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Episode #25

The BC Weekly Business Report: February 10th 2017

The legendary Gary Bizzo from The Bizzo Management Group and Vancouverentrepreneur.ca provides you with The BC Weekly Business Report.  On what’s going on in our Province. Every week we bring you all up to date with new ventures, investment opportunities, start ups, technology, business activities and who’s doing what when it comes highlighting local BC entrepreneurs. All this great weekly business news will inform or may even inspire you to get involved, contact, network or even expand or start your own business. Enjoy the show!

Versus Systems, is a Vancouver company with the head office in LA. It’s an innovation gaming software that allows rewards. It’s HQ is in LA because as CEO, Matt Pierce says, “that’s where the talent is and LA is so gaming centric”. Pierce says that because of the characteristics of the immersive gamers – their super competitiveness and drive, Versus knew that if they could attach emotional resonance coupled with a goal of achievement to allow gamers to win prizes they had a winning product. It’s a win/win situation for the gamer, publisher and advertiser. The gamer can win stuff, the advertisers can learn a lot from their customers (demographics) and the publishers get more engagement (money).

With plans for Versus to add geographical algorithms to the rewards, once the gamer reaches a milestone, he could win a pizza from the shop down the street and have it delivered to his home while he is still playing the game. This contextual advertising can offer prizes in the gamer’s jurisdiction that is legal and unlocks the local aspect of the market to the advertiser.

Mark Rabin, CEO/Founder of Portable Electric is changing the way movie sets are powered with two models of mobile power stations (large rechargeable battery systems) rather than the generators. The film industry is Rabin’s focus but the resource industry, construction and events are a few of the applications.

One model, the VoltStack Mini produces 2kW/2kWh of electricity and can be quickly recharged from solar/cycle or 120 V grid plugin. It’s Portable, and is great for plug and play for off-grid applications. It’s big brother the VoltStack Boss produces13kW/55kWh. That’s more energy than the Tesla M3, BMW i3 and Nissan Leaf. It’s designed to power large events, stages, sound systems, film sets, lighting and more. It comes on it’s own sleek, towable trailer – and of course, since it is a battery it is noise and emission free.

This is a big deal!

Vancouver, the center of disruptive technology in Canada, has a two-decade old company; HealthSpace that is turning health inspector reports into a central database and is changing the way restaurants and chains do business.

Information is power and with data from over 30,000 restaurants a month going through HealthSpace’s program, vast amounts of data is available for commercial purposes as a second revenue verticals.

HealthSpace announced a contract with the Fraser Health Authority (FHA) this month in Vancouver. The service agreement with the province’s largest health provider gives HealthSpace a 5-year contract to host, and maintain its entire environmental health inspection, permitting and regulatory enforcement system. FHA services approximately 1.5Million Vancouver residents.

It was announced last week that HealthSpace brought some heavy industry hitters to the Advisory Board. Ian Tostensen, the President of the BC Restaurant and Food services Association, Steven Lee, who had major roles in #Mobify, #Slack and #GrantThornton and George Moen, Founder and former President of Blenz Coffee are ideally suited to HealthSpace with their vast M&A and industry experience.

This week in events1) Convert your small business challenges into advantages, by Catherine RocheleauTuesday, February 14, 20176:00 PM to 9:15 PMG&F Financial Group’s Mount Pleasant Branch2949 Main Street, Vancouver, BC (map)

LEARNING POINTS

• Identify the top challenges facing small businesses today.• Learn how different tools and resources can assist you to navigate business challenges and turn them into advantages.• Recognize your leading business challenges and create one action plan to resolve at least one of those challenges.2) Small Business Series – Tax Reporting for Small BusinessLearn how to report business income and expenses on your tax return. When and how to register and collect for GST and PST on sales. Learn what kind of business expenses can be deducted, and what kind of support documents to keep.Location: Richmond Public LibraryDate/Time: Febuary 9th 2017 | 6:30pm – 8:00pmAddress: 7700 Minoru Gate #100, Richmond, BC V6Y 1R8http://smallbusinessbc.ca/event/small-business-series-tax-reporting-small-business/Learn how to report business income and expenses on your tax return. When and how to register and collect for GST and PST on sales. Learn what kind of business expenses can be deducted, and what kind of support documents to keep.

http://www.bcbusiness.ca/Events/Vancouver-International-Wine-Festival-2017   Contact Us