special features - small business week

SMALL BUSINESS

WEEK

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October 18 - 24

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2 LACOMBE EXPRESS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015

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SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

A community celebration via the Business and Community

Gala and AwardsBY SARAH MAETCHELACOMBE EXPRESS

The Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the annual Business and Community Awards Gala in November.

A Saturday evening, Nov. 14th, has been set aside for the community celebration.

“It’s really a celebration for the great-er population of our city, not just the business community,” said Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Monica Bartman.

During the evening, many businesses, community builders and organizations will be recognized through various award categories.

“It’s a way to bring in more members of the community,” said Bartman. “It is a cel-ebration for business in Lacombe. When you have that large number of people together, it is also a great opportunity to recognize individuals as well.”

New to the awards gala this year is a category saluting outstanding customer service through the People’s Choice for Customer Service.

“We wanted to involve more members of the community, people who are en-countering excellent customer service on a daily basis, to give them an opportunity to nominate and then to also vote for the winners of that award,” said Bartman. “We are trying to make it a little bit more interactive.

“Because we are such an agriculture-fo-cused community, I think it is import-ant that we recognize farms in the area as well as business,” added Bartman in regards to the Farm Family of the Year Award.

The formal gala will be held at the Lacombe Memorial Centre. Cilantro and Chive will be catering the dinner.

This year’s theme is ‘A Night in Paris.’“We encourage other people in the com-

munity who may not be attached to these particular businesses, but maybe they know one of the customer service nom-inees, to participate,” said Bartman. “The evening is open to absolutely everyone in our community.”

Nominees and award winners will be recognized at the 2015 Business and

Community Awards Gala on Nov. 14th at the Lacombe Memorial Centre.

Tickets are $75 each or $500 per table. They are available at the Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce offi ce at 6005-50th Ave. from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or on the Chamber web site at www.lacombechamber.com. For more informa-tion, call 403-782-4300.

2015 Business and Community Awards Gala Nominees:

Small Business of the Year:- Morrison House Cafe- Elite Bridal Boutique- Red Hot Threads- Lacombe Storage CentreBecause of the overwhelming response

received from Lacombe residents who submitted nominations in the category, special recognition was given to the fol-lowing nominees for Small Business of the Year who did not make it into the fi nal round:

- Lacombe Community Market- Lacombe FitBody Bootcamp- Sofi e B Design- Lacombe Yoga- 50th Avenue House Bed and Breakfast.Not-for-profi t of the Year:- Central Alberta Buccaneers Football

ClubLifetime Achievement Award:- Cliff CarsonCitizen of the Year- Sue SageFarm Family of the Year:- Peter and Emma DenOudsten and

Family (Peony Farms)People’s Choice for Customer Service:- Krystal Rundell, Red Hot Threads- Candice Campbell, And Everything

Nice Antiques and Collectibles- Sheila Seiben, Chateau Wine and

Spirits- Charlene Reimer, A&W- Sue Sage, Lacombe Storage Centre- Kelly Holyoak, Normandeau Window

Coverings- Murray Tornack, Chateau Wine and

SpiritsVoting for People’s Choice for Customer

Service was open to the public and will be narrowed down to the top four nominees before the gala.

[email protected]

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015 LACOMBE EXPRESS 3

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SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

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SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Small Business Week events in Lacombe

National Small Business week is next week, and in celebration and support of small businesses, several events will be held in Lacombe.

Monday, Oct. 19th- Sunny 94 roundtable dis-cussion

First up, on Monday, Oct. 19th is a round-table session of-fered by Darcy Stingel and Matt Panelli of Sunny 94. The focus will be ‘Making the most out of your business efforts’ and the goal is to help support some local entrepreneurs with ideas and strat-egies for marketing and developing busi-ness growth. This event requires pre-reg-istration.

Tuesday, Oct. 20th- Healing Balance Therapeutic Massage Grand Opening

On Tuesday, Oct. 20th one of the newest members of the Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce is celebrating

their grand opening. Healing Balance Therapeutic Massage invites everyone to come enjoy some food and drink in their

beautiful new space downtown on 50th Ave. There will be a door prize draw and special of-fers to take ad-vantage of. This event is open to the public at 5 p.m.

We d n e s d a y, Oct. 21st- Lube Stop, Business after 5 event

We d n e s d a y, Oct. 21st the fun continues with a Chamber of Commerce Business After 5

event. This month, the Business After 5 event will be hosted by Lube Stop who will be putting on a great event to cele-brate their business and their customers. This event is also open to the public. There will be food, drinks, and you could walk away with discounts or a free oil change. The Business After 5 event por-tion takes place from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Small businesses make up a large part of Lacombe and it’s important to acknowledge their dedication and range of services to the City.

Small Business Week is an excellent time to recognize the contributions

of our local business community. Each year at this time, this designat-ed week is the perfect opportunity to highlight the differences these companies make to Lacombians on a day-to-day basis.

We want to thank the Lacombe Chamber of Commerce for the op-portunity to bring this feature to our readers. We would also like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the local businesses that participated.

As your community newspaper it is our responsibility to keep readers informed on local news, sports and entertainment within our City. As well, our paper is a vital tool for mar-keting and we strive to successfully assist in promoting local businesses.

Their success is our success too.

Tracey ScheveersPublisher, Lacombe Express

Lacombe ExpressPublisher’s message

TRACEY SCHEVEERS

403.782.53035019A 51 STREET, LACOMBE, AB T4L 2A3

WWW.LACOMBEEXPRESS.COM


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SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Long-time dental clinic honoured for nominationBY ZACHARY CORMIERLACOMBE EXPRESS

The Lacombe Dental Clinic is a brick building that sits on 51st St. between a parking lot and the Lacombe Express offi ce.

While the building itself may look non-descript, the business it houses is one of Lacombe’s oldest and most successful.

The practice itself was originally found-ed just after World War II by Dr. Dalton Deedrick. In 1987, Dr. Mike Lowry pur-chased the practice and eventually moved it into the current building in 1992.

Now, the practice includes fi ve general dentists, fi ve dental hygienists, six den-tal assistants, and fi ve business assis-tants. It has also been nominated for this year’s Business of the Year award by the Lacombe Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s nice to be recognized by the busi-ness community,” said Dr. Paul West, who has been a partner at the Clinic since 2007. “There’s a lot of businesses in town so to be recognized as a possible Business of the Year among all of the businesses in town, I think that’s a pretty big honour.”

West moved his family out to Lacombe in 2003 after he graduated from the University of Alberta with a Doctor of Dental Surgery. After working in Red Deer for a couple of years, West joined the Lacombe Dental Clinic in 2005.

“In 1987 we were looking for a practice outside of the City of Edmonton and my husband and I found Dr. Deedrick’s prac-tice. Lacombe, back then, was only 5,000

people and it was a nice small town with a great community with really good peo-ple,” said Kelly Lowry, the offi ce manager of the practice. Kelly’s husband, Mike, was the dentist that originally bought the practice in 1987.

West added that he also enjoyed the small-town feel that Lacombe offers.

“I was looking for something along the corridor of Highway 2. I’m not very inter-ested in the big city feel; I’m more of a small town guy and Lacombe was a good match,” he said.

According to West and Lowry, the clinic is set apart from other dental practices in the area because of the wide range of ser-vices that they offer, as well as the team spirit that is shared amongst the staff.

“We’re able to take care of all your general dental needs from regular main-tenance and cleaning, we have fi ve hy-gienists on any given day. Dr. Lowry has an extensive practice in braces. Really it’s all of your needs in dentistry to help take care of your smile and your health,” West said.

“As the offi ce manager, I get the privi-lege of watching the dentists work so well together. Dentists are often not so easy to work with but all of these dentists work very well together. They’re all at the top of their game and they’re all very good at what they do,” Kelly added.

When asked why they thought the prac-tice was nominated for the award, both West and Kelly were at a loss for words.

“Honestly we don’t know why but we’re grateful for it,” West said smiling.

“For our good luck and charm,” Kelly

added with a laugh.West noted he would like to think that

they were nominated because of the pos-itive response they get from the commu-nity.

“I would like to think it’s because we have a positive view in the business com-munity as a business that contributes to the community,” he said.

[email protected]

FOUNDATION - The Lacombe Dental Clinic sits on 51st St. and is one of Lacombe’s oldest and most successful dental practices. It was nominated for this year’s Business of the Year award by the Lacombe Chamber of Commerce. Sarah Maetche/Lacombe Express


Lacombe County salutes all its small business operators

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SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce marks 111 yearsLacombe offi ce offers variety of services for local businesses

As a collective voice for business and economic growth in the Lacombe region, the Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce has, and con-tinues to, make its mark on the community.

As a not-for-profi t or-ganization, the Chamber serves and represents

businesses in the City of Lacombe and Lacombe County.

The Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce originated in 1904, fi rst existing as the Lacombe Board of Trade. The Board of Trade oper-ated offi cially until 1921. A resurgence occurred in 1924 and the board contin-ued to operate until 1949 when the Lacombe and

District Board of Trade and Agriculture was formed.

This organization ran until 1975 when the Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce as we know it today, was formed.

Now, in 2015, the Chamber boasts 245 mem-bers, with businesses of all sizes and types.

“We have members ev-erywhere from the sole proprietor that maybe doesn’t have any staff, all the way to AFSC, that is one of the largest employers in the City,” said Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Monica Bartman. “There is defi nitely a huge variety of industries and services. That’s one of the really neat things about it. It is not just a group of one type of business. It really is a nice sort of combination of all the businesses in Lacombe.”

The Lacombe Chamber is overseen by a board of directors including a pres-ident and two vice presi-dents. It is also a member of the Alberta Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, which pro-vides specifi c benefi ts to its members.

“As far as perks go from those memberships, there are merchant services, where members can get lower rates,” explained Bartman. “There are fl eet programs, where they can get discounts for gas. There are also shipping discounts.”

As a member of the Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce, small businesses can also access an employee benefi ts plan called the Chamber Plan Insurance. The program offers afford-able insurance coverage, as over 25,000 businesses are part of the plan na-tion-wide.

Bartman said some of the members initially join specifi cally for the in-

surance plan, which pro-vides health, dental and life insurance. Others may have joined because they thought it was important to be a member as they do business in Lacombe.

Some members may have joined, wishing to contribute to the business community by mentoring new entrepreneurs.

One of the main func-tions of the Chamber is to act as political advo-cates. “One of the roles that chambers tradition-ally were created for in the fi rst place was to be a voice to government on behalf of their members,” explained Bartman. “So if there was a political issue or a political concern that was affecting the way that members did business, the Chamber was an avenue to present that informa-tion to government.”

Bartman said that the Lacombe Chamber is try-ing to take a bigger role in trying to fi nd out the issues that affect or in-hibit members from doing business easily, effectively and then helping move the message onto the govern-ment.

“It is a benefi t for those that need it,” she said. “Being able to have a voice at the table to say this is re-ally important to me in my business. I’m facing a chal-lenge with this issue, how

can you help me? Then we actually have a course of action to take with the Alberta Government and ultimately with the feder-al government as when it applies.”

One of the direct ben-efi ts of being a Chamber member can be network-ing opportunities as well as building your business on the local level.

“There’s tremendous value being in a room full of people who also do business in the same city as you,” said Bartman. “Even if it’s people that you have talked to 10 times be-fore, you are likely to learn something new about their business, or you maybe are able to share something new with them about your business.”

The Chamber assists in facilitating these interac-tions through events like Business After 5 and gen-eral meetings, where after sharing a meal, there is a scheduled speaker or pre-sentation to benefi t mem-bers.

The Business After 5 events are held once a month and are hosted at a variety of Chamber busi-nesses with the intent to educate and to allow net-working opportunities.

“So you can see into businesses that maybe you didn’t know exactly

what they did, or maybe it is a retail location that you’ve never been in be-fore, but we give you that opportunity to come in and have a conversation with other members,” ex-plained Bartman. “I see that as a really valuable benefi t as well.”

The Chamber also hosts a trade show each year in April, political forums and the Passport to Christmas program.

“Last year, we confi rmed $775,000 in a six month period between 31 partic-ipating businesses,” said Bartman of the innovative holiday season local shop-ping incentive program. The program has seen a jump in participation over the past four years, as well as a jump in dollars ($100,000 more this past year) injected into the local economy.

While the Chamber pro-vides services and ben-efi ts to the community, it really is built to serve members.

“We are member-driven,” said Bartman. “We exist to serve our membership. The board exists to act on behalf of the membership. That’s one of the bene-fi ts too, belonging to an organization whose sole purpose is to help you be successful.”

[email protected]

Monica Bartman

BY SARAH MAETCHELACOMBE EXPRESS

“WE EXIST TO SERVE OUR MEMBERSHIP. THAT’S ONE OF THE

BENEFITS TOO, BELONGING TO AN

ORGANIZATION WHOSE SOLE PUR-POSE IS TO HELP

YOU BE SUCCESSFUL.”

MONICA BARTMAN


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SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Dancer’s Edge studio offers fun and quality dance instructionBY SARAH MAETCHELACOMBE EXPRESS

For fi ve seasons, Dancer’s Edge Studio has been of-fering quality dance in-struction to the Lacombe community. However, Dancer’s Edge has been representing ‘purple’ and Central Alberta on the dance fl oor for the past 13 years.

With dance, having fun and community engage-ment in mind, Dancer’s Edge Owner/Operator Heather Buelow has built her successful dance stu-dio from the ground up.

With locations in both Lacombe and Blackfalds, the company now boasts over 600 students and 10 instructors.

“To me, we really are one family,” she said.

Buelow grew up danc-ing in Lacombe and also taught dance in Red Deer for a few years.

“Then I went to school to become a teacher and when I did my practicum, I was standing in front of the students, and I was like - I kind of just want to teach them to shuffl e,” she explained. “I just wanted to do my own thing with my own ideas, so that any-one can dance and anyone can dance competitively.”

It is with this passion and determination, Buelow opened up her fi rst stu-dio in Blackfalds 13 years ago. With the popularity of the Blackfalds studio and a visible market for dance in Central Alberta, Buelow began to notice that many parents from Lacombe were driving their children to Blackfalds to dance.

“So then we opened up our location in Lacombe, and then they didn’t have to drive anymore,” she ex-plained.

Both studios offer com-petitive and recreational classes from age two all

the way to adult. From tap and jazz, to ballet and acro (gymnastics) the stu-dio offers a large selection of classes in a welcom-ing atmosphere. Dancer’s Edge also offers a Future Stars program, built for lit-tle dancers ages six and under. Most programs run from September to April.

The studio also offers a variety of fi tness classes including Zumba, yoga and barre solid (ballet). Fitness classes are drop-in and open to the public at both locations.

“Everything we do in Lacombe, we do in Blackfalds,” said Buelow. “Our schedules mirror each other.”

Dancer’s Edge also hosts birthday parties, which can be an excellent option in the winter for kids to get exercise and out of the house for a celebration.

“They get an hour with an instructor so they can pick gymnastics, dance or whichever and then the parents can set up in an-other studio,” said Buelow. Birthday parties can also in-clude a bouncy house and allow attendees to bring their own food and treats.

Through Dancer’s Edge, a parents association was formed called Dancer’s Edge Parents Association (DEPA). The group operates hand-in-hand with the studio and helps fundraise to minimize the cost of dance for the students.

“Dance can be pretty pric-ey,” explained Buelow. “It helps pay for competition fees, costumes or any extra dance things they go to.”

Each year the studio sponsors a dancer who could not afford to dance otherwise. Their tuition is paid for the year, allowing them to participate.

Dancer’s Edge is also highly involved in the com-munity through fundraiser barbecues and public per-

formances throughout the year at senior’s homes, fes-tivals and schools. Dancer’s Edge is often invited to a school to assist in instruct-ing dance units.

“We are always looking for more community in-volvement,” said Buelow.

Buelow added her stu-dio’s goal is to be one big family, along with teach-ing dancers about sports-manship and teamwork.

“As soon as they walk into the studio, they know this is home,” she said. “We re-ally stress that we are all one family between the two studios. That is something that I take huge pride in.”

[email protected]

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INSPIRED - For fi ve seasons, Dancer’s Edge Studio has been offering quality dance instruction to the Lacombe community. Photo submitted


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SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Red Hot Threads offers uniqueness in clothingBY ZACHARY CORMIERLACOMBE EXPRESS

When Krystal Rundell took owner-ship of Red Hot Threads on 50th Ave. in Lacombe, she had no idea that it would be so popular.

“I’ve always been into fashion and clothes and then I was kind of fl oating around between jobs when the opportu-nity came up and I took it,” Rundell said about why she bought the store.

The 29-year-old Lacombe native took ownership of the 10-year-old business from her mother and sister a year and a half ago. Since then she has been

nominated for two Business of the Year Awards by the Lacombe Chamber of Commerce.

“It means that people are starting to get to know who I am as a person and fi nally realizing that there’s a store here,” she laughed when asked what the nomina-tion meant to her.

Red Hot Threads is a retail clothing store that carries brand-name apparel such as Silver, Volcom and Bench cloth-ing, to name a few.

“I feel like it’s for everybody,” Rundell said.

“We have stuff for infants all the way up to grown adults. We have casual stuff,

dressier clothes, everyday wear. I think it targets most age groups.”

Rundell got into fashion when she was young and never really looked back.

“I’ve always liked it. I’ve always liked dressing nice and having new things all the time and looking good all the time.

“I just love clothes so much I don’t real-ly know where it came from.”

And it’s her unique sense of style that sets her business apart from all of the other fashion retailers in the Red Deer-Lacombe area.

“I think it’s more just my style that sets me apart. I hear people always mention that I pick different things than the other stores do,” she said.

Rundell said she enjoys a couple of

different things about running Red Hot Threads, which she also worked at before taking ownership a year and a half ago.

“(I like) buying the clothes for the store,” she said, before adding she also really enjoys the interactions that she has with her customers.

“I like meeting the customers and get-ting to know everybody in town.”

In fact, that sense of community is one of the things she said she likes the most about working in Lacombe.

“I like that it’s a small town feeling. You can still fi nd everything you need on Main Street. You know everybody and everyone knows you. I like the feeling of the com-munity.”

[email protected]

TRENDY - Krystal Rundell, owner and operator of Red Hot Threads in Lacombe, took a break from a busy day of organizing clothes at her store on 50th Ave. Rundell’s business was nominated for a Business of the Year Award this year. Zachary Cormier/Lacombe Express


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SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Historic Morrison House Cafe offers unique take on lunchBY SARAH MAETCHELACOMBE EXPRESS

When Chuck and Cindy Bourn pur-chased a historic manor in downtown Lacombe, little did they know the house would not only become a home for them-selves, but also a successful cafe that draws visitors from afar into the city.

And so sits the Morrison House Cafe along 51st Ave. - a white and black his-toric gem of a home built in 1919 that used to be home to one of Lacombe’s fi rst mayors.

With its classic style and antique fur-nishings, the unique home provides the perfect atmosphere for a laid back cafe, that welcomes visitors to dine in one of two rooms or out on the covered porch or in the garden.

The Bourns opened the Morrison Cafe in 2013, but the inspiration began many years before when the couple ran Miners Cafe in Nordegg for 10 years and the at-tached gift shop for four years.

“Cindy learned she liked doing that type of work and that she has the gift of hospitality,” explained Chuck. “So when our kids grew up and moved away, we wanted to be closer to them. We were looking in this area and then we saw this house for sale, came and looked at it and just loved it.”

Chuck said the allure of the histor-ic home, the location of the house in Lacombe and the historic nature of the community in general really drew them in.

“We found this house and saw how we could make a cafe in this old historic

home - it’s just a beautiful place and pret-ty unique.”

Morrison Manor was constructed in 1919 for W. Norman Morrison, who op-erated Lacombe’s fi rst general store and was a founding member of the Board of Trade (Lacombe Chamber of Commerce). Morrison was the Mayor of Lacombe from 1917 to 1920. The Morrisons lived in the home until the early 60s.

Chuck said the manor has been a res-idence ever since, except for one year when it was operated as a tea house in the 90s.

“Other than that year, it has been a res-idence,” he said, which means all of the furnishings and structuring of the home are well preserved, bringing a historical charm to the cafe.

“It it very much original,” said Chuck. “It’s been well preserved over the years. There is nothing quite like it around here.”

The Morrison House Cafe boasts a laid back, welcoming atmosphere that sepa-rates itself from a traditional tea house.

“The distinction being that we want to be more casual, come as you are, guy friendly, and kid-friendly too,” explained Chuck. “You don’t need to dress up.”

Both Chuck and Cindy work in the cafe, along with a few part-time employees and others that help out. They serve soups, sandwiches, salads, pies and des-serts.

Due to its historic allure, the cafe draws in visitors from long distances.

“We have people coming from other provinces and some will come through Lacombe, and they will hear about the

cafe,” said Chuck. “A lot of our customers come from Lacombe or Red Deer, but we are also pulling people from as a far as Calgary, Edmonton and other places.”

Some visitors make a day trip, driving from Edmonton or Calgary, having lunch at the cafe and then returning back to their city.

“It’s been fun,” said Chuck. “We enjoy it. We enjoy the community and the beau-tiful home. I would also say that we are

pleased at how the business has grown and is continuing to grow. It’s been two and a half years and we’ve made a lot of new friends.”

The Morrison House Cafe is open year round Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for lunch, desserts and afternoon coffee.

Reservations are accepted. Group book-ings and take out are also available.

[email protected]

HISTORIC GEM - Chuck and Cindy Bourn have been operating the Morrison House Cafe along 51st. Ave. for the past two and a half years. The cafe offers a laid back atmosphere in a historic setting. Sarah Maetche/Lacombe Express


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SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Build a stronger business with an advisory boardAn advisory board may

be the best kept secret for improving your business.

A study conducted by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) found that advisory boards produce huge benefi ts for small and medium-sized businesses.

As part of the study, BDC commissioned a survey of business owners about their experience with advisory boards. Most entrepreneurs (86%) who have an advisory board said it has had ‘a big impact’ on the success of their company.

Study fi nds huge benefi tsBDC also asked Statistics

Canada to analyze a sample of 3,900 BDC clients. The fi ndings were clear and con-sistent. Companies with an advisory board experienced the following benefi ts in the fi rst three years after an

advisory board was set up:- Stronger sales growth:

66.8%, compared with growth of 22.9% in the three previous years.

- Stronger productivity growth: an average of 5.9%, compared with 3.2% in the previous three-year period.

One company’s experi-ence

One company that has enjoyed important benefi ts from having an advisory board is Steelworks Design, run by Donald and Rhonda Barnet.

In 2008-2009, the recession cost Steelworks half its sales for the custom machinery it designs and manufactures in Peterborough, Ontario.

The Barnets found them-selves in a desperate fi ght to save their business. Yet, they resisted what would be the fi rst staff layoffs in the

company’s history.“We’re a small family

business with friendships and relationships inside the company,” Rhonda says. “It was so diffi cult.”

The Barnets sat down with their advisory board who challenged them to look at the situation and take decisive action. All three members of the board had experience as senior exec-utives at other companies.

“I was very, very emotion-al,” Rhonda says. “But if we didn’t make those decisions, everybody’s job was in jeop-ardy. The advisory board gave us the courage and the strength to go ahead.”

- supplied by the Business Development Bank of Canada.

How to improve your cash fl ow managementCash fl ow management can be one of

the most complex challenges facing a business owner.

That’s because it takes place on several levels at once—everything from accounts receivables and payables to inventory and expense control, to even bigger questions about your business model.

“Good cash fl ow management starts with making fi nancial projections and then closely monitoring your actual fi nancial results,” said Sophie Gauthier, director, business restructuring unit at the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).

“To prepare fi nancial projec-tions, you should fi rst think about your plans for the coming year—especially big-ticket expenditures such as buying equipment or acquiring a business,” she added. “Based on these plans, you should then come up with a projected income statement, balance sheet and monthly cash fl ow forecasts.”

Consider different scenarios (optimistic, most likely and pessimistic) so you can plan for the impact of each.

Understand the nature of the fi nancing you seek

Your projections should also indicate your fi nancing requirements for the coming year. With those in hand, you can approach your bankers to arrange credit lines or term loans.

It’s important to avoid the common mistake of trying to pay for longer-term assets with your everyday cash. This can lead to a cash shortage if revenues dip or your business keeps growing. You’re better off taking a term loan.

“As the year progresses, compare your projections to actual results on a monthly basis in order to understand the cause of variances and react properly,” Gauthier said. “For example, if sales are lower than expected, you could cut expenses, delay discretionary outlays or ask your suppliers for some breathing room.”

Investigating the cause of variances will help you zero in on where things are going off the rails and how to get back on track.

Profi t margins often the culpritPoor profi t margins can quickly lead to

cash fl ow problems. Entrepreneurs often fail to account for all overhead costs or simply charge too little for their products or services to produce an acceptable level

of profi t.That’s what happened at Bonté Foods,

one of Atlantic Canada’s largest deli-meat manufacturers. The company had to put in a huge effort to overhaul its cash fl ow management and restructure operations after running into trouble in 2007.

“We learned to watch our cash very care-fully,” said Michael Whittaker, president of both Bonté Foods and Trucorp. “We manage our receivables, payables and inventory much more tightly.”

Eyes on the prizeThe company carefully studied

why its cash fl ow problems had started in the fi rst place. That review led to a restructuring of its operations.

The company improved its profi t margins by unloading lower-margin divisions. “We narrowed our vision to a laser-like focus on meats, our core competency,” Whittaker said.

Realizing its pricing didn’t refl ect its high-er costs after an expansion and acquisition, Bonté also approached customers to ask for substantially higher prices. Most accepted.

The fi rm also hired an outside consultant to study its operations and help it get leaner. This improved both production effi ciency and management of accounts receivable and payable. It also led to adoption of just-in-time inventory management.

Five steps to better cash fl ow managementCollect receivables as quickly as possible,

even if you have to offer customers a small discount.

Keep a close eye on your cash fl ow through the month and compare month-end and quarterly totals to projections.

Use term loans, not working capital or your line of credit, to pay for capital assets such as equipment, machinery or real estate projects.

Seek to extend payment terms, but re-member it takes two to tango. Work on improving your supplier relationships.

Arrange fi nancing ahead of time—not when cash gets tight.

To fi nd out more about cash fl ow man-agement and read real-life entrepreneur stories, download your free copy of BDC’s eBook Master your cash fl ow: a guide for entrepreneurs available at bdc.ca.

- supplied by the Business Development Bank of Canada


Small businesses are significant contributors to our community. They help stimulate the local economy, drive innovation, create jobs, and provide vital support to local arts, cultural, recreational and sports groups.

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SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Community Market caters to vendors and attendeesKALISHA MENDONSALACOMBE EXPRESS

The Lacombe Community Market, created in 2013, has be-come a niche in Lacombe that caters both to vendors and at-tendees.

The market is unique in that it implements a variety of com-munity engagement events, in-cluding raffl es and fundraising opportunities for local organiza-tions and programs. Market cre-ator and organizer Wendy Buyar said she wanted it to be more than just a place to buy goods.

“I thought I would make it something different. I thought it would be the way to get my own product out but didn’t re-ally end up doing that. I fell in love with our wonderful vendors and I really wanted to be a good, supportive organizer. It became more important to me to keep my vendors happy and to do things that made our market different,” Buyar said.

“First we started with a 50/50 raffl e, where a vendor kept half of the pot and the other half was distributed to gift cards that were for people shopping at the market.

“Last year, we had all of the vendors give some of their prod-uct to us for baskets that were raffl ed off. The money from those baskets always went back into

a community program that we found could use the help. We put a couple of kids through sum-mer camp through Family and Community Support Services (FCSS), we raised over $1,000 for a family in need and have done other small things because this is called a community market and we want it to be that.”

The Lacombe Community Market takes place at the Lacombe Memorial Centre. The next community market will be held Nov. 1st with a market to follow in December. During both events, basket raffl es will be held to fundraise for local community programs.

“We have a market on Nov. 1st where we will be doing the basket raffl es for fundraising. We’re going to give the vendors the option of which organiza-tion or program they want the money to go to. We’ve talked to FCSS and they have three amazing programs coming up - the Christmas Food Certifi cate Fund, Coats for Kids and Santa’s Anonymous - that people will vote on, with the group with the most votes receiving the dona-tion,” Buyar said.

At the November and December markets, attendees will be asked to vote for which program they feel should gain the funds, and are encouraged to provide some feedback into

market improvements, changes or as to what guests enjoy.

“With those two markets, we’re doing the basket raffl e for community donations and we will continue to do our ‘Jackpot Vendor’. That is where we put together three goodie bags from three random vendors and give these prizes to the fi rst person

to shop at each stand. The ven-dor yells jackpot, and the person shopping gets the gift bag as just a little bonus,” Buyar said.

Buyar said her goal with the market is to give people a com-munity-minded experience, where they can purchase local goods, meet members of the community and give back to that

same community. She said all of the vendors are happy to par-take in community fundraisers or planning and that she is very pleased to be able to run this market.

For more information or to be-come a part of the market, visit lacombecommunitymarket.ca.

[email protected]

UNIQUE - The Lacombe Community Market creator and organizer Wendy Buyar said the market is more than just a place to buy goods. Sarah Maetche/Lacombe Express


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