people – 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

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

The Famous People Linked to Sexual Assault Lawsuits Against Sean Combs

Sean Combs, whose homes were raided by federal officials in March, has been hit by a series of lawsuits.
The complaints against Diddy allege sexual assault and sex trafficking, and some include allegations against other known figures — though not all of the celebrities are listed as defendants.
Here are the famous people mentioned in the sexual assault lawsuits against Combs.

There are still few details known about why federal officials raided the Los Angeles and Miami homes of musician Sean Combs in March.

The Associated Press and Los Angeles Times reported that the move is part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation by Homeland Security. The department has not confirmed the target of the investigation nor the crimes it is investigating.

The raids come after Combs, more commonly known as Diddy, has been hit by a series of lawsuits alleging sexual assault, sexual misconduct, and sex trafficking.

Seven separate lawsuits, one of which was filed by his former girlfriend Casandra Ventura, provide detailed allegations of rape, abuse, and drugging.

Combs has denied all the allegations against him. In response to requests for comment from Business Insider after the raids, his attorney Aaron Dyer said in a statement:

“Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way. This unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits. There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent.”

Some of the powerful and wealthy people in Combs’ orbit are outright accused by plaintiffs of wrongdoing — whether that be witnessing the abuse and not stopping it or providing drugs to Combs. Others — like Prince Harry or Nicki Minaj — are simply mentioned in passing and not accused of any wrongdoing.

For decades, the hip-hop mogul has been surrounded by accusations of violence — sometimes involving other very famous names.

Here are the well-known people linked to the accusations against Combs.

People, housing, land: N.W.T. business leaders call for cascade of change from next gov’t

The outlook was rather grim.

“The recovery from the pandemic returns the economy to its pre-pandemic path of slow decline,” read this year’s budget documents for the Northwest Territories.

The budget goes on to list a raft of challenges: inflation, high interest rates, a shortage of workers, insufficient economic diversification, and the fast-approaching closure of the territory’s three diamond mines.

This summer’s devastating wildfires and evacuations haven’t helped the situation.

Now, candidates in the N.W.T. general election are out canvassing, and business leaders are expressing their concerns and offering ideas for how to invigorate the territory’s wilting economy.

Land development difficulties

Right now, getting land from the territorial government in Yellowknife ‘is like pulling teeth out of your face,’ said Rob Warburton, a Yellowknife developer and city councillor. (Submitted by Rob Warburton)

“Fundamentally, if you want to grow the economy, you need to grow your population,” said Rob Warburton, a Yellowknife developer and city councillor.

Specifically, the territory needs more skilled workers, he said, but a lack of housing across the N.W.T. is a big barrier to bringing them in.

“All the focus of government is consistently about social housing and the housing corporation, which needs a lot of attention, but there’s no conversation around the private sector, which actually provides most of your housing in Yellowknife, Hay River,” he said.

“I’d love to hear some candidates talk about how do we support economic growth in partnership with industry, because that’s who actually builds your housing, that’s who employs a lot of people.”

One thing the territorial government could do to spur housing development is make more land available to communities, he said. Right now, he said, the process for getting that land in Yellowknife is akin to “pulling teeth out of your face.”

Adrian Bell, a realtor and president of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, agrees that growing the population and addressing the labour shortage are key to economic growth — and that more housing is necessary to achieve those things.

“I hear this all the time of people who’ve accepted jobs and they come to town to try to find housing and they can’t, and they have to turn the job down and they leave,” he said.

‘I hear this all the time of people who’ve accepted jobs and they come to town to try to find housing and they can’t, and they have to turn the job

Economic reconciliation ‘is everything’ to Indigenous people, business leader says

Indigenous and business leaders came together in Winnipeg on Tuesday to build relationships and share ideas as part of a forum focused on the economy and reconciliation.

More than a hundred business owners, government leaders and representatives of business organizations gathered at the Victoria Inn near the Winnipeg airport for the Southern Chiefs’ Organization’s economic reconciliation business forum.

Among the attendees was Michelle Cameron, who has founded multiple businesses, including Dreamcatcher Promotions and the INAC (Indigenous Nations Apparel Company) clothing store chain.

Reconciliation is central to her success, she told CBC.

“It is everything,” she said. “It is the foundation of how we grow as a community — not just the Indigenous community, but all of us. We all play a part in reconciliation and doing business and moving forward.”

When Cameron started a new business, Dreamcatcher Executive Offices, she turned to another Indigenous business owner to furnish the space.

Darrell Brown owns Kisik Commercial Furniture. He says Indigenous-owned businesses can be just as competitive as others, if given the chance.

“We know how to do business. We’re very good at it. All we need is the door open, and you listen to us and give us a chance, and we’ll show you what we can do.”

Exploring partnerships

True North Sports and Entertainment chief executive Mark Chipman gave the keynote speech at Tuesday’s event.

He highlighted the work his organization is doing in downtown Winnipeg to redevelop the Portage Place shopping centre, across the street from where the Southern Chiefs’ Organization is working to develop the former Hudson’s Bay building.

“I don’t know that one project is can be as successful without the other,” Chipman said in an interview.

“So I think we’ve just got a natural … playground, so to speak, to work together.”

The two organizations haven’t had any detailed conversations about co-operating, but Chipman mentioned their shared goals of creating housing in their respective projects as one possible avenue for collaboration.

SCO Grand Chief Jerry Daniels says companies also need to think about who they have at the top.

“Jamie Wilson [the vice-president of Indigenous strategy at Red River College Polytech] said it best this morning … if you don’t have Indigenous people on your board or on your executive branch of your company, then you’re probably not serious about true reconciliation,” Daniels said in an interview.

Several speakers and attendees spoke about the importance of