Village Gamer

Reminder: Today is the final day for submissions to apply for the Shaw Rocket Fund Digital Progam.

A new survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) of 8,900 businesses shows that, if given the opportunity to start over, the vast majority (83 per cent) of entrepreneurs would choose the same career path.

It should come as no surprise then that 78 per cent of business owners would recommend small business ownership as a career option for young people. Unfortunately, business owners’ comments all point to the same common denominator: Schools are not promoting entrepreneurship as a career option. “Schools are set up for kids to start a career, not start a business,” said one member from Alberta.

And, according to CFIB research, the education system hasn’t fully embraced entrepreneurship as a viable career option for young people, with 56 per cent of business owners indicating that they did not feel as though there was enough of an emphasis on starting a business as a career option in schools today. “Given the many opportunities and rewards that entrepreneurship has to offer, it is only natural that business owners would recommend it as a career option and believe that schools should do more to encourage it,” reasoned CFIB’s vice-president of research, Doug Bruce.

CFIB Sr. VP of Research, Economics and Western Canada, Laura Jones, was also quick to point out that 92 per cent of business owners indicate running a business is a rewarding career. “Entrepreneurs are happy to go to work every day because they have the freedom to be their own bosses and tailor their line of work toward their own strengths and interests,” she explained. Adding, “If entrepreneurial skills and aptitudes were sufficiently encouraged in the education system,  the next generation of business owners will be in  for a great career which not only permits them to build on their talent and expertise, but also fulfill them personally and professionally as well.”

Entrepreneurs have no regrets is the second in a series of short reports on entrepreneurship. The first report is titled “The Secrets of Entrepreneurial Success” and the series commemorates CFIB’s 40^th anniversary and celebrates 2011 as the federally designated Year of the Entrepreneur.

Washington, DC company Blackboard Inc. has announced plans to open a new data centre in Canada this summer, responding to growing interest from Canadian institutions for an in-region facility to host and manage their learning environments. The new data centre will be located in Calgary and will be the company’s seventh production facility. It joins Blackboard’s existing hosting facilities in the United States, the Netherlands and Australia.

Blackboard Managed Hosting currently supports about 8.5 million active users and approximately 950 education, corporate and government clients worldwide. Overall, the number of clients hosted by Blackboard has grown by over 20 percent in the last two years.

As the management of learning environments becomes more complex and the need for more reliable uptime becomes more important, institutions have increasingly leveraged Blackboard’s hosting capabilities. In doing so, they’re achieving greater uptime and a partner with the technical expertise to manage installations, upgrades, and day-to-day system maintenance, enabling their institutional IT staff to spend more time working to improve overall systems to better support learning programs.

“Opening a data centre in Canada underscores our commitment to providing the best mix of technology and services to institutions in Canada,” said Harry Choi, vice president of Blackboard Managed Hosting. “We’ve seen that clients who rely on our deep experience and technical expertise spend less time worrying about system management and can devote more of their attention to improving and growing programs, so we’re excited to present a stronger set of capabilities to Canadian institutions.”

The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is launching a unique program in June to help Okanagan companies develop solid marketing strategies. The BDC’s Marketing Booster Program is an affordable, results-oriented program designed specifically for growing businesses with limited marketing resources that will be offered at BDC’s Kelowna office beginning on June 15.

BDC chose the Okanagan to deliver the Marketing Booster Program because of the large number of entrepreneurs and growth-oriented businesses in the region. “A business will initially grow using an ad hoc marketing approach. But eventually, it will need a structured marketing strategy to gain market share, access new markets and ensure long term profitability,” says Luanne Chore, BDC Consulting Partner for the Okanagan. “A solid marketing function is vital to any organization, especially when businesses must confront such challenges as economic uncertainty, intense global competition and rapidly changing technology.”

The 12-week Marketing Booster Program combines small group sessions with extensive one-on-one coaching. It begins with three, half-day group sessions held at weekly intervals during which a BDC marketing consultant leads training and discussions on nine key areas:

• Customer Relationship Management
• Competition
• Positioning
• Creating a Marketing Action Plan
• Managing Products and Services
• Managing Communications
• E-Business
• Managing Distribution
• Managing Your Sales Team.

By the end of the nine workshops, participants will have practical tools to grow their businesses, including customer satisfaction surveys, value propositions and action plan templates. BDC’s marketing consultant will then provide one-on-one coaching and guidance to help each company develop and implement a marketing strategy.

Enrolment in the Marketing Booster Program is limited to 10 businesses. Participants are expected to be either the business owner or the individual responsible for marketing.

The group format is cost-effective and allows participants to share experiences and brainstorm with like-minded entrepreneurs. “The principles of marketing are the same for all industry sectors,” says Chore. “Group synergy is one of the most effective aspects of the Marketing Booster Program.”

For more information or to register please contact Luanne Chore, BDC Consulting Partner, at (250) 470-4804.

Hli Goothl Wilp-Adokshl Nisga’a, the Nisga’a Museum, opens today in a dedication ceremony for Nisga’a people, dignitaries, and special guests. Opening on the 11th anniversary of the Nisga’a Final Agreement, the museum is the permanent home of the Ancestors’ Collection—over 300 Nisga’a artifacts that have been repatriated through British Columbia’s first modern treaty. Hli Goothl Wilp-Adokshl Nisga’a is located in Laxgalts’ap, which is approximately 140km northwest from Terrace, BC.

“Our scattered legacy has come home,” explains Mitchell Stevens, president of Nisga’a Lisims Government. “These treasures connect us directly to this place and yet tell stories with universal themes. I invite everyone to come up and have a look for themselves. You will be moved by the power and spirit encountered here.”

Hli Goothl Wilp-Adokshl Nisga’a means “The Heart of Nisga’a House Crests,” a name that celebrates the importance of Nisga’a tribes and tribal crests in Nisga’a society. With a design inspired by traditional Nisga’a longhouses, feast dishes, and canoes, the 10,000 sq. ft. facility contains exquisitely carved masks, bentwood boxes, headdresses, and soul catchers acquired from the Nass Valley during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At that time of radical change, many Nisga’a possessions were destroyed; others were acquired by outsiders and eventually sold to museums. Now, for the first time, these Nisga’a treasures are displayed together in their place of origin.

“The development of the world-renowned art style that typifies the First Nations of the north coast of British Columbia and Southeast Alaska had its origins at the mouth of the Nass River,” explains George MacDonald, Director Emeritus, Canadian Museum of Civilization. “The Nisga’a Museum houses one of the finest collections of Northwest Coast aboriginal art in existence. It will attract international attention and redraw the map of cultural tourism in British Columbia.”

Hli Goothl Wilp-Adokshl Nisga’a continues to evolve. Future exhibits will take visitors from the Ancestors’ Collection to the recent struggles for Nisga’a territory and self-government, to modern Nisga’a life on the land, river, and sea. The museum will be open to the public on an interim basis to the end of June. During July and August, opening hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. Group tours can be arranged in advance.

“This is a proud day,” declares President Stevens. “Our ancestors’ treasures are back where they belong, housed in a place of honour. Hli Goothl Wilp-Adokshl Nisga’a is our gift to each other, our fellow Canadians, and all humanity.”

Capital One Canada and CanadaHelps are pleased to announce that Lianna Walden is the $20,000 grand prize winner of the 2011 Charity Fraud Awareness Quiz.  Courtesy of Capital One, Lianna is donating her winnings to the Vancouver Fringe Festival. The Charity Fraud Awareness Quiz was part of an awareness initiative to educate the public about charity fraud during Fraud Prevention Month.

When asked why Walden chose the Fringe, she responded, “The Fringe Festival has played a major role in nurturing Canadian theatre, culture, freedom of expression and the expansion of creativity. The Fringe Festival continues to offer a place for artists (of any means or age) to exhibit unjuried work and a place for the public to view it. Running from the east to west coast of Canada, The Fringe Festival is one of the most unique exhibitions of artistry in any country.”

The Vancouver International Fringe Festival, produced annually by the First Vancouver Theatrespace Society, is BC’s largest theatre festival and connects emerging and established theatre artists with audiences. This year’s Fringe Festival will feature over 700 performances by more than 90 groups over 11 days, and is expected to attract over 30,000 attendees. The Vancouver Fringe Festival was voted Vancouver’s Best Arts Festival for five years in a row by Georgia Straight readers.

“Although most of the people we encouraged to participate in the Charity Fraud Awareness Quiz were motivated by trying to help us win, I think everybody learned something new. I know I did,” explained David Jordan, the Fringe’s Executive Director. “Because we are so dedicated to helping emerging artists, we are usually focused on the nuts and bolts of festival preparation. As a small organization with a small staff that puts on a very big festival, it is very helpful to be a part of a larger not for profit community that can draw our awareness to essential aspects of our business like fraud prevention. Fraud in the charitable sector hurts the communities we are meant to serve.”

For the month of March, Capital One and CanadaHelps launched an on-line Charity Fraud Awareness Quiz to inform Canadians about the risk of charity fraud and how to prevent it. Every participant that completed the quiz was eligible to enter a draw to win a $20,000 grand prize donation, or one of $1,000 weekly donations from Capital One. The prize money is then given to the winner’s charity of choice. The Charity Fraud Awareness Quiz closed on March 31, 2011.

To protect yourself from becoming a victim of charity fraud, Capital One and CanadaHelps offer the following tips:

• Make sure the charity is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and provides you with their charitable registration number. CanadaHelps.org only lists charities registered with the CRA.
• Ask to see a charity’s financial statements. These should be readily available to anyone who asks and give you a sense of how the charity spends their money.
• Understand the impact the charity has and what difference they make in the community. Charities should be able to give you clear outcomes of the programs or services they provide.
• Research the causes you want to support and how much of your budget you want to donate to charity. You will feel less pressured to give when solicited if you have already planned your giving.
• Avoid any charity that pressures you into making a donation or isn’t open to sharing more information about their organization.

US-based Black Duck Software has partnered with Toronto-based Softworx Technology Group in order to expand the delivery of its software and services in Canada.

Softworx is a provider of ALM development tools and platforms designed to increase developer productivity, provides products and services that speed collaborative development in multi-source development environments. Under terms of the agreement, Softworx will offer products and services for open source governance and management with the Black Duck® Suite.

“The strategic use of open source software is fast becoming a measure of development competency,” said Phil Odence, vice president of business development, Black Duck. “We are pleased to add Softworx, a leader in delivering ALM products and services, as a partner as we expand our offerings to Softworx customers in Canada.”

Black Duck recently announced the availability of the Black Duck Suite 6, the company’s enterprise-class management and governance platform, which enables enterprises to realize the compelling benefits of free and open source software (FOSS) use in development. The Black Duck Suite 6 mitigates the challenges and complexity associated with enterprise-scale multi-source development via “learned” code matching and automated identification of FOSS, among many other features.

Rock Hippo Productions Ltd. has announced its upcoming online multiplayer action game, Brawl Busters.
Co-published with Weezor and developed by Korean studio SkeinGlobe, Brawl Busters (formerly known as Project Plan B), is a fast-paced, free-to-play third-person action game that promises competitive fun at its funkiest.  Players can take a sneak peek at the game and register for a spot in the exclusive upcoming closed beta on the game’s web site.

Brawl Busters is a dynamic new action brawler that features competitive and co-operative battle modes all in a unique third person view.  With its simple and intuitive controls, this easy to pick up and play game makes team strategy a must as player’s battle against each other or team up against computer controlled enemies.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy3bCFZW3VA]

“Brawl Busters is packed with non-stop action and features an offbeat style that is like no other game on the market today,” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions.  “The game is truly unique in both its distinct look and its innovative gameplay, and it has been building an excited and loyal group of followers who can’t wait to get their hands on the game. We couldn’t be more thrilled to work with both Weezor and SkeinGlobe as we head towards the game’s launch.”

Players will find five unique character classes including the Slugger, the Firefighter, the Rocker, the Boxer and finally, the Blitzer.  With its signature funky visual style, the game will offer seven exciting maps and will also feature a huge variety of customization options including body type, gender, weapons, costumes and accessories along with the ability to upgrade weapons and costumes with new abilities. Brawl Busters will feature an intense Training Mode, Challenge Missions, leader boards and persistent stat tracking.

“Brawl Busters was developed for a Western audience from its very inception and with Rock Hippo’s well established publishing background in North America and Europe, we expect yet another great success story,” said Seul Ki Lee, CEO of SkeinGlobe. “SkeinGlobe’s mission is to deliver the absolute best online gaming experience to players across the globe. We’d like to thank all the patient fans of project ‘Plan B’ as we take the game to its next phase with the upcoming release of Brawl Busters.  We will work very closely with Rock Hippo to let players experience our vision for this game as soon as possible.”

Hootsuite has released the first in a 5-part series of White Papers exploring the ROI of social media. Aimed at Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs), the white papers are co-authored by HootSuite and Nichole Kelly of FullFrontalROI.com and will be valuable for anyone seeking to align social media with traditional metrics like conversions, acquisition cost, and revenue.

“Marketers want to measure social media in a way that is meaningful to the organization, but unfortunately most of us aren’t metrics junkies and there isn’t a silver bullet answer. This White Paper series is about showing marketers how they can finally tie their results to financial metrics like sales, revenue, and cost,” states Ms. Kelly. “I partnered with HootSuite on this project, because my analysis of their Custom Social Analytic Reports shows that it isn’t about giving you a pretty set of social media metrics. It’s about data that will drive better decision making in your organization.”

The first White Paper, “Introduction to Social Media Measurement“ is available now, opening the door into the strange world of marketing and social media. The full series will give companies a better understanding of the many facets of measuring campaigns for lead generation, customer retention, brand awareness and other business aims. The white papers will be available sequentially at two week intervals for free download. HootSuite will also be hosting two public webinars with Ms. Kelly following publication of the 2nd and 4th installations.

Distribution360 will be at the LA Screenings from May 17-24 to meet with potential buyers from domestic and international markets. The company’s slate includes over 200 hours of content across all genres. The company also welcomes Vivian Miranda to the Distribution360 team. She brings over 10 years of distribution and sales experience to the team. Vivian will be representing D360 full-time in Los Angeles, and she will be attending LA Screenings in an effort to expand the company’s international sales reach to Latin American markets.

Prior to her current post, Vivian spent three years at Televix Entertainment where she placed well-known kids’ programming in Latin America. She also worked for E! Entertainment, where she developed a weekly block called La Hora E!, featuring programs from the E! Entertainment library, which aired in numerous Latin American territories. Earlier in her career, Vivian spent four years at Alliance Atlantis Communications handling sales of its diverse program library to broadcasters throughout Latin America.

“We’re thrilled to have Vivian join our team and represent D360 at this year’s LA Screenings,? says Stephanie Röckmann-Portier, Head of Sales, Distribution360. ?Having such strong LA-based representation puts us in a great position to reach valuable Spanish-speaking markets,” adds Stephanie. ?This is an important step in bringing our content to new audiences.”

D360’s slate for the LA Screenings includes:

Kids & Youth

Olive the Ostrich (52 x 5’ animated series, web games, online videos)

Written in a highly descriptive, storybook style, Olive the Ostrich is a CGI animated series for preschoolers, which chronicles the adventures of a young ostrich named Olive on her imaginary travels to all sorts of amazing places. In each episode, animators bring to life real pictures drawn by children and submitted through an integrated online component. These animations create all the guest characters, places and objects that Olive encounters. Inquisitive and enthusiastic, Olive loves to solve problems and help people whenever she can. She’ll try anything once, which can get her into trouble, but she always finds fun and inventive ways of getting herself out of it. The series will premiere in the UK on Nick Jr. in September 2011. Produced by Blue-Zoo.

Splatalot (26 x 30’ action reality series, format rights, web games, online videos)

A hilarious medieval-themed action reality show geared to the tween audience, featuring an extreme obstacle course with more wipe outs and spills than ever imaginable. Each episode features a different group of 12 thrill-seeking teen contestants, dubbed Attackers, competing in three cringe-inducing rounds. The Defenders of Splatalot, an international squad of nine medieval-themed gladiators, will do their best to protect the castle from the Attackers – only leaving one to be crowned King or Queen. Splatalot was commissioned by YTV, the BBC, and ABC (Australia). Produced by marblemedia.

This is Daniel Cook (130 x 6’ or 26 x 30’ live-action episodes, format rights, web games)

Inquisitive, intelligent and adventurous—This is Daniel Cook is more than just a live-action preschool TV series. It’s an educational adventure where children can join six-year-old host Daniel Cook as he discovers the world. Follow Daniel as he explores and learns with everyone from Olympic gold medalists to zookeepers and award-winning musicians. Preschoolers will love this new friend who shares their curiosity and interests. Produced by marblemedia and Sinking Ship Entertainment.

This is Emily Yeung (65 x 6’ live-action episodes & 2 x 30’ specials, format rights, web games)

See her laugh, learn and share. This is Emily Yeung is an engaging and educational preschool live-action series. This sunny six-year-old is host to a whole universe of discovery and adventures that will enthral and capture the imaginations of preschoolers with every spirited instalment. Viewers will tag along with Emily as she takes on the world and learns with everyone from painters, to politicians and rocket scientists. Produced by marblemedia and Sinking Ship Entertainment.

Lifestyle

Ghostly Encounters (83 x 30’ episodes)

Start a conversation about things that go bump in the night, and pretty soon everybody in the room has a story to tell. Paranormal experiences aren’t just the domain of psychics and tarot card readers – in fact, many ordinary people believe they have had supernatural encounters. Ghostly Encounters looks into those incidents and the regular folks-next-door who had them, and takes the viewer on a chilling ride through a fascinating, highly personal ghost story. Produced by Logan Hill Productions.

Comedy

TAC.tv (181 x 3’ animated shorts & 23 x 30’ animated episodes and online videos) 

The series features a cast of hilarious characters such as The Googoos, The Secretary, and The Pilot, to name a few. These off-the-wall characters are sculpted from modeling clay by the creator himself, Michel Beaudet. In post production, he superimposes his own moving eyes, mouth and nose, creating unique characters with over-the-top personalities. Produced by Salambo Productions.

Factual

6 Rides to Sunday (52’ documentary)

This is the story of Professional Brazilian bull rider, Renato Nunes. Renato wasn’t born a rodeo star. He chose to leave his family home and embark on a career as a professional bull rider and is now poised to enter one of the largest and most prestigious events in rodeo on earth – The Calgary Stampede. Six rides on some of the rankest bulls in the world is what it takes to be crowned Champion at The Calgary Stampede and take home the $100,000 purse. Viewers find out if Renato can tame 6 bulls to be victorious at the Stampede. Produced by White Iron Pictures.

A report on emerging technology companies released today by PwC shows that for the second straight year, angel investors have taken over as the primary funding source for these companies, with venture capitalist fundraising at a 16-year low. Angels typically invest their own funds, unlike venture capitalists, who manage the pooled money of others in a professionally-managed fund.

Overall, 53% of respondents to its survey who raised money last year received their funding from angels, compared to 8% who received funding from venture capitalists. This presents a challenge that limits Canadian technology businesses from competing in the global market, the report says.

“Fundraising trends are an important predictor of innovation and growth in this sector,” says Peter Matutat, Partner and National Emerging Company Practice Leader at PwC. “Our report shows that companies who successfully raised capital in 2010 were 3.5 times more likely to adopt an aggressive approach to business reinvestment compared to businesses that were unsuccessful. One of the problems in our market is that Canadian companies receive only 39% of the dollars that go to their US competitors ($3.2 million vs. $8.2 million on average in 2010).”

The 50-page report polled over 160 CEOs of emerging Canadian software companies on a variety of topics including growth, marketing, raising capital, research, talent recruitment and mergers. Overall, revenues in this sector are increasing and forecasts are back at pre-recession levels. Overall revenue growth was approximately 32% in 2010, just slightly behind the survey’s historic average of 35%.

Other findings from the report include:

• Over 60% of CEOs expect revenues to increase at least 25% in 2011
• 73% expect their companies will be acquired in the next 5 years
• 84%  are using cloud computing in some form
• More than 80% are taking a more aggressive approach to business planning Read the rest of this entry »