Gowlings Monthly TON “Starting your Start-Up Series” Presents:

(160 Elgin Street, 26^th Floor)

Business is a team sport!
Developing a winning game plan with mentors, coaches, and advisors.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)

Much like with sports, every winning business team has a group of dedicated, experienced, and enthusiastic coaches and mentors who offer guidance from the sidelines.  Do you have a set of good coaches and mentors offering you guidance?  Do you want to have a team of mentors helping you?  Not sure where to start?  Please join our expert panel of Bruce Lazenby and Denis Colbourne, moderated by experienced Hi Tech CEO, Martin Horne, for a discussion on these topics and more.

Our panel will be discussing how establishing an advisory board of proven business mentors can help you to grow your business.  Establishing and maintaining a clear vision and direction for your company, developing new ideas from fresh perspectives, obtaining impartial and objective feedback, and helping to maximize your business opportunities are just a few of the benefits that you stand to gain by having the right board of advisors as part of your team.  So, it does not matter if you already have an established board of advisors, or if you are looking to find out how to create one….you will benefit from this session.

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Thinking of selling your product in China or India? TON Tuesday was another hit this week as the panel explored issues around bringing your products to Asia. The challenges and rewards were explored through a panel discussion featuring Mike Manson, CEO of TaraSpan, Ying Hou, National Vice-Chair of China Initiative from Gowlings Lafleur Henderson LLP, Marvin Hough, MBA, Executive in Residence of the Telfer School at the University of Ottawa and Mark Bolger, Regional Manager of Asia at Export Development Canada. Here now a summary of the discussion.

If you are contemplating taking your company to Asia, this session is a must-read!

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The Ottawa Network Presents: Focus on Business
with China and India
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 5:30-7:30 pm

bitHeads Inc.
1309 Carling Avenue
(Entrance at east end of Westgate Shopping Centre)

It’s a global village, and two of the largest villagers are China and India.

You will meet them at the village market, so be prepared to trade. Come hear and interact with our distinguished panel on doing business with China and India. Get informed on the rules and tips for both selling into the market and buying talent, labour and supplies. Also, how does business culture on all sides, Chinese, Indian and Canadian, factor in your success at the market?

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Gowlings Monthly TON “Starting your Startup Series” Presents:

Hiring the “A” Team – A “Mel & Mel” Production on Building for Success
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 - 5:30pm - 7:30pm

Please join our expert panel of Mel Polowin and Mel Mulligan for a discussion on how to build a core “A” team.  Topics for discussion will include:

• factors to consider in identifying the required skills, experience and personality for the team you need;
• how the right team can help attract financing;
• how to attract people to a start-up in today’s climate;
• how to ensure you also hire for “fit” (people prepared to work hard for your company’s success);
• how to protect your IP when hiring; and
• factors to consider when choosing consulting vs. temporary employment vs. permanent employment.

Gowlings is very pleased to host Starting Your Start-Up, The Ottawa Network monthly event stream that combines quality networking with practical advice and insights from industry leaders and subject matter experts.   Starting Your Start-Up focuses on the business basics that are the foundation for launching and building a successful start-up in these promising and challenging times including financing, team formation, business & product development, sales, and marketing.

This event is provided at no cost for members of The Ottawa Network. Click here for registration details.

Melanie Polowin, Partner, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP

Melanie Polowin is a partner in Gowlings’ Kanata Technology Office, practising in the Employment and Labour Law National Practice Group.  She advises businesses from start-ups to well established companies, on a wide range of employment issues touching every phase of the employment relationship, with emphasis on the high technology sector.

Melanie assists businesses and investors with the employment aspects of corporate life-cycle events, including starting up, financing, mergers and acquisitions, and IPOs.  She advises on compensation, termination planning, proprietary interest and non-competition protection, and helps implement effective contracts, policies, handbooks, human resources-management and risk-reduction strategies, based on the practical needs of each client’s business.  Melanie also has considerable experience in managing and resolving employment disputes.

Mel Mulligan, President, Mel Mulligan & Associates

Drawing on over twenty years of progressive experience in business & human resources management, program, product and manufacturing management roles, Mel has worked with a variety of organizations in Canada, USA and internationally.  Over the last number of  years, Mel has focused on assisting in the design and rapid build of new companies, re-positioning or turn around of existing businesses, and he has also participated in conducting due diligence, acquisition and/or integration of 45+ companies located around the world.  He has worked in a number of industry verticals including on-line media; on-line financial and traditional brokerage services; high performance computing (hardware & software) solutions; enterprise software products and services; internet related products, services and consulting; telecom; and, aerospace & defence design and manufacturing.  Mel has also worked with clients in the federal and provincial public service, employee health benefits insurance, investment banking, and commercial construction industries.

Mel and his team can assist organizations attain their objectives through the provision of confidential “on demand” HR management services and solutions.

This event is provided at no cost for members of The Ottawa Network. Click here for registration details.

The TON Tuesday session this past week was a huge success with more than 50 attendees at the Kanata Lakes Golf & Country Club to hear the panel of solar and geo-thermal experts speak on Clean Technology Start-ups. In the audience a mix of funders and start-ups and hopefuls, each with their story to tell of transitions, downsizing and innovation – all with a keen interest in green energy possibilities. Here now, a brief summary of remarks by each of the panelists.

Rob Miller, VP of Development, AxioPower - www.axiopower.com
Rob Miller began his talk by pointing to the immense opportunities within the green energy industry for investment in growth. “Capacity,” says Mr. Miller, “Is the issue.” At $4M per megawatt, and 25 megawatts on the grid available…that’s a whole lot of green of a monetary kind! “Step One, Get capacity and get connected. Step Two: Get Financing.” Risks include regulations that come suddenly into play and curb the ability of the company to get into the market quickly, or change the value of the product and your bottom line. “This tends to make investors nervous.” Right now, Axio Power is searching for funding, helped by Marathon, and is finding a lot of interest from foreign (China) investors. European banks too understand the compelling and marketable need for green energy producers relates Mr. Miller. Major power companies are getting involved too – for example Enbridge – because it makes such sense. “Sun is free!” explains Mr. Miller. In Ottawa, the opportunity for wind producers is definitely there – find a clear space where wind races at 7 meters per second that isn’t zoned agricultural.

Dan Orr, Vice President of Green Soldiers - www.greensoldiers.ca/solar-farms/
To get financing for green energy, the banks want to see your project approved with a solid contract. Mr. Orr recommends taking it one project at a time, build your business model and prove it out to gain solid investment banking. Canadian banks are getting interested but are still cautious. “You will spend a lot of time and effort on financing,” says Mr. Orr, “but the money is out there.” For solar panels, the time is ripe now for investing with the cost of panels low, and the financing available.” Just make sure, he cautions, to have a panel supplier with a name behind them.  Ottawa is a great area for solar energy with 5-10% better sun than other parts of Eastern Ontario. Mr. Orr does point out that you may have to prepare yourself to chop down a lot of trees and, if the property has waterways, they will prove a major issue as well. Mr. Orr points out that with wind energy being the more mature of the two options, it has more efficiencies – this explains the higher tariff on solar energy at this time.

Adam Patterson, Independent Green Energy
The beauty of Geothermal energy according to Adam Patterson, is it’s 400% efficiency and the fact that it provides you with cheap energy when it is at it’s most expensive.  The homeowner may find it an expensive investment at $30K for their home, but is more content to reap the payback over a longer time than institutional customers who are looking for a fast yield. Ottawa is an ideal location for applying the benefits of geothermal energy with a large variance between outdoor and indoor temperatures both summer and winter. “With the world population continuing to grow and with limited fossil fuels…we’ll be able to help there and look great (to consumers).” Says Mr. Patterson.

Trevor Strauss, NextEnergy Inc., www.nextenergy.ca
Trevor Struass points out the huge growth potential for geothermal energy by stating, “1/2 of 1% of the energy pie in North America is owned by Geothermal. In Denmark, it’s more like 90%.” One of the key risks in this business is the installer channel, where industry regulations are needed to help protect quality. “Build your dealer network, have enough of the right kind of contractors and installers.” Advises Mr. Strauss.

TON Tuesday event summary provided by: Patricia Heard, patricia@pollackgroup.com, www.pollackgroup.com