Thinking of taking your product to retail? You’re going to want to hear from our new seminar speaker, Jim Shopland.
Decades of Experience in Sales
Jim comes to Small Business BC off the back of a 25-year career in sales, marketing and merchandising in the drug, grocery and convenience store worlds. He spent 14 years in senior management at Chevron, before taking responsibility for category plans and planograms for over 400 Pharmasave stores across Canada.
In September 2011, Jim formed Shopland Health with a focus on people, relationships and connections at its core. Jim initially served product creators as a natural product broker, and he continues to help his clients get their products on shelves and in the hands of the consumers who need them.
After discovering that creators often need additional guidance to launch their businesses, Jim decided to expand Shopland Health’s offerings. Along with his wife, Laurie, Jim is thrilled to provide coaching, education and mentoring for natural product creators to help them grow their passion for their products into profitable sales.
A Locally Based Expert
Jim was born and raised in Burnaby, BC. He graduated from the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) School of Business. He currently resides in Langley, BC with his wife, Laurie, and has traveled extensively throughout the province vacationing, and keeping up with his three kids’ sports & academic activities.
Although Jim loves the town of Nelson, other mountain communities such as Revelstoke, Smithers and Whistler continue to take his breath away. He also loves the waterfront communities of Fort Langley and Victoria.
With his experience throughout British Columbia, Jim has seen first-hand the impact local businesses have on small towns. While the world of retail continues to evolve, both on-line and in brick & mortar locations, consumers still want the experience of interacting with people and shopping for their goods.
Jim can often be found at local coffee shops, such as lelam Arts & Cultural Café in Fort Langley, or at an early morning Flow Class at Oxygen Yoga and Fitness in Walnut Grove.
Quick Q&A with Jim Shopland
What can attendees expect from your seminar?
How to avoid the three biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when launching products in retail.
What advice would you give to entrepreneurs looking to get started?
Do as much research as you can before you have a product/service to sell. Easier to ask questions than it is to sell products.
What is one common mistake entrepreneurs in your field make?
Retail product entrepreneurs jump to production to quickly. Their excitement overtakes their plan, and they start manufacturing before they have customers.
Why are you passionate about this subject?
I see too many good products fail, and entrepreneurs become disillusioned with their dreams, too quickly. There is a pathway for retail product entrepreneurs to get their products into retail.
How did you become an entrepreneur?
Necessity and timing. I was “right-size” out of a corporate position, had a unique set of skills, knowledge of an industry and a dream to help others.
Hear from Jim Shopland
Learn from Jim’s decades of experience in retail and attend Retail Ready: How to Get Your Product into Stores. This informative seminar offers a thorough instructional on making your product appealing to retailers.
