Do You Accept the New Comox Valley Currency? You Should!

I've recently joined up with a local group called Community Way that has developed a local currency. This is a terrific initiative that I think everybody in the Comox Valley should learn about. Not only does it strengthen the local economy by encouraging consumers to buy locally, but it helps raise real Canadian cash for local non-profits.

If you're a business, I strongly encourage you to sign up. (I should add here that I have no affiliation with Community Way other than as a participating business)

When you sign up, a donation of Community Way dollars is made to a local charity, and then they can take the initiative to get individuals to make Canadian dollar donations in return for Community Way dollars. So the charity ends up with Canadian dollars for their works, the individual gets great value back in return for a donation, and business owners get more business because they participate in the program.

Sooner or later our fossil-fuel lifestyle bubble is going to burst, and when it does we're going to be thankful that we encouraged our local producers and businesses. Driving down to Wal Mart to buy cheap goods shipped from China simply won't be an option.


What do you think of all this?


To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at http://www.ryanparton.ca/.

BodyNetix Brings Hot Yoga, Pilates to Comox Valley

BodyNetix, one of the ComoxValley’s hottest new businesses, is about to get even hotter.

The Valley’s 2008 New Business of the Year is renovating its Courtenay fitness studio to make room for, among other things, a brand new 93-square metre hot yoga studio.

The new addition will be only the second hot yoga studio in the Comox Valley and will be home to a unique new style of hot yoga classes starting in November.

“Our classes are really going to be tailored to men and women who don’t have a lot of time but who still want to get the fat-burning benefits of hot yoga,” says Chris Ketch, founder and co-owner of BodyNetix.

“Every athlete knows that peak performance occurs only once the body is completely warmed up,” he explains. “The temperature in a hot yoga studio is similar to our own body temperature, which accelerates many of the benefits of regular yoga, like fat loss and increased flexibility. With hot yoga, it’s not uncommon to lose centimeters of fat in a very short time.”

Below the new yoga studio, the expanded BodyNetix will also feature a new studio for Pilates, a series of gentle exercises that, like yoga, helps improve flexibility, strength and balance.

BodyNetix has recently hired well-known local fitness instructor Glenny Whelan to lead its yoga and Pilates classes, which also include a more traditional Hatha style of yoga. Whelan, who has taught yoga, Pilates and fitness classes for more than 20 years, has also created a combined yoga/Pilates fusion class, believed to be the first of its kind in the Comox Valley.

“The fusion class is going to blend together the best elements of yoga and Pilates,” says Carl Ketch, co-owner and head trainer at BodyNetix. “It will be a great introduction for someone who has never tried either, or maybe has tried one but not the other. It’s also going to be perfect for people looking to increase their core strength, improve their balance or build strong, lean muscles without looking like a weightlifter.”

BodyNetix still has space available in three yoga, Pilates and fusion classes in its current space starting in October. After November 1, BodyNetix expects to offer as many as 12 new classes in addition to its popular FitCamps and personal training options.

To learn more, or to register for classes, visit www.bodynetix.ca, call 250-218-0691 or visit the BodyNetix fitness studio at 2260 Cousins Avenue in Tin Town.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Thunderbird Security First in Canada to Use Silver Trac Technology

Comox Valley, BC – Courtenay-based Thunderbird Security has become the first – and only – company in Canada to use a revolutionary new technology called SilverTrac that could change the way business owners think about commercial security.

The innovative software allows Thunderbird Security to offer its clients what no other security company can – 100 per cent accountability and, if necessary, airtight insurance claims.

“The most common concern that we hear from clients is how can they be sure that security guards actually check their premises when they’re supposed to,” says Liam Stackwood, founder and co-owner of Thunderbird Security. “The traditional ‘proof’ is to show a mountain of paperwork documenting your security patrols. But you can manipulate paperwork to say whatever you want.”

While most security companies themselves are reputable, says Stackwood, human nature dictates that there will be times when individual guards don’t perform the services as promised. With the SilverTrac system, Thunderbird Security can now give its clients irrefutable proof that its guards are actually conducting their required security patrols.

Developed in Orange County and introduced in Canada by Thunderbird Security just this summer, the SilverTrac system is as simple as it is innovative. Using a handheld mobile device, a security guard takes a time-stamped photo of a client’s property or premises. That photo is then automatically transferred to an online database that the client can access at any time.

Because individual guards can’t manipulate the photos or the time stamp in any way, the photos serve as an irrefutable record of surveillance to bolster any insurance claim.

“I’ve had clients come to us from other companies with a big stack of paperwork saying that guards had checked their premises, but their alarm system’s log showed that no one had entered the building,” says Stackwood. “It’s a bit of a disgrace, but it’s much more common than most people think. To insurance companies, it’s one big loophole.”

Thunderbird Security is currently in negotiations to become the exclusive SilverTrac licensing agent in Canada. If successful, the company will have exclusive rights to offer the system to other security companies across the country.

In addition to its security applications, the SilverTrac system could bring a number of benefits for other industries as well. In the U.S., for example, property managers use the SilverTrac software to streamline parking and maintenance issues.

For more information on Thunderbird Security or the SilverTrac system, visit www.thunderbirdsecurity.ca or call 250-339-6878.

To learn more about my professional copywriting services, visit my web site at www.ryanparton.ca.

Want to Network with Fellow Professionals and Help Fight Homelessness in the Comox Valley?

After checking out similar networking and referral groups like BNI, I've joined the BBRN group as a means to network with other Comox Valley professionals and give back to the community.

BBRN is an informal group that meets once a month over breakfast to chat about our businesses and discuss how we can use our resources to ease the burden of the homeless in the Comox Valley.

We're looking for more professionals to join the group, so if anyone's interested please send me an email at ryan@ryanparton.ca and I can arrange for you to check out a meeting.

Below is a letter sent out by the group's organizers, Scott and Mia Sutherland, explaining the concept of BBRN:


The Business By Referral Network is a group of likeminded businesses people
spearheaded through Mia Sutherland of Dynamic Body Concepts and Scott Suther-
land of Remax Comox. The mandate of the group is threefold: to create a referral
system between businesses within the group who have proven to provide excellent
service and product; to create new and interesting working relationships with other
service oriented businesses; to raise monies for the Action on Homeless as well as
other facets connected to homelessness within the Valley.

Our BBRN group started in January of 2009 and currently has a membership of 18.
Our goal is to increase the number to 30 by the end of 2009. To date we have donated
over $1300 to the Action on Homelessness, which has gone towards housing
as well as stocking the Medicare Van. The Medicare Van is run through the selfless
donation of time on behalf of one doctor, two nurses and a series of drivers.

Twice per year we use some of the additional monies raised through our monthly
dues, to get together as a group, along with spouses, and relax and enjoy each
other on a more informal basis. In August we had our first social function which was
held at TRIA Culinary Studio at Nature’s Way farm. Kathy Jerritt wined and dined
us with her cooking prowess and Pamela Keld sang and played the guitar. We had
a Bluemoon wine tasting and custom crepes to top things off.

Our monthly dues are $20 and they are payable in 6 month increments half of
which goes to The Action on Homelessness and the other half into our celebration
fund. We meet the first Monday of each month at 7:00am at the Whitespot on
Cliffe Ave.

We hope you will join our creative entrepreneurial group and help us fight homelessness
in the Comox Valley.


Mia and Scott Sutherland on behalf of all the members.



To learn more about my professional copywriting services,
visit www.ryanparton.ca.

Copywriting Success Summit 2009

I'm excited to announce that I've been invited to attend the Copywriters Success Summit 2009. The Summit is a series of live, online forums held throughout the month of October and features some of the greats in the industry, including Michael Slaunwhite, Peter Bowerman and Michael Stelzner.

I'm looking forward to sharing with my colleagues and clients the wealth of information I'm sure to learn at the summit.

You can learn all about at www.copywritingsummit.com.