And the winner is…

JULIE PEDERSON CLOTHING & DESIGN!

What the Judges were looking for…

The winner of the Ayoko Design Business Makeover Contest must be a role model for all entrepreneurs, possessing vision, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and best illustrates a strong commitment to business growth in a progressive direction.

Thank you so much to all of the incredible Winnipeg businesses that entered the contest, especially those of you who made it to the top 12. The finalists we interviewed were a diverse and unique group. Each business had something very special to offer, which is why I have decided that all of the finalists interviewed should go home with a prize.

The top 3 finalists were…

Julie Pederson Clothing & Design

OUR BIG PRIZE WINNER ~ $10,000 value
~ New logo design $500
~ New website $3000
~ New mobile website $500
~ New blog $500
~ New web graphics $2000
~ 500 business cards with QR code $100
~ 100 rack cards with QR code $200
~ Newsletter template $200
~ Magazine ad with QR code $500
~ Business design consultations and marketing plan $1500
~ Product and head shot photo shoot $1000

Vintage Veruca

PRIZE ~ $2225 value
~ New logo design $500
~ Double page spread feature article with QR code in AYoko Design Inc. Portfolio Magazine Vol. 2 $1200
~ Platinum Ayoko Design blog feature $500
~ Marketing workshop $25

Events by Emma

PRIZE ~ $1725 value
~ Double page spread feature article with QR code in AYoko Design Inc. Portfolio Magazine Vol. 2 $1200
~ Platinum Ayoko Design blog feature $500
~ Marketing workshop $25

 
Remaining 8 finalists were (in alphabetical order)…

Dental Access Winnipeg

PRIZE ~ $725 value
~ 1/4 page ad with QR code in AYoko Design Inc. Portfolio Magazine Vol. 2 $400
~ Gold Ayoko Design blog feature $300
~ Marketing workshop $25

Divine & Conquer

PRIZE ~ $1525 value
~ Double page spread feature article with QR code in AYoko Design Inc. Portfolio Magazine Vol. 2 $1200
~ Gold Ayoko Design blog feature $300
~ Marketing workshop $25

EPH Apparel Inc.

PRIZE ~ $925 value
~ 1/2 page ad with QR code in AYoko Design Inc. Portfolio Magazine Vol. 2 $600
~ Gold Ayoko Design blog feature $300
~ Marketing workshop $25

Luckygirl Photography

PRIZE ~ $325 value
~ Gold Ayoko Design blog feature $300
~ Marketing workshop $25

McDiarmid Flowers

PRIZE ~ $325 value
~ Gold Ayoko Design blog feature $300
~ Marketing workshop $25

Mountain Bean

PRIZE ~ $325 value
~ Gold Ayoko Design blog feature $300
~ Marketing workshop $25

ODT Filharmonic Music Ensemble

PRIZE ~ $325 value
~ Gold Ayoko Design blog feature $300
~ Marketing workshop $25

Photography by Michele

PRIZE ~ $325 value
~ Gold Ayoko Design blog feature $300
~ Marketing workshop $25

Here’s what we loved about each of the finalists (in alphabetical order)…

DENTAL ACCESS WINNIPEG
Owner ~ Joe Rodrigues
www.wmds.ca

Owner of Dental Access Winnipeg, Joe Rodrigues, has an incredibly unique business that provides a very valuable service including comprehensive family and cosmetic dentistry located in a state-of-the-art mobile dental office. The Dental Access team travels to provide professional dental health services to those who have difficulty accessing these services such as residents in care homes, hospitals and urban and rural and First Nations communities.

 Products & Services include:

~ Oral Cancer Screening
~ Fillings, white and silver
~ Extractions
~ Cleaning and Scaling
~ Implants – to hold loose dentures
~ Root Canal Treatment
~ Crown and Bridge

Career Highlights include:

~ President of Dental Technician Association of Manitoba

DIVINE & CONQUER
Owner ~ Shannon Klymchuk
www.divineandconquer.ca

Shannon Klymchuk, owner of Divine & Conquer, a woman’s clothing store specializing in Canadian designer fashion certainly has a lot to be proud of! Shannon has worked very hard to prove that designers in Canada are every bit as exciting as the established as those in other parts of the world. Shannon also continues to offer personal shopping services as well as in-store shopping parties. What a great idea!

 Products & Services include:

~ Canadian designer fashions for women
~ Women’s clothing, hand bags and shoes

Career Highlights include:

~ Thrilled to still be in business
~ Honoured by customer positive comments on the store’s appearance, clothing & pricing
~ Joining women’s groups and making new connections

EPH APPAREL INC.
Owners ~ Alex Ethans, Andrew Parkes & Maciek Hunek
www.ephapparel.com

Our judges were able to meet two of the three partners at EPH Apparel Inc. Alex Ethans and Andrew Parkes are incredibly passionate about their business and are without a doubt, perfectly suited for this line of work. This dynamic team offers made-to-measure men’s business wear that is affordable, stylish and good quality. EPH has some exciting new plans in place to launch a new website including full online ordering options.

Products & Services include:

~ Custom made men’s suits, shirts, overcoats, tuxedo’s & accessories

Career Highlights include:

~ Winnipeg Free Press Newspaper Feature
~ Fitting up local celebrities such as Evander Kane

EVENTS BY EMMA
Owner ~ Emma Singh
www.eventsbyemma.com

Emma Singh, owner of Events by Emma, is always a pleasure to speak with! Emma has worked hard to set the bar high and has established world-class standards within the Winnipeg event industry. Emma continues to be a role model and inspiration for any entrepreneur, which is why our judges recognized Events by Emma as being among our top 3 finalists! Emma has recently launched a new website, and in typical Events by Emma style, has plans to offer even MORE couture and planning design services for every occasion. Stay tuned Winnipeg!

Products & Services include:

~ Full service, Month-of & Day-of event coordination packages, decorating services and hourly consulting
~ Custom decor design & theme concepts & selection
~ Event budget analysis & contract negotiation
~ Invitation design
~ Vendor referrals & coordination
~ Event logistics & timelines
~ Etiquette
~ Guest accomodations
~ Ceremony Organization
~ and much more!

Career Highlights include:

One of Events by Emma’s greatest achievements is the rapid growth the company has seen, in a short amount of time. This once home-based business has expanded into a 5000 square foot warehouse space and showroom, and they plan to get bigger.

JULIE PEDERSON CLOTHING & DESIGN
Owner ~ Julie Pedersen
www.juliepedersen.com

The judges chose Julie Pederson Clothing & Design as our contest WINNER, because Julie Pederson best illustrates a local entrepreneur that is not only a world-class talent who’s fashion designs and creations are inspired by her life here in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, but is also an entrepreneur possessing the vision, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and strong commitment to growing a business in a progressive direction that I was looking for in the winner of this contest. The Business Makeover prize is intended to give the deserving winner the extra marketing tools that they will need to better promote their unique products and services world-wide. I am thrilled that Julie entered my contest, and I am very excited to start working with her to put her best Muckie forward!

A little bit about Julie…

“Julie Pedersen studied Fashion Design in Vancouver, British Columbia after discovering her love of clothing and fashion from years of modeling. Her career evolved through film, modeling, designing with Linda Lundstrom & designing uniforms for companies before launching her own line in 2005. She currently lives and works out of Winnipeg, Manitoba which was the initial inspiration for her line of Muckies, a line of beautiful mukluks with a twist!”

Julie’s urban mukluks and fashion accessories have been worn by Kristin Cavallari, Rumer Willis, Jeanne Beker, Anna Paquin, Lynn Rene and Megan Waller, Canada’s Next Top Model.

Products & Services include:

Julie designs and makes non-traditional, urban mukluks. Although the silhouette is the same, her mukluks have many design features for aesthetic and practical advancements. She also created Spats which are covers for high heels that can be worn casually or dressed up. In the off-season months Julie prepares for the upcoming season and does custom work (grads, wedding dresses, corporate design projects).

Career Highlights include:

~ Jeanne Beker buying a pair of her Muckies! AND, listing them in her 5 favorite gifts for Christmas in the Globe and Mail.
~ Returning customers. There is no greater feeling when customers come back saying how much they love their boots and how many compliments they get on them.
~ Deciding to do the One-of-a-Kind show in Toronto the first year. This took a large investment to purchase supplies and almost a year to produce enough stock to take to the show. The show was 11 days long and they sold out in three days. They did not have time for lunch and were the talk of the show (800 vendors)!
~ Julie Pederson is a local fashion designer that has been in business 7 years

LUCKYGIRL PHOTOGRAPHY
Owner ~ Rachael King Johnson
www.luckygirl.ca

Rachael King Johnson, owner of luckygirl photography is the perfect example of an artist and entrepreneur who knows exactly who she is, and what she plans to do! As a Winnipeg photographer, Rachael and her business have done an amazing job at establishing a powerful brand and great reputation as a wedding photography business. As all photographers know, this is a GREAT accomplishment! There is some serious competition in the photography business, and Rachael and luckygirl have stood the test of time.

Products & Services include:

~ Wedding photography

Career Highlights:

~ 2009 was a huge year for luckygirl, they photographed over 65 weddings!
~ Participating in workshops with two of the best wedding photography companies in the world

MCDIARMID FLOWERS
Owners ~ Gayle Sidney & Marion Shewchuk
www.winnipegflowers.com

We had the great pleasure of meeting Gayle Sidney, one of the co-owners of McDiarmid Flowers, a long-time favourite River Heights landmark! Gayle Sidney is a seasoned professional who’s work came highly recommended by another well-established Winnipeg business. Gayle is clearly one of the most experienced, hardest working entrepreneurs and is most deserving of applause for her beautiful work, commitment to her customers and dedication to quality and professional business practices! McDiarmid Flowers is celebrating 25 years in business. Anyone who is an entrepreneur and business owner understands exactly how much work it is to run a business. Gayle and Marion truly love what they do every day, but 25 years of working THIS hard and maintaining such an incredible reputation is certainly deserving of a standing ovation!

Products & Services include:

~ Floral design and sales
~ Wedding & event decotation
~ Event rentals

Career Highlights:

~ The friendships that have come out of the business are definitely the most valued. This is more than a business it is their life and their world.
~ The business has put them in the position to be a part of their client’s lives. They have been with them through weddings, babies, anniversaries, funerals and more. You truly are treated like family when you walk through the doors of McDiarmid Flowers.

MOUNTAIN BEAN
Owners ~ Keri & Mel
www.mountainbean.com

Mountain Bean co-owners Keri and Mel have worked hard to create a warm and welcoming environment for both their customers and their staff. After purchasing the business four years ago, Keri and Mel hit the ground running and quickly got the business right back up to speed. These business partners are energetic and enthusiastic about their local coffee shop which is enjoyed and appreciated by the surrounding community. I look forward to seeing more great Mountain Bean locations just like this in the near future!

Products & Services include:

~ Coffee, latte, blender, sandwiches, pastries, desserts
~ Giftware

Career Highlights include:

 ~ Buying a business and adding more of a homemade touch.

ODT FILHARMONIC ENSEMBLE
Owner ~ Oliver Tirao
www.filharmonicensemble.com

Oliver Tirao, owner of ODT Filharmonic Ensemble, has worked hard to form a group of talented musicians to meets the needs of the local wedding and event community. Oliver was a pleasure to meet, and the judges and I got the sense that he really enjoys creating and sharing his music. Although employed as an engineer, Oliver also considers his work with ODT to be full time because it really is a big part of his life. He enjoys doing charity work and spends a lot of his time playing for seniors and giving back to the community.

Products & Services include:

~ Wedding Music
~ Music for special occasions

Career Highlights include:

~ Giving back to the community
~ Exceeding client’s satisfaction musically

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHELE
Owner ~ Michele Bouvier
www.photographybymichele.ca

Michele Bouvier is an industry veteran that is a well-known photographer within the community. Michele has over 21 years of experience as a photographer and loves the new possibilities that digital photography has brought to the world. Michele radiates professionalism and continues to be passionate about her work. Portraits, weddings, magazine and events, Michele does it all!

 Products & Services include:

~ Photography
~ Photographic retouching
~ Photo album design

Career Highlights include:

~ Honoured to have Photographed the Queen two times
~ Photographed Steven Harper while touring Bristal Aerospace
~ Provided photography services for many magazines (Where Winnipeg, Ciao, Winnipeg Homes & Lifestyles, Manitoba Business).

VINTAGE VERUCA
Owner ~ Monique Buckmaster
www.verucaantiques.com

After the judges and I met Monique Buckmaster, owner of Vintage Veruca, we all had the sudden urge to pack up and go shopping for antiques! Monique is definitely a treasure that we were thrilled to discover! Monique is knowledgeable and passionate about her work. I have never been to her antique store, but she did an incredible job painting the picture of this must-see local gem. The judges have recognized Vintage Veruca as being among the top 3 finalists because Monique was the most resourceful and creative entrepreneurs we had seen. She has cleverly leveraged internet marketing tools to carve the perfect niche for her business. We were very impressed at how Monique has found a way to celebrate and share memories and pieces from the past, by utilizing the cutting-edge marketing tools and technology of the future. With products becoming more and more disposable and short-lived, it’s refreshing to see how Monique has applied modern marketing tools to help her customers enjoy and connect with nostalgic pieces from the past.

Products & Services include:

~ Buying & selling antique furniture, artwork, lighting, jewelry, decor, replacement china, silver & crystal
~ Estate Clearance & Appraisal Services

Career Highlights include:

~ Surviving the first five years of business!
~ Purchasing her first commercial building
~ Being able to raise three children in the shop without the assistance of Day Care

Please stay tuned for photos from the interviews!

The winners will be announced on May 1st, 2012.

I would also like to congratulate our

TOP 12 FINALISTS!

(in alphabetical order)

Dental Access Winnipeg

Divine & Conquer

EPH Apparel Inc.

Events By Emma

HomeCraft Renovations

Julie Pederson Clothing & Design

Luckygirl Photography

McDiarmid Flowers

Mountain Bean

ODT Filharmonic Music Ensemble

Photography by Michele

Vintage Veruca Antiques

Luxury Destination Wedding Show,

Destinations with Style

Luxury Destination

Wedding Show

Sunday April 22 from 11-4

at Signature Sandman Winnipeg Airport.

You can see more of Jaime Valdez-Reinch’s work

at the Travel and Events with Style website.

I would also like to congratulate Jaime on her recent

nomination for Woman Entrepreneur of the year.

She was chosen as one of the finalists!

Little Flower Shop has a great contest on until May 15th, 2012. Book them for flowers or event decor for your special day, and your name will be interred in a draw to win 4 tickets to a Winnipeg Goldeyes game!

Visit the Little Flower shop blog and Facebook page for updates on new arrivals!

MARKETING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP

Thursday, April 5th or Wednesday, April 11th or Thursday, May 10th
7-9 PM
Duration: 2 Hours  |  Maximum 10 People per Group
$25 / Person. Bring a guest for FREE! Must register in advance.

For busy entrepreneurs who need help formulating realistic and achievable goals for marketing their business or organization.

Learn while you network with other business owners and entrepreneurs.

Brainstorm, share new ideas, build new business relationships, raise the bar for yourself and GET INSPIRED!

YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO…

Design your business for success in 20 easy steps & complete your own business design blueprint:

Branding & Corporate Identity

Mission Statement

Products & Services

Strategic Planning & Organizing

Market Research

Competition Analysis

Advertising

Customer Data Base

Marketing Plan

Internet & Mobile Marketing

E-Commerce

Electronic Marketing

Social Marketing

Print Marketing

In-Store Merchandising

Public Relations

Promotional Events

Networking Solutions

Trade Shows

Customer Retention Solutions

FOR THE COMPLETE LIST OF MARKETING WORKSHOPS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, VISIT WWW.AYOKODESIGNINC.COM

Thank you to everyone who entered. Stay tuned for more great GIVEAWAYS!

Enter our Giveaway contest HERE by Sunday, March 11, 2012, and you could WIN a Kids’ Picnic Photo Shoot from Erin Alexander Photography valued at over $400, AND, a Luxe Sweet Impressions Gift Basket full of delicious and adorable home baked (and 100% nut free) treats valued at over $100!

TO ENTER:

Submit your NAME  in the comments section below.

Hands down, Bonny Fraser is without a doubt the most talented and creative floral and event designer in the entire world. World-class! It might have something to do with her being a former Air Canada flight attendant who has traveled the world, but I’m more inclined to think there’s just something in the water here in Winnipeg. This town seems to be chock-full of world-class talents, and I am lucky enough to know several of them.

During Bonny’s 25-year career with Air Canada, she visited international flower and garden shows, met famous floral and garden designers, and studied at The Chelsea Physic Garden and Paula Pryke Flower School in London, England. My Secret Garden officially debuted at the Wonderful Wedding Show in 2004, and won the Best Booth Award in 2005 and 2008. Shortly after opening her flower shop in Winnipeg’s historic Exchange District, Bonny won The Exchange Biz Style Award.

The first time Bonny and I worked together on a project was planning the launch of Eco Luxe Event Design Group. Our goal was to showcase local businesses with eco-friendly and top quality offerings in the wedding and event industry. Bonny worked for months doing research and planning. She scouted out the most incredible location for our launch party, the recently renovated Birks store in The Exchange. She booked Chef Ben Kramer to prepare incredible organic appetizers for our guests, Banville & Jones  to provide organic wines, Crystal Dreams to carve an ice sculpture of a tap to dispense local tap water instead of using bottled water, all perfect compliments to the eco-friendly products and services offered by Eco Luxe.

Bonny has since designed the flowers for all the special events in my life, including the grand opening of my design studio, and the launch of my new Greenvites line at the Wonderful Wedding Show. When I created 12 life-sized, green paper brides for my wedding show booth, Bonny made 12 beautiful hand-tied bouquets for my display. I was extremely pleased with the outcome of all my hard work, but when Bonny added her flowers to the display, it brought those crazy, C-3PO paper droid-brides to life… and me to tears! The flowers were spectacular and smelled wonderful!

I won the Best Booth Award that year, and a tip of the hat goes to my good friends Bonnah Rachul and Lisa Johnston who worked like maniacs with me to get that booth set up. Bonny’s flowers were the finishing touch!

Thank you, Bonny, for all your beautiful work, for trusting me to design the branding and logos that represent you heart and soul, for inspiring me to set even higher standards for myself and my own work, and for allowing me to work alongside a world-class talent like you. You have also given my children the opportunity to learn how to appreciate the beauty in nature, and recognize extraordinary works of art when they see them.

Bonny Fraser, Owner and Principal Designer at My Secret Garden was featured in the Winnipeg Free Press, Saturday, February 11, 2012
Flower Power ~ Natural Beauty Appeals to the Senses

TAMMY OUELLET, DIVINE WEDDINGS & PEGGY WIEBE, LITTLE FLOWER SHOP: Trade Show Booth Design

COLOUR PALETTE: Shades of green, white, silver and mirror accents

PHOTOS: BLF Studios

LIGHTS: Elite Lighting

STATIONERY: In So Many Words

CAKES: High Tea Bakery

My fingers were crossed this year at the Wonderful Wedding Show!

When I saw the beautiful booth design by Tammy Ouellett, owner and lead wedding planner for Divine Weddings & Events, and Peggy Wiebe, Master Florist, and owner of Little Flower Shop, I knew right away they were my pick to win Best Booth!

Tammy and Peggy have been colleagues and friends for a number of years and have worked on many weddings and styled shoots together. They combined creative forces to design a booth together for this year’s Wonderful Wedding Show, winning Best Creative Partnership Booth Display.

The booth design was inspired by High Style, Classic Glamour and Modern Romance. Mirrors were framed with rows of green carnations. The mirrored vases were filled with white roses, hydrangea and green cymbidium orchids. Designer linens from California were brought in to match the backdrop. Mahogany chiavari chairs and benches flanked the tables designed with ornate place settings with menu favour boxes, and individual mini wedding cakes. Grandier vases were topped with shades and adorned with hanging crystals. The romantic draped chuppah was detailed with ruffled edging to match a ruffled sweetheart ‘Table for 2’.