The four Bears' Lair finalists faced the Bears last night (April 23rd) at Market Hall. The Bears consisted of Carlos Oliveira from Operitel Corporation; Mike Selby, a small business advisor for TD Canada Trust; and Erica Cherney of Cherney Realty.

The entrants were...

—Natasha Roulston of Creative Legacy, who creates video biographies so that future generations can learn more about members of their family who may have passed away and the stories they would like to share.

—Calista Stephens, who is the owner and operator of The First Element Day Spa in Harwood, Ontario, which focuses on natural healing and relaxation.

—Dave and Vicky Kilner of Nature's Listen Inn, a bird feeder that wirelessly sends the sounds of the birds at the feeder to a speaker in your home.

—Janet Howes from The Work of Art, which is a unique art package that includes art and art supplies for people who have dementia.

Each contestant had 15 minutes to make their pitch, as monitored by MC Mike Melnik.

While the Bears went back to their lair to determine the winner, guest speaker Rick Spence dispensed great advice, including that the customer dictates the product, make sure to hire and keep the right people, and find your correct pricing.

When the Bears came back after looking over each contestant's business plan, they announced that Janet Howes from The Work of Art had won. Janet wins a prize package of cash and business services to help her get her business off and running.

The event was organized by Workplace Development Board and co-chaired by Amy Simpson, & Sofie Andreou. You can follow Bears' Lair on Facebook and Twitter.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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