Editorial by Jeff Green

There are not many things that people dislike more than paying taxes. We like money, and we don't like to have that money taken away from us. And when we want to buy something, we don't relish the idea that the $100 price tag on that dress, that device, or that auto part, is not a true price. There is $13 in tax (8% PST and 5% GST) added to it.

We've all heard the refrain from the Ontario government telling us that for most products, including $100 dresses, devices and auto parts, nothing will change with the coming of the HST. They presently cost $113 and will continue to cost $113.

The biggest category of change with the HST will be in services. A lot of services have been taxed at 5%, GST only, but they will now be taxed at 13%.

The government says that the HST is not about increasing taxes, it is really about a seamless, fairer, tax system. But they gave us all a one-time bribe this month to cover some of our losses anyway.

Most people don't want to know about all of this, and most people have a nagging suspicion, borne out of past experience, that when any government says anything at all about taxes, it means taxes are going up.

So, who likes this HST?

Business does. Great, you say, we all pay more so some fat cat businesses can save time and money.

But there are more than one kind of businesses.

I'll use the Frontenac News as an example. The HST will change our pricing for ads. Every ad in the newspaper you are now reading is taxed at 5%. The pricing will be the same next week.

But in our July 8 paper, every ad will be taxed at 13%. The bulk of our advertisers, small businesses like ourselves, will indeed be paying 13% in tax on their ads, but every penny of that 13% will be deducted from the tax they submit to the government later on. In accounting terms, it's a simple in and out, or in this case, out and in.

The increase will however, be felt by our social ad customers and many of our classified ad customers.

There are two advantages the HST brings to business. From now on there is only one sales tax form to be filled out and one sales tax to keep track of. More importantly, the HST also means that from now on every bit of tax that we spend on business costs is fully deductible from the taxes we pay.

The HST is a rational, predictable, tax.

For example, if I destroy the laptop I am writing this article on today by spilling coffee on it, I will have to replace it tomorrow because without it we cannot put out next week's paper. And with no paper, there is no ad revenue. And with no ad revenue, we are out of business.

If I have to replace this computer tomorrow, I will pay about $500 for the machine, (which is tax deductible) plus $25 in GST and $40 in PST. The GST will come back to me in 3 months, but the PST is gone. I need to raise $40 in extra ad revenue to cover that $40 PST.

However, if I can manage to wait a week before spilling my coffee, the computer I need to buy on July 2 will no longer end up costing me that $40.

Now, you might say, that's great for you; you've increased your profit by $40, but I'm paying sales tax on items I never paid it on before. Business wins, consumers lose.

There are two responses to this. Firstly, the computer I buy is essential to my business. It should, therefore not be taxed. I am not an end consumer when I buy that computer, I am a business owner buying a tool for my business. Secondly, if the HST is a boon to one business, it is also a boon to that businesses competitor. If one business decides to pocket the extra profit, another one will lower its prices to improve its own market share. The idea is that taxes alone don’t determine pricing; the competitive environment is a counterbalance that provides downward pressure on pricing.

But in the case of fuel, for example, the situation is not so clear-cut.

Gasoline and diesel for vehicles are not subject to PST, so the HST will apparently mean an increase of 8% in the price at the pumps. The problem is that there is already a substantial provincial tax on fuel, about 15% (based on the pie chart that you find on all the gas pumps at the stations) so the province is now adding a new tax on top. They are taxing the tax.

This, it seems to me, is an unfair extension of the HST.

Fuel prices rise and fall based on logic we don't understand, so we cannot count on the marketplace to correct for this one.

So, in the end, to me the HST is a good idea, and its coming was inevitable. All modern economies are moving towards value added taxes, which among other things make products for export more competitive on the world market.

But as is always the case, it is in the details of implementation that the mathematicians who run the finance department are ensuring that the government ends up with more, not less, revenue.

And we all know who pays for that. 

This week, members of the Independent School Bus Operators Association (ISBOA) took their fight with the Province of Ontario over plans for open tendering of school bus contracts by 2013 to Queen’s Park, and to Education Minister Leona Dombrowsky’s riding office in Belleville.

The ISBOA was formed in 2008 in response to government plans to change from the current bus contracting system whereby school board transportation services negotiate directly with suppliers, many of whom have maintained the same bus routes for two or more generations.

“The way it works now is the school boards dictate the price, and we accept it. It couldn’t be more simple than that,” said ISBOA Secretary Mary Stinson of Stinson Bus Lines.

According to ISBOA president Sean Payne of Martin Bus Lines, the impact of tendering for school bus services throughout Canada and the United States has been lower prices at first, followed by increases over the medium to long term as smaller companies are forced out of business and the major players are then able to name their price.

In a speech he delivered at Queen’s Park on Tuesday, June 1, Payne cited what has happened in Sudbury, which went to a tendering process in 1998.

“Twelve years ago, Sudbury School District began tendering school bus routes. At the time they had contracts with 23 independent school bus operators. In the first round of tendering, rates decreased significantly. But by the time of the second round, in 2001, when only 10 companies were left, rates went up 3%. And in 2009, when only three companies met the grade, rates went up 13%,” Payne said.

While there are three major multi-national corporations that dominate school bus delivery in North America, rural school bus services still contract services to small, local companies with one to ten busses. Of the 140 members of the Independent School Bus Operators Association, half of them drive for the Tri-Board Transportation Service, which serves the Limestone, Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic, and Hastings District school boards in Eastern Ontario.

These drivers are concerned that once the tendering process is established they will be forced to either bid too low to make a viable living driving bus, or lose their contracts to larger players.

“Once we lose a contract, we are out of business” said Mary Stinson. “We are not in a position to just move our equipment to another city where we can bid on a new contract.”

The impact of tendering on rural businesses was the subject of remarks at Queen’s Park by Lesa McDougall of Cook Bus Lines in Mount Forest, Ontario (a small town north of Kitchener). McDougall and her husband purchased the 45-year-old business from her father-in-law when he retired, but after two rounds of tendering in Mount Forest they have gone from operating 19 bus lines to one, and from employing 25 people to employing two people.

This has all happened through a process that, in McDougall’s view, is arbitrary and slanted against independent operators.

“It is hard to understand why our own government is endorsing a process that makes small business investment in Ontario even riskier. Given the current economic climate in this province, one would assume that independent business is a focus for the Ontario government, and that ‘stability’ in small businesses is a priority. Yet, the reality for us is that in spite of our customers’ satisfaction– schools and families who are perfectly happy with our services, we could lose everything by an arbitrary process that does not acknowledge the experience and past performance of our business - all without any level of accountability, as trustees never passed any resolutions to authorize this process,” she said.

Amid the frustration that has been growing among ISBOA members, Mary Stinson said that the fact that the Minister of Education will not meet formally with them does not help. Leona Dombrowsky has met with the rival Ontario School Bus Operators Association, which is friendlier to the government’s tendering plans.

Dombrowsky told the Belleville media that it is important that the government get the “best value for our dollar” with the more than $800 million that is spent each year on student transportation.

Although she has not met with the ISBOA leadership directly, she did meet last week with one of their members, a constituent of hers from Trenton.

The Belleville Intelligencer quotes Dombrowsky as saying “I think what the independent operators are saying to the government is they don't want the system that's been in place up until now to change and what I have said is that our government is committed to being open and transparent and accountable.”

She also said that she wants to work with the independent school bus operators.

Mary Stinson said the ISBOA is ready to start that process, but “first we need the Minister to respond to the letters that we have sent to her. She has not done that yet.” 

Martha Dunn (at left) takes over the reins at Bravo from Christos Lianos

The old adage, “If it ain't broke don't fix it” is the approach Martha Dunn is taking since she took over the reins at Bravo Restaurant in Verona on September 1. First and foremost Martha recognizes the value of preserving a good thing and is taking lessons from Christos Lianos, who along with his two sons Angelo and Spiros transformed Bravo Restaurant in just six short years into a busy Verona eatery, known most fondly for its authentic Greek fare.

In her determined effort to make the turnover as seamless as possible, Dunn has been working14-hour days behind the scenes in the kitchen, learning the ropes and recipes - and for good reason. She says, “I've spoken to many locals who have said, 'You aren't going to change it are you?'”

She is thrilled that the Lianos have agreed to stay on for as long as it takes for her to replicate the dishes that the Bravo clientele have come to know and love.

For 15 years Dunn has worked in a number of restaurants, the last being the Greek restaurant Mino's in Kingston, where she met Christos prior to his leaving to open Bravo. While the front end of the business is her forte, for now she is now focusing her attention on Bravo's kitchen. She said, “I need to know everything so that I can take over at a moment’s notice and be able to do absolutely everything.”

The day I met her Spiros was in the kitchen showing Dunn the ropes. He said, “She will always have our support and we will be here for as long as that takes. We really want her to succeed.”

Like the Lianos, Dunn will run Bravo as a family business. Joining her in her new venture will be her 20-year-old son Ben, who is eager to learn the ropes of the restaurant business and who she says will “be her right man”. Her three other children also plan to work when time allows them. Mark Siemons, her life partner, will advise her on the business side of things, and will also be around to lend a helping hand when she needs it.

Initially, Martha had made an offer on a different Kingston restaurant but it was turned down. That same day she got a call from a friend who had heard that Christos was thinking of selling Bravo. Martha recalled, “I called him that day; we worked out a deal in a few days’ time and after all of the legal stuff was done, here I am.”

Christos had decided to sell Bravo since he was looking to retire and also because his son Angelo, who was running Bravo, wanted to be in Kingston where he has a young family. Both also wanted to focus on their latest restaurant venture, Greek Town, which is primarily a takeout business.

Bravo customers can rest assured that the restaurant will keep its same hours and same menu. The one and only thing that Dunn anticipates may change may be the desserts. “Christos is a trained pastry chef and has been making the Greek desserts for years. I'll try my best to replicate them but I'm not guaranteeing I'll be able to do it like him - but I'll definitely try! ”

She says that the community has welcomed her with open arms. “People have introduced themselves to me, welcomed me and sent me cards. It's been just great.”

Christos appeared at the end of our interview, freshly baked chocolate cake in hand and joined us after sliding it into the dessert fridge.

He feels strongly that his Bravo baby is in good hands. “I feel very good and am very happy that the business is going to someone at its peak and also to someone who really knows the restaurant business”. He smiled and added, “And I also happen to know that she is very good baker.”

Bravo Restaurant is located at 6557 Road 38 in Verona and is open 7 days a week from 8AM-9PM(to 8PM in the winter months).

Photo:Janet Ducharme, owner and operator of Johnston Lake Organic’s near Ompah

Likely the biggest challenge facing Janet Ducharme's new home-based business called Johnston Lake Organic’s is its location. Thankfully because word travels fast in these parts, that is slowly changing. Johnston Lake Organic’s is located at 1222 Struthadam Road, off River Road between Ompah and Ardoch. The shop is housed in Janet’s decade-old home on a one-acre lakefront property with an expansive view of Johnston Lake. It caters to consumers looking for organic body products, gluten-free and other organic food stuffs and much more. For shoppers who want to avoid a long trip to Perth or Kingston, Johnston Lake Organic’s is a friendly alternative.

The business opened in February 2009 but Janet has been making her own body products for over a decade from recipes that were handed down to her from both of her grandmothers. “At first I was just selling my products to friends and family members but soon realized that there was a steadily increasing demand for them.” Her line, also named Johnston Lake Organic’s, includes a wide array of hand and body lotions, massage oils, lip balms, bath salts, soaps and medicinal creams.

The majority of the first floor of her home makes up the retail space of the shop. Janet manufactures her products in the basement of her house and it is a time-consuming process since she renders down many of the ingredients herself.

Since opening last February her shop has already undergone three expansions, which have increased her overall store space and have also included new shelving. This has allowed her to increase her stock to include other natural organic products and medicinals that are not readily available in other local stores.

Some of her new products include J.R. Watkins all natural and organic vitamins and minerals, medicated ointments, oils, cough syrups and bug sprays. She also caries a variety of gluten free products from CELIMIX, Pane Riso and Schar, including gluten-free cookie, cake and muffin mixes; gluten-free breads and croutons and ice cream cones; rice pastas from Rizopia as well as products for diabetics like Stevia, the plant-based sugar substitute. She also stocks a wide variety of beans from Eden Foods and organic salad dressings and condiments by Simply Natural.

Her shelves also showcase the work and products of other local area makers and include herbal cleaning products and flea protection for pets, Brigid's Balms Debbie Kiss' spiritual Rune products and Shari Gunsinger’s candles, along with purses by local artisan Debbie Emery.

Janet happily refers to her shop as “Ompah's best-kept secret” but that will likely no longer be the case as shoppers are coming to realize that they can save a long trip to the city and find much of what they need at her new store.

Janet continues to develop her line of products and also plans to pursue further training at the Toronto School of Homeopathic Medicine, where she hopes to acquire a doctorate. “My hopes are that one day I to be able to treat people right out of my home.”

She is also currently in the process of acquiring Health Canada certification for her Johnston Lake line of products, which will allow them to be sold in more retail outlets. Currently her products are also available at the Double S Marina in Ompah and Barnabee's in Perth.

Her store is open 7 days a week from 10AM-5PM and she can be reached at 1-888-479-2898 or 613-479-2898

Photo: FCFDC staff Sue Theriault, Liz Crothers, Harvey Webster (guest speaker), Kevin Doyle, Anne Prichard and Krista Fazackerley

The Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (FCFDC) held their AGM on Oct. 7 at the Verona Lions hall. After attending to business, outgoing board chair Liz Crothers gave an emotional goodbye and it was announced that three candidates have been nominated to replace her as board chair: Louise Pike, Tom Dewey and Betty Hunter.

Kevin Doyle is the corporation’s new business development officer and has been on board for the last four months. Doyle highlighted the accomplishments of the FCFDC since its inception in 2004. To date over $4 million has been loaned out to local area businesses, with this past year’s total from July to June 2010 amounting to $885,000 alone. The corporation has helped to create 18 new full-time jobs and maintained 36 others this past year, and Doyle was pleased to announce that, “This year alone in just four months - from June 2010 to Sept 2010 - we are on target to have by far our biggest year ever with a total of over half a million dollars being loaned out to local businesses so far.” He encouraged all local businesses who are not aware of their services to get in touch and invited those present to offer any suggestions they might have for upcoming seminars.

Executive Director Ann Prichard highlighted the organization’s ongoing strategic plan which will be updated again this year but which has to date been geared to “helping develop year-round, well-paid employment opportunities, and to improve the visual appeal, range and local services and vitality in the community”. Last year the FCFDC supported more than 100 EODP projects. Prichard then highlighted the FCFDC's four major areas of focus within those two goals: broadband infrastructure, environment, agriculture and tourism product.

She mentioned a number of the local area business that have benefited in each sector. In the first were a number of local businesses who were able to start up websites and other broadband communications, including the Land O' Lakes Tourism Association, the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance, the Frontenac Arch Biosphere and Northern Connections Adult Learning Centre.

On the environmental front the FCFDC has invested in a number of local businesses for skills training and internships and has lent out interest-free loans for upgrades to septic systems. The organization has also worked with Frontenac County to hire a project manager to grow and brand the region as a green business-friendly area ripe for investment.

In the agriculture sector the FCFDC piloted a new newsletter that more 540 farmers have since requested, and has helped to develop the “Invest in Cheese” project. Out of 158 applicants, the project’s promotional marketing campaign won the first place marketing award from the Economic Developers Association of Canada, which is something that Prichard and her staff are “extremely proud of”.

In the tourism product area the FCFDC's aim was to grow a four-season tourism industry and to build a year-round retreat/arts centre in the area. With the FCFDC's help Wintergreen Studio on Canoe Lake road has accomplished that first goal.

Prichard also mentioned the work currently being done with sister organizations to develop plans for tourism projects around the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.

Prichard then introduced guest speaker Harvey Webster, general manager of the Loughborough Inn. Webster spoke of his goals to bring his campground facility that was built in 1921 up to date and allow it to become a successful four-season tourism operation by renovating various buildings and thereby making his business more viable in these difficult economic times. A loan from the FCFDC has helped him do so.

Webster is just one example of the how the FCFDC is continuing to grow local business in the county and helping to make our communities more vital. For more information about the resources they offer please visit www.frontenaccfdc.com or call 613-372-1414 or toll free at 1-888-372-9962

Photo: Pam Lemke and Sharon Macfarlane

At a time when people are becoming more and more aware of need to reduce their garbage output, David Yerxa of Silver Lake continues to do his part with his recycling activities.

David has run a can recycling and paper shredding business for several years. He has pop can bins in Sharbot Lake at the Drop In and outside the Community Living office, and at the Anglican church in Maberly. His friends Bart and Alex help him to crush the cans on Mondays and Ernie and Alex help out on Tuesdays. The crushed cans are taken to Glenview Iron & Metal in Smiths Falls.

David also does paper shredding for several area organizations, including the Family Health Team, the Child Centre, Northern Frontenac Community Services and Rural Legal Services. Some of his business is volunteer, and some he gets paid for. David welcomes all the business he can get and he can be contacted at 613-268-2343

Photo: Ella Branderburgt of Ella's Cafe and Bakery in Harrowsmith

The 2nd annual Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (FCFDC) Trade Show took place on October 21 under the bright lights at the Harrowsmith Free Methodist church's new gymnasium and 44 local businesses took part.

The show’s goal is to promote small businesses in the County of Frontenac by offering residents a chance to see what products and services are available in their own backyards while also providing business owners with an opportunity to network with other like-minded individuals.

Small businesses in the area are definitely growing, so much so in fact that the event, which was held at the Verona Lions Hall last year, had to be moved this year to the bigger Harrowsmith venue to accommodate even more businesses.

One new business owner joining the ranks this year was Ella Banderburgt of Ella's Cafe and Bakery, which just opened Oct. 1 in the former Castle Coffee building on Road 38 in Harrowsmith. Ella is offering a wide selection of full home-cooked meals that she makes from scratch, using no processed foods. She reports so far that business is booming. Ella expects to open the bakery part of the business by Nov. 1 and it is the baked goods that are her specialty. She will be offering breads, tarts and pies, plus her famous melt in your mouth shortbread cookies, which are made from a secret recipe she invented 20 years ago. She had the rich and buttery morsels on sample at the show and they looked as good as they tasted. They come plain as well as in flavors like Swiss chocolate, toffee, cafe mocha, and candy cane, to name a few. A former financial adviser who grew up in Sydenham, Ella has always wanted to run a bakery/cafe. “This business has always been a dream of mine so I just decided to make it a reality and it all came together very quickly.”

For already established businesses in the area the trade show is an opportunity to show off new products, as did Kwik Load Products of Harrowsmith. Owners Ron and Ingrid Smith established their business over a decade ago and sell various kinds of truck and car equipment. New this year, they are offering a number of different types of emergency LED lighting systems for various emergency, snow and other municipal vehicles. A large coloured billboard in their booth displayed the other products they offer including various innovative loading systems. Ron was happy to be part of the show and said, “I'm sure there are people within a 50 km radius who don't know what services we provide so the show is a good opportunity to get that information out there.”

For many local businesses the trade show represents a very local and affordable annual platform from which to promote their businesses. Thanks to the Frontenac CFDC for organizing and funding this important annual local business event.

Photo: Co-owner Linda Tremblay at the grand opening of Nomad's Rest

It was a dream eight years in the making and on November 14 glass artists Linda Tremblay and David Daszkiewicz welcomed the public to their new business on Hwy 7 near Mountain Grove, Nomad's Rest, an eclectic B&B like no other.

Geared to travelers looking for a memorable getaway, Nomad's Rest offers unique accommodations to travelers that are big on the senses and easy on the pocket book ($75 for singles, $88 for doubles). Each stay includes a special breakfast that Linda is currently in the process of designing and which she says will be something “very special”.

Guests toured the accommodations, which include a common living/dining area complete with a fireplace and comfy couches and multiple café-style chairs and tables. Three separate guest suites, each equipped with their own private washroom and balcony overlooking a pond, offer expansive natural vistas, one of which includes a rose garden where Linda says a large buck with huge antlers will often appear in the early morning hours to feast on the roses she grows there, something she says she doesn't mind at all and plans to encourage.

The couple has spent countless time and energy hours getting every detail just right. Every room is decorated differently to create a special mood and so named: Rose & Daisies, the Taiga Room and Oranges & Spices each demonstrate Linda's goal to “design the place like a theatre where at every opportunity a guest’s senses are engaged in an exciting new way.”

The ceilings in the bedrooms are peaked and slanted in the style of old Quebecois cottages with which Linda grew up. The doors are hand-carved doors from Bali, and stained glass panels designed by the couple adorn the main foyer. Throughout are softly-textured parged walls painted in bright pinks, oranges and soft blues and on the beds lie sumptuous fabrics that Linda assures me “feel and sound as enticing as they look”. Hand-painted poems and pictures adorn the bedroom walls in an effort to transport guests to a different kind of world. In the long common hallway are hung colourful works of art by local Arden artists, which demonstrate the couple’s desire to promote local talent and the arts.

In the spirit of exciting the senses, the grand opening included free homemade desserts à la Linda, chocolate marquis cake with raspberry sauce and a lemon and raspberry torte along with coffee, hot chocolate and cappuccino.

Outside on a small stage, local opera singer Colleen Kendall was accompanied by Rebecca Van Drunken and offered up a number of songs from her romantic repertoire as visitors toured the three ponds, gardens and trails that surround of the 177 acre property.

Linda hopes to attract nomads of all sorts: couples, families, single folk and students. “I want people to come to escape and my aim is that once they have stayed they will want to come back.”

The couple is planning an array of other special events in the near future: a Parisian cafe theme on June 5 and a Celtic-themed musical evening that they are scheduling for Sept 10 that will include an outdoor concert in the moonlight.

For anyone on the lookout for a fresh and friendly B&B experience that is sure to engage all of the senses, Nomad's Rest should be a definite consideration. It will be open for business December 17 (at latest), just so Linda can “put on the final finishing touches”. Prospective customers can visit www.nomadsrestcottage.com or call Linda or David at 613-335-4174 for more details.

Photo: L-R: Gary McLeod (East Central Ontario Training Board); Chris and Melissa Evans, owners of Addison's Restaurant; Helen Yanch of Addington Highlands Council

The north did pretty well at the annual Lennox and Addington Awards ceremony last week in Napanee.

Addison's Restaurant on Northbrook, which opened its doors 18 months ago in a location that had seen several restaurants come and go, has been a success from the get go thanks to the hard work and experience of owners Chris and Melissa Evans.

And now they have received a prestigious award to underscore that success. “We were very surprised to be nominated and even more surprised, even overwhelmed, to win the award,” said Melissa Evans.

Addison's Restaurant is open 6 days a week in the summer and 5 days a week in the winter months, and they have established a catering business for local functions as well. While the summer is the most profitable season for any tourism-related business, Chris and Melissa knew from the start that they had to attract the local trade all year round if they were hoping to make their business profitable.

“We hold our own in the winter, she said, “and the summer time is where you make up ground. Our formula is simple: good food at reasonable prices, professional service, and hard work is what it’s all about. Everything that has happened since we opened has been better than we could have imagined, and this award is an added bonus.”

Addison’s recently added a vestibule in the front of the restaurant. In the future they might expand the restaurant to the upstairs where they could put in some private dining rooms. But for now, Chris, Melissa and their son Addison have an apartment upstairs, so expansion plans are contingent on them moving somewhere nearby.

Andy Anderson wins lifetime achievement award

Ken Hook of the Land O’ Lakes Tourist Association, Andy Anderson, Dennis Larocque (TD Bank Financial Group)

Andy Anderson won the Community Builder Award in Addington Highlands three years ago, and he had no expectation that he would win any more awards.

Because of his involvement in a vast number of township and county-wide committees over many years, he received the lifetime achievement award last week. “I guess whenever they needed someone from the north to sit on a committee, I was the one who went,” said Andy.

Andy was involved in the bicycle path project for the county as well as an economic development coalition several years ago. His involvement goes back to the time the Lennox and Addington Hospital was facing closure and a local committee was formed to lobby for it to stay open. ”You get involved in these efforts because you are interested, not for any other reason. But I was amazed at the awards dinner when they ran through the list of things I was mixed up in.”

One other business that won an award is well known to people in L & A and Frontenac County.

The Wilton Cheese Factory, which is located just down the road from Harrowsmith and delivers cheese to schools and grocery stores throughout the region, was named Manufacturer of the Year.

Photo: Professor of marketing Kathy Patterson

On December 6 business owners who attend or are considering attending trade shows as a means of marketing their products and services gathered at the Sydenham Town hall to hear first-hand tips from a pro. Kathy Patterson, a professor of advertising and integrated marketing communications at St. Lawrence College, has worked in marketing for small and medium-sized businesses for 20 years, focusing primarily on trade shows and direct marketing. She spoke at a free seminar sponsored by the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation. Her presentation covered strategic planning for trade shows, which are considered by most business to business marketers as “the single most effective and efficient lead generation and prospecting tool.”

She began with the planning and the importance of first defining your target audience by researching shows that will work for your particular business. “Business owners sometimes tend to forget that trade shows are also a business, so investigating them first before you sign up is key.”

She stressed data collection as “the single most important thing you can do at a show. It’s absolutely is golden.”

Pre-show marketing can also determine the successful outcome of a show and she suggested a pre-show mailing campaign advertising free giveaways, a booth survey and free demonstrations as a way to attract clients to your booth. Patterson also encouraged the use of social media tools like Mail Chimp, Hoot Suite and Constant Contact as effective means of keeping up to date with customers as well as managing business data and contacts.

On site marketing was covered and Patterson suggested announcements, special events, entertainment, post show meetings and door drops at local hotels where show guests gather. For shows that prohibit on site advertising she spoke of the effectiveness of guerilla advertising techniques like using T-shirts as on site advertising for your business.

She covered training and highlighted the benefits of “not doing a show alone”, and focused on the importance of team training, consistent messaging, and offering staff incentives. She touched on the dos and don'ts of proper booth etiquette and discouraged eating, socializing and hiding behind displays.

She also focused on the cost/effectiveness of giveaways and said personally she'd prefer entering a draw for a free iPad than receiving a free pen.

Booth plans are key and Patterson suggested businesses visit a show to determine which booths are attracting the most crowds and why. Proper booth flow is an important consideration and she highlighted the psychology behind making people comfortable in your booth space. Booth displays can make or break any trade show and using either professional photographers or stock photography for large booth imagery should always be considered. When it comes to text, Patterson stressed the old adage “less is more” and that “clever” language can be a big draw.

Tips for engaging prospects included the importance of starting out with concise, qualifying questions to identify potential clients. The importance of listening, and avoiding “info dumps” and lengthy pitches was also stressed. Lastly Patterson covered post-show follow up and the importance of collecting data and following up with leads in a timely manner.

Kathy Patterson’s knowledge of trade shows was extensive and she definitely left no stone unturned in her informative presentation.

The Frontenac CFDC is planning a number of other workshops in the new year to benefit local area businesses. The next free seminar will be “An Introduction to Promoting your Business on Social Media” and it will take place on January 19 from 3:00-4:30 pm at the Sydenham Town Hall. Attendance will be limited to one person per business. Watch for the media release in the new year. For more information www.frontenaccfdc.com