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Local graphic designer‘s dreams of owning a business have come true fter 20 years in the graphic design and A;n;rketing business Trudy Visentin id she always wanted to get out on her own and be her own bass. But it wasn‘t until about a year ago when her employer at the time handed her a pink slip that she finally decided to follow her dreams. That and a chance meeting with the future mayor of Waterloo, Brenda Halloran, got Visentin on her way to starting her own graphics and marketing company called Trudezign. Visentin said she always had the desire to start her own business but never knew how to go about it. The married mother of one was comfortable drawing a salary, but when that steady stream of income dried up it left her open for a change. Her own boss "As fate would have it I lost my job," said Visentin. "I was a little upset because it was unexpected and a bit of a shock. . _ The very next day Visentin came into the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre and talked about starting her own company. All she needed was that little nudge. "But once I got over it, which was the very next day, I was delighted. Now I could follow my dreams." o â€" â€" "They just directed me to every path I needed to take," she said. "I wouldn‘t be where I am now without their help." Finding out about the Small Business Centre at Waterloo City Hall, which helps fledgling businesses get off the ground, was also a chance occurrence after the graphic designer did some work on candidate Brenâ€" da Halloran‘s mayoralty campaign. Visentin said they were dealing with a homeowner‘s dispute with the city when someone referred them to the politician for some conflict resolution. She met with Visentin and her husband John, and the whole time the couple were waiting for her to make a campaign pitch. When she didn‘t, and they realized that she just genuinely wanted to help, Visentin asked her if she needed any help with her campaign. Visentin ended up doing a lot of the graphic design of Halloran‘s signs and camâ€" paign colours. She even put her in touch with suppliers for the materials to run a sucâ€" cessful campaign. From those small beginnings Halloran went on to defeat bigger named candidates to become mayor of the city. It was an inspiring story for those who worked to get her elected. "She proved to me that you could do anyâ€" thing," said Visentin. "As long as you set your mind to it and do your best you can do anything." â€" _ o d It was so inspiring that Visentin decided By Bos VRBANAC Chronicle Staff â€" Waterioo‘s Trudy Visentin has opened her own business with the help of the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre. to make some positive changes in her career. And it was at the mayor‘s inauguration night at city hall that the campaign volunteer found out about the Small Business Centre in the same building. BUSINESS "I came into the building and saw the Small Business Centre on inauguration night," said Visentin. "It was at city hall and I‘ve never been in the building before. "I noticed it there and thought to myself 808 VRBANAC PHOTO WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, April 9, 2008 * 17 that it was the place 1 would go when I was ready for take off." _ _ _ _ And take off she did. Trudezign has had its best quarter since she first started it last July. And the Small Business Centre was a big factor in helping her figure out the paperwork, the programs and the connecâ€" tions that a new business needs to get off the ground. "When you‘re starting out you have no idea of who does what, and where to go for information," said Visentin. "There‘s so much leg work. . "If this wasn‘t hefiit would have taken so much more work and time to get going. "This centre has the research â€" they can tell you where to go to get things done." Roy Weber, who runs the Waterloo centre, said it‘s just like a phone book. "Where do you go when you don‘t know what you‘re looking for?" asked Weber. "You go to the Yellow Pages to find something. "We‘re the Yellow Pages â€" you can come here. We don‘t do everything for a new busiâ€" ness, but we provide what they need." _ blow like that, said Weber. It can be a setback or it can be an opportunity. Visentin chose the latter. "It‘s like a bird flying for the first time," said Weber. "Losing your job was the nudge that you neéded." And he came back to the fateful day that started it all â€" when Visentin got her pink slip. There are two ways of dealing with a "Now I just hope I don‘t fly into a winâ€" dow," laughed Visentin."But everything happens for a reason. ~~~ p "And the small businesses that come out of the centre are my target market because they don‘t have the dollars to do the marketâ€" ing and design they need to create a new logo or business card. "And those are the first two tools that they‘re going to need and I can help them with that. Hopefully they come back for more as they continue to grow." * For more â€"information, go to www.trudezign.ca. "We‘re the Yellow Pages â€" you can come here. We don‘t do everything for a new business, but we provide what they need." Wmfl"-’m sin 888â€"9749 Columbia & Fischer Hallman â€" Morthfield & King Smallâ€"business advisor s omm ‘20".