Chenard Wealth and Advisory
Chénard Wealth and Advisory profits from the value of mentoring
By Nancy Saunders
A financial advisor, chartered professional accountant, and certified financial planner, Dominique Chénard helps her clients plan their financial futures by guiding and supporting them in building and managing their wealth. Chénard founded Chénard Wealth and Advisory in May 2021 to offer independent, full-service financial planning. Her company provides three core services: personal financial planning, group benefits, and tax preparation for individuals and self-employed families.
Chénard Wealth and Advisory provides valuable free workshops on various topics, including tax deductions for people who are self-employed, and ways to improve business finances and systems for business owners. Chénard’s website and social media channels share a wealth of free resources, tips and strategies on various topics related to financial planning.
As a small business owner, Chénard appreciates the value of mentorship and has herself been a mentor through the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission’s Starter Company Plus program. She recently accessed mentoring services through Digital TBay’s Digital Service Squad, where participants receive free mentoring from local experts in areas including website management, graphic design, branding, ecommerce, social media, Google My Business, and email marketing.
“I used the Digital TBay mentoring to help me with email marketing—to use it more effectively and to be more familiar with the statistics and how to read if people are actually clicking. I learned how to build different audiences in MailChimp to send out emails. And I also learned how to use Facebook ads more effectively by scheduling campaigns,” says Chénard. Meeting virtually with Dallaire to discuss and go through various strategies together was a key benefit for Chénard. “I like that we could do a screen share and do a walkthrough of things instead of just talking about it.”
Chénard was matched with mentor Brook Dallaire, whom she credits with helping her “get unstuck while doing something brand new. The email marketing and the newsletter are new. Brook helped me get the ball rolling, and her suggestions went a long way in using things more effectively. I’m able to reach my audience a lot better and to create a place where new people that are interested in our services can stay connected, through the email newsletter. That’s something new and expands from just relying on social media,” says Chénard. She now issues two types of newsletters—one for existing clients, and one for people who have learned about Chénard Wealth and Advisory through social media, workshops and trade shows, and are interested in learning more about Chénard’s services.
Chénard appreciates the accessibility and flexibility that are part of the Digital TBay mentoring program, and plans to continue to access its services. “If it’s something that’s going to be reoccurring and made available on an ongoing basis, it is something I will use. I like to do things as the needs arise; a mix of being proactive and also looking for things as they come up. I’ve been looking at the available options and reassessing every month or two, asking myself, ‘Okay, could I use a session for one of these things?’”.
Chénard suggests fellow business owners also take advantage of the opportunity for free mentoring through Digital TBay. “I often recommend that people sign up for it, like those business owners who feel like they have to do everything themselves. It’s great to have that support in a growing business where there are always a lot of new things and new problems that need solving. It’s a great resource for solo entrepreneurs that feel like they don’t have to do everything themselves anymore. It’s a great service for busy people.”