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Although our group has a strong online presence (business blog, Linkedin group, Twitter) we meet regularly at the e-Spot™ to make friends, learn together and exchange referrals.

Our next meeting is on Friday, May 14, 2010 at 8:45 am

Our free business networking group invites you to join us and share referrals. Our business blog offers you an opportunity to promote your own web site.

Please be advised that from now on you must pay your $5 attendance fee at the door. To make things easier for you and e-Spot staff, please consider paying $10 or $20 in advance. Your credit can then be used to cover your substitute’s fee, or will be carried over to your next meeting. Receipts will be issued by the e-Spot quarterly.

Hi fellow Oakville Networking members

In a survey conducted about 10 months ago, results show that the top three problems facing entrepreneurs in Halton  were:

1. isolation,

2. lack of meeting space and

3. difficulty getting good referrals to get the best help for themselves and their businesses.

I personally know this to be true as a home-based entrepreneurial coach for the last 5 years.

Sitting in my home office certainly has its perks but boy, there were some unbearable days where I had to pack my files and laptop and GET OUT as I could not stand the loneliness of being at home anymore.  I also know that I frequented too many Starbucks stores to name (hence my slight, ok, major addiction to soy chai lattes) because I had no place to meet my clients.  On top of it all, I have had my share of feeling lost and making poor choices when it came to outsourcing for help because I didn’t know where to go for a good referral.

Any of these feel familiar?

Well, that’s why I created the e-Spotâ„¢…. a much-needed community for entrepreneurs.  I just knew that if I was surrounded by energetic, creative, entrepreneurial minds, had a flexible, fun yet professional space to work and have meetings in and could get the help I needed, all in one spot, I would grow as a person and by extension, so would my business.

As many of you have heard me talk about over the last few months, the e-Spotâ„¢ is a membership-based community for entrepreneurs for the Halton and Mississauga area, located at 353 Iroquois Shore Road in Oakville (just off Trafalgar, north of the QEW) on the 2nd floor.  We are in the midst of designing this unique space that is unlike anything in the vicinity complete with gorgeous interior brick, an exposed, loft-style ceiling, an energy bar, and the most dynamic staff you’ll meet – this 3000 square feet space calls out “creative, cool and competent” and will WOW you and your clients.

Opening in December 2009, we are already gaining lots of interest from a HUGE entrepreneurial community.  I am writing you today to invite you to come and find out all about this new community.

We are hosting a short information afternoon on Friday, November 13th from 1 – 2pm.  I’d love to meet you and give you an overview of the opportunity so you can see for yourself whether this would be a good match for you and your business.

The meeting will be held at the location of one of our neighbours, The Little Gym (for whom we are very grateful for offering us space while our space in under construction!). It is located at 355 Iroquois Shore Road, Unit 2B, in Oakville.  Please RSVP to our e-Spot™ Manager, Elaine Geroche at elaine@e-spot.ca or by calling 289-291-5304 by Wednesday, November 11th to secure a spot at this information event.

And please feel free to forward this to anyone you know who you think might be interested in coming.  In the meantime, you can check out our blogsite at www.e-spot.ca

We look forward to seeing you all there.

Warmly,
Grace Yvonne Attard, Creator of the e-Spotâ„¢

In one of our recent meetings, as a Marketing Minute, I had highlighted to you a book called “The 29% Solution” by Ivan R. Misner.  This book focuses on giving you 52 weekly networking success strategies, one for each week of the year.

Since we are in Week 6 of 2009, I thought you might find it useful for a summary of the first 6 weekly tips for successful networking strategies.

Tip 1)  Set Networking goals – make sure they are SMART – i.e. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Specific. Answering questions such as “How many networking functions will you attend each month?” or “Whom do you want to meet through networking this year?” may be starting points for you.

Tip 2) Block Out Time To Network – just as you set budgets aside for advertising or public relations or client follow-up, do the same for networking.  You are part of at least one networking group – know that it is one of your business development strategies and set time aside for this consciously.

Tip 3) Profile Your Preferred Client – Imagine what your business would be like if your contacts list was filled with only the people you most liked to work with?  Getting clear on who that is EXACTLY will help you attract them to your business.

Tip 4) Recruit Your Word of Mouth Marketing Team – Based on your preferred client exercise (Tip 3), get really clear on who else serves a similar market.  i.e. as an entrepreneurial business coach, my word of mouth marketing team consists of people who also serve small businesses such as lawyers, accountants, bookkeepers, photographers, web designers, graphic designers etc.  Who’s on your team?

Tip 5) Give to Others First – BY FAR, this is about creating good karma!  This is truly the power and potential of networking at its best.  Each time, think about how you can serve/give rather than what you can get.  What goes around comes around…

Tip 6) Create a Network Relationship Database – this is more than just keeping contact information.  It’s about recording every referral, how it was developed, did it lead to further business etc….the entire record.  Cheryl Scoffield specializes in this – call her for help here if you need it.

Great book – good reminders, good tips and good insight.  Click here to buy a copy through Amazon or visit my website for a more detailed book review at www.enspirecoaching.com/enspiration/enspiration.html.

Happy Networking!

Grace, Founder, enSpire Coaching Inc.

Hi everyone

I am so so grateful for the overwhelming generosity of this group.  Wow – talk about a group with a GIVERS philosophy.  Thank you to all of you who have agreed to make a donation for the silent auction of the Oakville Children’s Choir Gala, which is on Thursday Feb 12th.

Please remember to bring your donation, gift certificate, promotional material etc. to the meeting this Friday.  Unfortunately, I will not be there as I am in Toronto attending a two day workshop called “The Bigger Game” – www.thebiggergame.com.  Boris has kindly offered to help me collect donations and I will pick it up from him over the weekend.  If by any chance, you are not able to make the meeting on Friday also, just drop me a quick line at 416 909 7251 and I’ll find a way to pick it up from you.

Thank you all again so much.  On behalf of the choir and personally, this means a lot.

With appreciation, Grace

p.s. if you feel like coming to a fun dance, there are still tickets for the event – see here.  I’ll be on the dance floor….

As a proud parent of two choristers and a Board member of the Oakville Children’s Choir, I would like to invite you all to consider including the Oakville Children’s Choir concerts as part of your holiday events this year!

The Oakville Children’s Choir is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year and has created a phenomenal line-up of concerts this season! If your family enjoys music, come to one of our holiday concerts. From a business perspective, take your best clients to a concert as part of your client appreciation gift to them this holiday season. Personally, I have invited 4 clients to the first concert, which is on December 6th, and we are making an evening out of it together!

Here is the link to ticket information, dates and all other details. If you haven’t experienced the choir before, I really recommend coming to a concert. Our Oakville world-renowned children’s choir has performed all over the world – actually, the choir just returned from a competition in Argentina this summer. You will be surprisingly delighted, I’m sure.

If you know an amazing and inspiring business or entrepreneur in Oakville, show them how much you appreciate them by nominating them for the Oakville Award for Business Excellence.  I was very honoured to have been nominated 2 years ago and it was a great opportunity to network with other local business leaders.  Think about who you know, places you frequent, companies that make a difference and make a difference for them by nominating them!  Here are the details….

The Rotary Club of Oakville West in partnership with the Oakville Chamber of Commerce proudly presents the 14th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence. Know of a business deserving to be honoured? Now is your chance to nominate that company for one of six prestigious awards:

- Oakville’s Entrepreneur of the Year
- Oakville’s Restauranteur of the Year
- Oakville’s Small Company of the Year
- Oakville’s Large Company of the Year
- Oakville’s Professional Service Provider of the Year
- Oakville’s Environmental Leadership Company of the Year

To nominate a business, please click HERE before Sunday, November 30th, 2008.
The 14th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence will be held at the Oakville Conference & Banquet Centre on Thursday, April 2nd, at 6:00 PM. Watch for upcoming notices for further details!

What Every Small Business Owner MUST Do in the Next 30 Days to Get Through This Economic Dip

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” - Benjamin Franklin

Let’s face it, what we don’t know REALLY can hurt us so if you consider your business to be your legacy and you’d like to ensure its continued success, this workshop will serve you well.

RBC Woman Entrepreneur of the year nominee Grace Yvonne Attard, MBA, and founder of enSpire Coaching Inc. has designed a succinct 2 hour workshop aimed to give your business the “checkup” it needs to breeze through this economic haze. What you can expect from this 2 hour Workshop:

1)  Learn The Five Strategic Actions you must take in the next 30 days to prepare for and succeed in your business during these uncertain times,

2)  Get clear on the 4 pillars of your business strategy that you must excel in,

3)  Is your sales strategy working? How is your operational flow slowing down your business? Discover your company’s weakest link and create fortifying solutions to those areas,

4)  Leave the workshop with a clear, customized strategic action plan for immediate implementation,

5)  Feel focused, purposeful and confident as you lead your business through this critical time.

Don’t just “hope” your business will survive this turbulence; hope is not a plan.  Attend this workshop NOW and potentially save THOUSANDS of dollars for your business in the months to come. With proven business evaluation tools, ample time for individual planning using take-away worksheets, and an entrepreneurial coach working alongside you, this workshop will put your mind at ease and propel your business forward!

Date:      Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

Time:      8:30 – 9 AM Breakfast and Networking, 9 – 11AM Workshop

Location: Cora’s Restaurant, 200 – 240 North Service Rd., Oakville

Cost:       $59* plus GST for all enSpire clients: $75 plus GST for non-clients

Includes a healthy, hot breakfast.

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