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THE COMOX VALLEY

APRIL 2011

GBAPR/MAY 2012

Local Realtor James Smith has big plans for an “intelligence park” that he says would stimulatethe local economy.

Hidden reasons why businesses fail

The Valley as a high-tech hub?

How to create more good jobs?

What’s the key togrowing the localeconomy and

ensuring the Comox Valleythrives as a “real commu-nity”? Make the Valley ahigh-tech hub, says oneman with a big vision.Local Realtor

James Smithwants to cre-ate a high-tech “intelli-gence park”that willattract tech-nology firmsand professionals to theComox Valley. Doing so,he says, would diversifythe economy, revitalizeour downtown and createhigh-paying local jobs. “We need to take steps

to encourage new formsof economic growth,” hesays, adding that theValley is too economicallydependent on healthcare, the military andhousing and services forretirees.Smith envisions a devel-

opment that includesoffice space, residentialsuites and shared facili-ties, where professionalscan work, live and shareideas. The complex, hesays, would encouragepeople who are “creatorsand innovators by theirnature” to intermingle,thus allowing the develop-ment of new ideas andproducts to flourish organ-ically. The idea has thesupport of at least one

local tech professional.“We’ve met many people

who would support a co-working creative space,”says Jamie McCue, a localweb developer and thecoordinator of the ComoxValley Web Posse. “Great

ideas can growwhen peoplecollaborate inbig and smallways.” “In order to

attract thesepeople,” saysSmith, “we

need to create a storythat can be told in thecafés and restaurants ofGas Town about this placeon Vancouver Islandthat’s so keen to have

Here’s a dismal andstartling fact for busi-

ness owners: “70 per centof small businesses go

broke before their 10thanniversary,” according tothe U.S. Small BusinessAdministration.

The most important ques-tion that ownersand executivesneed to ask is“why?” Withoutknowing the“why,” you can’tmake the criticalchanges that willallow your busi-ness not only tosurvive, but to prosper. Naturally, there are many

reasons why a businessmight fail, including eco-

nomic downturns, reduceddemand for a company’score products and ineffec-tive marketing and/oradvertising.

However, thereare many othersilent killers thatsink otherwisesound businessesevery year. Thegood news is thatthese companykillers can be cor-rected if identified

early enough. The bad news, however,

is that most business

It started with discussion of what to do about busi-nesses leaving 5th Street. We wondered, “Is the issue

just 5th Street? Or do we have bigger issues?” Welooked at each other and said, “What would you do toattract business?” We agreed, it’s a daunting job.Where to start? What sectors to target? What role dodemographics play? What assets should we maximize?

What do we need to improve? What cooperation isavailable from municipal and provincial governments?

So many challenges; so many questions. To getanswers we contacted John Watson, executive directorof the Comox Valley Economic Development Society. Wethought it would be interesting to hear what they have tosay and tell you their plan and how it’s working.

Unfortunately, Mr. Watson and the CV EconomicDevelopment Society either couldn’t or wouldn’trespond to our calls and emails. So we asked you. What would you do to encourage

economic growth in the Valley? In this issue, we profiletwo of the most interesting ideas we received. Submityour ideas to editor@businessgazette.ca.

Scan to read Smith's four-page draft report atwww.businessgazette.ca.

“We want ourkids to stay hereand be able to

make a living.”

See ‘Reasons’ Pg. 3

“The numbersare the

symptoms; youneed to find

the disease.”

Community investment fund proposed for Valley

“Ethical investor” Tony Edwards advocates the creation of a community investment fund thatwould support Comox Valley companies.

Tony Edwards, a finan-cial advi-sor and

proponent ofethical invest-ing, sees howchallenging it isfor local investors to sup-port Comox Valley busi-nesses with equity or debtfinancing.“It’s easier for me to

invest almost anywhereelse in the world than it isto invest in any kind oflocal community-basedinvestment fund,” hesays, “because there’s nosuch thing.”Edwards envisages

something like a Comox

Lourdes Gant, LourdesGant International

See ‘Tech Hub’ Pg. 2

26-Apr-2012 Andrew Popkin — Aiki Electric

03-May-2012Tom McAllister — Island Radio

10-May-2012Luciano Rollin — Aero Art

Screenprinting & Embroidery

17-May-2012Willy Stjerneberg — Apex

Plumbing & Heating

24-May-2012Paul Hansen —

Hansen & Hansen Painting

24-May-2012Rob Thompson —

Thompson AutoBrokers

intelligence firms move toit that they’re offeringcommercial tax breaks ormaybe reductions indevelopment costcharges.”

Valley equity fund, aninvestmentvehicle similarto a mutualfund thatwould allowinvestment in

a professionally managedfund that supports localinitiatives. The local investment

concept, commonly known

“To date they've raised $2.8 million.”

See ‘CIF’ Pg. 2

Page 2 Comox Valley Business Gazette — Apr/May 2012

Correction:Sharon Unwin, of Raincoast Bookkeeping, was incor-rectly identified in last issue's list of IPBC members.We apologize for the mistake.

About two years ago, withthe support of a localdeveloper, Smith sat withJohn Watson, executivedirector of the ComoxValley EconomicDevelopment Society. Hisidea wasn’t received asenthusiastically as he’dhoped. “John at the time thought

it had little chance ofworking,” recalls Smith. “Ithink he felt we weren’tmature enough as a com-munity to attract thesepeople. Or maybe EDS justdidn’t have theresources.”Though Smith didn’t know

it at the time, CVEDS hadcommissioned a “Strategyand Implementation Plan”in 2005 that identified“knowledge-based andenvironmental technolo-gies” as a strategic sectorof the local economy. Thatreport even recommendedthe development of a proj-ect that would offer thingslike shared office spaceand access to telecommu-nications infrastructure.

“It looks like I plagiarizedthe report,” says Smith,“but I actually read it afterI’d written my proposal.”Watson couldn’t bereached for comment.Smith is currently working

to assemble a task force

to explore the intelligencepark idea. His goal, hesays, is to present a for-mal proposal to Courtenaycouncil within two to fourmonths. “We want our kids to stay

here and be able to makea living,” he says. “Weneed to have a vibrant pri-vate sector economy inorder for us to be a realcommunity.”

Anyone interested in join-ing an intelligence parktask force is encouragedto contact James Smith at250.218.2324 orjsmith1817@shaw.ca. Comment online and readSmith’s four-page draft reportat www.businessgazette.ca.

Tech Hub — con’t from pg. 1

as a CommunityInvestment Fund, is inno-vative but not withoutprecedent. “This system is being

done right now, with con-siderable success, in CapeBreton,” says Edwards.“The Nova Scotia government has helpedcreate the legal infrastruc-ture and tax impetus.Investors receive a 30 percent tax credit and theknowledge their moneystays local. To date they’veraised $2.8 million.”Manitoba has begun a

program and a groupcalled the CommunitySocial Planning Council,

says Edwards, is currentlyworking to get a similarprogram started inVictoria. Edwards sayshe’d like to model aComox Valley programafter that initiative, or per-haps even work togetherto create a more regionalinvestment pool.“It should be just as easy

for investors to take astake in local business asit is to take a stake in thegrowth of the Chineseeconomy,” says Edwards. Anthony Edwards BA EC is anInvestment Advisor withPortfolio Strategies SecuritiesInc. 250.898.9973 or atwww.ethicinvest.ca.

What do you think, reader?

Should our municipal andprovincial governments helpcreate a legal structure thatallows investors to easilysupport a broad range oflocal businesses that maybe seeking equity or debtfinancing in order to growtheir enterprise? Comment online atwww.businessgazette.ca.

CIF — con’t from pg. 1

Scan to comment online.

www.businessgazette.caThe Comox Valley Business Gazette is delivered eight timesper year to every business address in the Comox Valley.

Associate Publisher: Jim McQuillanExecutive Editor: Ryan Parton

Advertising Inquiries: 250.897.5064 / 250.702.1103 or sales@businessgazette.ca

Editorial inquiries: editor@businessgazette.ca

The opinions, ideas and advice of columnists and contributors tothe Comox Valley Business Gazette are theirs alone and do notnecessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.

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Political commentary in the Valley.Found on a parked truck in Courtenay, a mischievousCalvin seems to show off for Hobbes at the expense ofPrime Minister Harper. Any other satirists out there?

Eagle Program Director wins gold.Bob Johnstone won a Gold Crystal Award for the best commer-cial in a small market in all of Canada. Johnstone, ProgramDirector with 97.3 the Eagle, was nominated for the Rappin’ RatZapper commercial he created for South Country Feed andSupply. “We’re extremely proud of Bob and the work he does forus,” said Operations Manager Richard Skinner. “It's great to seehim get this kind of national recognition.”

Ilona Rapin, 97.3 The Eagle, Carol McColl of South CountryFeed and Supply, Bob Johnstone, The Eagle.

Comox Valley Business Gazette — Apr/May 2012 Page 3

IRONS IN THE FIRE

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Better Mousetrap Marketing gives you the opportunity to spread

the word about new business, mergers, acquisitions, new hires and

awards. Simply email your 40 word, non-time-sensitive newsworthy

announcement and contact information to jenny@bettermousetrap.

ca and, if space permits, we will include it in our column.

Please note: Inclusion is not guaranteed.

Cindy Armstrong REALTOR® with Ocean Pacific Realty, is pleased to announce the launch of her new website, which provides tools, tips and other real estate information. Cindy hopes her site will be a valuable resource to her past, existing and future clients.

www.cindyarmstrong.net

Cindy Armstrong Re/Max

Better Mousetrap Marketing is a full-service marketing agency located in

the Comox Valley. With our clients’ unique goals in mind, our team excels

at creating dynamic marketing concepts and implementing them on time

and on budget. We specialize in deceptively simple marketing plans, brand

establishment, and web development for any size of business - big or small.

The Westerly Hotel & Con-vention Centre is excited to announce the appointment of David Rooper to the position of General Manager. David has ex-tensive experience in managing fine hotels, and looks forward to continuing the Westerly’s tradition of service excellence.

www.thewesterlyhotel.ca

The Westerly Hotel &Convention Centre

The owners of Custom Con-touring, Tana Doleman and Leona Drewry, are pleased to announce their new location and newly renovated spa in Campbell River on 4th Street! They also have many new recipes that deliver a deliciously satisfying taste.

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Spring and summer hours are back at the Kingfisher Spa. The Spa is now open from 7am to 10pm. Any spa service in-cludes access to their outdoor heated pool and hot tub, sauna, steam cave, and fitness room.Book that special someone a spa treatment today!

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Kingfisher Spa

After 23 years in the adventure tourism industry, Horne Lake Caves and Campground was recently honoured with the Business of the Year Award from the Parksville Chamber of Commerce. This is the first time a provincial park has been honoured with this award.

www.hornelake.com

Horne Lake Caves and Campground

Sun Kissed Beauty Bar is ex-cited to announce that they now accept walk-in hair clients and offer teeth whitening services. Also, straight from the big city, they welcome Liz Vanier, their new stylist who is ready to do your doo at a moments notice.

www.sunkissedbeautybar.ca

Sun Kissed Beauty Bar

The “what” in whatWoodland Flooringdoes is simple:

stunning yet casual, long-lasting wooden floors inall-natural designer finished like “antique distressed” or “RockyMountain resawn.” It’s the “how” that gets a

bit more complicated.Employing 10 workers

and keeping money in theValley with local suppliersand trades people, ownerSteve Roscoe is an inno-vator and a proud contrib-utor to the local economy.He’s also resilient; hisbusiness endured severalmarket recessions, economic downturns andthe loss of 45 per cent ofits business south of theborder due to a softwoodlumber dispute.

“Working close to home isreally the key to our pastand future success,” saysRoscoe. “It’s a leaner,greener plan that involvesa community-mindedapproach that keeps everydollar in the community.It’s the 100-Mile Diet forwood floors.”Since 1998 Woodland

Flooring has producedwideplank flooring fromsustainably harvested B.C.forests, mainly from natural forest mortality.The result is unique styleslike wind-fallen, fire-killed,beetle-killed and maturehardwoods.Roscoe’s intrepidness

has earned him no fewerthan three prestigiousawards from the Mid-Island Science,Technology and Innovation

Council (MISTIC) in theValue-Added Products category.“We are all pioneers,

reinventing the wheel andbuilding better mouse-traps,” says Roscoe, com-menting on his business’srecognition by a peergroup that’s all aboutinnovation. “It’s a specialaward and I’m thrilled tobe a three-time recipient.”So what’s the key to

Woodland Flooring’s success? “A combinationof quality craftsmanshipfrom skilled employees,good wood source knowl-edge and attention to customer needs,” saysRoscoe. “That’s whatmakes our products andcompany award-winning.” For more information, visitwww.woodlandflooring.com.

Woodland Flooring contributes to local economy

WOODLAND FLOORING won its third Mid-Island Science Technology and Innovation Council Awardfor value-added products. Owner Steve Roscoe holds the award.

owners and executivessimply don’t know whereto find the source, ormore frequently multiplesources, of their losses.While they may realizethey’re not as profitableas they should be (theirbottom line tells themthat), no matter howmany times they crunchthe numbers, a full under-standing eludes them.The key thing

to remember isthat looking atyour financialsalone is insuffi-cient. Numbersare merely thesymptoms; youneed to find thedisease causing thesymptoms. While the financial pic-

ture is an essential placeto begin your quest, stop-ping at a financial auditmeans you’ll miss themore subtle yet chronicsources of loss in yourbusiness. And in a tighteconomic environment,that can be the differencebetween being in busi-ness and being out ofbusiness.Some of the issues I see

consistently that adverse-ly affect a company’s bot-tom line include havingthe wrong staff or consult-ants on board, trustingtoo much in ineffectivemanagement or partners,undervaluing what one isproviding (for example giv-ing away too much infor-mation to customers with-out being properly com-pensated) and evenemployee theft.

So where do you go fromhere? I certainly wouldn’trecommend executivebusiness owners not per-form a yearly financialaudit. Rather, I’d add fourother highly revealingaudits to the mix: busi-ness systems, relation-ships, values and qualityof life. These audits, when

employed consistentlyand evaluated properly,

will reveal acomprehen-sive picture ofboth where acompany islosing moneyand - moreimportantly -what needs tobe done to

reverse the trend. Additionally, the values

and quality of life auditswill help ensure your busi-ness life is in harmonywith your personal values.And that’s important -because happiness is anunderestimated compo-nent of business success.Lourdes Gant is an inter-nal auditor, international

Reasons — con’t from pg. 1 business strategist andhuman relations specialist.For more about her fivebusiness audits, and todownload a copy of herFive Ultimate BusinessAudit Checklists, visit www.LourdesGant.com/freegift.

“Not knowing canbe the differencebetween being in

business and beingout of business.”

Comox Valley Business Gazette — Apr/May 2012 Page 4

Gay Bruner, a Career Developer with Job Options BC Courtenay-Comox, whose program has helpedseventy-two formerly unemployed British Columbians living in the Comox Valley find employment.

A feel-good solution to your hiring needs

Training new employ-ees can be expen-sive. But it doesn’t

have to be.Job Options BC

Courtenay-Comox offers avariety of services, at nocost to the employer, toassist small businesseswith their staffing needs.Job Options BC’sCourtenay-Comox pool ofcandidates come withdiverse employment andeducational backgrounds.Candidates are job-ready,trained and well-vetted,and the Program can payfor 50 per cent of a six-week training wage to individuals taking part inthe program. The emphasis of the Job

Options BC Courtenay-Comox program, a place-ment and training pro-

gram through the Ministryof Jobs, Tourism andInnovation and funded bythe Canada-BC LabourMarket Agreement, is tohelp eligible candidatessecure employment withinsmall businesses. TheProgram provides employment readinessskills and short-term certi-fication training to thosewho are not eligible forEmployment Insurance. Seventy-two formerly

unemployed BritishColumbians living in theComox Valley are nolonger unemployed thanksto the Program.“Motivation, initiative,

determination, dedicationand work ethic are someof the words many wouldadd to their resume,” saysGay Bruner, a Career

Developer with JobOptions BC Courtenay-Comox. “These are thesame words we use everyday when speakingabout the potentialemployees who have hitthe pavement in search ofemployment over the past16 months, and who havebeen successful in gainingemployment.”Credit also goes to thebusiness owners andoperators in the ComoxValley who have been willing to take a chance onJob Options BC Courtenay-Comox, and to partici-pants of the Program whowere determined toembrace change andmove forward with theirlives. Employers, saysBruner, offered time forinformational interviews,

job shadowing days, workexperiences (paid andunpaid) and gainfulemployment placements,as well as the ability totake part in the wage sub-sidy program. “It all begins with a

|motivated job seekerand a willing employer,”says Bruner. “These ingre-dients, combined with thewage subsidy programthrough the Program andthe Ministry of Jobs,Tourism and Innovation,allow for a successful jobmatch and placement.The employers in theComox Valley have beenextremely supportive!”The start date of the next

Job Options BCCourtenay-Comox sessionis April 23. Anyone wish-ing to participate or findout more about JobOptions BC Courtenay-Comox is encouraged tocontact Gay Bruner at250.338.9183.

P R O P O S E D R A V E N U N D E R G R O U N D C O A L P R O J E C T

For more information, or to show your support for the project, go to www.theravenproject.ca

Raven is good for business

full-time well-paying jobs

spent on goods and services during mine construction

average salary including benefits

350

The proposed project would directly contribute about $1.1 billion to the economies of the Comox Valley, Port Alberni and surrounding regions.

$100,000

500 indirect jobs in local regions

$173 million

$69 million

$1.8 million

spent on goods and services each year during mine operations

$35 million

spent on goods and services for the Port of Port Alberni during construction

spent on goods and services each year for the Port of Port Alberni

during operations

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FREE email subscription at www.businessgazette.ca

Yet ANOTHER admirer!Thanks to everyone who’swished us Happy Birthday onthe Gazette’s first anniver-sary. Here’s to many more.

Comox Valley Business Gazette — Apr/May 2012 Page 5

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Active money manage-ment, which general-ly involves an invest-

ment professional, aims tooutperform a specificbenchmark to provideabove-market returns. Passive management,

which includes vehicleslike exchange-tradedfunds (ETFs), strives toreplicate the performanceof indexes; passive man-

agement maintains mar-ket exposure, but doesn’toffer the potential forabove-market returns.

Three years ago, therewas a definite “passivemanagement” pushtoward ETFs and indexfunds. When the inflowsfrom these passive invest-ments started to becomeimpressive, you couldn’twatch the Business Network without seeing

an ad for a company sell-ing ETFs. The prevailingtrend was to leave mutualfunds for low-cost indexes.When it comes to invest-

ing, however, there’s

much to be said for goingagainst the grain. Threeyears ago, for example, ifyou had put your money inthe Cundill CanadianSecurity Fund, one of theCanadian equity funds weuse, you would have out-performed the S&P/TSXComposite Index. While aninvestable ETF would haveunderperformed due tofees and transactioncosts, our fund investorswere rewarded with supe-rior returns.I don’t dispute that ETFs

have their benefits (prima-rily low fees), but they arepassive investment vehi-cles and therefore carry adifferent set of risks, oneof which is known as“tracking error.” Exchange-traded funds replicatemajor indexes to theextent possible, but theycan’t follow every up anddown; when an ETF falls

short, the result is calleda tracking error.Clear as mud? Let’s look

at an example fromDundeeWealth’s February2012 ETF report: Theyear-to-date performanceof the MSCI World IndexFund was 10.64 per cent.The return on IsharesXWD, an ETF that tracksshares of that fund, was6.3 per cent resulting in alag of 3.91 per cent.

When you consider boththe tracking errors andthe fees associated withETFs and index funds, I’mconfident that many of thefund managers we partner

with will match or outper-form their benchmarkindexes. If you’d like toread DundeeWealth’sreport on ETFs, or seeother examples of fundswe use, please don’t hesi-tate to call our office.

Robert Mulrooney is theSenior Investment Advisorat DWM Securities Inc. inCourtenay. Reach him at250.338.5222 orwww.investmentcoach.com.Please consult a profes-

sional investment advisorbefore acting on any infor-mation presented in thiscolumn.

Active vs. passive money management

Robert Mulrooney,DundeeWealth

This article is solely the work ofRobert Mulrooney for the privateinformation of his clients. Althoughthe author is a registered InvestmentAdvisor with DWM Securities Inc., aDundeeWealth Inc. Company, this isnot an official publication of DWMSecurities Inc. The views (includingany recommendations) expressed inthis article are those of the authoralone, and they have not beenapproved by, and are not necessarilythose of, DWM Securities Inc.

Three-year chart showing the performance of the CundillCanadian Security Fund vs. the S&P/TSX Composite Index.Note that an investable ETF would underperform even the indexdue to fees and transaction costs. Source: Mackenzie Investments.

The first transmissionthat could accuratelybe described as

“email” was sent in 1965. Since then, email has

become so ubiquitousthat you’d think we’d allhave a handle on emailetiquette. Not so much.

Here are 10rules forresponsibleemailing:

1. Whenrequestingthat contactsupdate youremailaddress,alwaysinclude yourold address so they canquickly find you in theirsystem.2. Never send e-newslet-ters using only images. Ifyour recipient doesn’thave “images on bydefault,” they’ll receive anannoying blank email -and that’s assuming theemail makes it past therecipient’s spam filter(most image-only emailswon’t).3. Avoid excessive fontchanges within a singleemail. Fonts have a directimpact on how profession-al your message looks.4. Never send white texton a black or dark back-ground. Often backgroundcolors aren’t displayed,thus making your mes-sage completely invisible.5. Do you really need toattach that massive signa-ture to every message?

Does your one-wordresponse merit a 60k sig-nature? Use short signa-tures for short messages.6. Don’t set an autore-sponder to automaticallyreply to every messagethat comes in. It’s nolonger necessary to roboti-cally confirm a message“was received.” 7. Beware of contextuallyinappropriate autorespon-ders. Example: “Thank youfor searching for a homewith us!” (Maybe the per-son just emailed a ques-tion.)8. Avoid short, abstractresponses when the origi-nal message has beendeleted. Example: “I will.”Will what? People needcontext and reminders.9. Hey, when was the last

time you ver-ified theaccuracy ofthe contactinformationin your sig-nature?Make sureit’s up-to-date.10. Here’sthe big one:

Never (NEVER!) CC: every-one in your contact list. Itexposes everyone on yourlist to spam and thedreaded “Reply to all:”when some idiot replies“LOL!” If you don’t use a list

management tool likeConstant Contact, sendthe email to yourself andBCC: your contacts.There are others, butthese are the mainoffenders. Sometimes thedecision to choose onecompany over another ismade based on the tiniestof details. Don’t let ques-tionable communicationhabits knock you off thetop of the list.

Bob Wells is the “ExtremeGeek” and owner of MyTech Guys. He can bereached at 250.890.1065or www.mytechguys.ca

10 email mistakes youshould never make

Bob Wells (The ExtremeGeek), My Tech Guys

“Do you really need that massivesignature on every

message?”

“Passive management

doesn't offer thepotential for above-market returns.”

“When it comes to investing, there's

much to be said for going against

the grain.”

Mona’s ABOUT TOWNSubmit to: editor@businessgazette.ca

Mona WarrenMona Warren of Mentor Me

Consulting Inc. has 34 years ofexperience in entrepreneurship,accounting, bookkeeping, and

payroll. A true entrepreneur with apassion for mentoring and coach-

ing you to succeed. www.mentormenow.ca

250.898.3002

As a recenttransplant to the

Comox Valley(though he was

born here), Louiscouldn't be

happier. He’slooking forward

to serving peoplehere for a longtime to come.

Louis Lamb,Lambscapes

250.792.1434

Aynsley Hobsonis raising money

for the Habitatfor Humanity

project. You canreach her to help

out at her workat First

Insurance,250.334.-3443

Ext 242

ILona Rapin, of The Eagle 97.3fm,has recently moved to The Valleyfrom downtown Vancouver for a lifestyle change and to enjoy theincredible outdoor activities the Island has to offer!

“I just got a fiddle – and next on the list, (afterski season), is to take old time fiddle lessons. I

love upbeat ‘jiggy’ music and gypsy jazz.”Anita Kalnay, Aromatherapist RA EOT -

www.genieinabottle.ca

Chris Peake with Sunlife is anew dad! Baby’s name isFisher. You can call con-grats to Chris at250.871.8994.

Over the next few monthsSayre looks forward to spend-ing time outdoors with hisfamily. It might be a little toocold for camping, but fishing,baseball and bbq's are all onthe agenda. Sayre buildsbeautiful houses!Sayre Neufeld Contracting250-792-2366

Comox Valley Business Gazette — Apr/May 2012 Page 6

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Though we might notadmit to it, we’re allsomewhat in search

of a fountain of youth —some elusive way to pro-long our health, vitalityand youthful energy. Some of us browse the

grocery store aisles insearch of the best organicfruits and veggies, whileothers look to supple-ments, vitamins, lotionsand creams to look andfeel younger. While each of these

methods may deliverminor results, nothingcompares to the tried andtrue results of exercise.When it comes to long-term health, regular exercise pays dividends.Who would’a thunk it?We all age - there’s no

denying it and there’snothing we can do aboutit (yet!). But how you ageis entirely up to you.Spend your life over-worked, over-stressed,poorly fed and un-exercised, and at 50, 60and, if you make it, 70,you’re going to be sore,tired and worn out. On the other hand, if you

exercise regularly, eat welland control your stressthrough exercise, time offand other stress manage-ment tools, there’s virtually no limit to thelevel of health and fitnessyou can maintain well intoyour twilight years.In a recent study, a group

of individuals in their 20sand a group of individualsin their 50s each partici-pated in their first struc-tured exercise program.Each group was takenthrough the exact same12-week strength andconditioning program. At the end of the 12

weeks, both groups weretested to see how muchbody weight and body fat they’d lost, and howmuch muscle, strengthand cardiovascular outputthey’d gained.

The result surprisedmany: although the groupin their 20s showed moreprogress than the oldergroup across all cate-gories, the difference wasmarginal - on average lessthan 15 per cent. Whatthat means is that exer-cise isn’t just for athletesor young whippersnap-pers in their 20s and 30s. Regular exercise, in fact,

becomes more importantthe older we get. As ourtestosterone, growth hormones and energy levels decrease through

The importance of fitness after 50

our 40s, 50s and beyond,it becomes ever moreimportant to preserve our health. Back pain, loss of

mobility, fatigue,poor balance andcoordination andunsatisfactorymuscle tone are inexcusable symp-toms of our inabili-ty to take care ofourselves and to committo an exercise program.Unfortunately, there’s no

prescription pill or surgery

for these symptoms.You’re going to have tosweat it out.

For more than fiveyears, I’ve beenworking with a gen-tleman who’s nowabout to turn 70.His goal for hisbirthday is to do aONE ARM push-up.From his toes. Howmany push-ups can

you do?

Chris Ketch is a profession-al trainer and the owner ofBodyNetix Professional

Fitness Training. He can bereached at 250.871.2400or chris@bodynetix.ca.

“His goal forhis birthday

is to do aONE ARMpush-up.”

“... how you age isentirely up to you.”

Chris KetchOwner — BodyNetixwww.bodynetix.com

“Rule 101 VancouverIsland — Pay attention tothe address your chequesgo to. If it is not aVancouver Island address,than ask yourself, if you want to doyour part with our localeconomies then make thechange necessary to

ensure every VancouverIsland business has theopportunity to earn yourbusiness. That’s thebiggest area we concen-trate on with our own busi-ness and how we look atother businesses.” J.W. (Bill) Millar, Pres.AGS Business Systems

“I would like to see ourlocal government supportit’s local businesses moreby going to them directlyfor community projectsrather than outsourcingfor cheaper materials andlabour. Without local busi-nesses purchasing,employing and creatingthe tax base, they would-n’t have the dollars tospend...and if we leave forgreener pastures, it will

create a void that will behard to fill with Big BoxStores and out of areafirms eroding our commu-nity capital. It’s fromspending money withinyour community that helpsbuild and strengthen yourcommunity. It’s called themiltiplier effect and onlyworks when we shop local-ly and support our neigh-bors....its what a commu-nity is, and why I choose

to live here.”Steve RoscoeWoodland Flooring &Millwork

“IT IS QUITE SIMPLE. STOPBRINGING IN MORE BUSI-NESSES AND FULLY UTI-LIZE THE ONES WEALREADY HAVE. SHOPLOCAL -- SUPORT LOCALAGRICULTURE!!!!!!!!!!” — Jo Smith

“What I would do to boostthe economy is encouragemore people to have theirown home based busi-ness. Anyone who doesnot have a home businessis losing money. By run-ning a home business, bigor little, you benefit fromthe tax benefits and writeoffs of doing so.” Darlene Goodrick, MAX InternationalIndependent Associate

Your Say — Comments on what we should do toimprove the local economy and create more jobs.

Comox Valley Business Gazette — Apr/May 2012 Page 7

BNI Olympic Gold Every Thursday; 7:00 am -8:30 am; Westerly Hotel.Keynote speaker, network-ing and referrals. FMI, callRobert Mulrooney at250.338.5222.

Comox Valley BusinessNetworkEvery Wednesday; 7:30am - 8:30 am; White Spot.Supporting businessgrowth through networkingand referral partnerships.FMI, visit www.cvbn.ca.

Comox Valley Chamber ofCommerce AGMApr. 19; 5:30 pm to 7:30pm; Best WesternWesterly Hotel. Featuringkeynote speaker DaveWillie of the VancouverIsland Economic

Development Alliance.$15; includes refresh-ments. RSVP atwww.comoxvalleycham-ber.com.

Young ProfessionalsComox Valley SpringFormalApr. 21; 7:30 pm to mid-night; Crown Isle. Danceand fundraiser, with pro-ceeds benefitting Habitatfor Humanity. Members$20; non-members $30.Tickets at Crown Isle orwww.ypcomoxvalley.com.

Comox Valley Home-BBasedBusiness AssociationAnnual AwardsMay 3; 6pm; Best WesternWesterly Hotel. The CVHB-BA honours its membersin 10 award categories.

14th annual. For moreinformation, visitwww.cvhbba.com.

Comox Valley ChamberBusiness Mixer - hostedby Union Street Grill &GrottoMay 8; 5pm - 6:30 pm;477 Fifth Street. A provenway to make businessconnections. Attendanceis free, door prizes wel-come. FMI and to register,visit www.comoxvalley-chamber.com/events.

WorldHost FundamentalsTrainingMay 22 & 23; 6:30 pm to9:30 pm; CV Chamberoffice. Presented by theComox Valley Chamber ofCommerce, this customerservice workshop is for

anyone who strives forservice professionalism.Facilitated by Gayle Bates.FMI and to register, visitwww.comoxvalleycham-ber.com or call250.334.3234.

Comox Valley ChamberBusiness Mixer — hostedby the Mortgage CentreMay 29; 5pm - 6:30 pm;108-2100 Guthrie Road,Comox. A proven way tomake business connec-tions. Attendance is free,door prizes welcome. FMIand to register, call250.334.3234.

Promote your events in theBusiness Gazette. Call250.702.1103 or emailsales@businessgazette.ca.

Comox Valley BUSINESS EVENTS

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How to write great headlines

When it comes towriting effectiveheadlines, there

are two main schools ofthought. Some copywriters, like

the legendary DavidOgilvy, insist your headline

should always mentionyour main offer or benefit.Since only one in five people who read yourheadline will read thebody of your ad, thetheory goes, your benefit

will reach five times asmany prospects if it’sincluded in the headline.

On the other hand, copy-writers like the great JoeSugarman believe the sole

purpose of a headline isto compel the reader tocontinue reading the bodyof your ad (or web page,brochure, etc.) Any way you can do that

is fair game. Sugarmanfamously sold thousandsof thermostats with an adtitled “Magic Baloney.”I prefer to not take sides,

but rather choose thestyle of headline that fitseach project. If your product doesn’t

require a lot of ad copy tosell it, for example, you’lllikely want to include abenefit in your headline.For example: “SmilezToothpaste will make you

Ryan Parton, Ryan PartonWriting Solutions

50% more attractive!” or“Blitz Cola tastes great -and cures the commoncold!”Many products, however,

require a well-written adto fully extol their benefitsand compel readers topart with their hard-earned money. If yours isone of them, you’ll wantyour headline to start a“slippery slope” and con-vince the reader to keepreading. There are several ways to

do this. You could piquethe reader’s curiosity(“The one stock you MUSTown. Hint: It’s not whatyou think!”); engage thereader with an involve-ment device (“Can youfind the spelling mistakein this ad?”); or promise a

“Joe Sugarman sold thousands ofthermostats with

an ad titled ‘Magic Baloney.’”

benefit in exchange forreading on (“How to avoidthe one financial mistakethat’s easiest to make!”) Hinting at a benefit within

a slippery slope headlineis an almost surefire wayto get the biggest bang foryour advertising buck. Once you’ve drafted your

headline, or several, thenext step is to forgetabout it. Go for a jog. Grab a coffee. Sleep on it.

When you review yourheadline with fresh eyesand determine it’s stillcapable of achieving itsmission, it’s ready to startmaking you money.

Ryan Parton is a profes-sional copywriter and ownerof Ryan Parton WritingSolutions. He’s also execu-tive editor of the ComoxValley Business Gazette.Visit www.ryanparton.ca orcall 250.702.1103.

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Comox Valley Business Gazette — Apr/May 2012 Page 8

Not all fixed mortgagesare created equal.

Even beyond obvious dif-ferences like rate andterm, there are manyaspects of a fixed mort-gage that vary from prod-uct to product. For starters, look closely

at the mortgage pre-pay-ment privileges, whichoutline how much you canoverpay on your mortgage— the more, the better.Portability — allowing youto move your mortgage toa new home without anypenalties or significantcharges — is another privi-lege that some lendersoffer. Lastly, pay closeattention to your ability tocancel the mortgage early,along with the penalties todo so. Increasingly,lenders are offering“value” mortgage prod-

ucts with a slightly betterrate but extremely largepenalties for early payout.Some don’t allow an earlypayout at all. Here’s the take-away: a

low rate is good, but makesure you know whatyou’re giving up in return.

Find today’s rates online atcomoxmortgages.com. Fora free personalized quotecall Mackenzie at250.331.0800.

Mackenzie Gartside Verico Select Mortgage

Beware fixed mortgage ‘fine print’

Who the heck is JohnGower... and what the hell

has he been up to?Business Gazette:: You say mosthomes built today are obsoletebefore they even leave the draw-ing board. What do you mean?John Gower: The future will be adifferent place. Fossil-fuel energy isgoing to be more expensive, maybeeven out of reach for everydayuses. Climate change is just one ofseveral looming challengesspawned by our current modes ofliving. We need new ways of doingthings. We need to be “sustainable”rather than just “green.”

BG: What’s the difference?JG: “Green” is a buzzword that’sbecome virtually meaningless. I’veseen 6,000-square foot homes withcompact fluorescent light bulbs, afew solar panels and a heat pumpthat are labeled “green.”Fundamentally, a sustainable homemeans that if everyone lived in onethe environment would get betterinstead of worse. It provides shel-ter and security even in the face ofradical changes in energy costs andavailability, and it should also beaffordable for most people - notjust the wealthy.

BG: So how do you build a sustainable home?JG: Simple things like takingadvantage of passive solar ener-gy.Even in the Comox Valley it canprovide half or more of a home’syear-round heating needs. You justdesign your home longer in theeast-west direction and put enoughwindows on the south side of thehouse. The cost? Nothing.

BG: Then what?

JG: Then you want to insulate aswell as you can afford to, makingthe home’s envelope as snug aspossible. Then you can start think-ing about replacing fossil-fuel ener-gy with renewable energy. A mod-est budget for technologies likephotovoltaic (electrical) or solarthermal (hot water) panels couldactually make your future-friendlyhome a net producer of energy.

BG: Heck, insulate it well enoughand you might not need a heatingsystem at all!JG: You joke, but we already havethe technology and expertise tobuild homes that way, even here inCanada. It starts with smart design,great insulation and air sealing anda heat recovery system. Sustain-able homes also need to be realisticin scale. Do we really need a five-bedroom home for a family of two?

BG: If they made a movie of yourlife, who would play you?JG: Wow, tough question! I’vealways liked David Strathairn forhis strong, low-key performancesand his attraction to good causes.He’s much better looking, but Ithink he could pull it off!

BG: What’s the best advice you’veever received?JG: It came from my Dad. Whetherit was a campsite, a hiking trail orthe world in general, he said, “Tryto leave it better than you found it.”I think about that all the time. Iwish our leaders would too!John Gower can be reached atwww.gowerdesigngroup.com or at250.871.8765.

John Gower, owner of Gower Design Group, is a staunch advocate for sustainable building design. He recently moved to Courtenay from Victoria.

How to fire an employee without getting burned

As the economy startsto Last issue, Iallowed myself some

optimism about the econ-omy and wrote about hir-ing new employees. Thistime I’ll share some infor-mation about, well, firingthem. Don’t get me wrong — I

haven’t retreated into pessimism. It’s just important that you knowthese facts up front inorder to protect yourselfand be a fair employer.

Most people are awarethat there’s a probation-ary period of up to threemonths for new employ-ees. If the situation isn’tworking out, you can terminate the employeeimmediately any time within that period. Afterthat, you need to give aminimum ofone week’snotice toemployees ofup to one year’sduration; twoweeks’ noticeafter two yearsand so on,adding oneweek to the notice periodfor each year worked, upto eight weeks.

Note that these are statu-tory minimums; some con-tracts stipulate a longernotice period, which canbe as high as one monthper year of service formanagement positions.Note also that you canalways terminate an

employee with no noticewhen there’s due cause(serious breaches such astheft, drug or alcoholabuse on the job, basicbad behaviour, etc.).When you see problems

with an employee, thebest course of action is tohave progressive disci-

pline involvinga series ofwarnings, reprimandsand even suspension.This gives youremployeeplenty ofopportunities

to understand what theproblem is and correct it. It’s essential to keep

records of all of this — thenature of the problem andthe steps taken toaddress it. You will rely onthese records if the situa-tion gets messy.Generally, it’s a good idea

to talk to a legal advisorahead of time about

where you’re going withan employee before youpull the trigger.Sometimes, even whenthere have been plenty ofwarnings and discussions,a terminated employeemay still bring a wrongfuldismissal case againstyou. There’s a wealth ofcase law on this issue,which helps lawyers giveyou clear advice on yoursituation.All of this doesn’t neces-

sarily apply in the sameway in a union contextwhere there is a collectiveagreement. In thosecases, there will probablybe enhancements tothese provisions such asgrievance procedures andthe like. In other words,all bets are off!Keep these facts in mind,

and consult your legaladvisor when in doubt.That way, if you do needto let an employee go, theprocess will go smoothlyfor both parties, thuskeeping everyone in anoptimistic frame of mind.

Paul R. Ives, B.A., LL.B,Partner, IvesBurger

At least in theory.

Paul Ives is a lawyer withIves Burger Barristers &

Solicitors in Courtenay. Hecan be reached at250.334.2416 or www.ivesburgerlaw.com

“...the best course of action is to

have progressive discipline...”

Photo: Aidan Darby-Miller