Welcome to our newsletter...in it we have information, articles, events to help you propel your business forward. I am really excited about adopting this new format for my newsletter and hope that you like what it's all about.


September is a powerful month:


September...for some it signifies the end of summer...but don't fret my friends...because this is a very powerful time of year. It's a time of new beginnings, kids go back to school, we get a bit more dedicated to work and new projects and initiatives.

Plus, the cooler air is welcome for a good night's sleep.

In spiritual terms the fact that September is here means a few more things from my vantage point. Being of the Jewish religion, I want to share a concept about this time of year. This is the time before the Jewish New Year, it is a time when God had a thought. The thought was about creation.

God created the world according to biblical text when the Jewish New Year is celebrated. Rosh Hashana is the holiday and it means "The head of the year" or the start of the year.

But prior to the new year, there was the idea, the seed or thought of what God created in 7 days.

Then during the time of this holiday it's about actually manifesting the thought.

I share this with you, not because I think my religious views are better, but I share out of wanting to educate and enlighten. All religions have the path towards something higher, a better way of being.

So let's go back to what this time of year signifies according to Jewish text, it signifies taking an idea or thought to actual creation.

It's a time to celebrate that very thing. Isn't it a miracle when an idea you have actually happens?

Isn't there joy in seeing your business take shape, customers coming in the door, the phones ringing?

You bet!

So this month, celebrate, create and honour your ideas, thoughts and actions.

That's what the point of this newsletter/blog is about.

It's Jewish custom to begin to reflect on the year that was and to begin to clean up any messes you've made with those in your life, it's a time to ask for forgiveness and to right wrongs. It's a time of prayer. Praying for health, peace for all and life!

It's a time to connect with family and friends and wish them well. It's a joyous time, but a reflective time too.

So what is that you want to create?

What do you need to clean up in order for you to lessen the load?

Who do you have to forgive so you can begin anew?

These are some compelling questions to ask yourself.

Motivational expert, speaker, writer Raymond Aaron suggests that there is "power" in cleaning up messes...

He says, "Messes are the lock on the gate towards true abundance". You can't get to the future if the past is still messy. You have to clean up personal and professional messes. Oh and don't think that it's not important to clean up physical messes as well...Having an uncluttered life allows for clear thinking and allows you to move forward without the past taking you back into it's vortex.

So as you clean up messes, call someone you've wronged or hurt, work on establishing a new beginning with close friends and family or let go of relationships that hurt you in a proactive and compelling manner that allows for you both to be okay with it ending so that you can both agree to disagree and move forward.

If you've got a messy office or car or house, clean it up. A bit at a time so you don't become too overwhelmed.

The bottom line is to really create a compelling future you want to complete the past first!


The next big thing to work on this time of year is to visualize what you want to create for the year ahead. Maybe it's time to do a vision board again, or maybe it's time to re-write your business plan or maybe it's time to write your goals out on paper and see the "idea" begin to take shape.

Linda Boertjens, creator and founder of Orange Peel Systems suggests that, "Visualization is an important success element in your goal achievement efforts. A very powerful way to apply visualization is by creating a so called "Vision Board", also known as a "Dream Board". It is one of the most powerful ways to put the Law of Attraction to work for you. A Vision Board is a collage of pictures of the goals and dreams you want to attract in your life. Important is to really use the exact image of what you want to attract, as whatever you show on your Board will become part of your reality"!

Don't forget to get help along the way too. No one ever got somewhere important alone. It's always advisable to have a mentor, coach, buddy, or a team to support you in your quest.

The fear is we are weak if we ask for help. We are not worthy of help either...this kind of thinking is bogus.

The truth is that all good leaders depend on the involvement and actions of others in order to make things happen.

Dr. John Grohol founder of the website, "Psych Central" writes; "Actually, successful individuals will tell you that the key to success is knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Learning how to delegate, asking for help and letting others show you the way are part of the plan. Successful people are driven and motivated — and when the going gets tough, the tough ask for help"!

Where to begin?

So, begin to sit down with yourself and visualize and write down what you want to create this year.

The last part of your mission this month is to begin to take action...like God did in 7 days, you might do in the year ahead or longer. Unless you work fast or can pull of some miracles of course...

But when taking action it means you need to incorporate good action habits. Here are a few to incorporate this month...



1) Write down your key actions each day on a daily "to-do" list and you'll find out soon that the things you wanted to create in your life end up happening...so your "to-do" list becomes your "ta-da" list...(How cool is that huh)?

2) Focus on the most important things first. If you are wondering where to focus...I say act as if your life depended upon it. What goals and actions must you do as if your life depended on it? If you can answer those each day, then that's where you put most of your time and energy.

3) Check in weekly with a buddy, coach, mentor to let them know how you're doing, to set weekly goals and to set up some accountability

4) Play! Goals, actions take place easily when there is an essence of play to it. Don't you remember playing as a kid? Time flew when we played. Play adds a sense of fun to it, play is enjoyable, play is socially engaging too...so add a dimension of play to your big goals and the key things you want to create.

5) Have a time table. See the end in your minds eye. Keep visualizing the success you're going to have when you've accomplished your goal or actions in a set time frame. I mean if you're going to be up to creating something cool for your life or business you want to do it preferably in this lifetime. So make sure you have an "end date" like a jug of milk has...or your dreams might sour a little too if it's past the best before date!

6) Celebrate along the way. I can imagine that when God created the world we live in, he probably patted himself/herself on the back. "Wow animals...look at that, how cool"! So be sure to pat yourself on the back for the gains along the way.

As you move forward in September, get clear as to what you want to create? Is it a better world? One with peace, abundance for all, health, a clean environment too...be sure to envision the people you want in your world too...I mean you gotta hang with cool people too in your vision.

Once you're clear on the vision, write it down, journal, do up a vision board, a business plan or a goal list.

Then get into action, get into making it happen.

So have a Happy New Year or as we say "Shana Tova" may it be a good, sweet year.

Here is a video on the 8 ways to be great, it's with Richard St. John, author of 8 ways to be great and a highly successful business owner. Enjoy!

Also please take our business development survey, we need to hear from you!


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Cheers/David

Time to celebrate success

Welcome to our newsletter...in it we have information, articles, events to help you propel your business forward. I am really excited about adopting this new format for my newsletter and hope that you like what it's all about.

Celebrating success...it's challenging these days given that we are seeing some tough economic times. But alas, there is still success out there. In fact if you get a copy of Profit Magazine you will learn about 100 and another 100 fast growing companies in Canada.

In this most recent edition of Canada's Profit Magazine (Magazine for Entrepreneurs) shares the success stories of Canada's Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies.

Even in times like these, businesses are still growing and succeeding. But how, you ask?

Well for starters Canada's fastest growing companies are finding access to raising capital is critical to success. If you've gone to a bank or a venture capital fund, this is no easy task. Getting money is like pulling teeth these days. So really working the "streets" to access capital is critical to business growth.

In order to access capital you need to be creative. You've got to work on your pitch and don't be afraid to ask and go to where perhaps you wouldn't think to ask. Friends, family, your best suppliers, your legal team and your accountant might all be good places to start.

Another critical success factor is in your ability to decrease costs and reduce spending. I remember reading about a company in the U.S. during the recession in 1990-92...and the owner would even count paper clips to ensure cost savings...

Not that you have to be that extreme, but it's a good thing to look at what do you need vs. what you really, really need.

Selling skills come into play too in terms of those that made the Fastest Growing list. Selling in today's marketplace, means it's less about what you sell and more about how you sell it and who you sell it too. Make sure you're clear on the value proposition of your product or service and who can really benefit from it. Who is your ideal client? How do you help them get what they want? It's a much different way to sell than calling some company or client out of the blue and letting them know you've got a great "deal" for them.

It just doesn't cut it any more. You've got think about selling strategically and then pitch, pitch, pitch!

Another key factor in business success is in the ability to tap into foreign markets. Canadian companies are still tapping into the U.S. market, but most notably their is growth in working in Africa, Brazil and Russia.




Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa...one of the emerging trading partners among Canada's Fastest Growing Companies.

Winning companies are also very clear about creating a "winning-team" culture as well. When polled many CEO's were concerned about protecting their employees from job loss during this recession. Often working long hours to make things happen in the business so that the staff stayed employed. Nothing contributes to low morale than a round of company layoffs.

These are all good business strategies to live by and it put into play, but what about the mindset of succeeding in this economy? Well...many owners of those listed on the Top 100 list see the opportunity in a recession rather that the liabilities. That is a terrific mindset to have! Is the glass half full or half empty? For example one business owner is spending more on marketing dollars...why? Well, rates for advertising have lowered considerably during this downturn and two, his competition isn't advertising as much if at all...thus creating a huge opportunity for his product to gain recognition and market share.



Important stuff for sure...

Here are some other facts and figures discussed in this issue of Profit Magazine...

Opportunity: Always be looking for the next big thing!

Starting up: Get a customer first. So many companies start without a solid idea of what customers really want, Find the customer and the customer will help you perfect your product. If you don't have a customer, you're not a real business.

Managing: Communicate, communicate and communicate. You can't go wrong by over communicating, but you can make a lot of mistakes by under communicating.

Strategy: Don't hire for the job you need done today; hire for the future. Hire for what you want your organization to be and it will become the organization you want.

Culture: Build a strong culture. It will give you a base through the bumpy times. When you don't land that big deal, people won't leave; they will stay and work even harder.

Delegating: Your entrepreneurial instincts tell you that you can do it all on your own, but the best things that have ever been accomplished were done by strong teams.

Giving back: I believe in Karma. Entrepreneurs are always chasing after the dollar, but the reality is if you give, you will gain back.

Motivating: To motivate your employees, listen to all of their ideas. When you use them, they feel part of the success and they work even harder.

Leadership: Be humble. Every time we think we're smarter than anyone else, it blows up on us.

Execution: Hire a good manager, because generally, entrepreneurs aren't good managers.

(These are some of the rules of wisdom from Canada's Fastest Growing Companies found on page 83 of the current edition of Profit Magazine).


Here are some other facts and figures that might give you some more insight into trends, ideas and the thinking of Canada's best business minds:

41 is the average age 80 of the top 100 were born in Canada

17 have a graduates degree

57 is the average number of hours that goes into a CEO's work week.

39 were solo founders 47 were founding partnerships and 9 companies were owned by women.

13 companies are in technology, 9 in marketing, 4 in HR, 3 in retail, 3 in consulting, 2 in transportation, 7 in other, 18 in manufacturing (who said manufacturing is dead in Canada)?... 16 fast growing companies are in software development, 10 in construction, 5 in consumer services, 6 in wholesale/distribution and 1 in investment.

Most growth capital is through the owners own assets, banks are next, followed by SR and ED, (financing) Leasing, credit cards, the BDC, friends and relatives, government grants or tax credits, private investors, IRAP's, Credit unions, venture and angel investors...

Ontario had 48 fastest growing companies Quebec had 20, Alberta 12 and BC 11...followed by the east coast and the prairie provinces.

So there you have it, check out the issue online at http://list.canadianbusiness.com/rankings/profit100/2010/Default.aspx?sp2=1&d1=a&sc1=0 or buy a copy, it's well worth it. There is hope for success...if you follow some of these secrets it will be yours for the taking!

Cheers/David