LOCAL WOMEN MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Profiles ofNotableWomen

in theElk Valley

inWomen inBusiness

THE FREE PRESS ~ MARCH 2013

THE FREE PRESS Thursday, March 21, 2013 13

See the possibilitiesA career at Teck offers the chance to live and work in the Elk Valley, with excellent professional growth opportunities and challenging work assignments.

See yourself at Teck www.teck.com/careers

LOCAL WOMEN MAKING A DIFFERENCE

• PROPERTY TRANSFERS • LEASES • WILL PREPARATION • MORTGAGES • AFFIDAVITS & MISCELLANEOUS • NOTARIZATION

Legal Services

Sparwood Office:114 Centennial SquarePhone: 250-425-2114

Toll Free:1-800-668-7729Fax: 250-425-2204

Fernie Office:78 Ridgemont Drive Phone: 250-423-2161

Fax: 250-423-6149

14 THE FREE PRESS Thursday, March 21, 2013

15th Year in Business

ODYSSEY"Clothing for Your Journey"

Sept 1998 – 2013

Come see for yourselfMon – Sat 9:30 – 5:30

Sun 12 – 5 692 2nd Ave, Fernie

250-423-4620

• Proud to be serving the Elk Valley• Career, Classic & Carefree looks• Outstanding quality & value• Award-winning customer care

• Approvals• Gift wrapping• Layaways• Wardrobe planning

• Hassel free exchanges• After hours by Appointment

Other Services:

SPRING FASHION SHOWKickoff to Cancer Campaign

April 3 Senior Centre7:00 pm

NEWSpring Arrivals

Yvonne Molle

While we want happy and fulfilling lives outside of work, we have to make personal sacrifices in order

to achieve our career aspirations. How do you balance those sacrifices so they don’t greatly interfere with your personal goals? How do you fit roles such as wife, mother, and friend into an already hectic schedule? Since time is precious, keeping a balance between the two worlds can be a challenge. Fortunately, with proper planning, balance is possible. It is possible to have not only a successful career, but a rewarding and enjoyable personal life as well.

Set Your Priorities EarlyThe first step to achieving balance is to get your

family to agree on what the priorities should be. Realize that business success often requires long hours and travel. In these instances, support from your family has to be there. Additionally, when children are involved, many people discover that they have to re-balance their lives so they have time to spend with the kids.

Consider What Is Right for YouWhen placed in identical situations, no two people will make

the same choices. Each person has to evaluate the event and then make a decision based on what is right for her at the moment. Just because an outcome worked for one person, doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for another.

P r i o r i t i z e your own commitments . Decide what is most important to you. Where do you want to spend your time and energy? How important is your career in the scheme of your life? How do you define success?

Every day we hear of increasing numbers of people who reach the pinnacle of their careers and decide it’s time to embark on a new stage of life. They quit their jobs, start a family, change careers, or take an extended leave. Others start businesses out of their homes so they can be with their families.

Some companies are reluctant to support a person’s career advancement if they don’t know the person’s goals—both personal

and professional. Therefore, once you know what you want, communicate it to your management and get support. If the company will not support your personal goals as well as your professional ones, then it’s time to evaluate whether this is the right company for you.

Balance Points to ConsiderBefore you make any drastic changes to your personal or

professional life, consider the implications of each decision and how you plan to integrate the changes into your schedule. For example: • Whateffectwillhavingchildrenhaveonyourlife? • Howmuchtimedoyouwanttotakeoffwhenyouhavea

child? • Doyouwanttocomebacktoworkfulltime? • Whatsupportsystemsexisttohelpyou? • Willleavingat5:00allowyoutogetyourworkdone?If

not, are you willing to take work home? • Howmuchcontroldoyouhaveoveryourworkload?

Different jobs have different requirements. Study your field to see if it meets your goals and aspirations. If not, it may be time to consider a change.

What’s Your Balancing Decision?We all make sacrifices to get what we want. Think about where

you want to be in 10 or 20 years and what it will take to getthere. What choices and sacrifices will you need to make today to achieve your goals tomorrow?

How to balance your career and familyThe biggest challenge many of us face is how to balance the demands of family, friends, and career

Women leading the way as Canada’s new entrepreneurs

and represent a growing economic force according to recent findings. A report on Canada’s business scene by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce shows a50percentincreaseinthenumberofself–employedwomeninCanadaoverthelast15years.

According to Statistics Canada there are now more than 826,000 women entrepreneurs in Canada whoannually contribute in excess of $18 billion to Canada’s economy. The rate of growth of businesses run by womenentrepreneursis60percentfasterthanthoserun by men, as 4 out of 5 new businesses are nowstarted by women. ~ News Canada

Women entrepreneurs are one of the fastest growing segments

of the Canadian economy...

“When placed in identical situations, no two people

will make the same choices. Each person has to evaluate the event and then make a

decision based on what is right for her at the moment“

LOCAL WOMEN MAKING A DIFFERENCETHE FREE PRESS Thursday, March 21, 2013 15

“companies that have women on their boards generate value to their corporati ons by broadening market vision, enhancing board dynamics, inspiring female stockholders and improving corporate reputati on”Female entrepreneurship has already played and conti nues to play an important role in modernising societi es and changing public atti tudes towards women. This is a great ti me to be a Canadian woman in business. More Canadian women are self-employed than ever before and BC has the highest percentage of fi rms that are half-owned by women.

There are a great number of resources out there specifi cally aimed to support women in business – call the Chamber today 250 423 6868 for more informati on

Ellen FyfeFootloose Enterprises

Women in Business

www.facebook.com/ElkValleyBC

Stemming from a passion for helping people, Ellen Fyfe founded Footloose Enterprises in 2003.

Footloose Enterprises offers residents, mainly seniors, of the Elk Valley with nursing/diabetic foot care.

With 17 years experience as a Licensed Practical Nurse, Ellen has spent three years working in the Elk Valley Hospital and the Sparwood Health Care Facility. “I love my profession, and I really wanted to spend more time with people, rather than just tending to their immediate needs,” said Ellen. “It’s really nice to be able to know my clients on a personal level and build relationships with them. Unlike when they are ill in the hospital, at home they are well, and taking on day-to-day activity.

Ellen applies holistic principals to create a caring, alternative approach to health and wellness. Her certification as a foot care specialist provides services to enhance health and lifestyle for those in need of foot care. For people, and those with diabetes especially, nursing foot care helps improve circulation, and helps prevent potential infection. “It is so nice that she just comes to my home and helps me. It is so much easier than me always having to go out,” said one of Ellen’s foot care clients.

Her costs for nursing foot care are based on individual needs.

Ellen extends her helping hands to those in need in the Elk Valley and hopes that she will be able to grow Footloose Enterprises while creating lasting and meaningful relationships with clients.

To speak more with Ellen on her services she can be reached at 250.423.7650 or 250.430.7378.

cell: 250-430-7378

GIFTcertificate

Call For SpecialsSERVICES INCLUDE:• Foot Facial• Nursing Foot Care• Licensed Nursing Care & Assessments• DVA & WCB Provider• Worksafe Insured• Mobile Care in Your Home• Receipts Provided

Ellen Fyfe, LPN

Celebrating Women in

BusinessCelebrating Women in

Business

Cindy HirschBranch manager EK Credit Union Elkford, Vice President of the Elkford Chamber

Women in Business ELKFORD FEATURE

What is your job?Branch Manager, East Kootenay Community

Credit Union, Elkford BranchHow did you get into it?AfterIwasmarriedin1982,wemovedtoCoronach,Sask.

When we opened our accounts at the local Credit Union, they asked if I was looking for a job! I had always dealt with a credit union and thought it would be a terrific opportunity to get to know the community. Since that time, I have worked as a Teller, Receptionist, Supervisor, Lender, and Manager.

When we moved to Elkford in 1989, there was no credit union branch. Four years later, the local bank closed its branch and Cranbrook Savings Credit Union opened one. I was excited, applied immediately, was hired and have been here since. It has been an incredible experience witnessing the growth and the support from the community. EKC now has branches in all three Elk Valley communities.

What do you enjoy most about it? Without a doubt, it would be the members. I’ve met so

many awesome people and developed great relationships over the years. Working with our members through different life stages has been truly rewarding. I also like and appreciate the values of my employer. We attract employees with the same values which means I have had the opportunity to work with many great colleagues over the years. When you have an office of seven employees, you spend a lot of time together and become very close-knit. We have lots of laughs too.

What challenges are there? Regulations and managing risk. Unfortunately, fraud and

money laundering is on the rise so new rules and regulations are continually being introduced for protection purposes. I think anyone in business right now would say their jobs have become more complex. Also, there is always the challenge of dealing with stress, both personally and professionally. Some days, I deal with it well and other days, not so much!

Do you feel there are still challenges being a woman in business?

I don’t. We have two adult daughters who feel they have no limitations if business is the path they choose. I was raised in a family business. My parents owned the local service station in small town Saskatchewan. My Mom helped with everything - customer service, accounting, marketing, sales, inventory - all while raising four children in the attached home. It was like the TV show Corner Gas except way more work!

How do you continue to evolve your business? There has to be a constant evolution. If we don’t grow,

expand on our services to meet needs as they change, improve on our brand and attract committed employees, we won’t survive.

Do you plan to stay in this role? Yes I do. My husband and I are planning to stay in Elkford

after retirement so I plan to be here until that happens!

Do you have advice for women thinking of starting their own business?

If I was starting a new business today, the first thing I would do is speak to all my successful friends and associates. Their experience and advice would be invaluable. My own advice would be to make sure it is something you are good at, it is something you would enjoy doing for a long period of time andyouare100%committed.And,ofcourse,havingagoodbusiness plan is critical.

How is working in a small town different to the city? I have always lived and worked in a small community.

The credit unions in Saskatchewan were involved in the communities as they are in BC. Through my work, I meet a lot of passionate people who are committed to helping make Elkford a great place to live. When you live in a small town, it’s easier to see how much impact one person or one small group can have on a community. It’s hard to beat small town camaraderie!

LOCAL WOMEN MAKING A DIFFERENCE16 THE FREE PRESS Thursday, March 21, 2013

Women in Business PROFILE

342 - 2nd Avenue, Fernie • 250-423-4666• advertising@thefreepress.ca • www.thefreepress.ca

The Free Press

Why women belong in our newsroomBy Angela TreharneIt was International Women’s Day on March 8, a day when we consider how far women have come in achieving equality with men, and how far they still have to go.In The Free Press of� ce, there are a disproportionate number of women. There are, in fact, six women who work in the of� ce every day, compared to only one man.In an industry still very much considered to be “a boys’ club,” this makes me very proud.A UK group called Women in Journalism recently did a study and found that 74 per cent of national news journalists are men and that men also dominate political and business journalism. Somewhat less surprisingly, just three per cent of sports journalists are women.Even less surprisingly was the � nding that out of all the national newspapers

in the UK, The Sun, famous for still having a “Page Three” topless girl every day, has one of the lowest numbers of female staff of all the newspapers.Male journalists also people areas that researchers regard as “traditional subjects that women might have been expected to dominate.” So 49 per cent of lifestyle reporters are men and 70 per cent of arts reporters are also male.It was also clear from the study that women are less likely to be in senior positions, with eight out of the top 10 newspapers having almost twice as many male editors as women editors.That gender divide penetrates the whole newspaper industry with women making up just 30 per cent of all newspaper journalists in the UK. The numbers of male and female journalism college graduates are very similar, so why does the same balance not exist in the workplace?While there are no such statistics

available for Canada, I’m sure the � ndings would be similar to the UK.This should be a concern to all women, not just those in this industry.With such gaping under-representation in hard news, business and politics, it’s likely the absence of women is affecting the content and slant of our news.It also is a clear indication that women’s rights still have a long way to go.

Kaitlyn Haarstad, Bonny McLardy, Andrea Horton, Angela Treharne, Nicole Liebermann and Val Luznar-Purdy

Chantel SouliereOwner of Freyja Lifestyle Fashion, Director of Marketing, Wapiti Music Festival

Women in Business FERNIE FEATURE

What is your job?I own and operate a women’s clothing boutique

in Fernie, Freyja Lifestyle.

How did you get into it?Out of necessity really,

I was looking for a professional job in Fernie that worked with my skill and interests, turns out I had to open my own business!

What do you enjoy most about it?

I enjoy the customers the most. I have a great satisfaction when they leave my store feeling great and confident because they have the right outfit.

What challenges are there?Mainly the out of town shopping. I offer great products,

great service and a shopping experience that outshines the bustling mall or hassle of cross boarder shopping. We are successful at it!

Do you feel there are still challenges being a woman in business?

If you don’t have confidence, then yes, you will have challenges.

How do you continue to evolve your business?Freyjahasevolvedsomuchoverthelast6years,

it’s always changing and reinventing, I’m not sure how we do it exactly, I suppose it’s my nature. But I do think its important to read your customers, stay on top of trends -fashion and tech wise and welcome new information. Just when you think you have figured it out, you gotta roll with the rest of the world.

Do you plan to stay in this role?Professionally I am always growing. I am always

meditating on opportunity, I’m open to anything. Being stagnant is a fear or mine.

Do you have advice for women thinking of starting their own business?

That’s kind if a loaded question. In all aspects of business and doing business in Fernie I have advice, and I’m sure I still have much more to learn . If I can only share one piece I’d say, stay positive. I know it sounds cliché, but all the successful women I have learned from, were positive big thinkers.

Surround yourself with positive happy people, ditch the downers.

How is working in a small town different to the city?You may lose your sense of anonymity. Bad manners or bad

life choices outside of work may haunt you later. However, doing business in a small town is wonderful, we all

work together and support each other. Networking is key!

“If I can only share one piece I’d say, stay positive. I

know it sounds cliché, but all the successful women I have learned from, were positive

big thinkers. Surround yourself with positive happy people, ditch the downers.“

LOCAL WOMEN MAKING A DIFFERENCETHE FREE PRESS Thursday, March 21, 2013 17

Jill BarclayGoldstar Cleaning Services

Women in Business

1591 10 Ave Fernie • 250-423-4029www.goldstarservicesgroup.com

What kind of business do you have?I own and operate a commercial and residential building services company. I

established Goldstar Cleaning Services Ltd in 2003. The company provides an array of cleaning services throughout the Elk Valley including janitorial, residential, strata and vacation home cleaning, floor care and carpet cleaning, and dry-cleaning.

How did you become a business owner?After moving to Fernie in 2000 and working various seasonal jobs I was looking for a way to maintain year round employment within the valley. In December 2003 I was presented with an opportunity by a local property management company to take on the responsibilities of cleaning a new inventory of vacation rental homes they had recently acquired. I was working full time for another business at the time and so immediately had to hire a supervisor along with the first 10 employees of Goldstar (and many helping hands from friends). Everything else happened very fast after that as we jumped in to cleaning during the Christmas holiday season, the hospitality industry’s busiest time. As the first season drew to a close I began to really focus on formalizing the processes and procedures, hiring and training practices and sales and growth strategies and next thing I realized I was a business owner!

How many people do you employ?Goldstar Cleaning currently has a core team of 10 cleaners that work within a residential and commercial setting. Based on seasonal or project demands we bring on additional staff as required. Our office which is located in Fernie is staffed Monday to Friday and this is often where you can find me.

What’s unique about the service you provide?What we do is give people and organizations time back in their day. From the moment our customers make that initial inquiry to our office, to creating a custom service package based on their needs, to our 7 day a week scheduling and our trained and committed staff we provide a streamlined, reliable and professional service. Our customers can then focus on and spend time doing the things in life or business that they want to do.

What future plans do you have for the business?Our floor care program which includes floor finishing and carpet steam cleaning has been growing steadily through the past year. This spring we will be expanding our carpet steam cleaning with the arrival of some larger equipment. This will give us the ability to provide carpet cleaning to larger apartment and condo buildings. We have seen significant growth in our Sparwood market and this spring we will be adding a second crew to serve the residential cleaning schedule. I am excited to see Goldstar grow in to a full building and home services company.

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As a husband and wife team running the pizza shoppe, one could not do it

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Patsy BoivinRocky Mountain Meats

Women in Business SPARWOOD FEATURE

What is your job?My husband Richard and I are

the owners of Rocky Mountain Meats. I wrap and cut the meat and I’m the secretary.

How did you get into it?We came to this small little town of

Sparwood from Quebec and we saw this meat shop for sale, that was years ago, back in 1974. We decided to move out here because the mountains were so beautiful. So we did buy it in 1978 and now we have been here for 35years.

What do you enjoy most about it?I just love to do it. I always look back years

ago, back in Quebec, I was always wrapping meat, but since we got our own shop here I do the wrapping and the cutting. What I like the most about it is the people that support us. I just love to deal with the public and I like talking and having a conversation and jokes

with the customers.

What challenges are there?The challenge here is to keep our business

up to date, serve the customer properly, and make sure they come back.

Do you feel there are still challenges to being a woman in business?

I would say so, but my job is pretty good. I get to speak to the people, which I enjoy.

How do you continue to evolve your business?

We do a lot of advertising. We advertise in Cranbrook and the whole Elk Valley. We sell to Lethbridge, Ft. McMurray,

Vancouver, all over really, because people that dealt with use before, moved away, and so now they buy their meat by phoning in their orders.

Do you plan to stay in this role?Right now we’re actually trying to sell the

business because we’re getting to the point where it’s time to retire. It’s going to be very

hard for us to leave because we just love it here and we love the people. It’s going to be hard to leave when the day comes to leave.

Do you have advice for women thinking of starting their own business?

For me, I’m a very good worker and I work very hard because we had to work very hard to build this business up. I work sometimes six days a week, seven days a week. It was a long, long haul to get here, but we did. So my advice to another woman would be that she must follow the same routine and put in the same amount of effort that I have. To come up to the level that we are at, that is what she’s going to have to do.

How is working in a small town different to the city?

We learned a lot in Quebec and it was a big city, but then we came here and I like small towns better than big cities. There is less competition. Overwaitea is close to us but they don’t really hurt us. They just help us because sometimes you have to have a bigger store to help a smaller business.

“I just love to deal with the public and I like talking and having a conversation and jokes with the customers.“

LOCAL WOMEN MAKING A DIFFERENCE18 THE FREE PRESS Thursday, March 21, 2013

Maren EschBarkside Pets

Women in Business

791A 2nd Ave Fernie • 250-423-4332

Maren became a business owner out of necessity, Fernie needed a pet store and Maren needed full-time employment,

it was a combination of formal education (as a veterinary technician) and a passion for animals that led Maren to open Barkside Pets. Barkside specializes in the sale of natural pet foods and treats, as well as a wide variety of outdoor gear. The fact that there are a large number of women in business in the Elk Valley who are willing to share their experiences or give advice when approached has helped Maren immensely. Barkside currently employs five amazing people and is hoping to expand their product lines and services.

9839 Elk Street, Hosmer 250-423-5805• Call for hours •

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Pema Design Studio

By Dave Hamilton

There are two types of business plans, one for start up companies which contains

additional supporting documents needed for financing and one for existing ongoing companies known as an operational or strategic plan.

In general, a business plan precisely defines your business, identifies your goals and acts as your company’s resume. It helps you allocate resources properly and make good business decisions.

Despite the critical importance of a business plan, many entrepreneurs procrastinate when it comes to preparing a written document.

There is no single formula for developing a business plan. However, some elements are common to all business plans. Your plan should start with a statement of your business purpose and include a section about your business idea. Then describe your business, tell how you plan to market it, review your competition, describe the operating procedures and plans for employees including hiring and

training. In addition include the risks and contingency plans with your approach to insuring your business.

Your marketing plan is an essential part of your overall business plan. Your marketing plan will help you; Assess the needs of your customers and develop a product or service to meet those needs; Communicate the attributes of the product or service to the customers

and establish distribution channels to get the products/services to the customer

Before you develop your marketing plan, you must first research the potential market for your product or service. Use numbers, facts and findings of market research to back up statements in your marketing plan.

Indicate the business’ vision, mission statement and beliefs (this should align with your target market and the core values and goals of the business and its owner(s). You need to detail how your product or service is unique or how it is better than models that already exist.

Before you begin selling something, you need to know who you are selling to. So you need to identify your target market to find out who your customers are through research, identify the age group, gender, lifestyle and other demographic characteristics of the people who have shown interest in your product or service. Also from your research, provide statistics, analysis, numbers and supporting facts that there is a demand for your product or service.

When developing a general profile of your customers you should define them by their demographic characteristics, such as: Age, Sex, Marital status, Location of

household, Family size and description, Income, especially disposable income, Education level, Occupation, Interests, purchasing profile, Cultural, ethnic, and racial background.

Once you have defined your target customers, you can then learn about their needs and preferences. To develop a profile of your customers and understand their needs, you will have to do some market research.

The next step is to know your competitor. Who else is selling to your customers? Make a list of your own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) with

The Importance of having a plan

Continued on page 19

“In general, a business plan precisely def ines your

business, identif ies your goals and acts as your company’s

resume. It helps you allocate resources properly and make

good business decisions.“

Know your business vision, mission and beliefs

LOCAL WOMEN MAKING A DIFFERENCE THE FREE PRESS Thursday, March 21, 2013 19

Est. 1898

those of your competition.Next, plan how you will get your message

to reach potential customers with 1) advertising (TV, radio, print publications, online publications, websites, billboards, business cards) 2) Publicity (signs, stationary, branding, testimonials, referrals) 3) Listings (business directories, telephone directories, online listings, association listings 4) Sponsoring (community events, local charities, sports) 5)Networking (Local Business Mixers, Chamber Meetings etc. 6) Promotions (mail outs, samples, freebies, discount coupons, sales, displays) Internal marketing (employee rebates, sales incentives, referral incentives)

Determining the right price is another aspect of marketing. If your price is too high, you may alienate customers, and if it’s too low, you may give the impression that your product or service is cheap and below standard.

Next, you’ll want to provide detailed financial data, including a list of the equipment and supplies you will need and how much they will cost, a balance sheet showing your assets and liabilities, an analysis of what it will take for you to break

even, and a three year projection of your business’ income, including anticipated profits and losses. In addition you should include detailed projections of cash flow, costs and income, organized month-by-month. It is important to write out your assumptions, in which your projections are based.

One reason for the failure of many small businesses is that they undercapitalize their business. Therefore, it is important that you know how much money you will actually need to start and to run your business. You should ask yourself; How much money do you need to start this business? How much of your own money do you have? Do you already own any of the assets needed to start? Do you have family, friends, acquaintances, or others who are willing and able to invest? Do you have a strong personal credit rating or lines of credit available?

Once you answer the above questions you can then decide between equity and debt financing or a combination of both.

Equity means ownership. With equity investment, an investor makes money available for use in exchange for an ownership share in the business. If you use equity investment, be sure to consider how much ownership you’re willing to give up, and at what price. Once you sell 51 percent of your shares, you lose control of your company.

There is two kinds of debt financing i n c l u d i n g G o v e r n m e n t and traditional commercial loans.

G o v e r n m e n t Funding (grants) is typically the most sought-after type of

financing because it’s free money that you don’t have to pay back. Unfortunately, a grant might not be an option for your business because not only are there very few grants available, most are geared towards specific industries or groups of people such as youth, women, or aboriginal owners.

Many lenders will look for the four “C’s of Lending” when evaluating a loan application including Cash flow,

Collateral (Your house or other assets). Commitment. (How much of your own money you are willing to put into your business. Character. (Your personal credit score)

The difference between a private lender and a government program is the relative importance of these four C’s. A bank might place more importance on “collateral” and “commitment”, whereas a government program can often decrease the need for these by providing a government guarantee to the lender.

There are many people who are more than willing to help you develop a business plan. The bottom line is, however, that the true value of a business plan is what you put into it. Use your research skills to locate information on how to write a business plan. You could also speak to Chartered Banks/Credit Union, Accountants, Lawyers, Community Colleges, Business Consultants and/or visit the flowing helpful websites

www.smallbusinessbc.cawww.bcstats.gov.bc.cawww.onestop.gov.bc.cawww.canadabusiness.cawww.bdc.ca

Continued from page 18

Know the true value of a plan

“The bottom line is, however, that the true value of a business plan is what you

put into it.“