Timmins' business advisory group builds company sales and employment base.A new type of business advisory service is now available for small--and medium-sized enterprises in Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is the part of the province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron (including Georgian Bay), the French River and Lake Nipissing. Northern Ontario has a land area of 802,000 km² (310,000 mi²) and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In June of this year, the Quantum Management Group in Timmins accepted a contract through the Innovation Synergy The enhanced result of two or more people, groups or organizations working together. In other words, one and one equals three! It comes from the Greek "synergia," which means joint work and cooperative action. Centre in Markham (ISCM ISCM International Society for Contemporary Music ISCM it.sport.calcio.milan (newsgroup) ISCM Internet Supply Chain Management ISCM Master Chief Intelligence Specialist (Navy Rating) ) to deliver its expert business advisory and mentoring services in the North. "It's a good merger to get the private sector to help deliver the service in Northern Ontario," says Ken Petersen, partner and management consultant in the Quantum Management Group. The ISCM is a not-for-profit Not-for-profit An organization established for charitable, humanitarian, or educational purposes that is exempt from some taxes and in which no one in profits or losses. business advisory hub based in Markham that helps companies increase their sales and employment base at no cost. Fast approaching its fourth year, it has assisted more than 385 companies in a wide spectrum of fields, from technology, biotech bi·o·tech n. Informal Biotechnology. biotech Noun short for biotechnology Noun 1. , automotive, agriculture, manufacturing, export and general business industries, says Rod Graham, ISCM director of client services. It receives support from the Town of Markham, The National Research Council and the Ontario Ministry of Innovation. The Timmins centre evolved out of interactions with a mutual colleague, Randy Harris, partner and managing director of Quantum Management Group. As an expansion of services for both firms, it is unique from other business advisory centres because of the detailed level of service offered, as well as the ability to access the long-time expertise of the Quantum group In mathematics and theoretical physics, quantum groups are certain noncommutative algebras that first appeared in the theory of quantum integrable systems, and which were then formalized by Vladimir Drinfel'd and Michio Jimbo. partners, and its southern counterpart counterpart n. in the law of contracts, a written paper which is one of several documents which constitute a contract, such as a written offer and a written acceptance. advisors at the ISCM. The focus is on small- to medium-sized companies with sales around $1 million and 10 or more employees, not startup businesses. It is also available for clients who are looking to develop new technology, expand their business or export. "We provide people with business direction and advice in more detail than probably they would get through the business self-help programs at current provincial government offices," Petersen says. "There is also a special research function we can provide to companies." Should further questions or problems arise, ISCM and their resources are available to help the business. The northern and southern mix of functional experts on each staff provides a wider pool of mentors from whom to draw. The northern component is valuable for those businesses in the North that face issues specific to the area, such as high energy rates, remoteness, telecommunication telecommunication Communication between parties at a distance from one another. Modern telecommunication systems—capable of transmitting telephone, fax, data, radio, or television signals—can transmit large volumes of information over long distances. services and higher transportation costs. Besides the ability to access the varied resources of each company, Petersen says the service is different because it allows them to do "triage-assess business problems for clients where they might not normally go to use a consulting service Noun 1. consulting service - service provided by a professional advisor (e.g., a lawyer or doctor or CPA etc.) service - work done by one person or group that benefits another; "budget separately for goods and services" . "There are a lot of things I see that happen in many communities that if people would just take the time to talk to somebody who has been there before, they may not make these mistakes." The process of obtaining assistance requires online registration at www.iscm.ca, free of charge. Since the opening of the Timmins branch, Petersen says there is a whole spectrum of business-issues coming to the table, not just people looking to access capital. Consequently, the amount of time spent with each client varies depending on their needs. "It's a good mutual partnership," says Petersen, and a valuable opportunity for businesses seeking professional advice. www.iscm.ca www.quantum-mg.com By ADELLE LAMOUR Northern Ontario Business Northern Ontario Business is a Canadian magazine, which publishes monthly in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. The magazine covers business news and issues in Northern Ontario. |
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