success Archives – Sunwapta Solutions

The tide is a metaphor for the overall economy. The theory is that if the overall economy is rising, everyone benefits. Conversely, if the tide is falling, everyone suffers.

Yet, is any of this consistently accurate? Does the tide affect every business the same?

Looking Closer at the Trends

To see the overall economy, you have to zoom way out. When you are at this level, you can’t easily see any details.

To find meaning – cause and effect – you […]

24 Jun 2020

Sunwapta: What Is Up With All Of The Water?

By Doug Wagner|2020-06-24T16:08:33-06:00June 24th, 2020|Categories: Business Strategy, Marketing, Working on the Business|Tags: business, business advice, business growth, business strategy, business success, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, leadership, marketing, profit, small business, success, sunwapta, Sunwapta Solutions, Working on the Business|

As we pass our 20^th business anniversary for Sunwapta Solutions, I spent some time reflecting on some of the most popular questions we’ve received over the years.

How did you come up with your company name?
What’s up with all of the water?

It All Started When

Like all business owners, we spent a lot of time trying to come up with a name that was: interesting, meant something to us, and wasn’t already taken.

After much discussion, I searched a map of Alberta and landed on Sunwapta as a […]

22 Dec 2017

A Year of Reflections and Shining a Light on 2018

By Doug Wagner|2017-12-22T21:13:37-07:00December 22nd, 2017|Categories: Business Strategy, Marketing, Sales, Software Development|Tags: adding value, business, business advice, business growth, business strategy, business success, Clients, Creating Value, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Ideal Client, Ideal Clients, inbound marketing, innovation, innovation engine, Lead Generation, marketing, Marketing Strategy, Online Marketing, Perfect Client, revenue engine, sales, sales enablement, sales process, small business, software development, strategy, success, Tax Checklist, workflow, Working on the Business|

Reflecting back over the last year, we’ve seen a number of local businesses close their doors and countless more struggle. It hasn’t been an easy year for us either.

Through tough times come some of the most valuable business lessons. The biggest one is to avoid facing tough times whenever you can. In my opinion, it is far better to be struggling with growth challenges.

Part of being in business for 17 years is making […]

28 Jul 2017

Bicycles – How to Create Business Skills for Life

By Doug Wagner|2017-07-28T20:38:13-06:00July 28th, 2017|Categories: Doug's Blog, Non-Profits and Community|Tags: Arsheen Dhalla, Bicycle Shop, business advice, business skills, business strategy, Community, Daraja, Daraja Foundation, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, non-profit, small business, strategy, Students, success, Working on the Business|

Bicycle Shop Students - Creating Business Skills

Arsheen Dhalla has been busy doing remarkable work in Zanzibar through the Daraja Foundation. Daraja means bridge in Swahili. During one of her infrequent visits to Calgary, I had the pleasure to sit down with her and listen to her story. There are many stories to tell. For the third video in the series, we decided to focus on business skills and the bicycle empowerment center.

The first time Arsheen traveled to Zanzibar in this volunteer capacity, her work primarily focused on an orphanage and a local […]

15 Jun 2017

Be Interesting – How to Win Leads at Trade Shows

By Doug Wagner|2017-06-16T19:08:29-06:00June 15th, 2017|Categories: Branding, Doug's Blog, Marketing, Sales|Tags: AI, Brand Strategy, business, business strategy, Creative, Drones, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, geomatics, Green Technology, innovation, Interesting, Lead Generation, Logistics, marketing, Networking, O&G, Oil and Gas, Online Marketing, Robotics, sales, small business, success, Trade Show, Win Leads, Working on the Business|

Most businesses seem to hit trade shows as if they are a necessary evil for lead generation. They do what is needed, but don’t try to stand out. At a time when budgets are tight and trade show attendance is dropping, is this approach wise?

—

As I was walking through the Global Petroleum Show here in Calgary on Tuesday, I was struck by a few insights.

Fitting In – The 80/20 Rule

The […]

9 Jun 2017

5 Ways to Win Survivor Alberta – Business Edition

By Doug Wagner|2017-06-27T14:23:25-06:00June 9th, 2017|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Marketing, Mindset and Motivation, Oilfield Pulse|Tags: Alliances, Brand Strategy, business, business strategy, Business Survival, Game of Business, Growth, leadership, marketing, Marketing Strategy, Mindset, Oilfield Pulse, Partnerships, Skills, strategy, success, Survive, Survive and Thrive, Survivor, Survivor Alberta, team building, Thrive|

The key to being the ultimate survivor in business in an extremely competitive landscape is to have a strategic plan. These five components will help you thrive.

—

Before I stopped watching television, I used to watch Survivor. One of my favourite scenes was an episode where Rupert stole shoes and other items from the other tribe, and then they used the pirated loot to trade for more useful – and untraceable – […]

27 Jun 2016

Who is the Hero In Your Story?

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:09:16-06:00June 27th, 2016|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Marketing, Sales, The Good Men Project|Tags: advice, business, business advice, business success, changing roles, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, everyday heroes, happiness, leadership, manhood, marketing, masculinity, Steve Jobs, Storytelling, success, Work|

Who Is The Hero in Your Story

Great leaders and businesses have a story to tell. The best understand who the hero should be.

—

Many men have lost their place in the bigger story. We bought into one narrative that has not worked out and are now struggling to find a new one as the world rapidly shifts underneath us. Some are looking for a hero, and some are seeking to become one again. We […]

24 May 2016

How Having Momentum Behind Money and Ego Can Suck Out Your Life

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:10:13-06:00May 24th, 2016|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Leadership, Mindset and Motivation, The Good Men Project|Tags: advice, business, business advice, career, choice, ego, entrepreneur, expert, Expert Culture, happiness, men, money, Newton, small business owner, success, teams, Work|

Man At Airport

Sometimes you can take a path in your business that isn’t right for you. Your choices matter.

—

I know more than a few men who’ve started what they thought was the perfect business for themselves. Once momentum kicks in it can get hard to change direction. The biggest trap ends up being the one we make in our heads.

One example is the expert industry. There are variations, but the formula is pretty straight forward. You start […]

12 May 2016

Need More Money? Take a Close Look at How You’re Creating Value

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-12T11:29:28-06:00May 12th, 2016|Categories: Business Strategy, Manifast, Marketing, The Good Men Project|Tags: adding value, advice, business, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship lessons, leadership, marketing, pivot, sales, small business, success, Work|

When times are tough it is tempting to play a safe game. You might want to reconsider that strategy to win in business.

—

In tough times, it is tempting to tighten the belt and keep doing what you do.

Our natural inclination is to reduce the bigger risk by taking fewer risks at all; to seemingly play it safe. If you are the sole breadwinner it feels like every business mistake is taking food out of your family’s mouth.

So we get paralyzed with […]