New role moves from stretchy pants company to business where you need to wear them
Vancouver-based Ugi Fitness Inc.[1] — the company that benefited from the growth advice of former Report on Small Business columnist John Warrillow in the “reality series[2]” we ran last year — took the advice on connecting with Lululemon Athletica Inc[3].
But it wasn’t exactly in the way Mr. Warrillow suggested.
Mr. Warrillow said the fitness business might want to become a strategic partner [4]of or even become an interesting acquisition candidate [5]for a company like Lululemon.
Instead, the company has done some acquiring of its own from Lululemon by hiring former Lululemon controller Dave Andru to become Ugi Fitness’s chief financial officer and acting chief executive officer.
Ugi has created a 30-minute workout centred on a weighted ball. It combines strength, cardio and core training. The three working mom co-founders — Deb Karby, Sara Shears and Melanie Fiinkleman –brainstormed the company over a coffee as a workout solution for a busy schedule.
Ms. Karby wanted to hire a CEO last year when the tasks involved in running the business proved more than the team of three could handle. Mr. Warrillow recommended that the company hold off on a CEO hire and instead focus on hiring from the bottom up[6].
But times have changed. Mr. Andru is taking over the acting CEO role to replace Ms. Karby, current CEO, who is on a temporary medical leave, the company said in a release.
Ms. Shears said the company was “excited to welcome” Mr. Andru. His finance skills and experience fill a gap that we identified within the company and are happy to have now filled, she said in the release.
Mr. Andru, with 18 years of senior accounting and finance roles, most recently worked with Lululemon, famed for its stretchy black stretching pants, for seven years.
Quebec puts young entrepreneurs on the map
Young Quebec entrepreneurs had a chance to shine at a gala last night . The Quebec Entrepreneurship Contest announced winners Wednesday night at the Desjardins Provincial Grand Prize Gala. The contest was divided into two categories: Business Creation and Student Entrepreneurship, and a total of 3,490 projects and 46,988 participants competed.
It was a fierce competition with so many quality entries. A few examples:
Procd Natur+L XTD[7], which uses a high-pressure cold pasteurization process to preserve food, took away first place in the biofood category in the Business Creation group. Cration Goland[8], a residence for people who need help with social integration that also offers assessment services, took away first place in the social economy category in the same group.
Over the course of the evening, more than 42 prizes were awarded, with a total value of $230,000. The finalists already shared $319,000 in the regional finals this past May. For a full list of winners click here[9].
Lessons from the kids
Remember when you wanted to be a firefighter, the prime minister or a rock star? This blog post[10] says that you should keep up that spirit, just like the kids do.
Dreaming big is just one lesson that children have to teach to entrepreneurs. Kids are great with negotiations, and even have some financial tips that are worthy of attention. Need money for that ice cream cone and mom said no? Hit up dad. When one parent turns out empty pockets, kids shamelessly hit on the other parent. The takeaway for entrepreneurs: “When more money is needed, it’s important to be able to turn to more than one funding source,” writes Zanne Lamb-Hunt.
EVENTS AND KEY DATES
Gearing up for Global Entrepreneurship Week
The Canadian Youth Business Foundations Global Entrepreneurship Week[11] runs Nov. 12 to Nov. 18 this year but its not too early to get involved. You can sign up here[12] to become a partner and host an event, activity or contest.
Seminars
Sign up for seminars in Niagara Falls. Two upcoming seminars are designed for small business owners. How to write a business plan[13] is an interactive seminar that will cover the basics of a business plan. July 26, 2012 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. $20. Market research and advertising[14] is a seminar that will help you create a good marketing plan to generate returns and provide long-term benefits to your business. The seminar covers marketing techniques including market research, customer service, advertising, targeting, packaging, pricing, and e-marketing. It runs June 19 and Aug. 28.
EDITOR’S PICKS FROM REPORT ON SMALL BUSINESS
Become a master storyteller
Crafting a good story[15] about your business is key to success, says Lisa Ostrikoff. If youve got a good story, it will spread. If its boring? Youre invisible. The way you get that story out can be text, pictures, online video and dont forget social media. For more tips on a social media business strategy check out this video[16].
FROM THE ROSB ARCHIVES
Ever wondered how to break into the Indian market?
Marport Canada Inc.[17] co-founder Karl Kenny has opened offices in Spain, France, Iceland and the United States, but has sights set on India. Experts weigh in[18] on how to tackle that challenge.
References
- ^ Ugi Fitness Inc. (ugifit.com)
- ^ reality series (www.theglobeandmail.com)
- ^ Lululemon Athletica Inc (shop.lululemon.com)
- ^ a strategic partner (www.theglobeandmail.com)
- ^ become an interesting acquisition candidate (www.theglobeandmail.com)
- ^ hold off on a CEO hire and instead focus on hiring from the bottom up (www.theglobeandmail.com)
- ^ Procd Natur+L XTD (www.naturelxtd.com)
- ^ Cration Goland (www.maisongoeland.com)
- ^ click here (www.newswire.ca)
- ^ This blog post (addicted2success.com)
- ^ Global Entrepreneurship Week (www.cybf.ca)
- ^ sign up here (www.cybf.ca)
- ^ How to write a business plan (www.niagarafalls.ca)
- ^ Market research and advertising (www.niagarafalls.ca)
- ^ Crafting a good story (www.theglobeandmail.com)
- ^ this video (www.theglobeandmail.com)
- ^ Marport Canada Inc. (www.marport.com)
- ^ Experts weigh in (www.theglobeandmail.com)
Resources:
Easy Fitness Tips Volume 2 (Kindle Edition) tagged “fitness tips” 5 times
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Easy Fitness Tips Volume 2 (Kindle Edition)By Lisa Jeffreys Buy new: $0.99 Customer Rating:
Easy Fitness Tips Volume 2 (Kindle Edition)By Lisa Jeffreys Buy new: $0.99 Customer Rating: 
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Celebrity Fitness Tips: June 2012 – iVillage
No one said that getting skinny is easy, but oftentimes, it's even harder to get curves in all the right places. Kim Kardashian may seem to have it all: the tiny waist, killer curves and relations appeal to boot, but maintaining her … http://www.ivillage.com/celebrity-fitness-tips-june-2012/1-b-462533
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Any Fitness Tips For People With Asthma? Just need some fitness tips to help with my asthma. I want to be able to run for a longer period and have an overall better fitness level. I start losing my breath after about 1 minute of running. Any ideas and tips would be very much appreciated : )
First, you have to choose a certain kind of exercise that they really can handle well. Some exercise that might be great choice for asthma sufferers are walking, swimming, riding a bike, as well as hiking. These kinds of exercise needs less physical move than tennis, hockey, gymnastics, long distance running, and many other else. You could also consult their doctors to choose the most appropriate type of exercise for you.
Second, you can take advantage of your inhaler. You can use your inhaler about 15 minutes before you start to exercise. Besides, makes sure that your inhaler is always close enough to you. You will never know when the attack might hit you. Therefore, providing inhaler as first aid near you is very important.
Third, breathing through your nose during the exercise is also important. Mouth breathing tends to trigger asthma attack since it causes you to inhale cold air right into the bronchial tube. In contrary, the air that you heal will be filtered well when you are breathing through your nose. Besides, nose breathing also allows the air to be warmer before reaching the lungs.
The fourth thing you need to do is looking for a certain area that free from pollutions and allergens. However you should also avoid area with too many trees or grass. Then, you should also be aware of the symptoms of asthma that occur during the exercise. If you feel very tired and your chest begins to be tightening, you should be notice that those are the initial symptoms of asthma. Usually, those symptoms will be followed by wheezing. Stop doing any physical activity when these symptoms occur.
By following those tips, asthma sufferers could still have exercise with less risk of asthma attack. Do not let asthma attack prevent you to have regular exercise activity.
Anyone Know Some Good Fitness Tips? I’m really bad at running, and I would like to loose a few pounds, so I was wondering if anyone could give me some simple fitness tips? Just a simple fitness regime, please.
Avoid elevators and escalators,,
climb stairs,, walk long distances every single day.
hour of cardio at your target heart rate every day.
stretch properly afterwards or you wont want to come back tomorrow which blows the whole plan.
good luck
I Want To Lose A Few Kilos But Not A Heap, Dieting And Fitness Tips..? I weigh 58 kilos, and I don’t really want to lose too much weight, maybe 5 or 6 kilos, but I mostly just want to tone up. Do you know any dieting/fitness tips? I’m going to the gym 5 times a week, and on the days I’m not there I’m going for a run. Any tips on what to spend my time on at the gym? Thank you x
Dear Isy,
One thing you need to understand is that you have to work hard if you want to change the shape of your body. That means a balance of medium-high intensity cardio exercise along with challenging strength training workouts.
For weight loss, you’ll need to get about 5 cardio workouts each week at a medium-high intensity for at least 30 minutes. If you’re a beginner, it’s best to start slow and work your way up but, if you’re in good condition and have no restrictions, challenging yourself with harder workouts is the best way to burn more calories. Interval training is a good choice because studies show you continue to burn calories even after you’ve stopped exercising.
In addition to your cardio workouts, you’ll need to lift weights for all your muscle groups at least 2 non-consecutive days a week. And, by lifting weights, that means using enough weight that you can ONLY complete the desired number of reps. For example, if you’re doing 12 bicep curls, you need to use enough weight that you can only do 12 bicep curls and not one more. Most people don’t lift enough weight to really challenge their muscles.
What you need to engage in is a well balanced all rounded diet with considerable physical exertion over a prolonged time period. Food can be broken down into 5 major groups. These groups are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals and water. The body needs varying amounts of these types of food so that the adequate amount of nutrients is supplied to the body. A well-balanced diet does not mean an equal amount of each type of food, as our body requires more of some nutrients than others.
Each type of food plays a significant role in our body but excesses or deficiencies of certain types of food can also harm the body and produce a negative impact on our health.
It is very important that we know how much of each type of food we are supposed to consume and that we eat in a sensible way. This means eating regular meals at “least” three times a day and drinking plenty of water, but what I would suggest is breaking it down to 5 smaller meals a day and having your last solid meal before 6pm after that you are only allowed to have pure low fat milk a mug or two would be a good idea to cut down on excessive cravings.
Hope this answers your question.