The Conference curated by John Bucher The Boss Ladiesby L. Bacon & E. Mears The Legalistby Nicole Byres The Socialist by Sheryl Kristie Yen The insiderby Tony Wanless
An arena for considered commentary and personal insight into the people and issues shaping business in B.C.
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Mat Wilcox Knows Where the Future Lies

The Insider: B.C. Business, Broad & Fine
Tony Wanless | Image: Brian Howell | Published: September 02, 2010
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Did social media kill the PR star? The Wilcox
closure has sent shockwaves through Vancou-
ver's PR industry.

Mat Wilcox shocked the B.C. corporate world when she decided to close her PR firm. Could it be that she has her eye clearly fixed on the future?

Tomorrow, in the BCBusiness September edition, we'll hear the answer to one of Vancouver's biggest business mysteries: Why is PR doyenne Mat Wilcox closing her highly regarded shop? The Vancouver Courier – having published two recent articles – seems particularly interested.

Mat has reigned over the city's PR scene for 15 years, parlaying a personal style, a great strategic mind and a knack for knowing all the big business players into a company that specialized in crisis communications. Half the city's PR purveyors have worked for her at one time or other.

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Prosperity! If We Get Off Our Butts

The Insider
Tony Wanless | | Published: August 31, 2010
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There is great hope for BC's economic future. But it won't happen unless we lose our traditional way of thinking and embrace change.

Economist Richard Florida, the creative class guru who's currently the director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, has posited that in the wake of the recession, Canada needs to reset its economic thinking in many ways.

He cites five areas specifically, but three have particular relevance to BC.  

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Eco-Innovation: The Next Business Megatrend

The Conference: Ideas with Currency
Marc Stoiber | Image: iStock | Published: August 31, 2010
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Eco-efficiency and eco-innovation are two concepts with a growing presence in the world of corporate sustainability. Marc Stoiber highlights two companies – Domtar and Replenish – at the helm of this trend.

Corporate sustainability is gathering momentum in North America. Companies like Wal-Mart and GE are indisputably proving the business case for efficiency with an environmental slant, and unprecedented numbers of corporations are jumping on the eco-efficiency bandwagon. Although it is still early days, indicators are that this trend could become a megatrend, influencing not only our economy, but our perspective on how companies should behave.

As eco-efficiency gathers steam, however, we are seeing signs of another trend on the horizon. Eco-innovation appears to be the next iteration of eco-efficiency, but with greater potential for both brand and revenue building.

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It's Hip To Like Squares

The Insider: B.C. Business, Broad & Fine
Tony Wanless | Image: The Big Wild | Published: August 26, 2010
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A new viral marketing campaign to save B.C.'s Flathead River Valley is targeting the young and hip with QR coded posters.

Let's be honest: I don't get QR codes.

Maybe it's because I'm just a journosaur, who likes to receive information the traditional way – in words. Or  maybe it's because my smartphone is so out of date, it's barely functional, thanks to this ridiculous three-year plan I was forced to take so that my monthly phone costs wouldn't equal a month's rent.

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A Conflict of Interest Policy is Good for Business

The Legalist: Employment Law in B.C.
Nicole Byres | | Published: August 26, 2010
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How do you create a good corporate conflict of interest policy?

In previous posts, I defined conflict of interest and explained why employers should expect their employees to avoid it. Yet a problem persists: too many employers assume employees understand conflict of interest. Often, they don’t. The invariable result is nasty surprises.

Conflicts of interest can sap employee discipline and morale, damage your company’s reputation, and expose you to liability. You can avoid these problems. As an employer, make sure that 1) conflicts of interest are well understood by your staff, and that 2) procedurally, conflicts of interest (even if just potential) can be quickly dispatched.

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