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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday October 11, 2008 - 15 MEET THE COMMITTEE... MICHAEL R. HAINES, PRESIDENT, QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRODUCTS O/A M&A NETWORK BILL DODGE, ADVERTISING/MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE, THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Mike is a past president of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and has established a successful career built on years of involvement in finance, credit, banking and business development, with an overlay of computer technology, and software for quality management. Mike also served as a systems analyst for the world's best-known credit reporting firm, and owns and operates a successful business brokerage business, a computer consulting practice serving the SME market and a software distribution company for quality software products. Mike possesses excellent relationship and business development skills, together with a singular strength in identifying key success factors in the businesses he serves. ED FOSTER, PRESIDENT, THE TAX ADVISORY/THE INCORPORATORS/THE BUSINESS ADVISORY Bill has a strong background in sales, promotion and marketing. A graduate of The University of Western Ontario in honours Political Science and York University in business, he has been with the Oakville Beaver for seven years. He started two retail operations in the downtown core including a new venture for one of Canada's leading retailers. BOB BARIC, ACCOUNT MANAGER, BDC Bob joined the BDC and is an account manager for the Halton Branch. Bob provides financing and consulting solutions to small and medium sized business. Prior to joining the BDC, he worked 10 years for the Canada Revenue Agency in the Audit and SR&Ed divisions. Bob is an active member of the Burlington and Oakville communities. He has an MBA from McMaster University in Hamilton. TOM SAVOY, SMALL BUSINESS ADVISOR, TD CANADA TRUST Ed has 22 years of proven corporate experience at both the domestic and international levels in both the private and public sectors. Ed has held the positions of Vice President And Chief Financial Officer, Assistant General Manager, Director of Manufacturing, Director of Operations and Director of New Business Development providing him with the experience necessary to serve clients with a high level of competence. Ed is a member of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and recently sat on its Home based Business, Small Business, Strategic Marketing, Small Business Week and Marketing Committees and chairs The Business Advisory Panel. He is also a member of the Burlington Chamber Of Commerce. WOLF VON BRISINSKI, PRESIDENT, STELLEUR WORLDWIDE INC. Tom is a Small Business Advisor at the 321 Iroquois Road & Trafalgar branch of TD Canada Trust. He has volunteered to become the financial advisor on the Chamber's Business Advisory Panel. The Business Advisory Panel was formed by the Oakville Chamber to provide small business owners with a venue to ask questions and gain new ideas to help their business prosper. Tom's 29 years of banking experience with TD Canada Trust brings credibility when dispensing advice to new business owners. He has a background in branch administration, Human Resources, Commercial Credit, Professional Banking, Private Banking, Branch Management and also holds a Personal Financial Planning designation. JULIA WOOSTER, VIRTUAL ASSISTANCE SERVICE, OAKVILLE ADMIN Wolf von Brisinski and his wife Monika enjoy their residency in Oakville since 1989 and are members of the Oakville Chamber for the last 3 years. Wolf is proud and honoured to serve on the SMALL BUSINESS WEEK Committee of the Oakville Chamber. Wolf and Monika are helping Business Owners to cut costs, increase sales and grow their Businesses through the PPL Identity Theft Shield, Group Benefit and Small Business Solutions program. 20 plus years of well-rounded administrative experience prompted Julia to start her Virtual Assistance Service, Oakville Admin in January 2007. She has a passion for technology and constantly upgrades her skills. Described by one client as "positive, flexible and fun", she enjoys finding ways for her clients to work more effectively. Julia's creativity extends from the computer area to the kitchen where she enjoys cooking. She also enjoys spending time with her husband and standard poodle. BILL WEIS, PRESIDENT, THE HRD GROUP JASON GERVAIS, INTERNET CONSULTANT, OWNER, WE SIMPLIFY THE INTERNET (WSI) Jason Gervais is an Internet Consultant and owner of a local WSI office. As part of the Global WSI network of over 1500 locations in 87 countries, Jason is able to provide small and mid-sized businesses with Internet Marketing and Website Development solutions that not only drive more traffic to their websites, but also increase the likelihood that visitors will take action on the site to become sales opportunities or customers, using WSI's exclusive conversion architecture techniques. Bill Weis founded the HRD Group in 1998 following a 30-year career in broadcast sales, marketing, media management and strategic planning. During that period he developed training programs in strategic business building and human resource development, specifically in the areas of sales and sales management training, negotiating skills, interpersonal managing skills, communication and presentation skills. Should you go global or stay local? Tips for rookie and veteran exporters TIP #1: DON'T GO GLOBAL JUST FOR THE SAKE OF GOING GLOBAL. No doubt you've heard countless pundits predict dire futures for companies that aren't selling into emerging powerhouse markets such as China and India. But depending on your particular business and your experience in other markets, these may not be the best places for you to start. "Your business needs to have attained a certain level of maturity before you start thinking of integrating China, India or any remote market inside your immediate target for growth," explains Bruce McConnell, vice-president, BDC Consulting. "But don't let that dissuade you. There are huge opportunities internationally for small Canadian companies." First time exporters, for example, should often set their sights closer to home. The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service (TCS), which provides free advice to help entrepreneurs navigate international markets, says the best exporting opportunities for small companies continue to be with the United States, particularly border states. "The U.S. is still our largest trading partner and I don't see that changing," says Christian Hansen, a trade commissioner in Vancouver. "The similarity of business culture, the proximity and the North American Free Trade Agreement make the U.S. a compelling market for first-time exporters. Foreign, overseas markets can be more difficult to access because of language and cultural differences, time differences, and the investment and patience it takes to go into those kinds of markets." According to a recent Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters survey, the majority of Canadian business owners identified the U.S. as their first market for future potential, followed by Canada and then Mexico. TIP #2: MAKE SURE YOUR COMPANY IS "EXPORT READY". Today, many entrepreneurs rely on an export plan, which is largely an extension of their business plan. Put simply, an export plan is a map that documents the strategy your company will implement to conquer international markets. Much like a business plan, it focuses on key factors such as your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the international playing field. In developing your export plan, look first at whether your business is "export-ready". Are your sales at home solid? Do you have a healthy balance sheet? Do you have export experience? Do you have the resources and the patience to invest in marketing abroad? If the answers are 'yes', your prospects for selling internationally look promising. If not, you may want to start with the Canadian Business Network, which helps entrepreneurs do the groundwork necessary to expand beyond Canada. Once you're ready, groups like BDC and TCS can assist in developing an export plan, including putting you in contact with qualified contacts in countries you're targeting. Macro-economics will also influence which markets are most attractive. The high Canadian dollar and the economic downturn south of the border, for example, are making it tougher selling into the U.S.. At the same time, rising fuel costs are making it less affordable to export overseas. Remember, one size doesn't fit all. "You need to articulate the right strategy for your business. This requires looking at the strength of your business model, including the strength of your people and the strength of the industry you serve," says McConnell. Once you've decided that going global is the right decision, choose your markets carefully. If you're in the insurance business, the hot markets for Canadian companies right now are China, India and Indonesia. The market opportunities for other products and services may be more limited. For example, Hansen says the TCS has worked with BC companies that manufacture wood pellets from trees affected by the Mountain Pine Beetle. The pellets are used in place of coal to fire power plants. The pellets have found niche markets in Japan and Europe, where the TCS played a role in identifying potential buyers and partners. Next, decide what kind of entry strategy is best for each new market. You may decide to use a distributor, licence your product, negotiate a joint venture, hire a sales agent or sell directly to end users. And, for those companies already selling into the U.S. who are worried about shrinking profit margins, the decision often comes down to two choices: defend your turf or find new markets. "You can be defensive and attempt to preserve your market share in the U.S., or you can be offensive and try to expand into new markets ­ or you can do both. It really comes down to laying out a strategy that is customized to your particular business needs," says McConnell. As a first step, check out the abundance of online information available, including: Canadabusiness.ca, CanadExport and Foreign Affairs Canada. You can also try out the TCS's virtual trade commissioner tool and www.bdc.ca .