Contact Rupert

My friend and Business Coach, Rupert Whiting over at Focal Point Coaching has this intense, 50 question system you can use to facilitate and lead your company through an effective Strategic Planning Process.

Business Strategic Planning Questionnaire
Your 
ability 
to 
think, plan 
and 
act
 strategically 
will 
have
 a 
greater 
effect
 on
 your
 sales 
and
 profitability 
than 
anything
 else 
you 
do.
 Very 
often, a 
single 
change
 in
 your activities 
can 
lead 
to 
a
 major 
difference 
in 
your 
results.

If 
you 
do
 not 
know
 the 
answers 
to 
these 
questions, or 
if 
you
 have
 the
 wrong 
answers, 
you 
can 
make 
mistakes 
in marketing, 
sales 
and
 business
 operations 
that 
can 
be 
fatal 
to
 your 
business.

Answer
 each 
question 
the 
best 
you
 can. 
If 
you 
do
 not 
know
 the
 answer, 
or 
if 
you 
are unsure,
 it 
is 
important 
that 
you
find 
out 
as
 soon
 as
 possible.

Let 
us 
begin

How safe is your smartphone? According to identity theft prevention experts, the amount of personal data contained on most smartphones is staggering. The following tips will help protect you from an identity theft and hacking nightmare:

1. Use a password. Think of your smartphone as an electronic wallet. If you could lock that wallet, why wouldn’t you?

2. Use apps to shop. Many companies now have dedicated apps designed to ward off phishing and scams, so avoid shopping from the web browser if possible.

3. Always log out. Also avoid saving user IDs or passwords on the phone.

4. Close Wi-Fi auto connect and Bluetooth public. Hackers can break into your phone over fake networks and exploit Bluetooth connections.

5. Do a “factory reset”. If you get a new phone make sure to reset your old one to original factory settings after you’ve migrated your data.

6. Avoid suspicious “free” apps. Some free apps are little more than thinly veiled phishing scams. Make sure the app you download has plenty of good reviews.

7. Remove sensitive data. Don’t store notes, emails or text messages containing passwords, pins, Social Security numbers, credit card or bank account information.

A philosopher was sitting in the shade of a tree next to a beautiful lake when a troubled young man approached and introduced himself: “Sir, my name is Ben, and I’m miserable all the time. I’ve been searching far and wide for a wise person who can tell me why I’m always so unhappy. Can you help me?”

The wise man thought for a moment. Then he handed his visitor a cup and asked him to fill it with water from the lake.

Ben took the cup and returned a few minutes later. The philosopher then took a handful of salt from his bag and dumped it in the water. “Drink this and tell me how it tastes.”

Ben managed a small swallow of the salty liquid. “It’s terrible!”

Then the man stood up and led Ben to the shore of the lake. Once there, he took another handful of salt and dropped it into the water of the lake. Then he instructed Ben to get down and drink directly from the lake. Ben did.

“How does it taste?” asked the wise man.

“Cool and delicious,” said Ben.

“Do you taste the salt?”

“No,” Ben said. “It dissolved in all the water.”

The wise man nodded. “Unhappiness is like this handful of salt: the strength of the taste depends on what you put the salt into. To become happier and more satisfied, expand your vision and reach in life. Don’t be the cup—become the lake.”

Do you believe that the more you have going on in your life, the happier you are?

Read the full article here on Vancity Buzz.

Premier Christy Clark has announced that a new bridge will replace the aging and seismically unsafe George Massey Tunnel.

For those who rely on Highway 99′s George Massey Tunnel for their everyday commute, much-needed relief is in sight. The announcement on the new bridge to replace the 1958-built bottlenecked tunnel was made during the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention.

“We are keeping our promise to replace the George Massey Tunnel and improve the Highway 99 corridor, starting in 2017,” said Premier Christy Clark. “Congestion at the tunnel is frustrating for families and stalling the economy. A new bridge will improve travel times for transit, commuters and commercial users, and open the corridor up to future rapid transit options.”

Engineering and technical work is now underway to develop a project scope and business case for the new bridge and associated Highway 99 corridor improvements.

According to conceptual renderings, the new Massey Bridge will carry 10 lanes of traffic (including 2 HOV lanes) like the new Port Mann Bridge and will also be accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. The exact alignment between Richmond and Delta is not known at this time, but construction is scheduled to begin in 2017.

Thanks to Kenneth Chan Deputy Editor of Vancity Buzz. Loves cities, proud Vancouverite.

Secondary suites are self-contained dwelling units that are within an existing home, e.g. a basement suite. Suites in detached buildings, such as laneway houses and coach houses, are addressed in a separate Laneway Houses bylaw matrix. Minimum requirements for secondary suites are covered in the BC Building Code, Section 9.36. This matrix provides an overview and is for your reference only. Please refer to specific bylaws or policies for more information. If you have questions, please contact Harriet Permut, Manager, Government Relations at hpermut@rebgv.org or 604.730.3029.

View Complete Secondary Suites Bylaws And Policies (Updated August 2013)