Terri Braun / May 26, 2023

Check out SabreTec

If you’re interested in the barter system, then check out SabreTec. Whether you’re looking to buy, trade, or grow, members can exchange products and services with no cash involved and network within communities to help expand your company.

Pamila Kew / June 14, 2021

SM Spotlight Minuteman Press Beltline

If you are looking for a comprehensive print shop in the Calgary area, look no further than Minuteman Press Beltline. Whether your business needs printing, signage, promotional products, or direct mailing services, Minuteman Press Beltline has the high-quality service and solutions to do the job right.

Minuteman Press Beltline has the advantages of being both a well-established local print shop with roots in the community, as well as having the weight of a trusted global company behind its name. Owner Faisal Tariq has run the franchise with his father and brother since 2004, making the shop one of Minuteman Press’ most successful locations.

Tariq owes Minuteman Press Beltline’s success to his team’s dedication to the quality of their products and services. The team prides itself on solving customer problems and offering a speedy turnaround time on prints.

“We do a lot of things in house — a lot of print companies send things out to vendors, and only really do a few things. We control the quality, the price, and the speed with which we can do [a job]. We stand by our work,” he said.

Minuteman Press Beltline is also committed to maintaining its status as a leader in the printing industry. Over the location’s seventeen years in operation, it has upgraded its facility with new technology and equipment, so that its customers are always getting the best available product.

For Tariq, the joy in his work comes with helping small businesses grow using print communications, thus becoming a part of their success stories.

“All our customers are business owners,” he said. “I am more impressed with other people’s businesses than mine. You get to know their original stories, and now they’re big shots.”

Tariq and his team take pride in knowing they have helped print a number of successful books, and aided in the growth of engineering firms, universities, and other Alberta businesses. In the future, Tariq hopes to work with more small businesses, bringing them tangible growth and value along the way.

“Once we help new customers with whatever they want to do, we try to tell them about all our other services,” Tariq said. Often, the relationship grows authentically and symbiotically, with no pressure, and full transparency.

A passion for helping others flourish through service excellence is what makes Minuteman Press Beltline a truly exceptional business and a foundation to the Calgary community.

To learn more, visit its website at www.printshopcalgary.ca.

Pamila Kew / May 27, 2021

SM Spotlight Kuefler Stevenson Bennett LLP

If you need legal services in Calgary, Alberta, look no further than the trusted law firm of Kuefler Stevenson Bennett LLP! Located in one of downtown Calgary’s landmark heritage buildings — Kipling Square — its hardworking team of partners and staff bring cost-effective, efficient solutions and years of experience to every client they help.

Kuefler Stevenson Bennett LLP was founded five years ago, when lawyers Quinn M. Kuefler, Nancy-Lynn Stevenson, and Darius L. Bennett brought their combined decades of experience and shared vision to one firm.Kuefler-Stevenson-Bennett-LLP-Pendergast

Between the three partners, Kuefler Stevenson Bennett LLP offers legal assistance across a wide range of specialties, including real estate, business, litigation, corporate law, employment law, family law, construction law, personal injury, and wills, estates and trusts.
Its mission is to deliver peace of mind by engaging, guiding and empowering its clients to achieve optimal results.

Kuefler, Stevenson, and Bennett achieve this mission due to their shared values and passion for working with people.

“The key to our success is that we love dealing with people,” Stevenson said. “We like to pride ourselves on our responsiveness, we respect our clients, we try to do good work so that people do come back. None of us are very pretentious — we are more down to earth.”

Often, Stevenson explained, seeking legal services can be very intimidating, especially if a client is in a time of personal struggle. At Kuefler Stevenson Bennett LLP, clients experience a friendlier, less stressful experience than what they might have been expecting.

“We are not condescending to our clients,” she said. “All three of us are very approachable.”

Approaching a career in law with humility and empathy is one of the foundation strengths of the attorneys at Kuefler Stevenson Bennett LLP. Clients seek out legal services at various stages in their lives; from joyful moments, like buying a house or a business, to harder times, like processing a divorce or custody agreement.

“We are there to help when [our clients] need it,” Stevenson said. “It is satisfying for me when I accomplish for a client what the client wants to accomplish”

For more information about this amazing Calgary practice, visit its website at www.ksblawyers.com.

Pamila Kew / May 17, 2021

SM Spotlight Wendy Ellen Inc.

Many businesses require human resources solutions, without the need or ability to fund a full time HR team–that’s where Wendy Ellen Inc. comes in.

Founded in 2005, Wendy Ellen Inc. specializes in helping small to medium-sized businesses who only need part time human resource support either onsite at their business or remotely. This includes clients around the world and across all industries, from North America to Eurasia.

“We consult in all aspects of HR… We are like an external HR department,” Wendy Giuffre, the president and principal consultant for Wendy Ellen Inc., said.

From the oil and gas industry, to airports, to construction companies, to not-for-profits, and more, Wendy Ellen Inc has successfully implemented individualized HR solutions for an extremely diverse client base. It specializes in all aspects of human resources; on the ground with employees, assistance during a merger and acquisition process, recruitment services, management advisory and coaching, payroll services, and much more.

Unlike many human resources firms, Wendy Ellen Inc. doesn’t sell pre-designed service packages or ask you to sign a contract that may not fit your needs down the road. It also puts a strong emphasis on providing personal service.

“We are very responsive, and we aren’t industry specific,” Giuffre said. “Our consultants really get to know the people and leadership.”Wendy-Ellen-Pendergast

Every business that works with Wendy Ellen Inc. works with one of its twelve consultants, who develops an individualized approach to help their business. In this sense, being on retainer with Wendy Ellen Inc. is much more akin to having an internal human resources department, in terms of authenticity and familiarity.

“[We’re] the only best HR practice you’ll ever need,” she said, which is also the title of the book she and her partner, Ashley Kieboom wrote in 2019.

Over the years Wendy Ellen Inc. has been able to grow organically through word of mouth and advertising, and Giuffre hopes the company will continue to grow in the future by continuing to provide excellent service and adding to the list of services it provides.

Most recently, Wendy Ellen Inc. began offering mediation as another method of bringing their clients the best possible human resources practices.

For more information about Wendy Ellen Inc. and its top tier human resources services, visit its website at www. wendyelleninc.ca.

Pamila Kew / May 17, 2021

SM Spotlight Alberta Business Sales

Are you new to the business world and looking to buy into an established company? Are you a business owner ready to sell to the right new entrepreneur? Alberta Business Sales can take the stress out of this process and prepare you for the next step in your career.

Alberta Business Sales is a full-service business brokerage that serves clients across Alberta. It offers its services for the transfer of all necessary aspects of a business sale, such as shares, assets and real estate. It also strictly regulates its client intake so each buyer and seller they work with gets the team’s best efforts.

“We put together motivated business sellers with excited business buyers,” Business Broker Sharon Shore said.Alberta-Business-Sales-Pendergast

For over a decade, Neil Gerritsen, who has over 30 years of experience in the finance and business world, has run the company from its primary office in Edmonton.

In 2021, Alberta Business Sales opened its Calgary office under the expertise of Sharon Shore. The hope is that this will allow Alberta Business Sales to continue to expand by serving businesses in Saskatchewan and British Columbia as well and becoming Western Canada’s premier business brokerage.

Although, Alberta Business Sales serves clients province wide, it has a small firm, boutique feel, and customer service is an absolute priority. It takes pride in answering every call and email and ensuring its clients’ needs are being met.

“We take good care of our clients,” Shore said. “We really want to help buyers and sellers avoid the pitfalls that happen in the transition of buying and selling.”

Many clients approach Alberta Business Sales with a lot of big questions. How do they exit their business properly? Will it survive without them? The team at Alberta Business Sales can help coach and prepare sellers and buyers alike in the process of getting from point A to point B and move onto the next step in their career.

Even if they aren’t looking to buy or sell right away, but rather want to build a plan to do so in the future, Alberta Business Sales can help them optimize the experience and come up with the best strategy. They can also help buyers find the right financing plan to purchase a business, which is often the biggest reason potential buyers are scared off.

To learn more about this incredible Alberta business, visit its website at www.absales.ca.

Pamila Kew / April 19, 2021

SM Spotlight Rhapsody Strategies

Do you have an entrepreneurial or leadership vision? Are you stuck when it comes to executing your ideas, or knowing where to start? Thankfully, Rhapsody Strategies has the energy, passion, and know-how to help you live up to your full potential.

“[Rhapsody Strategies] helps [its] clients transform into sophisticated leaders who shape the face of business,” Steve Osmond, coach and original team member of Rhapsody Strategies, said.

Since 2014, Rhapsody Strategies has excelled in coaching and mentoring clients for business leadership. It has offices in Ottawa, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta, but serves clients across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The name Rhapsody Strategies came from the founding team’s business philosophy. They wanted a name to depict the art and architecture of their new company.

“For art, we chose ‘rhapsody,’ because it is a song that tells an amazing story… [and] each client’s business will be their own epic story,” Osmond said. For architecture, the word ‘strategies’ encompasses the team’s commitment to forward-movement and action-based plans help that their clients.

Among Rhapsody Strategies’ impressive portfolio is personal, business, and executive coaching, crisis coaching, and various kinds of training to help its clients fill in skill gaps. One exciting program they offer is JumpStart, an intensive four-hour Coaching session specially designed to accelerate new businesses.

Schooley-Mitchell-Alberta-cost-reduction-services-community-contact-Rhapsody-Strategies-Steve-OsmondWhen asked, Osmond described his clients as Rhapsody Strategies Rhapsody Strategies ‘ JumpStart Program
“winners who at this point might be losing.”

He said they are often people with brilliant minds, great ideas, passion, and drive, but they struggle with some key skills needed to excel in business. That’s where Rhapsody Strategies comes in. They are dedicated to helping clients who know they are meant for more, fulfill their huge potential.

“My only goal is your success,” he said. “It’s a real sense of being able to put my abilities into a position of serving others.”

Rhapsody Strategies is made up of a team of six master coaches whose client-centered method has a proven history in helping leaders achieve their goals.

Osmond, a former pastor of twenty years with an empathic and active-listening approach to coaching, said Rhapsody Strategies is careful and considerate about who represents them. Each coach must have the proven track record, training, tools, and shared team values to work at Rhapsody Strategies. In fact, despite their years of experience, Rhapsody Strategies provides ongoing monthly training to keep its team’s skills sharp.

They are always asking for and appreciating client feedback, to make sure they are providing the best quality experience to every person with whom they work.

To learn more about Rhapsody Strategies team and how its team can help you fulfill your full potential, visit its website at www.rhapsodystrategies.com.

 

 

Pamila Kew / April 16, 2021

SM Spotlight Stuart Olson

When it comes to a construction project — whether residential, commercial, or industrial — you want assurance that you’ve hired one of the utmost experts to get the job done. In Canada, that is Stuart Olson, and its recent merger partner, Bird Construction.

An Industry Leader…For over a hundred years, Stuart Olson and Bird Construction have been among Canada’s topmost full-service contractors.

With headquarters in both Calgary and Mississauga, Bird Construction and Stuart Olson serve businesses and communities from the Atlantic to Pacific coast.Stuart-Olson-Pendergast

“[Stuart Olson delivers] full service from the conceptual phase, through to handing over the keys at the end of the project,” said Rick Andison, Project Director.

As a nation-wide leader providing a comprehensive range of construction services, Stuart Olson can take on just about any project you might have. Some of Stuart Olson’s successes include The Richmond Oval, in British Columbia, Calgary’s Central Library, in Alberta, RBC Convention Centre in Manitoba, an array of Post-Secondary builds in Ontario including facilities at McMaster University, University of Toronto Mississauga, and Windsor University, to name a few. They also have a large presence in the Industrial Infrastructure space, covering maintenance, repair, and operations; and have a proven track record delivering agriculture, food processing, and cold storage facilities.

In 2020, Stuart Olson joined forces with Bird Construction, merging to create one forward-thinking, premier Canadian construction company. Although the integration of the two bodies is still in process, the collaboration between them is proving to spark innovation already. Take, for example, their mutual hashtag #OurBestBuildYet. Not only does this reflect their shared values of making each project a specialized representation of their abilities, but it has brought a lot of media coverage to the good work Stuart Olson and Bird Construction do every day, a lot of which falls outside the realm of what you might usually associate with a contractor.

Stuart Olson and Bird Construction are committed to being innovators. Stuart Olson has a Centre for Building Performance, dedicated to energy efficiency, tracking, analytics and insights; and Bird Construction has consistently prioritized and promoted collaboration among Indigenous communities across Canada. Together, they are working toward contributing to positive advances in the industry.

Looking towards the future, Stuart Olson knows that change is inevitable in any industry, including construction, and they plan to continue providing long-term value for clients, through flexible, innovative, and forward thinking solutions.

“There’s nothing we won’t look at or haven’t looked at,” Andison said.

For more information about this great Canadian business, visit www.stuartolson.com or www.bird.ca

Pamila Kew / May 25, 2020

Recommendation Letter for Nia Lefebvre – Riddell Kurczaba Architecture

To whom it may concern:

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Nia Lefebvre of Riddell Kurczaba Architecture in Calgary, Alberta. Nia is a skilled chief financial officer who is committed to providing an exceptional design experience.

Riddell Kurczaba Architecture is an architecture engineering company with a focus on innovative design solutions. It provides quality architectural services to a wide range of industries including oil and gas, industrial, government and education.

Nia is a hardworking and motivated individual with extensive experience in the industry. She always has the best interests of her clients in mind and works hard to ensure all their needs are being met.

If your business needs architectural services, I highly recommend Nia Lefebvre and her team at Riddell Kurczaba Architecture. You can rest-assured knowing she will get you connected to the right people so you can have the innovative design solutions you need.

Sincerely yours,

Mickey Pendergast
Strategic-Partner
Schooley Mitchell

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