This is a great business group

in Fraser Valley!

 

The Valley Business Networking group is committed to encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit within a professional yet relaxed environment.  It is dedicated to supporting its members in the growth of their business and professional relationships through coaching, referrals & education.   The weekly morning meetings provide a forum for business learning with each session being comparable to a “Mastermind Group”.   Membership is open to small business owners and self employed entrepreneurs from the community.   The group is a self directed, not for profit organization.

Please check it out in person or http://www.vbnetworking.com/

Oliver Pattison

Just Think….. Just Ink

Following the initial opening of his printer cartridge refill store in Abbotsford (Just Ink Services) in the fall of 2001, Oliver Pattison has been a very busy and successful small business owner. By 2003 he expanded by moving location across the road on Montrose Avenue to a newly remodeled storefront next to the old Post Office building and hired staff - first one part-timer who soon was needed fulltime as business continued to increase and flourish. 

In order to promote his growing downtown small businesses Oliver began networking everywhere he could. In 2003 he was rewarded for his hard work and continued success by being honoured as The Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce at their annual banquet.

In July 2005, ever wanting to expand his business opportunities and offer his ink and toner refilling service to a wider customer base, Oliver opened a second store in Chilliwack on Luckakuck Way.  Both stores continue to do very well, and Oliver now employs three fulltime staff members plus three part time. He still offers the same friendly and efficient service to all his customers, also making sure he keeps current with all the new products the printer industry continually introduces. The focus continues to be printer cartridge refills for low prices with a responsible environmental awareness by recycling and reusing what use to be considered a throwaway product.

Oliver's latest business upgrading venture joined with the original Kelowna Just Ink store, and June 2013 launched their new website featuring online shopping.
Full details can be viewed at  www.justinkservices.com

What sets Just Ink apart from almost every other business with our devotion to our environmental cause. Our whole business existence revolves around the recycling and reusing of printer cartridges and has so in BC for 13 years. We collect and re-manufacture tens of thousands of printer cartridges every year in BC and have so for years. The major impact this has on our environment is amazing! Usually most of these cartridges end up in our local landfills which is not a healthy result. The actual nature of our business is the future model for new green businesses .. every day, with every customer, we make the choice to be green.. even if our hands end up CMYK (Cyan,Magenta,Yellow,Black)

Just Think - Just Ink !

Just Think - Just Ink

http://justinkservices.com

Printer cartridge refills !

Just Ink super excited to present this video on what we do and how we do it .

Environmental Action Plan

Does your company or home have an

“ Environmental Action plan” ?

This plan outlines your goals and strategies for getting earth friendly.  Like the easy goal of getting printer cartridges refilled instead of buying new.

Our simplified plan is below :)

Environmental Action Items

Action Item #1

Implementing a “green purchasing” policy at the business.

Action Item #2

Ensure that computer equipment is reused when possible or recycled and never thrown into the trash

Action Item #3

Use & recycle used fluorescent or LED light bulbs

Action Item #4

Purchase non or less toxic cleaning products.

Oliver Pattison

History Lesson

Canon claims to have invented what it calls ‘bubble jet’ technology in 1977, when a researcher accidentally touched an ink-filled syringe with a hot soldering iron and the heat forced a drop of ink out of the needle.  And so began the development of a new printing method.  The InkJet Printer

Oliver Pattison

Goodbye Old Friend

She had been a good friend for many years but sadly she died.  They said it was just “old age”.  I called her Bertha, although no one really recalled here true name… the one she was given when she first appeared on earth.  Bertha didn’t really work for me but she did help me in many ways. Diligently, she copied my manuscripts, with true attention to detail.  She never complained and was always eager to get a job done for me any time I required her services. 

I remember when we found her.  My wife saw a small classified ad in the Saturday paper extolling Bertha’s virtues and suggested we take a look.  Maybe she could be of some help in my small business.  Bertha wasn’t very fancy, no sparkles or frills or shiny gimcracks, just plain down to earth ruggedness.  I will miss Bertha.  It will be hard to replace her, but replace her I must. 

I moved from Ontario to British Columbia a few years ago and Bertha steadfastly refused to stay behind.  I carefully packed her possessions… got into the old Buick and started our journey, west.  Upon our arrival in B.C., and after unpacking, I gave Bertha a chore; she jumped right to it.  I couldn’t have asked for a more faithful friend. 

On a Saturday night a few weeks ago when Bertha sighed, wheezed and died, I was there by her side.  I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears… this couldn’t be.  Was my Bertha really gone?  I decided to put our relationship behind me and I sought a replacement.  Although, I knew no one could really ever take Bertha’s place, I really needed help with my work.  You see, I became a writer in the last few years and I needed help more than ever before.  As I worked through my grief and looked at her resume I found her real name… she was called, Canon PC-25.  Not a very sexy name but she had been a workhorse of a photocopier.

The search for Bertha’s replacement was long.  I prowled the office supply and equipment stores.  You know, they just don’t make copiers like they used to.  Oh, they copy in colour, scan pictures into the computer and fax messages alright, but when I picked up one of these new-fangled-all- in-one contraptions, the heft just wasn’t there.  It had taken two of us to move Bertha, but this new one I could pick up and shove around by myself.  Yes, I did miss old Bertha.  The one which took my eye was a Jimcrack SL 4000.  It had flashing buttons, dark windows, shiny chrome trim and hummed when I turned it on.  Not only would it copy, scan and fax but, if it were placed in the kitchen, it promised to fry eggs, whip up a cake, scour the dirty dishes and clean up the counter.  Now that was a machine to grace any office. I used my handy-dandy little digital camera to take her picture and went home to show it to my wife.  She asked me why she would need a Jimcrack SL 4000 around the kitchen when she had me… and she had already paid for me.  I finally settled on another Canon, a super-sensitive-sleek-black-plastic thing.  It works well and it does everything the manual says it will do.  However, the other night, when I inadvertently called her “Bertha” she immediately snapped her lid shut on my fingers, went into standby mode and pouted for an hour.  Just like my wife did one night when I inadvertently called her by an old-girlfriend’s name.

Pixi and I, that is my pet name for my new Canon copier, have become friends and we now have an understanding.  If I feed her paper, keep her ink cartridges filled and don’t call her Bertha she will perform all my copying, scanning and faxing duties.  

Ain’t life grand?   

“Goodbye Old Friend” has been re-printed with the author’s permission and is subject to all current copyright laws.

Bill Peckham
See Never Hang Wallpaper With your Wife on www.trafford.com
Author of While You're Waiting... a book of short stories.
Both books are available from the author. – e-mail a request for your choice.