The fundamental financial risks associated with farming have not changed in recent years, but they have increased due to changes in the agricultural landscape. Farmers are more than producers of food, they are perceived as caretakers of the natural environment and provider of quality goods of that environment. This webinar is designed to discuss financial risk management at the producer level to grow and strengthen your business and will demonstrate practical application of risk scenarios using MNP’s Risk Management ProjectorTM.  

In this session, you will:
            
Learn how to identify financial risks;
Understand how to manage financial risk;
Review tools to model and manage financial risk at the producer level; and,
Gain insight required to develop and implement a financial risk management plan. 

Meet Your Facilitator: 

Shea Ferster, CPA, CA, is a Business Advisor with MNP’s Agricultural Services team. Based in Saskatoon, Shea has 18 years of public practice experience and is actively involved in the operations of his family farm. He works primarily with owner-operated agriculture businesses, including the Hutterian Brethren. In addition, he is the coordinator of MNP’s Farm Income Support Programs group for the Saskatchewan region. 

Drawing on his extensive knowledge of agriculture and the various farm income programs available, Shea helps clients manage their risk and identify unique opportunities for increased success. His aim is to help create customized solutions for Ag producers so that they can positively impact profitability and achieve their business and personal goals. 

Shea was designated a Chartered Accountant (CA) in 2002 after graduating from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.


        

Owning a farm means your business and personal lives are intertwined.  As such, it is important to understand how taxation works and where there are opportunities to effectively structure your farm operations to allow for both risk management and minimization of taxes.

This session will:
                
Provide participants with an overview of taxation as it relates to farm operations (both personal and corporate), 
Outline basic reporting requirements (the basis for taxation and initial tax planning issues),
Address year-end determination including dividends versus bonus which form the basis for shareholder/owner remuneration, and
Outline expense deductibility and basic tax planning strategies as it relates to farm operations.
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Ryan Kehrig is a Senior Manager with MNP, based in Saskatoon.  Ryan was designated a Chartered Accountant (CA) in 2010 after graduating from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.  In addition, Ryan obtained his Masters in Professional Accounting degree (MPAcc) from the University of Saskatchewan in 2008. Ryan has a passion for agriculture, both personally and professionally, working primarily with owner-operated agriculture businesses providing them integrated tax solutions.

Updated 2019
            

Financial statements provide farmers with insight into the financial position and performance of farm business. Accurate records and financial statements are the foundation material required to analyze the financial condition and trends of your operation and can be benchmarked against other similar operations. This webinar is designed to help you better understand key concepts in financial statements and focusses on cashflow, debt, equity, profit and taxes. 

In this session, you will learn: 
                
The purpose of a balance sheet
How to use the income statement to determine how your farm is performing
How money flows through a farm 
How debt and equity are measured
Meet Your Facilitator:

Kelly Bromm BSA, is a Farm Management Consultant with MNP’s Agriculture Services group in the Saskatoon office. Working with producers, agri-business, government and other agricultural agencies, Kelly delivers advice and solutions tailored to each client’s unique situation and goals. Originally from a farming community in North Eastern Saskatchewan, Kelly grew up on a grain and livestock family farm where he was actively involved in all aspects. He went on to obtain his degree in Agriculture Economics at the University of Saskatchewan and began a 24 year career working in the Agriculture Financial Lending Industry while continuing to be involved in the family farm until 2011 when his parents retired. Kelly draws on more than 24 years of experience to develop and implement solutions to the wide range of issues that today’s farmers face. He assists with strategic planning, financial management, succession planning, production economics and human resources, and connects clients with the firm’s broad-based expertise when they are experiencing specific challenges

Updated 2019
            

Marketing is much more than advertising and promotion. Businesses need to understand and be able to articulate their products and services to exhibit their true value to their targeted clients.  

In this session, participants will:
            
learn the importance of completing a marketing plan and following the marketing process,
distinguish between benefits and features,
articulate how their products and/or services exhibit true value to their targeted clients, 
gain an appreciation for the strategy their business must follow to be successful, and
develop usable strategies to help them meet their business goals.
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Caitlin Dika, is a team member with MNP’s National Marketing Strategy team. Throughout her academic career and employment opportunities, Caitlin has had experience working in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Based in Calgary, Caitlin is responsible for providing strategic support with the development and execution of the marketing and business development strategy for MNP on a national scale. She works collaboratively with stakeholders to translate business objectives into strategically integrated marketing plans for multiple client service areas and business units within the firm. Caitlin graduated in 2014 from the University of Lethbridge with a Bachelor of Management – Marketing Major & Supply Chain   Minor.

        

Creating value in your business is not a nice to have, but a requirement as you build for the future.  Business valuation techniques vary depending on the industry and market, but there are simple guidelines and rules available to maximize value.

In this session you will learn techniques business valuators use to value a business.  We will provide case examples, along with terms and strategies to maximize value.

Meet Your Facilitator: 

Nadine Wightman is a Partner with MNP’s Valuation and Litigation Support group in Saskatoon. Nadine delivers valuation reports and valuation consulting services on behalf of owners of private companies, insurance companies and lawyers in a wide range of industries, including health care, manufacturing, construction, oil and gas service and retail.

Taking a thorough, in-depth approach, Nadine considers all aspects of the business when preparing valuations. She has completed assignments for purchase and sale transactions, the settlement of matrimonial property, the resolution of shareholder disputes, corporate reorganizations and the quantification of damages resulting from a business interruption or a breach of contract.

Updated 2019
            

Businesses must ensure that their planning process is well outlined and covers all essential components. This webinar is designed to cover the essential components of an effective business plan and will assist participants in addressing questions or concerns they have regarding the scope and depth of the proposed plan and provide a guide to build this comprehensive plan.

In this session you will learn:
            
the essential components of a well-written business plan,
a clear and simple method of developing an operational guide for businesses, and
a comprehensive business plan outline that is simple and easy to follow.
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Janice Decelles is a Senior Consultant in the Consulting practice of MNP.  Her focus since joining the firm in 2005 Is to provide training and consulting to self employment clients and general human resource services.  An expert facilitator and instructional designer, she has extensive training management experience in the insurance and financial services sectors and is a certified customer service trainer.  Skilled in both individual and group training, Janice prides herself on being a positive contributor to her clients’ overall success.  Janice holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and an Advanced Certificate in Human Resources. 

        

As a business, you need to identify the value you can provide to your customers and ensure your processes are built so customers come first.  This can be a daunting task, but understanding business process improvement, how to identify and eliminate wasteful activities and focus on high value activities is crucial to meeting customer expectations and running an efficient business.  

In this session, you will learn: 
                
The concept of process improvement and how it applies to your business
Specific tools that can be used to implement process improvement within your business
How to define value for your customers
How to capture your current state of processes and develop future state 
How to improve your business processes
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Jen Hayes is a Partner with MNP’s Consulting group in Toronto. Drawing on more than 15 years of consulting experience, and 10 years in the manufacturing and technology sectors, Jen helps her clients deliver their products and services more efficiently and effectively. Through business planning, expansion and change, Jen helps her clients – ranging from start-ups to large organizations – design business models and processes to position them for growth and expansion. 

Updated 2019
            

Business owners need to understand the importance of industry and market research and learn how to use this effectively as input into their planning process.

In this session, we discuss:

The benefit market research provides for the planning process;
Detailed guidelines on how to search for existing sources of information; and,
How to conduct your own market research through the use of information interviews, surveys and focus groups with various industry stakeholders.
Meet your Facilitator 

Jennifer Lester is a Senior Manager in the Consulting Practice of MNP LLP. With a focus on performance improvement and planning; Jennifer’s project portfolio includes operational and organization assessments, strategic planning, program evaluations, business planning, feasibility studies, and community economic development plans for a variety of organizations.

No one can predict the future, but you can plan for it. Knowing your cost of production, along with your financial situation allows you to identify and manage risk properly, measure your margins and develop targets. Having this information allows you to easily adjust your plan for changes along the way.

In this session, you will understand:
            
Gross margin analysis;
How to evaluate fixed costs in your operation; and,
Information gained from a profit margin analysis and how to use it to plan for future operations.
Meet Your Facilitator:

Kelly Bromm BSA, is a Farm Management Consultant with MNP’s Agriculture Services group in the Saskatoon office. Working with producers, agri-business, government and other agricultural agencies, Kelly delivers advice and solutions tailored to each client’s unique situation and goals.

Originally from a farming community in North Eastern Saskatchewan, Kelly grew up on a grain and livestock family farm where he was actively involved in all aspects. He went on to obtain his degree in Agriculture Economics at the University of Saskatchewan and began a 24 year career working in the Agriculture Financial Lending Industry while continuing to be involved in the family farm until 2011 when his parents retired. 

Kelly draws on more than 24 years of experience to develop and implement solutions to the wide range of issues that today’s farmers face. He assists with strategic planning, financial management, succession planning, production economics and human resources, and connects clients with the firm’s broad-based expertise when they are experiencing specific challenges.



        

As businesses start out, you need to understand the importance of creating a Board of Directors, as well as tips to effectively form this important governance role over your business.    
This session will explore: 
                
the role of a Board of Directors,
the Board’s duties and responsibilities,
liabilities and protection for directors,
assessing Board performance, and
best practices in the area of Board effectiveness.
Meet Your Facilitator:

Dawn Watson is a Manager in the MNP Consulting Practice, in Saskatoon. Drawing on more than 18 years of professional experience across 3 continents, Dawn brings a strong background in IT service delivery, business transformation and organizational change management.  Dawn is currently acting as Interim Director of Strategic Procurement with Saskatchewan Polytechnic.

Dawn is an experienced consultant and coach, with a focus on transition & transformation through people, culture & engagement. Dawn encourages transparent collaboration, appreciative inquiry and appropriate, effective communication. Alongside her clients, they work together to break down silos, build strong teams and connect stakeholders to work towards a unified vision. Dawn has worked with public and private sector organizations developing and implementing service delivery models that focus on improving and enabling outcomes.  Her expertise and focus on change management ensures that people, process and technology are supported through design, transition and sustainability.

In addition to her professional work, Dawn is an active volunteer in the community and has been a mentor in the Bettie - Ann Heggie Womentorship program (Edwards School of Business). In addition, Dawn has served on a range of governance committees and Boards: Vice President, Business & Professional Women (BPW) Saskatoon; Director, New Hope Dog Rescue; and currently Vice Chair Saskatoon SPCA. 

Updated 2020

Business owners are passionate about their products or services, but passion is not enough. Owners need to learn the fundamental strategies necessary to effectively sell their products and services to their target markets. 

This webinar helps participants explore:
            
the sales process from prospecting to closing the sale, and
the concept of Solution Selling.
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Janice Decelles is a Senior Consultant in the Consulting practice of MNP.  Her focus since joining the firm in 2005 Is to provide training and consulting to self employment clients and general human resource services.  An expert facilitator and instructional designer, she has extensive training management experience in the insurance and financial services sectors and is a certified customer service trainer.  Skilled in both individual and group training, Janice prides herself on being a positive contributor to her clients’ overall success.  Janice holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and an Advanced Certificate in Human Resources. 


        

Reading and understanding financial information is one of the most important tasks of a business owner.  However, for most business owners, the accounting and financial aspect of the business is not their background and learning financial fluency is a necessity in today’s marketplace.  

This session organized into a two part series provides:
            
insight into financial statements and practical ways to use this information to identify the areas of the business that are flourishing and the areas that require improvement,
discussions on key areas of financial statements that determine if fraud is a factor in the business,
insight into cash requirements and what budgeting is required, and
identification of immediate business strategies to increase revenues and decrease expenditures.
Meet Your Facilitator:

Annette  is a partner in MNP’s Saskatoon office. Partnering and working with companies in all stages of their business cycle for almost 19 years, Annette helps to support and strengthen their leadership. Over her career Annette has worked with a number of businesses with a focus to helping clients understand not just their historical financial information but what the information is telling them from a forward-looking perspective.  

Updated 2018
        

Reading and understanding financial information is one of the most important tasks of a business owner.  However, for most business owners, the accounting and financial aspect of the business is not their background and learning financial fluency is a necessity in today’s marketplace.  

This session organized into a two part series provides:
            
insight into financial statements and practical ways to use this information to identify the areas of the business that are flourishing and the areas that require improvement,
discussions on key areas of financial statements that determine if fraud is a factor in the business,
insight into cash requirements and what budgeting is required, and
identification of immediate business strategies to increase revenues and decrease expenditures.
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Annette Bester is a partner in MNP’s Saskatoon office. Partnering and working with companies in all stages of their business cycle for almost 19 years, Annette helps to support and strengthen their leadership. Over her career Annette has worked with a number of businesses with a focus to helping clients understand not just their historical financial information but what the information is telling them from a forward-looking perspective.

Updated 2019
        

As a business owner, your plans for the business are highly dependent on the relationship you have with your financial institution.  This relationship starts with development and start up and will continue throughout the life of your business as your needs grow and change.  

In this session we will:
                
investigate various observations on raising early development/start-up money;
focus on identifying the need for both debt and equity financing as well as potential strategies for sourcing corporate requirements;
provide participants with information on strategies for raising second stage financing, including alternative debt and equity instruments and potential sources for expansion capital; and
discuss banking issues related to business operations, loan applications, collateral issues and financing proposals.
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Ron Brown is a Partner and Business Advisor in MNP’s Assurance Services group in Saskatoon. Ron draws on his personal business experience as well as his years in public practice to help owner-managers of small to mid-sized businesses in a range of industries overcome challenges and improve operations. He gets to know his clients and their businesses very well, allowing him to provide strong advice related to business and marketing. In addition, he assists with financial modeling, business planning, and succession planning. Ron is MNP’s succession lead in our North Saskatchewan region and has been focussing on this area over the past few years.  

Ron also owned and operated his own business for a number of years and was part of MNP’s corporate finance group so is very familiar with the challenges businesses face, in particular around financing. He relies on his diverse background, international work experience, business ownership skills and MNP’s broad-based expertise across the firm to find innovative and practical solutions to the everyday problems of business owners.

Updated: 2019
            

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has ever changing requirements surrounding GST/HST and as a business owner you are required to comply with the applicable rules. Failure to comply can result in significant penalties and interest, to the detriment of your cash flow.  

During this session, tax experts will:
            
provide a comprehensive overview of how government and professionals work together,
provide insight into current areas that CRA is reviewing and some of the common deficiencies found, and
share useful tips that will make remittance and filing more accurate and time effective.
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Jeff Harrison is a Senior Manager with MNP’s national indirect tax team for the past 4 years and is located in our Regina MNP office.  He is an indirect tax specialist with over 26 years’ experience in Canadian sales taxes.  Jeff works with all forms and sizes of business across Canada to guide them through the sales tax rules, including support through audits and appeals.  He facilitates both internal MNP courses, external presentations and CPA Saskatchewan GST/HST courses.   


        

As a business, it can be tough to keep up with customer demands as your industry changes and you wonder ‘What will be disrupted next?”  Large companies may have research and development budgets to grow and foster innovation, but as a small or mid-sized business, you wonder how you can innovate with the time and resources you have available?  You know that success can depend upon innovation and it is common for small businesses to focus primarily on existing products and services.  Innovation is not just about large technological innovations - innovation can be simple ideas. Remember, it’s not enough to say that innovation is a priority - ensure you have a process in place, and continue to work at making it a priority!  

In this session, you will learn:
            
What drives the need for innovation in small business;
How to build innovation into a business routine;
How to invest in innovation; and, 
How to cultivate an innovative mindset.
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Nicole Asselin Is a Senior Manager in the MNP Consulting practice based in Edmonton, serving clients locally and provincially.  Nicole has over twelve years of experience in industry and management consulting.  She has been involved in innovation, business process and operations improvement in many capacities, with diverse clients across multiple industries. Nicole obtained her Master of Business Administration from the University of Alberta in 2004 with focus on International Business Specialization, is Six Sigma Green Belt Certified, is Innovation Engineering Blue Belt Certified, and has participated in Lean Action Workouts. She and her husband are small business owners and are familiar with the need to innovate and market services. Nicole has exceptional client relations and is recognized for her professionalism, diplomacy and confidentiality in dealing with colleagues and her clients. Nicole is a disciplined project manager that provides strong operational support to clients and has managed a number of projects relating to Operational Effectiveness, Process Improvement, Organizational Review, Business Strategy and Planning, Market Assessment and Analysis. In addition, Nicole has led and participated in numerous engagements in a variety of areas including the private sector, provincial government, municipalities, municipal associations, non-profit organizations and post-secondary educational institutions.

        

Recruiting talented and effective employees is not just about skills, but about fit with the culture of your business.  The first step in this process is learning to effectively interview and attract the right team members.

In this session you will learn the basics of performing an interview, including:
    
Identifying Interview Objectives,
Preparation for the Interview,
Building Rapport,
Interview Techniques,
Detecting Deception, and
Objections vs. Denials.
Meet Your Facilitator:

Katie Emsley is a Manager in MNP’s Human Capital department. Katie's background includes a Master's degree in Organizational Change and Development with experience in internal human capital generalist, advisory, learning management, leadership and team development, culture assessment and change, and people strategy/ programming roles. She also holds a Bachelor's degree in Commerce with experience as an accountant with one of the Big Four accounting firms in the financial institutions, real estate, and small business industries. Katie holds the Certified Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation and is a Registered Organizational Development Professional (RODP) with the International Society of Organizational Development.

Business owners need to build high performance teams to operate effectively as a business and to most effectively service customers.  As a business owner or engaged team member you will explore personal and corporate values and discover how corporate values can be integrated into your day-to -day operations and observable behaviours.

            Upon completion of this two part webinar series, participants will:
                
understand the importance of employee relationships as well as the impact and associated cost of turnover,;
understand team dynamics and identify strategies to enhance team effectiveness,;
understand and identify leadership philosophy and personal values and be able to connect these and the corporate values to identified observable actions,;
understand the concept of Group Think and discovering the strength and value of “two heads are better than one”,;
be able to utilize a model for decision making and effective communication, and;
understand the value of employee engagement and identify ways to fully engage team members
            Meet Your Facilitator: 

            Janice Decelles is a Senior Consultant in the Consulting practice of MNP.  Her focus since joining the firm in 2005 Is to provide training and consulting to self employment clients and general human resource services.  An expert facilitator and instructional designer, she has extensive training management experience in the insurance and financial services sectors and is a certified customer service trainer.  Skilled in both individual and group training, Janice prides herself on being a positive contributor to her clients’ overall success.  Janice holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and an Advanced Certificate in Human Resources. 

            Updated 2019
            

Business owners need to build high performance teams to operate effectively as a business and to most effectively service customers.  As a business owner or engaged team member you will explore personal and corporate values and discover how corporate values can be integrated into your day-to -day operations and observable behaviours.

Upon completion of this two-part webinar series, you will:
                
understand the importance of employee relationships as well as the impact and associated cost of turnover,;
understand team dynamics and identify strategies to enhance team effectiveness,;
understand and identify leadership philosophy and personal values and be able to connect these and the corporate values to identified observable actions,;
understand the concept of Group Think and discover the strength and value of “Two heads are better than one”,;
be able to utilize a model for decision making and effective communication, and;
understand the value of employee engagement and identify ways to fully engage team members
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Janice Decelles is a Senior Consultant in the Consulting practice of MNP.  Her focus since joining the firm in 2005 is to provide training and consulting to self employment clients and general human resource services.  An expert facilitator and instructional designer, she has extensive training management experience in the insurance and financial services sectors and is a certified customer service trainer.  Skilled in both individual and group training, Janice prides herself on being a positive contributor to her clients’ overall success.  Janice holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and an Advanced Certificate in Human Resources.  

Updated 2019
            

Business owners need to provide guidance to their team on proper management and be able to distinguish the manager’s role in your business. 

Upon completion of this session, participants will:
    
Understand the manager’s role,                 
Be familiar with delegation and scheduling,    
Understand the process of project managing, and
Understand the manager’s role in mentoring     
Meet your facilitator:

Janice Decelles is a Senior Consultant in the Consulting practice of MNP.  Her focus since joining the firm in 2005 is to provide training and consulting to self employment clients and general human resource services.  An expert facilitator and instructional designer, she has extensive training management experience in the insurance and financial services sectors and is a certified customer service trainer.  Skilled in both individual and group training, Janice prides herself on being a positive contributor to her clients’ overall success.  Janice holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and an Advanced Certificate in Human Resources.  

A large percentage of business failures are not due to a poor business concept but rather are attributed to the lack of a proper cash flow management program.

In this session, we will use a case study exercise to:
               
identify the steps in developing a cash flow statement, and
learn basic tools to help effectively manage cash flow.
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Annette Bester is a partner in MNP’s Saskatoon office. Partnering and working with companies in all stages of their business cycle for almost 19 years, Annette helps to support and strengthen their leadership. Over her career Annette has worked with a number of businesses with a focus to helping clients understand not just their historical financial information but what the information is telling them from a forward-looking perspective.

Updated: 2019
            

Owning a business is a challenging task.  Stress is a constant concern as you balance both business and personal objectives. Monday to Friday and 8 – 5 is not a concept most business owners know and therefore you need help to effectively manage time and keep things in control. We can’t help you have more than 24 hours in a day, but we will teach you to focus your hours and work smarter to accomplish your business objectives.

This webinar focuses on:
    
understanding stress, the sources of stress and strategies for managing personal and business stress levels;
examining some proven techniques for business owners;
learning how to prioritize and manage your time effectively; and
applying proven techniques through examples.
This bonus webinar is brought to you in collaboration with select Credit Unions across Canada to support Business Owners.  

Meet your facilitator:
Janice Decelles is a Senior Consultant in the Consulting practice of MNP.  Her focus since joining the firm in 2005 is to provide training and consulting to self employment clients and general human resource services.  An expert facilitator and instructional designer, she has extensive training management experience in the insurance and financial services sectors and is a certified customer service trainer.  Skilled in both individual and group training, Janice prides herself on being a positive contributor to her clients’ overall success.  Janice holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and an Advanced Certificate in Human Resources.  

It’s not as much about what you know, but who you know.  Building new business contacts gives owners the ability to expand their network and gain new market share.

This session will:
    
Offer strategies and tactics for developing new business contacts and expanding you network, and
Give participants confidence in their ability to build their business using numerous examples and exercises to reinforce the strategies learned.
Meet your facilitator:

Annette is a partner in MNP’s Saskatoon office. Partnering and working with companies in all stages of their business cycle for almost 19 years, Annette helps to support and strengthen their leadership. Over her career Annette has worked with a number of businesses with a focus to helping clients understand not just their historical financial information but what the information is telling them from a forward-looking perspective.

Business owners need to support team members in achieving their goals and successfully completing their work. Supervisors will discover how to be more effective in their role through reinforcing witpraise, redirecting with constructive criticism and developing with the GROW model. The skills learned in this session can be applied to all aspects of the performance management and staff development processes. The focus of this workshop is on the performance conversations – not the process, tools or forms.

Upon completion of this webinar, participants will:
            
understand the facilitation of continuous improvement and career development through ongoing performance coaching conversations with team members,
understand the principles of effective coaching and communication in performance discussions with team members,
understand the principles of confidently providing ongoing feedback to team members and handling emotion in discussion, and
understand the process for performance coaching and formal and informal performance discussions.
Meet Your Facilitator:
        
Cathy McLellan is a Senior Advisor with MNP's national learning and development team for over 12 years.  Cathy has her Masters in leadership development, over 23 years working with teams and individuals helping them enhance and realize their potential.  She is a certified coach, trainer, and facilitator. She works extensively with individuals and teams in leadership development and building high performing teams. Cathy lives in Nanaimo on beautiful Vancouver Island for the past 26 years.

Updated 2018


        

Businesses need to implement proper financial planning in order to maximize cash flows and monitor and manage expenditures.  Financial matters do not come naturally to many business owners and therefore you and your management team need to learn and understand the overall process for budgeting, basic budgeting guidelines and how to ensure roles and responsibilities encompass this important area.

In this session we will cover:
    
forecasting or planning revenue and expenses of a program or for an organization as a whole,
planning activities for the next fiscal year,
allowing an organization to allocate overall resources,
securing funding, and
planning for future cash flow needs.
This bonus webinar is brought to you in collaboration with select Credit Unions across Canada to support Business Owners.  

Meet your facilitator:
Annette Kuckartz is a partner in MNP’s Saskatoon office. Partnering and working with companies in all stages of their business cycle for over 17 years, Annette helps to support and strengthen their leadership. Over her career Annette has worked with a number of businesses with a focus to helping clients understand not just their historical financial information but what the information is telling them from a forward-looking perspective.  

Business owners need to communicate effectively to promote their business to customers and potential customers.  There are a range of promotional activities to invest your limited promotional dollars, so the key is focusing on cost-effective methods of gaining exposure and building awareness and credibility.  

Participants will learn:
                
About the communication process and how to choose between the different methods of communicating to achieve their business goals
Hands-on methods proven to develop clear and effective messages that will resonate with target markets
Meet Your Facilitator: 

As a National Marketing Manager, Morgan Melnyk works for MNP, one of Canada’s largest chartered accountancy and business advisory firms. Morgan manages the marketing strategy for MNP LTD, the largest insolvency firm in Canada, which provides both consumer insolvency and corporate recovery services in 17 regions across Canada. In this role, he implements a variety of marketing tactics across multiple channels including, Digital, Content, Social, PR and Traditional Advertising. Morgan believes that a wholistic marketing strategy based on research, analysis, optimization and ultimately accountability is fundamental to achieving, and exceeding, business objectives. 

For nearly 10 years, Morgan has worked in Calgary developing marketing strategies for a variety of industries, including professional services, technology, energy, retail and environmental businesses. Morgan holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a double major in Marketing and International Business and a double minor in Economics and Political Science. 

Updated 2019
            

Owners of small and medium-sized businesses are keenly aware that success depends on their most important asset: loyal, long-term employees who serve customers well and keep the business running smoothly. That’s why many are enhancing their compensation packages to include incentives beyond salary, such as group benefit and retirement plans, to help attract and retain the most productive and engaged employees.

 In this session, you will learn: 

                
The drivers behind and key benefits of offering a group benefit and retirement plan as part of a competitive compensation package,
The steps you should take to implement a plan and how an insurance advisor can help you achieve your goals, and
The product options available and how to structure a plan to best meet the needs of your employees and your budget.
Meet Your Facilitator:

Don Rowell is a Client Relationship Specialist with CUMIS Life Insurance Company.  Don has nearly 25 years of experience in the group retirement industry. In his role, Don works closely with small to medium-sized businesses to service their new and existing group retirement plans. Don has completed the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) course, which includes the Retirement Plans Associate (RPA) and Compensation Management Specialist designations and received ISCEBS Fellowship Status in 2011.  Don holds two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Saskatchewan and has completed other industry related courses.

Rita Rushton is an Account Manager in Group Benefits at the Cooperators Life Insurance Company.  Rita has been with The Co-operators since 2007 and has over 25 years experience in the Group Insurance Industry. She gained her experience at five different Regina-based insurers in a wide variety of roles, including administration, policy set up, call centre management, and most recently, account 
management. Since joining The Co-operators, Rita has served the Group Benefits needs of credit unions across Canada and has loved every minute of it. Originally raised on a farm in small-town Saskatchewan, Rita been a credit union member for over 30 years.
  


            

Businesses face risk from every angle and as an owner you will need to understand the various forms of risk and be equipped with processes and tools for identify, documenting, managing and prioritizing risks.

In this session you will learn about:
                
various forms of risk that are typically associated with business including reputational risk, financial risk, stakeholder risk, regulatory risk, and personnel risk;
processes and tools for identifying and documenting risks, evaluating and prioritizing risks, and ultimately managing risks;
how risks can be identified and methods for analyzing the impact these risks may have on projects;
a comprehensive risk management framework; and
the importance of communication of risks to key stakeholders.
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Rensché Venter is a Senior Manager in MNP’s Enterprise Risk Services practice. She has 18 years of combined consulting and industry experience in the areas of: Enterprise Risk Management, Fraud Risk Management, Internal Audit, Capital Project Management, and Contract Compliance reviews.

Rensché has provided risk related solutions to a wide range of clients in South Africa, the US and Canada across various sectors, including public sector, manufacturing, construction and oil and gas.

Updated: 2019
            

There are more ways than ever to reach out and connect with existing and prospective clients. Social media presents a unique opportunity to build a two-way relationship with customers – but only if accompanied by a sound understanding of each platform’s functions, audience, expectations and best practices. This course helps business owners assess and qualify which social media platforms are appropriate for their brand, as well as what is possible within each social network. Participants will come away with a clear understanding of the key aspects of participating in social media marketing.  

In this session you will learn about:
            
establishing key and secondary goals for social media marketing activities;
how to identify which social media platforms are right for your brand;
long-term resource and infrastructure considerations; and
overview, audience breakdown, best practices, and opportunities on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube, as well as insights on other social networks such as Snapchat, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Google+.
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Brittany Rycroft is the Manager of Digital Content and Engagement for MNP. With over a decade’s worth of marketing experience, Brittany leads all national digital marketing activities for the firm externally. Brittany develops and implements strategies related to the firm’s social media channels, websites, advertising buys, email campaigns, and other digital channels. She also regularly introduces and pilots new technologies and platforms for the firm to better connect with its audiences.

Brittany’s background includes working with multiple advertising agencies, crown corporations, and not-for-profits across Canada. In addition, Brittany has been facilitating social media workshops for her clients since 2011 and has specifically developed and worked on social media campaigns since 2009 – right when businesses began actively using these platforms for self-promotion. Brittany is also a social media influencer, with a successful blog that allows her to partner with independent and multi-national brands to promote their products.

Updated: 2019
            

A competitive strategy identifies how a business intends to compete in the markets it serves. This strategy provides the glue that gives shared meaning to all the activities within the business. 

In this session we will:
                
set effective strategies that are straightforward in their intent and direction;
determine how to create a clear sense of direction for their business, and;
position themselves to grow and develop their business with confidence.
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Janice Decelles is a Senior Consultant in the Consulting practice of MNP.  Her focus since joining the firm in 2005 Is to provide training and consulting to self employment clients and general human resource services.  An expert facilitator and instructional designer, she has extensive training management experience in the insurance and financial services sectors and is a certified customer service trainer.  Skilled in both individual and group training, Janice prides herself on being a positive contributor to her clients’ overall success.  Janice holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and an Advanced Certificate in Human Resources. 

Updated: 2019
            

Owning a business is a challenging task. Stress is a constant concern as you balance both business and personal objectives.

This webinar focuses on:
                  
understanding stress, the sources of stress and strategies for managing personal stress levels;
examining some proven techniques for business owners; and
the application of proven techniques through interactive exercises
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Dawn Watson is a Manager in the MNP Consulting Practice, in Saskatoon. Drawing on more than 18 years of professional experience across 3 continents, Dawn brings a strong background in IT service delivery, business transformation and organizational change management.  Dawn is an experienced consultant and coach, with a focus on transition & transformation through people, culture & engagement. Dawn encourages transparent collaboration, appreciative inquiry and appropriate, effective communication. Alongside her clients, they work together to break down silos, build strong teams and connect stakeholders to work towards a unified vision. 

Dawn has worked with public and private sector organizations developing and implementing service delivery models that focus on improving and enabling outcomes.  Her expertise and focus on change management ensures that people, process and technology are supported through design, transition and sustainability.  

Updated: 2019

            

A good succession plan not only deals with the transfer of ownership but also the transfer of leadership. Without a clean transition of leadership, relationships and people the chances of failing are much higher. This webinar is designed to cover the essential components of succession planning and provide participants with possible exit strategies for transferring their business. 

        In this session we will:
                
Where to begin and the succession planning process;
The benefits to succession planning;
Traps to avoid when establishing a succession plan; and
Blind spots to be aware of during the succession planning process.
        Meet Your Facilitator: 

        Lynne Fisher is the National Team Leader of MNP’s ExitSMART™ service. Located in the firm’s Edmonton office and drawing on more than 15 years of direct experience, Lynne brings her expertise to MNP’s comprehensive succession program, ExitSMARTTM, which offers end-to-end succession planning for privately held companies. She has worked with clients in a variety of industries and brings expertise from having been a business owner, commercial banker, consultant and educator.

        As a Certified Family Council Facilitator, Lynne has worked as a trusted advisor with some of western Canada’s leading privately held and family-owned companies, helping in the transition of ownership and leadership from the founder(s) to the next generation of leaders and establishing governance structures to preserve and progress the wealth and wisdom of families. Lynne holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and is a Certified Family Council Facilitator. 

	    Updated 2019
        

As a small business owner, your business and personal lives are intertwined.  As such, it is important to understand how taxation works and where there are opportunities to effectively structure your business to allow for risk management and minimization of taxes.

This session will:
                
Provide participants with an overview of taxation (both personal and corporate) 
Outline basic reporting requirements (the basis for taxation and initial tax planning issues)
Address year-end determination including dividends versus bonus which form the basis for shareholder/owner remuneration
Outline expense deductibility and basic tax planning strategies
Meet Your Facilitator:

Rebecca Ottmann has worked at MNP for seven years and is a Manager on the Private Enterprise team in Saskatoon. Rebecca works primarily with small and medium sized owner-managed business, with a focus in groups and professional corporations and their needs. Services include preparing corporate financial statements and tax returns and providing general business consulting services.

Updated 2019
            

Time management isn’t simple.  Effectively managing time is a requirement in the fast paced business world and understanding the steps required will help both owners and their employees in their day to day roles.  

Upon completion of this webinar, participants will:
            
understand the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,
understand the importance of prioritizing,
recognize and understand the time management principles,
develop an understanding of time traps,
understand the time management matrix,
learn what it takes to live in Quadrant ll,
implement a six step process for effectively managing time, and
understand the differences between designated and discretionary time.
Meet Your Facilitator: 

Janice Decelles is a Senior Consultant in the Consulting practice of MNP.  Her focus since joining the firm in 2005 Is to provide training and consulting to self employment clients and general human resource services.  An expert facilitator and instructional designer, she has extensive training management experience in the insurance and financial services sectors and is a certified customer service trainer.  Skilled in both individual and group training, Janice prides herself on being a positive contributor to her clients’ overall success.  Janice holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and an Advanced Certificate in Human Resources.