Tag Archive for: entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs, here’s your chance to shine a light on your business!

Are you an entrepreneur in Montreal?

Do you believe in your startup and in your entrepreneurial abilities? Here’s your chance to present yourself to the world and spread the word about your products and services with a promotional video! OK George! Studio is a Montreal-based production agency interested in helping deserving entrepreneurs by producing their corporate video free of charge. They’ll help the winners with the entire production process, from conceptualization to post-production (value of $2,500). Fill out this application form if you think you got what it takes!
 
 
A panel of professionals from different organizations will review the applications:
 
Montreal’s very own Salon Des Refusés

MontrealTips is always proud to feature local entrepreneurs. We believe it’s a great way for our community to grow and prosper from each other. This is why today’s article will be a feature on Montreal’s very own Salon Des Refusés who have just opened up their online store. 

 Better known as ‘SDR’ they are a Montreal based clothing brand and designers that are true to their aesthetic which describes itself as “demonstrating luxury chaos and eccentricity of rock and roll culture”. SDR is more than just a clothing company as they are also self-sufficient in the sense that they double as a cut and sew shop. Founded in 2017 by three local Montreal fashion pioneers Francis Palumbo, Joey Lavalle, and Brenden Knez, one of their brand’s main pillars was to keep the company by Montreal for Montreal. Meaning that all materials and manufacturing are all made and purchased in Montreal so that they can ensure superior quality products on all their clothing and also support local businesses and communities at the same time. 

The ‘SDR’ brand started off as making custom clothing for recording hip-hop artists such as 88 Glam (who performed at the Junos) Lil’ Mosey and  21 Savage. They also appeared on XXL (a hip-hop magazine) which really helped propelled them to gain enough traction to secure a showroom during Paris’ fashion week in 2019.  They are also currently booked for another showroom in Los Angelas in 2020. With the recent success of their showrooms and magazine features, they have recently expanded to opening up their online store to make their top end products more accessible for all their customers.

With their online store up and running, the skies the limit for SDR. They have big and better things coming up on the horizon and are looking to take the fashion world by storm. 

You can check out their online store at https://www.ateliersdr.com/

And show support on their Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/____sdr____/

MontrealTips is always proud to feature local entrepreneurs. We believe it’s a great way for our community to grow and prosper from each other. This is why today’s article will be a feature on Montreal’s very own Salon Des Refusés who have just opened up their online store. 

Source: https://www.instagram.com/____sdr____/

Leadership Coaching & Training Covered by the Government of Quebec

 

As the current pandemic situation remains uncertain, the Quebec government has launched a new program to refund businesses for leadership coaching and professional training, sending the message that businesses can not only thrive during this time, but can take the opportunity to strengthen and grow.

It seems like this pandemic is putting just about everything to the test: our healthcare system, social systems, economy and more. And we’re all feeling it on personal and professional levels.

There’s a saying going around that we’re not all in the same boat, but we are all in the same storm. For businesses, we are all facing the same pandemic crisis, but each of us with different tools, resources and circumstances, meaning each business (and its people) is having to approach this crisis in its own unique way.

The new program announced by the Quebec government will hopefully give more freedom to businesses and leaders to take action when it comes to surviving and thriving during COVID-19 and beyond.

One of the biggest changes facing many businesses is the sudden shift to remote work. If you’re a business leader, manager, CEO or owner, you’re probably asking questions like…

Guy holding frame on a beach

“How do I keep people engaged and motivated?”

“Can I expect productivity when everyone’s working from home?”

“How do I talk to people about getting their work done, when everyone’s worried about this virus?”

“How do I lead other people when I’m feeling disconnected and overwhelmed?”

For a business to thrive, we all know the people who drive the business need to be working like a well oiled machine. That is never more true than in a time of crisis when you need everyone motivated and committed, working together, collaborating effectively, and bringing their best to the team and their work.

Right now, CEO of Your Life founder, Melissa Dawn, is hosting virtual leadership coaching workshops in partnership with Concordia University to help you create greatness out of crisis. These workshops can potentially be refunded under the new program, and help your business embrace the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.


4 Virtual Workshops to Help Your Business Thrive.

Here are 4 business and leadership workshops your business can capitalize on during Quarantine:

 

1. Talent Management & Retention: Engaging Millennials

Motivational posters are about as effective as a pat on the back. In today’s rapidly changing professional world, managers need a whole new set of skills that create optimal alignment between the organization’s needs and human resources.
In this one-day workshop, you will learn how to strengthen your value within the organization, build agile and relationship-focused leadership skills, develop talent to engage employees and support business objectives, and create a work culture that cultivates and supports A-players, all while working remotely and navigating the challenges of an uncertain environment.

 

2. Creating Human Connection While Working From Home

As more organizations move to work-from-home models, issues of connection, communication and collaboration are factors to consider. This presents a powerful opportunity to form new pathways of connection, strengthen leadership and transition office cultures into something better and stronger – something that thrives beyond physical walls!
In this workshop, you will be guided to start showing up more consciously (but remotely), taking a holistic and authentic approach to leading others, creating more human connection, and embracing distance-working as a powerful tool for connection. You will develop strategies to be intentionally aware of your impact, tune into your higher self, work on your physical, mental and emotional well-being and ensure the people around you are doing so too.

 

3. Creating Engagement in a Time of Crisis

Times of crisis can be strange and uncertain times. People are on guard, stressed and overwhelmed. Their attention is divided between work, home and media updates. As leaders, we can no longer overlook the humanity of our people, or expect them to show up in full work mode, leaving their personal life behind. This presents us with challenges, but also a powerful opportunity to evolve our leadership, building trust and engagement on a new level.

In this workshop, you will be guided to first lead yourself with confidence and courage. From there, you will work through strategies and coaching tools that will empower you to engage your teams where they are, both physically and mentally. You will come to understand how to approach and lead the whole person – not just the work persona – so that you can be a leader in calming anxieties and bringing people together in virtual environments. You will also develop tools and strategies to create a sense of shared direction and stability at a time when so much is outside our control.

 

4. Vulnerability and Courage in the Workplace

There are many misconceptions out there about vulnerability and its place in work environments. The truth is, it takes real strength to be vulnerable, but the payoff is huge. When we can drop all our fears, limiting beliefs and self-preservative behaviors, we show up with openness and authenticity, inspire others to do the same, and cultivate cultures of trust that continually take organizations to higher levels.

Vulnerability has the potential to empower dealing with difficult conversations, owning mistakes and learning from them, embracing unique strengths and talents, never worrying about what others might think or say… The possibilities are endless. Sound like a no-brainer? What if we told you there is a simple way to make all of this happen? Join this workshop and grasp the power of vulnerability.


Melissa Dawn is a renowned speaker and coach specializing in building strong teams, strengthening organizations from the inside out, and conscious leadership that transforms people and systems, empowering them to reach higher and higher levels of success.

“Connection has always been a big part of my coaching approach,” says Melissa. “First connecting with our truest selves – our inner leaders – then building on that to build stronger connections in our personal and professional lives. It’s that connection that leads to everything else – engagement, retention, productivity, collaboration, creativity, even attracting and retaining customers! So when this pandemic hit, one of my first thoughts as a coach was that people need to remember that connection is still possible from a difference. It may take a shift in mindset, yes, but making that shift will not only get businesses through this crisis (and any other that may come along), but also strengthen them to thrive in amazing new ways down the road. That’s what these workshops are about.”

If you are interested in strengthening your business to thrive during COVID and beyond, check out the workshop links above. If you’re a Quebec based business, don’t forget to look into what funding you might be eligible for under the Quebec government’s new program. Because growth is awesome, but even better when it’s free ;-)

 

This Montreal Startup is Ending Food Waste & Saving You Money

 

Did you know that ⅓ of all the food produced around the world ends up going to waste?

 

Waste happens at many points along the way, from the farm all the way to our homes, and it’s one of the largest contributors to climate change. That impact is due to a number of factors. There’s the water, fertilizers, land and other resources used to produce food. Then there are all the fossil fuels used to harvest, transport and store food. Finally, there’s the food itself, which produces harmful methane gas when it ends up in landfill conditions.

 

That’s right… when food gets thrown in the garbage, it doesn’t just quickly decompose. A landfill isn’t the same environment as compost. Landfills are usually oxygen deprived, which slows down decomposition. Food can sometimes take decades to break down, and is giving off greenhouse gases for that entire time.

FoodHero application with IGA open

Source: https://foodhero.com/

What’s the solution? For one, we all need to get better at only buying what we need, and using up what we buy.

 

But there’s more to it, and that’s where companies like FoodHero come in.

 

What is FoodHero? FoodHero is an exciting new startup based in Montreal that’s partnering with local grocery stores to put a big dent in food waste.

 

Here’s the thing: grocery stores often have surplus food. Sometimes an item is over-ordered, doesn’t sell as quickly as anticipated, isn’t as popular as it was expected to be, or even things like bad weather can come into play, where people choose to stay in and order delivery rather than head to the stores.

 

The result is too much fresh, high quality food to sell in a reasonable time. Stores will often mark these items down for quick sale, but that relies on people actually coming into the store to see the sale.

 

FoodHero has created an app that lets stores publish these quick sale items to the FoodHero community (all the consumers who have downloaded the app). As a consumer, you can search all the deals in your area, focus on your preferred store, or even shop by dietary concern. You order the items you want directly within the app, then go to the store to pick up your items, which will already be packed up for you and ready to go.

 

It’s a really great initiative because once items pass their best before or sell by dates, grocery stores don’t have much choice but to throw them out. Most grocery stores do work really hard to limit in-store waste (after all, it is money in the garbage too), but not all waste is avoidable.

 

With apps like FoodHero, stores can recoup a bit of that lost profit by selling their surplus at reduced prices and, for consumers, there’s a lot of money to be saved on perfectly good grocery items. With recent reports suggesting Canadians could be spending nearly $500 more on groceries in 2020, now is as good a time as any to start looking at ways to cut your grocery bill.

 

Many IGA locations in Montreal and around Quebec are already offering FoodHero in their stores, as well as a few Metro locations that recently joined the effort. The FoodHero folks have also said that more grocery store partnerships will be launching in the very near future.

 

Where can you find and download FoodHero?

FoodHero is available for iOS and Android. If you want to check it out, you can download the app at https://foodhero.com/ or search for FoodHero in the App Store or Play Store.

Bon appetit! 

Branche d’Olivier - Organic and natural shopping with a twist | Health

Branche d’Olivier – Organic and natural shopping with a twist

Healthy Groceries in Montreal

 

The world is changing. People are waking up to where their groceries and household goods are coming from, what goes into producing them and the impact they have on health, well being and the environment. Because of this, consumers are demanding more choice, which has led to a rise in alternative shopping experiences throughout Montreal.

Accessible and affordable to everyone

We recently checked out Branche d’Olivier and fell in love. Their belief is that organic and all-natural products should be accessible and affordable to everyone. As such, they offer a wide range of products to suit organic, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, fair trade and sustainable diets and lifestyles. 

A family-owned business

This family-owned and operated chain saw its first location open in 1992 by the Habib-Haidar family. They now have five locations across the city in Verdun, NDG, St Henri, the Plateau and Griffintown. The family came to Canada from Iraq in the 80’s and bring elements of their culture to their stores through wonderful products like Arabic coffee and mate tea.

Branche d’Olivier products

Branche d’Olivier locations carry a variety of grocery products like fresh produce, dry and canned goods, prepared foods, spices and more. You can also buy some items in bulk to cut down on product packaging, as well as household cleaning products, personal care items and a range of vitamins, supplements and other natural care products.

They really seem to promote a more aware lifestyle by stocking their shelves with items you won’t find in most grocery stores or pharmacies. It opens up a world of possibilities for people on restricted diets, with certain product sensitivities or who just want to be more conscious of what they’re consuming. The staff is also quite knowledgeable, so if you’re looking for something specific or even looking for help creating a new lifestyle or healthier habits for yourself, they can answer your questions and guide you towards products and ideas that will help you.

 

Want to check them out? See all current Branche d’Olivier locations. Happy shopping!