; , are? Naiagrene” eye? im Business Pointers for entrepreneurs THE ABILITY of women to become entrepreneurs is un- disputed. During the '80s, women laun- ched almost half of all new enter- prises in Canada. There are now more than 521,000 Canadian women who describe themselves as self-employed and they own one of every four businesses in the country. Nevertheless, concern persists over the actual success of women entrepreneurs, Female business owners earn, on average, 58% less than their “male counterparts. Approximately 80% . of self-employed women earn less. than $50,000 a- year, and a third take home no ‘salary. The discrepancy in wage-earn- ing between male and female en- trepreneurs stems primarily from the relative youth and inexperience of most woman entrepreneurs. _ Women business.owners are, on the whole, younger than men, and their businesses tend.to-be younger and. smaller companies. .Yet,; women ‘can take concrete steps-to increase the profitability of their businesses. The following questions are - designed to en- courage women to. take stock of their company and its future di- tection. 1..Do you have specific goals for . your company? Planning the future of your company is an ongoing process which needs to be reviewed and _. adjusted -on a regular basis ac- cording to market conditions and _your own priorities for the com- pany. | - s+ 2. Are. your expectations suffi- -csiently high? Research. indicates women tend to hold only modest expectations for their companies. The“ goals: you~ set for your _ company’ must be realistic, but ‘ they should also challenge you and ‘your staff to achieve all you can. than - male-owned : 3. Are you charging the right price for your product or service? Many woman entrepreneurs do not charge enough for their pro- ducts or services, and they end up working very hard just to keep their business afloat. Find out what the market will sustain as a price for your pro- duct, as well as what the competi- tion is charging. 4. Do you have the right attitude towards growth? Research by the Federal Business Development Bank (FBDB) indicates that women are extremely cautious about growth. Some fear expansion will result in loss of control over their business, or in too much additional work. A market analysis will help you determine whether a current or anticipated rise in the demand for your company’s product - merits expansion. §. Bo you have proper financing for your business? A partner may be the answer to infusing additional funds into the company. Or you may want to’. find investors to buy shares in the business. Banks, of course, are another source of funding. 6. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your management skills? . You may be very good at selling your company’s product, but not at managing production lines, staff or the company books. Books, magazine articles, courses, seminars and conferences cover the gamut of management skills. Learn all you can from these and other sources of infor- mation, including other successful women and men in business. _ The FBDB offers conferences and community-based training programs specifically designed for woman entrepreneurs. To find out more, contact your local FBDB branch or call toll- free at 1-800- 361-2126. MARSALI MAGI VER CANDIDATE - NORTH VANCOUVER CITY COUNCIL BARB GOEPEL As Manager, Customer Service at Bank of Montreal, in Park Royal Shopping Centre, Barb _ shares her sixteen years of banking experience with a staff of 25. Over the years, she has advanced through the ranks in a wide variety of positions — starting as a Teller, she was pre- viously the Branch Manager at Caulfeitd Village. Barb has lived in the West Vancouver community since her childhood and graduat- ed frorn West Van High. She is married and has three grown children. Barb feels that being a longtime resident gives her somewhat of an advantage in knowing the special - needs of her many clients. Barb is quite active in the Bank's community endeavours, participating in various © functions and committees. Also, she is a member of the Bank of Mcntreal’s Customer Satisfaction Council for B.C. Division. Both Barb and her staff are strongly committed to the view that "the only thing that sets us apart is service”. mea Bank of Montreal We’re Paying Attention Brenda Berck When Cultural Development Officer Brenda Berck . joined the North Shore Arts Commission staff two years ago, she brought with.her a wealth of experi-. ence in managing, teaching, and planning —~ all, within the nonprofit sector, and much of it, in. the.” arts. Prior to her appointment to the Arts ~ Commission, she spent ten years as a consultant to’. nonprofit groups, specializing in organizational. structure and development, planning cultural pro-. grams and facilities, and assisting groups in enhanc-.. ing community involvement and support. Her con-”) sulting career followed a period in administration at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto; during that time at the R.O. M., she began also... to teach various aspects of arts and museum administration, both in community .work- 4 shops ana university credit courses. All of these skills fit well with the Arts Commissions f mandate to facilitate the development of the arts and culture on the North Shore. Brenda’ expertise has also been recognized by the wider community. She recdiay ; chaired the annual conference of the Canadian Museums I Association and in July, she was elected Vice Chair of the Board of Emily Carr College of Art and Design. For further information, call the. Arts Commission _ Office at 980-3559. Linda Druce. Being one step ahead of the market and giving clients first class service is one of Linda’s. philosophies that led her to . join a new North Shore Company that offers a different con- cept of real estate marketing. !t gives people an unbeatable combination of the opportunity to savé money plus receive - the benefit of Top Professicnal Service. — Born in the UK, Linda has a background in sales and pub- lic relations. She has always had an interest in real estate and has been actively involved in ali. aspects of the business since her late teens. Linda moved to the North Shore 12 years ago, and has been a licensed real estate salesperson }° since 1984. She became a widow in 1991. When she’s not busy enjoying her real estate pursuits, she is very involved with her two soccer-mad sons, Tony and Oliver, who give her a wonderful balance to life, and an appreciation of the demands of single-parenthood. Having led an extremely challenging life, Linda feels the key to her success these past 9 years have been her determi- nation and persistence to succeed and the patience, enthusi- asm and sense of humour to see her and her clients through the toughest of situations. _Marsali is a long- time resident of the North Shore who believes in putting back into the community the time and energy we need to make our neighbourhoods better places to | live. An employer and business-owner (Neatfreaks, Residential Cleaning Service) from 1983-1991, Marsali knows, first hand, the problems and-challenges that face f° small business. | As Chair of the Social Planning Advisory Committee for the City, she has an awareness and involvement in the issues that # are of primary concern to the people who live in North } Vancouver City. Her involvement with the Housing committee of the Special Advisory Committee on Seniors shapes her perspective on the challenges facing us as our population i ages and long-time North Vancouver residents seek to down- y size their residences and remain in their community. Marsali has a well documented history of community volun- | teer service (Citizenship Court, Ronald McDonald House Volunteer Vancouver Training Advisory Committee, various | Federal, Provincial and municipal elections) and wants to ye that experience to the Council table in North Vancouver OTT... she’ cares, she listens, she acts. ; ; , If you would like more information on this great Mearseti new service, please call Linda now! Meet ver - Jo volunteer or for more information call: 988-3993 AUTHORIZED BY THE COMMITTEE 7G ELECT MARSALI MACIVER BS. If | can’t help you right now with your real estate needs, perhaps | can help a friend. PHONE : 657-6391