1493 Route 138 | P.O. Box 90013 | Huntingdon, QC | J0S 1H0Tel: 1 (888) 641-9912 | info@cedec.ca

CEDEC is funded by the Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities and by the Government of Canada.

www.cedec.cainfo@cedec.ca

It’s an exciting time for CEDEC. Our team continues to generate new opportunities that stem from and build upon positive growth. Three important national conferences are being planned for 2016 that touch on all three CEDEC priorities: community economic development, entrepreneurship and small business development, and workforce development. We hope that you will be part of these exciting events.

As part of the Cannexus16 conference a symposium will take place, in conjunction with the Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling (CERIC). The symposium will examine integrating mature workers into the labour market, and will feature employer success stories and best practices, some of which were featured in our Diversify with 45+ awareness campaign this year.

To register for this conference, we invite you to visit our website to benefit from special pricing for a limited time.

In March 2016, CEDEC will host a unique national conference on how to conduct business effectively in

Canada’s second largest market, Quebec. Conference partners and participants have the chance to get the leading edge on emerging opportunities and connect to a national network of bilingual businesses with the capacity to reach international markets. We look forward to developing partnerships with business networks across Canada to promote this conference and generate new opportunities for businesses.

We are extremely proud to co-host the Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) 2016 national conference. The conference will feature leading speakers and engaging sessions on the latest innovations in community enterprise, workforce development, and creating sustainable prosperity for all.

As we finalize the location and dates for our conferences, we will share information through our newsletters and website. If you haven’t yet connected to us on social media, look for us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to stay in touch with our activities and other relevant news.

John GanczChair of the Board

John BuckExecutive Director

July 2015lOOKING FORWARD

CEDEC ThANKs CAThERINE lIpsz

GrowthWheel® is a visual toolbox that CEDEC uses to help business owners gain focus, make decisions, and take quick and definitive action in four critical areas:•Developing an attractive business

concept•Developing and maintaining a

strong organization•Growing lasting customer relations•Ensuring profitable operations

The easy step-by-step process can get a business owner moving on the right track in as little as 60 minutes providing concrete actions to immediately improve their business.

Loren Dafniotis & Janelle Lunman, co-owners of Comptoir Urbain recently

started using the GrowthWheel® process.

“Using GrowthWheel®, CEDEC SBS helped us gain insight into the areas we should focus and work on,” says Dafniotis, who determined with her co-owner Lunman that their immediate priority is to increase their social media presence and develop content for each platform and build other areas of the business in due time.

“The return on investment that this process will bring our business makes it well worth the investment in time and money. GrowthWheel® is a must for entrepreneurs, veteran business owners, and anyone in a management position.”

GrowthWheel® can be used by all types and sizes of business, in any industry and at all life stages. CEDEC’s GrowthWheel® certified consultant specializes in small- and medium-sized business as well as non-profits and social enterprises.

CEDEC smAll busINEss sERvICEs

As a mentor with CEDEC, its been a wonderful experience to help new business owners as they find their voice and develop their focus.

Our group of mentors are collaborative and supportive of each other as we develop our own skills. Our strong desire to give back to the community is satisfied as we work with our mentees through their challenges and their successes. I’m so happy that I can contribute.

Using GrowthWheel®, CEDEC Small business Support helped us gain insight into the areas we should focus and work on

The return on investment that this process will bring our business makes it well worth the investment in time and money. It is a must for entrepreneurs, veteran business owners and anyone in a management position.

Loren Dafniotis, business owner

Catherine has been involved in several entrepreneurial start-ups, beginning at a young age in her family owned production plant in Montreal, supplying complete packaging solutions to global customers.

She built a solid production team around the concepts of professionalism, quality, best manufacturing practices and customer service driving the company to success. She followed up with a venture into the Montreal retail market with a full service spa. By taking calculated risks and a determined work ethic, common traits for most entrepreneurs, she was able to transition to the small B2C market in a very challenging environment. She is currently a consultant to SMEs helping owners to understand and improve

their businesses and transition to a higher level.

Catherine has always been interested in giving back to the community and in education. She has been an active volunteer with her school board as well as lending a hand to 60milliongirls, a loca l g rass roots fundra is ing organization to build schools in Burkina Faso. She is an enthusiastic supporter of CEDEC and began volunteering her services to new entrepreneurs as a mentor in 2014.

As a long time entrepreneur, she recognizes the benefits of speaking and listening with other entrepreneurs to solve issues. Catherine graduated with a BSc in Mathematics from Concordia Univers i ty , BEng in Mechanical

Engineering and has obtained her MBA from McGill University. She resides in the vibrant neighborhood of St. Henri in Montreal.

We apprec ia te enormous ly the contributions of our mentors who give their valuable time and experience to support entrepreneurs and business owners.

C E D E C i s a c t i v e l y r e c r u i t i n g experienced business people to provide advice and help their mentee hone soft skills such as problem solving, critical observations, adaptability and conflict resolution, in order to secure a better future for their business. Contact mentorship@cedec.ca if you would like more information on becoming a mentor or finding a mentor.

Catherine Lipsz

Nathon Kong, a CEDEC Small Business Support client since 2014, has had a busy 18 months. Originally a business analyst and consultant, he’s jumped feet first into entrepreneurial waters launching Tailor2go.com, a mobile tailor business.

This past spring Tailor2go won two major awards: second prize in the startup category at the Concours Québécois en entrepreuriat and first prize in the 2015 McGill Dobson Cup Start-UP Competition

To learn more about Tailor2go, you can watch their promo video on YouTube, as seen below.

Women of the Magdalen Islands, especially uniligual English-speakers, face many challenges in improving their economic situation. But they don’t have to do it alone. CEDEC is working with employment service providers on the Islands to increase their visibility and accessibility to these citizens.

In 2014, through the Increasing Economic Option for Women project, funded by the Status of Women Canada, CEDEC mobilized key support organizations to study the economic situation of women on the islands. One year later, in June 2015, a partner committee has inked its first 5-year strategic plan committing to carry out recommendations identified in a Gender-based analysis.

To date, several events have taken place to introduce services to area women, including a workshop on resume writing. However, much work still needs to be done to increase awareness of services, and to create systemic change within organizations to increase economic options for all women on the Magdalen Islands.

Small successes lead to a big picture result. The Partner Committee is hosting a Community Resource Fair in Grosse-Ile on September 29 to introduce organizations to the community and small business start-up workshops being offered by CEDEC.

INCREAsING ECONOmIC OppORTuNITIEs FOR WOmEN IN RuRAl COmmuNITIEs

www.youtube.com

smAll busINEss spOTlIGhTs:

5@7 Connect is a relaxed and informal event that connects employers and multilingual job seekers. It helps:

• service providers better serve their English-speaking clientele.

• employers connect with the right people for their businesses.

• job seekers find opportunities

This fall, we will continue our series of events across the province including Quebec City, Lennoxville and Grosse Ile. Watch for more news on our website and social media in the coming weeks and months.

lEADING ThE WAy TO A pRODuCTIvE WORKFORCE

In 2014, CEDEC conducted research t h a t r e s u l t e d i n a W o r k f o r c e Development Strategy-Concept Paper.

With the concept paper in hand, CEDEC recently engaged key stakeholders through an online survey to help develop a Workforce Development Strategy to increase the English-speaking communities’ competit iveness in Quebec’s labour market. In addition to this participation, we’d like to thank the stakeholders that participated in a focus group to dig deeper into the issues, including representatives from Youth Employment Services, La Passerelle, Emploi-Québec, Bishop’s University, the First Nations Human Resources Development Commission of Quebec, the Comité sectoriel de la main-d’oeuvre and Employment and Social Development Canada.

With this critical stakeholder input, our team is working hard over the summer to launch the official strategy in the fall months which will build a framework and provide direction for ongoing and future workforce development and employment challenges.

Potential young entrepreneurs from Quebec’s Lower North Shore had a chance to hear the success story of one of their own through CEDEC’s Youth StartUp program, a workshop series that helps young adults to develop their entrepreneurial skills and potential business ideas.

Toby Maurice, who grew up in St-August ine, Quebec, shared h is entrepreneurial journey as co-founder of Wipebook, a company that started as part of his studies at the University of Ottawa.

From a Kickstarter campaign to Dragons’ Den, Wipebook’s whirlwind success has come with challenges and tough decisions.

“If you’re a proven start-up, that is you have had some past successful start-ups, it’s easier to get people to back you. But if it’s your first kick at the can, you’ll need to demonstrate sales. But how can you do that with no money?”

You can read more about the Wipebook success story at www.cedec.ca.

A TAIlORED sTARTup WIpEbOOK

CEDEC is proud to be a host o r par tner o f severa l h igh-profile national conferences in 2015-2016.

symposium on the mature Workforce at

Cannexus16 National Career Development Conference

Ottawa January 25-27, 2016

Doing business in QuebecMarch 2016

National CCEDNET conference2016 - Stay tuned!

upCOmING EvENTs

In 2012, the tourism sector accounted for 1.7 million jobs, 9.4% of all jobs in Canada. It grew by 1.5%, outpacing job growth in the total economy.

We now look to pa r tne rs and opportunities surrounding the strategy. Through Tourism 2025, we expect to:

•S t i m u l a t e n e w b u s i n e s s development and create jobs

•Support the growth of existing businesses directly or indirectly related to tourism

•P r o v i d e a f r a m e w o r k f o r partnership development with key tourism stakeholders

To read Tourism 2025: CEDEC’s plan to create 46,900 jobs and inject $5.2 billion into the economy, visit cedec.ca/tourism.

www.cedec.ca1493 Route 138 | P.O. Box 90013 | Huntingdon, QC | J0S 1H0Tel: 1 (888) 641-9912 | info@cedec.ca

The tourism industry in Quebec’s Lower North Shore is getting a boost thanks to a partnership between the Coasters Association and CEDEC to build up the existing regional tourism infrastructure and network.

A l i g n e d w i t h w h a t h a s b e e n accomplished from past tourism plans in the region, this phase will bring tourism promoters together to ensure effective integration of new tourism products in the marketing of the Basse-Côte-Nord.

S m a l l b u s i n e s s e s a n d l o c a l organizations will also benefit directly from this partnership as we support the development of quality tourism products that highlight authentic exper iences with in the French, English, Innu and Métis cultures and the region’s breathtaking natural landscapes.

Underlining all of these efforts is the critical training of the local workforce

in key tourism skills and trends to provide positive experiences for their visitors.

Exciting new opportunity in Kegaska

In Kegaska, upon breaking ground for a new tourism welcome centre, new archeological remains were discovered which immediately halted construction and started making the community think about excavation.

This new find adds to the discovery of a significant number of other important archeological sites in Blanc-Sablon dating about 9000 years ago until the 16th century, marking the earliest-known contact between Aboriginal peoples and Europeans in Canada.

CEDEC is working with researchers at the Smithsonian museum in New York to properly document and preserve archeological sites for the long-term tourism opportunities that they present.

TOuRIsm pARTNERshIp bOOsTs DEvElOpmENT IN QuEbEC’s lOWER NORTh shORE

With almost $85 billion in total annual spending, tour ism s igni f icant ly contributes to business and economic d e v e l o p m e n t i n a l m o s t e v e r y community across Canada.

TOuRIsm OpENs DOORs TO NEW OppORTuNITIEs

Watch for some exciting announcements coming later this summer!

CANADIAN plAN FOR ECONOmIC DEvElOpmENT OF OFFICIAl lANGuAGE mINORITy COmmuNITIEs

social selling: simple steps to Eliminate Cold Calling

August 25

Exporting to Europe: Key Opportunities for

Expanding your ExportsSeptember 15

sales Growth simplified with CEDEC sbs

September 29

The Evolving Workplace: Is a Co-Working space

Right for you?December 8

Women in leadership: “Closing the Confidence

Gap – self-promotion Techniques for Women”

March 8

Visit www.cedec.ca for more information

upCOmING WEbINARs