How to Name Your Startup

Building a business or new product is hard, and one of the hardest things you’ll do early on is choose a name. Finding the right name is crucial – for word of mouth, customer recall and differentiating your brand from competitors in your respective market – but it can be difficult to find one that works and even harder to find one that is available.

Choosing the right name can be the difference between launching a commodity product with thin margins (ex. compression undergarments) and creating an iconic, category-defining brand worth hundreds of millions of dollars (ex. Spanx).

Also, a great name essentially optimizes the efficiency of your marketing spend. For example, if you spend a million dollars in customer acquisition initiatives and your name improves the reach of that message by 10% due to word of mouth, then the value of your name is $100,000.

Create, Combine or Repurpose

I use three methods for choosing a name.

1. Repurpose existing words, such as Polo, Chipotle or Blue Bottle Coffee.
2. Combine two words or word fragments to create a new word, such as GrubHub, Birchbox or HotelTonight.
3. Create an entirely new word, such as Zynga, Etsy or Zillow.

There are pros and cons to each method. Personally, I prefer the combination route, evidenced by the names of my three startups: TravelPost, DealBase and HotelTonight. When initially naming HotelTonight, we considered other name combinations like ImpulseHotel and HotelNow before deciding on Hotel + Tonight. We chose tonight because it is evocative, exciting and reflects immediacy – and it gives you a use case. I was initially actually in favor of pluralizing tonight and calling the business HotelsTonight, but we couldn’t secure the domain name until a couple months after our launch. Our COO Jared Simon voted for removing the “s” because he liked the simplicity of the name HotelTonight (and the domain was available). It ended up being the right decision (point: Jared).

With a name like HotelTonight, the concept is clear: people get exactly what we do. On the flip side, the name is not as defensible as names we may have created from scratch. For us, in a category of low frequency of use and with a need to immediately sell the concept to new customers, the trade-off is worth it. Combining words from a known concept helped us stand out in the market (for example, people searching for the word “hotel” or “hotel tonight” in app stores or search engines). In the online travel industry, around half of the largest, billion-dollar companies have a descriptive, functional name (like hotels.com or booking.com), so there was a precedent for this type of naming.

The Name Test

Now that you have your name, run it through these tests to make sure it’s the right one for your business.

Is it memorable?

You want a name that is easy to say, spell and type. Test this by telling 20 people the name and asking them to write it down. If any of them spell it incorrectly, move on to your next option.

Is it thematic?

Does the name relate to your product or market? With HotelTonight, that’s obviously the case. But with created names, you have to work harder, creating a backstory that explains why the name is thematically relevant. Zillow, for example, stands for “zillions of pillows” – explaining why it is the name for a comprehensive real estate search service.

Is it short?

When you have options, choose the shorter name. Aim for 8 characters or less. This will help with memorability and word-of-mouth virality. A great example of this is Uber, which ironically was forced to shorten their name from the inferior and longer “UberCab.”

Is it unbounded?

Ideally you want a name that can extend to other product lines or categories. The founders of ModCloth, Susan and Eric, were originally focused on incorporating the term “vintage” into the company’s name. Some of the abandoned names they considered were vintagegalore.com and stylishlyvintage.com (just two out of several hundred possible names). By choosing ModCloth, they gave themselves license to do more modern clothing as well as vintage, thereby not capping their business growth opportunities.

Is it verb-able?

A seminal moment for HotelTonight was when we saw our first tweet that used our brand as a verb (“I didn’t have a place to stay, so I HotelTonighted it in NYC.”) For consumer brands, if you can transform the product name into a verb, it allows customers to feel a deeper connection to it, and thereby use the service more often. For food delivery, which phrase does the more emotionally engaged and loyal customer say? “I’m GrubHubbing dinner” or “I’m going to order dinner using Eat24Hours.com.”

Does it have negative connotations?

Make sure the name doesn’t have any unexpected meanings or innuendos. A few Google searches and a little time spent on urbandictionary.com can help ensure this is not the case, but I’ve found that it’s also important to field-test the name with real people, especially those outside of your personal demographic.

When I was starting TravelPost, we seriously considered the name TravelHead. Chuck Templeton, OpenTable’s founder and one of my advisors at the time, gave me some great advice to test this name. He said that when he’s considering a name he puts together a survey of his top five options, goes to a coffee shop and offers to buy 10-20 strangers coffee in exchange for them ranking the names in order of personal preference. I followed his advice and discovered that TravelHead ranked very low, with connotations of drug use, especially with the boomer generation, so we moved on.

It’s also vital to check common misspellings. A friend who runs a very successful mobile app company almost called his latest app JoyMe, but found out just before launch that transposing a few letters of that name redirected users to an adult entertainment website. He went with a different name that didn’t have any obvious misspellings.

Is it available?

Before you fall in love with a name, find out if it’s available.

First, do a Google search. If there’s an existing company using the name, unless it’s small and in an unrelated industry, you’ll need to choose a different name. In the case of ModCloth, Google returned zero results – a home run for this name.

Then, check to see if the dot-com domain is in use. If the name is being used by an existing business, move on. But if it’s is parked by a domain speculator, you can probably purchase the domain from them (as I’ve done for all three of my businesses.)

If you’re doing an offline, mobile or enterprise software startup, the dot com domain is great to have, but not vital. Look into using a domain with a .io, .co or other alternate extension, or add a word like “get” or “use” before the brand name (ex. www.getwillcall.com). As you grow bigger and have more resources, you can then purchase the brand-only .com domain name. Also try to register alternate spellings. We registered Hotel2night, HotelTonite and other variations of our name.

Lastly, do a search on the USPTO website. If you find an active registered trademark for your name in the same category of services as you want to provide, it will be challenging for you to register your own trademark, and put you at risk of legal action. Building a company is hard – you don't want to make it more difficult by opening yourself up to the potential of a lawsuit. Avoid this by choosing another name.

Is it fun?

Extra credit points go to names that evoke positive emotions when said or heard. Yahoo! is perhaps the best example of this.

The Next Step

If you've found a name that passes most or all of these tests, then congrats: you’re ready to begin the hard work of actually building your business.

Article Written By: Sam Shank. Article Originally Posted: http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130417170243-417196-how-to-name-your-startup

One day offices will be a thing of the past

The debate about remote working has raged for the past week following Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer's opposition to her staff working from home. Now Michael Bloomberg has said he's always thought working from home is 'one of the dumber ideas I've ever heard'.

I have enormous respect for Michael Bloomberg and have rarely disagreed with anything he has done or said. However, on this occasion I disagree completely. Many employees who work from home are extremely diligent, get their job done, and get to spend more time with their families. They waste less time commuting and get a better work/life balance. To force everybody to work in offices is old school thinking.

He has always worked out of an office and it has worked extremely well for him. I have always worked from home so I CAN spend more time with my family. Both approaches have been effective for us and the organisations we lead.

While we can disagree on this issue, I have nothing but admiration for both Marissa Mayer and Michael Bloomberg, they are both extremely talented people who are very good at what they do and have proved successful.

The key for me is that in today's world I do not think it is effective or productive to force your employees one way or another. Choice empowers people and makes for a more content workforce.

In 30 years time, as technology moves forward even further, people are going to look back and wonder why offices ever existed. Do you agree that offices will one day be a thing of the past? If your company allows flexible work options, tell us how it's been successful or could be improved.


Article written by: Richard Branson. Originally posted at http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/blog/one-day-offices-will-be-a-thing-of-the-past

Five Fundraising Tips for Canadian Startups

Yesterday I talked through the funding landscape in Canada, but a commentary on the space isn’t immediately helpful for most entrepreneurs.

I want to share some lessons we learned at Top Hat Monocle when raising our Series A, particularly for those of you who are looking to include a US investor in your round.

1. Build something awesome (that somebody wants).

This kind of goes without saying, but I’ll say it. The easiest way to get someone’s attention is with traction.

We had a relatively smooth time raising our Series A, mainly because our cofounders had built a product which kicked ass, then found a group of customers who wanted it really badly. From there, it was just about telling the right people about the company and offering them the chance to be part of it.

2. Do your research ahead of time.

I wish I had done more of this before we started. We took almost any meeting we could get and wound up meeting with almost 75 investors—around 50 of whom weren’t a good fit at the time. Get to know the stage, industry, portfolio and preferences of the VC partners before requesting an intro.

We spent a lot of time pitching ed-tech VCs when we should have been pitching SaaS investors. When we eventually started taking the right meetings, it was like we were speaking the same language for the first time and everything went smoothly.

3. Take something away from every meeting.

No matter how much research you do, you’ll always end up in a meeting where there isn’t a fit. Take this opportunity to learn, practice, try something new, or just have a free-flowing discussion.

Don’t force the pitch if it doesn’t make sense. One of my favorite meetings was with a well-known VC where within the first five minutes we both knew this round wouldn’t be a fit. Instead of forcing things, we just spent the rest of the meeting spitballing on how big Top Hat Monocle could really be, and how we could get there.

We came up with a lot of great ideas which made their way into our subsequent pitches, and into our overall strategy. We still have a great relationship with the investor and keep in touch on a regular basis.

4. Start building relationships early.

Well before you need to raise money, get to know as many entrepreneurs and investors in your space as you can. Figure out what they need and how you can help them.

Here’s a hint: entrepreneurs are always looking for great talent, investors are always looking for great deal-flow. Honestly, I remember everyone who has referred me a great hire, and I’ll do anything I can for them for the rest of my career. Local startup events and communities like the C100 are a great place to start building your network.

5. Use the distance as your ally.

Canadian entrepreneurs often complain that their relationships with investors aren’t as good because they’re so far away. Though it’s true that you’re less likely to meet Jeff Clavier or Ron Conway at a party in Canada, being a bit removed does give you an advantage—you can control the timing of your meetings.

One of the biggest challenges during the fundraising process is getting all of your prospective investors on the same timeline. When you’re from out of town, this is just built into your process (“I’m in town for 3 days taking partner meetings—are you guys still interested?”). This can be a powerful forcing function, creating scarcity and avoiding last-minute cancellations, which are a huge frustration for founders.

If an investor knows that missing a meeting means they might not see you for a month, or might have to fly to Winnipeg in February to meet, they’re going to do whatever they can to make it.

Article Written By: Andrew D'Souza. Originally posted: http://www.techvibes.com/blog/five-fundraising-tips-for-canadian-startups-2013-02-20

Don't Be Alone When You Own

So often, women who start their own businesses, no matter how small, find themselves isolated in their decision.  Family and friends don’t seem to understand the time, commitment and all-consuming passion that is needed to succeed in the world of commerce and feel that pursuing a profession would be a much more honorable and financially beneficial undertaking.

That can make your business choices somewhat lonely and for those determined to succeed, means you must be even more focused on achieving your goals, despite the opposition you may feel or worse, total denial by loved ones of the path you have chosen for yourself. It is hard when those nearest and dearest don’t get what you have decided to do and where you have chosen to focus your energies.

Not only does it make it difficult to share your challenges, but there seems little interest in anything to do with your business, to the point that you don’t talk about it, which is hard when that is where you spend all your time and energy. It is almost as if you don’t exist. Bottom line, you have to rely on yourself – which is not necessarily a bad thing -  because at the end of the day, the only person who truly cares about what you do, should be you.

Here’s a few pointers to overcome that sense that you are alone.

• ·      Surround yourself with people who do believe in you.
• ·      Connect with other women who are on similar paths, as you can support each other.
• ·      Stay focused on what you want to achieve.
• ·      Build a network of business owners with whom you can work and form business alliances.
• ·      Develop affirmations and repeat them daily so you start to believe in your own potential.

Because, if you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect others to do so?  All of us have times of self-doubt when we question our sanity and ability to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves. 

But you don’t have to go it alone.

Article Written By: Anne Day, Company of Women. Originally posted on: http://companyofwomen.blogspot.ca/

Let’s Make a Real Deal; Looking Beyond Price in Mergers and Acquisitions

Corporate acquirers and vendors often focus primarily on obtaining the best price when negotiating the purchase or sale of a business.  However, the ‘best price’, being the lowest price in the case of the buyer and the highest price in the case of the seller, may not represent the ‘best deal’ for either party.  The ‘deal’ is a function of the price paid or received, as well as the terms of purchase and sale that are agreed to.  The terms pursuant to which an open market transaction takes place have significant implications to the
parties involved, and their importance frequently is under-emphasized by both purchasers and vendors.  The terms of a transaction include such things as:

•  whether the assets or the shares of the business are acquired;
•  the form of consideration used to satisfy the purchase price;
•  the provisions of management contracts and non-competition agreements; and
•  vendor representations and warranties.

As a general rule, in the absence of available non-capital tax losses in the vendor’s corporation, purchasers prefer to buy the underlying assets of a company as opposed to its overlying shares.  This is because purchasers of assets typically do not assume any undisclosed liabilities of the vendor.  Furthermore, in Canada, a purchaser of assets generally benefits from an income tax perspective due to a ‘step-up’ in the cost base of depreciable capital property.  In addition, where a purchaser acquires ‘goodwill’ pursuant  to an asset transaction, a portion of that goodwill is deductible for income tax purposes.  Conversely, a purchaser of shares is not entitled to these income tax benefits and as a result, often discounts the price it is willing to pay pursuant to a share transaction.

Vendors normally prefer to sell the overlying shares of their business due to the tax advantages of doing so.  A sale of shares is taxed as a capital gain, only 50% of which is taxable.  Further, where the vendor is an individual, he or she may be eligible for the $500,000 lifetime capital gains exemption on qualified small business corporation shares.

Conversely, a vendor of assets often triggers negative tax consequences, including recapture of capital cost allowance previously claimed, as well as tax on ‘goodwill’ that is sold.  The result often is a reduced amount of net after-tax proceeds to the vendor. The form of consideration refers to how and when the purchase price is paid.  Seldom does a purchaser pay the entire purchase price in cash at closing.  As a minimum,
purchasers typically insist on retaining some amount as a holdback to cover liabilities and contingencies that the parties agree are the responsibility of the vendor.  The agreement of purchase and sale should address the portion of the purchase price that is held back, when will it be paid, what rate of interest (if any) it will bear, and the circumstances where the purchaser would have a claim against the holdback amount.
The purchase price often is paid in a form other than cash.  Other common forms of consideration include a share exchange, vendor take-back, and earn-out.  Where a Canadian acquirer issues treasury shares in exchange for all of the outstanding shares of a Canadian corporation, and no cash or other consideration is involved, the transaction normally is tax-free from the standpoint of the vendor.  Vendors sometimes overemphasize the tax advantages of a share exchange, and often do not adequately consider the risks involved.  In particular, the shares received as consideration may not be readily liquid due to restrictions imposed by the purchaser or securities exchange regulations, or because the block of shares received is far greater than the average daily trading volume in the public equity markets.  As a result, the net proceeds generated by the vendor following its ultimate sale of the purchaser corporation’s shares often are less than
anticipated.

Vendor take-backs refers to situations where the vendor agrees to accept payment from the purchaser over time.  In most cases, the vendor receives a note payable from the purchaser corporation.  While vendor take-backs may increase the number of eligible purchasers by providing a source of transaction financing (which in turn should improve the vendor’s likelihood of securing a good deal), vendor take-backs can be risky.  In addition to the payment schedule and applicable rate of interest, the agreement of purchase and sale should address what security is provided by the purchaser, and the recourse that the vendor has against the purchaser in the event that the vendor take-back is not paid.

Earn-outs refer to an arrangement whereby some or the entire purchase price is contingent upon the prospective operating results of the vendor’s business.  Earn-outs effectively transfer risk from the purchaser to the vendor, since the vendor will not be paid (at least to the extent anticipated) unless results are obtained.  Accordingly, where a vendor accepts an earn-out, it normally does so in exchange for the opportunity to receive a higher price upon meeting the agreed performance measures.  In structuring an earnout, the purchaser and vendor should address the basis of measurement (revenues, operating profits, and so on), the length of time the earn-out is in place, and whether the vendor has an opportunity to ‘catch up’ should agreed targets be missed in a given year.  Earn-outs tend to be more acceptable to vendors where they will be actively involved in the business following the sale, and therefore can influence the prospective operating
results.  

Management contracts and non-competition agreements are more common where the vendor is an individual who was actively involved in the business prior to its sale.  In most cases involving privately held companies, the purchaser wants to retain the vendor for some period of time to ensure a smooth transition.  Management contracts frequently range from 6 months to 3 years in duration, and sometimes include lucrative payments  
for achieving specified operating results.  Non-competition agreements are used to prevent the vendor from competing with the divested business for a specified period of time (normally 1 to 5 years) within a specified geographic territory.  Vendors entering into management contracts and non-competition agreements must ensure that the provisions are not overly restrictive in light of their intentions following the sale.

Vendor representations and warranties are formal assurances that the vendor provides the purchaser regarding the affairs of the vendor’s corporation.  These assurances effectively transfer the risk of ‘unknowns’ between the purchaser and vendor.  Common representations and warranties include those regarding the payment of taxes, the existence of environmental liabilities, and so on.  The parties to a transaction must address the level of assurance provided by the vendor (i.e. ‘best of knowledge’ or
‘absolute knowledge’), the length of time the assurances are in place, any minimum and maximum claim amounts, and the quality of the covenant provided by the vendor in the event that the representations and warranties are breached.

In the end, there is much more to business acquisitions and divestitures than just negotiating the best price.  The terms of the transaction, including whether assets or shares are acquired, the form of consideration, management contracts and noncompetition agreements, and vendor representations and warranties, have a significant impact on the overall deal and whether it meets the objectives of both purchaser and vendor.

Howard Johnson (hjohnson@cvpl.com) is a partner with Campbell Valuation Partners Limited in Toronto (www.campbellvaluation.com) and co-author of The Valuation of Business Interests (Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, 2001). 

What's a New Customer Really Worth

All business leaders know the importance of retaining customers. A quality product, supported by a
customer-centric service environment and ongoing communications dedicated to sharing ideas is essential. But companies should periodically examine their customers’ buying habits to better understand the
importance of keeping existing customers satisfied.

“Many small-business people have no idea what a good regular customer is worth to their business,” says Dan S. Kennedy, an author, entrepreneur, consultant and coach to clients running businesses from $1 million
to $1 billion in sales. “The cost of retaining a customer and even expanding a customer’s value is much less than getting a new customer.”

By calculating what an average customer is worth to the business – the Lifetime Value (LTV) of a Customer -- business owners are then better equipped to evaluate the way they acquire customers. There are different
ways to calculate LTV, but here is a simple approach. First, determine your
variables:
1. What is your average sale?
2. What is the frequency of your average customer?

When you multiply the average sale by the frequency of your average customer, the result is your value of a new regular customer. Next, determine the average customer lifespan (years) and multiply the value of a
new regular customer by the years a customer will buy from you. This is the LTV of a customer. It represents how much each customer is worth in monetary terms.

Other ways of calculating LTV consider retention, profitability and consider different kinds of customers. Here is a free, downloadable Customer Lifetime Value Calculator from Microsoft. This tool allows the user to perform what-if analyses to see how different variables drive Customer Lifetime Value and profitability, with the ability to then plan strategies for improvement. The LTV of a customer helps marketing officers determine the amount to spend to acquire a customer. The spend must be less than the LTV of a customer, of course, or the company could lose money. And while some customers bring value in other ways, such as referrals that lead to new business, LTV answers the question of whether a company is appropriately
spending to acquire customers. As long as management understands the life cycle and relationship with the customer, they can modify marketing strategies to work toward optimizing the length of time and value a customer brings to the business.

Jonathan Brindley, CA
President, Liquid Capital Advance Corp.
jbrindley@liquidcapitalcorp.com

This is your brain on “continuous change”

Big events, such as life changes (moves, new job, promotions, weddings, births, deaths etc), as well as smaller regular daily shifts, like transitioning from task to task and skill to skill are all part of daily learning.  How we deal with change and transitions (big or small),  as individuals, as  organizations and as a  culture will determine  our present and future success.

Do you embrace the inevitable changes and transitions that are central to life, or do you avoid them until they are forced upon you and a choice is no longer there?

The dictionary defines Transition as follows:  movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another.

Examples of transition/change  could range from getting dressed,  going into a meeting, then going to another
meeting with a different focus, to brushing your teeth; beginning a therapy or fitness session, writing a report,
answering the phone, arriving home from work or  could also  be  an attitudinal shift,  change  in perception or belief. At any given time of the day, the volume of changes individuals are required to make could go from 20 to 50 within an hour span, and that is a conservative estimate.

Nothing stays  the same  for  very long.   Continuous  change  requires us to regularly address  how  we learn, research, communicate, collaborate, engage with others and model our behavior.  Each step in this ‘continuous identification  cycle’ is critical and applicable to our children, their learning; our  adult  learning as well as  an organization’s culture.    As we grow and change  it is advisable to prepare  ourselves  and our children  for the future.  How can we do this if we are in constant stress due to fast paced change and can’t adapt easily?

A great article in FORTUNE magazine emphasized  how universities are failing to prepare students with the
needed digital and social  media  skill set in a meaningful way. Dr. William Ward (handle  @DR4WARD) of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public  Communications says, "Higher education, like business, needs a culture shift."

What was interesting about this  article is that not only  does  the content of education have keep up with
continuous change - equally important, is the daily development of our abilities and skills to grasp and process this continuous identification cycle of change.  We are all in need of this skill set during these ambiguous timesand rest assured we are all quite capable of mastering it.  

Among  Fortune 500 companies, 73% now have company Twitter accounts and 66% have Facebook Pages. Analysts estimate that  $1.3 trillion in value stands to be unlocked by new social technologies. But while businesses are hungry to tap social media, they lack the expertise to do so. Among 2,100 companies surveyed by Harvard Business Review, only 12% of those using social media feel they use it effectively.

The result is an exceptional demand for social media professionals who can boost the bottom line. "Social
communication done well increases productivity, saves money and time, and improves engagement and
satisfaction," Ward says. "[It's] a part of a larger culture shift changing how work gets done."

With higher education not addressing this gap, it is essentially up to the employers to not only have a plan, but as part of it to fill, develop and manage this skill gap and cultural shift with new and current employees.  Too add one more critical consideration to this plan; companies are dealing with the most diverse mixture of generations ever!    The boomers, generation X,  millennial generation, each bring value, different perspectives and characteristics to their organizations.   Businesses with a social media focus, working with the continuous identification cycle of change also have to become social integrators.

Innovative companies will need to identify new ways of training that deal with organizational shift, continuous
new learning, mentoring and training support programs. Thankfully, all of these generations and programs have one thing in common: they can all successfully implement, retain and integrate new learning and change by introducing Brain Fitness programs.

Interesting how movement is listed as the first description word for the meaning of “transition” in the dictionary.  For those who are new readers, Brain Fitness is the state in which we are performing well, mentally, emotionally and physically/functionally.  Brain Fitness grew out of the study of neuropsychology and neuroscience.  It is the science of building, maintaining and training cognitive abilities through neuroplasticity stimulating neurogenesis, the creation of new neurons, and neural connections.

Research tells us that when in stress, the average person only uses a limited portion of their brain, leaving the
majority underutilized in day to day thoughts, decisions and actions. It doesn't matter how much new
information comes our way, we need a neurological system that can successfully integrate the learning and
transition it to action. This happens when our brain achieves greater connectivity.

Using Brain Fitness (integrative movement), you can support a cultural shift, and level and enhance the playing field so there is common ground  during a shifting and uncertain market place as well as support employees change and transitional opportunities for growth and training retention.  Retention of any new learning is key to organizational efficiency.  Our memory loses 50% of newly learned knowledge in a matter of days or weeks unless we consciously review the learned material (Hermann).  This stat can actually fluctuate based on the individuals stress level.   Our Brain Fitness tools directly impact stress by removing physical, emotional, mental and functional stress.  

Brain Fitness breaks are  simple, easy and effective.  When implemented they  lead to  greater clarity, focus,
productivity and stress reduction. A drink of water and some of quick Brain Fitness movements will restore
balance and connection and yield tremendous results immediately and long term.  Most of all, we connect to our higher brain power, the neo cortex - the place where our executive functioning skills reside.  Now we become innovative visionaries and agents of change!  As we grow, adapt and transition our brain to higher functioning, this positively impacts our personal and professional lives.  

To learn more about your brain and gain understanding of the simplicity of the brain’s ability to grow and rewire itself for enjoyment, efficiency, achievement and health, consider joining one of our personal/professional development courses and make some new brain links for your success!   Brain Fitness is easy and extremely beneficial to us all, no matter your age or ability.

About the authors
Jill Hewlett and Sharon Todd are  co-founders of Brain Works Global Inc., licensed Brain Gym® Trainers,
Educational Kinesiologist and Cognitive fitness  experts. Their company trains clients on how to maximize their learning potential while working in conjunction with their group and individual goals.
For over a decade Jill Hewlett has been providing inspirational and educational  keynotes.  As well, Brain Works Global provides in house and community training and personal and professional coaching services to a wide range of organizations, schools and the community.

For more information go to http://www.brainworksglobal.com  or call Sharon Todd, Director of Sales and Operations 905.235.5546