TAN Blog - THINK AIRDRIE NETWORKING

Thank you!

6/13/2016

Think Airdrie Networking would like to thank the Executive Members of our 2015-2016 session. They did an amazing job! This year TAN has:

- Sponsored the Airdrie Angel Program
- Sponsored an Entrepreneur with this year's SMARTStart program
- Hosted several FUNtastic, Off The Clock Networking events at some stellar venues throughout Airdrie.
- Participated, Donated or Assisted in various Local Fundraisers & Events.

We've learned about:
- Health Spending Accounts
- How to optimize your credit rating if you're self employed and seeking a Mortgage
- Demystifying SEO
- Marketing Strategies
- Mental Health Resources
- Networking Do's & Don'ts
- Small Business Lobbying... just to name a few.

We've brainstormed and collaborated on various topics like:
- Managing a Bad Review on Social Media
- How to avoid Client Cancellations
- Work/Life Balance
- Employee Recruitment & Retention
- Blogging
- Business Development... etc.

It's been a great year with an amazing and fun group. Thank you to everyone who presented and/or contributed. The gift of your time and expertise is what makes our lunches so informative and enjoyable.

*Don't forget that we have 1 session left for the Health Foundation before we break for the summer. After that, we look forward to seeing everyone again in the fall.

Cheers!
The 2015-2016 TAN Group

The Right Choice

3/27/2016

This past week we had Clayton Falk with Effective Solutions presenting on "How to choose the right Mental Health Practitioner". To help navigate and better understand all the options out there we've included a PDF of his presentation. If you have any questions (whether for yourself or on behalf of a loved one) please remember that it never hurts to ask.

Contact: Clayton Falk
Airdrie Counselling Centre
#5, 620 1st Ave N.W.
Airdrie, AB T4B2R3
Canada
Phone: (403) 703-7025
E-mail: clayton@effectivesolutionscounselling.com

Parkbench - The Marketing Revolution!

3/18/2015

Most of us have our websites which are great, but they’re usually pretty static. There’s our Facebook pages, which are definitely more interactive but the only people following them are those that took the time to find and like them. Then there’s our LinkedIn accounts with vast networking potential, but are designed to showcase the person, not so much a business. So what do you do if you want to attract new clientele but you’re trying to reach people who may not even know what they’re looking for?...

Shilo Storey with Re/Max Central – Shilo Storey Real Estate, is an advertising pioneer blazing a trail through Airdrie with a new and exciting online marketing tool called, “Parkbench”! She has extended an open invitation to the business community to join her in a truly unique and revolutionary marketing campaign.

Parkbench takes only the best of the other conventional networking and advertising mediums and combines it into a powerful database, custom built for local businesses to take advantage of. It links businesses, customer reviews, upcoming events, deals, groups, websites, other social media accounts, blogs and so much more into a neighbourhood based, information hub. Real time, local demographics are now available to businesses who wish to market their companies more effectively.

Parkbench is able to find who and where your customers are and can tell you what it is they’re looking for. Not only that but when you wish to say something, you now have a captive audience ready and willing to listen. Compare and analyze response to different marketing techniques. Get feedback about your services. Collaborate and partner with other complimentary industries. It’s a one stop shop for businesses trying to get their message out there to just the right people.

What’s the catch you say? How much? It must be hard to do... No catch. It’s Free. All you have to do is go to www.parkbench.com and create an account. You either claim your business if it’s in there already or simply start a new business profile if it’s not. (Answer some questions and upload your logo.) Oh! Did I mention it was FREE!!!!

The only downside with Parkbench is also its greatest advantage, and that is that it’s LOCAL. So yes this does not mean you’re going to get a million hits like on YouTube, but if you’re a local business do you really care if your page is viewed by the thousands in India? This will be exclusive to local businesses and local residents only… aka your ideal clientele.

Like with anything in life you will get out of it what you put in, so Shilo is encouraging everyone to check it out as soon as possible and stake your piece of the advertising pie. Even if you don’t wish to join just yet you can still show your support for your fellow entrepreneurs by writing reviews or providing referrals. Want to spark interest in your own business profile? Try an incentive or reward program for customers and colleagues. If nothing else at least take a few moments to have a look around at the hottest new trend in business networking.

Viva Airdrie!

How Can I Help?

1/28/2015

Picture of someone meditating on the beach at sunset.

In light of Bell Canada’s “Let’s Talk” day, we thought we’d post on the issue of Mental Health in the work place. Last week we had Clayton Falk with Effective Solutions Counselling presenting to our TAN group and there are a few simple steps we can all take to ensure that we are in fact, “Talking” about mental health.

Statistics from the World Health Organization indicate that by the year 2020, depression will be the 2nd leading cause of disability worldwide. Mental problems and illness are among the common causes of workplace absenteeism. Having employees that are unable to work does not benefit anyone. However the majority of us do not know how to properly deal with various mental health issues including depression. Often our response (either going through it personally or addressing someone else that is), is that depression is something that you can simply snap out of, if you really wanted to.

To clarify, no one really knows what causes depression but they have identified a few factors that definitely contribute. One is genetics and another is brain chemistry. These are not imaginary and cannot be treated by simply wishing them away. You can’t “snap” out of cancer, so why do we think you can “snap” out of depression? Once you realize that depression is real, and a problem then you can move forward and begin to plan ahead. Our attitudes about mental health issues really determine how successful we are in overcoming them.

Clayton suggested 3 easy steps to ensure your work place is an environment that encourages mental health.

1. Have an Open Door Policy – Let people know that if they’re struggling you are willing to listen. Stating that upfront and reminding them often when there’s not a problem, makes it much easier to talk about when there is one. Sometimes all it takes is asking, “How can I help?”

2. Have Standard Procedures – If you have a structure for employees to follow when bringing their concerns forward it lends a sense of legitimacy and purpose in how your company deals with an out of the box situation. Perhaps when conducting employee reviews you dedicate a segment for mental health. If it’s standard for everyone, then it may not be as embarrassing or uncomfortable to bring up if something is wrong.

3. Have Resources Available – How does the old saying go? “It’s better to have something and not need it, than to need something and not have it.” Obviously the majority of us are not qualified to address a mental health issue. However there are people, programs and websites that are. Once you open the dialogue for mental health make sure you can suggest some options to help. It’s important to know what they are and how to find them.

For example Mental Health Works is a great resource for mental health in the work place. Or you can always check out Depression Hurts for Friends and Family Members

For more information you can also go to Clayton’s website at: www.effectivesolutionscounselling.com or to the Airdrie Counselling Centre at: www.airdriecounsellingcenter.com

With our stressful, busy lives it’s never been more critical to take a moment and reflect on our own well-being and others’. Conversation is the first step to ensuring our success… Are you ready to start?

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!

Is Something Wrong Occifer?

10/22/2014

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!

Art Has No Borders

9/29/2014

This past weekend marks the end of Artember with the grand finale having been Culture at the Creek. Artember is an amazing 17 day event celebrating Arts and Culture in and around Airdrie. It was started 4yrs ago by Creative Airdrie Society and is quickly emerging as an artistic Mecca for Alberta. Their goal is to help make arts and culture accessible to everyone across any border. If Artember’s success continues to grow at its current rate it could become to Airdrie what the Stampede is to Calgary.

We were fortunate enough to have Sherry Shaw-Froggatt, who is one of the Creative Airdrie Society founders, come in to explain to us how businesses could become more involved in Artember. We were surprised at some of her suggestions as most of us didn’t realize many of the options open to us as business owners.

Did you know that for a nominal fee you can display a local artist’s creations in your store front? In return you get free artwork for your office, advertising space in the Artember guides and a sandwich board in front of your business indicating your support and welcoming more foot traffic to stop in. This program has been so successful some of the companies have opted to display the artwork year round, rather than just for Artember.

Did you know that if you own a building with a blank wall, Creative Airdrie can match you with a local artist to paint a mural on it? (I think we all know how much a mural improved the look of the metal quonset on 1st avenue.) You can’t advertise by putting your business name in the mural but you can certainly choose a subject matter that highlights your business. For example a coffee shop might choose to have a painting of coffee beans and a cup done.

Did you know that if you have one of those ugly utility boxes or fire hydrants in front of your store or in your neighbourhood the city can approve artistic coverings for these? Just by contacting Creative Airdrie you could collaborate with them to have a unique cover created which complements your business or community. As an example the fire hydrants in Bayside could be painted up as lighthouses. This project could become our version of the painted cows. The possibilities are endless and the goal is to have every single one in the city done.

Creative Airdrie has also recently launched the Artistic Flags along 1st avenue and have been inundated with calls to have more flags added in other locations. Put your request in now so as not to miss out on the opportunity to display your civic pride and artistic support.

Are your creative juices flowing? Do you want to get more involved now that you know how easy it is? Well here’s how you can help... Creative Airdrie is currently looking for new board members. They can always use help from volunteers. They are also in need of places to host Pop-Up Galleries or “Dirty” spaces for Artists to create in. If you’d like to go all out, how about opening a full time Art Gallery in Airdrie? A first for our city and grossly overdue.

Statistics show that for every dollar invested in the arts, double that is returned to the community. A 50% return on your money is certainly nothing to laugh at. Airdrie’s population growth and development is unprecedented and seems to attract hard working, entrepreneurial individuals along with some amazingly gifted artists. Building our community pride and unity through support and cooperation between these two groups is the foundation of Artember’s immense success. We are truly blessed to live in such a great city, and the sky’s the limit when we work together.

For more information on Artember visit their website: http://artember.ca or to become more involved please contact the Creative Airdrie Society at info@creativeairdrie.ca

Stay classy Airdrie!

If You Build It...

9/22/2014

The Noodlebox started out as a simple food stand in Victoria and has since expanded to 13 locations in BC and Alberta. Airdrie is fortunate enough to host the FIRST Alberta location and after trying one of their free samples at Airdrie Fest the other week, their rapid success is not surprising. However they are not just another pretty face in the restaurant industry. They are setting a new standard in the way businesses interact with their communities and the environment.

From breaking ground to day to day operations Noodlebox stands alone in thinking “Outside the Box”. (Yes, the pun was intended.) Their motto of course has been Reuse, Recycle and Re-Purpose. During the construction of their location which is across from Walmart on Main Street, they did things like use beetle damaged wood from BC to build their tables. They sourced unwanted materials from local construction sites and re-purposed them into other items such as their chairs. Even the light fixtures are up-cycled cooking woks. If you’re looking for a one of a kind ambiance while enjoying some delicious food then the Noodlebox restaurant has it in spades.

What else have they done that makes them truly unique? They are the first and ONLY business in Alberta that composts 99% of their product. Their To-Go containers, napkins and even sauce containers are all compostable and their composting bins are conveniently built and located right at the front door. The only thing they can’t recycle are their straws. They encourage patrons to use filtered water rather than bottled. The food they use is sourced locally, supporting food growers in our own community and leaving a smaller carbon foot print with reduced transportation requirements. Even the chicken they use in their recipes are free-range which is one of the most eco-friendly not to mention ethical methods of livestock farming.

Why did they bother going the extra “green” mile? For one the staff were excited and felt a greater purpose by being a part of something bigger than themselves. Their commitment to the company and its philosophy was strengthened and resulted in less turn over. Thinking local when sourcing products or materials reduces overall operation costs; and establishes a network of supporting businesses. By being so environmentally conscience, Noodlebox definitely stands out from their competitors; which is an effective and comprehensive marketing campaign. Pros for any business. A little extra time when planning and some specialized education was all it took to engage not only the staff and the customers in treating the environment better but the community as a whole.

While that may be all fine and well for a restaurant, how can other types of companies improve their sustainability methods? No one person or company can save the world but we can certainly all do our part. Consider banding together with other nearby businesses to split the costs of composting or recycling waste materials. Try personalized coffee cups or water bottles for employees rather than disposable. Source local materials or services when possible. Simple steps can make a big difference... all it takes is a little innovation. Create an expectation and others will follow suit.

Thanks for setting such a great example Noodlebox!

www.noodlebox.net

A Smashing Success!!!

9/11/2014

Beautiful weather, great entertainment and of course the lure of the ever popular fire truck tour were just some of the factors resulting in a great turn out for this year’s Airdrie fest. TAN decided to throw their hat in the ring by registering a booth and thanks to the efforts of several members it was a smashing success! Our challenge was to find something that would attract attendees (especially families) to our booth and to fulfill our mandate of businesses helping businesses. Our answer was BINGO!

Creating Bingo cards which listed the other exhibitors in the squares made it fun and challenging when touring the festival and helped drive more foot traffic to the exhibitors’ booths. There was nothing but positive feedback all around. At the end of the day we were completely out of cards and super impressed by the effort put in by the participants.

However our success could not have been possible without the coordination and assistance of many others. As such we would like to take a moment to thank the following:

Thank you to Lois Jones, Erin Paterson and the rest of the team over at Here’s the Scoop for all their help with the design of the Bingo Cards, the TAN Business Cards and care of the Door Prizes. Everything looked amazing!

Thank you to Meghan Tudor (Sign Concepts) for the new TAN Banner. We’re looking forward to using it at all our upcoming events.

Thank you to Charlene Gize (AWI Insurance), Muriel Bostick (Euphoria Hair and Salon), and Carolyn Christie (Kick it to the Curb Recycling) for their generous donations towards the Bingo Door Prizes.

Thank you to Colette Storms (Summerhill Florists) for her donation of helium for the booth balloons.

Thank you to Clayton Falk (Effective Solutions) for his assistance with the booth set up. Especially wrangling those balloons!

Our booth was manned during the day by Jennifer Benner (Benner Database Designs), Clayton Falk (Effective Solutions), Charlene Gize (AWI Insurance) and Muriel Bostick (Euphoria Hair & Salon), so again a BIG thank you for your time and dedication.

Finally thank you to Muriel and Kerry Bostick (Shilo Storey Real Estate) for helping with the take down and clean up.

In addition to our members’ efforts many of the other exhibitors also pitched in and donated some amazing door prizes for the Bingo. We could not have asked for a better response and if one were looking for the epitome of cooperation our Airdrie Fest Bingo was it. Great job everyone and I think it’s safe to say we’ll be back next year for sure!

Why There's So Much More To The Summer Games Than Meets The Eye!

7/23/2014

As many of you know we are on the eve of launching one of the largest events Airdrie has ever hosted and the excitement is palpable! Many of our TAN members are on the Board of Directors and/or volunteering during the games and we wanted to take a moment to find out why this event was so important to them. Of the responses received, I think Keith Wilkinson (Our TAN President) said it best:

“I was honoured to be asked 2 years ago to be on the Board of Directors for the 2014 Summer Games. This has meant a LOT of extra work and stress but I wouldn't change a thing!!

By doing so, I've had the opportunity to meet, form relationships, learn and understand my clients & prospects needs and values. Although it's required more energy than I've had at times, I have already noticed a positive effect on my business. That was never my main goal or focus, but a very welcome reward.

I've tested my capabilities, learned about people and my community, built many strong connections and relationships and instilled a sense of pride & confidence in myself and the City I do business in.

I don't believe there is a better way to learn about yourself and others than to volunteer.

I was able to dedicate time for 2 years, but even more appreciated is the single Mom who signed up for a 4 hour shift to wash serving trays, or the woman who was so excited she could volunteer at all because her chemo was successful in time.

I'm amazed at the quality of people this community has to offer, and it motivates me to be better, and give back to my fellow citizens!” - Keith Wilkinson

We would love to hear more about your experiences with the Games this weekend, so if you have a great story please share it on our Facebook Page. Have fun everyone!