Brandon University News Release A business proposal put together by a pair of Brandon University (BU) students had a nice ring to it. By combining wedding planning and technology, Linaya Davis and Catherine Dubois found a match at the Manitoba New Venture Championships this month at the University of Manitoba. Davis and Dubois were awarded third place in the category of Best Business Plan Presentation for their pitch for Before I Do, an online and app-based business that would provide wedding planning services to the general public. The New Venture Championships featured 12 entries from post-secondary institutions from across Manitoba. Their business plans, presentations and logos were judged by a panel of Winnipeg business professionals. This is the second straight year that a team from BU has finished in the prizes. Last year Michael Gall and Tanner Price won the award for Best Written Business Plan for their proposal for Precision Vehicle Transport.

A new store selling furniture, mattresses and appliances at discount prices, that said it will create up to 6-7 jobs in the area, opened in Brandon on Saturday. Direct Wholesale, is the latest business venture for local entrepreneur Darcy Willey. The store will carry a wide variety of furniture and mattress sets at discounted prices, including living and dining room furniture, bedroom furniture, dining room sets, recliners, futons, entertainment centers and children’s furniture. In addition to furniture, Darcy tells bdnmb.ca that they will also carry a selection of small and large appliances from some of the best brand names in the industry. Customers can expect to see fridges, stoves, washers, & dryers from companies like Dyson, Dandy, Samsung, & Frigidaire. "We are so excited to open this store in the city of Brandon," said Darcy Willey, “We think the Brandon community is a good fit, and the store is in an easily accessible location." The furniture and appliances sold at Direct Wholesale will include merchandise obtained from manufacturers through factory closeouts, wholesale liquidations, dealer cancellations and retail chain buyouts. A grand opening is scheduled for later in the summer. Direct Wholesale is located on Brandon's North Hill, in the old Sears location (1820-18th St N). Check out their Facebook page for more details.

Canadian property management company realizes rent growth, reduces vacancies with automated screening solution SANTA BARBARA, Calif., April 11, 2017 —Canadian-based Vionell Holdings Partnership (VHP) uses Yardi® Resident ScreeningTM, integrated with the Yardi® VoyagerTM property management and accounting platform, to quickly approve low-risk renters. According to Jason Roblin, CEO for VHP, “Before Yardi Resident Screening, we were manually screening each applicant with a landlord reference check, employment verification and a credit report. It was time consuming and didn’t consistently yield the right result. Because of that slow turnaround, we lost good tenants to other companies.” With Yardi Resident Screening, VHP moves applicants through the leasing process faster, and has reduced its vacancy rate from 13 percent to 4 percent. The results are consistent even in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, which is seeing falling rents due to a slowing regional economy. “When prospects are limited it is crucial to capture qualified tenants quickly. Yardi Resident Screening is helping us sign more leases faster,” Roblin added. Additionally, Yardi Resident Screening provides analytics that give VHP insight into its inventory, property traffic and rent growth. “When our clients add Yardi Resident Screening to their Yardi Voyager leasing workflow, they can approve qualified tenants expediently. In extremely competitive rental markets, a fast and reliable screening process is critical to increase rent growth while improving risk management,” said Peter Altobelli, vice president and general manager, sales at Yardi Canada Ltd.

The long awaited opening of Taco Time in Brandon, located beside Domino's Pizza on 18th St, is just around the corner. New owners Alpesh and Mitul Patel tell bdnmb.ca they are looking at opening prior to the 8th of April. Alpesh and Mitul Patel are very excited about the possibilities which exist inside the community, the growing population of Brandon, and the reception that they have received to date . They also feel like they can offer a reasonable price point to the wide array of items off the Taco Time Menu. Hours of operation for the time being will be 11 am – 9 pm Monday to Sunday. Taco Time Menu

Waves Leisure, a Beachcomber Hot Tub Dealer in Brandon, has moved to a new location at 2015-C Brandon Avenue. In addition to being a hot tub dealer they also provide full service on all makes of hot tubs, as well as in-ground and above ground pools. They also carry a full line of chemicals for your hot tubs and pools, and can serve as your water testing center.