Graduate from the SE Program… start your business…  refer a friend, neighbour or family member to the SE Program and watch them successfully graduate…  well, it may not be priceless, but it does have its rewards. 

$100 in rewards, to be exact.

 If you know an entrepreneur who would benefit from the Self Employment Program, make sure they provide us with your name when they attend the required Orientation Session at ACTI.  We will track each referral.  Once that person successfully completes the classroom phase of the Self Employment Program, you will receive $100.

 The Referral Incentive Program applies to each new applicant you refer to ACTI for the September 5 and October 31, 2011 Self-employment Program start dates.  All current students, graduates, mentors and instructors are eligible to participate and earn the $100 referral incentive.  There is no limit to the number of referrals you may make. 

 Ask your referrals to call ACTI at 780-944-0909 and mention your name when they arrange to attend an Orientation Session. 

Marketing Opportunity:

Reach More Than 70,000 People for FREE!

 The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) offers a Member Discounts Program.  You can register your business with AUPE and determine the level and type of discount your business will offer to AUPE members, their families and union employees.

 AUPE  is Alberta’s largest union, representing more than 70,000 Albertans who work in government, health care, education, boards and agencies, municipalities and private companies.

 Contact AUPE and register your business with their Member Discount program to received FREE promotion year-round to the more than 70,000 members, member’s families and union employees. 

 Read about the Member Discounts program under the Resources section of the AUPE website: http://www.aupe.org/

  Are you willing to TAKE ACTION on this opportunity? 

 We want to say thank you to ACTI graduate Grace D. of class SE 69, for bringing this awesome opportunity to our attention so that you might benefit by growing your business.

ACTI Summer Business Mixer

“Summertime…and the living is busy”…  And we hope you’ll make time to attend the next Business Mixer at Anderson Career Training Institute on Thursday 14 July 2011.

 Drop-in anytime between 4:00PM and 6:30PM

 This event is open to current students, graduates, mentors and instructors of ACTI, their business partners and spouses. 

 RSVP to: reception@acti.org by deadline: July 13, 2011 at 12:00 PM. 

 Meet successful Edmonton entrepreneurs, all graduates and instructors of the Anderson Career Training Institute’s Self-Employment Program.  Beverages and light snacks will be provided.

 ACTI Business Mixers: 1 Piece of the Marketing Pie 

Yes, we do pay attention to the results of our marketing and sales efforts – and from the feedback we’ve received it appears the ACTI Business Mixers are perceived as a valuable resource for new business owners.  The top 5 activities are: 

• Meeting new business owners
• Reconnecting with classmates
• Expanding a network through referrals
• Opportunity to market via donating product or service, and
• Sharing business successes

Mark the following dates on your calendar so you won’t miss the next three ACTI Business Mixers in 2011, scheduled for:

•  Thursday 14 July
• Thursday 22 September
• Thursday 17 November

ACTI Business Mixers 2011 Update

More than 30 business owners enjoyed networking at each of our recent Business Mixers in March and May of 2011.  However, as our creative efforts were directed to developing the new website, with expertise and support from Jody Hatton of www.xdude.com, our latest newsletters were not produced to provide you with updates about the Mixers and the promised advertising for our donors.  For that we apologize and thank you for your understanding. 

We hope you enjoy the features of our new website and invite you to visit every month for new articles, Business Success Stories and testimonials from our graduates.  

Below are some interesting facts about our two most recent Business Mixers:

• Twelve people enjoyed showcasing their businesses with our “Business Spotlight” feature
• The class with the highest representation was SE 70 
• The person who has attended the more ACTI Business Mixers than anyone else to date is Elizabeth Walker (SE 50) of Amber Leaf Wellness, www.amberleafwellness.ca
• The graduates representing the earliest class in attendance were;
• Dusty Cerman (SE 13), http://capitalcityexterminators.com and
• William-John McNeill (SE 41), riverflowsmechanical@hotmail.ca

 As you may know, generous business owners, all graduates of the ACTI Self Employment Program, have donated their valuable services and products for draw prizes at each of our Business Mixers.  The Mixers in March and May 2011 were no exception. 

 It is our pleasure to thank each of the following businesses, for their generous support of the students and graduates of the Self Employment Training Program at Anderson Career Training Institute.   We have also included the names of each of the prize winners.  Be sure to show your support and consider shopping at the following businesses: 

Prize: Herbal Health Consultation - Amber Leaf Wellness, www.amberleafwellness.ca ($75.00 value)

Won by: Connie Powers of Accounting by Powers

Prize: Canvas Art Print - D’art Exchange (780 293 4868) ($49.99 value)

Won by: Bernadette Connell of EXpress URself Courier 780 504 4078

Prize: “Office In A Box” – The Compliance Connection, www.thecomplianceconnection.com

Won by: Melissa Walker of Flourish Design & Merchandising, www.flourishdesign.ca

Prize: Vision Cast Leadership Lunch for 2 - Vision Cast Canada Inc., www.vision-cast.com/ ($70.00 value)

Won by: Ahmed Ghouse of Incantrade Inc., www.incantrade.com

Prize: Starbuck’s Gift Card (2) - Anderson Career Training Institute, ($40.00 value)

Won by: Tony He of BDT Financial Ltd., and Vahid Wilkinson (guest of Elizabeth Walker)

Prize: Business Bookkeeping Bootcamp - The Compliance Connection ($97.00 value)

Won by: William-John McNeill of River Flows Mechanical 

The Business Link

As they transition from the Boardwalk location to their new space in Beaver House (currently under construction), The Business Link will be residing in TEMPORARY space, until further notice, at 4th Floor, 10230 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton.

Temporary in-person service hours are 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday, except on holidays.   Phone: 1-800-272-9675 (no change) or E-mail: buslink@canadabusiness.ab.ca.  Please call before you arrange to visit.

Alberta Women Entrepreneurs Has Moved

 The new Edmonton office address for Alberta Women Entrepreurs is: 308, 10310 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton.  Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.  Toll-free: 1-800-713-3558

ACTI’s New Directions Network

 Alumni of the Anderson Career Training Institute’s Self-Employment training program are invited to send original articles for consideration to reception@acti.org.  

Articles must be related to business practices or issues of interest for entrepreneurs and at most, 500 words in length. 

Currently we are looking for articles for the following topics:

- Making the shift – from the classroom to business operations

 - Reality Check – identify hurdles that may have seemed insurmountable that you have overcome, resulting in business success

 - Marketing Strategy – the most creative strategy you’ve implemented to date

- Year 1 in Review – what the first year in business taught you

 Email your newsletter submissions to: reception@acti.org

Networking Opportunity at ACTI for Graduates

Are you a graduate of ACTI’s Self Employment Program?  Would you like to promote your business to a small, attentive, and captive audience? 

 If you answered YES!, then contact ACTI at 780-944-0909 to arrange for your 5-minute networking opportunity to meet the current class of up and coming Edmonton entrepreneurs to:

• Introduce yourself and your business
• Discuss one statement about your personal experience of being self-employed
• Distribute your business card
• Respond to questions from the current class

  Take advantage of this free networking opportunity!  Call 780-944-0909 to arrange for a date and time to visit Anderson Career Training Institute.

The Self Employment Program not only helped me to launch my business, but also helped me to refine my ideas, get my financials in order, and go into business with confidence. 

My first months in business have proven successful with the guidance of my program Mentor, who, with a steady hand, picks me up if I’m down and keeps me grounded when I’m flying high.  Without Anderson Career Training Institute, I doubt I’d be anywhere near my current business success.

Awesome resources, awesome people and the support doesn’t end after the 24 week program – I continue to benefit from Anderson’s business connections, resources and opportunities to hone my business skills.  Be sure to attend the ACTI Business Mixers, collaborate with other successful ACTI graduates and enjoy reading the New Directions (ACTI) newsletter.  

Grow your business idea into something achievable and successful with the tools and support provided by everyone at Anderson Career Training Institute.  I know I did!

Melissa Walker
www.flourishdesign.ca
melissa@flourishdesign.ca

ACTI taught me business planning, marketing, sales, networking, terms (for some of the things I needed to find), and much more. What’s really great is that their support continues long after you’ve completed the self-employment training program.

If you’re looking at being self-employed, Anderson Career Training Institute is the place for you.

- Elizabeth Walker
Amber Leaf Wellness
amberleafwellness.ca
herbalist@amberleafwellness.ca

At Vision Cast Canada we will help you tap your inner potential to create a better business environment.

Would your business benefit by having a great team generating even greater results? Vision Cast Canada will work with you and your business to create a better environment for you, your employees, and your customers. Your journey with Vision Cast Canada begins with a free needs assessment.

With our expertise in vision, leadership and organizational structures we will help you create a better team to generate greater results.

Vision Cast Canada also hosts monthly leadership lunches where accomplished local leaders provide inspiring talks for entrepreneurs. These are great opportunities to network with like-minded people and hone your leadership skills. See the Vision Cast Canada website for more details on how to register for upcoming events.

My passion is to work with you, the entrepreneur, and help you reach your full potential, becoming even more successful at what you do!

If you would like to know more about how to tap your inner potential to create a better business environment, contact Tyler today for a free needs assessment.

- Tyler Neilsen
tyler@vision-cast.com
vision-cast.com

For someone who has never owned a small business, let alone a residual income business, the idea of building one might seem too complicated, time-consuming, difficult, or risky. What many people are discovering is that not building a small business can be very risky in the long run. Most people want to believe that a day will come when they won’t be dependent on fulltime employment. Call it retirement, scaling back, financial freedom or living the good life, most people want to believe that someday they will have more freedom to explore life’s wonders and have a less stressful lifestyle – hopefully while they are still young enough to enjoy and appreciate it.

But how many fully appreciate what is needed to achieve this? People might point to examples of parents and grandparents who are enjoying a comfortable retirement after a lifetime of work. These examples do exist but the environment has changed dramatically over the past thirty years. Not only do people change employers more frequently but much more importantly, the generation reaching retirement today was the first to see the change from “defined benefit” pension plans to “defined contribution” individual retirement plans. Under a defined benefit plan, the plan provider (employer or investment company) took on the investment risk by saying “based on what you’ve contributed, we will guarantee you this monthly payment for as long as you live.” Under a defined contribution plan, the plan holder (you) takes on the investment risk and your monthly payments will vary and could even run out. Individual retirement plans, such as RRSP’s in Canada and IRA’s and 401(k)’s in the US, are defined contribution plans. While defined benefit plans do still exist, they are rare.

So how are we doing? Two articles in the Wall Street Journal paint a sobering picture on both sides of the border. A January 4, 2011 article states: “Will Canadians be able to maintain their living standards when they retire? Probably not, according to a recent study.” A February 19, 2011 article states: “The retirement savings plans that many [US] baby boomers thought would see them through old age are falling short in many cases. The average person aged 60 to 62 with a 401(k) account has less than one-quarter of what is needed in that account to maintain the owner’s standard of living in retirement.”

How can we go about creating residual income for a secure retirement without reliance on government support programs? In the absence of a defined benefit pension plan the average person has three options available. You can choose either or any combination of these options based on your experience and your temperament. These options are 1) Financial Markets, 2) Real Estate, and 3) Owning a Business.

Financial Markets can serve you well if you’ve been putting enough aside to work with, if you know where to get reliable information and will be disciplined in researching that information, if you have the stomach for the volatility of the markets, and if you’re okay with delaying or halting your retirement in the event of a market downturn. Experts suggest deciding on the yearly income you want from your investments and multiplying that figure by 15 to determine the amount of “nest egg” you will need. Take a moment to do that now and see how close you are to your goal. Note that this nest egg amount does not include the equity in your home. Living in a debt-free home can be very satisfying and it can reduce the yearly income that you need to live on but the home equity does not create yearly income.

Real Estate can serve you well if you have the capital to invest in good properties, if you can analyze and select good properties in good locations, if you are willing to work through tenant issues or pay a hard-working property manager, and if you have the financial reserves to handle emergency replacement of items such as furnaces, hot water tanks, appliances, roofs, etc. While “no-money-down” deals do exist and have been touted as the Holy Grail of real estate investing, the reality is that these properties tend to be more distressed which is why they offer more favourable terms to entice a buyer.

Owning a Business can serve you well if you can minimize your initial investment and monthly overhead, if you can stand out against your competition, if you can generate residual sales through a consumable product, if you can create leverage, and if you can capitalize on large and growing demand. As well, building a successful business will require skills in finding, motivating, and developing loyal team members and trusted advisors.

Each of these options is important and it is sensible to be experienced in more than just one. As an example, a person might choose to start one business, then use that experience to expand to another business, then use the profits from that to invest in a real estate property, then refinance and buy a second property while still managing the second business, all the while studying financial markets and practicing with “paper trades” (pretend trades), then practice with real trades from the business profits, then sell the properties and the businesses and invest the proceeds in the financial markets for a comfortable retirement. The scenario in that one sentence might take 20 years to unfold. But it is viable and can work for those willing to get started and put in the effort. Regardless of the specific type of business you start, the seven keys that follow will greatly improve the likelihood of your business success.

Key #1: Be Crystal Clear About WHY You Are Building The Business

• What is your 5 or 10-year vision for this business?
• How is your business making the world a better place?
• How much to you want to depend on government support in retirement?
• This clarity will be the spark that gets you moving when obstacles appear.

Key #2: Get Creative!

• Think outside the box – the “tried and true” might just be worn out
• Don’t get locked into an idea of how things “ought” to work
• Seek out and take the advice of those who are successful business builders
• Don’t wait for permission
• Shun the “helpful” advice of those who are NOT successful business builders

Key #3: Treat Your Business Like A Business, Not Like A Hobby

• Understand the difference between Activity and Accomplishment (avoid just being busy)
• If home-based, set up a business environment in a part of your home (no ironing board in the office)
• Have an organized workspace with needed office supplies (file folders, file cabinet, etc)
• Have regular business “hours” and dress for success (map out your hours at start of wk)
• Set measurable goals and remain focused on working toward them.

Key #4: Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

• Be forever meeting new people.
• Seek uncomfortable opportunities to reach new audiences.
• Seek out new training and new ideas that challenge you – your business will grow only to the extent that you grow.
• If you’ll do for two years what most people won’t, you can do for the rest of your life what most people can’t.

Key #5: Develop The Habits Of Urgency And Persistence

• Define them
• Time slips by more quickly than you can imagine.
• Treat one day per week like it’s the last day before a two-week holiday.
• Know that there will be obstacles, which are there to test your resolve.
• Maintain your energy level to perform at your best and avoid downtime.

Key #6: Be Simultaneously Passionate About What You Offer And Detached From The Outcomes Of Your Efforts

• If you don’t yet believe passionately in what you offer, step back and re-evaluate.
• You must believe that you are making a positive difference in people’s lives.
• Welcome feedback, but know that you will never please everyone.
• Focus on being of service to others, not on how much you are earning.
• Whether they buy is immaterial but be the best you can at what you do.
• This is essential to overcoming the rejection that ALL business owners face.

Key #7: Develop Your Business To The Point That It No Longer Needs You

• If your business only generates revenue when you are actively working, it is not a business – it is a JOB!
• To be financially free and have lasting security, you must develop your business so that it makes money while you sleep.
• At first this might seem unethical or lazy to some but it actually requires a stronger work ethic to build a business to this level.
• Build your business with the intention that in five years you are going to sell it.
• This is important NOW, not just when ready to retire.

–Paul R. Anderson, MBA

Paul Anderson is President of Anderson Career Training Institute (www.acti.org) – an Edmonton-based training organization helping people develop new directions. In addition to his organizational duties, he conducts workshops on topics related to entrepreneurship, motivation and personal development. Through the Institute’s Self-Employment Training Program, Paul and his team have helped more than 1,000 Albertans over a fourteen-year period to achieve their dream of starting their first business.

Copyright 2011, Paul R. Anderson MBA, Anderson Career Training Institute, All Rights Reserved

“Winifred Babies delivers comfort – in blanket form!”

Katie Monilaws
Winifred Babies
780-989-0494
www.winifredbabies.com

While it has helped me open up and be more pro-active it also helped me lose all my inhibitions and apprehensions of being a public speaker and emboldened me to go out fearlessly and express my thoughts, feelings and demeanour the best way I could.  ACTI brought out the hidden me so to speak – and this after 40 odd years of being in a cocoon, afraid of even being in a gathering of people for fear of being made out to be anything but a wise, educated and experienced personality that I think and now know I am.

I would definitely recommend and have been recommending ACTI to a lot of my friends and relatives and hope that they take advantage of the wonderful knowledge base and hands on training that ACTI imparts while encouraging and preparing would-be-entrepreneurs to be the best in their chosen field.

Thank you and all the members of the staff including Paul Anderson, Dart Wooden, Fran Marion and each of the instructors.  You All Rock!!!!!!!!

- Ahmed Arif Ghouse, President
INCANTRADE INC.
“Your Global Service Provide For International Trade & Marketing”
www.about.me/incantrade

Having spent years in going the classroom, I was great at researching how to start a business, but I wasn’t sure how to market the skills I had to offer.  ACTI provided me top-notch tools, accountability and empowerment to mobilize my business.  I walked out with a business plan and my first four-month paying contract by the end of the classroom portion of the program!  Thank you ACTI!

- Bonnie Ragan, B Ed; Life Skills, OEC, HEROES Certified
Professional Educator & Life Coach
L.I.F.E. Coaching
www.liveinfreedomeveryday.ca
liveinfreedomeveryday@gmail.com