Wednesday, January 31, 2007 · Page 21 CRIMINAL DEFENCE LAWYER Why miss work or school for court? Impaired... assaults... threats... traffic tickets Criminal Pardons at a reasonable cost. Maid of honour takes role a step further Small Business 101 CHRISTINA SWEET Barrister-at-Law Weekend and evening appointments in Essex 253-0140 Res. 776-8983 BY DANIEL SCHWAB From chocolate fountains to flowers and wine making to wedding cakes, a bridal show came to Essex District High School Saturday, offering everything an engaged couple could need to prepare for the big day. The woman behind the scenes of the show, 2 Waves owner Colleen Frecker, first had the idea of organizing the event when her younger sister and bride-to-be Laurie asked her to be her maid of honour. Being a young, ambitious business owner, Colleen, 28, took her newly designated role one step further and decided to organize a bridal show to display what Essex retail has to offer. She looked around for a variety of services to be represented, adding name after name to a growing list. "Having my own business here, I'm always trying to make the town bigger and better," Colleen said. "I thought that a bridal show would be a good thing." After opening 2 Waves Manicure, Pedicure and Waxing in June, Colleen started planning for the bridal show in September. Twenty-nine businesses signed up, with the majority coming from Essex. Colleen considers the Regulations and small business As a business owner, you are no doubt burdened by all the paperwork involved in running your small firm. According to a report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) complying with the countless rules imposed by all levels of government costs Canadian businesses a staggering $33 billion a year. This estimate includes the time and money spent on everything from figuring out how high a business can hang its sign, to complying with legislation such as the federal privacy laws and filling out tax forms. An innovative initiative from Industry Canada will now allow 233 different types of businesses to access all municipal, provincial and federal permit requirements through one Internet site, which means savings of time and money for you, the business owner. BizPaL is an easy and convenient web-based service created to allow businesses to generate a customized list of the permits and licences required by all levels of government in order to grow and/or start up their business. BizPaL can also assist the business owner in verifying that they have all the correct permits and licences and let's them know the order in which they must be A TOWERING TREAT Laurie Laroy of Woodslee's Blissful Endings sizes up a replica of a "sparkling white" wedding cake during a bridal show at Essex District High School Saturday. The show offered soon-to-be brides and grooms a variety of services and products for a wedding day and honeymoon. process to be a learning experience that helped her make connections in the local business community and gave more than a few brides some wedding ideas. Trevor Menard took his bride-to-be Hollie to the show to plan for their wedding in May. "We decided to come and take a look at who's out there and what they have to offer," Hollie said, adding that she was looking specifically for a wedding cake, decorations and flowers. Although she said she hasn't got a dress yet, they've booked a hall in Windsor starts with an Invitation that Expresses Your Love! for every bride and groom, with a wide variety of accessories to match! A Wedding to Remember... Personalized Invitations Bold and bright, soft and subdued, classic or contemporary, we feature and have a photographer in mind. "Weddings are a big thing," said photographer Rhonda Bonneau, who set up a booth at the bridal show. "The biggest thing is the expression on people's faces," added her mentor, Ed Goodfellow. "That's really what they're looking for. People want to look back over the years and see these photos as the best times of their lives." obtained (in some cases, getting the wrong permit or licence first can invalidate it). Also provided is contact information and, where available, expected processing times. Key benefits of BizPaL: · Save time and money: Because most of the information you need is available from a single source, you spend less time searching and more time building your business. · Improve business planning: With BizPaL, you know which permits and licences are needed for your business, enabling you to comply with them and get it right the first time. · Get answers when you need them: As an online service, BizPaL is available night or day to help you navigate government requirements. What's more, all answers are tailored to your business situation. BizPaL is an online project by Industry Canada. Visit BizPaL for additional project history and information as well as to access the websites of participating partners: http://www.bizpal.ca 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. February is "Heart Month" February is National Heart Month in Canada. Almost 40% of Canadians will develop some form of heart disease or stroke over their lifetime, making it the leading cause of death in Canada. The Heart and Stroke Foundation continues to deliver breakthrough medical advancements, social change, and health education that help reduce the devastating impact resulting from these diseases. Two researchers at the University of Windsor are supported by grants from the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Healthy lifestyle behaviours are promoted to over 17,000 children in Windsor and Essex County each year. During February there will be many events that are designed to inform the community how they can pre- Wedding Invitations (Until Feb. 28/07) 2 0 % OFF 16 Centre Street, Essex, ON. essexfreepress@on.aibn.com 776-4268 vent heart disease and stroke and assist in the continuation of important research. Throughout the month over 1400 canvassers will be going door-to-door in their neighbour hoods in Windsor and Essex County collecting donations in support of Heart and Stroke Foundation research and providing valuable prevention and healthy living information.