The Okanagan Valley Entrepreneurs Society (OVES) & Kelowna Scotiabank presented the September 2011 Townhall Meeting.
E-commerce for the Entrepreneur
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- Should your “bricks & mortar” business have on-line business presence as well?
- What are the perils & pitfalls to establishing your own e-commerce business?
- What are the real costs of setting up an e-commerce site?
- What are the ongoing and hidden costs of selling online?
- Is it worth the effort?
These questions and more were discussed by our panel of web-savvy entrepreneurs as we explored the ins and outs of setting up your own on-line business.
Our Panellists:
Lisa Armstrong has been in the internet business for over 14 years and has been an entrepreneur for the last 8 years running her own company WorkingWebsites.ca.
As a freelance web programmer for many years, Lisa has developed a wide range of sites --- from simple on-line brochures to complex web-based applications.
E-commerce is also a big part of Lisa`s repertoire. She has developed sites selling a wide range of tangible and downloadable products. She has also created sites offering memberships and services on-line. Lisa has worked with a variety of businesess from manufacturing and trucking to consulting and coaching.
Lisa understands what it takes to make a good e-commerce site, both from the technical side and the user's point of view. Follow Lisa on Twitter @WorkingWebsites
Sasha moved to Okanagan last year and has been working predominantly with international clients. His company Rudibela Business Solutions, that he
founded with his partner, is an Internet business itself. Sasha has a proven track record of a number of projects making money online and opening cross- and up-sell opportunities. His most recent employer was one of the fastest growing iGaming companies in the world, Betsson from Sweden, where they always worked on the bleeding edge of Internet technologies to gain advantage in this highly competitive industry.
One of Sasha’s specialties is Business Analytics. He helps small business owners analyze their web traffic, analyze their website visitor’s behaviour and adjust marketing efforts accordingly, in order to find what works best.
Coming from Europe with a wealth of e-commerce experience, not only as a provider but also as a consumer and getting to know how it all works in Canada, Sasha offers a unique perspective which can highlight new opportunities and pin-point common pitfalls that Okanagan entrepreneurs can face when setting up e-commerce businesses.
Follow Sasha on Twitter @Rudibela
Krishna Lakkineni:
Krishna Lakkineni, CEO of ROI Media Works has more than 8 years experience in online marketing. His business, ROI Media works is a cutting edge, full-services Internet marketing agency offering performance based online marketing services like Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay Per Click Campaigns (PPC), Social Media Engagement and web analytics.
Krishna was the facilitator for our very effective June Search Engine Optimization workshop as part of Building Your Business Workshop Series sponsored by Trade Exchange Canada.
Over the years Krishna has worked on a number of online marketing campaigns that include some Fortune 500 companies. Krishna has been recruited from UK by a sub division of Qubecor Media to work on the online marketing campaigns for automotive dealer websites.
Krishna and his team at ROI Media Works has expert knowledge and understanding of search engine optimization, various pay per click campaign platforms like Google Adwords and developed campaigns for many small and medium enterprises. What is unique about their services is the Return On Investment (ROI) strategy on advertising campaigns.
ROI Media Works can be contacted by emailing to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit http://www.roimediaworks.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ROIMediaWorks
Twitter: http://twitter.com/roimediaworks , http://twitter.com/#!/lakkineni
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Our Moderator: Rae Stonehouse OVES Society - Vice Chair of Education
Rae is a Registered Nurse/Entrepreneur who has worked in the healthcare field for over thirty years. Very active within the Toastmasters organization Rae has taken on increasingly challenging leadership roles and is currently involved in developing entrepreneurial educational and mentoring programs.
His passion is helping others to succeed. Rae Stonehouse Speaker Services provides emcee services and speech coaching in the Okanagan Valley. As an Independent Associate for Pre-Paid Legal Services he helps provide legal empowerment for his customers. He also offers the comprehensive Identity Theft Shield program. Of value to entrepreneurs is Pre-Paid Legal's Go Smallbiz program.
Rae is currently promoting a one-woman theatrical performance entitled Dirty Laundry Theatre that will be playing at the Kelowna Community Theatre on September 15th. It is a must-see, poignant story of one woman’s personal journey with living with mental illness and her recovery. www.dirtylaundrytheatre.ca