TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 11/09/12 -- GroYourBiz, an organization formed in British Columbia to foster and support women entrepreneurs and business owners through peer-to-peer advisory groups, will be opening a new chapter in Toronto at an event sponsored by BMO Bank of Montreal on Wednesday, November 14, 2012.

Details of Toronto Launch Event:

When:     Wednesday, November 14 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.                          
What:     Reception and Launch of the Toronto chapter of GroYourBiz         
Where:    BMO Bank of Montreal, 55 Bloor Street West, 3rd Floor, Quebec Room
Who:      Barbara Mowat, President of GroYourBiz, a division of Impact      
          Communications                                                    
          Marg Hachey, Managing Director, Ontario and Eastern Canada,       
          GroYourBiz                                                        
          Karen Sawyer, Senior Manager Customer Programs, Commercial Banking

Media are welcome to attend. RSVP to Krysta Cooke, BMO Media Relations, Tel: 416-867-3996.

About GroYourBiz.com

GroYourBiz brings a tactical and proven approach to meeting the needs of women business owners. GroYourBiz will provide a monthly peer-to-peer advisory group, top experts, business analysts, and involvement of an alliance of top private sector organizations working together to foster and support small-medium enterprises (SMEs). Each month entrepreneurs will draw upon the skills, expertise, inspiration and energy of like-minded entrepreneurs offering practical solutions to attracting tomorrow's customers and expansion needs. GroYourBiz also provides a strategic alliance with Women Presidents' Organization (WPO) - the premier membership organization for more than 1400 women presidents and CEOs of privately held, multimillion dollar companies.

Barbara Mowat, Founder and President of GroYourBiz

Barbara is President of Impact Communications Ltd. and GroYourBiz. She is known as a trade and international business development specialist. Impact is a multi-faceted consulting company that features management training and consulting and international product, business and market development for the global marketplace. Barbara created the well-respected Uniquely Programs that assisted 12,000 Canadian entrepreneurs access increased markets; created and owned a national magazine, a retail store and an e-commerce site. She is an international leader in the development of SME enterprises, and her work has assisted entrepreneurs and facilitated trade throughout Canada, South East Asia, USA, South America, Europe, Afghanistan, India and Africa.

Currently Barbara is the Women Presidents' Organization Chapter Chair in Vancouver for two chapters, serving women presidents and CEOs of privately held, multimillion dollar companies who aim to increase their business success, along with several GroYourBiz chapters for women business owners wanting to make their first million. She is also a TEC-Canada Chair for Presidents, CEOs and Business Owners. Barbara continues to devote time as an Advisory Board Member of the Global Banking Alliance for Women Entrepreneurs. She is a certified woman business owner of WEConnect Canada, as well as an Ambassador and member of United Succes Network, and a Global Ambassador for TIAW (The International Alliance for Women). By invitation, she also sits on the Global Membership Circle for the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

Among her many awards and achievements, Barbara was winner of the 1993 Canadian Businesswoman of the Year Award for Impact on the Local Economy and was a recipient of the 2010 Governor General's Award for the Persons Case, which recognizes individuals who have made ongoing contributions to improving the lives of women and girls in Canada.

Margaret Hachey, Managing Director, Ontario, GroYourBiz

Margaret Hachey was previously the owner of Duocom Canada Inc., which specialized in helping their clients use technology to communicate, by selling or renting high-tech data/video projectors, by designing and integrating classrooms, meeting rooms, boardrooms, tactical control rooms, theatres and lecture halls, and by staging large events. She founded the company in 1980 and grew it to $52 million in eight short years. Its success earned it recognition as one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Private Companies, by Arthur Andersen, CIBC and the National Post two years in a row. Chatelaine and Profit magazine recognized her over a 10 year period as ranking in the top 10 of the Top 100 Women business owners in Canada.

Previously, she has been on the Steering Committee of Step Ahead, and a mentor for six years with the program, helping women entrepreneurs whose businesses were in the second stage of growth. She was also Special Advisor to Youth in Motion Education Foundation a non-profit organization to help youth gain access to higher education.

A sought after keynote speaker, Margaret has addressed audiences across the country on various topics. She is a regular guest lecturer at the University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management and York University's Schulich School of Business.

As a founding member of WPO (Women Presidents Organization) in Canada, Margaret has an opportunity to network and support other women in like roles.