in who took home 1st place, keep reading!
We hope to see you soon. Have a great March! Your Newsletter Team |
VenturePrize London Winners
The winners of more than $45,000 in cash and prizes in the 2009 VenturePrize London Business Plan Competition were announced on February 10th at a celebration at the London Convention Centre. Congratulations!
1st PLACE
Who: Fredrik Liliegren, Jeff Evans, and Mark Mikulec
Company: Antic Entertainment
Antic Entertainment is a video game creation company focused on developing and publishing casual games for the hardcore player. The company is committed to making fun, easy-to-learn games that provide players with a huge amount of depth and amazing value for their money.
2nd PLACE
Who: Sean Sweeney
Company: Fortress Data Vaulting
Fortress Data Vaulting specializes in the provision of business continuity consulting and associated support services. Their aim is to identify unforeseen risks and provide solutions that secure and protect a business in the event of an unexpected business interruption or shutdown.
Congratulations to the remaining finalists!
Who: Rob Taylor
Company: Briase Food and Wine
Braise Food & Wine is an upscale restaurant located in downtown London, Braise Food and Wine seeks to be recognized as the single best restaurant in the London area through their dedication to the pursuit of rare perfection in food service and atmosphere.
Who: Judy Gremaud
Company: Kosuma Healthy Stuff
Kosuma Healthy Stuff is an innovative food manufacturing company using only natural, functional ingredients to promote wellness and healthy eating. Their mission is to promote wellness with natural derived nutritional power foods.
Who: Leigh Ann Jackson & David Gibson
Company: Vinestein
Vinestein is a device which consumers may use to physically participate in the on-premise wine making process at their desired store by accessing the store and the device remotely from a computer or other means of internet access.
For more information about VenturePrize London and this year's winners click here. |
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 April Networking Event
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
For April Networking we are heading to Bernie's Bar & Grill in Byron! Bernie's vision combines great tasting food with an attentive staff providing excellent service within a comfortable atmoshphere. So join us for some great food; meet with friends, share ideas and exchange business cards.
Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Address: 1290 Byron Baseline Rd Map
Cost: $5.00 (paid at the door)
If you would like to join us for this event please register by email, or call us at 519.659.2882 ext. 0 by March 31, 2009! |
eBusiness 101 Seminar
Whether you already have a website or you're just thinking about getting your business on-line you won't want to miss this seminar!
The seminar features 3 speakers who will explain the foundations of building a strong website; discuss the legal concerns; and show you how to use your site to reach more customers!
Space is limited , but we do have a few spots left!
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On Tap with The Entrepreneur's Club... 
Each month, members of The Entrepreneur's Club meet to learn from seasoned professionals, share knowledge and skills, and develop valuable business relationships.
At February's meeting, guest speaker Patrick Zeversenuke, from The Co-Operators, shared his experience with hiring staff. Patrick emphasized that if you want to grow your business, you must invest in people...it should not be considered an expense. Here are a few of Patrick's hiring tips:
* Begin collecting résumés before you need them.
* Look at hiring virtual assistants.
* Look at hiring someone outside your industry (there's a reason why they left their last job).
* Don't underestimate your "gut" feeling when hiring.
* Make an effort to retain your staff - in other words, keep them happy. Do unexpected things for
them, such as bring in someone to give a chair massage, treat them with a pizza for their family dinner, etc.
* Have clear, concise job descriptions.
* Have weekly check-ins.
* Provide reviews every 3 to 6 months and point out the great things they do, not just the bad things.
Are you interested in becoming a member of The Entrepreneur's Club?
Attend a Water Cooler meeting to find out what we're all about. All you have to do is pay for breakfast. Attend two meetings without obligation...and then we'd love to have you join us regularly. Check out our Searchable Directory. You can be included too...simply become a member of The Entrepreneur's Club - it's part of your membership fee.
Join us at our next meeting on Wednesday, March 18, 7:00 a.m.
RSVP eclub@sbcentre.ca | phone 519.649.7712 |
How To Get Free Publicity
By: Roger Pierce
Getting media coverage for your business has many advantages. It seems more credible than paid advertising because a credible source is talking about your business. Thanks to newswires and media conglomerates who share your story across multiple media properties, free press can easily reach more people in more markets than your advertising dollars might allow. And, it creates all-important "buzz," stirring up public excitement about you and your business.
Bottom line: a media article, news story, column, mention, listing, or interview can be worth thousands of dollars in exposure value for your small business.
Here's some even better news: with an ever-expanding universe of billions of websites and thousands of magazines, newspapers, radio stations, and television channels; media companies are hungry for content. They need good stories to attract audiences and keep their advertisers happy.
So, all you need to do is learn how to attract media attention. Here are some suggestions to help you do just that:
Be newsworthy. Find something worthwhile to say to the media. Look at your business from all angles. Do you serve a growing trend in the marketplace? Is your business expanding by hiring more employees or opening new locations? Did you develop an innovative process or impressive new system? Are you working with a local charity?
A good approach is to tie your business into a hot trend, if possible. Pay attention to what's happening in your market or industry and show how your business relates to recent events that have already made the news. For instance, a company selling home alarm systems might distribute a media release talking about a recent surge in residential burglaries along with a few suggestions to protect your home. A real estate firm might report on the latest condo sales figures and offer some buying tips.
Never believe your business is not newsworthy. Every company has a story to tell.
Publicize your expertise. Media want to speak to industry leaders and experts. You're more likely to get their attention if you communicate a particular specialization. For instance, a gym owner might position herself a "fitness expert," while a website programmer might go by "online marketing specialist."
Based on your business focus, identify your particular expertise or specialization and credit yourself accordingly in each media release. (See the byline above for a shameless example!)
Never use media to promote sales. Editors won't publish a story about your upcoming "inventory blowout sale." They'll consider that an advertisement-not news-and will direct you to the ad department. News editors who receive and review your media release will immediately reject any story that sounds too much like a sales pitch. Respectable media companies draw a firm line between advertising and editorial, so honour their integrity by never mixing the two.
Create a media database. Use your contact management software to develop and maintain a current listing of news editors, program directors, and reporters. You can purchase media directories, but it's preferable to develop your own list relevant to your business (sending a media release to a pet magazine when you run a trucking school doesn't make much sense).
You should approach the same media outlets that you would advertise with. Identify those newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations, and websites that your target customers read, watch, listen to, and visit.
Visit the websites of each media outlet to obtain the contact information for the news desk, news editor, assignment desk, program director, producer, or reporter. Over time, you'll build an extensive media database which will simplify sending out your media release.
For the full list of ways to get free media coverage visit the source article. | |
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