Hi GetAssist readers! My name is Candice and I run the Cocoa Tree Bake Shoppe in Olds, Alberta. At Cocoa Tree, we make cakes for all occasions—whether it’s a cake shaped like a hot dog or a four-tiered, sugar-flowered wedding cake. We started our small business in 2009, because my family was good at baking (an obvious requirement) and I had an artistic flare. Since then, we have expanded with Fair Trade coffee and tea, and we sell little treats like cupcakes daily. Our goal from the first day was to start a shop that used all-natural ingredients without preservatives. We wanted to go back to the basics of baking, and supporting Fair Trade helps us further that mission.
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Local businesses may seem old-fashioned—and many are. But these provocative brick-and-mortar establishments are creating sorcery and magic in our hometown communities; they contribute local character and prosperity in an ever-increasing homogenized world. These one-of-a-kind businesses with distinctive character contribute to more than just a proud legacy. They generate dramatically greater local economic activity than procurement from a chain business—and they’re gaining ground over retail chains and big box stores all across North America.
What do employees really want? The question can befuddle managers and CEOs, as they work to not only understand what makes their employees tick, but how they can help them better do their jobs and improve the company’s bottom line. When it comes to discovering the keys to unlocking employee happiness and well-being, it can help to look at company’s that are doing it right. Virgin Airlines, is a massively successful company founded by entrepreneur and adventurer Richard Branson. One of our personal heroes at GetAssist, Branson lives life by his own rules, and makes a point to lead a company that empowers its employees to be the best they can be—inside and outside of the workplace. Here are some tips from Virgin that will help you increase employee satisfaction at your own workplace to turn your company from good to great.
Community organizations frequently run off the generosity of others. But every now and then, it takes a little cash to make things run. A fundraising campaign can help you connect your organization with the community and help you raise the money you need to buy football jerseys for the team.
