Friday, December 17, 2010

What Was Your Mark On 2010?

Regardless of your belief, I'm confident that we can all agree that the end of a calendar year is a wonderful time to wish one another peace, joy and good will to all. It's also a perfect time to reflect back on this closing year and plan for the year to come.

As I look back on 2010, I have much to be thankful for. I have incredible and intelligent clients, talented staff and suppliers who provide exceptional service and a loving and supportive family.

Little Fish Cares

Helping small businesses or what I like to call “Little Fish”, is my passion. We are so privileged here in Canada to have access to financing and business development expertise, that we can’t imagine and economy without it. Well, there are places in the world that don’t have the funds to support the development of an entrepreneur’s dream and for those, micro financing is their answer.

Little Fish Big Pond is proud to financially support “Little Fish” in developing countries, through:

Opportunity International

Opportunity International provides small business loans, savings, insurance and training to over two million people working their way out of poverty in the developing world. Through nearly 40 years of experience, they've learned that small-scale entrepreneurs can be big change agents in overcoming global poverty.
Clients in more than 20 countries use Opportunity's financial services to start or expand a business, provide for their families, create jobs for their neighbours and build a safety net for the future. Women, who comprise 84% of Opportunity's clients, gain status through their business experience. Loan amounts begin with as little as $60, and a 95% loan repayment rate allows Opportunity to keep more money circulating in new loans.


Solange's Story

With a $60 loan from Opportunity International,
Solange Mukakarangwa opened a small store near Ruhengeri, Rwanda. With her earnings and additional loans, she built several houses and offices to rent to neighbours for their own small businesses. Despite living in one of the poorest countries in the world, Solange now provides for her five children and promotes economic growth in her community.

What will your mark be on 2011?

Keep Swimming Little Fish!




Monday, December 6, 2010

Who Do You Want To Resemble?

A few months ago I told you about my two goldfish, Goldie and Fin. Well, over the past while, an interesting thing has happened, they began to look and act more and more alike, until finally they became exactly the same! Goldie remained the solid, bright orange fish, but increased her aggressiveness, while the larger and friskier Fin began to submit and loose the black colour on his fins. I originally chose Fin, because he looked different than Goldie and because I wanted to be able to tell them apart. Now they are virtually twins in the appearance and personality.

As I watched this happen gradually, I couldn't help believe that the same phenomenon were possible in the human world and I don't mean beginning to look like the people you associate yourself with, I mean taking on their character and habits.

As a result of this astounding observation, I recommend that as a little fish in the pond of big businesses, it's important to:

• Associate with peers who are smart
• Do business with those who have integrity and a strong moral code
• Be mentored by those who are wiser and more experienced
• Align with those who are kinder and just outright happy

If you ultimately become like your environment, be sure to choose one that you like.

Keep Swimming Little Fish!