At this point we have or are steadily moving out from the shadow of COVID. I am not saying it is gone. In a business context we need to get on with building and sustaining our businesses. One important business building activity is business networking. Not only is it enjoyable but it is also critical…
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ChatGPT is a chatbot created by OpenAI to interact in a conversational fashion. Out of no where, this has been generating headlines and I thought I would check it out by asking some questions around one of my favourite topics, multi vendor marketplaces!
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There are several organizations for which I volunteer. I do this because they are meaningful to me and I know my involvement can contribute to their success. Along the way, I have discovered that there is much to be learned in terms of business skills through volunteer work. Take an example, learning to lead. How…
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I recently sat in on a webinar hosted by an industry business strategy giant. They were talking about top performing/outperforming distribution and sharing some insights around their study of them. I had my pen out and jotted some notes and will share them here as rough as they may be.They see manufacturers continuing to build…
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I feel like a school kid writing a report on a recent field trip! I did travel to Chicago in October, 2022 for the annual ISSA Show. For those not in the industry, ISSA is the International Sanitary Supplies Association also known as the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association. This is where I have spent my…
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By Tom Fournier *** Update February 1st, 2023 *** A solution? We have found and been testing a dedicated multi vendor marketplace platform. We will now begin setting up a BETA store or two to further test on a live site. *** UPDATE October 3rd, 2022*** We are still working with our developer to solve…
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By Tom Fournier In September, I had the unique opportunity to host Tom Gale, CEO of Modern Distribution Management on a Canadian visit. I have always enjoyed Tom’s webcasts and podcasts as well as the outstanding distribution and industry related content that his organization generates. It was wonderful to have the time with Tom, whether…
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I had a fantastic summer which included renewing a number of work relationships that have stood the test of a career shift to stay lasting friendships. I also had the distinct honour of being invited to join my former team as they were wrapping up a meeting that included all of their Canadian employees. I…
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I was sitting at my desk thinking I needed to come up with some fresh content for my website blog which in turn would anchor my monthly newsletter. Maybe it was because of the summer and being in “vacation mode” but I had nothing. Then as I was scrolling through Twitter, I came across a…
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You may have seen me teasing the launch of a new business venture and then kicking off MarketsConnection.com at the ISSA Show in Toronto several weeks ago. I realize this begs some questions: What does this mean for the Shade’s Mills Group? And also: What is exactly is MarketsConnection and how do the two businesses…
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