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Trusted Founder is inteviewed by Star Phoenix and Global as www.trustedregina.com launches to public

19. Apr 2012 Trusted Canada Trusted Media Coverage

Websites help identify trustworthy businesses

By Jenn Sharp, The StarPhoenix April 19, 2012

Sara Wheelwright began Trusted Saskatoon less than a year ago and launched Trusted Regina on Monday. The websites are a service directory of businesses Wheelwright and her staff have fully researched. Trusted partners are held accountable for their business dealings and contribute tips and advice to the website for consumers. Along with the sites are blogs full of mystery shopping reviews conducted by the Trusted staff and a YouTube channel. Here, Wheelwright tells StarPhoenix business reporter Jenn Sharp how she's grown her business so fast and why she started it.

Q: What's the concept of Trusted Saskatoon?

A: I thought there was a gap in the market. I have an 18year background in advertising. I wanted to provide something that works for the public - an agency that finds businesses that deserve the promotion and informs the public about them in a different way. People are going online for answers now. We want to make the whole process simple. We chose the 40 most-used advertising categories. When they go to our site they have a choice of a maximum of three in each category. We try to find different personalities for mortgage specialists and real estate agents. We also demand a lot from the Trusted partners. We become a group that works for each other. If any of the partners lets us down it affects everybody. They're contracted to uphold the five Trusted guarantees. They're told that if we get a complaint and it's found they've done something with intent or lost integrity, they'll be removed immediately from the site. We don't mess around.

Q: Why do you only have three per category?

A: We're trying to make the process easy. If you have 10, how do you choose? The listings are very comprehensive. The testimonials are from surveys we do with clients. We ask for 25 clients' names and numbers from each of the businesses. We then call a portion of them and we're looking from good to great reviews. We're talking to the public and they tell us great stories about their dealings with the businesses. We use those testimonials to start off the listings - real testimonials from real people. I think we're the only place online that qualifies these testimonials because we're speaking to the people ourselves.

Q: How many staff do you employ?

A: I have four lovely ladies. Two are based in Saskatoon and two in Regina. As we expand, I'm going to be solidifying the province first of all and then going into Alberta, starting with Calgary, we'll be taking on more staff. There's a lot of work to signing up companies. We're constantly in touch with the partners and asking them for tips for the site. People do research online before they buy. It's much nicer to have people in Saskatoon or Regina giving potential customers tips before they buy. It's elevating our partners as the experts and getting them engaged with the public.

Q: How did you come up with the idea?

A: I moved here from England in 2006. When you immigrate to the middle of Canada, it's not worth the freight so I had sold everything I owned in England and came over with clothes and shoes - all the important things! I had to fill a house with everything. The excitement of shopping wore off because it's really not what it was when I was back in England and I knew the shops. It was so labour intensive. I stumbled upon some good ones but a lot of the smaller businesses don't have the budget to get your attention. I had some bad experiences. It's easy to do business when things go easy. Once things don't that's really the difference between a good and a great business. One of the things that I always speak about with the trusted partners is that nobody should be in a position of loss because they chose to deal with you. That's a foundation of Trusted Saskatoon.

Q: You're expanding rapidly - how have you done this?

A: Trusted Saskatoon launched May 30 last year. Scotia Bank is a preferred bank of immigration and they hand out flyers to immigrants that come to see them. We focus on everybody because everybody has those moments where a need arises and they don't know who to turn to. We also run ads on community radio on the weekend in every single foreign language show. On seven of the shows we have the ad voiced in the language of the show. An old marketing term is 'speak to the dog in the language of the dog.' One of the things that you miss as a new person coming to a new country is your language, your food and your music. That's a way to engage with the immigrant population who, a lot of the time, become insulated because they've been ripped off. We get a lot of people looking at auto repair and service too. A lot of our fans on Facebook are women. I think we appeal more to women because they tend to be the ones that do the calling. This started because I got ripped off when I first came here by a plumbing company. Thanks to that company that was the big kick to put this idea down on paper. I got a phone call from one of my contractors who's amazed at how many calls he gets - about one a day. He said that his business, since last year, has grown 400 per cent. He went from employing one guy to three crews. More importantly, he's making sure that he instils that integrity and honesty in the people that work for him. Those are the people that deserve this recognition.

Sara Wheelwright owns the websites Trusted Saskatoon and Trusted Regina. Photograph by: Richard Marjan, The Starphoenix ,

The StarPhoenix Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Websites+help+identify+trustworthy+businesses/6482636/story.html#ixzz1sUsLyECt

Here is the Global Regina interview with Rusty and Sara from April 16th 2012

Trusted brings RESULTS for Consumers AND Trusted Partners here is the PROOF!!

31. Mar 2012 Trusted Canada Trusted Saskatoon Businesses, Trusted Website

S & E Trusted Online Directory launched the website www.trustedsaskatoon.com to the Saskatoon Public as THE ONLY SASKATOON DIRECTORY that works for them on May 30th 2011..in just 10 short months www.trustedsaskatoon.com has become the most used directory in the city..and it's no wonder..we have found amazing Trusted businesses in Saskatoon , and they have been consistently proving that they are worthy of the kudos we heap upon them on a daily basis!

www.trustedregina.com launches in just 3 weeks to the Regina public as the REGINA DIRECTORY of excellence, and we know that the companies on board are OUTSTANDING experts and that each and every one of them provide excellence in customer service as standard!

So does it work? Lets look at it from the the eyes of a consumer in Saskatoon

These are just a handfull of the many unsolicited Facebook comments and online reviews we have enjoyed receiving !!!

"Can I recommend a company that deserves recognition for it's very high standard of customer service etc etc ... It's called TRUSTEDASKATOON.COM LOL Go Trusted, just been watching your videos.. AWESOME!!! WELL DONE TO ALL OF YOU !!!" , Ursula Bell 30th March 2012

" Just bought our second bed from a trusted business 'wiseguys mattresses' we are so happy with our purchase from such a great company. Thumbs up!" Sheri N' Brinn Rudoski March 24th 2012

" Hello! hi guys i just stumbled across your page and i am so glad i did! you guys seem to do some great work....i will be back and thanks guys! " --- Kasmira C Davis a student and mother (enough said!) Feb 16th 2012

"I'd like to thank you for taking the time and effort to make a difference in our community. Your services and ambitions are appreciated. " Micheal Lander, Feb 15th 2012

"I have used 4 companies that were recommended by TrustedSaskatoon for various services and was glad I consulted Trusted first. The businesses delivered exectly as Trusted said they would! " Fitness Focus, Oct 15th, 2011

" Just wanted to say I used your site to find a plumber. Not only did they come the next day to change my water heater but one of the guys from Gibbon heating shoveled my walk. Just wanted you guys to know the extra service I got from that company. Thank you I appreciated it." Lee Chillog , Feb 3rd

"Trusted is the real deal!! My husband and I contacted Trusted after having issues with a vehicle that we purchased from a Trusted Auto dealer a few years ago.We notified the owner of Trusted Saskatoon (Sara Wheelwright), who got us in touch with the Operations Manager . We promptly met with him to iron out our concerns and he dealt with them in a straightforward and timely fashion, him and other staff showed us utmost respect and patience. In the end we walked away feeling very satisfied .. We recommend the FFUN motor group to anyone looking to purchase a new or used vehicle they are honest and live by the Trusted Guarantees..we know! Thank-you to both Trusted and to FFUN motor group for looking after us so well!!! " Tracy D , Feb 7th 2012

What about the businesses who are our Trusted Partners

Lets share just some of their recent comments!

" Just wanted to let you know just got my first Client from Trusted Saskatoon! " Tammy Wandzura Mortgage Broker - Feb 10th 2012 ( just 3 weeks after she went live on the Site)

" Just wanted to let you know that we have had a great response from being listed with Trustedsaskatoon .com We have only joined up with you at the beginning of June so having results back this quick is saying a lot. Our new clients have stated that it is great to have a local place that gives information and has testimonials about local businesses , especially for new home owners who haven’t really dealt with home repairs. On a secondary note by being listed with you at Trustedsaskatoon.com our business name is climbing up in the listings when you search for Saskatoon plumbers! So all your hard work is paying off with launching your business and getting the name out there! Keep you posted on all the good things ! Keep up the good work! Thanks again Angela Cyrenne Perfection Plumbing - July 11th 2011

" Thank you Trusted Saskatoon for assisting us in getting to the forefront of our industry. Being able to reach out and meet or speak to you at the drop of a hat is so helpful. Technology is the way to go! Trusted ROCKS......" Kate, Gibbon Heating and Air-Conditioning, 30th March 2012

" I went live on Trusted Saskatoon on Friday and I have had my first call on Monday, they weren't calling for a quote along with 4 or 5 other companies , they were calling because they TRUST me and wanted to book me for their big reno after finding me on Trusted and reading my listing!!! I have never had that kind of result before with advertising..and I have done Radio, Yellow pages and lots of other things in the past ...thank you Trusted I am already a FAN after just 3 days with you " Alex Sipko, Saskatoon Woodworks, 26th March 2012

"It is always a proud moment when a potential customer tells you that they have actually heard of us. We get comments like, “So you are the voice on the renovation show on News Talk”, “We saw your designer on CTV Morning Live”, “We hear your radio advertisements”, I read an article in a magazine about you guys”. This past weekend at the Home Styles Show, we got some new comments. “I got your name from Trusted so I wanted to come talk to you”, “I saw the Trusted logo over here so I wanted to find out more about your company”, “I checked out your website from a link on Trusted Saskatoon.Com”. We handed out brochures about my company and in the package were the Trusted Saskatoon Logo Brochures. This was how I found out that numerous people had checked us out on Trusted Saskatoon Website. I was pleasantly surprised and made mention of this during the show as to how many people had actually checked us out through Trusted Saskatoon. I can tell you, I smiled lots because it was a great feeling knowing that we are a Trusted company.

The reason we originally joined Trusted Saskatoon was (1) to advance my company, (2) promote our integrity in business (3) additional exposure and networking. Trusted Saskatoon promotes the 5 Trusted Guarantees necessary to be a member so that logo on our company brand indicates to our potential customers that we are a dependable company. It only makes sense to me that we also promote Trusted Saskatoon within my business like we did at Home Styles. We want to set ourselves apart from the competition and let everybody to know that we are a Trusted Company!

With the amount of people I talked to at the Home Show, I know that Trusted Saskatoon works for me. I am confident it works for other companies that promote their memberships too. We give Trusted Saskatoon a Big Thumbs Up! " Dave Anderchuck, 30th March 2012 J.A.B.A Construction

"“Sara approached Campbell Homes with the opportunity for us to be featured on TrustedSaskatoon.com. Her passion and knowledge in her field sold us to sign up. In a short period of time she has gone above and beyond positioning us in the market. I highly recommend the value that Sara and her team can bring.” Jason Campbell, Campbell Homes March 16, 2012

"“Sara and the Trusted team are amazing. We at JonesE are a unique business and with that we are always looking for new ways for us to stay ahead of our competition. If you are looking for a great way to have your business represented in a way that no other place can Trusted is the place for you. Just email the Trusted team and I am sure you will find out for your self that this is THE place to be promoting your company. Check out www.TrustedSaskatoon.com to find out how you to can be a steps ahead of your competition.” Karen Jones, JONESE June 8, 2011

" We got our first job from TrustedREGINA after just 2 days ..from another Trusted Partners Melcher media..way to go Trusted Regina! Can't wait till we launch! " John, Bergen Auto Body, March 21st 2012 "HI Sara, Thanks for the referal. I am really, really amazed at the number of people who find us off of this site. I would not have believed this kind of success to be honest with you. There was obviously a real need for someone to step up and create a site like Trusted for a long time. Thanks again Sara for everything. My business saw a 400% growth last year, and I credit your site for a lot of that." Sincerely,Ken Eade 3 n'1 Construction, saskatoon April 2012"

Here is a You Tube Video explaining how we operate and what we stand for..and this explains WHY IT WORKS..can you think of anyone that DOES NOT want to deal with local businesses they can TRUST?

TRUSTED SASKATOON.com DIRECTORY and TRUSTED REGINA.com DIRECTORY reach Major Milestones and more GREAT NEWS!!

25. Mar 2012 Trusted Canada Trusted Directory Launch, Trusted Media Coverage, Trusted Website

Trust is Growing week on week in Saskatchewan in more ways than one ....it is less than 10 months since S & E Trusted Online Directories launched www.trustedsaskatoon.com to Saskatoon and surrounding area public with a mass media advertising campaign...with the focus being education and branding the public to the Philospophy that is Trusted and we are getting pretty well known in Saskatoon now!

www.trustedregina.com is launching to the public in just 4 weeks on April 16th and already the traffic numbers on the Regina directory are amazing, considering we have had just sporadic media coverage there over the last few months...the analytics show that the well planned and executed Local SEO means that the majority of our traffic comes from being found organically on Google as people search for local products and services from TRUSTED Providers....this translates into sales for the Trusted Partners, which is great for them, as until we launch the advertising campaign- this is FREE time for them, and we have already had report back of successes from a Number of the Trusted Regina partners that have had actual sales and new clients...just shows how smart they were getting on first to maximise on the free time!!! Media coverage will be increasing over the next few weeks..so watch this space!

This weekend Saskatoon enjoyed its annual HOMESTYLES Home show, which is always a well attended event , but especially now in Saskatoon where the economy is booming....so many people are building, renovating and planning home improvements and 1000's of people were at the show..a BIG percentage of them were SERIOUS SHOPPERS, and alot of the people will be deciding who to choose from the show to buy from/hire to do work over the next few weeks...14 of the Trusted Saskatoon Partners were at the show and were displaying their Trusted status proudly with Stickers, flyers, plaques and they made sure to tell the interested public what that meant to them!!

The Trusted Team went along to the show to support the Trusted partners by taking pictutres and sharing the pics via Tweets & Facebook updates..many had draw prizes, contests and giveaways and soon we were laden down with Balloons and candy..most were very busy talking to interested potential clients , so we were just able to wave and ' Give the Thumbs up' as we took pics and complimented them on their stunning booths!

We did manage to chat for a little while to Dave Anderchek, the owner of J.A.B.A Construction who are a well know and respected Trusted SASKATOON CONTRACTOR & SASKATOON RENOVATION & DESIGN business and he is just loving being part of Trusted.. he was AMAZED at the amount of people who had come up to them at the show and told them they had seen J.A.B.A on www.trustedsaskatoon.com and that it really meant something to them...the SASKATOON public DO CARE about choosing Trusted Businesses and in 10months we have managed to break through the barriers of cynicism to make impressions on people...they believe in Trusted and now Dave and the other Trusted partners at the show know it too, as they have seen how they were able to differentiate themselves in a positive and effective manner at that show! We are a directory like no other ....and the public are telling us and our Trusted Partners that we are FILLING A NEED out there in the cut throat world of advertising and in the world of ' average customers service' as standard ..our Trusted Partners offer REMARKABLE service day in day out!

www.trustedsaskatoon.com has also met one of it's main objectives this week..we are now able to brag that we have at LEAST 1 Trusted option in the 40 categories on the directory..Outdoor Living & Recreation ( our newest Category and one that our Facebook fans requested ) has it's first Trusted listing PREMIUM HOME LEISURE ( Trusted Saskatoon Spa, Hot tub and Outdoor living and Recreation experts) ...20 of our categories are full ( 3 Trusted options) and we have other categories covered with our many Trusted banner advertisers - Pest control - Kreepy Kritterz, Jewellers- Batemans, Auctioneer- Bodnarus, Home Inspection - Across the board, , Mould Remediation- Got Mold? and there are more business signed up and coming on board in Categories and as more banners soon...this means we are able to offer the Saskatoon public a better service ongoing..as our SASKATOON Directory of GUARANTEED Trusted locally accountable excellent businesses grows each week ..don't forget to check out all the wonderful TRUSTED TIPS that our Trusted local experts provide.

www.trustedregina.com has met one of it's first major milestones this week too..with 4 weeks left to go to our APRIL 16TH MASS MEDIA PUBLIC LAUNCH we are now able to brag that we have at LEAST 1 Trusted option in 30 of the 40 categories on the directory..this week alone we added trusted options to Regina Health & Wellness, Plumbing and Air-conditioning & Furnace. 9 of our categories are full ( 3 Trusted options) and we have other categories covered with our banner advertisers - Jewellers- FIRE & ICE, Auctioneer- Bodnarus and there are more business coming on board in other Categories very soon... this means we are able to offer the Regina public a better service ongoing..as our REGINA Directory of GUARANTEED Trusted locally acountable excellent businesses grows each week ..don't forget to check out all the wonderful TRUSTED TIPS that our Trusted local experts provide.

It's weeks like that that make it all worth while for Sara the TRUSTED Founder, the 90 hour work week, the neck stiff from blogging and the sometimes negative responses that the Trusted Team gets from businesses we approach...who just don't take the time to listen to how we can help them ..They don't know how we promote our Trusted Partners and make them stand out in a truly unique way ...and at the same time provide this amazing service for the public..as the businesses that DO buy into Trusted and DO uphold their end of the contract really DO benefit in so many ways..not least of which is GROWTH and REVENUE!

Heres some pics from Saskatoon homestyles show 2012 ...the year that TRUSTED businesses stood out from the Crowd...we promote the best ..other directories just list the rest!

DECORA HOMES had their banner made with the logo on, sticker , flyer and plaque on display in their stunning booth!

J& S Picture Frame Warehouse with Stickers, flyers and Trusted Guarantees Plaque on a display Table front and centre in the booth!

REED Security with flyers proudly displayed!

Windecor Proudly displaying the stickers for all to see!

J.A.B.A. Construction..Know the difference being TRUSTED makes!!!

McMorrow Construction Sign includes the Trusted logo ..plus stickers & flyers!

KTS CUSTOM CABINETS Awesome booth...flyers and plaque..they ran out of Trusted Flyers by end of show!!

S & E Trusted Onoline Directories Founder shares a business Tip on Online reviews....think they don't matter?

20. Mar 2012 Trusted Canada Trusted Tips, Trusted Website

Online Reviews....are very important....have you got good ones or bad ones?

Trusted Founder Sara Wheelwright is interviewed by local Regina magazine Show " Talk of the Town host Roger Currie

15. Mar 2012 Trusted Canada Trusted Directory Launch, Trusted Media Coverage

Sara Wheelwright the Trusted Online Directories Founder was recently Interviewed on a Local Regina stations ( Access Channel 7 ) Popular daytime magazine show " Talk of the Town " by the wonderful host Roger Currie.

Roger found out about www.trustedregina.com on the ' Social Media Grapevine' ( Linkedin) and contacted Sara to ask for an interview..she gladly agreed..and enjoyed chatting with Roger about where the idea for Trusted came from ...whats involved with being TRUSTED...and whats the plans for this new and dynamic business that workd for the public and is trying to change the way businesses operate by promoting the ones out there that are doing it WELL!

Enjoy!!

Stay Trusted my friends..SAFE and TRUSTED CANADA!