Why Businesses Need to Be More Professional With Media & Market Smart by Jamie Gilcig MAY 10, 2017

CORNWALL ONTARIO – This morning I received a release from a major Home Store chain.   It was professionally written and normally I’d be intrigued.

I emailed back explaining that we’d love to assist, but that we generally don’t do so for businesses that boycott us.

That means if we have never sold an ad or marketing plan to them there’s kinda no reason to give them some honey.

And being featured in CFN, even in a story like this is a form of honey.

Independent media of course get treated differently than larger chain outlets like the Montreal Gazette or Ottawa Citizen.  An owner of a small business would be lucky to get a moment of the time of a publisher or editor in the same nature as I probably wouldn’t get to talk produce with Galen Weston if I was shopping at Loblaws.

What some people forget is that a media outlet isn’t a writer, editor, or even publisher, but it’s audience.

The entire purpose of advertising is to reach a large pool of eyeballs of people of whom you wish to give you their money.  It’s about numbers and cash.

This pr person responded and I responded back:

Carly, I have to say that first off I’m a firm supporter of a free market.  Businesses can overpay for weak advertising and that’s their choice,

But a brand like Home Hardware, to be paying what it does regionally, not just the Fines, and not take advantage of a media outlet like CFN is plain silly.
Akin to your reply.   As a media outlet we cover a lot of issues; important issues.   And as opposed to certain media that don’t, always should be supported, especially when our products are of better value and quality.
Cheers, and I guess I will no longer shop at Home Hardware personally and write about why.
I also shared that they most likely spent, without exaggeration, about ten times for a one week push in the Seaway News what they could have had in CFN for a longer period and which I’d bet the cost of the ad would have had much more results and traffic.  That’s no offense to the TC media owned outlet (until it’s sold as it’s now for sale).  They simply do not have this newspaper’s audience.
And of course it’s my choice where I shop and where I share that information with if I so choose to.    I’ve shopped at Fines with no issue.  I actually liked their staff .
I support free business.  I support local when I can even if local is kinda loony at times.
It’s important.   For example I won’t set foot again in Cornwall Toyota as long as Troy Hickman is there.   I know quite a few others that feel the same way.  It doesn’t mean everyone should. It’s a choice.  I don’t begrudge people making a living, but when others seem to, well I tend to stand up for myself and others.
Just like Beau’s Beer, Quinn’s Inn and the local toy store that proudly stated that they never buy advertising.  As a my income is supposedly based on ad income why on earth would I shop there or support a business when there are alternatives that might?  Isn’t that simply common sense?
Again, free market.
Sadly Scott Fines decided to have a melt down over the phone in response.  Instead of communicating and maybe turning weirdness into cash he turned on the “I’m offended” drama.
I was always taught that the difference between Winners and Losers is how we deal with adversity.
People that behave like former Cornwall Kelsey’s owner Keven Hargreaves usually end up… out of business.
A lot of people read this newspaper.  Not all may like or love it, but quite a few do, but they read it as you are at this moment (Hi Scott! ) and more importantly when many are in trouble they come to us for help.
But without ad sales and without subscription donations from the public our resources become strained and we don’t get to have the impact in the community that most would like to see.



The media industry in general is growing through a transition that is impacting ad revenue.  A lot of fine journalists are no longer working.  The Freeholder for example just lost long time editor Len Hooper and journalist Greg Peerenboom to buy outs.

A strong Independent media is what separates a truly Democratic society from fascism and corruption.    Personally I think that’s worth supporting.
I honestly wish the Fine’s well.  They’ve invested a lot in the community with their two Home Hardware stores, but I don’t think I’ll be shopping there after Mr. Fine’s performance this morning.     Nor at any other Home Hardware because at the end of the day business is about money and I’m as careful where I spend mine as where I’m sure you are yours.
What do you think dear CFN viewers?  You can post your comments below.
And please support our amazing advertisers and click the donate button when you see it if you want to support strong local media.

36 Comments

  1. When we purchased our car at the Toyota dealer in Cornwall Brookdale Ave. 3 or 4 years ago the manager Mr. Hickerson or whatever it is was very polite and courteous as well as his staff. Jamie when I heard that they were against you I turned off completely of everything Cornwall and I haven’t been down in some years. You are an excellent person Jamie and I mean that and too good for Cornwall.

  2. This coming week we will be getting work done on our vehicle – just the usual things and we will be going out to Tony Graham in the west end of Ottawa. The Toyota dealer in my neck of the woods is not a good place to do business. The Toyota dealer in Cornwall is still a great deal better and only the one in the west end of Ottawa is good service.

  3. Jamie the vast majority of the time I usually click on CFN before going anywhere else on the net. You have the better news of what is going on and the problem with Cornwall is that damn clique. As long as that clique is in town there will be no business at all or anything good. That is a mafia and I can never live under such a thing ever. You have the best and they all know that.

  4. If you choose to go to TG for your car servicing that is your choice. But I wouldn’t go there. My sister used to work for the TG group and she told me of numerous horror stories about the TG group and TG himself.

  5. Hugger Tony Graham is a big corporation and stems from the US. We had the very best service at Cornwall’s Toyota dealer for their great salesmanship and everything. I cannot say enough good things about them. Don’t forget a small town compared to a big city. Just down the ways from here is Medes Toyota and we were completely turned off of them. Certain dealers here are real crooks.

  6. Jamie I don’t know what you would do to deal with the businesses here in Ottawa. You lived here for a little while and things are not the best. Where my daughter works it is a living nightmare and every day that she goes to work there is like going to her execution. One of our neighbors works there in the evenings and said to my daughter if you can work here you can work anywhere.

  7. Hugger and folks the car is going to take all day to be done and it will be one of the first times that my husband takes a bus here in Ottawa and I will be laughing myself to pieces to see his reactions. LOL LOL. ROLF! Thursday I will be going to the doctor with my daughter and we miss our previous doctor very much he is retired.

  8. Hugger TG is a big place and you don’t get to know any mechanics or anything. It is like hospitals are here in Ottawa and you don’t know who is looking after you or if you are going to get served or come out alive. Cornwall is very small and people know a lot of people but not here in Ottawa. I get to know a few people by face. Cornwall’s Toyota are very good people – all of them.

  9. Uhhhh Jules. ….Tony Graham is a local Ottawa lad. His first dealership was on Baseline Rd just east of Woodroffe Ave. It is now a Hakim Optical. TG is not a big U.S. corporation.

  10. Jamie the problem with businesses in Cornwall is that they are all being held by the throat by the clique and not the businesses themselves. My husband and I speak very well about Mr. Hickman (names do not stick well with my old age) and all the businesses that you go to react the same way. The clique has to go immediately or nothing good will come to Cornwall and that is the truth.

  11. Author

    Jules the problem is that the enablers do more damage than the bullies. Mr. Hickman once made some noise about being worried about some of the clique not buying his cars if he’d advertise with CFN, but our studies show that he’s losing 20-24 sales per year conservatively by not advertising with us.

    Business should always be about the numbers and not the grade school bully politics that seem to be ruling the locals in the area. They simply have to go and the laws of business seem to be taking care of that slowly but surely.

    Mr. Hickman, as long as he boycotts CFN, is part of the problem. And I personally know of about half a dozen former clients of his that won’t shop there because he boycotts CFN. He also protected one of the X files Hate group members that works there.

  12. Jamie after what you told me we are finished with Cornwall Toyota. I remember seeing the Dodge/Chryster dealer in Cornwall doing everything they could to sell and were way down. The reason why Cornwall is so poor is the fault of the clique and there is no reason in hell to be without work or anything down there and it is the clique keeping the sheeple mighty poor.

  13. Jamie Tuesday morning we have to go to Tony Graham to look after the recall that we were putting off. We have the regular oil change and air filter and things like that to do as well. Jamie when we went to look at cars at Mendes Motors here in Ottawa they were bad and we never purchased or dealt with them at all. Too bad for Mr. Hickerson in Cornwall because they were nice people.

  14. Jamie did you know that Cornwall could have had a General Motors Plant and the clique went and shunned their noses at it since they wanted to keep the sheeple poor. Domtar closed as well as Courthaulds, etc. and the sheeple do nothing but elect the same crap every year and take abuse from the clique. Cornwall will always be poor as long as that clique is in town. A big economic crash is coming.

  15. I screwed up Mr. Hickman’s name and I apologize. I called Pina’s son Freddy instead of Frankie. LOL LOL. I would say to Mr. Hickman and any business person that you cannot follow the clique or you will lose business. We wanted to bring the car down to Cornwall and I said no because I knew how the businesses were treating you Jamie. I gave you my word and I keep my word.

  16. Hugger good to know that Tony Graham is an Ottawa lad. My husband read where it is a US corporation and now I will correct him in the morning. Thanks for telling me. The bus routes have changed in numbers and this old lady is really confused. LOL LOL. ROLF! The bus that I was familiar with is now another number. Who knows where we will end up with your wacky Jules. LOL LOL.

  17. My husband printed out the new bus schedule. Hubby wants to bring the car there and come back in the bus and then go back after the car. I will be pooped out since we have to take either two or three buses – hubby has it all printed out. Tony Graham is on Hunt Club Rd West and we have been there are number of times. Yes Hakim Optical is on Baseline Rd. you are right.

  18. Jules…most dealerships have a shuttle service. All you have to do is ask and they will drive you home after you drop your car off and pick you up when it is ready.

  19. And where is that GM plant today that was in Massena ? Gone like a lot of others.

  20. Hugger did you know that basketball was invented right here in Canada in little Almonte Ontario just outside of Ottawa in the west end. Yes it is true and the Americans stole that idea and made it as their own. Many things were invented in Canada and taken from us. I used to work with a woman from that little town and we had our kids around the same time and the same doctor.

  21. Hugger thanks about the tip on the shuttle service. That is quite a distance from where we live – a huge difference. I am shocked about the GM plant gone from Massena. That plant would have been good for Cornwall but like everything is going over to Mexico for a fraction of the cost. We are losing all of our industries and that is terrible.

  22. Things have to change in Cornwall’s businesses. My husband and I like Troy Hickman but it is a different thing when you live there and see all the corruption going on. A whole new administration is needed and maybe people who have to come from elsewhere and take over and I think that is the best idea yet in order to civilize Cornwall and bring it into the 21st century.

  23. Cliques are everywhere, they are just hidden better. Ottawa has one on their city council. Jimbo Watson is their leader. It’s just that he’s had (almost) everyone buy into his ideas. Try going against one of Jimbo’s ideas and see what happens. The crap hasn’t hit the fan yet in regard to his legacy project, the LRT.

  24. Hugger we just came back about an hour ago by shuttle and they will call when ready. Jimbo is a big wheel in town and the LRT is a good idea because Ottawa is growing and needed. To get to TG it would take us 3 buses YIKES! I am full of arthritis and it is a killer on those buses. Jimbo was elected twice as mayor and he is one of the better mayors.

  25. Cornwall’s taxes are insane and nothing much to pay for and people wonder why so high to pay for people to swat flies all day long and do nothing. Cornwall is mighty small that you wonder why things are so high. Schools are closing all over town and in the boonies, no buses – we walked the distance and bet the bus down there. LOL LOL. Hubby cursed all the way home in Cornwall.

  26. Hugger we found out some things about our car that we purchased in Cornwall and it has been repainted from blue to black among other things. Dealers sure lie to the sheeple. Even the interior is very different to what they told us and so much more. The car is now at TG and a piece has to be replaced. TG will call us when ready.

  27. Did you ask for a Carfax on your car? It would have told you of the car’s history including accidents, ownership, etc.

  28. You say we keep our heads in the sand in Cornwall. You are doing the same if you believe in Jimbo Watson. The crap will soon hit the fan in regard to his legacy project, the LRT. He says it is on time and on budget. Yeap, okay. With the setbacks the LRT has had (sinkhole, etc) there is no way it is on budget. Numbers can be manipulated, ask any accountant.

  29. Hugger we asked the dealer who owned the car and all he told my husband is that it was their accountant who owned the car and did a lot of travelling. My husband always wondered why the blue dots were in the black paint. The blue dots sent warning signals to hubby and he wondered why the interior of the car was different to what was advertised and the car advertised was silver as well.

  30. The mechanic at TG looked under the front of the car and saw a bit of damage as well and hubby told him that he didn’t make any damage and was always very careful and we park inside. When we left Cornwall with the car the licence plate came off the front of the car and we had to purchase new ones since the man at Toyota in Cornwall didn’t put the plates on properly.

  31. The only different with Cornwall Toyota is that Mr. Troy Hickman was a nice person along with his staff at that time but we don’t like people to lie to us and want the truth. Hubby is thinking about getting another car later. Toyota is an excellent car and this one is an excellent car but does have high mileage and can keep on going to a long time to come.

  32. Hugger there was a sinkhole downtown Ottawa and there was a car that went down in the sinkhole and the owners left the vehicle there and the insurance company covered the loss – they didn’t remove it from the hole – it was a reminder of how bad the infrastructure is here in Ottawa and so much has to be done. What I don’t like is underground tunnels that is a huge turn off.

  33. Jamie and Hugger I think I died and my ghost is typing for me. What a distance that we went on the buses to go to TG. TG didn’t do the recall since no parts and were going to charge us a bundle and my husband told them to stop. We got off at Viewmont and walked the rest of the way. I am dead and sore everywhere. For the work that was done we could have done it around here.

  34. I am so very sore after that bus ride and long walk at my age it is too much and hubby is sore as well. We are both the walking dead. What is keeping me laughing like you wouldn’t believe is that idiot on St. Felix St. burning trash in the city and making taxes skyrocket along with insurance. My deepest sympathies for the cats who died. It always takes an idiot moron somewhere. LOL LOL. ROL

  35. You didn’t use the shuttle service?

  36. Hugger we used the shuttle service in the morning where they took us home but after that we went back to TG and used the buses. What an experience that was and I am sore from head to toe and hubby as well. Tomorrow morning my daughter and I have to go to the doctor and we need referrals for specialists and it is next to the Civic Hospital. Another wild ride. LOL LOL. ROLF!

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