ZWWBusiness – Page 4 – Business and Finance

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

Our business is basements, our foundation is people

Mention a leaking basement, and most homeowners will cringe. Water intrusion is damaging and stressful, disrupting lives and posing a potential risk to a home’s most crucial systems. For those seeking relief, the answer is often found in the expertise of an experienced basement repair company that can address the root problem, not just the symptoms.

DryBasements.com Ltd. understands this well. With over three decades of experience in the waterproofing industry, they’ve cultivated a reputation for reliability and customer-centric service. While their skills in basement repairs are undeniable, DryBasements.com believes their true strength lies in the emphasis they put on their people, from their clients to their skilled team.

“A company is only as good as its worst installer,” declares Josh Horst, Operations Manager at DryBasements.com. “We strive to make sure everyone is well trained in the repair work they are doing.” The company invests heavily in staff training, recognizing that consistency in quality comes from ensuring all team members have the required knowledge base and a meticulous approach to their work.

The focus on people and relationships is evident from the first point of contact for most clients. Tamara Bolderson, who works in the office at DryBasements.com, describes the approach: “I try to empathize with our clients. It’s not fun having your basement leak. I like to show them that I care and reassure them that our team will work hard to find a solution.” It’s this understanding of a caller’s potential stress and a willingness to take the time to listen that starts to build the sense of trust DryBasements.com cherishes.

Wendy Lower, receptionist, explains: “During heavy rains or snowmelt, many of the people calling are very stressed, upset, or in a panic as their basement is flooding. I try to stay calm while they are not.” Like Tamara, Wendy’s goal is to make the homeowner feel heard and understood, a crucial ingredient in the customer experience DryBasements.com wants to foster.

Rob O’Donnell, an estimator with DryBasements.com, understands the importance of clear communication and building trust with homeowners. “My main goal is making sure the client understands the reason behind the water intrusion and the best way to repair it.” He uses detailed literature and visuals during assessments and welcomes questions to ensure homeowners fully grasp the proposed solution.

O’Donnell’s approach highlights his belief in empowering homeowners with knowledge. “We want clients to feel confident in the

Lauren Sanchez Is Not to Be Trifled With, Keith McNally Learned

Restaurateur Keith McNally, who’s no stranger to controversial Instagram posts, has made a habit out of insulting celebrities. And his latest target is Lauren Sánchez, the fiancée of one of the most powerful people in the world, Jeff Bezos.

But with some major heavyweights in her corner, Sánchez has the upper hand.

McNally, who owns more than a dozen restaurants including NYC’s famed Balthazar, wrote a seemingly out-of-the-blue Instagram post attacking Sánchez and Bezos on Monday.

“Does anybody else find Jeff Bezos’ New wife — Lauren Sanchez — ABSOLUTELY REVOLTING?” he wrote in the original post, accompanied by a series of pictures of the couple, according to The Cut. “What an ugly and Fucking SMUG – LOOKING couple they make. Is this what having 1000 Billion dollars does to people?”

McNally’s post was later edited, though, as of Friday, it read: “What a Bizarre-looking couple. Is this what having 1000 billion dollars does to people?”

But before McNally watered down his insults, Sánchez’s reputation proved she was not to be trifled with.

Scores of celebrities rushed to defend Sanchez, also an actress, pilot, philanthropist, and founder of an aerial filming company. Her relationship with Bezos became public after Bezos’ divorce from MacKenzie Scott in 2019. Since then, the two have been pictured in the throes of unabashed fun, often aboard Bezos’ $500-million yacht, as Sánchez’s reputation as a mover-and-shaker attracts a growing rank of diehard fans.

Chrissy Teigen commented on McNally’s post, writing, “She’s actually incredibly dynamic, accomplished and kind, and everyone who knows her would say the same.”

Jessica Seinfeld, who’s married to Jerry Seinfeld, wrote in a since-deleted post, “This post is a reflection of your twisted, pitiful, and hideous mind. Lauren has twice the character you do,” according to The Cut.

And MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle commented that Sánchez is “accomplished, kind, smart and loved,” adding that McNally’s post was “mean for no reason,” The Cut reported.

Though Sánchez herself has not directly reacted to McNally’s insults, she did follow them with a few Instagram Stories calling for kindness.

In a Story posted on Tuesday, which is no longer viewable, Sánchez shared a quote that read, “People will love you. People will hate you. And none of it will have anything to do with you,” according to The Independent.

Sánchez also shared a quote attributed to fashion designer Rachel Zoe. “Lead with kindness,

New French-language commercial signage rules continue to cause concern for Que. businesses

Representatives of the Quebec business community are criticizing the measures introduced by the government to protect French.

In an open letter sent to a Montreal daily, economic organizations – the Retail Council of Canada (RCC), the Conseil du Patronat du Québec (CPQ), the Association québécoise de la quincaillerie et des matériaux de construction, Manufacturiers et Exportateurs du Québec, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) and the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec – asked the Legault government to review its position on the issue.

In their view, the French-language rules on commercial signage would force businesses to make changes that would often be difficult to put in place within two weeks.

“Unfeasible in such a short space of time,” argued Michel Rochette, president of the RCC’s Quebec section and spokesperson for the group behind the letter.

The letter’s authors said that “the government had promised a three-year deadline for the implementation of rules which, to date, have still not been adopted.”

While Bill 96 was finally passed in 2022, some of the measures concerning businesses, the “rules of the game,” as Rochette calls them, were only tabled in January this year.

Their final version has not yet been adopted.

His conclusion is, therefore, simple: “We can’t make any changes until we have the rules.”

The deadline for compliance with Quebec’s new regulations is June 1.

On that date, any mention of “on/off” on a button would be banned under the provisions of Bill 96, as would “play” on any player and many other words that were not yet subject to the French rule because they did not relate to the safe use of a product.

The logistical challenge of the adaptation period is a real concern for the co-signatories of Saturday’s open letter.

But the problem is broader.

According to Rochette, outdoor advertising will also turn into a logistical nightmare.

“Quebec businesses already went through an entire transformation, which was completed barely five years ago, of all outdoor signage for businesses,” says Mr Rochette. “Now, the regulations tell us that we have to go through a new phase of change. So all the signs that have been modified will have to be redesigned in an even shorter timeframe.”

The RCC chairman pointed out that signage is also subject to constraints set by municipalities

Increases to capital gains tax plus other letters, April 20: ‘It will affect every single cottage owner across the country and every doctor, lawyer and small-

Spread the pain

Re “Middle-class Canadians could be hit by increases to capital gains tax. Here’s how to prepare” (Report on Business, April 18): The irony of the fact that some people believe only the truly wealthy have been hit by new capital-gains taxes.

It will affect every single cottage owner across the country and every doctor, lawyer and small and medium-sized family-owned business. The tax code has far greater implications than blaming the 1 per cent for not paying their fair share.

Keith (Angus) McDonald London, Ont.

Tough climate

Re “We are ignoring potentially valuable climate-change technologies” (Opinion, April 13): When rich nations are hesitant to contribute hundreds of billions of dollars to the least-developed nations for climate mitigation and adaptation, can we really expect those same nations to contribute huge sums to global-scale climate projects?

My fear is that such projects would serve as smokescreens for business-as-usual greenhouse-gas emissions. They will probably be more costly than simply cutting emissions with currently available technology.

The average carbon level is about 425 parts per million. Scientists have cautioned that exceeding 450 ppm may push us past a tipping point into irreversible and self-reinforcing atmospheric warming.

Emissions continue to rise about 3 ppm annually. This explains the importance of the 2030 target.

We should respond effectively to the climate emergency.

Derek Wilson Past appointed member, climate action committee, City of Port Moody, B.C.

Are politicians who advocate that we “should make big polluters pay” naive, ignorant or dishonest? The way I see it, companies affected would simply raise prices, and consumers would pay more without the benefit of rebates.

Ultimately, we all will have to pay to address global warming. The only questions are how and what is the fairest way to do so.

In times of war, political parties put aside partisanship for the good of all. Sadly, rather than do so in the fight against climate change, many choose to use it for political gain.

John Rankin Burlington, Ont.

Political decorum

Re “Conservative MPs display statesmanlike behaviour – not!” (Opinion, April 13): The runway to the next federal election is a long one. Hopefully it will not be one paved with this kind of despicable behaviour.

Wordsmithing of cuts, posturing and gesturing is on vivid parliamentary display as engaged in by Conservative MPs, with the worst behaviour coming from Pierre Poilievre, who would stick out like a sore thumb