Centre for Women In Business   Centre for Women In Business Centre for Women In Business Centre for Women In Business   Centre for Women In Business   Centre for Women In Business Centre for Women In Business Centre for Women In Business Centre for Women In Business Centre for Women In Business Centre for Women In Business


Biz Beat Online Newsletter

Upcoming events

Client Success Stories

Links & Resources

FAQ's (coming soon)

Join Us...

> as a Member

> in our Toastmasters Club

> on Facebook


Don't miss out on any news.  

Sign up for email updates:

 

Name:

Company:

Email:

Advancing Atlantic Canadian, women-owned businesses

Aussi disponible en français

Advance your business 

The ADVANCE program offers women business owners the opportunity to take their business to the next level of growth by strengthening your management and business skills and providing you with professional business support to reach those objectives.

FALL 2009 Delivery

The program will be delivered in

Program details

Download application

Application details

Participant criteria

Facilitator bios

Past participant testimonials

Contact for more information

Program supporters

 

The program details:

1. Workshop Series: five interactive workshops with dynamic facilitators.  (Details below)

  • Develop Your Vision: A half-day facilitated, introductory session with Judith Richardson of Pono Consultants International. Judith will guide participants through a variety of activities to help define what success looks like for you as an individual and as a team as you go through the group training sessions. You will articulate systems that need to be put into place for your success with action plans for the entire program and component parts.

Sydney: Sept 14 Charlottetown: Sept 11 St. John’s: Sept 8

  • Innovation as a Catalyst: A full-day workshop with Toni Newman of Geffman Productions. Why are ideas today’s most valuable currency? Is innovation your only sustainable competitive advantage? This is an opportunity to learn what being innovative really means and where innovation really comes from.

Sydney: Sept 24 Charlottetown: Sept 23 St. John’s: Sept 15

  • Support Human Capital in Your Business: A full-day workshop with Brenda Fair, Fairwinds Training. All businesses rely on the performance of their people to succeed. As companies grow, it becomes necessary to develop systems and processes that support the human capital of the business. Brenda will explore techniques and systems for successful recruitment, boarding process, performance management and the use of a "balanced scorecard".

Sydney: Oct 16 Charlottetown: Oct 5 St. John’s: Oct 20

  • Financial Decision Making: A full-day workshop with Debi Peverill, SBR Communications. If you think finance is a dry subject, you haven’t had the opportunity to participate in one of Debi’s workshops! This workshop will be customized to meet the participants needs and priorities. Debi will start with a financial inventory review and will teach you the techniques you require to evaluate financial options when growing your business.

Sydney: Oct 7 Charlottetown: Oct 16 St. John’s: Oct 5

  • Taking Your Internet Marketing to the Next Level: A full-day, hands-on interactive workshop with Susan Sweeney. Susan, along with participants, will critique your website on a number of different criteria and look for the easiest and most cost effective ways to generate more revenue online. At the end of the session, you will decide the top three things you want to implement in the next 60 days. Susan will follow up with the group after that period in an on-line meeting to discuss your progress and next steps.

Sydney: Oct 26 Charlottetown: Oct 28 St. John’s: Oct 29

2. One to One Consulting: twenty-five hours of one-to-one consulting. From a list a qualified consultants, you will work with the ADVANCE project manager to choose a consultant that best matches your growth objectives. Your consultant will work with you to identify next steps to grow, whether they are challenges or opportunities. You will be provided with a report so that you can implement any recommendations. All consultant-related expenses are included in your registration fee.

3. Wrap Up and Final Evaluation of the Program: Prior to the program end date, the group will participate in a half-day, facilitated final evaluation and wrap-up session to summarize results. The participants will be introduced to the concept of developing a mastermind group in their area to continue to build on the relationships developed through this program.

 

Go to menu

 

 

Download Application:

English (black and white version) in PDF

 

Go to menu

 

 

Application details:

 

Cost: $850 (plus applicable taxes) per participant to be paid in full upon acceptance into this program.  Please note, your registration fee does not include travel related expenses to attend these workshops.

Admission to this program is by a selection process where interested candidates must meet the specified criteria and complete the application form for consideration.

A limited number of participants will be selected to participate in this program. Business owners will be chosen on a first-come first-serve basis providing they meet the eligibility

criteria.

 

Go to menu

 

 

Participant Criteria: Do you meet the criteria?

This program is for women business owners from the Atlantic Canada region. The businesses deemed as “best suited” for this initiative will have the following characteristics:

  • The business has been operating for at least five years;

  • The business should be at least 51% owned by a woman or women. Preference will be given to businesses majority-owned by a woman or women.

  • At least one of the women business owners must be actively involved in operating the business and hold authority to make major business decisions.

  • Must be a registered business in one of the Atlantic provinces.

  • Must be in good standing with CRA and ACOA/ECBC. If it is determined a participant is not in good standing, they will be immediately removed from program with no reimbursement;

  • The business should have a well-developed business plan in place. Prior to final acceptance into the program, applicants will be required to submit a copy of their plan;

  • The business must have a financial reporting system in

  • place. Prior to final acceptance into the program, applicants will be required to submit a copy of their current financial statements.

  • The business must have a functioning website.

  • The business should have employees – preferably more than one, sub-contractors will be considered as employees;

  • The business is a profitable operation and have the capital to invest in growth;

  • The woman business owner must have identified opportunities for growth, or have specific growth objectives

  • Participants must commit to 100% attendance

  • Participants must commit to completion of a growth development objectives.

Go to menu

 

About the Facilitators:

Judith Richardson, MA, BA, BEd, MEC, is the CEO and Principal Consultant of PONO Consultants International Inc., specializing in optimizing organizational cultures and leadership that ignites potential and innovation. Recipient of International Corporate Coach of the Year and Canadian Progress Club Women of Excellence (Entrepreneur and Innovator), a gifted speaker, teacher, organizational strategist, and executive coach, Judith Richardson combines exuberant, optimism and play with seriously-honed skills, limitless thinking, a piercing intelligence and an uncanny ability to weave in concrete concepts - grounding vision when we aren't even aware of it. Judith works with the greater and profound potential of a person, company, project or organization. Known as a visionary, chief strategist and relentless integration specialist, Judith has delivered many workshops for the Centre including "Business Success Systems" and "Networking Diva". She has had the pleasure to work with several NS ADVANCE participants through various aspects of their business growth.

www.ponoconsultants.com

 

Toni Newman, Professional Catalyst is a 5 time award winning business owner with an uncanny ability to help her clients turn information into innovation and ideas into results.  

In today’s incredible challenging marketplace, where competitive advantage is determined by our ability to effectively differentiate ourselves from the competition, highly respected leaders from sectors as diverse as Finance, Retail, Telecommunications, Health Care, Insurance and many others count on Toni’s 25 plus years of real world business knowledge and uniquely creative insight to provoke the kind of thinking that results in innovative strategies specifically designed to propel their organizations forward.  

Take one uniquely conversational presentation style.  Mix in one part dynamic story teller with an equal part trusted advisor.  Blend with some thought provoking “Here’s what occurred to me as I was thinking about your situation on my way here today”.  Top it all off with a highly effective methodology that participants can immediately put into practice.  And you have the reason why clients consistently seek out Toni Newman as their speaker of choice on innovation as a competitive advantage.

www.toninewman.com 

 

Debi Peverill is a unique individual. She is a Chartered Accountant with a sense of humour. She enjoys helping business owners and managers avoid making financial mistakes, and protecting them from the government and banks. To this end she has written a series of easy-to-read financial books and spends time sharing her wisdom and insights by speaking to groups of business owners and managers. An entrepreneur with authority issues, Debi founded her own public accounting firm, Peverill & Associates, in 1988 after spending ten long years with national accounting firms.

Peverill & Associates provides tax preparation and tax planning for individuals, unincorporated businesses and corporations. Debi’s firm specializes in owner-managed businesses and assists them in complying with Canadian tax requirements as well as providing accounting, auditing and financial consulting services.

Debi is an accomplished facilitator, providing varied types of training to numerous groups and organizations through SBR Communications Inc. a business she founded in 1998. She is the sole instructor for the Certificate of Financial Management offered each year at Saint Mary’s University, Executive and Professional Development program. She also teaches the financial decision-making module of the Diploma in Management program as well as the Executive Masters of Business Administration program at the same institution.  Debi provides seminars for individuals who are starting their own businesses, through a number of different delivery agents.

www.sbrcommunications.com

 

 Brenda Fair, CHRP, has been a principal of Fairwinds Training & Development Inc. since 1995 and has been highly evaluated as a trainer, consultant and facilitator.  Brenda easily moves clients through the process, getting to the strategic issues and developing goals that are attainable and realistic, contributing to the success of their businesses. 

Brenda has a BA in Developmental Psychology from Acadia University, is a Certified Human Resource Professional as well as being certified as a trainer by the Canadian Training and Development Group.  Brenda is a member of the Human Resources Association of NS (HRANS) and chair of the 2009 Atlantic HOUR conference. 

Her skill areas include training needs assessments, team building, leadership, recruiting and hiring assessments and performance management.  Fairwinds clients include Irving Oil, Petro Canada, Sport Nova Scotia, Innovacorp and many more.  Over the past few years, Brenda facilitated a variety of learning formats for the Centre from networking events to half-day workshops on topics ranging from leadership and human resources.

www.fairwindstraining.com

 

Susan Sweeney, CA, CSP, HoF is an Internet Marketing Specialist, Professional Speaker and best-selling author. Susan is an internationally recognized Internet marketing and e-business expert and a partner in an award winning web development and Internet marketing business.

Susan also has earned both her Chartered Accountant and Certified General Accountant designations. She also holds her CSP which is the highest earned designation presented by the National Speakers Association. and is one of the few members to hold this designation. Susan has been inducted into the Canadian Speakers Hall of Fame and is author of 8 Internet marketing books.

Susan has delivered numerous workshops for the CWB including two “Internet Marketing Bootcamps”, a hands-on website critique workshop for women business owners in Northeastern Nova Scotia, a series of webinars and mostly recently a half-day workshop at the CWB November conference. Susan is one of the most requested Internet marketing presenters.

www.susansweeney.com

Go to menu

 

Past Participants' Feedback:

"Perhaps the best thing was the rapport that developed between the other participants. We learned so much from each other. "

- Gina Pecore, Myx Meeting Centres Inc.

 

 "Thoroughly enjoyed the program. Very appreciative to have had the opportunity to work with such a dynamic group of women business owners."

- Karey Fleming, Health Works Inc.

 

"This program gave me the information and tools I need to confidently go forward in my business. In these challenging times, it is wonderful to have my network of seasoned and savvy women entrepreneurs – I would not have that without the Centre for Women in Business." 

- Faith Drinnan, the Oyster Group

 

"In 2008 I was thrilled to be part of the first group attending the Advance Program. Once again, this opportunity was offered at the right time for my expanding business. Your ESP never ceases to amaze me --- you always seem to know what my business and me needs!"

- Nancy Bembridge, Steadfast Bookkeeping Service

 

“It was very beneficial to work with the different facilitators one day per week.  It forced me to leave my business and work on it instead of in it.  I liked the sounding board with the facilitators and participants and their expertise in many different areas.”

- Donna Gaskin, Juice Eh!

 

Go to menu

 

 

Need more information or want to apply?

 

Email the ADVANCE program manager

 

 

Go to menu

 

Program supporters: