Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 8, 1998, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg september 8. 1998 b4 editor Steve pona/697-7235 email Winnipeg free press business business Calendar Mhz Myrthla it Joe at i Between ctr Tiyi a wow Cand Wates can i Mutya eximer Kaufmann. Moderator will be vow Fox recent of the workers compete sati Orl Boad for tickets call757 2464. Fee $20 Norvyn fimbers. The Manitoba safety Council will be offering their two Day certified Fork lift thick operator course with instructor Jack Taylor. For information Call 949-1085. Fee $275 thursday the endows information network presents windows 98 full presentation by Bih Toews of imag inet resources corporation beginning at 7 . At 396 Broadway. For information Call 992-2283. Coming soon the Manitoba tourism education Council offers the one Day Manitoba Best staff seminar on monday sept. 14 and again on monday oct. 19 from 8 30 4 30 . At 180 main St. Register at 957-7437. Fee $65. On tuesday sept. 15 Sale write marketing in conjunction with St. James continuing education is offering the course slogans logos and business names from 7 . To 9 30 . With instructor Marianne Nuttall. Register at 832-9637. Fee $30. On tuesday sept. 15 the Manitoba safety Council will be offering their certified transportation of dangerous goods course with instructor David Patterson. Call 949-1085. Fee $100. John Gushulak and associates offers the program managing your life for balance wellness and happiness from 7 . To 10 . Over two tuesdays sept. 15 and 22 at 283 Bannatyne ave. For details Call 895-8008. Fee $85. Sale write marketing in conjunction with St. James continuing education is offering the course How to create a brochure two wednesdays starting wednesday sept. 16 from 7 . To 9 30 . With instructor Marianne Nuttal. Register at 832-9637. Fee $64. On thursday sept. 17 the information systems audit and control association hosts a breakfast seminar on electronic Commerce from 7 45 . To 9 30 . Guest speaker is Tracey de Leeuw of Ernst and Young. For information Call 933-0205. The Alliance of manufacturers and exporters Canada Host a morning networking breakfast on thursday sept. 17 beginning at 7 . At the Winnipeg convention Centre the topic of discussion is How to Access venture capital for sees with guest speaker Bill Watchorn ceo Ennis growth fund. Register at 949-1454. Fee $25 members $35 non members. On Friday sept. 18 the health care products association of Manitoba hosts a entrepreneur program workshop on winning at new products the stage Gate approach featuring or. Robert Cooper. The workshop runs from 8 30 . To 4 30 . At 435 Ellice ave. Register at 942-3830. Fee $225. The panel on government and accountability in the voluntary sector is holding a consultation on Friday sept. 18 at the Delta Winnipeg from 1 . To 5 . To discuss the report helping canadians Jorfi liar in soft l7 to imkirfai"1 he in i in re speak & n a a Ca to a use by fac for information Call 805t0444tfee family $lcfsingte$8student$5. On saturday sept 19 the Manitoba safety Council will be offering their certified defensive driving course in Brandon Manitoba with instructor Doug Paulson. For information Call 949-1085. Fee $90. On monday sept. 21 the Manitoba safety Council will be offering their certified Fork aft truck instructor refresher course with instructor information Call 949-1085. Fee $100. The business development Bank of Canada offers the business management forum a six week career renewal program designed for unemployed professionals managers and specialists. For information on the next session Call 983-6208. Deadline for application is tuesday sept. 22. On tuesday sept 22 the Institute of internal auditors Host the professional development presentation developing a knowledge organization at fort Garry place from 11 45 . To 1 30 . With guest speaker Knowles vice president of corporate training and development with investors group. Registration deadline sept. 18. For information Call 474-9494. Fee $15 members $25 non members. On tuesday sept. 22 the downtown Winnipeg Biz and Deschene Regnier present the Selling your business marketing seminar from 9 noon at place Louis Riel. Register by sept. 15 at 958-4640. Fee $20. On tuesday sept. 22 and wednesday sept. 23 the Manitoba safety Council will be offering their certified Fork left truck operator course with instructor Jack Taylor. For information Call 949-1085. Fee $275. The Manitoba tourism education Council offers a workshop on handling difficult situations wednesday sept. 23 from 1 00 . To 4 00 . At 180 main St. Register at 957-7437. Fee $35. The Winnipeg chamber of Commerce hosts a membership luncheon on thursday sept. 24 from 11 30 1 30 . At the crowne Plaza hotel. Guest speaker is Richard Neill president and ceo of Magellan aerospace corporation. For information Call 944-8484. Fee $26.75 members $42.80 non members. On thursday sept. 24 the Manitoba safety Council will be offering their certified defensive driving course with instructor David Patterson. For information Call 949-1085. Fee $90. On Friday sept. 25 the Canadian club hosts a luncheon meeting with guest speaker the honourable Ron Duhamel Secretary of state for science research and development from 11 45 . To 1 30 . At the Winnipeg convention Centre. A sep by sept. 23 at 488-0242. Fee $15 members $20 non members. The free press welcomes items or the business Calendar. They should include time Date location sponsor and fee and be mailed to Edward matl Shewski free press 1355 Mountain ave., r2x 3b6, or faxed 697-7412. Web seems headed for a Banner year by Murray Mcneill business reporter the workers compensation Board appears headed for another Banner year financially. The web posted a $9.9-Mihion net operating surplus for the first six months of this year and Board spokesman Glenn Hildebrand said web official Are forecasting the surplus will climb to about $16.3 million by the end of the year. That comes on the heels of a $23.9-million surplus in 1997, and has led to renewed Calls from local business and labour groups for the Board to share More of its newfound wealth with local employers and injured workers. The Canadian federation of Independent business recently sent a letter to web chairman Wally Fox decent calling on the Board to return at least $12.25 million of this year s surplus to employers through a rate rebate program. As Well the crib wants to see a substantial Cut in the workers compensation Premium charged to local employers crib spokesman Dan Kelly said in an interview. He said statistics show that Manitoba s average assessment rate of $1.88 per $100 of payroll is still the sixth highest of the 10 provinces and is 58 cents higher than the country s lowest rate -$1.30 in Alberta. He said if Manitoba wants to continue attracting new businesses to the province its workers compensation premiums must be competitive with nearby jurisdictions such As Alberta. We expect a double digit Premium Cut this year and Well be very unhappy if it s anything less he added. Premium rollbacks however Manitoba federation of labour president Rob Hilliard said employers have already received two consecutive Premium rollbacks As Well As $8.6-million in Cash rebates last year. He said it s time that injured workers made up some of the ground they lost when the provincial government reduced their benefits in 1992 so the web could pay Down its debts and build up its reserves. However Hilliard said he does t hold out much Hope for Benefit improvements because the Filmon government has already said it has no plans to increase benefits this year. This year s six month surplus came despite a marked increase in Accident claims during the first seven months of the year. Hildebrand said Accident claims were up 8.5 per cent Between Jan. 1 and the end of july while the number of accidents where time was lost from work was up 10 per cent. He said one of the factors that contributed to this year s increased revenues a buoyant Economy and expanded provincial workforce probably also contributed to the Rise in Accident claims. He explained that accidents tend to occur More frequently among new employees and those who Are working a lot of overtime. Continued please see several/b5 Watkin is just As committed to service As he is to offering specially items and toys and games that make a difference Jeff Debooy Winnipeg free press High level of service adds up to Success for City business by Martin Cash business reporter Jack Watkin is the classic Case study of the importance of relationships to the Success of a business. The owner and president of the one and a half year old educational toy and equipment mail order business Quality classrooms inc., ran a Winnipeg store called Banbury Cross for 20 years before that. At Banbury he developed a reputation with teachers and Day care managers As someone who really cared about what children need and who listened to what teachers and daycare workers said they wanted. He sold that business to the Moy ers retail Chain in 1993-94, but stayed connected to the business researching the mail order business and going to Trade shows. Moyers subsequently went out of business closing All its stores in december 1997. When i started up Quality classrooms i was Able to Call up my former suppliers and they readily agreed to Advance me inventory to get started the affable Watkin said recently in the glorious confusion that is the company s warehouse showroom and distribution Centre for the 10,000 different items he Sells. But it was t just his old suppliers who were Happy to do business with him his banker was too. I m very close with my banker Watkin said. Maybe a Little too but with a $200,000, 200-Page Cata Logue produced and mailed and about $350,000 Worth of inventory before he made the first Sale in the Spring of 1997, Watkin could t have done it without that kind of support. The second edition of the catalogue is due out in january and when the mailing list turned up to have a major flaw missing about 70 per cent of the country s Day cares there was a nervous three week period last year. That s How Long Watkin and his banker had to wait for the first order to come in after the catalogue had been shipped. Trust and relationships business is All about Trust and relationships he said. But the banker had to be a Little but by last september the company had $265,000 Worth of receivables and Quality classrooms did More than the $1 million in sales that Watkin was projecting for the first year of operation. Not the kind of self promoting businessman who might be prone to inflating projections Watkin figures he s got a Good Chance of increasing sales by at least 75 per cent this year. Flipping though the Day s order sheets from schools and Day cares across the country he has obviously got the attention of his target Market. I have been dealing with him for years at Banbury said Bonnie Ash executive director of the four location Morrow Avenue Day care in Winnipeg. When you talk about personal service that is Jack. 1 was setting up two locations and i told him i needed to come Down but i could t come during the Day. He stayed with me until 8 00. If you Tell him you need something today you la have it. If you Tell him you d like something specially made hell get it asked about How such a High level of service is possible when he s supposed to be trying to make a profit Watkin sheepishly replied i probably do a Little too much of but that s not what his customers would say. Brenda Paley is executive director of action Centre Day care in the City s North end. She has been at that Day care since 1979. When i first started the Centre was quite poor Paley recalled. We were trying to get Community donations and someone told me to go see Jack. At that time he was just getting Banbury Cross going. To Tell you the truth i think he was More poor than we were but he ended up letting us have a Bunch of stuff. Now that our Centre can afford to Purchase equipment we go to Watkin is just As committed to service As he is to offering specially items and toys and games that make a difference. That includes ethnically diverse dolls sign language puzzles and dolls that use wheelchairs and seeing Eye dogs. Even though he Sells thousands of items like cots and shelving of All types Watkin said he will never drop the specially products even though he can Only Hope to sell a few. That s what sets you apart he said. This Way to business Vian Foje Nidick us mis admed Ini ii Tiye Lei Jiunn a hade Luik us mis a ii ;