“For more than 20 years we have exceeded the earth’s ability to support a consumptive lifestyle that is unsustainable and we cannot afford to continue down this path,” WWF Director-General James Leape said, launching the WWF’s 2006 Living Planet Report.

People in the United Arab Emirates were placing most stress per capita on the planet ahead of those in the United States, Finland and Canada, the report said

I had lunch with legal headhunter consultant named Warren Smith around a year or two ago, and I remember that he mentioned a networking book called Never Eat Alone which had a particular impact on him.

Given his 30th b-day plans, it must work.

I’ve just been accepted to Accelerator which is a boot camp of sorts for early stage entrepreneurs. It’s an Entrepreneurs’ Organization program intended to help you grow your sales to US$1 million in addition to teaching general entrepreneur and leadership skills.

The program includes four business building seminars through the year, mentorship from an EO member and networking with peers with similar business goals.

Given that I’m fully engaged with the day to day tasks of lawyering, running a business and being a mother, I’ve joined as a way to force myself to carve out time for business development and networking. Next stop, hire a personal trainer?

This article appears in today’s Vancouver Sun:

When the going gets tough, get help
Family-owned bookstore consumes 100 hours a week of couple’s time

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Marc Fournier (right) stocks shelves as his wife, Yuki, serves a customer in the busy Sophia Books that the two own. For the first four years, Marc says, they didn’t have a Saturday off.

It’s not easy running a small business while raising a young family. Just ask Marc Fournier.

Fournier, a husband and father of two boys, owns the downtown specialty bookstore Sophia Books, a family business that consumes most of his waking hours.

Between himself and wife, Yuki, the couple spends more than 100 hours a week at the store.

“When I’m at the store, she’s with the boys. When I’m with the boys, she’s at the store,” Fournier said. “For the first four years, we didn’t have a Saturday off.”

It’s a juggling act that requires tremendous effort, and sometimes late hours working from home.

“When you run your own business, you dream about your customers,” Fournier said.

According to an RBC Royal Bank poll released Monday in time for Small Business Week, only 39 per cent of small business owners in B.C. feel they are able to balance their time between work and home well, while 57 per cent said, if given an extra hour a day, they’d spend it with family, relax or get caught up with personal matters.

The poll, conducted by Ipsos- Reid, showed that 36 per cent of the 363 B.C. business owners who were surveyed said they work more than five days a week.

“It really speaks to the challenge of running your own business and finding that balance,” said Jim Payn, sales manager for RBC Small Business.

But, he added, there are a lot of financial tools and resources available to businesses, regardless of their size.

Internet banking, for example, was a popular option for respondents of the poll. Of the more than 2,000 business owners surveyed Canada-wide, 48 per cent paid bills online, 37 per cent filed their taxes over the Internet, while 20 per cent relied on e-mail money transfers to make payments to suppliers.

In a press release, RBC Royal Bank offered this advice for small business owners: “Take time for yourself and your family; set clear boundaries between work and home; put your family and home life first; set realistic business goals and benchmarks; efficiently manage your time at work.”

And when the going gets tough, Payn said, seek help.

Despite the challenges, a growing number of British Columbians are entering the small business world.

Employment in B.C.’s small businesses grew more than four times the national average last year, at a rate of 3.8 per cent compared with 0.9 per cent nationally, according to the B.C. Ministry of Small Business and Revenue.

The ministry’s “Small Business Profile 2006″ report, also released Monday, estimates that one million British Columbians work in small businesses.

That means 48 per cent of all employment in the province is generated by businesses with fewer than 50 employees, or by self-employed workers, the report said.

It noted that 98 per cent, or 364,000, of all businesses in B.C. were considered small businesses, while 84 per cent, or 303,700, of them were further characterized as micro-businesses, or operations with fewer than five workers.

High-tech firms, business services — such as veterinary and accounting services — education services, real estate, and tourism were the hottest sectors, the report said.

It added that annual earnings for small business workers increased 13 per cent over the past five years to $33,078, more than twice the increase for employees of large businesses. (Large business workers, however still earn more, with an average annual income of $39,788.)

Back at Sophia Books, Fournier said becoming an entrepreneur has been a learning process.

Fournier, who previously worked for the Duthie Books chain, took over Sophia Books from his father-in-law about six years ago. He now has 14 employees, a dedicated customer base, and importantly, job satisfaction.

“I really love my job and I love my work. . . . I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved here,” he said.

Asked whether he prefers working for himself, Fournier said: “I often think about it. Would I be able to go back and work for someone else? Probably not. . . . Being your own boss, of course, creates a lot of stress.”

But once you’ve tasted that liberty, he said, it’s hard to turn back.

wleung@png.canwest.com

- – -

BIG NUMBERS FROM SMALL BUSINESS

Rick Thorpe, B.C.’s minister of small business, on Monday released Small Business Profile 2006. Some of the highlights include:

1 million+ British Columbians work in small business.

98% of all businesses in B.C. are small businesses.

26% of B.C.’s GDP is derived from small business, higher than any other province (Canadian average is 22%).

3.9%, the average annual growth rate for B.C. small business employment over the past four years — four times the Canadian rate.

200 new small businesses were added each year, on average, to B.C.’s Northeast region in each of the past five years.

Source: Small Business Profile 2006

© The Vancouver Sun 2006

I presented on Friday Oct 13th at the Pacific Legal Technology Conference with Ross Kodner and Adriana Linares on the “Wired Small Law Office” based on my experience of building a high tech, paperless and automated law firm. We received lots of positive feedback after the session from attendees. Ideally, the info will help other firms assess the pros and cons of going high tech and help them avoid making some of the costly mistakes I made along the way

From CBC News Wed, 05 Jul 2006

Nearly every major city in Canada is dealing with a considerable shortage of licensed day care spaces, according to a new national study.

The report, entitled “Learning from Each Other: Early Learning and Child Care Experiences in Canadian Cities,” examines the local provision of children’s services in Canadian cities, including child care, kindergarten, and out-of-school-hours care for six- to 12-year-olds.

It concludes that in most cities there are licensed day care spaces for only 15 per cent of children.

Janet Libbey, acting director of the Mothercraft Day Care Centre in Ottawa said the lack of space has led to an increase in waiting list times.

“Well, it can be a minimum of a year’s waiting list,” said Libbey. “And sometimes with the full-time program, 18 months is not unrealistic. And there’s still many families we never get to.”

The City of Toronto organized the national study, which also includes St. John’s, Halifax, Montreal, Sherbrooke, Toronto, Sudbury, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Vancouver and Whitehorse.

Montreal came out ahead in the study, due to a provincial commitment to day care. Montreal has spaces for 45 per cent of children until the age of 12.

Julie Mathien, policy development officer with the City of Toronto, said a Conservative government plan to cancel federal-provincial funding agreements next year will result in even more of a squeeze, with 5,000 fewer spaces in Toronto alone.

“Most of those spaces were in communities where there were significant numbers of children living below the poverty line and there is a significant lack of services to begin with,” Mathien said.

In Ottawa, Libbey said the federal proposal to give parents a monthly allowance of $100 is inadequate, as the average cost for a preschooler in the capital is approximately $900 per month.
Copyright ©2006 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – All Rights Reserved

Bob Ransford’s piece in the May 31st issue of the Counterpoint Communications newsletter:

I don’t like Stephen Harper. He is not a nice man. He is anything but charming. I can’t imagine spending social time with him. I have great respect for him, not as a person, but as a political leader.

Before he became Prime Minister, I helped Mr. Harper’s Conservative campaign and I had an opportunity to interact with him one-on-one.

I recall one specific telephone conversation that took place about two years ago during which Mr. Harper told me something I didn’t want to hear. He asserted his position clearly, bluntly and without any equivocation. He didn’t sugar-coat anything or dance around his position. He told me he had made a decision and that’s how things were going to be.

His position was exactly the opposite of mine.

That particular moment is the one I can point to and honestly say that was when Stephen Harper solidified my support for him as a political leader.

I disagreed with him. I found his style abrupt and lacking any human emotion. His tone wasn’t threatening, but there was no mistaking he wasn’t backing down from a position he had clearly contemplated and decided on.

But I also immediately realized the man was decisive, he had an analytical mind and a deep intellect. He also had just the right amount of confidence—the kind of a confidence a Prime Minister-in-waiting needs. He conveyed that confidence instead of exuding it.

He wasn’t arrogant, but rather assertive. You couldn’t question his motives or think that there was a hidden agenda. It was all there, right in front of you. It wasn’t a pretty picture, but it was leadership in action.

There is little team spirit on the Harper team. In fact, there isn’t much of a team. Harper’s circle of advisors is small. He appears to reach out to few and when he does, he is usually communicating his decision, rather than seeking advice.

Harper is turning out to be a great Prime Minister. He is the kind of Prime Minister Canadians need and want today. He is clear in his intentions, decisive and unwavering. My respect for him is growing.

I still don’t like the man.

I adore Brian Mulroney. He is a charming, loyal, warm and caring human being. Spending time with him is enjoyable—no delightful, interesting and humorous.

Before he was Prime Minister, I spent a fair bit of time with him. He was a captivating political figure. He was full of blarney in public and very personally engaged and straight forward in private. My support for him was without question. I worked harder than I can even imagine today to help him get elected to government in 1984.

I was proud of him when he became Prime Minister. He made you feel part of his team. Everyone was an essential player.

When he was elected, he first looked after those who were loyal to him. You never questioned his loyalty and you felt compelled to be even more loyal in return. This loyalty to old friends cost him dearly when many of those friends asked for too much then tried to parlay that into even more.

When he was Prime Minister, I had the privilege of being around the margins of power in Mulroney’s Ottawa. The early days were heady times.

Mulroney sought advice—from many, but always first from those who showed loyalty early on. He displayed bravado always promising tough decisions. But during difficult negotiations, he was the master of compromise. He loved horse-trading, especially with adversaries. There was always a deal in the works and, as the Meech Lake Accord demonstrated, often a deal simply for the sake of making a deal.

As Prime Minister, Canadians saw Mulroney as boastful, arrogant, vindictive, calculating and detached. Many grew to hate him and still do to this day.

What most Canadians saw and perceived about Mulroney was the exact opposite of what those closest to him saw. Yes, he could be crude and vindictive, but the “team’s” interests were always his first concern and he always exuded a confident style that wasn’t arrogant but rather attractive.

After the first year or so that he was in office though, I began having doubts about Mulroney’s leadership abilities. He was thin-skinned when it came to criticism and would often back down in the face of public outrage. He was too quick to make deals and try to be friends with those who would never be friendly to him.

To this day, I have great respect for Brian Mulroney. Years from now, I believe history will judge that he was a good if not great Prime Minister.

The jury is still out on Stephen Harper but, if the first one hundred or so days are any indication, he could turn out being one of Canada’s best Prime Ministers.

I still can’t imagine spending a weekend at the cottage with him, though. I probably won’t be invited anyway.

The softwood lumber dispute has been ongoing for years now, and
despite a NAFTA ruling in favor of Canada, the United States has no
plans to obey it. The recent ruling that calls for the U.S. to refund
$5-billion in illegally collected duties on lumber has not only been
spurned by Washington, it has prompted a legal challenge to NAFTA’s
authority to resolve trade disputes. Some say the reaction to the
ruling will spawn a trade war as officials in Canada look to
retaliatory measures, while others optimistically say the U.S. will
respect its international treaties. The ruling was hailed as a major
win here in Canada, and as such if it is not followed by the U.S.
there will be major reprecussions on the NAFTA treaty and general
Canada-U.S. relations.

Full Story

In an effort to close the gap that exists between Canadian First Nations people and the general public, Canada’s premiers have agreed to a 10 year plan that will attempt to eliminate aboriginal poverty. The ambitious plan will be put into motion this Fall at the first ministers meeting on native issues and will address a range of problems associated with health care, housing, and economic development. One major goal will be to implement a means for natives to enjoy treaty benefits while not living on a reserve, especially with regard to extra federally funded health care benefits. Currently only half of the country’s native population actually lives on reserves, resulting in separate treatment for many.

A strong effort from all parties involved will hopefully begin a movement towards a much sought after increase in standard of life for Canada’s First Nations people, however simply throwing money at the problem will not lead to the desired goal. Over the past decade, Canadian tapayers have spent $3.8 billion on Native housing alone, however once received, band councils decide where the money goes without, in some cases, even accounting for it. Furthermore, a recent report by the auditor general indicates that the bands have no competant way of ensuring that the houses built meet national building code standards. Clearly no bankroll will correct the problem with the First Nations People’s standard of life when it is not accompanied by proper initiative and accountability. Money is not medicine.

One of the best known journalists in Quebec was appointed yesterday to
the post of Governor-General. Michaëlle Jean has been the host of The
Passionate Eye and Rough Cuts for the last five years and has won
numerous prizes for her efforts throughout. Hailing from Haiti, the
poorest nation in the Western hemisphere, her family fled the
dictatorship in 1967 when she was only 11 years old. Michaelle now
speaks five languages and is one of Canada’s most accomplished
journalists. Despite her qualifications, one can only guess at the
political reasons for this appointment – the Liberal minority
government has had a loss of support in Quebec since damage by
scandals and a federal election looms on the horizon of next year.

Read the full story here