It’s that time again...time to say good-bye to 2014,

with all of its ups and downs, and hello to 2015 with

all the excitement of new beginnings and the

promise of greater things.

2014 was definitely a year of extremes! A winter

that broke records for cold, an almost non-existent

summer, gorgeous fall and now in the midst of a

winter that feels like spring (I am not complaining on

the last one)!

For CDECA, we had many changes as well. We

hired Becker Associates as our management

company, built a new website, and held our first trial

-run webinar (which was great). Now, we are

looking forward to affiliates and individuals bringing

us ideas for webinars to share with the membership.

The website, while a great improvement, is still in its

infancy stage, with changes and upgrades constantly

taking place.

Becker, themselves have proven to be a breath of

fresh air, with communication and swift response

time being something we have needed for quite

some time. Thank you everyone there and special

kudos to Seamus.

We have also seen our membership numbers

increase across the board and have a new chapter

Message From the Chair

It’s that time of

year… Inside you’ll

find helpful articles

on:

Financial Success

Doing your taxes

Tips on working

smarter

In this issue:

National Board

Updates: AGM,

Awards, Volunteer

of the Year,

Partnership

Memberships

2

Financial Success in

2015 Starts with a

Look Back

3

Useful links for

your business from

around the web

4-5

Chapter Updates:

TO, GTA West

6-7

O n e Q u e s t i o n

S u r v e y . . .

Where do you spend

most of your social

media time?

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest,

LinkedIn, Instagram?

Click here to

answer now!

Canadian Decorators’ Association Winter 2015 Volume 1, Issue 2

IDEAS—Winter 2015

on its way in Alberta.

I would like to remind all of our members, that like

Alberta, you too can start your own chapter! With

3-4 members, a desire to reach others, and help one

another reach their potential, you can make a

difference right in your own backyard. It is a

process, and we at National can help you with it.

We have a manual on how to begin a chapter and

we are here to answer all of your questions.

Becoming a member of CDECA has been the best

thing I could have done for my career and being on

so many committees and as President of my local

chapter and now Chair of National has only added

that much more. The friendships and contacts with

local affiliates are by far the greatest gift that I have

received by far!

So here is to 2015 and all that it will bring!

Wanda Vuignier

Chair, CDECA

While you’re at it, why not follow us by clicking one or more of

the icons below?

Save the date!

April 13, 2015. We’re going to Toronto’s Old Mill

for our AGM and annual Awards Ceremony. Look

for an email coming soon announcing a very

vibrant and exciting guest speaker!

2015 AGM & Awards Show

Canadian Decorators’ Association Winter 2015 Volume 1, Issue 2

National Updates

2015 Decorating and

Design Competition is Now

Closed We have closed on yet another exciting

competition! CDECA is pleased to

announce that 95 entries were submitted

covering all of the 8 award categories. Our

judging panels will now be convening to

assess the results. The winners will be

announced at CDECA's 2015 Annual

General Meeting to be held at the Old Mill in

Toronto. We look forward to seeing

you there as we celebrate our award

winners for 2015!

C D EC A 'S fu t ure i s p aved

i n g rea t p a r t ne rs h i p s !

The National Board is pleased to announce the new

Partnership Membership. This new membership type is a

reciprocal partnership which recognizes National colleagues

that we commonly intersect with. We are excited to begin

to craft our partners nationally and continue to reach out to

other organizations that relate to our trade.

Speaking of partnerships, CDECA National is happy to report

on a meeting with the Association of Registered Interior

Designer’s of Ontario. In December of 2014, Vice Chair

Andria Cowan along with GTA West Chapter President Ed

Phillips and Toronto Chapter member Michelle Mackenzie,

met with the Greg Quinn, Chair, and Sherri Portelli,

Executive Director, of A.R.I.D.O. In quick summary, the

meeting went extremely well and CDECA was happy to see

that we are a true stakeholder in A.R.I.D.O’s future

movements. We will continue to work with A.R.I.D.O. and

all other interior design associations across Canada.

Vo l u n tee r o f th e Yea r

Aw a rd Nominations have been received for consideration by the

CDECA Board of Directors for the 2014 Volunteer of the Year

Award. The nomination period for the 2014 Award closed at

the end of December 2014 and the Board looks forward to

announcing the winner of the Award at CDECA's 2015 Annual

General Meeting.

Do you know of a CDECA member that is deserving of the

Volunteer of the Year Award? If so, please get your

nominations in for 2015! The nomination period is now

open. Let's recognize our outstanding CDECA

volunteers. The nomination guidelines can be found by clicking

here (will need to be logged in).

By Dean Einarson, Co-Founder DesignDocs

As the owner of an independent decorating firm,

you know how important it is to review the

business periodically and to set goals and financial

plans for the year ahead. If you haven’t already

made plans for 2015, now is the time! It’s not too

late.

Here are our tips for financial success –

1. Develop a high level financial plan for

2015. Start by looking at your total sales, cost of

goods, total expenses, and net income from last

year, and consider where you would like those

numbers to be this year.

2. Important reports to review would focus on

sales. For fees, look at total hours and dollars by

project, including all the hours not billed – you

should track your non-billable hours so you can

see how much you are leaving on the table. Doing

this will enable you to see what projects work

better than others for you, so you can try to

target those. It may also reveal opportunities to

correct any internal procedures or sourcing

decisions that might have led to a disproportionate

share of unbillable time. This is the time to

consider questions like am I really billing all the

time I work? What would be the impact if I

increase my rates, even a little? Also look at all

the time worked generally in the business that was

not billed to clients – you should track how much

time you spend attending seminars, blogging etc.

3. After analysing fees, have a look at the goods

side of the business. Specifically, review your sales,

cost of sales, and gross profit by project, by

supplier, and by product category. Each of these

will help you decide if you want to make changes

in 2015. For starters, it will show you the type of

project that has the best impact on your business

and that can affect your marketing decisions. It

can also reveal plenty about your suppliers which

Financ ia l Success in 2015 Star ts w i th a Look

Back

Canadian Decorators’ Association Winter 2015 Volume 1, Issue 2

Featured Article

could lead to tightening ties with some and loosening

with others.

Lastly, conduct an analysis of your overhead

expenses to see if anything can be reduced in 2015. A

key consideration here is whether costs that really

relate directly to projects and should be passed on to

clients are slipping into your overheads. It’s surprising

how quickly that can add up.

A simple plan and an annual review like this can get you

motivated to grow the business in the coming

year. You will be surprised at the impact that small

changes can make. Having annual targets also keeps

you focussed – so, be sure to keep that focus by

checking in on your progress as the year unfolds.

Dean Einarson, CPA, CA has 23 years of experience in

business with a focus on process improvement and

software development. He co-founded DesignDocs,

and is a sought-after business consultant specializing in

transitioning design firms onto a path of growth and

increased profitability.

Keen to learn more and start 2015 off right? Dean will

be speaking on the topic of Financial Management at a

CDECA event at Gresham House on Feb 11th. To

attend the event in person, please RSVP via e-mail to

RSVPToronto@cdeca.com. If you would like to learn

more about DesignDocs please contact Karen Gastle

karen@designdocs.com, Account Manager at

DesignDocs.

DesignDocs is a fully integrated Project Management

and Accounting Software built specifically for interior

design professionals. It was developed through a

unique partnership between an accounting professional

and an interior designer who were motivated to create

a software that was keenly insightful to the business

challenges facing the interior design industry today.

By Susan Ward, Small Business Canada Expert

Original article can be found here

Running a home based business in Canada is just like

running any other business when it comes to income

taxes. Assuming you have an income to write it off

against and you follow the rules, you can deduct a host

of business expenses, lowering the amount of income

tax you have to pay.

One of the advantages of running

a home based business is that

there are additional income tax

deductions that you can claim.

Remember, like everything else

related to taxes, meticulous

records are a must; all your

deductions need to be

documented with receipts. But if

you have a home based business,

these are tax deductions you

don’t want to miss.

1) Automobile Expenses

Many Canadian home based

business owners use their

personal vehicles as business

vehicles. That's all right tax-wise;

you can still claim a raft of

automobile expenses. Besides

deducting the costs of fuel and

oil, licensing, insurance and

maintenance and repairs as a

home based business owner, you

can also deduct interest on

money you borrow to buy a

motor vehicle, automobile, or passenger vehicle you use

to earn income.

2) Insurance Home based business insurance is essentially commercial

in nature and is entirely separate from a person's home

insurance. (In fact, if you are running a home based

business and don’t have home based business insurance,

you’re running the risk of not being covered at all if

something happens, because running a home based

business that your insurer is not aware of may invalidate

your home insurance policy.)

6 Home Based Bus iness Tax Deduct ions You

Don 't Want to Miss

Canadian Decorators’ Association Winter 2015 Volume 1, Issue 2

From The Web.. .

3) Office Expenses

Even if your office is just a part of a counter in the kitchen,

your home based business will have office expenses to claim.

The catch here is to distinguish between office expenses

(things such as pens, stamps and paper clips) and depreciable

assets (things such as filing cabinets, printers, and other equipment which fall under the rules of Capital Cost

Allowance and must be depreciated over time).

4) Mortgage Interest &

Property Taxes

If you are carrying a mortgage on your

home and running a home based

business, you can claim a portion of

your mortgage interest and property

under Business-use-of-home expenses.

If you are renting, you can deduct the

cost of your rent.

There is a catch, however; you can only deduct a portion of these expenses,

dependent on how much of your living

space and time is actually devoted to

business use.

5) Other Business-Use-of-

Home Expenses

Besides mortgage interest, property

taxes and/or rent, there are other

expenses that home based business

operators who qualify for business-use-

of-home deductions can claim.

Some of the most common of these

are: Heat, Water, Maintenance, Cleaning materials, Telephone, Internet

connection, etc.

Remember, you can only deduct the portion of these

expenses related to business use and what you claim here

can’t be claimed elsewhere.

6) Carry Forward of Unused Work Space in

Home Expenses

You can’t use business-use-of-home expenses to create or

increase a loss for your business. So if you end up with having

more expenses than income for your home based business,

you will have what the CRA calls unused Work Space in

Home Expenses which you can carry forward into the next

year.

Excerpt from Free Agent Nation: The Future of

Working for Yourself by Daniel H. Pink

Make a “to don’t” list. Prepare a list that

contains all the things you shouldn’t waste your

time on – useless tasks, unnecessary meetings,

worthless phone calls, and so on. Then place it

next to your “to do” list – and stick to it.

Carry a notebook and pen. Thomas Edison did

it. Virginia Woolf did it. And so did Charles

Darwin. They toted a notebook with them

everywhere and wrote down ideas that popped

into their heads… Page through the notebook

occasionally.

Spend 10 minutes

today laughing out

loud. Turn on The

Comedy Network,

read a funny book,

look at photographs of

yourself from high

school. Laugh. Fully.

Establish an

opening ritual. Try

to begin your day the

same way. If you work

at home, maybe take a

short walk before you

go to your office. Have

a cup of tea or read or

meditate before

starting your work. An

opening ritual will ease

Seeking Ba lance? Wish you had more t ime in

the day? Here are a few out -o f - the-box words o f

adv ice for those o f us t r y ing to work smar ter,

not harder in 2015

Canadian Decorators’ Association Winter 2015 Volume 1, Issue 2

From The Web.. .

your mind, body and soul into the day.

Establish a closing ritual. Know when to stop

working. Try to end each work day the same way, too.

Straighten up your desk. Back up your computer. Make

a list of what you need to do tomorrow.

Take a “Sabbath.” Choose one day during the week

when you don’t work… Respecting your own

“Sabbath” will be good for your soul – and better for

your business.

See more tips here

The CDECA Toronto Chapter wrapped up a successful

2014 with an engaging AGM Luncheon and Networking

Event. For this event, we were very fortunate to have

Mike Hetherman, President and CEO of Willis – a

North American distributor of world-class building

materials – lead a presentation on new design trends and

the effects of surfacing materials on the acoustics and

reflectivity of a space. The presentation also aimed to

educate CDECA members on how to choose the right

decorative surfaces for clients. Those of you who have had the opportunity to listen to Mike speak in the past,

will know that he is a wealth of practical information and

he has once again outdone himself!

At the AGM Luncheon, we were also able to form a

new Board of Directors, a team of dedicated volunteers

who have offered to contribute their time to advancing

our mandate with programs to benefit all members. The

new Board of Directors held its first meeting in January

2015 and is off to an exciting start.

“I have enjoyed being a part of moving the chapter along

in its initial two years and look forward to passing the

mantle to an enthusiastic new board,” says Sharon

MacIntosh, CDECA Toronto Chapter Past President.

Ewa Fisher and Paddy Singh, our Co-Program Directors,

have started planning a full slate of programs for 2015.

They will work in conjunction with our Affiliate

members to provide informative and leading edge

seminars. One of our most anticipated highlights will hopefully be

a return of last year’s successful trip to High Point

M e s s a g e f r o m C D E C A T o r o n t o C h a p t e r P r e s i d e n t , N i t a M c C o w n

Canadian Decorators’ Association Winter 2015 Volume 1, Issue 2

Toronto Chapter

Market in North Carolina. During this trip, our members

were treated to exclusive events and showroom access all

thanks to our continued partnership with SOFA and their

connection with Glen Peloso and Jamie Alexander. We hope

to deliver this wonderful trip again and encourage all

members to attend.

"Energizing and inspiring, I wish I had gone sooner!" says

Rhonda West-Shepherd, Founder and Principal Decorator of

RW Interiors.

Furthermore, CDECA National has launched a new website

and as expected with new technology, we have experienced a

few hiccups. Should you notice any content materials not

working properly, please provide your feedback so that we

can continue to improve this important membership service.

In addition, this website is your link to potential clients;

therefore, all members should look to confirm that their

contact information is up to date on the website.

To conclude, the CDECA Toronto Chapter Board of

Directors is very excited to work with you this upcoming

year! We encourage all members to participate and provide

input on the kind of events we can plan for you, so that we

can present programs that are relevant to your business and

ensure your membership with us is as valuable to you as

possible!

Hig

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Mike H

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Presented by Jeannette Wisby, VP, GTA West Chapter

The GTA West Chapter has had a busy and information

packed fall commencing with our September meeting

which was held at Speers Road Broadloom. Carl and

Dale blew us away with the event by having somewhere

in the amount of 15 flooring suppliers who did

presentations on some of the latest products in flooring

world. This was almost a mini trade show and we all

came away with much more knowledge than going in.

Of course there were great treats and

giveaways from Speers Broadloom as

well as the suppliers.

We took our October meeting to a new

affiliate, Sescolite Lighting in Burlington.

This was a great way for us to learn

about the newest developments in the

world of lighting as well as enjoying a

showroom tour of the beautiful fixtures

and lamps. With all the changes in

lighting this was a most appropriate

event to keep up current and able to

offer advice to our clients.

In November we held our fall

PD Day with the Toronto

Chapter. This was a full day

event and a great success.

All of the topics and

presentations were geared to a

survey sent to our members in

advance so that we could offer

exactly what they are

interested in. In an industry

that is ever evolving, it is vital

for interior decorators to not

only stay on top of the latest

design trends and industry

news, but to also learn new technologies, master new

design techniques, conquer

N e w s . . .

Canadian Decorators’ Association Winter 2015 Volume 1, Issue 2

GTA West Chapter

internet marketing, and expand our knowledge in all areas of

running a business. The annual PD Day was the chance to do

all of that - plus mix and mingle with your amazing peers -

during a jam-packed day of learning, networking, lunch and

prizes!

The Agenda covered a presentation by three award winning

CDECA Members on “How to Win Awards and How to Get

Published” This was presented as an interactive panel

discussion

The second presentation was on Photography, by

photographer to the local celebrities, Larry Arnal, who shared

his knowledge of what it takes to create beautiful images for

portfolios and magazines. Fay Splett, Associate Publisher &

Editor of the Ontario Design TradeSource book and Homes

Publishing Group was also on hand

to offer information and advice.

After a lovely lunch we were given a

presentation on “Marketing your

Brand – From Insight to Website”

by Jason Bouwman, Principal & Creative Director of Compass

Creative which focused on the

components necessary to effectively

market your business in the digital

era.

Our final session was presented by

Michael Stein, a member of the

Community Team at Houzz and a

zealous Houzz user for many years.

Michael revealed how to improve

business efficiency, reach new

prospective clients and streamline

communications through Houzz.

10 Morrow Avenue

Suite 202

Toronto, ON M6R 2J1

Phone: 1-866-878-2155

E-mail: office@cdeca.com

CDECA is your connection to decorating and

design in Canada. We offer our members a

wide range of benefits from discounts on insur-

ance and legal services, networking opportuni-

ties and exposure to consumers through our

website.

www.cdeca.com