IWD Canada was contacted by ACSA Youth Outreach Workers’ (YOW) to see if we would help sponsor a website for a small High School Outreach Program, the Modern Batik Movement. They were looking to create a simple website to promote the group and their artwork. We decided to help them by setting up a simple WordPress blog to help them get started. Once the group develops and pushes the limit of the website we would then consider a larger version.

To show their appreciate for our support the group did a painting for us. The painting came out really well and we proudly hang it in our boardroom!

More about Modern Batik Movement
MBM is an artistic collective comprised of entrepreneurs who have their eyes set on building a loving community, by doing what we love to do. In providing batiking workshops, it is our goal to see cultral barriers dissolved in the exploration of one’s creativity. Furthermore, we anticipate active involvement of the surrounding community as we work to forge relationships rooted in the sense of inclusion and appreciation that is so intrinsically a part of this unique creative process.

MBM feels strongly in the ability to use batik to empower; to educate; and to heal.
http://www.modernbatikmovement.com/

History Lesson
If you have NO idea what Modern Batiking is (like we did) here’s a quick history lession:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batik

Can you give us a little background on PC Service On Site?
Peter Skinner launched PC Service on Site five years ago. After more than 10 years in the corporate world, Peter’s entrepreneurial spirit wanted a new challenge. Peter saw an opportunity to take the IT skills earned in various roles with large telecommunications companies and decided to start a small computer service business.

Who does your business cater too?
PC Service On Site caters to residential and small businesses. Computers have become a daily requirement in our homes and at work. When the computer is down we want it back up and running as soon as possible. Our residential clients enjoy the flexibility and convenience of having our specialists come to their home on their schedule. Our small business clients enjoy having expert IT services without having to have a full time IT department.

Why do you think your customers come back to you time and time again?
Our customers come back because of the personal service. It is like having a trusted friend who can service your computers.

Have you had any interesting or unusual problems?
With technology and new and interesting problem can occur on a daily basis. It is why continuing education is so important. There is never a dull day when servicing computers. And it is always really satisfying to resolve a stubborn issue. There is a tremendous sense of satisfaction when you resolve a problem for a client.

How has your website helped your business over the years?
Our website is our online business card. It is a snap shot of our business and what we can offer to our clients and potential clients. There are lots of computer service companies around and our website is one of our tools to let people know that we are an experienced and professional organization and that we take what we do seriously.

When was the business opened and what location do you service?
PC Service On Site has been in business for five years. We service the GTA and Muskoka Lakes Region. In addition to our computer services, we are also able through a partnership with an authorized Rogers Dealer to offer the complete range of Rogers products and services.

For more information please visit them at www.pcserviceonsite.ca

IWD had the pleasure of working with Kyle from RenoMan Canada. They were looking for a website that matched their style but also allowed them to showcase their work as the company grew. We put together a plan that allowed their images and previous projects to speak for itself. The website was built using HTML/CSS with a newly launched WordPress blog to help them showcase current projects.

For more information please visit: http://www.renomancanada.ca

The prospect of a renovation is exciting and sometimes daunting. RenoMan will help you customize the construction plans to satisfy your lifestyle, creating a home in which to relax and unwind, while always being respectful of budgetary requirements. We are a dedicated construction company specializing in complete home renovations throughout Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and surrounding areas.

Renoman is licensed, fully insured and has WCIB coverage for all employees and trades. Our trades-people are certified, insured, and experienced in their field of work.

After spending every waking moment building their new studio, planning the business, and getting the website up to speed we were finally able to catch up with Mimi and Lindsy of Urban Playground Fitness Inc.

Can you give us a little background on Urban Playground Fitness Inc.?
Urban Playground Fitness Inc. is a personal training service for women in small groups. We offer personal training at a fraction of the cost to be accessible to every woman. We believe in life long fitness and it should an ongoing journey. When you sign up for personal training twice weekly, you receive unlimited access to our specialty classes. Our specialty classes include cardio-strength, yoga, Pilates and dance conditioning. You make the choice, come twice, come 7 times, the flexibility is there.

What made you want to start Urban Playground Fitness Inc.?
Our love for fitness and to help women with their fitness goals are outstanding. However, working in large corporate gyms around the clock with minimal compensation made the job unsustainable. We wanted to create an environment where woman who loves fitness can teach fitness in a fair, motivating and encouraging environment. We also wanted to open up personal training services to those who need it, but may not have the financial means to afford one-on-one training. Urban Playground Fitness Inc. represents an environment where women can come, forget their problems and to focus on themselves and their fitness goals.

Who does your business cater to the most?
Our business caters to a variety of women. We cater to working professionals, young professionals, students, older adults and residents within the community.

How do you plan on using your Website and Online Marketing to help grow your business?
We plan to use our website as a social network and as an information tool. We will use it to tell our story and to show the world what we represent and offer. We have our services listed as well as photos to represent our classes to peak intrigue and generate interests. It allows potential clients to learn a little bit about us before they come in.

Our online marketing will help our business grow by allowing people to recognize our name and our services. We will advertise internally through companies offering special discounts for businesses in the community.

When you were looking for a Web Development firm, what were your criteria?
We were looking for a firm that was warm, friendly, patient, helpful and to teach us a little bit about websites and design. We wanted to give our business to a company that we can relate to and feel that they are genuinely trying to help us. The first time I spoke to Brian at IWD, I immediately felt comfortable with his advice and guidance and not once did he make me feel like my questions were not valid. Since our relationship begun, Brian and his team have always been available at our fingertips to answer questions and to provide their services immediately. They have been wonderful and we look forward to continue working them!

Well there you have it! For more information on Urban Playground Fitness Inc. please visit their website at www.urbanplaygroundfitness.com.

Urban Playground Fitness Inc. retained IWD Canada for Website Maintenance & Support Services.

On May 1, 2010 IWD turned 4 years old. It’s amazing how time flies! Since 2006 our business has grown thanks to our active customers. Our secret is that we review your feedback on a regular basis and use it to refine our services for everyone. We would like to officially thank those who shared their experience, we couldn’t do it without you.

Along with our birthday, we improved our website. We hope it is easier to use and brings attention to our philanthropy work, an important part of our business. We also offer new ways to connect via our Facebook and Twitter pages. We modified our blog too. Take a look and let us know what you think. It would be great to hear from you!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IWDCanada/267637293317?ref=ts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/BrianKumarasamy

Lilium, formally known as the Conservatory Floral Design, has been a great client of ours for a number of years. To coincide with the launch of their new storefront they wanted to update the website to feature the new branding and work under the new name. IWD helped by redeveloping the website with the new colours, logo, and images.

Lilium is the creation of the mother – daughter team, Phyllis Lill and Marilyn Lill.
Over the past fifteen years, Phyllis has studied floral design in Canada, the US, at the renowned Constance Spry Flower School in England, and with Catherine Muller in Paris. Prior to founding her floral business Lilium, Phyllis successfully ran her floral design studio, The Conservatory, for over six years .

Beyond the beautiful custom arrangements, both Phyllis and Marilyn believe that the key to success is through customer service. Lilium promises to make every customer’s experience unique and special.

For more information please visit them at www.lilium.ca

Services: Web Design, Maintenance, and Hosting

IWD was at the the 4th annual Lend to End [poverty] event to help raise money and awareness for Micro-financing in Africa. This is our second year sponsoring the event and we are happy to be part of the organization!

What is Lend to End [poverty]?

This is a fun and fabulous fundraising event for The Townships Project. Held annually in Toronto on the second Thursday in May, the event is an “after work“ party running from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. Delicious food, upbeat entertainment and a visually stunning silent auction create an energetic and positive atmosphere that can be felt throughout the crowd. There is also an exceptional educational area, VIP lounge and gift bags. In the first year this event raised $40,000 and in the second year it raised $75,000.

The Townships Project is a registered charity which supports microfinance institutions (MFIs) in South Africa. These MFIs make repayable, interest-bearing loans to entrepreneurs, primarily women, to start or expand small businesses, to become self-sustaining and to break the cycle of poverty. As of November 2009, The Townships Project has changed the lives of more than 30,000 people with an investment of about $50 per person. Charitable registration No. 86418 8420 RR0001

Sponsor Board... IWD in the middle!

Jeanny & Brian holding the Board

Along with our new website we have made public our philanthropy project called Community Works! Through this, we dedicate about 10% of our resources to help Not-for-Profit and Charitable Organizations with web design, updates, and related services. For more information, or if you know someone who can use this service, please visit our new page. Click here for Community Works!

I’m happy to announce the launch of Burkcraft Leather’s new website. It took a while to gather the images but it was well worth the effort. It finally showcases the amazing hand crafted work that their team have honed over the years. IWD was retained to help redevelop the website along with domain, hosting, and email support.

Burkcraft Furniture and Restoration have provided quality leather and fabric upholstery and repairs, antique restoration and custom design for many years here in Toronto and our creative and artistic skills are the best. Warranty service for stores for many years also gave us a mountain of knowledge with many designs and we are able to repair and restore many different moving parts.

For more information please visit http://www.burkcraftleather.com

Services: Web Design, Updates, Blog

IWD now supports Miss Universe Canada, Mariana Valente’s web site. Her charity, BASE, is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged children in Brazil. Under IWD’s Community Works program, we will redesign and launch the charity’s new website to help improve their image and online presence. For more info on BASE please visit: http://www.baseforchildren.com

If you know someone that runs a charity that IWD should support, tell them about this program and send them our way.

In 2009, one of Ruth and Joao’s granddaughter’s; Mariana Valente was crowned Miss Universe Canada. Mariana’s goal was to use her title to advocate and further for her grandparents beautiful cause. In 2006, Mariana and her family founded BASE (Brazilian Association for Social and Education support), which will has provided yearly Christmas celebration and aim to maximize the support in order to help these children in a much bigger scale. The possibility to make a difference in these children’s lives is an opportunity for all.

In 2007 Ruth Freitas passed away. In her memory; we are continuing to follow her dreams. Following in her footsteps and learning never to give up, we have decided to continue with this journey.