LIFT Startups

A new way to market and network your local Vancouver Island business!

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LIFT Podcast: Liz Wootton talks about Human Nature Development – and Liz Wootton

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Liz Wootton is an entrepreneur and former Director of Organizational Development. She owned and ran an award-winning bridal retail business in the UK for many years before moving to the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. Her business, Human Nature Development, helps businesses on Vancouver Island and around the world. Find her on the Vancouver Island business directory here.

Liz has a passion for getting the best out of people, which led her towards a career in business and personal coaching. She has worked in industries as diverse as optoelectronics, theatre, and automotive, and coached business leaders across the globe. She has been described as being “the perfect mix of genuine, encouraging and giving a kick up the behind when need be.” She’s also one of the “sharp pencils” in the LIFT community, and contributes significantly to business growth in our region.

In this episode of LIFT Podcasts I ask her about her business, the scariest things she’s ever done and how she’s made it through, her favourite reading as a child, and her favourite places to eat in the whole world – among other things. Her advice for young entrepreneurs on Vancouver Island is worth listening to.

Enjoy!

~ hpm,
Founder of LIFT Startups and the Vancouver Island Business Directory
Winner, Best in BC, Entrepreneur Promotion, Startup Canada Awards, May 2018

Contact Liz

Find Liz Wootton and Human Nature Development on the Vancouver Island business directory here.

More LIFT Podcasts

Congratulations to Andrea and Jabin – winners in our June LIFT Local promotion!

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To find out how you can win see LIFTlocal.ca

Thanks to these LIFT businesses for fuelling our local business campaign

  • Atlas Café
  • Bosley’s by Pet Valu Courtenay
  • BodyNetix
  • Coastal Coworking
  • Derm Essentials Medi-Spa
  • Hornby Island Soap & Skincare
  • Inner Strength Acupuncture and Health
  • Lupine Art Studio
  • Laughing Oyster Books
  • Panther Workwear
  • Pure Audio Centre Ltd.
  • Sure Copy Courtenay
  • Toscano’s
  • My Tech Guys, and
  • The Waverley Hotel.

Old House Law & Notary: A LIFT BizOnDeck Case Study

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Old House Law & Notary is a partnership between Lyle Carlstrom Professional Law Corporation and T. Dale Roberts Notary Corporation. Lawyers and Notaries both practice law (with Notaries restricted to real estate, wills, contracts etc.). Having them work together in the same office creates new efficiencies and legal solutions for clients. Old House Law & Notary one of the first practices in BC providing lawyer and a notary public services.
You can find out more at ohlp.ca

LIFT: What inspired you to start Old House Law & Notary?
Lyle: I wanted to live in the Comox Valley, and from a professional level I wanted to be in business with like-minded individuals and create something new and dynamic. Working with Dale Roberts has led to a multidisciplinary practice that has a lawyer working with – instead of competing with – a notary. Our type of law is non-contentious. We focus on helping people – buying and selling real estate, estate planning. These services are in high demand in the region, and an office that includes both law and notary services, it makes us very competitive.

LIFT: What was your “ask” at your BizOnDeck workshop?
Lyle: We had several asks. We wanted: feedback on what would make us more relevant to the general public, help in branding our business, advice on keeping existing clients loyal to our new brand, suggestions on acquiring new customers who will appreciate the new brand, help on determining the best ways to give back to our clients and community, and direction on spreading the word about the results of the above.

LIFT: What were the three biggest takeaways (and subsequent actions) from your BizOnDeck?
Lyle: We heard that we are generally on the right track with our marketing efforts, but that we need to spend additional time on social media marketing. We also heard that we need to clarify our company vision and mission. As follow up activities we’ve re-engaged our webmaster digital marketer, and we’re planning a management retreat in mid-June

LIFT: Has putting your business “on deck” helped grow your business?
Lyle: The short answer is yes. We found the BizOnDeck process to be very helpful, and vibrant. We got lots of great feedback. We experienced lots of synergies. Since the workshop, we’ve made positive changes to some of what we do, especially with regard to marketing.

 

Last word

Lyle: For a company like ours, the BizOnDeck was a very unique and valuable exercise. Where else would we get this kind of feedback from a room full of entrepreneurs?

 

Contact information

Telephone: 250-871-7737
Website: ohlp.ca
Vancouver Island business directory: old-house-law-and-notary
Alignable: old-house-law-notary-public-t-dale-roberts-notary-public

 

FMI about LIFT & BizOnDeck

LIFT is an award-winning organization* that helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and non-profits grow on Vancouver Island. We’ve just launched the Vancouver Island business directory to connect and promote entrepreneurs across the Island. To put your business or project “on deck” please fill in the blanks on this form and we’ll start “hustling the help” to grow your business! Or call HPM at 250-792-1408 to get started.

*Awards include:
• Best in BC, Entrepreneur Promotion, Startup Canada Awards, Vancouver May 2018
• Best Social Media Organization, Comox Valley Record Readers’ Choice Awards, 2015 and 2016.

LIFT Local – and Win!

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Did you know that for every $100 you spend at a local business, $46 is recirculated back into the local economy?

That’s one of the reasons LIFT is focused on local entrepreneurs and creatives: your businesses are the best way to achieve long-term economic stability and resilience in our Vancouver Island communities.

That’s why every month we celebrate local by giving away prizes for Instagram “selfies with local business.” It’s easy to play:

  • Find one of our participating businesses (see our directory);
  • Take a selfie with an owner or staff member;
  • Post it to Instagram with a few words about the business (eg. their website or Instagram @name), add the #LIFTVIP and #BCBuyLocal tags, and you’re in to win!

How LIFT businesses benefit

Think of this as an easy way to generate social media content about your business. Some tips:

  • Invite your customers to play;
  • Encourage your staff to engage customers to win;
  • Encourage other LIFT VIPs play;
  • Ask us for a poster or other promotional materials to help promote your business and local business in your community and on the Island.
  • Be one of the sponsoring businesses and get weekly social media tags on content you can share on your business accounts.

Thanks to these LIFT VIP businesses for fuelling our “buy local” promotion

Atlas Café, Bosley’s by Pet Valu Courtenay, BodyNetix, Coastal Coworking, Derm Essentials Medi-Spa, Hornby Island Soap & Skincare, Inner Strength Acupuncture and Health, Lupine Art Studio, Laughing Oyster Books, Panther Workwear, Pure Audio Centre Ltd., Sure Copy Courtenay, Toscano’s, My Tech Guys, and The Waverley Hotel.

Leif Jason talks about Mastermynde Strategy – and Leif Jason

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In this episode of LIFT Podcasts we feature one of our LIFT Solution Sponsors: Leif Jason, owner of Mastermynde Strategy. Leif operates a digital marketing business in the Comox Valley, serving customers locally and far beyond. Leif is very active in enhancing the “interestingness” of the Comox Valley – from helping clients be more interesting online, to helping individuals, non-profit organizations, and businesses create a more interesting community.

Contact Mastermynde Strategy

More information about LIFT Podcasts

More LIFT Podcasts are available here on our blog or subscribe via iTunes and get the latest podcasts delivered to your favourite listening device.
If you’ve been a member of LIFT Startups for over 18 months, please put yourself in line for a LIFT Podcast interview. Details here.

GrowWise Health in the Comox Valley. A LIFT business profile

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The business of medical cannabis is growing – fast – and has many facets. One of these is patient and physician education about the science and the therapeutic benefits of medical cannabis. Toronto-based GrowWise Health provides this service. In 2017 Denise Ropp partnered with GrowWise Health to bring medical cannabis education to the Comox Valley and Vancouver Island.

LIFT: What is the business of GrowWise Health?

Denise: Medical cannabis is a new and exciting area, and there are a lot of unknowns, and lots of new research. Our role is to provide education and support – for both patients seeking help, and physicians who want to learn more.

Your first step, when you visit our centre, is to meet with a physician who actually listens to you about what you are trying to accomplish with regards to your health. GrowWise Nurse Educators then provide education about medicinal cannabis: licensed producers, safety, dosing, strains, compounds – that kind of thing. After that, we’re here to give you ongoing support to reach your own, personalized goals.

LIFT: What makes your business “special” or different from what others are doing with regard to medical cannabis?

Denise: Let me be clear, because there is often confusion around this, we are NOT a medical cannabis dispensary. Our business is supporting patients in their healing journey, without charging extra fees.

GrowWise started about three years ago. The founders recognized that more and more physicians were authorizing medical cannabis, but patients were being left on their own to fulfill their prescription. With an ordinary script, a patient would be able to walk into a pharmacy and ask for help – the pharmacist will tell you what time of day to take your medication, what side effects to be aware, and will fulfill the prescription for you. That doesn’t exist for cannabis patients.

So GrowWise partnered with a half dozen Licensed Producers – companies authorized by Health Canada to legally producer cannabis for medical purposes – to help connect patients with the support they need to be successful with their treatment. GrowWise nurses are embedded in clinics where there are physicians authorizing cannabis – they work in pain clinics, fibromyalgia centres, family practices, and cannabis clinics like White Cedar here in the Comox Valley. The physicians bill MSP like any other clinic, and the education service is provided free-of-charge to patients.

LIFT: Who are the people that will most benefit from what GrowWise Health is offering?

Denise: Most of our patients are in their 50s and 60s. Active adults highly motivated to improve their health. But really, our target market is anyone who seeking an alternative to traditional pharmaceutical solutions. And so we have patients of all ages, from all walks of life.

LIFT: What inspired you to start the Comox Valley office?

Denise: I saw an opportunity to provide access to a natural health solution to the community. There are a lot of people for whom traditional pharmaceuticals have failed. This is a choice in healthcare, an alternative to traditional solutions. I must say, this is not about getting “high.” Most of our patients have not been recreational cannabis users. Many are unfamiliar with any type of cannabis. They’re people looking for a solution to health issues, a solution that’s eluded them in the traditional healthcare system to date.

We have a lot of patients that have been curious about this medication. There are also those who have tried using medicinal cannabis and are not aware of finer details about strains or components, or even how to properly dose themselves. They need proper education and support. I saw this opportunity as a way to support people on their healing journey.

LIFT: What / who have been the biggest factors in the growth/ success of your business?

Denise: Number one is our patients! GrowWise has worked with over 6000 patients across Canada to date. Hearing their success stories is incredibly motivating for us as a company, as well as for the greater community. These patients go on to tell their family and friends about their success, they share their story with their family physician, their colleagues, and so on, and the message spreads from there.

Another key piece that has been incredibly helpful is the expansion in research. It feels like every day there is a new study released about how cannabis might help – about how it is displacing opioid prescriptions, or how it is improving quality of life for our veterans. We have so much anecdotal evidence that points to cannabis be a valuable treatment options, but in order for healthcare practitioners to fully embrace cannabis, rigorous, academic research is needed.

Finally, the federal government’s decision to legalize cannabis for adult-use this summer has really helped to break down the stigma around cannabis for medical patients. All of a sudden, cannabis is everywhere. It’s on every newspaper cover, on the radio, in magazines – it has become far less taboo, and that has encouraged patients to take the first step and talk to their doctor about it.

LIFT: If you had one piece of advice for someone starting a business on Vancouver Island / in the Comox Valley today, what would it be?

Denise: Get out and network!

CONTACT
For more information about GrowWise Health in the Comox Valley:

Telephone: 250-941-4999
Facebook Messenger: https://www.facebook.com/Comox.3322
GrowWise Health in the Comox Valley is a LIFT member business (aka LIFT VIP). If you are a LIFT member ask Denise and the team at GrowWise Health about the 10% discount on hemp-based products like Bully Bites (doggie snacks), Canna-9, lip balm, body cream, and facial serum.

For more information about LIFT and how we help grow Vancouver Island businesses, please see https://liftstartup.wpengine.com or call Founder & CEO Hans Peter Meyer (HPM) at 250-792-1408.