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A Toast To Small Businesses!

10/29/2014

Picture of the attendees of TAN's Small Business Week Luncheon.

This past Thursday TAN was excited to participate in Small Business Week by hosting a free luncheon for other small business owners. We were extremely pleased with the turn out and we had many new faces (and some familiar ones) joining us for some exceptional food prepared and served by the wonderful staff at the Toad & Turtle... It was so good we’re seriously debating having more luncheons like that, just so we can have those appetizers again!

This week was all about recognizing our local, small businesses that help make our city such a wonderful place to live and work. An accolade well deserved many times over. The focus of our luncheon was to talk WITH other business owners, not at them. It’s amazing what you can learn sometimes when you take a moment to stop and just listen. Not only were we able to make some new connections, we were also able to reacquaint ourselves with some of our own members and strengthen some old bonds.

Our President, Keith Wilkinson with Investor’s Group and our Secretary, Shilo Storey with RE/MAX Central – The Real Estate Storey took a few moments to speak about the benefits of networking and how it has helped their businesses move forward. Every invitation, every meeting, every event, every introduction is an opportunity to put your best foot forward and increase your sphere of influence. The old adage is true. It’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know.

Again THANK YOU to everyone that was able to attend last week and congratulations to our door prize winners:

Charlene Codio – Codio Photography
Joel Bates – Axiom Mortgage Solutions
Natalie McCabe – Cam Clark Ford

Finally, we would like to take a moment to say a BIG thank you to the City of Airdrie Economic Development for advertising our event in their monthly newsletter. We would also like to thank City View for also including our TAN luncheon in their Small Business Week events section; and another warm thank you is sent out to the Airdrie Chamber of Commerce for promoting our event in their Chamber newsletter.

Success cannot be achieved completely alone, and we feel Airdrie’s business community exemplifies this spirit of cooperation. Job well done everyone. CHEERS!

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Is Something Wrong Occifer?

10/22/2014

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Picture of Aaron, Anita, and Alicia demonstrating the beer goggles obstacle course.

“Failure to plan on your part should not constitute an emergency on my part.” Unknown

While that may be true, sometimes life happens and we do not always plan things out properly. We’re only human after all. That’s where Drive Me Home Designated Drivers has managed to find their market niche in Airdrie. Drive Me Home opened last February in response to a services gap in Airdrie and have been steadily growing their customer base ever since. Different from Taxis, they drive both you AND your vehicle home and are the only company fully insured to do so. With a 15 min response time in Airdrie they are one of the best local options for your inebriated bat signal.

Alicia McCallum was kind enough to come and talk about her business to our members last week and while drunk driving is no laughing matter, we certainly had some fun during her presentation. Two of our members, Aaron Kendall and Anita Lemke graciously demonstrated how difficult it is to navigate through an obstacle course when saddled with “Beer Goggles”. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty!

While most of their business may be spontaneous in nature Drive Me Home can be booked ahead of time for events such as weddings, graduations, or corporate events. They offer gift certificates which are a great idea for party favours or door prizes and they handle service calls to and from Calgary. If you get a chance check them out at http://drivemehomedd.com or give them a call at: (403) 980-8811 to book a ride.

Christmas party season is fast approaching but we shouldn’t forget that Halloween is also one of the highest rated occasions for DD incidents. So if you’re out celebrating with friends and you realize that you’ve had a little too much unplanned fun, don’t fret. Drive Me Home can make sure you get back safely without having to do the cabbie ride of shame in the morning to retrieve your car. As for those embarrassing Facebook pictures... well you’re on your own with that one.

Be safe and have fun!

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A Good Story Can Be The Key To Success!

10/15/2014

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Picture of a woman in an office buried under a mountain of paperwork.

Records management all comes down to telling a story. What did you do? Why did you do it? When did you do it? How did you do it? The clearer and more accurate the story the easier it is to follow. Jennifer Benner with Benner Database Designs believes there are many benefits to taking the time to make sure your story is constructed properly. It acts as a reminder to oneself; it serves as direction for others and creates accountability for what is being done. Here are some quick easy steps that Jennifer recommends to ensure that your records are organized and well managed.

Create an Index – With any book there is an index which explains what you should find inside. Records should be the same. Consider taking your monthly bank statement for example and use that as a front index for all of the corresponding receipts you should attach in behind. The front page is a quick summary that relays all the pertinent information quickly and the attachments support your summation. *Helpful Hint – Use envelopes to store loose/small receipts. The envelopes can be attached in such a way that you can access, edit or add additional receipts.

Multiple Copies – Don’t be afraid to photocopy or print duplicates, (you can always recycle later). If you have copies in more than one spot you will be able to tell more than one version of your story. For example if you keep a deposit slip for your bank account, you may attach it as a receipt to your statement. (As outlined above) However if you also photocopy it, you can keep it in a separate file for Deposits and Deposits only. This allows you to view your information in more than one way. One would be Any/All Banking Activity within a Date Range. (Bank Statements) The other would be Specific Banking Activity within a Date Range. (Deposits File) Also if you happen to lose a copy you may be able to find it in the other location.

Colour Coding – Assigning a Colour to a Form, Folder or Item can instantly relay information and serves as a quick visual cue. It can let you know where you are in a process or establish value/priority to a task. As an example, perhaps you have Work Orders in one colour (Pink) and Invoices in another (Yellow). If you see a mountain of pink you know that you have to prioritize getting the work orders completed so you can convert them to invoices. Hard to tell if your inbox is all white.

Delete vs Void – If possible ALWAYS Void something rather than delete it. Deleting can create questionable gaps in your story. When you void you often have an opportunity to say why you’re voiding even if you have to do it multiple times. You may look like an idiot but at least you’ll remember why.

Back Ups – If nothing else make sure you back up your files, and verify that your back ups are actually working. A computer can crash. A hard drive can be stolen. Paper can burn or get wet. Nothing is fool proof but if you ensure that you have both a Hard Copy (Paper) and a Soft Copy (Electronic) then chances are if you find yourself in a pickle you’ll be able to get yourself out.

Consistency – Being consistent in your processes and how you create your files makes it much easier to search through and makes errors or gaps much more visible. Try printing file folder labels instead of handwriting them. Keep the same naming convention when creating electronic file names. Ensure you staple your forms together in the same way, in the same order. Taking 5 extra minutes now can save you hours later.

At the end of the day you need to do what works best for you. However it’s always wise to bear in mind that others may need to understand what it is you’re doing. Have fun organizing!!!

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Take the Hassle Out of Hiring!

10/7/2014

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If you could save yourself hours worth of work in one simple step would you...?

Tamara Farrell from Airdrie Staffing Solutions offers valuable time saving and peace of mind by finding the right applicant for your business and guaranteeing their placement. While employment services may seem straightforward, Airdrie Staffing Solutions offers more options than you may realize. It’s not just about finding Full-Time or Part-Time staff; it’s about finding exactly what you need when you need it. For example Airdrie Staffing Solutions can help you find an extra set of helping hands in any office administrative role for the following:

-   Vacation Coverage
-   Short Term Projects
-   Sick Leave
-   Maternity/Paternity Leave
-   Sabbaticals
-   Seasonal Peak Times
-   Event Planning
-   Christmas Shopping/Personal Assistance
-   Office Organization

No need to worry about advertising, resume screening, interviews, references or criminal background checks. Airdrie Staffing Solutions takes care of all of that for you. Based on the skill sets you require and your budget they can match you with 2 possible applicants and guarantee their placement for up to 3 months. Successful, professional results without the usual hiring hassles.

Finding the right staff has become a time consuming epidemic in our city lately and Airdrie Staffing Solutions could not have come at a better time. With the holiday season fast approaching our personal and business lives will only become more hectic. Airdrie Staffing’s ability to alleviate some of that stress is an invaluable commodity.   One phone call could mean the answer to all your employment problems, so why wait any longer?!

www.airdriestaffing.com

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A Toast To Small Businesses!

Is Something Wrong Occifer?

A Good Story Can Be The Key To Success!

Take the Hassle Out of Hiring!

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