This past April, Enterprise Miramichi held multiple open table discussions with owners and managers within the food service industry. The purpose of these discussions was to better understand the food service industry needs with regards to their present and future labor demands.

 

The industry has high levels of employment demand, evident by the numerous job postings, yet the unemployment levels in the area remain high. There is a clear cross-matching problem between employers and potential employees. Participants were asked about this issue, and many felt it was the lack of respect the industry received from the general public ‘it’s not a profession, it’s a job.’

 

However, the statistics indicate this is an industry which should be highly respected. At each discussion, Luc Erjavec of the Atlantic Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association presented statistics for the province of New Brunswick. The food and beverage industry contributes $1.1 billion in sales to the New Brunswick economy, it employs 24,200 people and is the 4^th largest employer in the province.

 

‘You are the cornerstone of your community. Seniors come for coffee and socializing, families come to celebrate, baseball and hockey teams come for support, small business owners come to meet and politicians come to campaign. You are a very important part of your community.’ ~ Luc Erjavec

 

The main issue which arose from the discussion was the lack of skilled workers available. Industry professionals felt that those coming forward for employment did not have the skills, aptitudes or work ethics necessary to remain employed in the food service industry, resulting in high turnover rates. This added an additional cost to their businesses as the cost of training new employees is very high.

 

So what exactly are the industry professionals looking for in an employee? After lengthy discussions, participants identified the following characteristics as ideal for an employee of their business. In fact, some participants stated that if an individual came to their business with training or experience in these areas, they would immediately offer them a higher wage;

 

-          Communication

-          Work ethic

-          Customer service skills

-          Food cost knowledge

-          Health and safety / first aid

-          Grooming and hygiene

-          Working in a team environment

-          Reliability

-          Super host certification

-          Language training

-          Energy

 

If you are an individual with these characteristic, the foodservice industry may be a good career option for you. Refer to job banks, career beacon or other job search engines for opportunities within this growing industry.

 

 My name is Wayne Carpenter and I am the Economic Development Officer for Enterprise Miramichi. In this article I will describe some of the services of Enterprise Miramichi and the agencies we work with closely to offer economic development in the area. We hope you find it informative.

 

One of the primary roles of Enterprise Miramichi is to provide business assistance and counseling to small and medium-sized businesses as well as people who want to start their own business. One of my duties as a business counselor is to inform clients of regulations, rules and legal requirements of starting a business, and if needed, potential sources of funding or financing for the project.

 

Often, there are very few legal requirements to starting a business and I would like to start with a brief overview of some of these requirements.  

 

Once you have your business idea, decide if the business should be a sole proprietorship, partnership or an incorporated company. There are advantages, and disadvantages to each form, and the differences should be researched. Next, you should pick a business name and have it registered. Usually, the next step is to obtain an H.S.T number, if required.

 

Often, this is all that you need to legally start the business, but there may be other special requirements that are specific to your type of business. Some businesses need to check zoning regulations and obtain special permits or licenses for products like liquor and tobacco. Some services, like transportation, special care homes, day cares, accommodations, outfitting, food services or industries with environmental or safety concerns require specific permits.

 

Enterprise Miramichi can offer advice and direction for any of these issues, as well as assist with identifying various funding sources and technical assistance available for the business project.

 

The services of Enterprise Miramichi are free, and confidential.  If you would like to discuss your idea with us, please feel free to contact us for an appointment and we will gladly offer our assistance to see that you proceed appropriately with your plans.

 

For more detail, please feel free to contact us at 622-7890 or check out our website at www.enterprisemiramichi.ca

 
Enterprise Miramichi is currently accepting applications from employers who are interested in hiring new employees through the “New Start 55+” project, an older workers initiative sponsored by both levels of government.   

This initiative will assist employers in meeting their employment need by cross matching skilled workers with employer demands, a combination which has been proven to be most successful in the pilot project of OWI 2008-2009 and “New Start 55+” 2009-2010.  This initiative is a great tool for employers who want to connect with qualified, experienced candidates.   

Our goal is to identify approximately 40 to 50 interested employers who will contribute to the development of acquiring skilled and qualified workers. Specialized Training needs of clients will be determined by the Coordinator based on recommendations from potential employers  

Requirements of the project:
A total of 30 private-sector placements are planned;
Placement requires interest from the employer to keep the employee on the job once the initiative has ended;
Participants must be hired for a minimum of 30 hours per week;
Placements must be at least 24 weeks long (wages reimbursed at 70% for 24 weeks as well as 70% of employment deduction cost);
On-the-job mentorship and/or targeted training may be available as required.   

Information required for participation: 
Company Information (Company Name, Type of Business, Contact person, Telephone number, Address, Email and/or fax) 

Job Information (Name of Position, Job Tasks, Weekly/Daily Schedule (evening, weekends), Salary Details, Does the job require travel? Is the position seasonal, permanent or temporary?Details regarding long-term potential, anticipated start dates) 

Job Requirements (Experience, Education, Languages, Computers, Additional Skills Requires) 

Should you be interested in posting a job through this Initiative, please contact Kim Drisdelle at 622-5259 or by e-mail at kim.drisdelle@ent-miramichi.ca 

 

The Miramichi Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Diversification Initiative was initiated in 2007 and completed in March 31, 2010. Over this three year span, the initiative successfully assisted local SME’s diversify their products and markets with the support of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), provincial government and Enterprise Miramichi.

 

The goal of the Initiative was to assist companies adversely impacted, directly or indirectly, by the closure of the UPM Kymmene Kraft Mill. As the forestry industry continued to collapse the SME Diversification Initiative became even more of a necessity for local businesses.

 

The initiative targeted five sectors: metal manufacturing, value-added wood, value-added peat, other manufacturing and the knowledge based industry. Through the initiative, professionals in the areas of business, trade and innovation were contracted to provide consulting services to eligible companies. The Miramichi SME Diversification Initiative covered 75% of total contract costs for these services, enabling participating businesses to more easily access industry expertise.

 

The original goal was to complete 71 interventions with regional companies over the three years. The initiative has surpassed this, completing a total of 74 projects with 33 companies, investing over $1.2 Million into our regional economy. The most common project undertaken by participating companies was a Business Diagnostic. Through the diagnostic, companies were given a general overview of their company, helping them to better identify critical needs and identify where to best direct their efforts. The SME Diversification Initiative also supported 8 companies in completing succession plans and 7 companies in gaining better financial management skills and practical tools through the Financial Dashboard System. The remaining companies were supported through various projects in their endeavors to access new markets and diversify their products.

 

In addition to individual interventions, groups training and information sessions were held throughout the span of the project, further building the capacity of 85 regional businesses.

 

The SME Diversification initiative was a very valuable program for all involved. Feedback from participating companies has been very positive, with many crediting their businesses growth in part to this initiative. Unlike many business support programs, the focus of this program was not to provide monetary support, but to facilitate capacity building within management and overall business. Companies were able to access individuals and firms with greater knowledge in specific areas of focus to help them analyze their business, adapt their present procedures and policies and develop a plan for the future. Ultimately, the SME Diversification Initiative succeeded in diversifying the local economy by helping businesses exist and thrive in difficult times.

 

If you would like further information on support programs or assistance with your business ventures please contact Enterprise Miramichi at 622-7890. We would be pleased to assist you! 

 What Businesses Have To Say;  

“[Our Business] engaged the services of outside consultants on two occasions during 2008.  Enterprise Miramichi assisted us on both of these projects through the Miramichi Initiative.  Enterprise Miramichi was very helpful in locating suitable vendors, assisting us in making the final selection of a firm, and in providing financial assistance.  I found the staff to be knowledgeable and professional. They guided us through these projects to ensure a successful completion.  I am pleased with the results of both undertakings. This initiative provided us with the expertise and resources that were not available within our organization. The outcomes of these projects have resulted in some valuable advice and recommendations that will lead to efficiencies within our organization” 

“It really made you sit back and better understand and study your position and opportunities as well as the challenges that may lie ahead. I was very satisfied with the report.”  

“[Our business] is expanding due to the introduction of new products and services we offer our clients and we needed to ensure that our support staff were fully trained so we could continue to offer the high level of service our company has been known for over the past 25 years.  In partnership with Enterprise Miramichi, we were able to hire expertise and develop a training package tailored to the unique needs of our company.” 

“The consultant has been very knowledgeable regarding the industry and has been extremely helpful in engaging the staff to bring the plant back into production. The company will be approaching the province of New Brunswick with an application for a loan guarantee. With a loan guarantee it will ensure the long term operations of this company who desperately wants to move away from primary processing to value added processing.”  

“The company would highly recommend the SME program with Enterprise Miramichi as it helped ensure that the company structure, management, equipment and operations were operating efficiently and it helped identify both the strengths and weaknesses of the company and its people to assist with ensuring the company successfully continues for many more years.”

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen:The 2^nd edition of the MYPIE (Miramichi Young Professional and Involved Entrepreneurs) Gala is right around the corner with its April 17^th slated date; nominations have been  opened on Friday and are on until Marc 19^th for the following awards: MYPIE Entrepreneur, MYPIE Professional, and MYPIE Community Champion.

Please Visit the MYPIE website to nominate individuals in the above categories.
http://www.mypie.ca/special_events.html