Business Over Breakfast is an ongoing series of relevant, timely discussions featuring a variety of subject matter experts and entrepreneurs. The events bring together Innovacorp clients from across Nova Scotia, business professionals, industry representatives, students and other key stakeholders.

Click on the links below to read more about our recent Business Over Breakfast events and listen to the experiences and opinions of our panel experts.

Business Over Breakfast: Building Effective Distribution Channels
May 26, 2010
Distributors can help early stage companies reach export markets. Unfortunately, many companies have problems finding the right distributors, negotiating an agreement, and managing the distributor relationship. The best distribution channels for your company depend on your market, your product, and what your competitors are doing, but there are things you can do to build effective and hassle-free distribution channels, maintain control over product sales, and protect your profit margins. This month's panel members will be Ian Lucas, executive vice president of innovation and strategy with Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd., Robert Nadeau, partner at Kerr & Nadeau, and Mike Flynn, director of business development at Tether. Panel moderator will be Stephen Hartlen, president and CEO (interim) at Innovacorp.

Business Over Breakfast: Avoiding Sales Pitfalls for Start-ups
April 29, 2010
You formulated a brilliant marketing strategy and executed a flawless campaign. By now everyone has heard about your clearly superior product. So why aren't you selling more? Join Jim Gillis, principal partner and vice president of engineering with ADM Systems Engineering, Paul Phillips, director of business development for Precision BioLogic, and Eldon MacKeigan, a partner at Sandler Training, as they discuss the difference between marketing and sales, the importance of sales, and how to create a proactive and effective selling system to grow your company.

Business Over Breakfast: Marketing Panel - What's Your Strategy?
March 26, 2010 - Note: Yamouth is the location for this event
Now more than ever, a solid go-to-market strategy is key to every company’s success. While many say that the fundamentals of marketing have not changed, business models and ways to reach customers - especially using the web - are rapidly evolving. Join Pierrette d’Entremont of Pida Infant & Maternity Products Ltd., Josh Hansen of Via Web Media, Mike Carter of Tri-Star Avid Media and Gerry Curry of Curry Systems and Consulting, as they share their marketing insights, online strategies and tips for success.

Business Over Breakfast: The Role of Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards for Start-ups
March 25, 2010
Hear from Michael Scott, chair and CEO of Precision BioLogic, Ross Finlay, co-founder and director of the First Angel Network, and Patrick Keefe, investment manager with Innovacorp, as they share their viewpoints on types of board structure, when to implement them, and how to make them successful.

Business Over Breakfast: Software Product and Service Pricing and Packaging Strategies
February 24, 2010
Hear from Patrick Hankinson, director of marketing for Tether, Matthew Doucette, co-founder of Xona Games, and Duncan Enman, founder of Can Stock Photo, as they discuss the logic of their pricing strategies and what they have learned about pricing’s impact on top and bottom line growth.

Business Over Breakfast: The recession is over! Or is it? What now?
January 21, 2010
Some analysts are saying the recession is over and the economy is on track for a full recovery. Or is it? What do you do now? How do you come off what is arguably the worst economic year in two generations? Do you come out of the gate swinging? Do you hunker down and remain extra cautious for another year? What did 2009 teach you? Did you make decisions about spending or hiring that will help you post-recession? Has the downturn changed your industry, your customers, your competitive landscape? Join Robert Orr, president & CEO of Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd., Brian Lowe, vice president of Immunovaccine Inc., Saeed El-Darahali, president & CEO of SimplyCast, Roland Swift, president of MorSwift Machines Inc., and panel moderator Dan MacDonald, as they look back at the challenges they faced in 2009 and hear their thoughts and strategies for the months ahead.

Business Over Breakfast: The India Opportunity
December 17, 2009
More than ever, Canadian exporters are tuning up their go-to-market strategies, looking beyond the traditional USA first thinking, and taking notice of the tremendous opportunities for business in Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC Countries). India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and is projected to be the world's third largest economy by 2050. Hear from Carolyn Hatcher, trade commissioner with Foreign Affairs & International Trade Canada (DFAIT) and Mausam Kalra, vice president of local search with GenieKnows.com as they share their knowledge and firsthand experience about this market and provide tips and insights on how to successfully export products to this growing market. 

Business Over Breakfast: Social Media for Entrepreneurs
November 18, 2009
We’re taking Business Over Breakfast on the road! This month we’ll be at the NSCC Waterfront Campus with online marketing expert Jeff White, principal with Brightwhite Design (www.brightwhite.ca) and Joel Kelly, digital strategist with CCL Group (www.cclgroup.ca), as they discuss the social media phenomenon and how it is already affecting how business is done.

Business Over Breakfast: Views from the Top - CEO Panel
October 28, 2009
Join a panel of experienced CEOs as they share their perspectives on building and leading a technology business. Hear about the financial, marketing and sales, human resource, and technical challenges they’ve faced and how they’ve triumphed (or, in some cases, didn’t).

Business Over Breakfast: Marketing Panel
May 28, 2009
While many say that the fundamentals of marketing have not changed, business models and ways to reach customers—especially using the web—are rapidly evolving. Join online marketing expert Stéphane Lagrange, owner and lead consultant of WebTarget Inc., Kathryn Garden of DementiaGuide Inc., Charlene Fekeshazy of EastMed Inc., and Doug Milburn of Protocase Inc. as they share their online marketing strategies and insights.

Business Over Breakfast: Business Ramifications of Software Development Environments
March 25, 2009
The typical analysis of a software development environment considers everything from feature set to scalability and supportability; but, there are also several non-technical considerations related to recruitment of talent, licensing costs and the related impact on pricing and profitability. Listen to panelists Morgan Currie of Marcato Digital Solutions Ltd., Gordon Dickie of GOALLINE, and Christien Lomax of Coemergence Inc. as they share their experiences.

Business Over Breakfast: Attract and Retain the Right Talent
February 19, 2009
Having the right approach to human resources is critical to your company’s success—and yet, in an incredibly challenging economy like today, sometimes human resources issues are let slide first. Listen to Gerald Walsh, president of Gerald Walsh Associates Inc., as he describes how to build a competitive advantage in recruiting, retaining and engaging highly coveted employees in today's war for talent.

Business Over Breakfast: CEO Panel
January 22, 2009
Listen to panelists Steve Lilley, president & CEO of Protocase Inc., James Lodigiani, CEO of EastMed Inc., and  Peter Hickey, president & CEO of Coemergence Inc., as they share their perspectives on finances, marketing and sales, human resources, and the technical challenges they’ve faced and how they’ve triumphed (or, in some cases, didn’t).

Business Over Breakfast: Hong Kong
November 20, 2008
Diversifying beyond North America and attacking the world’s growing markets, including China, is increasingly important to Canadian exporters. Hear from Andrew Yui, Canadian director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, and Mausam Kalra, chief technology officer of GenieKnows.com, as they share expertise gathered from the trenches of expanding into this opportunity-rich marketplace.