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Kristie Thomas, Owner, Manager
Cranberries Spa
Kristie owns and manages Cranberries Spa, a cozy boutique style spa located in the heart of downtown Vancouver. She's dedicated to providing outstanding customer service and a great workplace for her staff.
Cranberries services include: facials, massage, body scrubs, waxing, Brazilian (male and female) waxing, pedicures, manicures, gel nails, gel polish and body bronzing.
Very seldom is a copywriter given license to incorporate terminology like "back, crack & sac" in her work, but Kristie used it in her presentation, so this word nerd sees an opportunity here and chooses to run with it.
(Can I get a "tee-hee"?) Hey, whatever our euphemism of choice for waxing body hair, especially in rather intimate regions, there's no denying its advantages.
With summer fast approaching (so we hope, anyway) many of us are tempted to "go bare down there" and may consider achieving that through the application of depilatory cream. But the harsh chemicals in these products can burn sensitive skin, and, as with shaving, hair is only removed from the skin's surface, so that silky look and feel is short-lived. Waxing, on the other hand, removes hair by its roots, and results can last 3 - 5 weeks. With each subsequent treatment, regrowth is sparser, hair is finer, and pain is diminished.
So, does waxing (particularly of the Brazilian / Boyzilian variety) hurt? "Well, it doesn't tickle," Kristie says candidly. But with her many years' experience and the quality of hard wax she uses, clients feel a quick sting and then it's over. Kristie also advises taking ibuprofen and drinking apple juice (high in ascorbic acid) before your appointment to reduce sensitivity. In addition, trim hairs to about 1/4 inch and exfoliate the area to be treated.
And while it may be tempting to spike that apple juice with Stoli, don't do it. Alcohol thins the blood and will make the skin more sensitive, as will caffeine.
To learn more about waxing and other great Cranberries services, check out their website, and consider going bare ... if you dare!
Kristie Thomas
Cranberries Spa
330 Robson Street
Vancouver, B.C.
Phone: 604-696-9191
Fax: 604-696-9192
Email: info@cranberriesspa.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cranberriesspa
Call today to book your appointment!
Nobody likes an ego maniac. Especially the new brand of Gen X and Gen Y people coming up in the market place who are slow to trust and very quick to judge. But being a small business owner almost demands that you spend your time talking about yourself, and telling people how great you are.
Personal branding, namely the art of branding and packaging yourself has become a good way to control your online brand, and is vital to career and business development.
Here are a few ways that you can take control of your brand online and set yourself apart from the pack.
1. Craft a compelling pitch. You should know what sets you apart from the pack, and have essentially an elevator speach that lasts no longer then 60 seconds, that tells people who you are and what you do. What better way to perfect that little infomercial then at a BNI Group?
2. Take control of your name. A great way to do this is to have your name .com, .ca, and .net and point it at your website. When someone Googles you (and don't tell me no one will Google you because you Google everyone you meet right?) they will have an immediate search result of you.
3. Create an online platform. Statistics show that when someone Googles you they look at the 3rd and the 7th line. Stack your google search with online platforms that Google loves, such as Facebook, Fan page, Twitter, and Linked In and blog posts. All of these sites you can control what goes onto your profile and what your customers see.
3. Be genernous with your time. It may sound onerous, but volunteering a bit of your time, to peers, associates, and local charities, goes a long way to showing that you are a business person who not only takes but can give back to the community as well. Little acts of kindness go a long way.
4. Be Accessible. Whatever platform you choose to use, accessiblity is the name of the game. People need to know you are out there and they need to be able to connect. After all that is what social media is all about. Answer your emails, direct messages through twitter, and posts on your wall through facebook. If someone has taken the time to ask you the question, the very least you could do is acknowledge that question.
If you want to be the go to person in your industry you must earn people's trust by being genuine, listening and responding to people's inquiries.
P.S. - Money may be tight in the beginning and the start up process of your business, however, when you get to that point when finances permit, go to see a professional designer to create that brand for you. It will save you money in the end and a clean and polished look will go a long way to make you look like the expert you really are.
Craig Boyd
Director of Trainers, Precision Athletics Inc.
Craig delivered a comprehensive and enjoyable overview of Precision Athletics' various services (Personal Training, Group Fitness Classes, Nutrition Coaching, Corporate Fitness, Fitness Facility Management) and the many ways people can benefit from them. He also discussed a recent Globe & Mail article in which writer Alex Hutchinson addresses the question "Will I get a better workout with a personal trainer?"
The short answer is "yes", and although Craig finds the article generally "on the money", he feels its overall conclusion that personal trainers merely encourage people to push themselves harder and/or lift heavier weights sells Precision's services a bit short.
Craig suggests three key areas in which personal trainers can help their clients achieve optimal results:
1) Accountability - a good trainer will hold you accountable in your session to meet the performance standard you've set in previous workouts as well as motivate you to work out on your own and adopt healthy nutritional choices.
2) Knowledge - A good personal trainer will be able to offer you a more challenging selection of exercises than you might come up with on your own. He'll specifically choose modifications and loading patterns that are in line with your particular goals.
3) Motivation - A good coach can and will motivate you to do your best during the session. Additionally, she'll help you stay motivated by regularly assessing your fitness, setting goals based on those measurements and then re-assessing. To see an example of Precision's testing, check out the Client Experience Blog.
Still unsure if Precision's offerings are right for you? Contact Craig to arrange a free half-hour session with a highly qualified personal trainer or try out a week of group fitness classes, also free! You've got nothing to lose, except maybe a little body fat ... if that's your goal. :-)
Cell: 604.723.4317
Email: craig@precisionathletics.ca
Websites: www.precisionathletics.ca
precision-bootcampvancouver.com
Blog: craigboydfitness.com
I will continue to go on about facebook fan pages. I refuse to think that something easy, effective and free should not be used by every small business owner to promote their business, blog, and website.
Setting up a facebook fan page is very easy and almost fun - if you have a glass of wine to go along with it. Simply log in to your facebook profile page, scroll to the bottom and hit the advertising link. From there face book has its own fan page set up and a useful downloadable PDF about fan pages and how to make them. Facebook is made for the multi - generation, so they have to make it easy or no one would use facebook!
Once your fan page is set up getting your Vanity URL is easy peasy.
1. Get 25 fans. This is probably the hardest part. You have to find 25 people to "like" you or "fan" you. When in doubt turn to your friends, or your Mother, possibly your next door neighbour. Anyone will do.
2. Select your keywords. Your vanity URL should be keyword rich so Google can find it and like it. If you are a accunpuncturist in Vancouver it would be a good idea to use Vancouver Accupuncturist in your URL. Go to www.facebook.com/username. From there you can find out if the names you want are available. You might want to have a few names in mind in case the first one you want is not available.
3. Hit Okay. Once you get your keywords that you want straightenend away just hit okay and facebook will do the rest. Just remember this process is like getting a tattoo. You can't change it once it is done.
Once you have your vanity URL it is easy to advertise to business associates, friends, and the neighbour who probably needs accupncture and doesn't even know it. The most important thing is to post an update or blog post regularly, once a week even, so that you are viewed as the expert in your field, because people want to see an expert accupuncturist.
Yes, this is so easy my mother could do it!
Rachel von Sturmer
Insurance Advisor, True Benefits Financial
True Benefits is an independent life and health insurance brokerage. As its founder and principal, Rachel works hard to find her clients the best coverage and pricing from over 25 top Canadian insurers. Committed to sustainability, True Benefits goes paperless where possible, buys recycled office products such as stationery and cards, offsets their carbon footprint, and has a company SMART car.
Services include: Customized insurance recommendations may include Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Employee Benefit Plans (5 - 150 employees), Health Trusts for Self-Employed Persons, Individual Health and Dental Plans, or Mortgage Insurance.
This week Rachel brought to our attention a product she doesn't sell, but does feel strongly about: creditor insurance. Offered by mortgage lenders or through telemarketing, creditor insurance generates billions of dollars' premiums annually for banks, but is typically sold by unlicensed individuals who may not understand contract details or the consequences of completing applications inaccurately. These applications are notoriously confusing, and the "fine print" tends to be rife with significant exclusions to coverage. Subsequently, claims are often declined for any number of so-called discrepancies. Learn more about this disturbing trend by watching CBC's expose In Denial at http://www.truebenefits.ca/ and contact Rachel to discuss insurance that will truly protect you.
Phone: 604.872.2866
Fax: 1.866.385.2002
Email: rachel@truebenefits.ca
Website: truebenefits.ca
Blog: truebenefits.typepad.com
Since Facebook has become all the rage in 2007, it has over 400 million users. The demographic of those users has also changed since 2007. Facebook has no longer become just one of those places where teenagers can post pics of their friends, it has become a place of friending and fanning of all ages. I wish I could explain the enormity of the fact that even my own Mother has a facebook page - but that is a whole other blog!
Facebook and search engine optimization for facebook has become an integral part and a huge factor for the success of any small business. The best way to take advantage of this unique web profile is a facebook fan page, an interesting and unique way for people to maintain a relationship and for you as the business owner to build a community of supporters and interested party alike.
Here are some very valid reasons why a small business should have a fan page.
1. Fan pages are public - unlike a personal profile which you can't peruse unless you are their friend, a fan page allows a person to access information without asking you first. If someone Googles you, your website as well as your fan page will show up.
2. Send updates to your fans - If someone becomes your fan, it shows on their newsfeed to all of their friends. If you think that most people have up to 100 friends who spend an average of 10-90 minutes a day on facebook, that is big advertising.
3. You can control the content - look and act like the expert and you will be seen as one among your piers and fans.
4. An easy step towards SEO (Search Engine Optimization) - once you have more then 25 fans you can get a vanity URL. Only then you can foster cross polinization between facebook fan page, website, twitter feed and blogs.
5. It's free and it's relatively easy
Remember a face book fan page should have but one goal. That goal should be to attract people to the constant stream of information, but always pull people towards your website, while making you look like the expert in your field.
Here are some of BNI Connections Members that already have a fan page set up.
Craig Boyd - Precision Athletics
Kristie Thomas - Cranberris Spa
Naz Degan - Divine Intervention
Sandy Huang - Pinpoint Tactics Business Consulting
Christine Turner - The Frugal Travelers
Claire LeLacheur - Prompton Real Estate
Shannon Larson - Accupuncture
Check them out and be sure to "like" them!
Andrea Milne, CGA
Strategex Group Chartered Accountants
Andrea brings to Strategex Group and her clients over 6 years’experience in Vancouver’s largest mid-sized accounting firm. Strategex specializes in Canadian and US income tax and has locally earned a prestigious reputation for working with US citizens living in Canada and Canadians employed in the US.
“Many small and even mid-size firms claim to know about US tax but they really don’t,” Andrea says, adding that it costs clients more when their accountants have to farm out work to larger firms. “We actually specialize in US tax, we don’t just dabble in it. To go up against the IRS you really need to know your stuff.”
Strategex boasts an extensive range of clientele, from small, owner- managed businesses to multi-million dollar enterprises, including the film industry. They provide exceptional one-on-one service and creative solutions specific to each client’s individual needs. Health care providers, legal professionals, realtors and mortgage brokers are among the many clients who reap the benefits of Andrea’s expertise and that of her colleagues.
“The way we see it, a good accountant should not cost you money, but should save you money.” Andrea explains. “There are many, many tax planning opportunities that we can implement to save you taxes now and in the future. Not only do we look for opportunities to save you tax: we actually look for ways to decrease our fees!”
Interested in keeping more of your hard-earned money? Contact Andrea today to find out how.
Direct: 604.688.2355
Email: amilne@strategexgroup.ca
Website: www.strategexgroup.ca
Address:
210-1075 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada, V6E 3C9
Every week at BNI Connections, members get 60 seconds to highlight their business. The whole point of this is to educate the other members on what in particular they are looking for to enhance their business or practice in that week. Educate is the key word.
There are two ways members go about this. Most choose to be as general as possible so as not to miss any referrals. This is called the "shotgun" method, and the other, the "sniper" method. Here are two examples, the first being the shotgun and the second being the sniper:
1. A Realtor stands up and says, "a good referral for me is anyone who wants to buy a house."
2. The same Realtor stands up and states, "a good referral for me is any women who have just found out they are pregnant!"
Which one do you think will educate members and stick with them during the week? The Sniper method of course.
Here are a few good tips when doing your 60 seconds every week to become the Sniper:
1. Be specific - The more specific you are the better it is for those of us who are listentning and the easier it will be for us to bring you a referral.
2. Ask for the introduction - if you know you would like to be introduced to someone who owns a flower shop this week, tell us.
3. Tell a story - stories stick like peanut butter. There is nothing better then a good story about the life insurance agent who got you the best policy possible and saved you money. It shows trust and caring.
The point is by being a “Shotgun” you really don’t make anyone think. By being a “Sniper” you will at least get members thinking about what you want.
Who knows, you might just get what you ask for.
BE SPECIFIC, BE TERRIFIC
