Member Services

At AIC we hold monthly meetings, we have opportunities for you to promote your business, you can get a discount on hosting your website, plus we have regular speakers at our meetings, and we hold professional development workshops to enable you to improve your business. You can buy communication software at discount.

In addition, all members with e-mail addresses can receive Capstone's e-mail Marketing Tip.

AIC members also receive the benefit of the following
SPECIAL EXTRAS:

• Monthly Meetings
• Promote Your Business
• Education
• Marketing Tip Sheet
  
• AIC Preferred Suppliers
• Discounted Group Insurance
• Web Hosting & Access
  
• Metcom Voice Services
• Nesbit Burns
  
• Small Business Big Savings
• Member to Member Discounts
• Other Discounts

Monthly Meetings

• Regular contact with new people and new ideas, at our monthly networking/educational meetings.
• Pick up new ideas to improve your business.
• Learn from informative speakers.
• New consultants can find out how they fit into the world of consulting.
• Try your ideas out on other consultants.
• Keep up-to-date with current trends.
• Form strategic alliances.
• Get to know reliable suppliers.

Meetings are held the last Monday of every month except December. 2009 members attend meetings for $10, visitors are welcome for $35, Full 2010 AIC Members get in for FREE.

Promote Your Business

• By expanding your network of influential contacts, you can multiply your marketing reach.
• Display your literature at the monthly meetings. Your fellow consultants likely know your target market.
• The AIC website is searched by businesses looking to hire consultants.
• If your product or service is needed by members, a members to members page is available to allow you to offer special discounts on your services to other members.
• Volunteer your time to AIC. (Volunteers get more recognition than other members. By helping AIC, you help yourself. Contact info1@aiconsult.ca if you're interested.)

Education

• Learn from experts about the business of consulting. Every month we feature smart people sharing their expertise.
• Learn how to find more clients, and sell more.
• Keep up-to-date with the latest ideas, techniques and technologies.
• Stay in touch with what other consultants are doing.

Marketing Tip Sheet

Capstone's e-mail Marketing Tip Sheet, Canada's information source for consultants and entrepreneurs, is free to all members. To receive it, you need to sign up by double-opt-in e-mail. Click here to go to the Tip Sheet page on Capstone's website.

AIC Preferred Suppliers

AIC has a special relationship with some suppliers who have programs in place to help provide additional benefits to AIC members. These suppliers have contributed to the association in many ways as well as having agreed to give our members special discounts or deals on services that would not otherwise be available.

(While AIC has maintained many of these relationships for many years and has worked with these companies, members are advised to do their own due diligence and check the offerings by these suppliers to ensure they meet your needs. AIC can not ensure that the offerings remain competitive and cannot assure the quality of the service. If you have any problems with any of our preferred suppliers please let us know so we can re-evaluate our suppliers.)

Discounted Group Insurance

LMS PROLINK Ltd., AIC's insurance broker, has a full range of Group Insurance programs available for AIC members. These are real group plans, which you normally can't get except as a member of AIC. For more information or a quote, contact the experts!
For more information, visit http://www.lms.ca/aic/

Discounted Web Hosting & Access

Outer-Net Technology are providing AIC members 10% off their already reasonable rates, plus they will help you register or transfer your domain at no charge. Visit their website www.outer-net.com to see their regular rates. For more information call 416-284-7237.

There are many AIC members who design, develop or host websites for businesses. To find out who they are, and more about their services, use the AIC search engine. Enter 'website' or 'internet' or 'hosting' into the search field.

Metcom Voice Services

Metcom is AIC's long-distance and voice service supplier.

Metcom offers AIC members a 10% discount off their already competitive rates. Visit www.metcomcanada.com for more information or call 905-940-1616.

Nesbitt Burns

Independent business professionals have unique financial planning needs. Without the luxury of pension plans, personal financial planning is of utmost importance. Whether it is investment management, business or personal lending, insurance strategies, estate or business succession planning, BMO Nesbitt Burns is able to provide and implement the correct solution to suit your needs.

My practice at BMO Nesbitt Burns is focused on independent business professionals such as yourself. I understand your risks and your needs. As such, I have forged a relationship with the AIC to provide you with a preferred relationship with BMO Nesbitt Burns nationwide. As members of the AIC you have access to all of the services of one of North America’s leading full-service investment firms. In addition, AIC members will have the benefit of:

• The waiver of annual administration fees on registered accounts including RRSPs (an annual savings of over $130.00 per account) for yourself and your family.
• Reduced fee/commission rates on corresponding accounts.

For additional details or to arrange a no obligation consultation, please visit my personal site www.faisalhassan.com or contact me by email faisal.hassan@nbpcd.com or telephone at 416.590.7677 / 800.567.2626.

Small Business Big Savings

Small Business Big Savings is a member organization that offers small business in Canada the opportunity to save both time and money by dealing direct with suppliers for everyday office products and services. Members buy direct from participating vendors at special prices usually reserved only for larger companies.

Save on all brand name office supplies; paper, laser and inkjet cartridges as well as computers and peripherals. As well as Purolator courier services, data backups, health benefits, website design and other key services.

Purchase on-line, by fax or phone and have your order delivered free (by most vendors) to your business anywhere in Canada. In addition to preferred pricing, members receive new product information with special buys negotiated exclusively for SBBS members and the informative "SBBS Report" with tips and business news to support your business effort.

AIC Members receive a 25% discount on the regular monthly membership fees as well as a 90 day free trial of the service.

For more information please visit the Small Business Big Savings Website.

(Remember to enter your AIC discount code to receive your special discounted rates and trial period. The discount code was sent to members by e-mail or is in your welcome package.)

Member to Member Offers

AIC encourages it’s members to do business with other members. This page is designed to give our members an opportunity to offer other members discounts on their services.

AIC does not check the offers and we suggest that members ensure that they do their own due diligence with respect to quality and price on any offer they decide to take advantage of. Please let us know of any problems that occur in dealing with any of these offers so that we may take appropriate steps to remove the offer from our site.

Go to Member to Member page

Other Discounts

Many organizations have offered to make special discounts and offers available to AIC Members.

We are pleased to help our members to take advantage of these offers.

AIC does not extensively check these offers for either quality or price. We advise our members to use their own judgement before proceeding with any of these offers. Please let us know about any problems with these suppliers so we can take appropriate action on their presence on our discounts page.

Go to Other Discount page

---

AIC SUPPORTS The Assaulted Women's Helpline

If you or someone you know is facing abuse, call The Assaulted Women's Helpline. We can help.

Crisis Line: TOLL FREE (Ontario) 1-866-863-0511 TOLL FREE TTY (Ontario) 1-866-863-7868 Confidential. Anonymous. Available in 154 languages 24/7.

http://www.awhl.org/ You are not alone. You are not to blame.