Local House Is Your Trusted Saskatoon Online Retail Mall That Delivers Locally!

17. Nov 2021 Trusted Saskatoon Saskatoon Retail, Trusted Brag Blogs, Trusted Tips

Local House Joins Trusted Saskatoon In The Saskatoon Speciality Retail Category

The Trusted Saskatoon Directory team is thrilled to brag about our newest Saskatoon partner in our Saskatoon Specialty Retail category. We would like to welcome and introduce you to Local House Your Trusted Saskatoon Online Mall!

Local House was founded in 2020 by Mike and Chuck Le Page, who themselves are local retail business owners with stores in both Saskatoon and Regina. When COVID-19 shut down nearly everything in March of 2020, Mike Lepage recognized a unique business opportunity. Scrambling to buy a birthday gift for his fiancée, Lepage reached out to several local businesses but found it very tedious to organize the purchase and delivery of products. Knowing there could be a better way to navigate this time-consuming approach, Mike and his father, Chuck, reached out to Trusted Marketing Services, and together, they started the complicated task building on the idea of Local House and bringing it to market with a brand and custom online shopping platform.

“I kept wishing there was a marketplace and delivery system for local business,” Mike Lepage explains. “I had been sitting on the Local House URL for a while, so I did some research on the concept, and there wasn’t anything quite like it yet.”

What Is Local House And How Does It Compete With Amazon?

Michael LePage wants to give local retailers in Saskatchewan a digital platform that can compete with the likes of Amazon.

Local House is more than just an e-commerce store, it’s a local ecosystem and essential a local online shopping mall that allows small local retailers to gain access to new sales opportunities, compete with foreign/out of market retailers stealing local market share and extend their brand reach to new customers in new places near where they operate. Retailers set up Local House stores for free and they can upload their products directly into the store. The development team spent many hours working on allowing Local House to work in hand with other well know and established major e-commerce platforms, such as Etsy and Shopify to make it more accessible for businesses and merchants who have already invested time and money in their own online stores. Now merchants can simply integrate with their existing online store software at the click of a mouse. The full checkout takes place on Local House and the retailers only pay if they make a sale- so it’s a win-win!

Local House Delivers Same Day Or Next Day to Saskatoon Shoppers

Convenient, same-day delivery or next-day delivery ( dependant on order time) on most products on Local House, means you can shop at your convenience, and get items delivered directly to your door. If your order total is under $25 delivery costs $7.00. If your order is larger than $25 delivery is $3.50. Some vendors also offer free delivery if a minimum purchase amount is met.

Local House is an amazing and innovative example of a local business whose mission is to support other local Saskatoon businesses and provide solutions to Saskatoon consumers, which is the foundation of why we started the Trusted Saskatoon directory!

Trusted Saskatoon warmly welcomes Mike and the Local House team to the Saskatoon directory of excellence in the Saskatoon specialty retail Category and we are proud to give them the ‘Thumbs Up’!

Local House Is Your Trusted Saskatoon Online Shopping Mall- Check out all Local House offers and read reviews on their listing by clicking here ...then go shop and support local retail.

Pay Your Mortgage Down Faster With Advice From Trusted Saskatoon Mortgage Brokers

9. Nov 2021 Trusted Saskatoon Saskatoon Mortgages, Trusted Tips

Purchasing your home is one of the biggest and most important decisions that you can make. In the latest Saskatoon Mortgage tip we explain how you can pay your mortgage down faster!

How You Can Pay Your Mortgage Down Faster

You found a house. You made an offer, and you got approved for your mortgage.

You locked down a phenomenal mortgage rate and chose a lender with flexible repayment options.

Don't Stop There

There are LITTLE ways you can make a BIG impact on your mortgage’s overall balance and life (amortization).

If you chose a variable rate mortgage:

Assuming you got a fantastic discount, your rate was (and likely still is) significantly lower than a fixed-rate mortgage.
Use this opportunity as a strategy and increase your payments as soon as possible to what they would be equal to a fixed-rate mortgage payment

That will mitigate some risk with fluctuating Bank of Canada Prime lending rate changes and avoid seeing a payment shock if rates move up a touch.
Increasing your payment slightly will mitigate some long-term risk in the variable vs fixed conversation.
Assuming the Prime lending rate stays low, you will be saving significant interest in the first years of the mortgage, mitigating the risk of increases on the back end of the mortgage term.
This strategy allows you to see the biggest ‘bang for your buck’ while rates are low.

More money every month is going to your principal (vs interest) because rates are already so low
Every penny in addition to your regular payment goes directly to your principal balance and pays down the mortgage significantly faster.

Payment Frequency Options:

There are multiple options on how you can make your payment

The TWO options that will save you the most money in interest will be ACCELERATED Biweekly and ACCELERATED Weekly

(the accelerated is the crucial part)

An accelerated bi-weekly mortgage payment is when your monthly mortgage payment is divided by two, and the amount is withdrawn from your bank account every two weeks

(vs a Semi-Monthly payment: your monthly mortgage payment is divided by two and the amount is withdrawn on the 1st and 15th (twice per month) VS every 2 weeks.

Let’s look at an example:

The example below uses an example 5-year insured variable rate discount as of June 22/2021
The example below is assuming the Bank of Canada Prime lending rate does not adjust through the entire 5-year term
Bank of Canada Prime lending rate is subject to change (up or down)
Lender discounts (variable and fixed) are subject to change
The information below is for example and illustration purposes only

In June of 2021, you took a 5-year variable rate mortgage at Prime (2.45%) Less 1.10 =1.35%

Purchase $400,000
Downpayment (5%) $20,000
A total mortgage with CMHC premium =$395,200.00
Amortization=25 years

OPTION (1)

MONTHLY required payment (assuming Prime stays at 2.45%)=$1552.15/month

Balance at maturity making MONTHLY payments=$326,422.03

OPTION (2)

ACCELERATED BIWEEKLY required payment (assuming Prime stays at 2.45%)=$776.08/every 2 weeks (=approx $1681.50/m when we average it over the year)

Balance at maturity making ACCELERATED BIWEEKLY payments=$318,366.65

(that is a difference of $8055.38 owed in 5 years)

Taking it one step further:

OPTION (3)

Increase that minimum required payment (calculated on the low variable rate discount) to a payment equal to a fixed rate (we are using 2.09% in this example)

ACCELERATED BIWEEKLY =$845.35

Balance at maturity =$309,963.24

(that is a difference of $16,458.79 owed in 5 years)

Prepayment Options:

Every lender has flexible prepayment options (allowing you to make extra payments on the mortgage throughout the year without penalty)

This can be done by increasing regular payments (usually a 10-20% increase per year option depending on the lender) OR by doing lump sum extra payments throughout the year.

Each lender has a different policy relating to this- but the flexibility is there, and we are here to help you navigate those options.

By considering OPTION (3) above – you are using your prepayment options to manipulate your payment and lower the amortization (life) and interest paid on the mortgage.

HRun some example amortization schedules for you so that you can see the different options and balances owed at maturity depending on your affordability
Move in, get your feet wet with the new bills for the first 3-6 months.
Then do a review on if you can afford to do even a touch more than your required payment
Every little bit counts!
Need some help calculating your best options?
We are happy to do complete reviews for our clients whenever you require some extra info!

Check out our Trusted Saskatoon mortgage brokers

Trusted Saskatoon Furnace Experts at JOB Heating & Air Discuss Cracked Furnace Heat Exchangers

8. Nov 2021 Trusted Saskatoon Saskatoon Furnace & Duct Cleaning, Trusted Tips

JOB Heating & Air Conditioning Saskatoon is eager to provide the best possible customer experience. Their aim is to be a professional resource for our clients before, during, and after the sale! Their team takes pride in service knowledge of modern equipment and training. They are recognized by peers, as JOB offers sales, service, training & installations for residential, and commercial Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing systems in Saskatoon and area. In their latest article, they discuss what causes cracked furnace heat exchangers and why they are a problem.

Cracked Furnace Heat Exchangers: What Causes Them and Why They Are A Problem

The heat exchanger is the part of your furnace that is responsible for generating hot air. To create heat, your furnace burns natural gas. When gas is burned, exhaust byproducts travel through the heat exchanger. As the exhaust passes through the furnace’s exhaust outlet, metal is heated. Simultaneously, this hot metal heats the air. From there, your furnace system distributes hot air to your home through your air ducts.

In order to function properly, the heat exchanger must remain sealed. That is why cracks are detrimental.

What Causes A Cracked Heat Exchanger?

The air inside your furnace and heat exchanger gets extremely hot. As a result, this extreme heat causes the metal inside the heat exchanger to expand and contract. Though well-maintained heat exchangers are built to tolerate this heat, eventually this stress causes cracks.

If your heat exchanger is several years old, stress cracks are common. However, if your heat exchanger is under 10 years old, there are other causes of cracking. Causes of premature heat exchanger cracking include limited airflow, and your furnace being too large for your home.

Limited Airflow

Limited airflow to your gas furnace is the result of blocked registers. If registers in the home are blocked, pressure builds up inside the furnace which causes cracks. It is important to note that a clogged furnace filter or obstructed air ducts are also causes of heat exchanger cracks.

Is Your Furnace Too Large For Your Home?

If your furnace is too large for your home, this is an issue because it may ‘short cycle’, meaning it turns on and off frequently. Therefore, your heat exchanger expands and contracts more, resulting in overuse of your furnace system and premature cracks.

Why Cracked Heat Exchangers Are A Problem

If they are not dealt with, cracked furnace heat exchangers can pose a serious safety risk. If you notice a strange smell coming from your furnace or signs of rust along the exterior, this may indicate that there is a problem.

Carbon Monoxide Leak

Because heat exchangers contain carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrous oxide, a crack in your heat exchanger means these harmful gases could escape into the air ducts of your home. A carbon monoxide leak can result in illness and even death.

Flame-Out or Fire

Another risk of a cracked furnace heat exchanger is a flame-out or fire. When gas and air combust in the heat exchanger, the gas builds up. This build-up of gas often reaches a high enough volume to be explosive. As the gas becomes explosive, it will force flames and air pressure out of any hole it can find, such as a crack in the heat exchanger.

Unfortunately, unless your carbon monoxide detector beeps or you notice rust, you may be unaware your heat exchanger is cracked. In order to know for sure, an inspection by a professional technician is required. If you suspect your furnace heat exchanger is cracked, it is important to contact a technician immediately so it can be replaced in a timely manner.

These are just a few causes of cracked furnace heat exchangers and why they are a problem. Be sure to schedule your routine furnace maintenance to ensure your furnace is safe to operate this winter. If you need any assistance with your furnace or home heating equipment, do not hesitate to contact our team at JOB Heating & Air Conditioning.

JOB Heating & Air Conditioning are Trusted Saskatoon furnace experts. They show up on time, deliver on budget, and leave the work area cleaner than when they arrived! They take pride in their work in this city and surrounding area, so nothing means more to us than testimonials from their clients as their preferred plumber in Saskatoon.

‘Your Comfort is Our Concern!’

JOB Heating & Air Conditioning Are Trusted Saskatoon Furnace Pros

Trusted Saskatoon Group Benefits Advisors at Wiegers Financial & Benefits Explain Employee Wellness Programs

8. Nov 2021 Trusted Saskatoon Saskatoon Financial Services, Saskatoon Insurance, Trusted Tips

Wiegers Financial & Benefits is one of the largest private financial planning and employee benefits consulting firms in Saskatchewan. Its Saskatoon Financial Planning Division provides business owners, households, retirees, and students with expert investment and insurance planning services to help them reach their long-term financial goals. They also have a Benefits and Personal Insurance planning division. In this latest Wiegers Group Benefits tip, they explain flex benefits for employee wellness. Wiegers Financial & Benefits are Trusted Saskatoon Insurance and Group Benefits experts.

The Future is Flexible: Flex Benefits for Employee Wellness

A proper employee benefits program is a quintessential tool in helping to ensure employee health and well-being. As long as your employees utilize the program, it can help keep them healthy, happy, and focused at work, however, with the changing generations in the workforce – and the fact that millennials now comprise a majority of it – standard employee benefit programs need to change as well.

Younger staff are looking for flexible, digital offerings that let them get what they want out of a plan. They want solutions to support their mental health and wellness. A recent survey indicated that only 53% of Canadians indicated that their mental health was good or very good; this is quite a drop from last year’s report of 67%.[1] An easy solution is to provide an employee and family assistance program (EFAP). While counseling is at the core of an EFAP, it also has many other valuable mental health solutions for employees who are struggling.

A great way to combine the need for flexibility and for wellness is a flex account. A flex account is a pool of money that employees can direct to either a health or wellness spending account. A Health Spending Account (HSA) covers claims for health, dental, and prescription drugs, and is regulated by Canada Revenue Agency. A wellness account, on the other hand, allows you the flexibility of letting your employees choose what they want to be covered.

Some of the most common wellness expenses are gym memberships and sports fees but vet bills and even home office furniture can qualify too. This can be of huge value to employees when at least two-thirds of Canadian businesses have 60% of their staff working from home (and up to 55% of employees will continue to work remotely post-pandemic).[2]

Digital telemedicine offerings are another way that you can offer flexible wellness solutions for your employees. Available through the telephone or through an app, telemedicine offers your employees the ability to connect with a physician or nurse practitioner 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Canadians are showing higher satisfaction rates when meeting with a doctor digitally and many are even saying that they prefer a digital meeting as a first visit.[3]

Having a range of digital and flexible wellness options for your employees gives you not only a leg up on your competition for recruitment but also lets you take care of your employees’ physical and mental wellness. It’s an investment that for most employers, is well worth making.

Matthew Hill, B.A.

Benefits Advisor, Wiegers Financial and Insurance Planning Services Ltd.

Wiegers’ Benefits Consulting Division includes many consultants and support staff who custom-design the most employee-valued and cost-effective group benefit, personal insurance, employee assistance programs, and retirement plans available. Contact Wiegers today for a no-obligation consultation to determine how they can help you.

Wiegers Financial & Benefits are Trusted Saskatoon Insurance and Group Benefits Advisors

How being a Trusted Saskatoon partner positively impacts local Google rankings

8. Oct 2021 Trusted Saskatoon Saskatoon Marketing & Design, Trusted Partner News, Trusted Tips, Website

Citations, mentions, and SEO explained by Sara, owner of Trusted Saskatoon.

There are many benefits to being a Trusted Saskatoon partner. My local team spends all of our time and energy promoting the Saskatoon partners on the directory as the best options in their industry in Saskatoon and the surrounding area. Once a business passes our unique verification process, we invest in consistent advertising, and we promote them both individually and as a community of trustworthy, reputable, locally owned, and accountable businesses. We do not do this because they ' bought our favour', we do it because they have proven themselves to be trusted. Each of the businesses listed on Trusted Saskatoon has signed a contract agreeing to uphold the 5 Trusted Guarantees of Service.

A lot of work and effort goes on behind the scenes that may not be immediately obvious or understood by our Partners. In this article, I explain how my team helps our partner's websites rank higher in local search independently of their listings on our Saskatoon directory.

The SEO Impact Being Trusted Has On Our Partners' Local Search Rankings

The key to being found online is having correct, consistent information. The internet and search engines really value that, combined with fresh, new, relevant content on sites that are both yours and NOT yours!
This is where local SEO citations and mentions on high-quality local directories such as Trusted Saskatoon, on social media, and other trustworthy websites and sources come into play.

What are citations, and how do they impact local SEO?

Citations are online mentions of your business on 3rd party websites. If your business is listed on Trustedaskatoon.com, that counts as a local citation. The same goes if your business information is mentioned or featured on 3rd party blog posts or online newspaper/media articles- such as the Star Phoenix new faces new places for example. Citations and online mentions are essential for local businesses since they send out signals telling Google and the other major search engines they can trust your Saskatoon business.

Why do we recommend focusing on citation building?

We all want to be on the first page of Google for our category in our local market for our main target search keywords. If your website ranks higher in search, it should attract more visitors and generate leads, which should lead to more business.

To be well ranked in local searches, you need to ensure that search engines have all of the correct information about your business. If your most important data is not consistent, search engines are less likely to recommend your website as a high-ranking option for local prospects searching for your products and/or services.

How The Local Search SEO Point System Works

Google is essentially the head librarian of the web, and as there are over 570,000 new websites added per DAY to the internet, it’s a HUGE job! As such, Google has lots of 24/7 library assistants helping with the massive and ongoing task of ranking the approximately 1.7 billion websites currently listed on the world wide web. If these assistants, or ‘web crawlers’, find links on 3rd party websites that link back to your business’s website, they know it is trustworthy, and you will earn an SEO point. If that backlink is on a quality local website, like www.trustedsaskatoon.com, then you are awarded additional, highly valued local SEO ‘points. The same is true for citations; if web crawlers find your business information listed in important online directories, mentioned on other people's blogs, and featured in articles / local news, it solidifies the fact that they can trust your business information to be correct.

Citation building is a small but essential local search marketing puzzle piece. Our team is working on our clients' behalf to ensure the information we have about them on Trusted Saskatoon is up to date and relevant.

Check out the video below for more information, and if you have questions please do reach out to our team!

What’s the difference between online citations and online mentions?

An online mention is when a business or brand is referenced, or "mentioned" on the internet. While often referring exclusively to social media mentions, they also count every time an online publication, website or blog ‘ mentions’ a brand or business name. If the mentions are combined with backlinks to your website and over 300 words of rich, locally-focused content, all the better. By rich, we mean that the content includes quality, copyright-free images, relevant keywords, embedded videos, location-specific words, etc. If that is the case, then the value of that mention increases A LOT! This is why we ask our Partners to work with us to provide information about their specific business/ industry. We take that information and write quality Trusted Saskatoon Tips that feature them as the local experts in their industry!

When we tag our Partners on our Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter platforms, the search engines and web crawlers take note. This, in turn, adds additional SEO POINTS and improves their website’s organic search value. Their businesses and websites gain more ‘authority' within their respective industry categories in local search. Positive SEO leads to increased visibility, which can prompt more mentions and increase SEO points. Less is NOT more regarding citations, mentions, and links to websites.

If our Partners want to maximize our expertise, promotions, and online klout. In that case, they need to provide us with more information in the form of interesting, helpful and engaging expert tips about their industry. Our team will do the rest. We know how to take the content and get as many ‘ SEO points ‘ as possible. We then pay to promote that content locally so it reaches your ideal prospects. The more we can help our clients build a solid citation and link-building foundation, the better they rank in local searches for their categories. Our goal is for our Trusted Saskatoon Partners to get their unfair share of leads in their categories locally online!

About Trusted Sara

The founder of Trusted Saskatoon, Sara Wheelwright, has over 27 years of marketing experience. A multi-award-winning entrepreneur and marketer, she expanded Trusted’s services by launching a full-service Saskatchewan digital marketing agency, Trusted Marketing Services, in 2014. The success of Trusted is a testament to the importance of having business integrity in a digital age, where access to free-flowing information constantly influences consumers. Her experiences and insight are relevant to all business owners interested in progressive marketing strategies. Her biggest strength is communicating the complexities of online marketing and how the internet works to local business owners in a way they can fully comprehend. This, in turn, empowers them and helps them compete in this new marketing landscape.

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