Archive for October, 2008

I have created a Video introducing Verico Designer Mortgages Inc. Take a look – and comment, please.

Profile

My name is Liz Boydell and I am the owner of Halton Organizing and Bookkeeping Services. With over twenty years experience in bookkeeping I can provide you with up-to-date financial records that will enable you to make informed business decisions at a reasonable cost.

Halton Organizing and Bookkeeping can assist you by reducing your workload. My firm provides bookkeeping services to small and medium sized organizations like yours. We can input your expenses and sales data into an appropriate accounting software; produce monthly bank reconciliations; and a trial balance. This information will allow you to know how your business is doing financially. It will also give you a complete package of information to take to your accountant at year end so your taxes can be prepared quickly and with a minimum of effort on your part.

I would like to meet with you to discuss my credentials so you can assess for yourself my experience and how using my company’s services can enhance your business.

Website: www.HaltonOrganizingandBookkeeping.com

2381 Arnold Cres.
Burlington, ON
L7P 4J2
905-634-5348

Profile

enSpire Coaching Inc. is known for positively transforming the lives of entrepreneurial leaders and businesses in Canada. We have been nationally and regionally recognized for offering innovative solutions for entrepreneurs through one-on-one coaching, group facilitations, workshops, referrals and business consulting services that inspirationally support entrepreneurs to living and doing business at their highest potential.

Grace Yvonne Attard, Founder and Owner of enSpire Coaching Inc. RBC Woman Entrepreneur of the Year nominee 2008 and Oakville Business Excellence Awards nominee 2007, started enSpire Coaching after having spent 15 years of her career in senior management positions in branding, strategic planning, marketing, fund development and event management. Coupled with an MBA, she completed her coaching training with the Coaches Training Institute in 2005 and brings both inspiration and reality to her clients. One client says that she is “ideas and inspiration rooted in reality.” Together with her team of talented coaches and staff in Canada and the US, enSpire Coaching Inc. provides coaching related services, products and programs nationwide.

At enSpire, we start off every relationship with our clients through a Discovery Session, where we take an inventory of where the entrepreneur’s life and business is in that moment. We then design a coaching program that completely suits the needs of the entrepreneur, using an approach that take both the professional development and tools (business planning, visioning, goal setting, branding, marketing, etc.) and the personal development strategies (changing habits, overcoming fears etc.) into consideration.

Our clients count on enSpire Coaching Inc. for encouraging them to step into their leadership. They count on us for setting the standard of excellence in the entrepreneurial world by bringing new learnings, new stories, new systems, new experiential activities and new coaching techniques continuously to our clients.

enSpire Coaching Inc. changes lives by holding each individual to their truest and highest potential, with the understanding that mediocrity can be transformed into magnificence in the life of every entrepreneur. Take a test drive with us via a 20 minute telephone sample session and be ready to examine your own transformation!

Website: www.enSpireCoaching.com

416 909 7251

A number of members have expressed their view on the subject of exclusive vs. open membership categories. The majority still prefers to keep their business categories exclusive – meaning that we can only accept one business per category, e.g. one mortgage broker, one insurance agent, etc.

However, one of our guests at the last meeting suggested a compromise solution, which would, I my humble opinion, satisfy both those ‘for’ and ‘against’ exclusive membership.

Here it is: why not leave it to each member to decide if his or her business category should be open or closed!?

Since some members feel that their ‘competition’ can bring more to them and the group, they would like to be able to invite people in the same, or closely related, business category to join our group.

What do you think? Please comment bellow.

If you have any other comments on our new membership ‘rules and regulations’ please feel free to address them here as well.

We’re trying to create a unique group and your input really counts!

Thanks.

Profile

Sona Khanna heads Splendor & Spice and Sona Khanna & Co Event Designs involved in planning & implementation of corporate & social events and lessons in “Eat Well” healthy Mediterranean, Indian and Thai cuisine. She provides consulting with broad range of services for Corporate, Community, and Social events.

Having discovered her passion for the culinary arts, Sona Khanna left her executive position in banking in Toronto to delve deep into the food that is an honest reflection of the flavours she loves and appreciates. She is not only an amazing cook but also meticulous event planner with an extraordinary flair.

Sona is currently involved with the City of Oakville, and City of Mississauga, teaching home and business entertaining courses through their recreational programs. She also conducts private individual and group cooking sessions through her Splendour and Spice series and highly acclaimed and successful cooking series class ”What is for Dinner?” for Loblaw’s Superstores cooking school.

Sona has all the tricks up her sleeve for cutting back on fat without cutting back on flavour. She brings rich flavours of a faraway land and combines them in exquisitely crafted recipes with the products that are available locally.

She is extensively involved in the South Asian community and has keen interest in the cultural and social well being of the community she lives in. Currently she serves as a councillor on the Diversity Councils for the TV Ontario and the Municipality of Halton Region.

Website: www.SplendorandSpice.com

(905) 827-7181
(905) 827-2152 (Fax)
(416) 802-8404 (Cell)

Profile

Charmaine Idzerda is the owner and broker of record of Verico Designer Mortgages Inc. Charmaine is an Accredited Mortgage Professional and been in the banking industry for more than 25 years. Prior to specializing in mortgages, she was a Relationship Manager for the private division of a large commercial bank.

Charmaine is an active member of the community, since 2003 she holds the position of Vice-President of the St Vincent de Paul Society in North Burlington. St Vincent de Paul Society helps those less fortunate in the community.

VERICO Designer Mortgages specializes in residential and commercial mortgages.

Charmaine’s focus has always been client service, “I believe in treating others as I would like to be treated” says Charmaine. “This has allowed me to create long term relationships with my clients and strong referrals of their friends and family.”

Charmaine joined the VERICO network three years ago. Charmaine and her team have laid the foundation for an incredibly successful business. All agents of VERICO Designer Mortgages go through a specified training program in order for them to represent VERICO Designer Mortgages in a professional manner.

Each Verico office is independently owned and operated.

Website: www.DesignerMortgages.ca

VERICO Designer Mortgages Inc.
#5 – 1253 Silvan Forest Drive, Burlington Ontario L7M0B7
Phone: (905) 336 5997
Fax: 1.866.824.8057
Toll free: 1.866.824.8057

Profile

Oakville Carpet Cleaning Company, Oliva Service, is your one-stop solution for residential and commercial carpet, rug and upholstery cleaning.

We serve Oakville and the surrounding areas of Burlington, Milton and Mississauga for the past 11 years. Our carpet cleaning process is fast drying, environmentally friendly, but still strong enough to remove the toughest stains.

We use all natural cleaning and deodorizing products. Our cleaning process is deep steam cleaning, that leaves healthier, softer carpets, with no soap residue and takes usually only 2 – 4 hours to dry!

We do also hand washing of Oriental Rugs and wool / silk Persian carpets. We will gladly pick-up and drop-off all area rugs at no extra charge in Oakville, Milton and Burlington areas.

Before starting any project, we present a written quote at no cost to you. Whether cleaning an entire house or a single piece of upholstery, we always do it right the first time!

As owner/operator, I personally guarantee your complete satisfaction.

Olin Vanek

Web site: www.BestCleaner.ca

Yes, I am afraid so. Daily I am receiving emails about products that are been discontinued and tightening of credit guidelines. Mortgages that I could get approved 6 months ago are now been declined. Fixed interest rates are increasing; the discount from prime on the variable has disappeared. Today, four banks have informed me that their variable rate is now prime plus 1% . CIBC broker division has totally discontinued their variable rate products.

The reason for this is that the banks own costs of funding is increasing, the banks are beginning to pass this cost on to their clients through higher lending rates in an effort to preserve profitability. This trend, in addition to a broader slowdown in the pace of lending due to higher risks has all contributed to higher interest rates.

FYI – The Big Five’s Canadian bank’s retail businesses, earned $2.73-billion in the last quarter.
“There’s no doubt the credit crunch has already squeezed profits, says Chris Hodgson, head of Canadian banking at Bank of Nova Scotia. The delicate balance, he explains, is how to pass on some of the banks’ pain via higher rates on mortgages and loans without squeezing the consumer too much and slowing things down further.”

The credit crunch means that banks are paying significantly more to obtain money to lend to customers.
The premium that banks now pay because of the liquidity crunch is now more than 100 basis points (1%) on five-year variable-rate mortgages, compared with about 5 basis (0.05%) points a year ago, Mr. Hodgson said. So far, “we’ve held the line, we haven’t really passed that on to consumers.”

Many of you have variable rate mortgages, you maybe wondering if this is the time to lock in. The information I am getting from economist is that we could see prime rate decreasing by 1% in the coming year, this could be the reason why lenders are now offering prime plus 1% on variable rate mortgages. Your bank would probably love you to lock into a fixed rate, do you think this is a good idea, when you are currently receiving prime (4.75%) less ……….?

The Bank of Canada’s next scheduled date for announcing the overnight rate target is 21 October 2008.

We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.”
– Neil A. Maxwell

Wishing you all the best this Thanksgiving!

I would like your comments on this business card I think would be a good idea to have for our networking group.

My reasons to have this:

• It’s easy to promote our group
• Our group looks more professional by having its own business card
• If we’re promoting this group as being different, then having a card would definitely contribute to the idea.
• Each members can buy 100 cards for $2, or some other amount we can agree on.
• Card would be printed full-colour on both sides, with AQ coating (a semi-gloss, writable surface)

This is the front of the card:

This is the back:

This is the NEW back:

Please comment, by filling out the comment form below.