December 2006
Celebration of Champions of Women in International Trade

On December 4th, 2006, OWIT-Toronto celebrated its holiday event with two inspirational guests: The Honourable Sarmite D. Bulte, winner of the 2006 Joanna Townsend Award, and Andrina Lever, OWIT’s 2006 Woman of the Year. After a few opening remarks by OWIT-Toronto Co-Presidents Susan Baka and Amanda de Vogel, Ms. Bulte and Ms. Lever took the stage in an informal Q & A.

A few questions from the audience invoked the two women to reveal their accomplishments and insights regarding women in international trade. Ms. Bulte described her many years of fighting for opportunities for businesswomen and entrepreneurs through her role as volunteer and politician, resulting in the seminal Task Force Recommendations to the federal government in 2003. Ms. Lever, a long-time advocate for the advancement of female entrepreneurs in developing countries, shared her experiences of working with women in over 25 countries.

As the two guests spoke about their various projects and travel tales, the audience became very involved in the discussion. Inspired by the speakers, members suggested ways to foster growth and opportunity for women in international trade and the need for champions for the cause. Before taking their leave, both Ms. Bulte and Ms. Lever challenged the women in the room to join together to make their voices heard and invited OWIT members to the 10th Anniversary Women’s Trade Mission to Washington, D.C. in November 2007.

by Bogumila Lapinski

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October 2006
The Art of Effective Networking for Conferences and Tradeshows

Networking – or building and utilizing interpersonal connections – is an important skill for generating both personal and professional opportunities to get ahead in today’s highly competitive marketplace. On October 26, OWIT-Toronto hosted an informative breakfast seminar entitled “The Art of Effective Networking for Conferences and Tradeshows.”

Speaker and author Donna Messer, of ConnectUs Communications Canada, delivered the seminar, sharing her networking expertise and tips for effective networking that she has learned over the years:

• Be prepared. Find out what kind of people are going to be at the event, identify the people you want to speak with, and do as much research about them as you can. Set goals relative to what you want to accomplish – are you hoping to create name recognition for you and your business, acquire new prospects, or something else?
• Think of ways to find common denominators. People like people who are like themselves, so be prepared with information about your own hobbies and interests, charity or volunteer organizations you care about, special skills, wildest dreams, and the people you already know, and arm yourself with questions to make the conversation flow to help build a personal connection with each person you meet.
• Perfect your “infomercial.” When someone does ask you what you do, you need to be able to articulate, in a clear and concise manner, not only your business but also how it could benefit them. It is important to do this with integrity – feel free to ask for what you need, but leave your sales pitch at home.
• Recognize that there are different communication styles. Understanding your own communication style will help you identify other people’s communication styles and help you to communicate effectively with them. For instance, imagine you like to hear all the details about someone before moving to the next person, but the person you are speaking with prefers to summarize bottom line facts before making a beeline for the next person to avoid wasting time. Instead of becoming frustrated, you can alter the style of the conversation to appeal to that person.
• Have lots of business cards. You want to be sure to exchange contact details with the people you meet, and business cards are the currency of networking events. Clothing with pockets is beneficial as you can keep your business cards in the right pocket and put cards you collect in the left pocket.
• Follow up. Some say that networking really starts when the event is finished. Follow through with the contacts you made in a timely manner, regardless of who said what about calling whom.

 

ConnectUs Communications Canada is one of North America’s largest business matching companies. As founder and President, Donna Messer has won numerous awards, and has also written How Can I Help You? Effective Networking Strategies as well as contributing regularly to several Canadian business publications.

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September 2006

"In Praise of OWIT Women"- Annual 2006 Summer BBQ and JoAnna Townsend Awards

The Honorable Sarmite (Sam) D. Bulte, a former Member of Parliament for Parkdale-High Park who was appointed Chair of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Women Entrepreneurs in 2002, was awarded with this year’s JoAnna Townsend Award at the Annual OWIT Summer BBQ, held at The Boulevard Club in Toronto September 27.

 

The award, sponsored by TLI-The Mandarin School, Ann Wylie-Toal Designs, Export Development Canada, Hodgson Russ LLP, and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, recognizes an outstanding woman in Ontario who, through her business and personal networks, fosters opportunities that actively support women entrepreneurs to achieve success in international business.

The award was presented to Sarmite by JoAnna Townsend’s daughter, Ariane Friesen, who spoke of her mother’s pioneering work. Sarmite expressed her appreciation for being recognized for the work she had done in her political career, much of it with JoAnna before her sad passing. JoAnna was a tireless champion of women entrepreneurs who passed away in 2004 after a courageous battle with brain cancer. Each year OWIT recognizes her groundbreaking work for women exporters and entrepreneurs everywhere.

The night’s keynote speaker was Marg Hachey of Duocom Canada Inc, who shared these key ingredients to a successful business, which she has coined ‘The Joy of Six’:

1. Compelling business model. – Is there a strong market need for your product or service?
2. Strong management team – Remember that you can’t do it all yourself.
3. Profitable financial model – Know your strategic advantages to exploit.
4. Powerful marketing strategy – Effective does not necessarily have to be expensive. For example, the Duocom label on all of the company’s equipment, which cost under $1 to produce, has yielded excellent returns.
5. Robust technology – Ensure it is scaleable and can grow with you. Invest in a good contact management system and database.
6. Global expansion – Tools like audio conferencing and web conferencing make it much easier to do business around the globe without having to leave your desk. “The world truly is at your fingertips!” Marg emphasized.

Duocom, a $50-million company that provides leading audio-visual and staging solutions, has earned recognition as one of Canada’s 50 best managed private companies two years in a row. Marg, herself, has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 women business owners by Chatelaine and PROFIT magazines.

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June 2006

Buffalo Trade Day
Supported by Hodgson Russ LLP and the Canadian Consulate General in Buffalo, OWIT-Toronto organized an information-packed one-day field trip from Toronto to Buffalo on June 27 that focused on cross-border trade, the how-to's of immigration, business travel and customs, as well as banking and tax considerations.

Stephen Brereton, Consul General in Buffalo, welcomed participants to the Canadian Consulate General there - "Your home away from home." The Buffalo office, which promotes cross-border trade, is the second largest of the 22 Canadian Consulates in the U.S. and an ideal gateway for Canadian business into the U.S. With its close proximity to Canada, Buffalo is an excellent test market - 120 million consumers are within a day's drive of the Toronto area.

"Exporting is not rocket science - it's just pieces of a puzzle and eventually it all comes together and you're ready to take on the world," Mary Mokka, Trade Commissioner at the Canadian Consulate General, emphasized during her overview of exporting and Canada's Trade Commissioner Service. Two things worth their weight in gold for Canadian exporters to access (at no cost) are the Virtual Trade Commissioner (register at www.infoexport.gc.ca to get instant notification of new information on your markets and sectors) and marketing reports. "For example, if you want to sell baby food in Southern California, ask for a food study report on California market."

According to statistics, there is $1.6 billion in goods and services per day in cross-border trade between Canada and the U.S. Mary noted that the exporting of management services is a growing area.
She shared many tips for developing a successful exporting strategy, including:

Have clear business objectives and a marketing plan.

Concentrate on one region at a time, starting with states closest to home.

Make a commitment to understand the local market.

Emphasize quality, colour and creativity in your export literature.
It’s helpful to have a website, U.S. mailing address or a toll free number.

Provide a value-added solution, not just a commodity.

Other presenters included:
Penny Beckwith, Vice President of M&T Bank.
Sally Wisnowski, Senior Manager.
Lynn Leek, Manager at Freed Maxick & Battaglia Certified Public Accountants.
Pam LaFranca, Sales Manager, PBB Global Logistics.

Here is some of their practical advice on expanding into the U.S.:

Because there are over 8,000 banks in the U.S. vs. six in Canada, the competitive environment south of the border can play in favour of customers

U.S. banking services used by Canadian companies range from a standard chequing account to a lockbox for speeding up U.S. receivables since cheque clearance in the U.S. tends to be slower.

Be sure you have an experienced insurance broker because the U.S. business environment is far more litigious

A good customs broker will help ensure you have all your documentation in order if you are exporting products, educating you about things like classification and duty rates.

There are a number of ways to establish a physical U.S. presence, ranging from a branch when you are testing the market, which provides no legal protection, through to a C Corporation, which is typical for a Canadian company. It provides legal liability protection. An accountant will guide you in choosing the best business entity and help you understand the cumbersome U.S. tax system.

Both the U.S. federal government and states offer a variety of incentives to businesses to set up shop south of the border, ranging from R&D to employment-based credits.
Following a lunch reception sponsored by Hodgson Russ LLP, a panel of the firm’s lawyers, moderated by Anita Costello, presented some legal insights .

Here are some tips related to immigration and general business entry into the U.S.:

Since immigration officers have a lot of discretion, be pleasant. This can have a big impact on how an officer treats you.

Document your purpose - bring along any letters to confirm your businessmeeting.

There are a variety of work permits as you expand into the U.S. As you move from business visitor entry to actually doing work, reassess if you should be in a different category to facilitate your entry.
The trade day ended with a tour and reception, hosted by General Manager Tom Garlock, at the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission in Lewiston, N.Y., an international entity that owns, operates and manages the Lewiston-Queenston, Rainbow and Whirlpool-Rapids Bridges as critical infrastructures for trade between the U.S. and Canada. Its 24-hour, state-of-the-art Operations Center monitors security and manages traffic.

Travellers can call its hotline at 1-800-715-6722 for up-to-the-minute traffic conditions on the bridges.

Thanks to the supporting organizations and to Gail Morris, our VP-Events, for coordinating a super day!

- Susan Baka

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February 2006:

Sales and Marketing Techniques to Develop International Business
Angela Santomieri, founder of Langu-EDGE Solutions Inc, discussed the importance of utilizing appropriate marketing and communication tools when doing business in foreign markets at our February breakfast roundtable, sponsored by IE Canada.

Here are some of her tips:

1. Before launching marketing materials such as business cards, brochures, videos and websites, revise and test them in the destination market. This will avoid problems like lack of precision, misuse of words, or hidden messages.
   
2. In order to establish credibility in foreign markets, include customer testimonials, awards and any news coverage about your business in your promotional material since potential customers tend to rely on the opinion of other clients and media.
   
3. Communicate the sales/marketing message in the client's own language. Studies have demonstrated that companies targeting markets by using the local language/dialects have a much higher rate of success.
   
4. Understand the differences between hiring the services of a translator or an interpreter. Translation is used for written materials whereas interpretation is used for oral activities such as meetings, conferences, and videos. When translating or interpreting messages from one language to another, the information must be very precise and direct, avoiding the use of humour or slang, neither of which translate well.

By taking into account these simple steps, women exporters can more confidently craft the marketing messages about their products and services to be successful in foreign markets. Langu-EDGE Solutions Inc. offers innovative translation on demand services in English, French and several other foreign languages.

- Monica Ospina

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February 2006:


Careers in International Trade Seminar.

The start of the New Year saw the launch of yet another profitable seminar held by the OWIT.

With over 30 people in attendance at the Careers in International Trade session, there was a plethora of valuable information from the guest speakers. These included members from the Export Development Canada, Ontario Exports Inc., Expeditors International, the British Consulate General and Loop Media.

The main topics of discussion included the impact of networking, resume and cover letter presentation, internships and volunteer work. Each of the speakers shared their wealth of knowledge, and offered meaningful advice while discussing the challenges they faced in the International field. Mary Palmer, the Business Development Manager at EDC for the past 5 years mentioned the importance of being true to oneself in regards to the passion that drives interest in the international field. She also noted that her experience in several companies in varying industries were critical to helping her to narrow her career interest. Elan Gillespie from Loop Media emphasized meeting people, company visits, and the merit of internships. Barbara Vink, elaborated on the significance of application and networking in gaining a stronghold in the International field. It was after working on a temporary assignment on policy, Barbara then applied for a permanent position with the provincial government. With over 11 years working experience, she is currently an Export Consultant with Ontario Exports. After three years of import experience with Expeditors International, Kelly Virtuoso stressed that regardless of educational background, motivation and determination were driving forces in securing a valued position. Finally, Jamie Mattina a Business Manager from the British Consulate General in Toronto, spoke about volunteering and keeping in touch with several significant contacts.

This seminar gave an insider's view on the various methods of entry as well as potential for growth within this industry. It also provided invaluable guidance for students who are missing the relevant work experience and reassured that with persistence and determination, one will be successful.

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January 2006

Careers in International Trade
The start of the New Year saw the launch of yet another valuable seminar hosted by OWIT-Toronto''s student chapter. With over 30 people in attendance at the Careers in International Trade session, there was a plethora of valuable information from the guest speakers. These included representatives from Export Development Canada, Ontario Exports Inc., Expeditors International, the British Consulate General and Loop Media.

The main topics of discussion included the impact of networking, resume and cover letter presentation, internships and volunteer work. Each of the speakers shared their wealth of knowledge, and offered meaningful advice while discussing the challenges they faced in the International field:

Mary Palmer, the Business Development Manager at EDC for the past five years, mentioned the importance of being true to oneself in regards to the passion that drives interest in the international field. She also noted that her experience in several companies in varying industries was critical to helping her to narrow her career interest.

Elan Gillespie from Loop Media emphasized meeting people, company visits, and the merit of internships.

Barbara Vink elaborated on the significance of application and networking in gaining a stronghold in the international field. It was after working on a temporary assignment on policy that Barbara then applied for a permanent position with the provincial government. With over 11 years' working experience, she is currently an Export Consultant with Ontario Exports Inc.

After three years import experience with Expeditors International, Kelly Virtuoso stressed that, regardless of educational background, motivation and determination are driving forces in securing a valued position.

Jamie Mattina, a Business Manager from the British Consulate General in Toronto, spoke about the importance of volunteering and keeping in touch with several significant contacts.

This seminar gave an insider's view on the various methods of entry to international work as well as potential for growth within this area. It also provided invaluable guidance for students who are missing the relevant work experience and emphasized that, with persistence and determination, one will be successful.

- Kerry Cain

Past Event Summaries: 2008 | 2007 | 2006 2005 | 2004 | 2003