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Wednesday, December 13, 2006 · Page 21 169 IRWIN AVE. Phone: 776-8699 Small Business 101 Lower your energy costs Lower your energy cost by up to 20 percent by taking a few minutes a week to identify and implement energy saving opportunities in your business. By replacing 80 watt and 100 watt incandescent light bulbs with 29 watt compact fluorescent light bulbs (otherwise known as CFLs) you will save energy and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Although incandescent light bulbs are very common, they are also the least efficient source of light. Incandescent bulbs only use 5 percent of the electricity to produce light; the other 95 percent generates heat. At a cost of $5 to $7 each, 29 watt CFLs can pay for themselves in about six months. Count the number of 80 watt and 100 watt light bulbs in your workplace. Number of 100W bulbs: _____ x $14 = $________ = annual savings (a) Number of 80W bulbs: _____ x $10 = $________ = annual savings (b) Total Annual Savings with 29W CFLs: (a) + (b) $_____ If every CFIB member replaced only one 100W bulb with a 29W CFL the collective savings would be about $1.6 million, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 8,000 tonnes (yes, you read that right). Other energy savings tips include: · Weather stripping, caulking and sealing leaks around areas such as doors, windows, vents and electrical outlets on outside walls. Because we get so busy running our businesses, we tend to walk past leaks and cracks every day. Sealing the leaks around your business can help you easily save hundreds of dollars per year. Remember to check the following areas for leaks: doors, windows, vents, electrical outlets, and your basement. · Turning computers off at night saves between $25 and $75 per year. Some companies leave them on to back up data or scan for viruses overnight. If this sounds like you, can you schedule these tasks during the day or lunchtime once a week? A few simple keystrokes could save you hundreds of dollars a year. Number of computers left on: _____ x $50 (average) = $_________ annual savings The above actions represent only three of at least 50 ways to lower energy costs and impact on climate change. Lighting · Removing unused lights · Installing motion detectors · Turning off lights when not in use Heat · Seal and insulate air ducts · Install switch plate gaskets on outside walls · Install a solar heating system (they are not as expensive as you think) · Set the heat to 18 degrees Celsius in the winter and the air conditioner to 24 degrees Celsius in the summer Transportation · Drive the speed limit (it can improve fuel efficiency by up to 20 percent) · Encourage employees to walk or commute to work (good for the environment) · Check your tire inflation once a month (that can improve fuel efficiency by 5 percent) This information is contributed by www.earthinstitute.ca, a CFIB member based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. As your Energy Saving Coach, the www.earthinstitute.ca Small Business Program helps lower your energy costs and impact on climate change. Small Business 101 is an information service provided by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. It is not intended to replace legal and/or accounting advice. Ages 3 Months - 12 Years Quality Child Care with a Before/After School Age Program. Hrs. 6:00 am - 6:00 pm New business CFP Client First Planning held a grand opening and open house at their Talbot Street South location Dec. 8. The company provides customized wealth solutions and financial planning. From left: Manager Sharon Edwards (seated), and owners Darlene Butts and Laura Bubinski. Military leadership for the mission-critical boardroom (NC)--Twenty years ago, University of Ottawa graduate Angela Mondou knew she wasn't keen on a desk job ­ so she signed up for boot camp. Recalling a childhood spent on air force bases and following the military career of her father, Mondou thirsted for a life of adventure, fun, fast airplanes and world travel. After eight-and-a-half years of participating in UN missions, a posting in Europe and Operation Desert Storm, she fulfilled her personal quest for adventure ­ and learned a lot about leadership along the way. Back in 1985, Mondou went into the military recruitment office with the hopes of becoming a pilot but got the thumbs down because they were not taking women at the time. Instead she went to boot camp as an officer cadet, trained as an air force transportation officer and graduated as a second lieutenant. "The military took a 22year-old like me, and within months gave me the leadership skills and experience to hit the ground leading as a new air force officer," Mondou recalled. She couldn't steer clear of the desk job forever and, armed with a myriad of experiences, Mondou embarked on a new adventure ­ less risky but equally mission-critical roles in the high-tech field. Until two years ago, she was a highranking executive at Research In Motion (RIM) ­ the makers of the BlackBerry wireless device. So how did Mondou go from combat fatigues to marketing partnerships with the National Football League and including BlackBerry as one of Oprah Winfrey's Favorite Things? She did it with the fundamentals and principles learned in the military and brought them into the boardroom. "Moving an army into a war zone has a lot in common with the kind of challenges that arise in the technology business," Mondou said. True to her 'free-spirit' and thirst to blaze new trails, her latest self-publishing venture has allowed her to fulfill her goal of sharing her leader- ship secrets in a new book, Hit the Ground Leading! Mondou presents a ground-breaking, how-to guide on leadership development with an innovative action plan for everyone. For more information or to order "Hit the Ground Leading!" online, visit www.iceleadership.com. The book is also available at Chapters stores. Corporate Tax Returns MOE HOSNY Certified Internal Auditor Tel. (519) 419-0061 Cell (519) 991-7461 Starting at $300