LIFT Startups

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

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BizOnDeck Case Study: Marshall Property Services

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Marshall Property Services offers property maintenance and moving services, including junk removal and deliveries – and more. Owner Spencer Marshall describes his market as people “looking for someone to give [their] property the care it deserves… We enjoy serving our community with a happiness guarantee because that’s what it’s all about. Coming home to a tended home feels amazing!” Spencer put his business “on deck” in Winter of 2018. Find out more about these services at marshallpropertyservices.ca (for reviews, see the Facebook page).

LIFT: What inspired you to start Marshall Property Services?
Spencer: [There’s a need for quality home and property services in the community. I have the skills and the tools to provide the service. I also believe that running my own business is also a way to get the freedom and flexibility I need to be with my family when it counts, while my kids are young.

LIFT: What was your “ask” at your BizOnDeck workshop?
Spencer: How to make odd jobs a full-time business.

LIFT: What were the three biggest takeaways (and subsequent actions) from your BizOnDeck?
Spencer: Get a content-filled website going, offer special packages and discounts, and know my value!

LIFT: What actions have you taken to follow up on these takeaways?
Spencer: The website is up and under construction (see marshallpropertyservices.ca). We’ve been making and sharing more videos and content. And, in a big step towards business sustainability, the feedback we got on what we’re offering gave us the confidence to raise rates for the spring and summer seasons.

LIFT: Has putting your business “on deck” helped grow your business?
Spencer: Yes. It helped me pop a major comfort bubble that was holding me back. With the encouragement of the participants, I now feel a lot less stress, have better time management, and I am finally out of survival mode!

 

Last word

Spencer: Right now we are deep into spring cleaning. That means getting moss of the roofs, skylights clean, roofs blown off, gutters cleared, soffit/siding hand washed, and the sidewalks and driveways pressure washed. We are also offering exterior/interior painting. Marshall Property Services is a one-stop shop to get your property looking cared for!

FMI about LIFT & BizOnDeck

LIFT helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and non-profits grow. To put your business or project “on deck” please fill the blanks in this form. Or call HPM at 250-792-1408.

Ready to join a dynamic community of entrepreneurs who are hustling the help to grow businesses on Vancouver Island? Be in touch!

LIFT Podcast: James Flawith talks about Lil Worker Safety Gear – and James Flawith

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In this podcast James Flawith.tells us about Lil Worker Safety Gear. In second part, James answers questions about himself: being an entrepreneur, what he considers to be his smartest choice in life, his favourite books as a kid, what he’d do with $1M to support entrepreneurs, and his favourite place to eat in the whole world.

James has been nominated and selected for several business-related awards in recent years (Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce, Vancouver Island Top 20 Under 40, Startup Canada Awards), for good reason: he’s an inspiration for many of us who are trying to make a difference in our communities. Thanks, James!

FMI about Lil Worker Safety Gear see lilworkersafety.ca. You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Lil Worker Safety Gear is a LIFT member.

 

More LIFT Podcast about growing your business

You can find more podcasts with Vancouver Island entrepreneurs, and resources to grow your business on the Island on our blog here. You can also subscribe via iTunes.

Ready to grow your business? Join us!

LIFT Podcast: Angie Barnard talks about The Network Hub – & Angie Barnard

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Angie Barnard is the Chief Motivating Officer of The Network Hub in Nanaimo, a PowHERhouse “Women We Celebrate” host, and a LIFT VIP. We talked about The Network Hub, and about Angie as an entrepreneur – including her scariest moments and how she got through them, her advice to Vancouver Island entrepreneurs, a “must enjoy” activity Vancouver Islanders, and her favourite place to eat in the whole world – and more. Enjoy!

FMI about The Network Hub see thenetworkhub.ca/about/nanaimo
FMI about Angie see her LinkedIn profile.

More LIFT Podcasts

Check out more LIFT Podcasts here – and subscribe via iTunes.

 

About LIFT

LIFT Startups is a collaborative business and marketing service based on Vancouver Island. We’re bringing entrepreneurs together to “hustle help,” grow their businesses and Vancouver Island’s next economy. Join us!

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

Podcast: Talking with Jani Martinius about Panther Workwear – and Jani Martinius!

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Jani Martinius owns Panther Workwear (pantherworkwear.ca). She’s one of the young entrepreneurs who’s growing a business in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. HPM interviewed Jani on April 9, 2018 about her business, her reading list, her favourite restaurants in the world, and more.

If you’re a LIFT member and you’ve been with us for 12 months or more, consider putting yourself in line for a LIFT Podcast interview. Simply send HPM an email, mention “PODCAST” in the subject line, and we’ll get to work on that.

Thanks to the LIFT community, and to LIFT Solution Sponsors and Community Partners

The LIFT Podcast series is made possible by the support of our 150+ member community, and LIFT Solution Sponsors like Sure Copy Courtenay, Mastermynde Strategy, 50th Parallel PR, Finneron Hyundai, Jabin Postal Films, Presley & Partners, and 98.9 The GOAT, and LIFT Community Partners Atlas Cafe, Island Word, My Tech Guys, McKinnon Photography, Island Soul Films, Investors’ Group, The Creator Space, & Douglas Magazine.

Together, we’re making shift happen on Vancouver Island!

#WeAreVanIsl

BizOnDeck Case Study: Prisym Renewable Developments

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Prisym Renewable Developments describes itself as Vancouver Island’s “solar innovation company.” Founder and CEO Kyrle Symons (KS) is an example of the kind of entrepreneurial talent that’s helping grow the “next economy” on the Island. He’d always been interested in business, but after high school, Kyrle first did a tour with the military. This included a stint in maritime patrol out of Comox. In early 2017 he decided to launch his new business here on Vancouver Island. Kyrle joined LIFT in the spring of 2017. In the fall of 2017, he put Prisym Renewable Developments “on deck” to get feedback from a room full of local entrepreneurs.

Find out more about the products and services provided by Prisym Renewable Developments online at prisymcanada.com

LIFT: What inspired you to start Prisym?
KS: I’ve always been interested in business, and majored in business admin at the Royal Military College in Kingston at the start of my military career. As my four-year tour in Comox was coming to an end I saw an opportunity in renewable energy and decided to pursue it. I’ve always been driven to achieve something meaningful to me and this was the chance I had been waiting for. I always imagined running a business would be fun and rewarding.

LIFT: Is it?
KS: It absolutely is. We’re very busy and it’s a crazy adventure but I’m living my dream. I’m excited about helping people get into renewable energy. I’m passionate about sustainability, and things that help us work toward a greener future.

LIFT: What was your “ask” at your BizOnDeck workshop?
KS: I had three asks: What avenue of solar should I pursue? How should I market? What funding should I seek?

LIFT: What were the three biggest takeaways (and subsequent actions) from your BizOnDeck?
KS: Don’t charge a fee for estimates. It’s a barrier that will push customers away, pick employees that are self-motivated because they are doing work that matters to them, and have financing options available since many potential customers don’t have sufficient ready cash to do a solar installation. We are able to refer our customers to VanCity to offer very affordable financing options. We’ve also taken significant marketing steps, including starting to work with LIFT VIPs Jabin Postal Films to create a video series and Lief Jason of Mastermynde to improve our online presence, and this summer we’ll be hiring a summer engineering student that will work with us and progress his studies in renewable energy engineering.

LIFT: Has putting your business “on deck” helped grow your business?
KS: Absolutely! It gave us our next steps for growth focus and got my name out there so that I know more people, and they know about Prisym Renewable Developments. Practising pitching was also a great opportunity.

Last word

KS: We currently have four big projects underway, one of which is our first solar pergola, a collaboration with Cascadian Woodtech. We are also introducing electric vehicle chargers to our line in the next couple of weeks and have some pretty advanced tech coming your way in the form of vehicle charging, battery storage and energy monitoring. Follow us on social media to find out more as we roll out these new products.

Contact information

Email: info@prisymcanada.com
Website: prisymcanada.com
Instagram: @prisymcanada

FMI about LIFT & BizOnDeck

LIFT helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and non-profits grow. 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.

BizOnDeck Case Study: Sea Salt Design

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Vanessa Raven-Vipond (VRV) owns Sea Salt Design here in the Comox Valley. She grew up in Ontario, but several years in the Martimes convinced her that she “had to live by the ocean.” In 2010, after 11 years in Victoria, Vanessa and her family moved to the Comox Valley where she says they are enjoying both the outdoors and a “wonderful, supportive community.”

Sea Salt Design offers custom illustration and graphic design services for web and print. Vanessa is also working on a line of printed products including t-shirts, posters and cards, and gift items. Products and services are available online at seasaltdesign.ca. Vanessa put the business “on deck” in Fall 2017.

LIFT: What inspired you to start Sea Salt Design?
VRV: As a child, I’d always wanted to be a children’s picture book illustrator. As I got older I started exploring graphic design. My first assignment, designing a sign for my parents B&B when I was a teen, led to work with a local sign shop. After high school, I started my own business as a portrait artist. That was my first experience as an entrepreneur. I then went on to study visual communications and illustration. I worked as a freelance for many years while I studied. I worked for a magazine and in-house with printers, but I always wanted to get back to owning my own business again.

LIFT: What was your “ask” at your BizOnDeck workshop?
VRV: I wanted feedback on whether I should continue with web design, which has been my bread and butter, or whether I should drop it altogether and focus more on illustration and print design. I also asked about the best way to go about getting back into T-shirts and gifts, as these are my passion.

LIFT: What were the biggest takeaways from your BizOnDeck?
VRV: I loved the feedback! While all agreed that I should continue to offer web along with print design, they also encouraged me to get out more, to be the face of my company, because I was so much better at selling my services in person.

LIFT: Has putting your business “on deck” helped grow your business?
VRV: Yes. I gained several new clients from my exposure from that one BizOnDeck, and since then I’ve been busy, primarily with illustration work.

Last words
VRV: I am now working on a graphic novel for a writer in Nanaimo, branding a new RMT, and re-branding a local potter. While I had a snag in the release of my online store for T-shirts and gifts, I’m anticipating a launch this year soon.

Please tell LIFT members that Sea Salt Design is offering 25% off all custom illustration and graphic design services, including print design.

FMI about LIFT & BizOnDeck
LIFT helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and non-profits grow their businesses. To put your business or project “on deck” in the Comox Valley please fill the blanks at http://j.mp/BIZONDECK. Or call HPM at 250-792-1408.

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