SMART | work


Alyson Shane – social media management expert S


ocial Media. Although a relatively new phenomenon, it is rapidly turn- ing into a vital part of


the modern marketing mix. With the constant changes and advances happening on a daily basis, SmartBIZ has brought on Alyson Shane to provide her insight and expertise in Social Media. Alyson has been recognized as one of Manitoba’s Top Social Media Influencers by CBC Manitoba and featured as one of Winnipeg’s Hottest Bloggers on Shaw TV. • • •


What is your title and


what exactly do you do? I'm Alyson Shane, and I'm


What can our readers expect to read


about from your articles? I will provide insight into why


social media matters for your business, as well as practical and actionable steps to boost their business' presence online.


How long have you worked in


social media and what drew you to this career? I've been publ ishing con-


Social Media Alyson Shane


the owner of Starling Social. We're a content marketing agency special- izing in copywriting and social media management services.


tent online for 15 years. I'm a writer, and I've always been fas- cinated by how we communicate thoughts and share ideas. I've been active on, and working in, social media for the past several years.


What does a typical day look


like for you? I like to start my day by having a cup


of coffee and reading the news, but that's about the only part that's really the same.


I break up my day between managing con- tractors, communicating with clients, writ- ing articles, reviewing scheduled content, working on client campaigns... and more! The thing that I love the most about


what I do is that every day is different, and provides a new opportunity to learn something new.


When did you develop a passion for writing? I've always been a strong writer, and


began developing my skills in high school when I started blogging and publishing short stories on forum websites.


do?


What’s the best part of the work you I get to spend my days talking to people


who are passionate about what they do for a living. Tere's nothing more inspiring than that!


more sustainable path to meet their needs, or homeowners looking to diversify their energy use, we see a substantial shift towards solar power as a real important option. Community solar amplifies how consum-


Power to the people: community solar power A


s renewable energy costs continue falling, the rise of people owning their power is growing. Whether its developing nations are tacking a


ers are as Wikinomics author Don Tapscott suggests becoming prosumers, which are consumer producing and consuming their goods and services. Te National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) defines commu- nity solar power as For the “as a solar-electric system that, through a voluntary program, provides power and/or financial benefit to, or is owned by, multiple community members.” Meanwhile, US-based Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) adds to this definition suggesting community solar projects “pools investments from various members of a com- munity and provides power and/or financial benefits in return." Unlike its other models, community solar users offer


tremendous opportunities for two distinct groups. First, shared solar options can provide lower income consumers who would not typically offer an opportunity to participate in the clean energy future a chance to do so. As mentioned earlier, shared solar allows individuals within a community to invest in clean power where each will receive benefits for their purchase. An example of this is happening in Minne-


Clean Tech Adam Johnston


apolis, Minnesota. Te Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES) is teaming up with the local developer, Greenway Solar to install two community solar gardens, which will help out more than 200 low-income families, within the Twin Cities, according to Impact Connects. com . MRES Board Chair Katrina Stratton said the project, which will be completed by this summer, said this project would give a chance for low-income families in Minnesota to get benefits and declining prices from solar energy, which normally they would not see.


Besides low-income families, renters who live in apart-


ment blocks are another group who benefit from com- munity solar. Tenants who are seeking to go solar before,


Feeling ripped-off? T


his column has been inspired by the recent hue and cry over CBC’s reporting about bank tellers being


pressured to sell customers additional ser- vices. Frankly, I have trouble appreciating the outrage: “Do you want fries with that?” is today’s marketing 101. Once a customer has already bought one service from you, the easi- est sale is to find more things you can sell them. A second inspirat ion is a


recent commercial featuring a couple visiting their financial planner and finally discovering what their advisor has actually been charging them over the years. New regulations for in- vestment advice have required advisors to report fees in dollars as well as percentage, and to include all fees, both what they charge you and what they get paid from the financial product providers to look after your money. Tis part of Client Relation Model Phase 2 rules that came into full force last July. Many customers are only seeing these disclosures since their 2016 statements. Transparency is great when it encourages customers to ask more questions. You have the right to know what you are paying for financial services and advice so that you can judge if you are getting value for your money. Tese inspirations led me back to my first


column for Smart Biz three years ago. It was titled: “Te First Key to Financial Independ- ence - Take responsibility for it.” Financial Literacy is having the knowl-


edge, skills and confidence to make respon- sible financial decisions (Financial Con-


6 Smart Biz Financial


Literacy Fred Petrie


but could not as frequently as solar power was marketed towards homeowners. Community solar now offers a great opportunity. Numerous apartment blocks and condomini- ums are using the idea of shared solar projects for renters to get the perks of solar energy, without being a homeowner. A total of 91 community projects in the US were up and running last year . All of this growth for community solar is expected to


advance rapidly. It's expected by 2021; US shared solar projects will add 1.8GW. Minnesota, Massachusetts, Cali- fornia, and Colorado are scheduled to install the majority of the US community solar projects over the next two years, SEIA said . As shown in the US, community solar projects offer great


potential low-income neighborhoods and apartment dwell- ers who are seeking a clean electricity alternative, without owning a home. Policy makers, financial institutions, and utilities would be wise in supporting community-based solar ventures in the future as a climate policy tool which gives power to the people. Adam Johnston is a freelance writer and owns a part time


social media and clean tech writing business. You can go to his website at www.salayconsulting.com or email him at salayconsulting@gmail.com.


sumer Agency of Canada). Financial literacy can ensure that you only buy the protection you need. And the basics of investing are quite simple with some fundamentals. Tis is the third option in my


book “THE END OF WORK – financial planning for people with better things to do”. If you are no longer comfortable with making financial decision based on “blind faith” in what your advisor or bank is telling you. But if you are not willing to invest the time and effort, risk- ing many mistakes, to become a do-it-yourself financial plan- ner, then you at least need to in- vest in your financial literacy if you are to avoid getting ripped off, being over-sold inappropri- ate products by a salesman on commission. Or worse, by not


having the risk protection you need. You will still need to interact with fi-


nancial advisors, whether independent brokers or at your local bank, to pursue your financial goals. But knowing enough, having confidence enough, to be able to take responsibility for your own financial decisions begins with being armed with a degree of financial literacy that lets you take responsibility for the decisions. Tat knowledge begins with an understanding of the financial business in Canada today. Many financial planners are knowledge-


able and dedicated and really do care about their clients. Unfortunately, many are not. Some 100,000 people sell financial prod- ucts. Most are paid on commission. Tey have to be pushy, and sell you as much of whatever they can. It is a tough business


to make a living, with high turnover. Some financial companies recruit anyone with a pulse, sell them the “opportunity” to get rich, teach them some sales pitches, then let them loose on you. You may have already met one of those. Only about one in three “financial advi-


sors” is in the business as a vocation, to build a professional practice. Tese belong to a professional association, subscribe to a code of ethics, carry errors & omissions insurance and are committed to continuing education. When you do get a sales approach, check if they meet these professional standards. If they do, and you like them, make full use of their knowledge and advice. You may think the Big Brother of govern-


ment regulators is going to protect you from unscrupulous salesmen. Tere is a hodge- podge of some fifty agencies that “protect” you as a financial consumer; each province has their own for both insurance and for securities. Teir main function is to license sales people through qualification exams. Annual license renewal requires continuing education credits, usually obtained from financial company sales seminars. Tese regulatory requirements do ensure


the consumer that even the “salesmen” in the business do meet a basic knowledge requirement. Tese exams are not easy and the study material is comprehensive. At least you will know that when you are oversold inappropriate products, the salesman did know what he was doing! You may have to do more on your own


anyway. In the interest of consumer protec- tion and disclosure, some jurisdictions have banned commission compensation and im- posed a statutory fiduciary duty obligation. Many advisors leave the business due to


www.smartbizwpg.com


the costs of compliance, all the paperwork. Tat cost forces the rest to focus on higher net worth clients, where more revenue on larger sales can compensate for the added cost. Tat leaves the rest of us relying on Google for financial advice. The value proposition in using an in-


dependent financial advisor is that they can take a holistic view of your needs. In practice, financial advisors tend to special- ize in either the protection side (insurance products) or the money side (investment products) - there is more money to be made in the money side. Both sides are complex and require the advisor to invest time and effort in knowing the products, as well as in developing their sales skills to keep eat- ing. Te majority will be too busy trying to make a living to really be an expert in all the products available. Your advisor may have been giving good advice on the money side, but has she been neglecting your needs on the protection side? Only you have the truly holistic picture of your own needs. You need to manage the risk to your


income during your earning years and manage the risks to your investments that will provide your income after Work Ends. Having a degree of financial literacy will actually make you a more attractive client to the truly professional financial advisors you will need. Fredrick Petrie, B. Comm. (Hons.), author


of “THE END OF WORK: financial planning for people with better things to do”, practices financial planning at Mortgage Logic, 1793 Portage Ave. Reach him at fredp@mortga- gelogic.ca or (204) 298-2900 http://www.amazon.ca/END-WORK-


Financial-Planning-People-ebook/dp/ B00XCY0AJ2/


May 2017


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