area – ZWWBusiness

Scams target businesses and people in the Calgary area

After losing $1,000 to fraudsters, Diamond Valley Autopro owner Jordan Jaworenko is warning people to be wary of potential scams.

A Diamond Valley business owner is cautioning the public about scams after falling victim to one.

Jordan Jaworenko, owner of Diamond Valley Autopro, said a fraudulent company contacted his team in 2023 about putting their company logo on a Country Food Mart grocery bag.

Service advisor Stewart Hamilton shared more details about the scam.

“The gentleman phoned me, basically soliciting for sales, obviously,” said Hamilton. “He was saying that the Country Food Mart was on board and it was a branch off of their bags … I knew there was the sponsorship on these bags available and whatnot, so we went ahead with it.”

The company in question, Hermit Group, calls itself a “full-service sustainable marketing agency” on its Facebook page, which has been inactive for several months.

“He was going to do a logo with his design team,” said Hamilton. “Never really saw anything out of him. We sent pictures of what we wanted our logo to be, and he just kept saying that things have been delayed a little bit.”

After receiving a payment of $1,000 from Diamond Valley Autopro for the agreed-upon marketing work, Hermit Group went quiet.

“Every time I followed up with them he’d answer or within 15, 20 minutes he called me back,” said Hamilton. “So, then I followed up with him and the number’s been disconnected. Both his business and the two numbers on the email that I always got a hold of them on.

“I sent him an email, but I’ve yet to hear anything back. It didn’t bounce back to me, but I haven’t heard anything, and the website is under construction, which is something strange because it never was under construction prior to, I’d say, February.”

The only review available for Hermit Group online is by Facebook user Mike Pearce, who is listed on LinkedIn as being an employee of the company.

Hermit Group could not be reached for comment.

“I had called the phone number. It’s disconnected. I had tried emailing through the website and other social media and it’s inactive,” said Jaworenko. “So in the last month is when, who knows what happened, but you can’t contact them anymore.”

Jaworenko said he should have been more cautious.

“I didn’t see anything online under their name about

Kingston area students launching businesses thanks to Summer Company

Ten area students are launching their own businesses through the Summer Company Program. Top row (L to R): Sam King, Tyler Kraus, Roman Mironov, Owen McDowell, and Mason Rice. Bottom row: Ryleigh Hillier, Josh Bowry, Eric Colonna, Jasmine Woboditsch, and Nicolas Inscho. Photos via Kingston EcDev website.

Ten students from the Kingston area have made their way into the Summer Company Program, which will provide their businesses with a $3,000 grant funded by the Ontario government.

Since its inception, the Summer Company program has been instrumental in helping young individuals aged 15 to 29 start and run their own businesses, providing them with valuable business training and financial support, according to a release from Kingston Economic Development (EcDev), who facilitate the program. Out of the $3,000 grant amount, up to $1,500 is designated for the startup cost, and the remaining funds will be awarded upon successful completion of the program.

“Supporting students on their entrepreneurial journey is an incredible experience, witnessing their passion transform into businesses, as they continue to explore if entrepreneurship is a potential future career option. With a team of highly successful coaches guiding them this year, we are empowering these young minds to build their dreams. From mastering the art of lure-making to bridging gaps in sports training, from making fashion inclusive to capturing moments through a lens, they are filling gaps in the Kingston business market,” stated Norman Musengimana, Business Development Manager for Start-Ups & Entrepreneurship at Kingston Economic Development.

According to the release, this year’s cohort of Summer Company participants have already begun demonstrating their entrepreneurial spirit and dedication throughout the week-long business bootcamp hosted by Business Coach, Claire Bouvier. The student entrepreneurs have each been matched with a business mentor to help guide them as they start and grow their businesses over the course of the summer. The students are currently in the process of refining their business’ respective products or services and serving their first customers, Kingston EcDev noted.

“During the business bootcamp, I had the privilege to connect with young entrepreneurs and learn about their unique businesses,” said Mason Rice, Founder of Rice Photography and 2023 Summer Company participant. “Interacting with them was valuable, as it broadened my perspective and allowed room for future collaboration. Additionally, I gained practical sales skills and marketing strategies that I plan on implementing soon. I am excited to apply what I’ve learned and take my