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Huron Expositor, 1999-11-17, Page 7Inside look at... Business Corporation wins Award of Rural Excellence ...Huron Business Development Corporation By Scott Hllgndorff Expositor Editor In six yea• rs. they've given out $3.6 million in loans and funding and have helped 350 businesses establish themselves in Huron County. And the success of the Huron Business Development Corporation (HBDC) has earned them an Award of Rural Excellence in the "Contribution to Economic • Growth" category. "It's a nice acknowledgment of our efforts over the last six year. said Community Development Manager Paul Nichol of the award. ` It was One of eight given out in the first annual Awards'of Rural Excellence recognizing communities._ organizations and groups. who are improving the quality of life in rural Ontario. It was presdnted through the Foundation of Rural Living. a provincial charitable organization focussing. on building healthy rural communities and enhancing ,the agricultural, industry.. "Somebody out there thinks. we're doing a good job at what we do." said Nichol. The `centre has been open for about six years now and directs its .attention at helping businesses in Huron County: in, a number of ' different ways.' ."We're very much like a credit union" with 'an economic de.vclopment mandate." said Nichol. Headquartered in Seafonh at the Huron Business Centre. it operates with three staff members and a hoard of directors with 12 people elected each year by the ' organization's membership. The hoard members .come from across the county and represent the rc)ail. manufacturing and agricultural industries of thc area. Linked with more than 25 organizations in the area. they also share 'the Business Centre location with the Huron. Employment Resource Centre, and the Huron County Small Business Resource "Centre. They also work closely with municipalcouncils and business improvement areas and chambers of commerce. Nichol said they all have the same mandate of. working toward job creation in Huron County. "Right now. we can confidently say there arc 2074 people in the workforce. today' because of us."said Nichol. That Makes up'6.3 per cent of the county's labour force. .Each year: they see about 500 clients. mostly businesses. About 60 of Walton store victim _ f break_ n _. Merchandise and cash totalling $2.000 were stolen during a break and enter at Walton Country Store sometime during the night of Nov. 10. The store. located close to the intersection of Huron County Roads 25 and 12. had 45 cartons of cigarettes. S500 in cash and a number of lottery tickets stolen. . The cash register was found a short distance from the store and received extensive damage. Neighbours reported a black vehicle seen in the --area in the late evening., Anyone with any related information is asked to call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222- 8477. . The Huron Business Center which Development Corporation. those will tell the centre in follow-ups that they are around because of the help they received from the centre. Those. 60 businesses translate into about 350 new, jobs each year. Clients usually come to the centre. often through referrals: from hanks, in seek of help with everything from setting up a business plan before seeking a loan from a bank to seeking the loan itself. There is 'a business library available .to people to research their ideas and a counselor available to offer 'assistance. In addition to helping clients directly. 'the centre -also works in the county's various communities. "Right now, at any given time, we are working throughout Huron County on 37 individual community projects. said Nichol, adding they are all linked to stimulating. , local economies. Seaforth's Business Retention and. Expansion Committee. one of seven in Ontario.' formed as a pilot project of. the Ontario Ministry of. Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs. is what Nichol calls "probably the cream of the crop" for community projects in which they arc involved. They have been working with the committee for more than a year on a project that saw a comprehensive study done of arca business and .industry from agriculture through retail. The study looked at needs to help those businesses and industries grow . and is currently working on a list A Buck or Two AVE Entertainmem A & W 1 hrr. Ry'. jinni'• PIZJ. Weekend Fdrnon houses the Huron Business -of initiatives developed • through OMAFRA's analysisof the results received. The HBDC also operates a "be your own boss" program for students. opening up the potential of starting their own businesses.among youth. "This past year. 49 young people ran their own businesses;" said Nichol. Egmondville resident Luke Janmaat has been working on an HBDC manufacturing project speaking with manufacturers to develop a list of needs that would help their industries. Among those was . the need for information on how to tap into c-commcrcc (doing business over the internet) and successful use. of web pages to,promote their manufacturing businesses on the internet. One of their newest initiatives involves' promoting exporting Huron County products. "We've put an export developer on payroll .doing nothing but helping manufacturers gear up for export." said Nichol. About 16 per cent of companies in Huron County export their products. Chris Lee of Walton is helping them to sec they can expand their business beyond local and regional markets, visiting each one and helping any that want to get into exporting or expand on the exporting they do. "He's basically an advisor."said Nichol. There is no cost for this work with the philosophy that industries who expand their exports will need more Agnew Shoes Ardes,e Balms Bdl Mob,l,tr Bentley staff, creating more fobs in the county. That same idea was taken into communities last year when the HBDC realized it hadn't been working with local Business Improvement Areas. committees that link community businesses together on group projects and promotions. "There is a. philosophy that you need to keep a good climate for doing business and by _helping BIAS, it helps them'.help others, said Nichol. Andy by helping them, more jobs are created. meeting .HBDC goals. They contacted each BIA .in the county and asked for a specific project• with which to help them. "That was deliberate. That was our way to let them know we were out. here." said •Nichol. That's because the HBDC's mandate is to not only work with individuals setting up businesses • but with organisations that can also promote and develop economic growth. "We ended up with 10 different projects." he said. In Clinton. it was help with the town's HEART (Hearts Economic Action Renewal Team) committee. which is a group of citizens working on' promoting the town -and developing tourism. in Goderich. it was helping this summer's Disney parade that attracted thousands of people to the area. In Exeter. it was helping with white squirrel promotions. a tourist attraction. to-thc town: And in Zurich. it was help setting up strategies for attracting rural doctors. Whcn the Zurich BIA 'was" asked what was needed to create jobs, they were told they needed better health care and ,more doctors to strengthen the community. "We're just a catalyst." said Nichol. They -try to -bring resources together to help businesses and ideas get off the -ground and do it with support from industry Canada. "We are one of more than 200 similar organizations across Canada," he said and said similar impact and job creating is happening across. Canada through :their programs. Of thc recent award. he said. "It's nice to get that recognition hut there's lots of organizations doing good work." he said. Canadian Trte Chou Delight Cl ED Coles Boob s fi Spend the Day Stay the light Christmas Savings From Two Great Festivals \I 15`‘' 14. rip/ it F N N '"" Savings for Christmas & a Mini Holidays/ Shop at Fest// Marketplace with ur complimentary $10.00 Gift C to and relax at the Festiva/ /nn for o4g $55 doub/e occupancy*. Eq./0y the poo1, hot tub & sauna during your sta e For Reservations Callee 1-800-463-3581 f *Cost SEsspar per nejiht and taw **a ,J 067 Ontario Street, Stratford 51 Peoples Jewellers Numt,on Hawse Northern Getaway Northern Reflarons Mart's Wort We.$ am Le Some • INI YOU" 724 ,. Kens/woke Frved (lwcken Kees) Foes THE HURON EXPOSITOR, November 17, 199$-7 Coming soon to Anstett Jewellers Clinton... ROOTS BOUTIQUE Come and explore our new selection. of Roots Products... • Cosmetic Bags (Many styles to choose from) • Flashlights • Travel Equipment • Camping Equipment • Watches • Jewellery • Timers • Tote Bags • Hand Bags • Travel Bags • 4• Compasses and much much more Top Quality Merchandise 'At Reasopable Prices. Roots Boutique at Clinton Location Only!! ANSTETT 8 Albert St. JEWELLERS 482-3901 est. /950 CLINTON Please join us for our Come and browse through our shop. Make this festive season distinctly different with a special selection in a gift basket. Warming beverages, spicy treats, delectable hand -dipped chocolates and enticing aromas from the kitchen, bring out the traditional and nostalgic . tendencies in everyone. Taste • Buds is filled to the brim with a wide array of food products and gifts for your holiday entertaining, -Be sure to take time and join us atour "Open House". Cathy & Wendy 1 Fri., Nov. 19, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sat., Nov. 20, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Fri., Nov. 26, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sat., Nov. 27, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.- Samples .m:Samples & Door Prizes Cathy &-Wendy �Y MClIW Y (directly across from Huronview . Hwy. t14, South of Clinton 482-1232 A Straight Talk From THE BUSINESS DocToPk Work On The Business Not In The Business client complained.he was too thc business details. These busy. He could not physical- manuals would let you ly handle•all the work he reproduce your business had. and the business was 1,000 times and have the expanding. He worked four- 1.000th: unit operate as efti- teal hours a day: he had no ciently and effectively as the first. . You begin by defining one function at a time. Eventually you have a writ- ten record of how to do everything within the busi- ness. Whcn you are at that level it is the systems that manage the business and your job is to manage thc systems. By divorcing your- sclf from the day-to-day details in this way, you gain time and freedom. You also have something to sell- a recipe of how thc business works Before this you were thc business and Working on the business when you left there was no means -making sure -that business--With-the recipe. ---- average and mediocre asso- the systems arc the business ciatcs can handle the details and they will work for any- . of running the business with one. Now you can sell the excellence. Ray Kroe taught business to anyone.who has us that. the money.and can read. Ray'Kroc developed the Whcn we showed our client Macdonald's franchise sys- how to create the systems. tem. He taught us that he found he could have a working -on the business is profitable business and a life about creating a set of sys- too. tems that will let associates it is just as important to have with a minimum skill level a plan for your departure manage the details of the 'from the business as it is to business with consistency have a plan for running the and excellence.. business. Maybe it is even Working on the business more important' means understanding that Successfully working on the your job is to create a model business is about making of how your business works. .sure you can stay in Florida You must create a set of when you get there. manuals that defines every The Business Doctor is aspect of the management of available for annual meet- ings & sales conventions. time for his family or vaca- tions. acations. The fun has gone out of what he is doing. He wanted to sell but couldn't find a buyer. 'Well,' you say. "Welcome to the club! That's the way business works:" Wrong! . That is the way a poorly run business works. It is easy.toget bogged down in the details of run- ning a business but that's not what owning and operating a business is about. When you own the business your job is not to work in the business but to work on the business.