Risk & Business Magazine Cain Insurance Risk & Business Magazine Summer | Page 7

BUSINESS FORM
“ Success stories are shared too
BY: LUKE CAIN,
VICE PRESIDENT,
CAIN INSURANCE SERVICES
S
ometimes independent business
owners can feel like they’re
wandering alone in a desert
searching for an oasis of advice
and inspiration.
Often, entrepreneurs face similar
challenges and can benefit from the
mentorship and counsel of their peers
provided they have a network with whom
they can meet and converse on everything
they’re experiencing along the way.
I am a member of a Fredericton-based
group of eight business owners who
provide one another with candid advice
as we share similar experiences. These
meetings ultimately lead to refreshing
and inspiring outcomes as all of the
members continue on the quest for
business success.
The group was started by Carle
Publishing president Andy Buyting in
2008 to bring like-minded entrepreneurs
together to discuss common interests and
concerns.
Other members include Stuart Blair,
Vice President of sales and marketing,
Covey Basics; Scott Targett, President
of Targett’s Windows and Doors
Centre and Global Windows and
Doors Manufacturing; Paul Simmonds,
founder of Robert Simmonds Clothing;
Richard McGuigan, President of MECCA
Corporation; Jim Gilbert, CEO of Jim
Gilbert’s Wheels and Deals; and Doug
Williams, owner of King Street Ale House.
and provide encouragement
and inspiration. ”
Once a month we get together to
talk about the best and worst things
happening in our businesses and what we
are anticipating going forward — both
the positive and the negative — over the
coming month. That creates a discussion.
Everybody has had something they’re
dealing that they’re able to share, and we
then receive insights from other group
members on how best to address it.
It is a great forum for businesspeople who
often operate in isolation. Members often
discover as their peers offer solutions that
the problems they’re facing aren’t as large
as they initially perceived them to be.
We have everybody from car dealers to
window manufacturers and insurance
company owners around the table, and
everybody takes comfort in knowing that
our issues are common. It’s refreshing
and reassuring when you can have
conversations that help you to see that
everyone is facing similar issues as
independent business owners.
You can call it group therapy. You can go
to a meeting and come away from it with
potential solutions.
There is strength in numbers. Business
owners who operate in isolation never
get an opportunity to speak to their
peers in confidence. It’s worth seeking
opportunities to do this, because there are
a lot of intelligent people with great ideas
to tap into that cost absolutely nothing.
It’s invaluable. At the end of the day, you
have confidence in the decisions you
have to make when running a business,
including everything from human
resources and marketing to issues
that arise when doing business in New
Brunswick.
The people who are around the table are
small business owners who are fiercely
independent. There are no multinationals
sitting around our table. We are home-
grown businesspeople.
Anyone interested in starting a similar
mentorship business peer group should be
prepared to hear the unvarnished truth. If
other group members think you are taking
missteps, they will tell you. Conversely,
they will wholeheartedly support your
business plan.
Everybody is invited to give their analysis,
which can provide insights that can often
lead to successes that might not have been
realized without it.
Everything is said in confidence. You can
take this to the bank.
The group has been around for ten years
with its original members, and it’s still
growing. We are seeking new members to
grow a little more.
For businesses owners located in other
parts of the province interested in starting
something similar, don’t be afraid to reach
out to like-minded business owners and
address the risk in business. +
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