the highs and lows of entrepreneurialism - The Business Link ...

SPECIAL FEATURE 

The Mechanical Contractor’s 

Association of Hamilton p8 

“We’re committed to developing programs and initiatives that will help 

enhance the productivity and profitability of mechanical contractors…” 

–Wanda Heimbecker, Association Manager at the Mechanical 

Contractors Association of Hamilton. 

BRANTFORD / BRANT COUNTY HALDIMAND / NORFOLK OXFORD COUNTY www.BUSINESSLINKNEWSPAPER.com VOLUME 5, ISSUE 11, OCTOBER 2010 

THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF ENTREPRENEURIALISM 

Here are a few strategies to help you weather the inevitable storms of entrepreneurialism and get you back to sunnier days. 

BY MARK WARDELL 

I 

f you’re an entrepreneur, then you know it takes vision, guts, hard work 

and inspiration to grow a business. And if you’ve been an entrepreneur for 

more than ten minutes, then you also know that no matter how hard you work, 

you’re going to get knocked back on your tail every once in a while. 

So what do you do when times get tough Here are a few strategies to help you 

weather the inevitable storms of entrepreneurialism and get you back to sunnier days. 

Switch the picture to success. Everyone runs low on inspiration from time 

to time. As in life, high points and low points are simply a part of business. 

You can’t be on the upswing all of the time. The trick is to acknowledge your 

current reality, without letting go of your optimism. 

For example, when a massive business deal falls through, sales are at 

an all-time low, or one of your (expensive) creative marketing ideas falls 

flat, how do you manage 

Years ago I unwittingly lost a significant amount of money to a crook in a 

real estate deal. My nemesis ended up in jail, but I was left heavily in debt. The 

experience made me bitter, and I realized that moving past self-pity quickly isn’t 

easy, but I knew it was necessary. When you get burned it’s easier to just get 

down on yourself and start the “negative self-talk” cycle. Unfortunately, this is a 

bad habit that cripples many potential success stories. If you find yourself getting 

on the negative talk train, you can practice changing your negative thoughts by 

focusing on positive thoughts instead. This will help you regain a healthy… 

“Switch the picture 

to success. Everyone 

runs low on 

inspiration from time 

to time…The trick 

is to acknowledge 

your current reality, 

without letting go of 

your optimism.” 

PAGE 3 

COACHING 

The Discipline of Intention 

and Effort 

“What is one thing missing for you; that if it 

were in place, would make all the difference” 

PAGE 4 

CREATIVITY 

The Innovation Gap – 

Cultivating Creativity in Life 

and Business 

PAGE 7 

SOCIAL MEDIA 

With a little help from my friends 

“There is immense value in community building, 

even if you do not (yet) have a product to sell or a 

cause to champion.” 

PAGE 13

YOUR VISION SHOULD NEVER BE BLURRY 

“If your website or business has that focus in place it will allow you to steer that client to the product or 

service they are looking for.” 

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

M. Wardell, J. Jones, N. Thornton, G. Visca 

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BY JOE JONES 

W 

hen your vision is blurred it can be irritating, 

bothersome and annoying to you. 

In many cases it can give you a headache causing 

you to turn away from what you where gazing at. 

Blurriness can be difficult to read and understand. 

In anything we do we need to have things in focus 

and in perspective. We often find that businesses 

have struggled because of the lack of focus. This 

lack of focus is usually related to lack of understanding 

and knowledge. 

Over the years I have seen thousands of website 

that really don’t have a focus. The websites may 

look amazing but the goals of the site have not 

been met. A great example of this is when businesses 

buy template websites. The goal of that 

template website was designed not for running 

of your businesses but was designed to sell you 

a template. Any person who is starting up a business 

always wants to find a way to be different 

than the competition. They want to be unique, they 

want to find different methods of doing the business, 

and they have trade secrets or processes that 

make them who they are. This concept is what allows 

businesses to thrive and enables the business 

to have focus. 

When designing your website, take your business 

concepts with you. What are you looking to achieve 

from your website If you’re a retailer, you either want 

to sell your products online or you want to direct people 

to your location. When I was younger I worked in 

a family retail businesses, and my grandmother always 

told me something that I have never forgot: “Anyone 

who comes through those doors is not here to browse. 

They are here to buy something.” The key to what she 

said is that people come to your website or location 

because they are interested in what you are offering. 

They will buy something when they find that item they 

are looking for. Now, if your website or store location 

does not have a focus on what to do with this type 

of client, your client will leave frustrated and probably 

never return. If your website or business has that focus 

in place it will allow you to steer that client to the product 

or service they are looking for. 

Template websites are similar to over the counter 

reading glasses. Sure you can go to corner store and 

buy a pair of reading glasses that could be close to 

the prescription of your eyes, it might even help your 

blurred vision. In the end what effects will this template 

option have on your eyesight “Over the Counter 

readers can cause eyestrain, headaches, glare and 

fatigue since they are cheaply made (there can be a 

lot of defects in the lenses), assume everyone has the 

same prescription in each eye (which is actually rare) 

and the lenses often don’t line up with the centre of 

the eye. Also, the fit is usually very poor so they are 

uncomfortable and they never have them adjusted by 

anyone.” said Dr. C.A. Huston, a St. Catharines Optometrist 

who is currently developing a website with 

Symetric Productions. 

Your website should have its own set of unique 

elements and flavour. From the way your customers 

are greeted to how they end up leaving your 

website. Your website is your vision and that 

should never be blurry. 

Symetric Productions, we work with our clients 

to help create unique and effective websites that 

are focused on their vision, needs and the goals 

they want to obtain. Let Symetric Productions 

help you establish a website that is tailored to 

you. For more information contact Joe Jones at 

info@spcan.com. 

2 THE BUSINESS LINK www.BusinessLinkBrantford.com OCTOBER 2010

THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF ENTREPRENEURIALISM 

“…when I’ve found myself low on inspiration these strategies have helped me to get back on track, quickly.” 

Continued from page 1 

…perspective. Let’s face it, we’re all on the learning 

curve of life, whether we’re the local start-up or Bill 

Gates. Learning to weather the tough times with a 

healthy perspective is the starting point for lasting 

success (and sanity). 

Give yourself a deadline. For some of us, managing 

our own schedules gives us too much flexibility. When 

what we really need is a good solid deadline. In fact, 

one of the best-kept secrets of the successful entrepreneur 

is the self-imposed deadline. It almost sounds 

too simple to be true, but when you set deadlines for 

yourself—and treat them the same way you treat the 

deadlines you give employees—you’ll be amazed at 

how quickly you can rev up your own work mojo and 

tackle the things on your list! 

There are a few tricks to making this work for you. 

Make an exact deadline and don’t allow yourself to 

go over it, not even by one second. Increase the 

pressure you put on yourself to keep the deadline 

by involving other people in the deadline. Tell your 

plans to people who will hold you accountable for 

your actions. And put your deadline in writing before 

your team, so it feels more like a commitment. 

Face your fears and stop procrastinating. One of the 

biggest causes of the entrepreneurial lows is avoidance. 

Many of us simply choose to avoid facing the things we 

don’t want to face because of an underlying fear or the 

habit of procrastination. Yet, we typically build up in 

our minds and exaggerate our fears exponentially. So 

what we need to do is begin the habit of tackling our 

fears head on; thus developing a realistic perspective. 

By doing this, you’ll reduce your fears to a manageable 

level and enjoy a fear-conquering high that may just 

see you delving into all sorts of personal fears as well. 

Be warned. Here are a few techniques to try: 

Negative Reinforcement is the practice of imagining 

your life as it will be if you never confront your 

“Face your fears and stop 

procrastinating. One of the 

biggest causes of the entrepreneurial 

lows is avoidance. 

Many of us simply choose to 

avoid facing the things we 

don’t want to face because 

of an underlying fear or the 

habit of procrastination.” 

fears; if you allow your fears to stop you every time 

they get in the way. If this paints a more unpleasant 

picture than your immediate fears, you will be 

motivated into action. With this exercise, try giving 

yourself a more unpleasant alternative to not 

confronting your fears. i.e. “If I don’t meet with Joe 

by 1:00 p.m. today, I’ll have to work through the 

whole weekend and I’ll still have to meet with him 

on Monday.” Keep in mind that this will only work 

if you are fully prepared to follow through. 

Positive Reinforcement, conversely, is the practice 

of imagining and mentally enjoying the achievements 

you will accomplish once you push through your limiting 

fears. With this technique, allow the inspiration 

of your goals to take your mind off of your fears and 

to motivate you into action. Offer yourself a small reward 

for confronting your fears. A walk in the park, an 

extended lunch break, a small gift...anything that will 

make you feel good. Just make sure that you don’t 

reward yourself until you complete your task. 

Time and again, when I’ve found myself low on 

inspiration these strategies have helped me to get 

back on track, quickly. Sometimes it helps to combine 

more than one of them together. For example, 

I may give myself a deadline to accomplish a goal, 

write it down with a timeline, share that timeline 

with my advisors and offer myself a reward for hitting 

my target on time. Next time you’re on the 

verge of hitting a wall, give one of these tactics a 

try, and let me know how it goes! 

Mark is President & Founder of Wardell Professional 

Development (www.wardell.biz), an advisory 

group that helps business owners plan and execute 

the growth of their companies. The author of 

seven business books, Mark also writes regularly 

for several national business publications, including 

Profit Magazine, the Globe and Mail, and CGA 

Magazine. Email him at mark@wardell.biz 

The Social 

Entrepreneur 

Social entrepreneurs act within 

a market aiming to create social 

value through the improvement 

of goods and services offered to 

the community. Their main aim 

is to help offer a better service 

improving the community as a 

whole and are predominately run 

as non profit schemes. To support 

this point Zahra et al. (2009: 

519) said that “social entrepreneurs 

make significant and diverse 

contributions to their communities 

and societies, adopting 

business models to offer creative 

solutions to complex and persistent 

social problems”. Examples 

of socially run businesses include 

the NHS and also the ‘Love One 

Water’ drinks brand. 

– wikipedia 

OCTOBER 2010 www.BusinessLinkBrantford.com THE BUSINESS LINK 3

“However glorious an action in itself, it ought not to pass for great if it be not the effect of wisdom and intention.” – Francois de La Rochefoucauld 

THE DISCIPLINE OF INTENTION AND EFFORT 

“What is one thing missing for you; that if it were in place, would make all the difference” 

BY NEIL THORNTON 

R 

ecently I was at a local Starbucks 

waiting for a client meeting. 

I always like to arrive early, enjoy a 

beverage and reflect upon my day. 

I sat at a table close to the Barista and watched 

the social interaction unfold before me. Human interaction 

and observation has always fascinated me. 

On this particular day, I was to observe an interaction 

that I felt important to share with you. 

I watched as a professionally dressed young lady 

waited patiently in line for her turn at the counter. 

Upon approaching, she gestured by handing her 

resume over to the cashier, and I could hear her say 

the typical. ‘Could I please drop off my resume for 

any possible openings’ The cashier accepted the 

resume with a smile. 

The young girl glanced away nervously, turned 

and was gone as quickly as her brief interaction. 

I watched with amazement as the store manager 

approached the cashier and asked what had just 

happened. The resume was exchanged and the cashier 

commented on the image of the young girl 

and how she may impact the team if interviewed 

and hired. The manager, who looked quite busy and 

distracted by the crowd, took the resume and ran 

off into the back. 

My initial thought was how the resume would 

have probably been tossed onto a large in-box 

pile to quickly be lost in the endless pit of loose 

papers and never looked at again; or worse yet 

placed in the infamous ‘resume’ file with all the 

other numerous applications. The positive image 

and impression explained by the cashier would be 

quickly forgotten. 

I thought about what I had just observed and 

what this young girl could have done differently. 

Every month I have a habit of listening to the famous 

Earl Nightingale audio recording, “The Strangest 

Secret”. (If you do not have a copy of this, please 

get one as soon as you can.) In the 1950’s, Mr. Nightingale 

talked about being aware of your daily planning 

and actions and how your results are a direct 

reflection of your thoughts. One key factor of success 

comes down to ‘intentionally doing more each day’, 

and holding yourself accountable for this action. 

Reflecting on the interaction with the young girl, I 

thought about how her results and possibility of employment 

could have been improved significantly if only she 

made a choice to stay one more moment, influence the 

cashier even more, and quite possibly met the manager 

in person. At that time she could have requested an interview 

and influenced her destiny by choice. This would 

have required ‘one more step’ that could have changed 

her career and life. 

It is safe to bet that the same girl dropped off numerous 

resumes that day, working through the same routine 

and ultimately getting the same disappointing results. 

Now this is where you come in. Please think 

of your intentions and actions for today and 

what is one area of your career and life that you 

could do ‘one more action’ that will make all 

the difference for you, your career, your results 

and your success. 

In my coaching work I often ask, “What is one 

thing missing for you; that if it were in place, would 

make all the difference” Though coaching thousands 

of leaders, the answer inevitably always 

comes down to action and effectiveness. 

It is my intention that this article will drive even 

a few people to take that extra step and reap in the 

guaranteed results. 

For more ideas about coaching, business strategy 

and communications, please visit us at www. 

thorntongroup.ca. 

Neil Thornton is the Lead Executioner of the 

Thornton Group of Companies. Neil can be 

reached at neil@thorntongroup.ca. © 2010 All 

Rights Reserved—Don’t even think about reproducing 

this document without written permission 

from Neil A. Thornton and 1707021 Ontario 

Limited—The Thornton Group 



ASK THE EXPERT 

WANT SAGE ADVICE YOU’LL GET IT HERE! 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EXPERT 

FINANCIAL RESTRUCTURING EXPERT 

QUESTION 

How do I get my BlackBerry to 

synchronize my email and calendar 

completely “Over The Air” 

ANSWER 

Scott Putman By using BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) Express. It is free to 

all businesses—there is no software licensing cost and no client 

access license fees up to 75 users. It is the easiest and most cost 

effective way for businesses to quickly get started to completely synchronize your email, contacts and 

calendar with your BlackBerry while never having to connect it to your computer again. 

If you send an email on your BlackBerry, it will be in your Sent Items in your Email as well. If 

you delete an email from your BlackBerry, the email will be deleted from your Email as well. If you 

create or modify an appointment on your BlackBerry, the appointment will be adjusted or created 

accordingly in Outlook. 

The Blackberry Enterprise Server software can be installed on your same server that is running 

Microsoft Exchange 2003, 2007 or 2010. This eliminates the need to purchase additional hardware. If 

you have more than 75 BalckBerry Smartphones, the BES software has the flexibility to be installed on a 

separate server, supporting up to 2,000. 

If you do not have Microsoft Exchange running in your business, you may also “rent” a hosted 

version of Microsoft Exchange and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server to avoid upfront capital costs. 

Call I/OVision at 905.937.7658 for a free evaluation on how to get 

your Blackberries to sync Over The Air. 

Steve Borsellino 

QUESTION 

What are some of the 

warning signs of serious 

financial debt 

ANSWER 

If you are lying awake at night worrying about money, you may be 

in a serious debt situation. 

What are some of the warning signs of serious debt and financial risk 

• The total amount of your debt increases each month. 

• You have not reduced your total debt for six consecutive months. 

• You have accumulated debt without a plan to be debt free. 

• You are unable to make routine minimum monthly payments on credit cards and loans. 

• You are at or over your limit on credit cards. 

• You skip paying some bills in order to pay others. 

• You are receiving phone calls and letters from collection and credit agencies. 

• You are making day-to-day purchases like groceries and movie tickets on credit cards because you 

do not have the cash to pay for them. 

• You write cheques that bounce. 

• You argue with your spouse or family about money or are afraid to talk to your spouse or family 

about money. 

• If you are experiencing just one of these stressors... 

Talk to us... call today for a free discrete consultation... with our caring and compassionate advice... 

scott@iovision.ca 

www.iovision.ca 

tel 1.866.549.8463 

Steveb@vine.on.ca 

www.vineandwilliams.com 

www.vine.on.ca 

ADVERTISING EXPERT 

BUSINESS ADVISOR EXPERT 

QUESTION 

Should I use a visual (illustration 

or photo) in my ad 

ANSWER 

Absolutely. Visuals are key in grabbing the reader’s attention and 

Adam Shields drawing them into your ad. When you compare an ad with visuals 

to an ad that has no visuals the statistics speak for themselves. 

According to the Newspaper Association of America, “Ads with 

visuals that occupy about 50% of the total ad space are nearly 30% more likely to attract readers. Plus, 

when a visual makes up nearly 75% of the ad space, readers are 48% more likely to take note of the ad.” 

As you can see, visuals in your ad truly do make a difference in making your ad stand out from the 

crowd. If you are advertising a specific product, try and get a picture of the product in use. This will help 

the readers to visualize themselves using the product. If you are advertising a service that doesn’t lend 

itself to an image, use a picture that symbolizes the message you are trying to get across. 

I always recommend for advertisers to use pictures of themselves or staff in their ads because 

people want to do business with people they know and/or trust. 

Start Maximizing Your Business Performance Today. 

If you are interested in making your advertising more effective call one of The Business Link’s 

Marketing Professionals today. 

QUESTION 

Why does business coaching 

address and support A.D.D. 

in adult business owners 

ANSWER 

Verne Milot 

Admittedly without quantifiable statistics, my observations have 

nonetheless identified a larger proportion of business owners 

with symptoms, or, diagnosed adult Attention Deficit Disorder (or 

A.D.D.). This would make sense, since 20 years ago, much less was done for early childhood detection, 

let alone support in educational and career development. For some, mainstream employment would 

have been difficult, with business ownership being a logical option. 

To date, not much is available publicly in the area of A.D.D. support for adults. Even less is found 

from the business applications context of strategic direction, time management and people leadership. 

As such, a qualified business coach can have a profound effect by focusing an owner’s untapped 

potential at key issues of business development. 

As with any strategic business exercise, it is important that proper direction be provided by a 

qualified and experienced business advisor that you trust. Why not call Growth Associates and see if 

strategic focus can’t be better applied to your business. You may never look back! 

Visit www.growth-associates.com/contact.html 

for a FREE Business Effectiveness Evaluation. 

tel: 1.877.446.9366 

adam@BusinessLinkNewspaper.com 

www.BusinessLinkNewspaper.com 

verne@Growth-Associates.com 

www.Growth-Associates.com 

ADVERTORIAL 


THE INNOVATION GAP – 

CULTIVATING CREATIVITY 

IN LIFE AND BUSINESS 

BY GERRY D. VISCA 

International Speaker 

C 

reative Law No. 6—Building Momentum 

Innovation is more than problem solving, it is about continually maintaining an eye on the 

end prize. Wayne Gretsky (a famous Canadian hockey player) said it well, “The key to my success 

is guessing where the puck was headed and getting their in advance to play it”. Greatness requires innovation 

and leadership with a clear vision for the future. So many of us have the ability for greatness, to push our current 

potential and achieve goals we have set forward for ourselves. How do you know what you would fail at, if you 

never take the first step So many companies have an inherent fear of change. Change is innovation and at the 

root of it. Innovation is problem solving through creativity and intuition, it’s about guessing where the puck will 

be before it is there and moving yourself to be there at the right time. Momentum is crucial the moment that you 

decide to think like an entrepreneur. Typically, entrepreneurs are engrained with a sense of urgency. Successful 

entrepreneurs get an idea and quickly want to act. They prepare in far less time than non-entrepreneurs. They fire, 

aim and then re-adjust their target and modify their plan accordingly. This approach allows the entrepreneur to 

build momentum quickly and more efficiently than their competitors. The essence of innovation and progression 

is based on learning from failure. To become successful you will need to fail in order to strengthen your approach 

and grow into your greatness. This does not mean that planning is not required or an essential part of the process, 

however, it should not prevent you from moving forward and achieving your goals. 

“So many of us have the ability for greatness, to push our current 

potential and achieve goals we have set forward for ourselves.” 

What is your biggest challenge facing Innovation 

• Is it a lack of collaboration among departments 

• Is it speed to market Over seventy five percent of companies have a similar challenge in 

that they can not get their ideas through the innovation chain fast enough. 

New innovation concepts that have evolved as a result of the market changes are based on building 

momentum; based on ‘gut feeling’. This process involves quickly incubating an idea or prototype and 

getting it to market faster through a small select group of brand enthusiasts. 

One of the greatest things in this world is not where you are at the present moment but the direction that 

you are heading in. ‘Be the one that drives change and take the first step in creating your life’. Recognize 

that discomfort is growth and a signal to help move you in the direction that you need to be heading in. 

Getting to comfortable in your life is a sign to introduce discomfort and move yourself into action. 

This is what I love most about inspired action as a creative vehicle to drive you forward. When you continually 

fixate on the end prize you help bridge the gap between the starting point and the end destination. 

The following tips will help you apply this principle to your business: 

• Use simple gut checks and quick analysis in order to bring a new idea to market. 

• Bring your team (various departments) together on a regular basis in order to streamline 

the innovation process and strengthen collaboration. 

• Avoid lengthy and costly studies that will delay your ability to get to market. 

• Build momentum by taking the first step. 

• Have a clear vision of the end result—what it is that you want to create. Then chunk down 

the major steps to help you build momentum. 

Article Reference Source: The Innovation Gap written and published by Gerry D. Visca – September 2010 


SPECIAL FEATURE | MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF HAMILTON 

LEADING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION PROVIDES STRENGTH, RESOURCES 

AND STABILITY THEIR MEMBERS CAN COUNT ON. 

BY SCOTT LESLIE 

The Business Link 

B 

eing a success in today’s mechanical contracting 

industry takes hard work and determination. 

But most of all it takes real leadership—like the 

kind being offered through the initiatives and selfless 

efforts of the Mechanical Contractors Association of 

Hamilton. For nearly 40 years now, their association 

has been serving the greater Hamilton’s unionized 

mechanical contractor industry while helping members 

reach their fullest potential. 

“We’re committed to developing programs and 

initiatives that will help enhance the productivity 

and profitability of mechanical contractors,” says 

Wanda Heimbecker, Association Manager at the 

Mechanical Contractors Association of Hamilton. 

“We work hard to help our members meet the 

challenges of our industry while providing the best 

service possible.” 

The Mechanical Contractors Association of Hamilton 

(MCAH) is a not-for-profit organization. Located 

at 370 York Boulevard, the MCAH is the accredited 

bargaining agency with the Ontario Labour Relations 

Board representing all unionized mechanical contractors 

working with the United Association Ontario 

Provincial Pipe Trades Council (U.A. Local 67). 

The MCAH represents unionized contractors and 

industry suppliers throughout Hamilton and the surrounding 

area including Wentworth, Halton, Lincoln, 

Wellington, Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk counties—and 

currently has over 70 life and associate 

member companies. 

“We provide our members with a wide range of 

initiatives and benefits that can help them grow their 

business and realize significant cost savings,” Wanda 

explains. “We’re also committed to providing several 

annual social networking opportunities for our membership 

resulting in new relationships and opportunities. 

This includes our Pub Night, Christmas Party, 

AGM, new Trade Show and annual Golf Tourney.” 

Education and Training 

Since the MCAH’s inception, one of the greatest 

strengths of the association has been their belief 

in providing educational opportunities for their 

membership. In 1995 for instance, the association 

formed the MCAH Education Committee who plan 

their annual training programs, many to address 

changing legislation, industry trends and also determine 

member cost-saving subsidies for training 

participants. Topics might include LEED (Leadership 

in Energy & Environmental Design), an internationally 

recognized green building certification system, 

Gold Seal Certifications, supervisory and project 

management, productivity, scheduling, and soft 

skill building such as negotiations. 

“Many employers in the contracting and construction 

fields attract, keep staff and maintain their competitive 

edge in today’s changing marketplace by investing 

in professional development courses,” Wanda 

notes. “We always strive to offer the most innovative 

and effective training courses for our members.” 

Recent programming for instance, the MCAH Education 

Committee offered a free Building Information 

Modeling (BIM) Information Session. This workshop 

attracted over 30 construction managers that were 

committed to learning more about integrating engineering, 

construction and architecture workflows for 

their construction projects. As a planning partner and 

sponsor of the new Supervisory Program, annual member 

subsidies offset attendee education costs. This also 

includes the Project Management Program. 

“We’re committed to improving our members’ 

ability to offer quality workmanship through the 

delivery of the highest industry standards and practices,” 

Wanda explains. “We help our members to 

stay on the cutting edge by offering exclusive member 

rates and free education seminars.” 

Earlier this year supplier members (associates) 

also offered pioneering ideas to utilize their expertise 

and equitable goodwill. The Member Plus 

Program was launched and designed to save companies 

money, and build new business relationships 

while increasing MCAH membership benefits. To 

date, 49 new free education seminars are now in the 

planning stage, many offered by certified instructors 

with specific programming targeted to meet current 

skill and training needs. Cost-saving, preferred 

member discounts are also being offered. This has 

established a new market penetration of suppliers’ 

product and services with measured increases in 

the areas of recruitment of new associate members, 

event registrations and sponsorship, not to 

mention the synergy and teambuilding acceleration. 

This “peer mentoring” model has been recognized 

through the national MCA network. 

Looking Ahead To The Future 

With the demand for skilled trades people expected 

to rise, encouraging today’s students to become the 

trades of tomorrow has become a pressing issue. 

In order to help address this challenge, the MCAH 

has launched a number of initiatives over the years, 

which include working with economic development 

departments, national lobbying and mentoring. 

“Our U.A. Local 67 partnership also governs our 

industry’s next generation of plumbers, and steamfitters 

through the Joint Apprenticeship and Training 

Committee’s annual apprenticeship intake program 

attracting the best and brightest,” Wanda says. 

In 1995 for instance, the association established 



THE MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF HAMILTON 

The Mechanical Contractors Association of Hamilton and U.A. Local 67 make a gift of $2,968 to the 

McMaster Children’s Hospital and the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation. From left to right: 

Mechanical Contractors Association Hamilton President, Paul Shewfelt, Hamilton Health Sciences 

Foundation Development Officer Corporate and Community Initiatives, Parker Neale, and U.A. Local 67 

Business Manager, Mark Ellerker. 

the MCAH Scholarship Program. This initiative provides 

financial support to children of employees of 

member companies to help them further their postsecondary 

education in the construction industry 

and other career fields. 

The program has become tremendously popular 

in helping cultivate the next generation of leaders in 

the skilled trades. Scholarships matched last year’s 

record-breaking 42 submissions again this year. 

“Through the generosity of our members, our 

scholarship program has provided over $302,000 in 

scholarships,” Wanda says. “The selection process is 

always a challenge because the calibre of applicants 

is extremely high.” 

The MCAH recently entered a partnership with 

McMaster University, the Hamilton & District Heavy 

Construction Association and several other industry 

partners to create an endowed Chair in Heavy Construction. 

This establishes a new faculty position in 

the McMaster’s Department of Civil Engineering and 

will be heavily involved in their applied Bachelor of 

Technology (B.Tech) program—a joint venture between 

McMaster and Mohawk College. The faculty 

position will be filled this fall. 

This new endowed Chair receives an annual 

$125,000 gift over five years. The Chair will be 

responsible for several areas including graduate 

recruitment, courses and workshops, and developing 

research strategies for the industry. 

“We’re extremely proud to be funding this program 

and have been taking an active role on the Advisory 

Committee,” Wanda says. “Our participation is critical 

if we want to ensure the Civil Engineering program 

remains strong and produces graduates that are fullyequipped 

to meet opportunities in our industry.” 

The MCAH has also taken their commitment to 

our young people a step further, forming a student 

chapter with McMaster University. The MCAH Mc- 

Master University Student Chapter (MCAHSC) is 

one of only two MCA student chapters in all of 

Canada, and takes part in several annual activities 

including site tours, networking events and industry 

conferences. The MCAHSC offers internship and employment 

opportunities with MCAH members and is 

now leading a national mentoring program. 

Caring For The Community 

The MCAH is also strongly committed in terms of 

supporting their community. Over the years, their association 

has donated funds and resources to a wide 

range of worthy charities, events and organizations 

including the Good Shepherd Centre, the Hamilton 

Catholic Youth Organization and the CHML/Y108 

Children’s Fund. 

Continued on page 11… 







Continued from page 9… 

Recently, the MCAH and the U.A. Local 67 formed a new community 

partnership to help raise monies for McMaster Children’s 

Hospital. Funds were raised through member donations and several 

fundraising events such as the U.A. Local 67 Awards Night. 

“Our member companies and employees are dedicated to 

maintaining our reputation for delivering the highest quality standards 

and practices in the industry, but they’re just as committed 

to helping the communities we serve,” Wanda says. 

Since 1990, MCA Hamilton employer members have contributed 

$18,248 to various Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation campaigns, 

which include McMaster Children’s Hospital, St. Peter’s Hospital, and 

the Juravinski Cancer Centre. This fall, MCAH’s generous donor history 

will be formally acknowledged and celebrated at the annual Hamilton 

Health Sciences Foundation donor recognition ceremony. 

Driven By Volunteers 

The MCAH is governed by their members through an appointed, 

volunteer Board of Directors. 

“We wouldn’t be where we are today without the dedication 

and leadership of our exceptional team,” Wanda says. “We’re 

grateful to all our board directors, volunteers and members for 

their extraordinary commitment and teamwork.” 

The association recently announced their new slate of officers 

for 2010-2011. Their new Board includes Vice-President Lorraine 

Waller (Aker Construction Canada Limited), Past President Doug 

Cormier (BML Multitrades Group), Treasurer Jason Campbell (Black 

& McDonald Limited), Director Mike DiLallo (Alberici Constructors 

Limited), Director George Furness (Geonis Mechanical), Director 

Dominic Fazio (E.S. Fox Limited), and Director Bill Patterson 

(Comstock Canada Limited). Paul Shewfelt of the TESC Shewfelt 

Contraction Corporation is now serving his third term as President 

of the MCAH. 

Although the current economic climate has been a challenging one 

for the MCAH’s membership, Paul is encouraged by what he sees. 

“The business climate in Hamilton and the surrounding regions 

continues to improve,” he says. “Right now, MCAH members are 

actively involved in a number of infrastructure projects that are 

helping offset the impact of the economic downturn on our local 

manufacturing base.” 

The MCAH’s membership has continued to rise. In 2009, 

membership increased substantially with the addition of 16 new 

members. There have also been significant increases in revenue 

through new paid event registrations and sponsorship. 

“Even though many of our member contractors felt the pressures 

of the economic downturn, our reported man hours actually 

rose in 2009 from 2008,” Paul says. “Our partnership with U.A. Local 

67, the JATC, and all Labour Relations initiatives are stronger 

than ever. The result is stability and strength in our association 

that our member contractors can count on.” 

The MCAH always has their sights set on the future—whether 

it’s fostering a dialogue between various members and agencies 

or raising awareness of industry issues in their community. And 

with its growing membership and sharp vision, the MCAH’s future 

looks as strong as ever. 

Mechanical Contractors Association Hamilton 

370 York Blvd, Suite 105, Hamilton, ON 

tel: 905.522.1965 www.mcahamilton.org 

Mechanical Contractors Association 

of Hamilton Membership List 

Contractor Members: 

Aecon Industrial 

Aker Construction Canada Ltd. 

Alberici Constructors 

Bennett Mechanical 

Installations 2001 Ltd. 

Black & McDonald Ltd. 

BML Multitrades Group 

Bramkal Contractors Inc. 

Comstock Canada 

E.S. Fox Ltd 

Geonis Mechanical 

GLC Contracting Ltd 

Gowing Contractors Ltd. 

Hoffer Mechanical Co. Ltd. 

Johnson Controls 

Lockerbie & Hole Eastern Inc. 

Mainway Industrial Installations 

Onyx Mechanical 

R.D. Stewart Mechanical 

TESC Shewfelt Contracting Corporation 

Siemens Bldg. Tech. 

S.N. Agnew Mechanical Ltd. 

The State Group 

Trade-Mark Industrial Inc. 

Urban Mechanical Contracting Ltd. 

Varan Mechanical Cont. Ltd. 

Vette Mechanical 

Western Plumbing & Heating 

Associate Members: 

Advantage Featherstone Travel 

Ainsworth Inc. 

Allison F. Gowling Professional Corporation 

Aluma Systems 

Anvil Canada 

Aon Reed Stenhouse Inc. 

BMF Fabrications Ltd. 

BOC Gases Canada 

BDO Canada LLP 

Brant Steel Products Ltd. 

Control Chem 

Crane Supply 

Engineered Air 

Federated Insurance Company of Canada 

Harsco Infrastructure 

Hub International Ontario Ltd. 

It Works Promotions 

IPEX Inc. 

Lefroy Management Training Inc. 

Levitt Training & Consulting 

Marin & Associates 

Marks Supply Inc. 

McGowan Insulations Ltd. 

McKeough Supply Inc 

Minuteman Press 

Pearson Dunn Insurance 

Proval Equipment (Hamilton) Ltd. 

Robbinex Business Intermediaries 

Stepright Capital Planning Inc. 

The Printing House (Hamilton Branch) 

Ultra Torq 

Victaulic Company of Canada Ltd. 

Viega LLC 

Wellington At Work Inc. 

Wentworth Financial Services Inc. 

Westlake Industries 

Wolseley Mechanical Group 

J.H. Young & Sons Ltd. 


EFFECTIVE QUESTIONING 

COMBATS CENTURIES-OLD 

SELLING PROBLEM 

“Skillfully asking questions change the direction and the dynamic of a 

centuries old buying-selling cycle.” 

BY WELDON LONG 

S 

ince the dawn of mankind we have been buying 

and selling “stuff”, and over the centuries 

a predictable pattern has developed between buyers 

and sellers. The buyer-seller dynamic can spell “commission 

catastrophe” for the sales professional who 

lacks the artful skill of effective questioning. 

The Old Way—The Buyer Stalls 

Essentially the old way involves the purchaser following 

a reliable pattern when choosing to come 

off his or her hard earned cash to buy something 

and the unskilled seller who can easily fall victim 

to this insidious game. 

The dynamic begins with buyer gaining as much 

information about the product or service from the 

seller as possible. This information may include price, 

warranties, financing options or delivery options. 

Secondly, the buyer will withhold valuable information 

from the seller. For example, if a buyer 

walks onto a car lot to buy her dream car, she is 

unlikely to tell the salesperson that her old car just 

blew up and that she has a pocket full of cash she’s 

just dying to spend. Instead, even if she loves the 

sparkling new car on the showroom floor, she will 

keep her cards close to her vest. After all, everyone 

knows that knowledge is power and none of use 

want to give an advantage to the salesperson; thus, 

we keep our mouths shut. 

Next, the buyer relies on the tried and true strategy 

of stalling in an effort to put off spending her 

hard earned money. It’s not that the buyer won’t 

spend the money, it’s just that given the choice, we 

all prefer to postpone spending it as long as possible. 

Stalling also give the buyer the opportunity 

to revisit competitive offerings one last time and 

maybe work the seller over a bit on price. 

Which brings us to the fourth step in this age-old 

game: The buyer asks for a cheaper price. This step is 

as predictable as the sun rising over the Atlantic. It is 

going to happen—even if the buyer likes the product 

or service and thinks the price is fair. Remember, this 

process has been ingrained in us for generations and 

no one writes a check without at least a halfhearted 

attempt at getting a lower price. 

While this series of steps is natural, it can devastate 

the income of a seller who is not adept at 

derailing the process with effective questions. For 

example, when the seller begins step-one, gathering 

information, an inexperienced seller may begin 

randomly spewing information about how wonderful 

his product or service is without ever probing 

for information of his own. When the buyer begins 

step- two, withholding information, some sellers 

may continue the information spewing routine, 

further saturating the buyer with more information. 

When the buyer stalls in step-three, the seller 

panics and begins offering concessions the buyer 

hasn’t even asked for, and is then left with no 

defense when, in step-four, the buyer asks for the 

lower price. 

Sadly, this process is played out countless times 

everyday to the chagrin of sellers who depends on 

commissions to pay the bills and business owners who 

depend on decent margins to keep the doors open. 

The New Way—The Seller Asks Questions 

How can sales professionals avoid this pitfall, 

improve the probability of closing the deal while 

maintaining sustainable margins and commissions 

Excellent question. 

The solution to this problem is the solution to 

almost any sales problem: Ask questions. 

The first series of questions should be designed to… 

Continued at www.businesslinknewspaper.com 


SOCIAL MEDIA WITH ADAM WHITE 

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM 

MY FRIENDS 

“There is immense value in community building, even if you do not 

(yet) have a product to sell or a cause to champion.” 

BY ADAM WHITE 

W 

e are at a unique juncture in the development of social networking. While the public is well 

aware of services like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and major media companies are getting 

on board (with varying levels of success) adoption by ordinary businesses, particularly in small cities, is 

still low enough that participants from these towns can quickly build rapport with local enthusiasts. We 

will not be at this fledgling stage very long, but while the numbers are in your favour there is a fantastic 

opportunity to create lasting relationships. 

The Twitter community is a fascinating example. The number of locals using Twitter is small enough 

so that there is a huge amount of cross-conversation among people representing various interests that 

may not mix in their day-to-day lives. Farmers are talking to software developers. Outdoors enthusiasts 

are chatting with municipal politicians. The higher echelons of the wine industry engage with small scale 

bloggers. At this stage of growth it is possible for a new community member to introduce themselves to, 

quite literally, everyone. What is the common thread between all these groups It is simply that they are 

local Twitter users, and that engaging locally via the service remains (at least for now) a rewarding and 

novel experience. This unlikely community has given rise to some interesting opportunities. Niagara-On- 

The-Lake winery Château des Charmes held their first “Twasting” in March, a paid wine tasting on their 

premises which was only promoted to the Twitter community. They filled a room with an interesting mix 

of writers, bloggers, media professionals and people from the hospitality industry. The winery was able to 

leverage that unique grouping to generate tangible profits and positive word of mouth. 

It is important to consider the intent of these local enthusiasts. The vast majority of them are utilizing 

YouTube, Facebook, Wordpress and other services purely out of curiosity, with no ulterior motive other 

than being social. There is seldom the feeling that one of these early adopters is engaging with you 

on behalf of a business plan. Of course wineries like Château des Charmes were able to draw upon 

the community to throw a for-profit event, but the winery only launched that modest initiative after 

months of genuine conversation and participation. You were just as often to see their representative 

chatting online about the fortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs then you were their wine. However when 

a member of the community does launch a new project or initiative, they are able to do so with a vocal 

and supportive built-in audience. 

I launched a new video blog in early August, a site that while yet unproven had been embraced 

by the friends and contacts I had built rapport with on Twitter. With very little effort on my part they 

pushed out the link to their Twitter followers, posted about my project on their blogs, and shared my 

story to their Facebook friends. It was mere hours before the attention resulted in a call from a local 

newspaper reporter. Had I launched this project six months ago, I would have had no support. I would 

not have been able to trade on my name and reputation when trying to turn the ear of the public. There 

is immense value in community building, even if you do not (yet) have a product to sell or a cause to 

champion. In small towns with limited adoption of social media services the benefits of being an early 

adopter can be great. 

Adam White (AdamWhite.org) is a developer at JMR SoftwareSystems (JMR.ca). 


IS YOUR BUSINESS DESIGNED 

TO COMPETE 

“You need to be able to find information at the speed of today’s 

competitive markets.” 

BY KEITH NARSANSKY 

T 

his article is about software and web systems designed to allow your business to compete in today’s 

marketplace while preparing for tomorrow’s. You are going to read very little about technology. 

Technology has the potential to help your business do amazing things, but only if technology is matched 

to your unique business strategy and processes. My job is to design a technological solution that not only 

allows your business to compete, but to squash your competition! 

I attended the Trigger Marketing / Thornton Group sale’s workshop in August (if you missed it, they will 

be running it again in the fall). Neil Thornton said “What got you here is not going to keep you here”. They 

talked about how the way you use to solicit sales a decade, or even a year ago has changed; and is not longer 

effective in today’s business world. You have to change with the times. 

This applies to your whole business; marketing, sales, and operations. You need to constantly improve 

your business. Not just for quality improvement sake, which does makes business sense, but because your 

competition, whether it be locally or on the other side of the world, are finding new or better ways of 

doing business. Anyone know or remember what the quality of a 70’s Toyota was Certainly not enough 

to compete with the North American automobile manufacturers. However, what about today 

Neil went on to say “that In 10 years, if you don’t have a CRM system (Customer Relationship Management—know 

everything about your prospects/customers and their interactions with your company) in place, 

you will be out of business”. You need to be able to find information at the speed of today’s competitive 

markets. You need to dig through all the dealings with your prospects and customers to find trends and 

business opportunities, forget about waiting for business to come to you. Those days are gone. 

You recognize the need for change, but will your employees and current system embrace the change 

There will probably be some resistance and confusion over what has changed and what they should be 

doing. That is human nature’s reaction to change. It is always more comfortable where you are at, than 

where you should be at. 

Your system needs to enforce the new way that you want to do business. Your business needs to operate 

faster, easier, cheaper, with higher quality, and be more consistent. Remember when you would choose 

between price, quality, and speed In today’s market the customer wants all three and businesses are 

finding ways of offering all three. You need to follow suit, or get out of business. 

Technology has created a huge shift in the marketplace and will continue to do so at a rapid pace. 

At one time, the only way to interact with a customer was through a customer service rep or sales person. 

Now kiosks and websites are performing those functions. Remember when the only way you could do 

banking was through a teller Now there is online banking, mobile banking, and ATMs. This shift in the 

market place will eventually change every business. I know, I can hear it already. “We are different, there 

is no way technology can change us.” I recently purchased tickets to go to the movies on my Blackberry; 

do I need to say more 

What’s the Solution 

You need to know your business. You need to know your customers and your industry. You need to look 

over the horizon to be prepared for what is coming next. Change has to be a way of life. You’re good at 

what you do, but you might need someone in your corner helping you to keep technology in sync with 

your business as it changes. You need someone who lets you know about new technology and how you 

might use it as a competitive advantage against your competition. Contact The Business Solution today 

and discuss your business operation with us. If we can help, we will, and if not we’ll let you know. 

Keith Narsansky, CMA is the Software Architect and Business Process Engineer at The Business Solution. 

Better serve your customers while maximizing sales and profit; integrate your entire company; and get 

a real time view of your business. BSOL: The ultimate marketing and management software and web 

system (including CRM). www.TheBusinessSolution.com

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