It’s the season of resolutions. Many of us can’t help but think of how
we want this New Year to go for ourselves, our loved ones and our
businesses. In keeping with this traditional period of reflection, we’re
launching a brand new contest called Innovator of the Year, sponsored
by Fuller Landau, a firm that provides tax, accounting and business
advisory services.
It’s the season of resolutions. Many of us can’t help but think of how we want this New Year to go for ourselves, our loved ones and our businesses. In keeping with this traditional period of reflection, we’re launching a brand new contest called Innovator of the Year, sponsored by Fuller Landau, a firm that provides tax, accounting and business advisory services. Fuller Landau staff are the wise voices behind our Business Advisor column, also a recent addition to the Bakers Journal. If your entry wins, your trip to the Montreal baking trade show – Congress 2011 – is on us! Plus, our Innovator of the Year will be featured on the cover of Bakers Journal.
We wanted to do more to recognize the incredible talents trailblazing this terrific industry. The Innovator of the Year contest is open to self-nomination or you can honour someone you think is worthy of the title. The word innovator, as defined by Encarta Dictionary, means to “try out new ideas; to introduce a new way of doing or a new device.” What we are getting to the heart of with this contest are creative processes. Are you developing a new product, driving your business in a particularly efficient way, or perhaps managing your staff using fresh ideas? Innovation can be found in every area of your bakery. We want to hear about all the ways that you have a discovered a better way of doing business. You may not have realized all the ways in which you have been innovative – which is why we offer you this opportunity to reflect and celebrate in the season customarily reserved for self-improvement. In thinking about the ways you have been novel in your business, you may think of even more opportunities for innovation. Often creativity is unleashed just by taking the time to think. That time can be tough to find in today’s fast-paced, multi-tasking world, but the rewards that come from an exciting new idea can turn thoughtful moments into time well spent.
If you’re looking for a way to discover innovation, one option is to teach. Instructing others forces you to evaluate procedures and habits that may have become entrenched. It may have been many years since you thought about whether or not there is a better way. You become better at what you doing by showing others how you do it. It’s a wonderful side-effect. Teaching classes can also be a way to introduce new revenue into your business, and people are certainly hungry for food techniques. For our first edition of 2011, we feature Bonnie Gordon and her newly certified private career college in Toronto as an inspiring example of how innovation is training a new generation of artisanal cake designers. It can be very fulfilling to pass the knowledge on, knowing your years of toil have resulted in experience that will enrich the life of another.
Whether it’s a clever process in your bakery or the way it and your career have evolved in the industry, innovation can be found everywhere. Turn to page 47 for full details on how to enter our Innovator of the Year contest.
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