Jessica Barrett
Recent Posts on BCBusiness - Page 3
The value of constructive criticism in a customer-centric business. In the world of retail the customer is king, but his or her experience is not the only one that matters. When it comes to building a healthy work environment that attracts and retains the necessary talent, the companies that top this year’s Best Companies list know frontline workers need to feel supported on the job.
Sometimes – like in the case of the free-parking app – just solving a problem is more important than making money. Of course you’ve heard the one about the whiz kid who whipped up a mobile app in his basement suite. But how about the two tradesmen who came up with one in a car?
When disturbed, the aspiring filmmakers tucked in a windowless editing suite at Vancouver Film School bear a striking resemblance to a colony of startled bats. From the door where I stand, midway through a tour of the downtown campus, a...
Personal trust seals First Nations development deal with The Cottages at Osoyoos Lake. If you happen upon a vintage Airstream trailer hurtling down the highway this summer, it’s likely you’ll be hit with a silver bullet of nostalgia. Don’t think for a second that’s accidental.
In hindsight, David Bowden seems almost amused by the economic instability that has besieged commercial real estate for the past few years. As CEO of Colliers Macaulay Nicolls, the Vancouver-based arm of global commercial real estate specialists Colliers International, Bowden...
You would be hard-pressed to find a global headquarters more laid back than Lululemon Athletica’s home in a former Coca-Cola bottling plant in the heart of Kitsilano. Rosy-cheeked employees appear uniformly hale and healthy padding about the office in the...
Artificial intelligence takes the leap from a UBC lab to Zite, a newly released iPad app. UPDATE: On 30 August 2011, Vancouver tech startup Zite was purchased by CNN for an undisclosed sum (thought to be $25 million). The acquisition marks an aggressive move into digital delivery for the news giant.
As local businesses rely more and more on immigrants to pick up the workforce slack, the need for language training and other skills development grows. But relatively few employers seem ready to make the necessary investment. The Granville Grand Hotel acts as a kind of catch-all landing pad for newcomers to Vancouver.
Canada’s fur trade – arguably the country’s oldest industry – has suffered through recessions, protests and changing consumer tastes. But after two decades of decline, things are finally looking up. Thank the Chinese. In the world of high-end fashion – and certainly in the wake of a recession – the presence of brash signage heralding fire-sale prices at a posh boutique is generally interpreted as a very bad sign.
The 2010 Business-to-Consumer Products and Services Entrepreneur of the Year is Samir Manji , the President and CEO of Amica Mature Lifestyles Inc. It’s clear that family comes first for Samir Manji. Over coffee in his downtown office, which is adorned with his children’s artwork, the 41-year-old father of three explains that strong family ties have been integral to his success at redefining retirement for thousands of older Canadians who call his luxury seniors communities home.
Online crowd funding site IndieGoGo.com brings Vancouver indie filmmakers’ dreams to life. So you want to make a film – and why not? Equipment is better and cheaper than ever, decent editing programs are practically free and there’s no shortage of actors willing to exchange personal time for screen time. But still, no matter how much you beg, borrow and steal, at some point you’re going to have to shell out some actual cash. And for that, a growing number of...
Sue Carruthers: President and CEO, BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. There’s a lot to love in Sue Carruthers’s line of work. For starters, the president and CEO of the foundation that tops the list of B.C. charities this year considers her job to be the best in the province, mostly because she’s surrounded day in and out by people at their absolute best: the donors, volunteers and health-care professionals working to improve the quality and standard of care for sick kids throughout...