Through the summer months we have been using this column to share information about what the Chamber of Commerce is doing in Summerland.
Today I am writing about the Chamber’s work in helping to retain our existing businesses and encouraging more businesses to open in our town.
First, the Chamber is working to create a comprehensive business information package.
We want to make sure that when business inquiries come in to the chamber or to the district that we have information available that people need.
In the best examples of this type of package, this information covers two distinct areas: the information that people need to live here and the information needed to do business or invest here. Information about living here includes family related decision making factors — things like housing costs, climate, transportation, recreation, service clubs, our great local schools, hospitals, churches, etc. Information about investing and doing business here includes things like our population and demographics, community infrastructure, industrial and commercial land availability, major employers, major sectors in our economy and business licensing and taxes.
Secondly, we are promoting networking in specific sectors where we would like to see growth.
An example is the technology sector. This is an area where growth is occurring in the region and we would like to encourage more technology companies to consider Summerland. On Sept. 21 the Chamber is hosting a morning presentation with Accelerate Okanagan — a regional technology development organization that is working to grow this sector in the Okanagan.
We want to make sure our Summerland businesses have every opportunity to learn about and connect with this sector.
Third, and building on my previous point, we are developing partnerships with other organizations that can provide our members with specific expertise and/or funding.
Examples of this are organizations such as the Summerland Credit Union who provide a unique Capital Fund opportunity to eligible businesses looking to expand or move to Summerland and create local jobs. Other groups in the region are Community Futures with their Economic Gardening Program and Work BC with specific programs that can assist businesses with subsidies to hire new staff.
Lastly, the Summerland Chamber continues to actively promote Summerland as a place to do business.
We do this through newspaper articles in local, regional and provincial publications, through social media and our website, through putting our community forward for provincial awards and through innovative projects that put Summerland in view. We want to ask our membership to also pitch in on this last point.
If you are an active blogger, tweeter or Facebook user, please use your voice to promote the best of Summerland and let people know this is the best community in BC in which to invest and live.
We always appreciate your feedback.
Please contact me at president@summerlandchamber.com or Christine Petkau at manager@summerlandchamber.com.
Arlene Fenrich is President of the Summerland Chamber of Economic Development and Tourism and the owner of Edgy Petals. All of the members of the Board of Directors serve as volunteers.