The past week was a busy one for BIAs across BC, Alberta and beyond as we hosted the Regional Annual Conference in Victoria BC. As you well know by now, BIAs across the province have been very vocal on our concerns over criminality, health, and safety reforms. Our Policy Committee have been actively lobbying government […]

Please note this is an opinion piece and is not a comprehensive review of the systems in question. As of January 31st, the Province of BC have decriminalized drugs for personal use, in quantities below 2.5 grams. This decriminalization is limited to some key drugs: Opiods, Cocaine (powder and crack), Methamphetamine and MDMA. This change […]

Inflation, Minimum Wage, and the Employers Health Tax – challenges for business Its shaping up to be a rough year for business survival in BC. A few years ago, when the BC NDP passed legislation on the level of minimum wage in BC, it was welcomed as a positive move toward a living wage and […]

I recently read this post on a Facebook group and, truth be told, while the situation is unfortunate, the issue could have been avoided altogether with a bit of structure and strategy at start-up, or in the early stages of the business’s existence. Its never too late to reset, so the second-best time to get […]

You can tell when election season is upon us, social media posts start showing up, polls suddenly appear in your e-mail boxes, and then there is the partisan language that many declared, or yet to declare, candidates start using on a daily basis… “so….. what do you think about…….?”  “Can you believe……?”  Here at the […]

Every Spring I write about your business frontage, setting up your sales floor for success, and reinvigorating your sales potential. We talk about inventory controls, cash flow analysis, hiring, and setting the stage for success.   This year, with the significant challenges to business, it will be even more important to take a hard look […]

Last week, the Starbucks on the North Shore moved to a new building at 12th and Tranquille. It is a total move of 1 kilometer. The drive takes exactly 4 minutes if you don’t get stopped at the light. Yet, I heard numerous people say: “I’m not driving all the way over there!” This statement […]

*please note that these thoughts are the personal opinions of Jeremy Heighton, and  do not necessarily represent the thoughts of the NSBIA or our Board of Directors. Why we are, Where we are: My personal thoughts on the state of Social and Criminal accountability in Canada. In our recent work to advocate for greater levels […]

Leadership, at whatever level it takes place, is always about creating and maintaining a positive and trusting partnership with others, in order to develop and/or maintain a high degree of personal influence, which can create or effect positive change. I wrote this leadership definition early on in my career as a leadership trainer, and during […]

The Masked Avenger rockets across the sky, a flame of yellow fury emanating from his heels. In the nick of time, he swoops to the ground, shields the innocent from the villain and stands defiantly to protect the values of justice. At least that is the way that it plays out in comics, movies, folklore. […]