Natural-Lee

Constant Contact FAIL

2011-09-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

As you may have seen in my post from 2009, we have been users of Constant Contact for a long time. Since my previous post I have attended seminars they have put on with presenters such as Guy Steeves. We have tried to utilize the service offered by Constant Contact to reach our 4600+ members. For the most part I thought it has been a successful partnership even though Constant Contact does not support foreign language fonts.

Recently Constant Contact froze our account because they say they have received a single complaint about us. We immediately contacted them to discuss who to resolve the problem. They refuse to tell us who made the complaint & refuse to tell us about the nature of the complaint.

We explained to them the manner by which we obtain email addresses is by people signing up to our site. They asked us to provide more and more information about the people on our contact list to the point where I am uncomfortable sharing private information.

For over two years we have operated in an up front manner as a legitimate business. Using email marketing in the manner it was meant. Constant Contact's unwillingness to help us resolve the issue with party who has complained or offer us a solution is giving me no choice but to change providers. I guess Mail Chimp will be getting my business soon.

Facebook Page

2011-02-16T12:04:00.001-08:00

So I broke down and finally decided to make Facebook worth $500 Billion dollars by creating a natvd.com company facebook page. http://on.fb.me/fYBY2M

Does your company have a facebook page?

Fraud

2011-01-31T12:09:00.000-08:00

Here is a nice email that I got from Craig Newmark. Can you believe it? I just had to post this. I love the spelling mistakes too!

Dear Craigslist Poster,

This is Craig Newmark. I'm the founder of Craigslist. We have been working with Apple Inc on new promotional giveaways. Basically we are giving away free iPads and other Apple products to randomly picked Craigslist posters. You have been picked as our winner for today. Your Craigslist post id came up in our random pick. You have won a free iPad!!! Please visit our promotional page here and follow the directions to get your free iPad. This is not a scam. After following the directions on our promotional page we will ship you an iPad within 3-4 business days.

Congratulations on winning an Apple iPad (currently valued at $829). If you have any concerns or questions you can contact me by replying to this email. Before contacting me I recommend that you visit our promo page here and sign up for your free iPad so we can reserver one for you.

Thank you for posting on Craigslist,

Craig Newmark
Founder, Craigslist Inc.

I didn't click on the links but here is where they would have taken you.

http://linkaja.info/ <---- Follow at your own peril
http://www.getresponse.com/ <---- Follow at your own peril

T4 time

2011-01-20T14:04:00.000-08:00

So it is time to prepare the T4's. For us we ask our accountant to help but I do believe it is a straight forward process.

Information needed for completion of T4 slips:

Photocopy of payroll remittance form showing total contributions for year (should be January statement).
List of all employees with full name, address, SIN, and # pay periods.
Payroll Activity (Detail) or Payroll Register (Detail).
T4 Summary report
T4 Summary form from CRA

Guidelines for completing T4 slips:

Complete the slips clearly and in alphabetical order.
Report, in dollars and cents, all amounts you paid during the year, except pension adjustment amounts, which are reported in dollars only.
Report all amounts in Canadian dollars, even if they were paid in another currency.
Do not enter hyphens or dashes between numbers or names.
Do not enter the dollar sign ($).
Do not show negative dollar amounts on slips; to make changes to previous years,
If you do not have to enter an amount in a box, do not enter "nil" - leave the box blank.
Do not change the headings of any of the boxes.

For information on how to complete the form visit
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/bsnss/tpcs/pyrll/rtrns/t4/smmry/menu-eng.html

Simply Accounting Roll Over

2011-01-20T13:58:00.000-08:00

I managed to fix that problem of the not being able to invoice in USD. It turns out in our Simply Accounting 2011 file the accounts receivable linked account was switched to "interest receivables". In the previous file it had been "accounts receivables". After switching this we were once again able to process USD invoices.

It was only coincidence that our first invoices with terms were in USD and that is why I only noticed it with USD. In fact it would have been the problem with any pay later transaction. It just happened that our CAD customer all paid at time of sale.

Joys of Simply Accounting

2011-01-07T15:07:00.000-08:00

Ahh the joys of Simply Accounting. The time has come to start a new year and fiscal year too. Last year we made the switch from MYOB to Sage's Simply Accounting in hopes of making the start of a new year easier.

Everything seemed to start out okay except when we tried to enter a USD invoice. We have lovely message:

"The Program cannot find a Account that is part of this transaction. Another user may have removed it. Please select another Account and process the transaction again."

I scanned the forums and it seems like a few people have had this problem. I still haven't found a solution but will toil at this.

Year End Wrap

2010-11-26T14:14:00.000-08:00

In preparation for the year end I usually get together with my accountant to ensure things are on track. It gives us more time to make sure things have been done correctly before we reach the end of the year.

Here are some of the things to do:
- Print your profit/loss statement (P&L) , chart of accounts and Balance Sheet for this year and last. Make sure these are for the same periods. (i.e. Jan 1 - Nov. 15, 2009 & 2010).
- Compare each account and balance between years. Did your Sales go up or down? Did your Purchases go up or down as well? Are there any accounts that have shown large increases/decreases. Can you explain the changes?

Here are areas that I have founds errors
- Postage/Freight - in our case we had a huge decrease but we did more sales so logically this should have increased. Turns out we missed input invoices from Canada Post.
- Check the retained earnings account to ensure it lines up with last year end. If they don't coincide then something is wrong.
- Accounts receivable amounts should be reasonable. If not then start collecting.
- Merchandise inventory - check that this is not too high or too low. Have you done an inventory count recently? Maybe do this before the year end too.
- Foreign exchange - market changes could explain some variance but it has to be reasonable. If not you might have an accounting problem that you do not know about.

This is some of the fun stuff about owning your own business in Canada.

Credit Card Fraud

2010-11-09T15:38:00.000-08:00

Another attempted fraudster placed two orders yesterday online. We have certain security facilities setup on our website www.natvd.com to deter potential fraudsters but if they have a valid card number then it's harder to prevent unauthorized use.

Some of things to look for:
- CVC code unknown
- address does not match registered address
- IP address does not match country of cardholder
- multiple attempts with different card numbers

We noticed the discrepancies and canceled the orders we also contact the Loss and prevention department VISA to hopefully protect someone who has had their information compromised.

Movember Natvd.com Team

2010-10-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

This fall my company is putting in a team for Movember. Movember started in 2003 between friends in Australia has grown into a world-wide movement - in 2009, global participation of Movember climbed to 255,755 people, with over one million donors raising 47 million dollars! The goal is to raise awareness of men's health issues.

For more information visit: http://www.natvd.com/en/company-events/movember-for-mens-health.html

Relationship management

2010-10-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

More and more I am turning to my business partner and saying, "remind me never to do what that salesperson just did." I have another story to add to Casual but not unprofessional.

We had a box supplier come to visit us. It was the big boss, the owner! He was towing along our new sales representative since his former representative quit on him. This was our first meeting with him and the new representative but not our first experience with the company. I shared with both of them our previous poor experience with their 3rd party delivery company. I explained how the driver was not willing to deliver the boxes to the adjacent unit as we specified on our purchase order. They both said, "That's not right. We'll check on that for you."

A couple weeks later the new sales representative comes in and introduces himself like he has never been here before. Then he has no recollection of the conversation we had about the 3rd party delivery company.

If you are going to go through the trouble of personally visiting your customer & make sales calls then be sure to follow up on your findings from these meetings. Otherwise you are wasting your time and your customers.

Casual doesn't mean unprofessional

2010-10-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

I know the business world is becoming less formal. You can see it in the way we dress, the way we write emails and the way we greet on another. Business relationships are often strengthened these days by being personable rather than formal. But casual doesn't mean unprofessional.

I have had a few really poor salesmen experiences and thought I would offer them up as cautionary tales for those of us in the sales.

Distracted calling
I had a sales representative from one of my suppliers call me while he was driving & he had me on speaker phone. Besides the fact that the conversation would cut in & out due to background noise. I believe it was start of rush hour and raining outside that day too. He was so distracted from our conversation that he was not thinking about what he was saying. Not thinking enough that the filter between brain and mouth was not functioning. We had to have a make up meeting the following week so he could pull his foot out of his mouth.

My advice is, if you at going to call someone to discuss something important then do not do it while you are distracted. I understand if you receive a call that it might not have control of the timing. But surely if you are going to call your client do it only when you can give them your full attention.

Be prepared
Just like every scout knows, be prepared. Before you make a sales call to a prospective customer have all the information with you. I had a salesmen call me to follow up on a quotation he provided. I had a simple question for him such as "how much of the active ingredient is in the product you quoted to me?". He did not have his quotation in front of him. He proceed to ask me to email my questions to him so he could look at them.

Look if you are going to call me on the telephone to discuss your quotation be prepared to answer some simple questions. If you do not want to talk to me on the telephone then do not call me.

Setting up a time to call
I had one sales rep. write me an email to say I can call him before his first meeting before 8:30 am or between 4:30 & 5:00 pm that day. Otherwise he will be in a meeting all day. The problem with this is I did not want to talk to him. He wanted to talk to me! Or was this to show me how important he was.

Similarly I got this one line email, "let me know when you are free to talk." The problem with this is the person never tried to call me first. I was sitting in the office working all morning. Was I supposed to email back & say, "Now" ? I could understand this message if I was hard to reach or my phone was busy for sometime but to send this before trying to call seems ridiculous.

So please help yourself and do not fall into the above bad habits while contacting your clients or customers.

Adwords the Gym Membership for Business Owners

2010-10-08T15:41:00.000-07:00

So if you have a website you've probably signed up for some pay-per-click advertising with Google, Yahoo Search Marketing or Bing etc. After the reality sets in and the fact that you did not get overwhelmed with new customers you have probably set aside the few ad campaigns you made. But did you ever cancel it? Or does it keep running in the background set to your monthly budget. Automatically charging your credit card.

Isn't this the gym membership for business owners. You know you should do it. If you had more time you would do it more often. You know you would be better off if you spent to time to do it. You do it once and a while to make yourself feel better but really is it worth your money? There are so many people already there & they look way better than you.

So just like the gym I am going to make a promise to myself to go in at least 2-3 a week to use it. I am going to make those landing pages direct rather than the home page, I am going to add more variety to the ads to see which are better, and I am going to figure out what the difference between "this" [this] and this is in the adwords. ("phrase match", [exact match] and broad match - in case you were wondering I googled it- I couldn't wait.

There you have it. I have made it known public knowledge. So it is written until I delete this post.

Twitter Status Unavailable

2010-08-05T15:21:00.000-07:00

Twitter Status is unavailable from my desktop & my iphone. The world is ending!

I was going to tweet about the awesome people at Big City Cupcakes who gave me a box of cupcakes for helping them unload a stuck pallet from their truck.

Tweet Tweet

Office Depot - Small Handling Fee...$500

2010-07-30T14:41:00.000-07:00

I received an email marketing promotion from Office Depot today. I thought why not order some correction tape and paper.

I put in my small order and upon check out I saw a "Small Handling Fee: $500" I thought it was a mistake. But it turns out there are no more Office Depots within 100 miles of me. I had to laugh.

I hope my customers appreciate the free shipping offer on my website.

Rekindle Your Love of Enewsletters

2010-07-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the first time you decided to write a newsletter to your loyal customer base? How excited it made you feel to reach out? Finally a chance to be creative again rather than performing a mundane administrative task. Absolutely head over heels you searched the web for tips and ideas on the web. You may have even bought a cute photo from istock to use as your banner. In one inspired evening you did it. It was your first time and it was great. You promised yourself that you would do it again and you would do it often. At least once or twice a month! Right?

So what happened the next month or the month after that? You just don't have as much to talk about. Everything is does not flow like it did before. Where did the magic go? Why it is so hard when in the beginning it was so easy.

Here are some tips to Rekindle Your Love for writing eNewsletters

- Make a Promotion Plan to coordinate your sales, new product launch and seasonal promotions. A simple promotion plan will make it easier to find topics to talk about.
- Remember why you started your business. The passion and drive you have as an entrepreneur is unequalled in the business world. You care so much about serving your customers that is why you work even when you are not at work.
- Make it personal - if it is personal to you then it will be personal to your reader.
- Make it fun - you did not become your own boss to follow someone elses rules. Do it your way!
- Review Tracking Reports - whether you are using Constant Contact or another email marketing provider they will often provide you with tracking reports. Mark sure you look at these. It can be very rewarding and inspiring to see how many people you reached.

HST Rate after July 1st, 2010

2010-06-30T15:32:00.000-07:00

HST Rate after July 1st, 2010

BC - 12%
AB –5%
SK – 5%
MB –5%
ON –13%
Quebec –5%
New Brunswick –13%
Nova Scotia –15%
Newfoundland and Labrador –13%
Prince Edward Island –5%
Yukon – 5%
Northwest Territories– 5%
Nunavut – 5%

HST Preparation

2010-06-29T22:13:00.000-07:00

As of July 1, 2010, Harmonized Sales Tax(HST) replaces GST and PST in the provinces
of Ontario and British Columbia. The province of Nova Scotia will also increase
HST rates from 13% to 15%. How will this affect www.natvd.com?

Being in British Columbia we will have the pleasure of being subject to the new HST (Harmonized Sales Tax). Our products, vitamins, will now be subject to the new HST. Currently, vitamins and supplements are only subject to GST (Goods & Services Tax) and not the PST (Provincial Sales Tax). It is unfortunate that some of our customers will have to pay more and it will remain to be seen what affect this will have on our mail order business.

We have had staff attend HST preparation seminars and we will have staff to adjust the tax codes at midnight local time on our website.

Notes:

If orders are received but not shipped by July 1st then they will be subject to HST.

Returns or exchanges received from orders prior to HST will not be subject to HST (if there is a differential) until after a specified time from the government.

HST/GST rate will be charged depending on the province where the goods will be shipped to.

The proponents of the new HST claim that the HST will benefit companies. I did a quick test to see if this would be true. One of the 'benefits' would be for businesses to claim the new HST (GST + PST) as a Input Tax Credits (ITC). Our companies total PST paid in 2009 was about $2000. Therefore the benefit will be $2000 ITC that were not previously available. Our sales worldwide were in the 2-3 million dollar range. Many customer will expect the savings to be passed on to them but with such a small benefit how can we pass the savings on in a meaningful manner?

Another concern for me will be the impact on cash flow. Having to wait for HST refund cheques means more cash will be tied up. I guess this will help some people unfortunately it doesn't look like it will be us.

FaxIt Communications - We meet again

2010-06-28T16:15:00.001-07:00

Fax Advertiser from hell! Ever since I have had a company fax line this company has been tormenting me with the unwanted advertisements. The most frustrating thing about this company is once you ask to be removed you seem to get an influx of faxes. Punishing you for trying have your number removed. I think it is because they have a certain number of days to remove you so they might as well get you while they can.

In the past I have called the removal line. I have even called their business line. Then I call my telephone company. Still today I have received yet another unsolicited fax. I have timidly called their toll free number to have my fax removed. I guess we will see what I get tomorrow.

Where to put your online advertising dollar

2010-01-04T23:39:00.001-08:00

For us small business owners we definitely want to know that our advertising dollars are being well spent. With several choices available for cost-per-click advertising it is hard to decide where the spend.

I currently advertise with the following providers:

Google Adwords - how could you not? There are still the leader when it comes to internet search engines or let's face it Google knows more about us than we do. Have you ever checked out Google Trends or Insights? Yeah, Google is EVERYWHERE.
That is a good thing for anyone who wants to advertise.

Yahoo Marketing Solutions - we chose Yahoo because we noticed a lot of our customers were using yahoo email accounts. It is likely due to the fact that they were from Asia too. Therefore an important factor to consider is who your target user is.

Bing - we have not started to advertise cost per click with Microsoft's Bing. However, we do intend to start in 2010. With the way that Microsoft has integrated so much of their software, I figure with Windows 7 there is going to be more and more people like my parents who will not bother to change from IE to Firefox or Chrome.

Temporary Capital Cost Allowance

2009-12-21T08:23:00.000-08:00

Through Canada's Economic Action Plan, the federal government is providing a temporary 100% capital cost allowance (CCA) rate on new computer hardware and systems software acquired after January 27, 2009, and before February 1, 2011. This new temporary CCA rate allows businesses to fully deduct the cost of eligible computers in just one year.

New general-purpose electronic data processing equipment and systems software that are acquired by a taxpayer for use in a business in Canada are eligible. This includes ancillary data processing equipment and systems software.

To learn more, visit the Department of Finance Canada website.

Crime prevention

2009-09-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

Over the past weekend a sneaky criminal broke into a storage container we have on site. Fortunately, we do not store anything of high value. We use it primarily to store wooden shipping pallets for when we sent goods to our distributors overseas. But nonetheless it is a nuisance. The criminal wanted to see what was inside the boxes so they cut open many of them and in the process made a mess.

In this case we had three locks on the container including one that is inside a welded metal box which is supposed to make it difficult for thieves to use bolt cutters. I can only imagine that this individual had a special set of right angle bolt cutters that could navigate the security box. For now I only hope that this burgular now knows there is nothing of value in this container so they will not return.

The lesson for today was that the police do want victims to report all crimes. At first I thought I would just get over it and move on but after talking to my landlord he mentioned that I should report the crime. By the end of the day when I had some spare time I called the RCMP and to my surprise they even sent an officer to my location. I chatted with the officer and she mentioned that they will in fact increase patrols and make a note to check on our specific location. Wow, I was surprised. She also told me that in fact these reports do help them in apprehending these criminals as the statistics and patterns do emerge with more data.

As for what we can do to prevent property crimes:
- increase visibility add lights
- we are working with the landlord to and cameras
- do not become complacent

Notice_The Confirmation of Intellectual Property Scam

2009-06-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

You are probably aware of the Nigerian email scams by now. But have you gotten this one from China? A seemingly responsible company in China has noticed that someone is trying to register your domain. Doing their due diligence they are looking to contact the rightful owner to confirm your partnership.

Here is a copy of my latest letter.

Subject: Notice__The Confirmation Of Intellectual Property Date: Mon 6/29/2009 8:16 PM

Dear Sir/Madam:

This is the China Internet Service Provider, who mainly duty for domain name and the Internet Trademark registration work.

Here, we have some important thing confirm with your company .On June 29th 2009,We received an formal application ,one company named "Meihua Investment Group"
want to register "yourdomain" as their CN/ASIA domain names and Internet Trademark on Internet .

After our initial examination, we find the domain name and the Internet Trademark applied for registration are the same with your company's name and trademark. One point
need you to confirm that whether the alleged Meihua Investment Group is your business partner or distributor in Asia?

If like that,we will finish the group's application. If the group is not you partner, please let the someone who is responsible for this matter to contact us as soon as possible to deal
with the matter. Thank you!

Looking forward to hearing your reply!

Best regards!

Alice Xia
Auditing Department:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
China Internet Service Provider:
Yiguan(Shanghai) IT Co.,Ltd
Tel : 0086-021-6296 2950
Fax: 0086-021-6296 1557
Mail:alice@dnisp.cn
Web:www.dnisp.cn
Mail No.:200030
-----------------------------------------

They want me to hire them to dispute the evil Meihua investment company. Little do they know that supposedly another nefarious company, Z-S Media, already has my domain in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan etc. in 2008.

Dear CEO,

We are the department of registration service in China. We have something need to confirm with you. We formally received an application. One company which called "Z-S Media Corporation." are applying to register "YourCompany" as internet brand and CN domain names “www.yourdomain.cn & www.yourdomain.com.cn & www.yourdomain.net.cn & www.yourdomain.org.cn & www.yourdomain.hk & www.yourdomain.com.hk & www.yourdomain.tw & www.yourdomain.com.tw” on March 31, 2008. After our initial examination, we found that the internet brand applied for registration are as same as your company's name and trademark.These days we are dealing with it, hope to get the affirmation from your company. If your company has not authorized the aforesaid company to register these, Please contact us as soon as possible. In addition, we hereby affirm that our time limit for dissent application is 15 days. If your company files no dissent within the time limit, we will unconditionally approve the application submitted by "Z-S Media Corporation.".

Best regards,
Jimmy Liu
Senior Consultant

T: 0086-21-52715980
F: 0086-21-52715978
Web-site: www.mips-china.org.cn
Address:11/F, Building A, Oasis Plaza, 137 Bailan Road, Putuo District, Shanghai, China

When we wrote Mr. Jimmy Liu back in 2008 to say we have no affiliation with Z-S Media Corporation this is the response we got.

From: jimmy.liu [mailto:jimmy.liu@mipinternetsolution.org.cn]
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 8:29 AM
Subject: URGENT - dispute of network domain name and trademark

Thank you for your reply. Domain name registration is open in China, as a registration organization, we have this obligation to inform you because what "Z-S Media Corporation "wants to register refer to your intellectual property rights and trademark, it will effect you badly in developing in China. According to the related rules, you have the priority to register, so we want to ask you whether you need to protect? We hope you can give us a clear response. If you need, I will send you an application form and quotations. If not, we will register for "Z-S Media Corporation".
Look forward to hearing from you.

________________________________________
jimmy.liu
2008-04-01

I never wrote Mr. Jimmy Liu back but according Alice Xia my domain is still available so I guess I needed worry until another company tries to register our domain in China.

Constant Contact

2009-06-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

For the longest time we have been emailing members and past customers for our website. Even though it is purely an opt in feature, I am sure some people forgot about signing up. As such they have reported us a spammers. Unfortunately, this put us in the a bit of a pickle since service providers have started to block or sort our emails spam automatically. More problematic are emails internally are being marked as spam such as an email that I sent to my colleague.

To avoid this situation in the future I have signed up for the services of a third party email marketing company called Constant Contact to distribute our email newsletters. We are currently running a small trial with a sample of our mailing list to see the response.

The pricing of such as service depends on the number of emails you send and the features. In our case our volume requires a USD$30/month fee and if we want to add more than 5 images we would need to upgrade and pay another USD$5 per month.

Hopefully, this sort of email marketing service will prove to be worthwhile. I will be monitoring the click through and coupon usage in response to our small trial.

Digital Printing

2009-06-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Recent developments in technology is giving small business more options. Traditionally, printing labels was a limiting factor to launching your own brand or product. In order to obtain a "shiny" label that looked professional you would have to spend $500-800 dollars and order a minimum quantity in the thousands to make it cost effective. However, with digital printing this does not have to be the case.

I am not talking about printing them yourself at home but the fact that more and more printing companies have digital presses. By combining the digital technology with some of the traditional techniques the finished label is very comparable to what consumers expect from a label. Namely, the labels can be made with that shiny coating and professional die cut. With no plate charges, the limiting factor is the artwork charge. As with any printing company, the artwork charges depends on what you supply them. If you give them clean artwork your charges will be minimal. You can then print 1, 100, 1000, 10000 labels.

Here is an example from the natural products industry. I want to launch my in-house brand of Milled Flaxseed granules. I have a supplier who will supply me 500 bags without label.

Option #1 - Flexo Printing:
Artwork charges $135
Prepress plates $245
Printing 2000 labels $145
Total $525

- with Flexo you need to do a minimum of 2000-3000 depending on your printer. $0.26 per label but I will have 750 extra labels.

Option #2
Artwork charges $135
Printing $125
Total $261

- with digital I can order 500 labels only. $0.52 per label but my initial investment is half.

Another benefit to digital is that I can combine product labels in one run as long as they are the same size label. Imagine that I wish to have 3-4 products under my private label. This is all possible. I will also be able to print the batch and lot number on the label each time I print. No more hot stamping.

So as you can tell I am excited by the opportunity that digital printing technology presents my company. Now it will be up to me to figure out some clever ways to use it to my advantage.

Managing Diabetes

2009-06-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

Diabetes is a lifelong condition where either your body does not produce enough insulin, or your body cannot use the insulin it produces. Your body needs insulin to change the sugar from food into energy. There are three main types of diabetes:

* Type 1, where the body makes little or no insulin;
* Type 2, where the body makes insulin but cannot use it properly; and
* Gestational Diabetes, where the body is not able to properly use insulin during pregnancy. This type of diabetes goes away after the baby is born.

Nine out of ten people with diabetes have Type 2. While there is no miracle cure for diabetes, diabetes can be managed.

You can prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes by making some simple lifestyle changes.

Top Choices for Managing Diabetes

- Control your weight - being overweight or obese can contribute to developing Type 2 diabetes. The WellBetXR Revolutionary Appetite & Blood Sugar Regulator Program with PGX? is a meal replacement drink mix that contains a well-researched blend of nutrients that can balance blood sugar levels between meals. This is an ideal way to create the sense of satiety (fulness) while reducing the absorption of calories.
Each serving contains 22 grams of protein, from high quality whey protein, only 14 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of dietary fibre. For breakfast or lunch, this nutrient packed mix provides 234 calories and a whole range of nutrients found in a well-balanced meal.

- Lower Blood Pressure - Omega-3 EPA 400: DHA 200 softgels are Canadian processed and super concentrated, pharmaceutical grade, Webber naturals? fish oil products and is standardized to provide 400mg of EPA and 200mg of DHA. Omega-3 promotes good cardiovascular health.

- System support - High anthocyanin containing products like Natural Factors BerryRich 500 mg caps are important in managing diabetes as diabetics are predisposed for circulatory disease, diabetic retinopathy and diabetic neuropathy. For example, diabetic retinopathy is a serious complication of diabetes and can cause blindness if not controlled. In retinopathy the body tries to repair leaking, damaged capillaries by overproducing proteins. Not only do anthocyanins prevent capillaries from leaking, they also prevent abnormal protiens. Anthocyanins may also help to lower cholesterol and slow cognitive decline.

- Be physically active - Being active lowers blood glucose levels. we can't put this in a bottle but www.natvd.com convenient mail order service gives you more time to enjoy walking, cycling, swimming or time at the gym.

Create actions in Photoshop

2009-04-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

For our website we have taken many product shots the enhance the product pages. After taking a picture we often have to resize the photo and adjust the color balances. For a while I was doing it step by step on Photoshop. I figured there must be a better way and sure enough there is.

With Photoshop you can create an Action. Basically assign a series of steps to a function key like "F2". So that once you press "F2" all the steps will be done.

Here is how I did it:

Save a copy of the files to be modified. Keep the originals safe. Using Photoshop open one typical file.
Using a pen and paper write down each modification needed in order.
Close this file. (No need to save)
Open a typical file again.
Using Photoshop, Click the Actions window. (If not visible go to the top menu select window and select action from the drop down list.
Select New Action – bottom of window next to garbage can.
Type a Name & select a Function Key
Click Record – You will see a red circle (i.e. recording)
Do everything as per your notes (from above)
Click STOP.
Test your action – select a typical file. Press your function key

You should be done. To take this a step further you can also batch automate this action. Namely, you can select a whole folder and get photoshop to process multiple files at once.

I used created actions to resize for posting on the web and watermarking photos with my logo.

Goodluck.

Market look for today

2009-04-16T09:44:00.001-07:00

The CAD continued to make new lows yesterday as the market received a slate of firmer tone data. The more or less optimistic news helped equities close in positive territory and also took some further shine off an already lack luster USD. The juiciest report of the day was US CPI for March with the takeaway being that headline CPI dipped into negative territory silencing the cries of inflationary fears, at least for the time being.

We have another dose of Tier 2/3 data out of the US and Canada today with the focus being on Canadian Manufacturing Shipment numbers. The market is looking for a 2% M/M advance, or, in real world terms, any sign of fundamental weakness or strength. The US will receive March housing starts and building permits, data that is likely to be a non-event for the FX markets, although any insight into the state of the US housing market is closely monitored as this sector was one of the primary catalysts to our current economic situation.

We enter the day relatively unchanged after the overnight session. We are still bias towards the CAD today although likely to be more nimble as the market consolidates and decides whether or not a move lower is feasible. Flows will continue to drive direction with all eyes on the direction of equities at the open.

Testimonials

2009-03-30T14:27:00.001-07:00

The value of a testimonial is immense. Be sure not to over look this fact especially when you are starting a new business. Customers and consumers often reluctant to trust a new company. They feel uncertain about the quality of work or product. A sincere and honest testimonial is a way to gain credibility.

How do you get a testimonial? Answer: Ask. You can do so in an email, customer feedback form or whenever you receive a letter. More often than not satisfied customers are more than happy to lend their comments. Do not forget to ask though! Printing a persons comments without permission is a no-no.

Watch out for over the top testimonials. A customer simply wants to know that your company can be trusted. If they say you can jump over the moon or something unbelievable chances are none of that testimonial will be believed.

Try to include a name and/or location of the person who gave the testimonial.

For examples visit: http://www.natvd.com/testimonials.html Our testimonial page is one of our highest ranked pages. People who are interested in dealing with us consult this page.

Celadrin

2009-03-12T16:01:00.001-07:00

Celadrin Works!

In a recent article provided by Natural Factors Nutritional Products Ltd. Yolanda Fenton provided an explanation of the positive effects that Celadrin can have a for a consumer. Ms. Fenton describes Celadrin as, "one of the most effective, natural anti-inflammatory products available."

Supported by scientific studies Celadrin has shown patients demonstrated improvements in terms of reduced pain and swelling, increased range of movement and reduction of inflammatory factors.

What is Celadrin?
From the makers of Celadrin, "Celadrin is one of the newest, most effective natural anti-inflammatory compounds that safely promotes flexibility and healthy joint function. Published clinical studies have reported significant results without any side effects." www.celadrin.com

Celadrin is a blend of special esterfied fatty acids. The esterfied (meaning they are stable and do not react with oxygen) fatty acids present in Celadrin have anti-inflammatory effects.

How It Works

Celadrin works similar to the essential fatty acids, EPA and DHA, from fish oils except the effects are much more dramatic. Fatty acids provide vital, beneficial effects for immune and inflammatory responses of the body. Various fatty acids induce changes in cell membranes and the responsiveness of the membrane to certain immune factors. They also play a role in supressing inflammatory cell functions, decreasing cartilage breakdown and reducing inflammatory activities of Cox-2 enzyme. The special fatty acids found in Celadrin have also been shown to reduce the production of negative immune factors such as IL-6 and 5-lipoxygenase and to control additional immune factors responsible for inflammation. These anti-inflammatory functions are very important in preventing further tissue and joint damage while promoting healing and providing pain relief. Additionally, the molecules found in Celadrin may play a role in the lubrication of an affected jiont, thereby improviing joint mobility.

Can Celadrin work well in conjunction to taking Glucosamine?

The cause of wear on the joint area can be attributable to inflammation as well as insufficient lubrication and cell membrane fluidity. Glucosamine assists in the rebuilding of cartilage & the overall structure of the joint and has shown moderate effects on people with osteoarthritis. Celadrin provides continuous lubrication and allows the cell membrane to repel inflammatory chemicals. Celadrin stops the cascade of inflammation and the assaults on the membrane which cause it to stiffen. Celadrin empowers glucosamine to perform faster and more efficiently in building joint cartilage as well as accelerating and promoting joint health. The dual action of CeladrinR and glucosamine provide rapid joint cushioning, quickly alleviating inflammation, building cartilage and restoring the entire joint area.

Which is better, Celadrin cream or Celadrin pills?
Both oral and topical applications were shown to be equally effective. In a separate study, it was proven that the Esterified Fatty Acids (EFAC) found in CeladrinR could be absorbed by either method (95.1% absorption rate proven through a University of Minnesota labeled study) into the body.

How Much to Take
The recommended dosage is 350 mg of Celadrin x 3 times daily. However, for more advanced needs, up to 6 times daily is suggested.

Coupon from natvd.com

2009-03-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

I am happy to share with you all my experiences with starting a business in Canada and ideas about various topics. I was asked if it is possible to receive a discount from someone who simply wanted to try our service.

I am more than happy to extend an offer for people new to my to try. To receive a discount coupon simply register as a user of the site www.natvd.com using the referral code: M826. You will then automatically receive a discount coupon by email.

Doing Business in China

2009-03-05T12:56:00.000-08:00

When doing business in China, the ability to navigate cross-cultural issues is just as important as the goods and services you bring to the marketplace. This is true whether your company is just now considering the China market, recently gained its first sale or maintains an in-country presence.

Mia Doucet, author of the award-winning book China in Motion, prepared the following tips for CanadExport to help Canadian companies avoid costly mistakes.

Tip #1: Asians want to do business with people they trust. But there is no real trust unless a person is in their circle. At first, they don’t know if you will be a good partner. Show respect by keeping some distance. Focus on building the relationship before talking business. Do not go for big profit on your first contract.

Tip #2: To protect your intellectual property, use the same due diligence you would in the West.

Tip #3: Never pressure your Asian colleagues for a decision. To speed up the decision process, slow down. Start from the beginning and work through to a solution in a logical, step-by-step fashion. Then stand your ground.

Tip #4: The negotiation process will be anything but smooth.
Your best strategy is a walk away mentality. You have to go in trying not to make the deal. Explain your position in clear, concise words. State your terms clearly. Respectfully. Then be prepared to walk away if your terms are not met.

Tip #5: Respect face. Never argue or voice a difference of opinion with anyone—even a member of your own team. Never make the other person wrong. Never say "no" directly, as that is considered rude and arrogant.

Tip #6: Account for the fact that most Asians understand less spoken English than we think they do. The easiest thing in the world is for a Chinese to say yes. Their smiles and nods have more to do with saving face than getting your meaning. Talk in short sentences. Listen more than you speak. Pause between sentences. Find four or five easy ways to say the same thing. Never ask a question that can be answered with a simple yes. Avoid all slang. Skip humour altogether.

Tip #7: Manage the way you present written information. Document everything in writing and in precise detail. Present your ideas in stages. Write clearly, using plain English text. In order to appeal to Asian visual bias, use sketches, charts and diagrams.

Tip #8: Prepare for every interaction. Do not count on your ability to wing it. A lack of preparedness can cause loss of face and trust. Do not give or expect to receive partial answers from your Chinese colleagues, as that is considered offensive.

Tip #9: Make sure your facts are 100% accurate in every detail, or you will lose credibility. Do not present an idea or theory that has not been fully researched, proven, or studied beforehand. If you make a mistake, you are not to be trusted.

Tip #10: Everyone on your team needs to know how to avoid costly gaffes.
Most of us are not by nature sensitive to the differences in culture—we have to be taught. Time-honoured passive resistance could bring your company to its knees. It makes sense to teach people the cross-cultural factors that have a direct impact on your profits.

I agree with most of what is written in this article. To elaborate further on tip#1 - avoid acting too "chummy" or casual. Keeping a little distance is important. Knowing your place is vital as well as remaining respectful. As well avoid showing off, Tip#9 says you have to know all you facts but it doesn't mean you have to show off. Be confident that you know every detail but you don't have to flaunt it. When you are asked to then give the information but if you are not asked to don't.

Canadian Bank Stocks

2009-02-24T16:07:00.000-08:00

After last nights sports match a bunch of us were hanging out. One of my teammates asked me, "what should we bet on?" referring to the stock markets. As I shared with him, I believe that Canadian Bank stocks are were it is at 7% dividends, sound practices and assets to back them up. President Obama has even commented on the state of Canadian banking.

With stocks such as TD-T trading at lows, I have been steadily adding Cdn bank stocks to my portfolio.

Cheers Team.

Damage Control Before Burnout - Stress Relax Serenity Formula

2009-02-20T09:19:00.000-08:00

We would all love to minimize stress in our daily life but in our "24/7" world it is difficult to relax. Work, family, finances and relationships can easy overwhelm anyone of us. What can be done to restore and rejuvenate the body's stress-coping systems? While there is no "quick fix" Natural Factors' Serenity Formula provides natural herbal help to calm down those persistent stress hormones and bring the body back into balance. Through the formula's adaptogenic properties, adrenal gland function is restored, harmonizing the body systems. Addressing adrenal exhuastion is a principle step in promoting vigor, vitality and strength of the mind and body. Ideally, the Serenity Formula should be combined with a proactive approach that includes attention to nutrition, sleep, exercise and improved lifestyle habits.

This formula includes Sensoril, a patented proprietary extract derived from freshly harvested roots and leaves of the botanical ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), historically known for its anti-stress properties, actually "shutting off" the stress response and shielding against further increased cortisol production. Sensoril helps the body normalize circulating hormones. In a double blind, placebo controlled human clinical trial, Sensoril reduced serum cortisol,a fight or flight hormone, by 26%.

The unique combination of superior adaptogens and antioxidants in Stress Relax Serenity Formula can give you a head start towards emotional well-being. This formula is ideal for anyone coping with nervous exhaustion; providing damage control that gradually and progressively brings the stress hormones back into balance, putting you back on the road to physical, mental and emotional health.

Forex watch

2009-02-20T09:18:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, the Canadian Dollar rallied as much as 1% against the USD but failed to hold gains finishing a touch lower as North American equities eased from early level rallies. As US President Obama’s visit to Canada has come and gone, he commented that the U.S. and Canada will cooperate on issues including energy, the economy and assured that the recently enacted U.S. stimulus bill won’t hamper trade between the two countries.

CAD opened up slightly lower ahead of US Inflation numbers which will be released at 8:30am EST while the Canadian inflation number came in softer than expected in January taking the annual inflation rate to 1.1% from 1.2%. With the lower than expected CPI numbers the Bank is likely to deliver just one more 50 bps rate cut to leave the overnight rate at 0.5% at the March meeting. The impact of that data today will likely be muted as the market focuses on the global economic outlook and equities.

As today’s economic data will probably be overshadowed by the market’s negative appetite towards risk, we look to trade range bound for the remainder of the day. Flows, risk appetite and equities continue to be very important for short-term direction and the strategy should remain the same and utilizing orders to capitalize on short-lived market movements.

Insurance

2008-10-03T10:36:00.001-07:00

Recently my insurance was up for renewal but my insurance agent at Westland Insurance informed me that my premiums would be increasing by 85%. This was because the previous underwriter did not like the fact that I ship products to the United States.

My sales in the US account for less than 1% of my sales. The sales will cover the increase in insurance but obviously to US market is not where my concerns lie. I did have a choice though. I could forget about coverage in the States and keep my old rate but if some sued us I would be on my own. Or I could payout the 185% premium for business insurance.

After much debate I ended up caving in an paying for the complete coverage. I wouldn't want to risk my business and the livelihoods of my employees if we ever ran into trouble. Insurance a necessary cost of doing business. I guess...

Wild ride continues

2008-10-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

The Canadian dollar plunged over 1.5% as the equity market imploded, commodities plunged, and the Euro dropped by 3% after ECB President Trichet admitted that they had considered cutting interest rates to address a slowing economic environment.

US employment fell more than market consensus posting the loss of 159k jobs, the largest decline since March 2003, while the unemployment rate surprisingly held steady at 6.1%. Fundamentals however remain a side show as the primary drivers of the US dollar continue to be investor liquidation of deteriorating positions, tighter credit conditions, and the ongoing need to repatriate funds back to the US to address funding restrictions.

There is talk out there of a coordinated effort across the G7 to cut interest rates in an attempt to provide support to ailing markets globally. It's unknown at this time whether such a move would be of any benefit as cash remains king and banks would rather hold than lend, but I guess at this point what do the various central banks really have to lose? For now, the US dollar remains well supported.

Canadian/US Dollar exchange

2008-10-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

The US dollar gained almost two cents against the Canadian dollar yesterday. CAD gained a bit of ground back overnight but remains weaker than where we have been trading over the past week and a half. Very strong GDP data for Canada yesterday failed to have any impact on the currency and it seems likely that the CAD will remain a slave to the flows and broader market sentiment for a while yet.

There is no data due out of Canada for the remainder of the week, however, there are a few key data releases due out of the US including the always closely watched Non-Farm Payroll numbers due out on Friday morning. Friday's non-farm payroll report is at risk of coming in sharply to the downside.

Driving traffic to your site

2008-10-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

Perhaps like me you have had the fine and dandy website constructed, now you are faced with the challenge of letting people find your site.

You read other articles on search engine optimizations, submitted your site to all the search engines. You have put your web site address on your letter head. Spammed your existing customer database and all your friends and family too.

I have not had much success with Google Adwords or pay per click ads. I can imagine all the site owners clicking on the googleads just to fatten their purse with my $0.45. I have looked into banner advertisments but for a small business the cost $10,000-$15,000 per month can be too much.

Here are a few alternative ideas that may be successful for you:

1) Get a billboard - If your business is in Springfield and you deliver to Shelbyville then buy a billboard on the highway out of Shelbyville. Have your website in big letters. Chances are you have already saturated the market in Springfield with your print ads, word of mouth and promotion events.

2) Use technology - If you would like to reach a tech savvy clientele i.e. students, young professionals think of a creative way to run a promotion. Have customer use the camera phones to submit contest entries online.

3) Partner with your supplier - your supplier likely get requests daily from people wanting to purchase. These referrals are extremely valuable.

Hope these help. If you have any ideas feel free to comment.

How to get started on your company website

2008-09-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

In today's world almost any new business wants to have a website. But having a site that is under construction indefinately is not the right way to go about it. Like anything else about your business if it is something you start then be prepared to finish it. If not you may lose more than you have gained.

First of all, be clear on the purpose of the site. There are many very good reasons to build a company website. It can provide credibility, information and enhance relationships. You can sell products 24/7. You can reach new markets worldwide; you can increase your company's profits. Decide Which of these functions are most important to you as the site owner. Then decide what features your site will need to have the site serve the function you first chose.

Often it is too easy to say, I would like to do everything! Believe me the web designer will love you. Be selective as to what features your site needs. Be aware that there will be costs to keep those features running. 80% of the time the cost will be your time. For instance, you can have a company blog on your site. Who is going to keep it up to date and relavant? You can track to most minute detail about the visitors who visit your site like the O/S they use or the time the spent on your site. But who is going to review the data? Most importantly how is it going to change the way you do business.

Assuming that you have a legitimate business providing a product or service, then I think it is safe to say you want your website to provide information about the service or product along with contact information.

A decision will need to be made whether or not your product can be sold over the internet. If it can be sold over the internet YOU need to decide if you want to sell it over the internet. If you do then you will need to have shopping cart system and payment system.

At the start I used Yahoo! to build an online store. Yahoo provided hosting and the software. http://webhosting.yahoo.com . The process is simple and it is really user friendly. You have to pay monthly fees and/or percentage on revenues to Yahoo! After my customer base built up I decided I wanted to have my site to have features not available on Yahoo! I hired a designer in house and we created our current site. We used open source software and modified it to meet our needs. We host the site with GoDaddy.com and we use our bank service provider to handle the secure online payments. I am not saying it is the only way to go but it is the way I went.

With the site up and running this way for almost 2 years, I am glad to say it is still running. There are still struggles ahead such as increasing visits but that is something I can talk about next time.

Another big day for the CAD

2008-09-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

This blog is not only about foreign exchange rates and the Canadian dollar even though I know my latest post and this one have focused on it. It is just that the volatility in the markets does have an effect even on small businesses.

Having the Canadian dollar gain almost two cents against the US dollar is bound to have an affect on the price of our goods compared to our US competitors. The US dollar was hit again due to concerns about the effect the proposed $700 billion bailout package for financial institutions holding bad debt. In addition the CAD was supported by gains in oil price as crude oil futures saw the single largest one day gain in the contract's 25 year history.

This morning the release of Canadian CPI numbers for August and the headline data was in line with expectations while core CPI was actually stronger than expected. With this rise in core inflation, it looks like the Bank of Canada might not be able to impliment rate cuts as the market had been pricing in recently.

In the US, Fed Chairman Bernanke is scheduled to speak before the US Senate at 9:30 AM, however, Bernanke's remarks were leaked before 7:00am today and he is sounding very dovish. In his statement he said that global markets are under "extraordinary stress" and that "action by congress is urgently required to stabilize the situation and avert what could otherwise be very serious consequences for our financial markets and our economy".

A lot has changed over the past few days. Since Friday morning the CAD has gained 5 cents on the US dollar and continued strength in the CAD seems likely.

Wild Wild Week but CAD steady.

2008-09-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

Last week was one of the wildest weeks in financial market history. As an exporting business all this noise going around immediately affects my business with the changes in the foreign exchange. Strength in the CAD means my goods are more expensive to my customers.

Last week the Canadian dollar remained fairly steady until Friday when news of the massive bailout plan for the US financial institutions caused the CAD to strengthen versus the US dollar. How the US is going to pay for the bailout remains to be seen and this weighs on the US Dollar. Canadian retail sales came out this morning weaker than expected, however, the market appears to be largely ignoring the data so far as the CAD continues to gain strength.

Tomorrow we will see the release of CPI numbers for August but then that is it for Canadian data for the rest of the week. The US data calendar is also relatively light this week so the market will inevitably continue to look toward equity markets for direction. Continued Canadian dollar strength seems likely in the short run.

Relationships with your Suppliers

2008-09-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

At the start of my business, I had the advantage of already having a relationship with my main supplier. This may not always be the case for a new business. There will be many sales people eager to have you carry their products. But how many of them are willing to go the extra mile to help you succeed? How many of them will be patient enough to work with a start up company or an entrepeneur?

When you are dealing with export markets there are many ways that you will need support. Here are some ways that a supplier can help you when you are starting a business:

- provide marketing or promotional materials

- provide samples or demonstration support

- offer credit or flexible payment options

- provide documents or certificates for registration

- provide discounts or promotional pricing

- make product or packaging adaptations to fit your market needs.

Industry tradeshows are a common way of meeting suppliers. They are great places to learn more about your industry and get in touch with many companies. You will still have to filter which suppliers you can work with from those you wouldn't want to work with. Pushy salesmen can be annoying. However, tradeshows are great places to start new business relationships. By attending several tradeshows you can let suppliers know that you are serious about this business; it will give you more creditability.

Another great networking tool is to sign up for industry related courses. While attending these classes the person sitting next to you could be your next newest supplier. During the course, you will be able to demostrate your savy and have opportunities to bond with them in a friendly setting.

Having good relationships with suppliers is key to establishing your business.

Getting Started is the Hardest Part

2008-09-09T13:57:00.001-07:00

My feeling about starting a blog is probably the same feelings that a lot of people have about starting a business. I’ve always wanted to start one. It seems like everyone else already has one. It’s just hard to get started.

For me, I hope that getting started on the blog is not as hard as a business. I have had my own business for almost 12 years. I was working for a manufacturer of vitamins and health food supplements when it became apparent to me that many products were not as readily available in other countries as in Canada. So with the blessing of the manufacturer I began to offer mail order service to reach customers that could not be met by their traditional distribution network. Fast foward to the present and I now employ 9 people not including myself and I have a growing network of customers and suppliers around the world. By no means are we a huge company but I am happy with the company to date.

Here are some insights I have on starting an exporting business in Canada.

Boring Stuff – (I call it boring but it probably where most people stop)

- Legal Structure: I chose to incorporate to limit the personal liability. The cost of incorporation and maintenance in Canada is not high so I felt it was worth. It probably cost me about $1500 because I used a service. You can effectively do it yourself. http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/registries/corppg/

- Business Number: After incorporation you can get a GST Number/Business Number. The business number will also be used for your payroll and tax remittances. http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gsthstregistry/index.html

- Business License: when you have your location then you will need a business license from your municipal government. In my case, it was the city of Burnaby. http://www.city.burnaby.bc.ca/business/permits/bsnssl.html

- Export License: You do not need one for vitamins and supplements. Most of the time it is on the other end that you will need licenses or registration. So we’ll save that for another posting.

- Bank: With your filed incorporation documents and personal information you can open a business account quite easily.

- Insurance: it is what it is. Not only for your property but for liability. i.e. someone falls in your office or store.

I was able to complete the “boring stuff” without many headaches. Mostly because all the parties involved want small businesses to succeed. The cynic in me says, it is so they can make more money from you in taxes or fees.

What I think most people fail to recognize is their relationship with potential suppliers. This is critical in the start up of phase of your business. (Next topic)