January 17, 2007: New Beginnings
We kicked off the New Year to hear how entrepreneurial instincts built Summerlee Group of Companies from a small obscure office furniture business into an industry leader and innovator in the contract interiors with the commitment and vision of Norine Bevan, President.

February 7, 2007: Aligning your Business to a Changing Market Place
Planning for Change, macro planning, responding to customer needs and international trade were the topics covered by Sonja Perovic, Loopmedia Inc. President and Partner, of the Toronto based 2D and 3D animation studio. Their expertise in the fields of character animation, commercial production, broadcast design and special effects has been realized in their work with such companies as: Time Warner Sony, Post, CTV, Newsworld CityTV, Loop Media has evolved into a company that offers services ranging from long-format productions, commercial and broadcast spots, to special effects for film and television, and broadband content for the web.

March 7, 2007: Marketing PowerBoost
Define, budget and strategize your marketing plan. Judy Paradi, Paradi Marketing Inc. gave ways to boost your marketing effectiveness, get a greater return on your investment and sales initiatives to nurture customers. Judy's no-nonsense style, her skills as a team leader and mentor plus her commitment to excellence have endured during her 23 years ownership of a typesetting company, a graphics design firm and a full service marketing communications business. Judy truly believes in building relationships that add meaning to her life, both personal and business.

April 5, 2006: Projecting a Professional Image
Nora Camps taught us how to consciously determine your brand and hone your brand in every aspect of your business and professional life. Nora is the founder and principal of Duo Strategy and Design. The company reflects Nora’s vision: integrating leading-edge design and rigorous consulting to produce uniquely effective corporate communications. Most recently, Nora has spearheaded her company’s drive into the area of new media. Under her leadership, Duo has become one of the pre-eminent Canadian companies in the area of interactive web-site design.

May 3, 2006: Accessing Captial
Who better to talk about Bargaining with financiers/bankers, venture capitalists and projecting financial needs than Sharole McNiven, Scotiabank Account Manager of Small Business owners and Professionals as well as heads up the Small Business department at the King and University Branch. She also coordinates the Scotiabank's Women in Business program in the GTA.
     And Jasmin Ganie-Hobbs, Account Manager with Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) as with the Entrepreneurship Centre involved with the Toronto Board of Trade, Women’s Executive Network, Women Entrepreneurs of Canada, and the Canadian Youth Business Foundation. She also holds a position on the Board of Directors for Link Up Employment Centre for people with disabilities.

June 7, 2006: Human Resources
HR clarified: Employing independent contractors, importance of WSIB registration, Privacy Act, Human Rights, Ontario Labour Code, Employment agreements, Interviewing skills, Performance Management
     Dianne Ramster, owner and operator of four Hunt Personnel franchises since 1982, Dianne also provides consulting services to clients on employee performance, competency profiling and team communications. Her business experience prior to Hunt includes management of sales, operations, customer service and accounting.
     Dianne has been a mentor with Step Ahead and serves on its Board of Directors.

September 13, 2006: Creative Financial Management
Maximizing return, evaluating savings/investments, cash flow and profit when business grows, revenue vs. profit growth were the topics covered by Cathleen Colehour MBA, a business growth consultant and CEO mentor with over 20 years of experience in consulting, strategic planning, sales and marketing, and acquisitions. Cathleen founded Clarigo Consulting™ in 1990, a management-consulting firm dedicated exclusively to helping entrepreneurs leverage business growth and profit performance. The firm has built comprehensive knowledge of a wide range of service, distribution, and light manufacturing companies in the U.S. and Canada.

October 4, 2006: Strategies for Growth
We learned the high tech of technology for small business. Jennifer Evans a Toronto-based entrepreneur, writer, and technophile and the president of Sequentia Communications, recently ranked as Canada’s 27th fastest growing emerging company by the PROFIT Hot 50. Jen discussed the impact of technology, keeping track and communicating using technology to market your business.

November 2, 2006: Ethics for Entrepreneurs
Richard Powers, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto had us sitting on the edge of our chairs as he took us through establishing a code of ethics, ethical challenges, human rights, protecting your reputation and the misuses of the Internet/email. Rick is currently the Assistant Dean and Executive Director, MBA Programs at The Rotman School of Management. A recipient of numerous teaching awards, Rick’s areas of expertise include corporate governance, ethics, business and corporate law and sports marketing. Rick is currently completing his doctoral studies in Higher Education at The University of Toronto. He is a director of several not-for-profit organizations and frequently comments on legal and governance issues in various media across Canada.

December 6, 2006: Work–Life Balance
Strategies for developing a balance between life and work and strategies for growth were discussed by Elizabeth Verwey a seasoned entrepreneur who helps small business owners manage their space and time more effectively. Since establishing Home Office Mentors in 1997, she has helped hundreds of clients in the Greater Toronto Area to gain perspective on their challenges and priorities, and take concrete action to improve how they organize and operate their businesses day to day.