For many business owners, the word “networking” brings to mind awkward small talk, crowded rooms, and pockets full of business cards that never seem to turn into anything meaningful. But real networking — the kind that actually helps your business grow — isn’t about collecting contacts. It’s about building relationships.

Here in Elgin–St. Thomas, we’re lucky to have a strong and supportive business community. Organizations like the Chamber of Commerce and initiatives such as the Young Entrepreneurs Initiative (YEI) create regular opportunities for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to connect. But the real value of these spaces isn’t in how many people you meet, it’s in how well you get to know a few of them.

AI Is a Tool. Not a Solution. There's a Difference.
As I start this post, I want to be transparent: I use AI.

​Not constantly, and not for everything, but I use it. And because I work with small businesses every day, I think a lot about how it's being adopted, what it's actually doing for people, and what it might be costing them.

The conversation around AI tends to go one of two ways. Either it's going to save everyone enormous amounts of time and money, or it's going to take over the world and eliminate jobs. Neither of those is especially useful as a framework. What I think is closer to the truth is this: AI is a tool. A genuinely useful one in the right hands, for the right tasks. But it's not a solution, and treating it like one can create more problems than it solves.

Most people only do this once. They've never packed up a parent's house before, never had to decide what goes and what stays after fifty years of accumulated living. They don't know what they're walking into, and by the time they figure it out, they're already exhausted.

That's where Monica de Wit comes in.
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Monica is the founder of HUGO and Company, a senior transition and move management company serving families across Southwestern Ontario and beyond. The work is practical on the surface, floor plans, packing, coordinating, hanging pictures, and placing familiar things in unfamiliar spaces. But what families are actually handing over when they call HUGO is the weight of one of the hardest things they'll ever have to do. And what Monica and her team hand back, at the end of a long day, is something that looks and feels like home.

There's a moment, sitting across from Aurora Alcocer in the warm chaos of the lunch rush at Taco House Co., when she says something that isn’t entirely unusual to hear from a small business owner. She's talking about reaching a point where she questioned the journey she was on.

And then a stranger at a public swim started talking to her in Spanish.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Creativity and artistry has always been an important part of Clare Mitchell's life. Growing up she was surrounded by talented and creative women in her family. From her grandmothers who were amazing painters, to her mother who is a talented seamstress and creative, Clare grew up surrounded by their passion, skills, and a love for the arts. From a young age she embraced her creativity, practicing cursive lettering and creating drawings that served not only as an artistic outlet, but also as a way to calm her anxiety. Now what started as a personal creative outlet during her teenage years has proudly grown into Clare Mitchell Designs, a small business rooted in connection, creativity, and mental wellness. 

In addition to her small business, Clare is a familiar face to many in St. Thomas and the surrounding areas. She is a barista at Streamliners Espresso Bar, a local specialty coffee shop, and a co-founder and organizer of The Little Market Collective, a monthly artisan market based out of the gorgeous Sparta Lavender Farm which aims to be a space for local makers to come together, make connections with their community, and inspire others to shop small and support local. Their first market is this Saturday, May 9 from 10am-3pm, and we can't recommended it enough. From the beautiful gardens to the handmade designs and products, it's a must-see and a perfect way to kick off the spring season.