eXmerce Forms Strategic Partnership To Provide Support To Momentum’s Self-Employment Program And To Help Create Awareness For The Living Wage Movement
Calgary, Alberta (February 18, 2010) – eXmerce will be assisting and providing Momentum with networking opportunities, business resources and knowledge from its current network of barter members.
“We’re excited at the opportunity to partner up with Momentum. With over 325 businesses part of our business network, we seek to not only provide barter exchange services but to act as a resource for aspiring entrepreneurs to network and seek out advice from experienced business owners,” said Nelson Liem, Founder and President of eXmerce. “One of the many challenges when starting up a business is building a network of people that you can get support from, and who will also buy from you. Through eXmerce, we can provide business knowledge and support and also help source new business to start-ups through our community members.”
“Our business is about helping people succeed – whether you’re a business owner or an employee”, said Nelson Liem. “One of our corporate values is sustainability and reaching out to those people who live in poverty, and so when Brenna Atnikov, Facilitator at Momentum made mention of the Living Wage Movement, I was in support of the program because I believe it’s important to address poverty resulting in part from low wages.”
A Living Wage is the amount of income an individual or family needs to meet basic needs; maintain a safe, decent standard of living; and save for future needs and goals. Calgary’s Living Wage Action Team has determined that an individual working full time (35 hours per week, 52 weeks a year) needs to make a minimum of $12.25 per hour with benefits to earn a Living Wage (or $13.50 without benefits). This figure is based on the hourly wage required to reach Statistics Canada’s Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) amount for an individual without dependants.
The minimum wage in Alberta is $8.80 per hour. Working a standard work week of 35 hours per week, 52 weeks a year, an individual without dependants employed at minimum wage would have a net annual income of only $15,072 (including holiday pay). This income falls $3,301 below Statistic Canada’s 2008 LICO for an individual in a large city ($18,373). Alberta’s minimum wage is not a Living Wage. For more information on how you can be a champion for the Living Wage movement by raising public awareness, please contact Brenna Atnikov at (403) 204-2668.
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eXmerce is a leading provider of barter exchange services for small businesses in Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Working closely with our member clients from across a variety of business sectors, eXmerce identifies trade needs, efficiently matches buyers with suppliers, and consistently ensures a robust and growth-oriented barter exchange environment. We help our member clients leverage barter to reach out to new customers, save cash, and turn excess capacity into profit. To find out more, please visit www.thinkbarter.com.
Contact:
Nelson Liem, Founder & President
nelsonliem@exmerce.com
(403) 215-9220
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