BBN guest - educational consultant Ira Alexandra

It was a great meeting last Thursday at our new temporary meeting location Classic Bagel Cafe. Lots of people attended and many interesting ideas were expressed and duscussed. Three key events took place.

We had a guest speaker an educational consultant Ira Alexandra, owner of Loadstar Consulting. Ira provided us with detailed description of her business and how she helps enterpreners to detect hidden opportunities and realize business potential. We thank Ira for visiting us and hope to see her again in future. We also were pleased by the fact that Ira found our group via Google search, which means that SEO optimization of our Fraser Valley Business Building Network website kicks in.

Our BBN member Parinya Loptson, owner of Langley Thai Cuisine Restaurant, had a feature presentation of how to make famous Thai rolls. Every BBNer had a chance to prepare that roll. It was easy and delicious. We thank our host Classic Bagel Cafe for assistance in preparation and running of that small cooking class.

Finally our member Chuck Vanderbyl brought up an idea of expansion of BBN operations to international level. Many members might benefit from such expansion for their businesses are scalable in that regard. Idea received warm reception and debate followed of how to implement it. We are currently in the process of development of that idea so more discussion will follow.

HST Vote

There are plenty of opinions out there about HST introduction and its potential usefulness for BC economy. Some say it is good for small business, other say it is very bad for small business (restaurant industry is particularly vocal in that regard). Some opinions are strong and somewhat emotional. Here we publish opinion of Leo Vandebyl, brother of our fellow BBNer Chuck Vanderbyl. With upcoming vote for HST debate about that tax is getting overshadowed by only Vancouver Canucks puzzling performance in Boston. Anyways, you may or may not be agreeing with Leo but make sure you vote when HST voting day comes.
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Now that Premier Christie Clark has offered a rate reduction, I see a softening in the populace and that maybe they might change their vote. Voters are getting tired and wearing down and a promised reduction IN THE FUTURE will help the Federal and Provincial governments keep this tax. Not many of our taxpayers understand that the power to assess this tax was given exclusively to the citizens of the provinces and specifically negated from the Federal government by the BNA act. BC can tax its own citizens for services provided by their own elected government. The federal Government was not allowed to interfere with that direct taxation process.

Governments are spending money like drunken sailors. They are borrowing every dollar. BC is spending money that none of the taxpayers can ever pay back. What the hell, let's blow a billion on ferries, or a half billion on BC Place Stadium. The citizens of BC can never pay this back. If we halted the gluttony and stopped the out flow of money and fired all the high priced public servants, we would discover that we no longer had the power to collect taxes from our own citizens to rebuild our province. The control was passed to the Federal Government. It wasn't just passed, it was bribed by a greedy federal cabal intent on removing all provincial ability to resist their agenda. If we no longer can collect a portion of our production to rebuild our society then we are in trouble. We dance to the Cabal's tune. And we GAVE it away! 

Look at Iceland! Look at Greece! Two countries swallowed by the never ending credit spending and all their citizens are now enslaved by the people issuing FIAT currency. The bankers OWN them. Do we want that fate???

There are positive efficiencies in the HST taxation process. We should simply adopt them in the BC sales tax. We should never allow any group to control our resources and lands other than our own citizens. 

It was a $1.6 Billion dollar bribe by the Federal Government that swayed Gordon Campbell to sell our taxation rights. Make no mistake! These were not Canadian Taxpayer dollars. These were provided by the same bankers who are taking over Iceland and Greece. We never had that much surplus to give away. 

Think before you vote! Consider your fellow citizens! Protect your rights and do not sell our precious resources to the magic money machine. 

Leo Vanderbyl 

Pricing art for small business

It can be very unclear and even difficult how to set up prices for your products or services. Many agree that prices setting is more art then otherwise, especially when it comes to fairly unique business. This article describes some of the pricing challenges of real businesses and how they dealt with it. One thing is clear though - the correlation between price and sales is not direct and sometimes completely counter-intuitive.


Real-Life Lessons in the Delicate Art of Setting Prices


I understand that pricing policy in certain industries (like Real Estate or Insurance) is not as controllable. But nevertheless for many of us the article provides some real food for creative thinking in terms of pricing.

Fundraising Dinner for MS @ Ban Chok Dee Thai Cuisine

Date:  Sunday, May 15^th, 2011 at 5:00 PM

Price:  $20 per person ($10 of each ticket goes directly to MS)

Location:  Suite 102, 5499 - 203 Street, Langley, BC  V3A 1W1

Tel:  778.278.3088

www.banchokdee.com

Dinner Menu:

(all items with your choice of mild, medium or hot spiciness)

Spring Rolls and Chicken Coconut Soup;

Pad Thai Noodles (choice of chicken or prawn);

Panang Curry with Rice (beef or chicken); and

Tapioca with Coconut Milk – or – Deep Fried Banana with Ice Cream.

(This fundraiser is supporting the Tour de Vinters Eh Team for the MS Bike Tour held June 4 & 5 , 2011)

Online donations can be made at: http://mssociety.ca/en/events/biketour/default.htm

Health and Dental coverage for an individual

During the discussion at BBN meeting last Thursday a couple of members expressed surprise that they could get health & dental coverage for themselves and their families.

Although I can put together very competitive group benefit plans for business with 2 to 200 employees I can also provide coverage for the one person business or an individual.

Just log into my website www.sunlife.ca/robert.fletcher and follow the "Health" link to Personal Health Insurance.  Here you will find 3 plan choices and you can obtain a quote for each and apply on line for the one that fits you needs and budget.    If you have questions or need a quote (no obligation or cost) for your business please email me at robert.fletcher@sunlife.com

Office move to Langley is now completed

I'm pleased to say that the move to my new office at Suite 307-19978  72nd Ave, Langley  has been completed.  My new phone number is 604-513-5232 Ext 230 when you need to contact me for all your life insurance, health insurance and investment needs.

How to save a client over $1,000 pa for the next 20 years

Yesterday I visited a lady who had been referred to me by an existing client and found that she had been hounded on the phone and pressured into buying life insurance and critical illness insurance last week that she didn't feel comfortable with.  This company had sold her the easiest products 10 year terms but her need was longer.  They neglected to tell her that her $34 mth life insurance premium would increase to $5,900 a MONTH when she was in her 80's, or that her $66 mth Critical Illnes premium would increase to $277 mth before it expired.

Not only am I able to save her over $20,000 in just the next 20 years but I can also set up her Critical Illness insurance to return 100% of her premium if she remains healthy and doesn't make a claim.

That is my I am a Financial ADVISOR not an insurance salesman like many others.  Call me or email me at robert.fletcher@sunlife.com to see if you have the best coverage for your family.