Readers will remember this big-hearted photog from earlier in the year when she released a coffee table book ‘Children of the Okanagan’ at Summerhill Winery; with the help of many generous families she raised $20,000 to benefit the Neo Natal ward at KGH.

Well, she and her camera are at it again with ‘Smiles for Haiti’, a special project to raise funds for the Red Cross. Liz is offering a photo session by donation and is including a free 8×10; the session is worth $210 but folks can donate whatever they want and all proceeds go to the Red Cross.

 Whether you’re looking for a family photo, need your business portraits updated or just want to let Liz weave some lens magic, this is a fantastic way to get involved in the relief effort and come away with a little something, too.

Visit her website www.okanaganphotographer.com for more info

As posted in Snap Okanagan

Radiator Flush- What’s in it for me?
Over time rust, scale and other harmful residues can build up throughout your engine’s cooling system.
Traditional methods of simply draining the radiator will not remove all of your old coolant or clean your system.
If used fluid and residue is left in your radiator, it will contaminate the new coolant and eventually can cause clogging and overheating that will decrease the life of your radiator, heater core, thermostat, water pump, and consequently, major engine components.
Overheating due to contaminated coolant is the 2nd biggest cause of vehicle breakdown according to the highway transportation board of North America.

What is happening under the hood?

• We add a flush additive to the old coolant, to loosen contaminants and clean the system
• Our advanced exchange techniques remove virtually 100% of old fatigued coolant in just 15 minutes.
• Removal of rust and corrosion in the system

• Breakdown and removal in hard water scale, phosphate sludge, and silica gel in the heater core

• When we add the new coolant, we also include a conditioning additive, to protect your cooling system from future wear

• We utilize a clean, safe and environmentally friendly chemical recycling process
When should the service be done?
It is recommended that this service be done every 2 to 4 years, or every 50,000-100,000 km to improve the overall efficiency of your cooling system.
With our Global Long Life Coolant, the recommended service intervals are every 4 years, or 100 000 km.

What are the benefits?
There are many valuable benefits your vehicle will receive from this service:

Clean anti-freeze will not only extend the life of all parts involved in the cooling system, but prevent heat damage to other critical parts of the engine as well.

With new coolant, your engine will run cooler, and more efficiently.

Our Global long life antifreeze will protect your engine for four years without replacement.

At Mobil 1 Lube Express we specialize in critical fluids for your car; Oil Changes, Engine, Transmission, Radiator, Power Steering, fuel system and so much more.

For an appointmant call:

Mobil 1 Lube Express
2305 Enterprise Way
Kelowna, BC V1X 7E1
Ph: 250-861-LUBE (5823)
http://mobil1lubeexpress.blogspot.com/

Would you like fries with your Order?

In this economy it’s important to add additional sales to your order without coming across as pushy. Every day sales teams are leaving out sales that customers would have willingly purchased with you.
In most organizations the salesman is so happy to make the initial sale that they actually forget or refuse to offer accessories items that will compliment the original purchase.

I learned a long time ago never assume that the person I was selling to was in the same monetary position as me. Sometimes we assume that because we are tight for money others are too, or we read about a recession and expect that everyone has tightened their purse strings. Not so!!

Every Product sold has an accessory item that will enhance the purchase. When buying a suit I am always offered or shown the appropriate shirt, ties, belts and socks that match the original sale. In the shoe business it’s the purse that matches the shoes or the polish that will help with the upkeep. In selling websites the up sell is the hosting package or the yearly SEO package that comes with the site or the newsletter attachment to market the products on the site.

When was the last time you bought just a hamburger? ” Would you like fries with your order? “, has become the staple of the fast-food industry.

Why up selling is so profitable?
The best part of up selling is that it’s practically effortless. Since it’s done after the customer has decided to go ahead with a major purchase, the hard part of the sales conversation has already been done. You’ve already established rapport, identified the customer’s needs, summarized, presented benefits, asked for the order and handled objections. Up selling is just presenting the information in a “by-the-way” fashion.

One of the most effective up selling techniques is getting the customer to use the product in your location. A hairdresser for example, might put hair gel in the customer’s hand and show them how to apply it themselves. By showing the client how to get the salon look at home, they create a value-added up sell.

At the retail level, it’s a good idea to group related and similar products then offer the add on at a package price. If someone is getting a haircut and you talk to them about shampoo and conditioners, it only makes sense to show them a package deal that groups hair products at a package price.

What to Offer?

Think about your business. What else can you offer customers or clients while they’re making their first transaction with you?

Can you offer:
• A discount on a related product or service?
• A volume discount if they buy more now?
• A special priced combination package including the initial product or service?
• Extended warranties or support packages
• Additional cables, batteries, cleaning products, etc……..
Your offer should include preferential special pricing. Most customers will accept the up selling offer when it’s a good value and the customer feels they are saving money.

The profit from the up selling portion often exceeds the profit on the initial product or service, because there are no additional expenses involved. The customer is already in the store and you have a captured audience.

Offer an incentive program to your sales team for up selling a specific line of accessories.

The Challenge

This week choose an accessory item in your business and offer it to every customer for the next month. You will add additional sales to your bottom line and increase your profit. Not everyone will buy, but if you don’t ask you’ll never make the sale.

If every day you service 10 clients and 3 buy a $25.00 dollar up sell accessory item, you will have an additional $75 dollars in the till. Now multiply $75 x 30 days in the month and you have now increased your totals sales for the month by $2250.00

Would you like fries with that order?

If you’re not making up selling offers to every new customer or client, start doing it now. It’s an easy way to boost your profits and Build Your Business.

Donald Robichaud
President
FloodLight Consulting – Build Your Business – 250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

As most people are aware, the harmonized sales tax was introduced for British Columbia on July 23, 2009. Many people are wondering how the new tax, which will be effective on July 1, 2010, will impact the real estate industry including the purchase of new and used residential homes.

Once in place, the HST will apply where the GST currently applies. In addition to being payable on the purchase price of a new or substantially renovated home, HST will be payable on expenses such as real estate commissions, appraisal fees, and other services required in the course of a home purchase. As a result, all homebuyers, new and used, will likely pay more to purchase their house after July 1, 2010 then they would have if they had done so prior to July 1, 2010.

While the purchase of a used home will be exempt from HST, purchasers of new or substantially renovated homes after July 1, 2010 will be required to pay HST.

There will, however, be rebates in place so that purchasers of new homes under $400,000 will not be required to pay significantly more than they would prior to July 1, 2010. For purchases between $400,000 and $450,000, there will be a partial rebate to reduce the impact of the HST on the purchaser. Once the purchase price of a new home passes $450,000, the maximum rebate of 5% of the purchase price up to $20,000 will apply.

Are you wondering what will happen where a contract of purchase and sale is entered into prior to July 1, 2010 with the sale closing after July 1, 2010? Watch for a future Legal Alert article with respect to the transitional provisions once they become available.

If you have any questions about how the HST may impact your future home purchase, or any other real estate questions, please contact Una Gabie at gabie@pushormitchell.com or (250)869-1230.

Una’s practice includes residential and commercial real estate including purchases, sales and refinancing.

Well, there are a lot of exciting things going on with Elizabeth Soergel Photography – one of which is a new project called “SMILES FOR HAITI”.

As you all know the need in Haiti is still extremely high and will be for a long time to come. I was wondering what I could do and this idea came to me… My new studio will be opening on Feb 15th in the new INvue building on Springfield so why not do all sessions by donation for the first while. It’s a win win! I get to shoot in the studio (which is a lot of fun for me) and we can help a great cause.

Everyone who participates will receive a studio session as well as an 8×10 print of your choice and I am asking people to donate whatever they can. Every dollar counts. If anyone would like additional prints, they can be purchased with 10% off all sales going towards this great cause.

All funds will be donated through the Canadian Red Cross.

The value of the session and the 8×10 is $210 however I only ask people to donate whatever they can – $20, $50, $100, $200 – it’s completely up to you!!!

Call now to book your session – space is limited! 250.317.4395

Elizabeth Soergel Photography – Kelowna wedding & portrait photography serving Kelowna, Vernon, Lake Country, Winfield, Summerland, Peachland, Kamloops, Pentincton, Osoyoos, Oliver and more!

It’s hard to believe almost 1/3 of the winter is over in Kelowna, because we didn’t get much snow this year. Now I have no excuse for starting my New Years to do list. 

Important Funding Announcement for Kelowna Small Businesses:
FloodLight Consulting is an eligible trainer for the Workplace Training for Innovation Program and offers courses priced from $400 to $1500 per employee depending upon the program and material costs.

Workplace Training for Innovation Pilot Program

The Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development has established a new program initiative, Workplace Training for Innovation Program, through the Strategic Training and Transition Fund. The program is designed to provide eligible employers with funding for employee training in order to:

• Improve productivity
• Support the introduction of new technology, machinery/equipment or work processes
• Enhance international competitiveness
• Introduce innovative training and workplace strategies to increase the long term competitiveness of the organization and its workforce.

Both businesses and not-for-profit employers may be eligible to receive funding. Eligible employers must be:

• Small organizations (less than 50 employees)
• In good standing with the BC Corporate Registry
• In existence for one year or more

How will this benefit my small business?

This limited time program can provide your business or organization with full $$ funding for employee training in order to improve productivity; introduce new technologies or work processes, enhance your competitiveness and/or increase the long term competitiveness of your organization and its workforce.

To pay for training, you can receive:

• up to $1500 per employee to a maximum of $5000 per company
• Funding for Sales Training, Marketing, Branding and Business Development Training Programs in Kelowna

In addition, organizations must certify that they would not undertake the training without financial assistance from the Province. Complete eligibility criteria are contained in the application form and program guidelines. Organizations may apply for funding by submitting a completed application for funding form to Chemistry Consulting Group Inc. at the address listed on the form. Faxed and emailed applications will not be accepted. An application is not a guarantee of funding. Applications will be processed on a first-come/first-serve basis, subject to availability of funding. Applications will be accepted until January 31, 2011, subject to availability of funding.

Related Documents

• The Application for Funding Form [PDF]
• Program Guidelines booklet [PDF]
• Program Infosheet [PDF]

FloodLight Consulting has eligible training programs for this funding and offers course ranging from $400 to $1500 per employee depending upon the program and material costs.

If you need to discuss your funding Training Requirements give us a call for a free one hour consultation.

Donald Robichaud
President
FloodLight – Build Your Business – Kelowna
250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

Well 2009 is almost over. Did you reach your goals?

Each year, people make New Year’s Resolutions, only to find that they didn’t achieve their goals, and then they make the same resolutions again the following year.

Regardless of the goal, one of the major reasons that people fail to achieve their goals is that they do not have a goal-setting process, or a formula for success.

So what makes a good goal? Goal setting provides a target to aim for so that you can make better decisions about how to utilize your time and effort for both business and personal achievement.

A good goal is one that is worthy of individual pursuit and is of course, highly subjective. So, far be it for anyone to define for you what your worthy pursuit ought to be! All goals, no matter what they are, start with a plan!

So what is your Goal-Plan? A good Goal-Plan is one that when followed, offers a reasonably high probability of success, given sufficient time.

Here are a few tips to get you started for 2010
• Identify areas of strength and weakness
• Create a vision statement for the year (What is your Purpose?)
• Determine which areas to focus on in order to receive the biggest payoff
• Set goals to achieve business and personal results
• All goals must be written (and reviewed weekly, monthly and quarterly)
• All goals must be believable
• All goals must be challenging (moving you forward in your life)
• All goals must be measurable and specific
• All goals must have a deadline
• You must hold yourself accountable for all your goals

Find other people to support and encourage you. It’s easier to make progress towards your goals if you have some support from a friend, coach, mentor, or a family member. Share your goals with them and the kind of support you desire so that they can help and encourage you to reach your goals.

This is a great way to begin the New Year!

With solid goals and a primary purpose you will be in a great position to “Build Your Business”.

Donald Robichaud
President
FloodLight Consulting – Build Your Business – 250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

This past year Canadians had to deal with an economy that was in a recessionary mode and we had to also watch many young Canadian soldiers passing away in Afghanistan.

In the Okanagan we had to deal with the summer fires and the downturn in the construction and tourism industry. Many families had to find a way to cope with layoffs and personal tragedies.

In the center of all this turmoil is the business owner who has to weather every day’s business upswings and downturns.

In our lives we get so caught up with the daily news and the negative side of life, that sometimes it’s hard to find the daily gems.

The little things that kept me focused this past year were the things that are most dear to me my family.

My father was declared cancer free after a battle with prostate cancer, my mother had successful hip surgery and is now moving around like a young school girl, my wife is in good health, and my sister just underwent successful surgery. (A family in the US would have been financially crippled.)

This past year I walked my youngest daughter down the aisle in San Diego with the waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing below the Sunset cliffs. I was able to travel throughout the US visiting many spots that I had only previously read about. The visit to the Grand Canyon was the highlight of our tour of the US. My oldest daughter finished her education with her masters and landed a great job with National Resources Canada.

This past year I volunteered my time with the Chamber of Commerce and the Okanagan Mustangs and Fords club which allowed me to meet so many great people of the Okanagan. I hiked and biked many mornings around West Kelowna and I enjoyed many summer afternoons at various beach locations with family and friends.

It was a great year for many personal experiences and when it is all said and done I am thankful for the warm hand shake of a new acquaintance, the hug of an old friend and the love of my family.

It has not been an easy year, but when I reflect back it is those moments of time spent with the people that I care about that mean the most. I have been blessed with a healthy family, truly great friends and I look forward to 2010 with great enthusiasm.

This is an important time of year for reflection and gratitude and a great time to count our blessings.

I wish you all the best this holiday season and I trust you will reflect on those things that will allow you to build your business and personal growth.

Donald Robichaud is the President of the FloodLight Consulting team and can be reached at http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/ or at 250-768-9415

This is a great article from Paul Beauchemin of Ecentric Media. Ecentric Media located in Kelowna BC, is a leading and trusted Integrated communications supplier to other best- in-class businesses across Western Canada by offering clients a wide variety of strategic services and solutions, all delivered with respect and integrity.

Video Marketing – The next big thing on the Internet.

YouTube has the third highest site traffic ranking globally according to Alexa, surpassed only by… you guessed it, Google and Facebook.

Video marketing is quickly becoming the tool of choice for the next generation of Internet Marketing. It is poised to replace or seriously reduce almost all written text on the web. So the questions is, how do you take advantage of this powerful advertising medium and apply it to your business?

Below are 5 simple ways you can utilize video marketing to improve your sales, lead generation and conversions, while at the same time branding yourself as an expert in your particular niche. Video marketing is one of the most fun marketing methods available online.

1. Create a youtube account.
YouTube is the #1 video site in the world, and just in case you didn’t know… is owned by Google. This is the place to be for those two reasons. Hundreds of Millions of videos are watched daily on YouTube around the globe. With hundreds of thousands of videos being added daily. Once your video is uploaded, it is then automatically in the cue to be indexed by Google.

2. Create your videos.
These videos can range in complexity and production value, and can be almost anything from a content perspective. Ideally, the videos give the viewer insight into your product or company, without being blatantly self promotional. Videos that offer information, a solution to a problem, reviews on a product and even just something funny are typically the most effective.

3. Search Optimize your new videos.
Since YouTube is owned by Google, YouTube uses the same basic algorithm to display user search results. This means all the same rules apply from a search engine optimization (SEO) perspective. It is very important to consider what keywords you are trying to optimize each video for?

4. Upload these new videos to your blogs.
Knowing that more video gets watched then text on your website gets read is very important. Be sure to post all your videos to as many of your Internet marketing sources as possible. Blogs allow for complete control of the author to post what they want, when they want.

5. Social Media channels… Tweet those videos!
The power of twitter and other social networking sites cannot be argued or ignored. Once you have a strategy in place to take advantage of the variety of social networking tools, be sure to Tweet that new content or video. Do be aware, that not every social networking site is for everyone. Strategy and branding should determine where to focus your time and efforts.

Video is a very powerful tool when used correctly and consistently. Video will drive traffic faster than nearly every other source of SEO advertising, but that does not mean you should drop everything you are currently doing. Implement video marketing into your online marketing portfolio and you will see your sales and your leading generation improve almost instantly.

Donald Robichaud is the President of the FloodLight Consulting team and can be reached at http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/ or at 250-768-9415