If you run a business or organization in the Kawarthas, think about your employees as if they are a pro hockey team.

Hockey careers are short, competition for players is intense, and turnover is constant. The key to a pro hockey team’s success is its bench strength, achieved by recruiting young players combined with an excellent training, mentoring. and development program.

When it comes to businesses and organizations, succession planning is just as important to ensuring long-term success.

Employers need to find and hire the right people, develop and retain key employees, and identify existing employees with the potential to take over leadership roles when existing managers leave or retire.

Succession planning has become even more critical with the aging of the labour force in Canada, which is on track to having one of the fastest-aging rates recorded among economically developed countries. According to Planning for an Aging Labour Force, a March 2019 report released by the Workforce Development Board – Local Employment Planning Council (WDB/LEPC), four in 10 working-age Canadians could be aged 55 or over by 2026.

Combined with other factors including robust economic growth and lower unemployment rates, this presents a significant challenge for organizations in the future.

Through succession planning, employers can develop existing employees with leadership potential, so they are ready to be promoted to critical roles when needed so there isn’t a gap in service and organizations can save money on recruitment.

In his 2016 book Succession Planning That Works, management consultant Michael Timms writes, “Succession planning answers arguably the greatest talent management question of the 21st century: how will organizations fill the void left by the baby boomers?”

Research conducted by Deloitte in 2014 finds that, while most employers recognize this emerging issue and consider succession planning an urgent or important priority, only 14 per cent believe they are doing it well.

That’s why WDB/LEPC is offering two options for succession planning support for owners, managers, and directors of any type and size of business or organization in Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, or Northumberland, including a series of free succession planning workshops and focus groups.

The workshops/focus groups take place at the following locations and dates:

• Peterborough – Tuesday, October 15th in the board room at the Peterborough Public Library (345 Aylmer St. N., Peterborough)
• Haliburton – Thursday, October 24th at SIRCH Community Services (49 Maple Ave., Unit 4 Haliburton)
• City of Kawartha Lakes – Thursday, November 21st at VCCS (370 Kent St. W. Unit 5, Lindsay)
• Northumberland – Thursday, November 28th at the Business & Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland (600 William St. Suite 700, Cobourg).

Two sessions are available on each date: one from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and another from 7 to 9 p.m. To register for your preferred date and session, visit wdbsuccessionplanning.eventbrite.ca. There is no cost to attend.

Project manager Carrie Wakeford will begin the session with a focus group, where employers can share their opinions about succession planning needs and learn more about succession planning in the process.

This will be followed by a practical succession planning workshop led by business coach Colleen Carruthers, who has extensive experience training business leaders. In the workshop, employers will have the opportunity to work on their business’s or organization’s own succession plan.

For more information, contact Carrie Wakeford at carrie@wakeford.ca or 705-745-1607.

If you are unable to attend a workshop/focus group, you can also complete a voluntary online survey on succession planning available at www.surveymonkey.com/r/WDB_Succession.

By completing the survey, you will learn about succession planning and help guide WDB/LEPC in developing succession planning support. The survey will take under eight minutes to complete, and all responses are confidential.

As a bonus, all participants in the workshops/focus groups and the survey will receive a tip sheet, templates, links to online training, as well as a list of local succession planning services.

businessNOW™ is the most comprehensive weekly round-up of business and organizational news and events from Peterborough and across the Kawarthas.

This week’s business and organizational news features Peterborough-based Chimp Treats unveiling the new branding for its Nicecream frozen dessert line as it prepares to expand to retailers in Europe, Andy Cragg being announced as the new executive director of New Canadians Centre Peterborough, and a new home lighting and decor store called de.Kor coming to East City plaza in Peterborough this fall.

New regional business events added this week include the Northumberland Manufacturers’ Association presenting a business process efficiency workshop in Cobourg on October 9th, a free succession planning focus group and workshop for employers in Peterborough on October 15th, the Peterborough DBIA breakfast network with Sacha Lai-Svirk and Michael Gallant in Peterborough on October 16th, the Kawartha Lakes Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre hosting a marketing and social media workshop in Lindsay on October 21st, and FastStart Peterborough’s 2019 Pitch It! competition in Peterborough on October 22nd.

Peterborough-based Chimp Treats unveils new branding for its Nicecream frozen dessert line

Peterborough-based Chimp Treats has unveiled new branding for its popular Nicecream frozen dessert line, the world’s first and only frozen dessert made entirely from fruit and sold all across Canada.

The original packaging for Nicecream, with its bright colours, was designed to appeal to children and to stand out from the typical packaging of other natural food products at the time. After discovering the largest demographic for Nicecream was women aged 20 to 40 and to avoid confusion about the difference between the company name and the product name, Chimp Treats decided to redesign the packaging.

Six months in the making, the graphic design for the new branding was created in-house by Chimp Treats founder and CEO Brooke Hammer.

“Over the years, we’ve learned so much about our customers and we’ve honed in our mission and values, making us realize that we can do better,” says Hammer of the decision to go from bright and loud colours to a clean and more grownup design.”

VIDEO: Chimp Treats 2019 Rebrand

“The front of the packaging didn’t drive home that Nicecream was 100 per cent fruit, so we wanted to incorporate fruit in a big way,” Hammer adds. “We are the healthiest option in the ice cream aisle, and we wanted our packaging to reflect that.”

The new packaging leaves behind the previous bright colours in favour of a more balanced palette. Chimp Treats also worked with a Canadian watercolour artist to paint the fruits featured on the packaging, and transformed the original “Nicecream” logo into a product name to distinguish it from other categories of frozen dessert such as ice cream, gelato, or sorbet, and to focus on the healthy nature of the product.

Since Hammer launched Chimp Treats in June 2017, the company has grown nationally with distribution all across Canada, including Loblaws, Sobeys, and Whole Foods Market. Chimp Treats will begin shipping to its first retailers in Europe this year.

“Now is the perfect time to implement these changes, so new countries launch with the same branding we have in Canada,” Hammer says.

Andy Cragg is the new executive director of New Canadians Centre Peterborough

The board of directors of the New Canadians Centre Peterborough (NCC) has announced the appointment of Andy Cragg as the organization’s new executive director.

Cragg, who has been very involved with the NCC for several years, served from 2014 to 2017 as chair of the Peterborough Immigration Partnership, which was formed in 2009 to advance a targeted community strategy for immigrant integration with the NCC as the lead agency.

A passionate advocate for immigration and settlement, Cragg was also the chair of the Resettlement Task Force, a working group of community agencies and stakeholders that met weekly to coordinate service delivery when Peterborough first started welcoming government-assisted refugees from Syria. He also has served on NCC’s finance committee for the past three years and is also a volunteer support group member.

Cragg holds a Master of Arts degree in Canadian studies and indigenous studies from Trent University, where he focused on Canadian immigration policy, and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and political science from Dalhousie University. He is a certified project manager, a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, and serves on the board of Alterna Savings Credit Union.

“This year the NCC is celebrating 40 years of inspiring and encouraging newcomers and this would not be possible without the dedication of staff, volunteers, community members, and partners,” Cragg says. “I am looking forward to being part of the team that builds on this impressive legacy to further the goal of a welcoming community.”

Cragg’s previous position was as director of knowledge exchange at the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health, a national network of organizations working together to achieve greater impact in improving women and children’s health around the world.

He begins his new role at NCC at the end of October 2019.

New home lighting and decor store coming to East City plaza in Peterborough

A new home lighting and decor store is coming to the plaza located at the corner of Hunter Street East and Mark Street in Peterborough’s East City.

Called de.Kor, the new store is owned and operated by Karen LaRiviere, who previously worked at Bennett’s Home Furnishings. Located at 97 Hunter Street East, it is expected to open this fall.

The plaza also includes Black’s Distillery, which opened in 2018, and Sweet Beast Butcher Shop and Murrdog’s Craft Barbery, both of which opened this year.

Northumberland Manufacturers’ Association presents business process efficiency workshop in Cobourg on October 9

The Northumberland Manufacturers’ Association and KLAR Solutions presents “Custom & Cost Effective App Solutions To Create Efficiencies” from 8 to 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 9th at Venture13 (739 D’Arcy St., Cobourg)

This free session will provide you with a glimpse at what technology can do to improve your work processes using no-code or low-code platforms. Chris Andersson from KLAR Solutions of Warkworth will provide a live demonstration of transferring data from multiple spreadsheets into relational database, improve the user interface, publish it to the web, and make the data available as a mobile app.

The session is free. To reserve your spot, register at eventbrite.ca/e/custom-cost-effective-app-solutions-to-create-efficiencies-tickets-73763686171.

Business & Entrepreneurship Conference Northumberland in Cobourg on October 10

The second annual Business & Entrepreneurship Conference Northumberland takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 10th at the Best Western Plus Cobourg Inn & Convention Centre (930 Burnham St., Cobourg).

Presented by Northumberland County, Business & Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland, Destination Ontario, and Kawarthas Northumberland, the one-day high-level business growth conference is designed to educate, motivate, and promote collaboration.

Keynote speakers include Ron Tsang on the topic “Influential Communication for Entrepreneurs” and Andrew Patrico on the topic “How to Cost and Price Your Products and Services Profitably”.

The cost is $45+HST, which includes breakfast and lunch.

For the full agenda and to register, visit www.becn.ca/conference/.

Kawartha Chamber hosts Awards of Excellence and Social Gala in Lakefield on October 10

The Kawartha Chamber of Commerce & Tourism is hosting its 20th Annual Awards of Excellence and Social Gala from 6:30 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, October 10th at Lakefield College School (4391 County Rd. 29, Lakefield).

There will be a silent and live auction, light hor d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and a social hour for networking in Upper Hadden Hall before the presentation of the awards in the Bryan Jones Theatre.

Tickets are available for $50 per person at business.kawarthachamber.ca/events/details/awards-of-excellence-social-gala-10424. Ticket sales end on Wednesday, October 2nd.

IBM Lunch and Learn seminar in Cobourg on October 15

Venture13 is presenting Lunch and Learn session with Sarmad Ibrahim, Tech Evangelist at IBB, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 15th at Venture13 (739 D’Arcy St., Cobourg).

Find out about the IBM I3 program, discover IBM’s artificial intelligence, internet of things, and blockchain opportunities, network with entrepreneurs and innovators, and more.

The free seminar is by invitation only.

For more information and to request an invitation, visit calendar.cobourg.ca/venture13/Detail/2019-10-15-1000-OCE-IBM-I3-program-Lunch-and-Learn.

Free succession planning focus group and workshop for employers in Peterborough on October 15

The Workforce Development Board – Local Employment Planning Council (WDB/LEPC) is presenting a free succession planning workshop and focus group for owners, managers, and directors of any type and size of business or organization in Peterborough on Tuesday, October 15th in the board room at the Peterborough Public Library (345 Aylmer St. N., Peterborough).

Through succession planning, employers can develop existing employees with leadership potential, so they are ready to be promoted to critical roles when needed so there isn’t a gap in service and organizations can save money on recruitment

Project manager Carrie Wakeford will begin the session with a focus group, where employers can share their opinions about succession planning needs and learn more about succession planning in the process. This will be followed by a practical succession planning workshop led by business coach Colleen Carruthers, who has extensive experience training business leaders. In the workshop, employers will have the opportunity to work on their business’s or organization’s own succession plan.

Two sessions are available: one from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and another from 7 to 9 p.m. To register, visit visit successionplanningptbo.eventbrite.ca.

Additional workshops/focus groups take place at the following locations and dates:

• Haliburton – Thursday, October 24th at SIRCH Community Services (49 Maple Ave., Unit 4 Haliburton)
• City of Kawartha Lakes – Thursday, November 21st at VCCS (370 Kent St. W. Unit 5, Lindsay)
• Northumberland – Thursday, November 28th at the Business & Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland (600 William St. Suite 700, Cobourg).

To register for your preferred date and session, visit successionplanningptbo.eventbrite.ca. There is no cost to attend.

Peterborough DBIA breakfast network with Sacha Lai-Svirk and Michael Gallant in Peterborough on October 16

The Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) is hosting its next breakfast network meeting from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 16th at Empress Gardens (131 Charlotte St., Peterborough).

DBIA board members Sacha Lai-Svirk, director of digital health at Outpost379, and Michael Gallant, architect and design principal at Lett Architects, will speak aout the Smart City Challenge.

Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. with the guest speakers at 8 a.m.

The event is open to everyone. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Peterborough Chamber hosts 2019 Business Excellence Awards in Peterborough on October 16

The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 2019 Business Excellence Awards at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 16th at Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough).

Awards will be presented in 20 categories, including Business Citizen of the Year.

The event begins with a reception at 6:30 p.m. on the Nexicom Studio followed by the awards ceremony at 7:30 p.m. in the Erica Cherney Theatre.

Tickets are $50+HST, available at excellencepeterborough.ca/tickets. Your tickets includes one complimentary beverage and light hors d’oeuvres catered by The Imperial Tandoor.

Kawartha Lakes Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre hosts a marketing and social media workshop in Lindsay on October 21

The Kawartha Lakes Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre’s next “Business Fundamentals” workshop is on marketing and social media and takes place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, October 21st in the downstairs meeting room at the Lindsay branch of Kawartha Lakes Public Library (190 Kent St., Lindsay).

Sandy Greenberg (serial entrepreneur, established business coach, and former business advisor at Centennial College Centre of Entrepreneurship) will facilitate the workshop, which will cover topics including target marketing, how to create a brand for your business, choosing effective marketing channels, and online and offline marketing strategies.

Bring your own laptop (wi-fi access will be available) and refreshments.

Tickets are $10, available at eventbrite.ca/e/klsbec-business-fundamentals-marketing-social-media-tickets-73484862201.

Small Business Week events in Kawartha Lakes from October 21 to 25

Kawartha Lakes Small Business Week takes place the week of Monday, October 21st, culminating with the presentation of the 21st annual Kawartha Lakes Small Business Innovation Awards beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 25th at the Lindsay Golf & Country Club (292 Lindsay st. S. Lindsay).

Nominations are now open for the awards, which feature a first prize of $750, a second prize of $500, and a third prize of $250.

For a list of all the events during Kawartha Lakes Small Business Week and to submit a nomination for the Kawartha Lakes Small Business Innovation Awards, visit www.smallbizweek.net.

To register for Innovation Day, visit sbw_innovationday2019.eventbrite.ca. Tickets are $35 and include lunch, with the awards ceremony beginning at 1 p.m.

Small Business Week event in Port Hope from October 21 to 25

The Port Hope & District Chamber of Commerce is presenting a series of events during Small Business Week in Port Hope the week of Monday, October 21st.

On Monday from 12 to 2 p.m., the Port Hope Chamber is hosting “Ask a Professional” at the Port Hope Town Hall Council Chambers (56 Queen St., Port Hope). At this free event, local professionals in the fields of accounting, finance, and law will be on hand to answer questions you may have about business. Professionals include John O’Keefe of O’Keefe Accounting Group, Scott McCracken of Schmidt Law Legal Services, and Adrian Pepper of the Bank of Montreal.

On Tuesday from 9 to 10:30 a.m., the Port Hope Chamber and the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) are offering a bus tour for local businesses and contractors from a perspective of the PHAI project and cleanup. Space is limited to 18 registrants.

On Wednesday from 7:30 to 9 a.m., the Port Hope Chamber and the Business Development Bank of Canada are hosting “Women in Business” at Jack Burger Sports Complex (60 Highland Dr., Port Hope). The workshop features a presentation for local women in business from the Business Development Bank of Canada on the topic “Supporting your growing business with flexible financing and practical advice”. Light refreshments will be provided.

On Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m., the Port Hope Young Professionals group is hosting a trivia night at The Thirsty Goose (63 Walton St., Port Hope). There will be a cash prize for the winning team.

On Friday at 11 a.m., the Port Hope Chamber is hosting “Coffee Break with David Piccini” at the Port Hope Town Hall Council Chambers (56 Queen St., Port Hope). This event, open only to Chamber members, offers an opportunity to talk business with Northumberland-Peterborough MPP South David Piccini.

For more information about these events and to register, visit porthopechamber.chambermaster.com/events.

FastStart Peterborough hosts 2019 Pitch It! competition in Peterborough on October 22

FastStart Peterborough is hosting its fifth annual Pitch It! Competition from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22nd in the large ground floor boardroom at VentureNorth (270 George St. N., Peterborough).

Modelled after the CBC television series Dragons’ Den, the competition will feature students from Trent University and Fleming College pitching their business ideas to a panel of judges in hopes of winning up to $350.

To attend this free event, register at eventbrite.com/e/faststart-presents-pitch-it-2019-tickets-73855627169.

Students who wish to enter the competition can do so at innovationcluster.ca/programs/pitch-it/. Applications close at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 11th.

Disability and accessibility in the workplace information session in Lindsay on October 29

In collaboration with the Lindsay & District Chamber of Commerce and My Lindsay Downtown, the Workforce Development Board/Local Employment Planning Council is hosting “Employer Education Series – Disability & Accessibility Information Session” from 8 to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 29 at Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Lindsay (134 Angeline St. S., Lindsay).

Guest speaker Barbara Condie, accessibility coordinator with the City of Kawartha Lakes, will be sharing best practices for employers to navigate the issue of disability and accessibility in the workplace. Condie has extensive experience with research and resource information, development of policies, corporate procedures, and communications pertaining to disability and accessibility.

For those who are unable to attend person, you will have the opportunity to attend this event via webinar upon registration. Register for this free event at eventbrite.ca/e/employer-education-series-disability-accessibility-information-session-tickets-71529545797.

For more business-related events in the Kawarthas, check out our Business Events column.