The following is a list of the speakers for the next 9 meetings. Each speaker has 5 minutes to speak about their business to the group.  If you cannot attend on your scheduled day, please contact Sarah or Boris regarding switching.

August 20 – Cheryl Scoffield and Margareta LaFoley

September 3 – Daniel Durst and Bruce Manore

September 17 – Boris Mahovac and Dimitr Popov

October 1 – jackie Connoly and Manuela Coelho

October 15th – Christine Whitlock and Kristeen Edwards

October 29th – Fabia Zampieron and Mike Rocha

November 12th – Ute Lintner and Michelle Paris

November 26th – Diane Deinstadt and Margaret Good

December 10th – Anna Kett

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, September 17, 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.

Members, please be advised that your $5 attendance fee is payable at the door.

NEW for VISITORS only: attendance fee is $10 at the door, until you become regular members. To become a member of this group, please fill out the application form.

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.

Boris Mahovac R.G.D.

Sign up for my next Contacts2Clients Business Seminar

Let's connect:

The answer to the age-old question of whether to go long or short on your mortgage is unclear yet again.

The popular variable-rate product tied to prime that helped people buy a lot more house with more debt is going up. The prime rate at the major banks, which tracks the Bank of Canada’s rate, is now at 2.75%.

At 2.05%, a variable-rate product today may look as attractive as ever, but the five-year fixed-rate closed mortgage is falling fast. It can now be had for under 4%.

Bank of Montreal senior economist Sal Guatieri does agree that variable-rate products have worked out better than fixed-rate mortgages throughout history, but says the tide may be turning.

Bank of Montreal is forecasting another 25 basis point move in September and says rates will climb another 1.5 percentage points by the end of 2011. If Mr. Guatieri and others are right, by 2012, the variable-rate products out today would clock in at just above 3.75%, if the discounting remains the same.

“If you are still in that variable-rate product then, you’d have to sweat out the next three years because there would still be possibly more increases,” says Mr. Guatieri, who adds his bank sees the overnight rate eventually going to 4% in the following three years. Based on the present gap between the Bank of Canada and prime, that would place the variable-rate product you get today at 6% by around 2015.

Fears of such a scenario are driving people into fixed-rate products again. That, plus new mortgage rules that make it easier to qualify for a mortgage if you go for a fixed-rate product with a term of five years or longer.

For updated rates and more information on the right mortgage for you please visit www.designermortgages.ca/rates.htm or call 1-866-824-8057

Source: Garry Marr, Financial Post • Tuesday, Jul. 27, 2010

As a small business owner trying to grow your business, you often struggle with how best to allocate your time, energy and effort. One aspect that is frequently neglected is completing a thorough and regular assessment of your current practices and activities to ensure they are still effective. From a marketing and sales perspective, you need look at what you are currently doing or planning to do and determine if they are consistent with the needs of the business, the competitive landscape and your overall marketing strategy.

 At Sydcam Marketing Communications, our goal is to help businesses just like yours properly evaluate your marketing and sales efforts, and do so in a cost-effective manner that won’t break your budget. For as little as $199 (plus HST), we can offer you the following:

•  A complete review of all your existing marketing material, including business cards, website and any promotional material (offline and online) you currently use.
• A written report that outlines our key findings and recommendations for improvement.
• A comprehensive rewrite of one (1) of your key marketing pieces (i.e. one webpage, promotional brochure/postcard, tagline, mission statement, email marketing article, blog, etc.), up to a maximum of 1,000 words and one round of revisions, or a creative review of any of your marketing pieces (i.e. logo, website, print or tradeshow material, etc.) from a branding strategy perspective.
• Save 25%* by booking any additional marketing or copywriting work you require at the time of your review (*off our normal hourly rates for each respective service – contact Sydcam for more details).

 Oakville Networking members – Act now and save!

 Attention all Oakville Networking members and guests, book your package today and save!

•  Book by September 15, 2010 and save 15% on the above package (now only $169 + HST).
• Book by September 30, 2010 and save 10% (only $179 + HST).

 To book your package or to find out more, contact Ian Turner at 416-452-6960, or by email at ian@sydcamcommunications.com.

To learn more about Sydcam, please visit us at our website at www.sydcamcommunications.com.

If you are a Sales Professional, Entrepreneur, Business Owner or a Business Coach interested in learning how to grow sales by building relationships and making connections. This sales follow up training with Cheryl Scoffield, Follow Up Specialist will set you up for generating leads and increasing sales opportunities in your business by teaching you to network with the specific intent of following up. 

Getting started is easy with  Set The Stage For Follow Up -  September 13, 2010 in Oakville, Ontario

2.5 hours of hands on, skill based business training teaches you how to engage people in conversation, rather than just sell. A straight forward strategy that builds the know you, like you, trust you factor and maximizes your subject matter expertise.

Hear what others have to say about Set The Stage For Follow Up;

Cheryl Scoffield, Follow Up Specialist, has developed a 10 Step Follow Up System that manages and maximizes your follow up activities. As in the follow up needed after you meet new prospects for your business; return from networking or the follow up needed to turn that stack of business cards on your desk into paying clients. If you need to know what to do next, Cheryl is the person you need to meet.

Kristeen Sopeju Edwards, Gifting Specialist, Business Owner, The Wreath Queen, Oakville, Ontario

Enterprise Toronto has chosen this training for their fall sessions in Toronto, Ontario.

Then progress to Automate Your Follow Up Process – Advanced Training on November 8th, 2010.

Hear what others have to say about Automate Your Follow Up Process;

Cheryl showed me how to get more from ACT by setting me up with Swiftpage. (Automate Your Follow Up Process) Cheryl gave me a guided tour through the basics demonstating how they work together. As a sales representative, following up and increasing sales opportunities is a top priority, but time consuming. The expertise that Cheryl showcased and the tips she shared, will help me automate the process and maximize the time I spend staying top of mind with prospects and clients.

Fabia Zampieron, Account Executive
Boothworks Inc., Toronto, Ontario

Follow Up Training is specifically designed to give you enough ideas, tips and techniques to empower you to Follow Up to the 5th -12th contact where 80% of sales are WON!

I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE IT. 

Book your session or  have this training come to your office by contacting Cheryl Scoffield, Follow Up Specialist today! 866-642-5145

Oakville Handywoman at your service!

We should all understand the importance of having the right tools for the job that we do.  Whether you are an accountant, medical practitioner, yoga instructor or decorator, you need a set of tools that allow you to do what you do, efficiently and effectively.  Without these tools, you would be spinning your proverbial wheels to get the job done.

Here at Lakeshore Home Maintenance, we believe that our clients should benefit from our growth by hiring a company that has the specialty tool to do the job in the most effective way possible. 

The lovely tool that I am holding above is our latest addition.  Drills a hole in your house faster than you can say “Jack Robinson” and breaks up concrete like nobody’s business.  Believe me, it’s a heck of a lot easier than the old sledgehammer and chisel route, and, well, it just feels better in your hands, if you get my drift.

Many clients in the Oakville area are looking to have a specific home repair job done and they want it done for a fair price.  By having the right tool, we can often save our clients money by getting the job done more efficiently.  This level of service shows our valued clients that we constantly strive to give them the quality of work that they demand, and with the latest technology we can offer this at a reasonable price. 

With fall just around the corner, and things needing to be tackled before the cold weather, have a look around your house, or let your friends and clients know about us.  We are quickly becoming the go-to company in the Oakville, Burlington and Mississauga areas that can tackle their home repair and renovation projects.  Our service, quality and expertise is exceptional, and we want to help you take care of your “to-do” list…inside and out.

Oh, and if you want me to pose live for your next function, drop me a line. 

Lakeshore Home Maintenance – Taking care of your “to-do” list…inside and out.  289-242-8439