SM Canada turns 24

It was at the age of 21 that I started my business, SM first aid. But why go into business in such an unenchanting field?

At the age of 15, I was unable to save the life of a young girl who had been hit by a vehicle. It is this feeling of helplessness that led me to want to overcome this event by learning first aid. From one training to another, the passion to save lives emerged. From water rescue to emergency response in the workplace, to provincial college first aid competitions, I wanted to pass this torch to others so that they, too, can know how to react well in situations. emergencies.

It was therefore on February 1, 1995 that my first offices opened, in St-Isidore, in Beauce. With a contract from the CSST, SM Secourisme was going to offer first aid courses in the workplace to as many companies as possible. In order to contact our customers by telephone to organize training, we had to be in a place where long distance calls were less. Remember that with a cost of $0.31 per minute for long distance at that time, the costs increased very quickly. Also, it was necessary to have a solid team to provide up to 42 lessons per month, everywhere in Quebec. You could say it was rolling!

However, after seven years of training and losing more money than making it, we had to see how to reinvent ourselves in order to be able to survive. It was then, in 2002, that we tested with our strengths to provide our customers with not only training, but first aid products that are reliable and of incomparable quality. The result did not take long to make us understand that our mission could henceforth be done through the distribution of products and that we could offer training via the Internet.

This adaptation to the environment allowed the company to grow where it would have been very likely to sink and disappear. In addition, by spreading our wings, the company's market has expanded to other provinces in Canada. It was at this time that the name of the company was changed to now be called SM Canada.

Constantly changing, SM Canada has changed a lot over time. This adaptation to the environment allowed him to continue his mission of helping people save the world. By overcoming threats and seizing opportunities, the company succeeded in reaching its first million in 2018.

Nothing is magic in business. You have to be careful with the images created by television. One day, a person asked me: "Is this "the business" of the Dragons? To which I replied, “Is that Double Occupancy love? ".

Making money is work! It is only through hard work that success appears. Winning the lottery isn't success, it's luck. Yes money is important! Making money is not a goal but a necessity. Money is to business what air is to our lungs! And just as the air is made up of 21% oxygen, it takes the same proportion in silver for our business to breathe and live well. A business is alive. It is an organization quite comparable to life. It is all the more interesting to realize it since its own mission is to help save lives. Nice coincidence!

Its success, SM Canada owes it to its loyal clients and mentors. It is imperative that I thank the following people who were able to open doors and guide me: Pierre-Maurice Vachon, Denis Blanchet, Claudia Faucher, Russel Gilbert, Johanne Ouellet, Hélène Picard, Marlène Bisson, Jean-Cliche, Diane Thibodeau, Yves Lessard and my parents, Claude Marcoux and Christiane Rhéaume.

In addition, the team of competent people who work hard to accomplish our mission must be highlighted: Isabelle Giroux, Céline Bélanger, Christian Charbonneau, Jean-Christophe Roy, Sandra Jacques, Gaétane Vachon, Michèle Fortier, Madeleine Riendeau and Francine Belanger.

To celebrate its upcoming 25th anniversary, SM Canada is offering online first aid training for both humans and pets. It also opens the door to telework in order to continue its expansion.

In order to continue her cruise, she also opened her actions to her team. All employees are now preferred shareholders of the company, in proportion to the years worked. I am also fortunate to have Jean-Christophe Roy, Vice-President of Development, at my side. It is with a view to business transfer that he takes control of our beautiful organization so that it can discover new horizons.

This is how SM Canada will continue to help save lives, more easily and on a larger territory. Our vision is to serve the country from coast to coast, in five languages, all in order to reach as many people as possible both in business and in everyday life.

Steve Marcoux, MBA

President of SM Canada