After a very successful inaugural event, the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce will be holding the second edition of Small Business BIG DAY in October.
A partnership with Scotiabank, this one-day professional development and networking symposium proved to be very popular last year and the Chamber expects another capacity crowd.
This year’s symposium will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Centre and will accommodate an expanded program and a greater number of attendees.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our Island communities and they make up the majority of our Chamber’s membership base,” says Chamber president and MNP LLP partner, Chris Duncan.
“This symposium is an opportunity for local entrepreneurs and small business operators to connect with one another and tap into the insights of dynamic presenters who are leaders in their respective fields of expertise.”
Kick-starting the day with a breakfast keynote address, is Isabelle Mercier-Turcotte of LeapZone Strategies.
“Back by popular demand, Isabelle brings her dynamic, unconventional and no-BS approach, which has earned her global recognition as a go-to branding strategist,” says the Chamber’s events and membership manager Alec Wheeler.
“Isabelle’s TEDx Talk, The Power of Zero Tolerance, has over two million views and she’ll touch on some of this content in her symposium keynote, Get Into Your LeapZone,” adds Wheeler.
“If you can’t say no to what you don’t want, you will never have the time and the energy for what you do want,” Mercier-Turcotte suggests, speaking to a life-lesson learned from her mother when she was nine years old.
“Successful people know that their performance is a direct result of their daily habits and their daily rituals. They truly know what they need to be and stay at their best.”
The breakfast will be followed by a two-part panel series, hosted by MNP, that will address the key considerations and framework needed to navigate the lifecycle of a business.
David Greenfield from A. Spire by Nature will be making a luncheon presentation on the Malahat Skywalk Project.
“Following lunch, Pam Stover of PD Stover Professional Corporation will be taking attendees through an exciting journey into the perils and pitfalls of WCB claims,” says Wheeler.
Rounding off the day of learning, SPIRO Creative will lead a workshop on how to create impactful video for your business using your smartphone or tablet.
Each of the sessions can be booked individually. Full day passes, which include both breakfast and lunch, are also available at a discounted rate. Capacity is limited, advance registration is required and all members of the business community are welcome.
For more information visit www.duncancc.bc.ca or call 250-748-1111.
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A Cowichan Valley business has been nominated for a prestigious Better Business Bureau award.
Super Plumber of Shawnigan Lake is one of 48 businesses that are in the running this year to win a 2019 Torch Award for ethical business practices in the marketplace.
“This year we had 150 business nominations. Each nomination was screened for eligibility and a panel of volunteer judges review the nominations and have selected a winner for each of the 12 different award categories,” said Rosalind Scott, President and CEO of BBB serving Vancouver Island.
The Super Plumber was nominated along with three other businesses in the plumbing category.
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Mustimuhw Information Solutions Inc. (MIS) is one of the recipients of a 2019 BC Achievement Foundation’s BC Indigenous Business Awards (IBA).
MIS is a Cowichan Tribes fully owned subsidiary company specializing in digital health technology for Indigenous health organizations across the country.
The company was awarded Outstanding Business Achievement in the Community-Owned Business category.
The IBA program was launched in 2008 to honour and celebrate business excellence and, in its 11th year, boasts close to 200 remarkable businesses within its alumni. A total of 15 Indigenous businesses, entrepreneurs, partnership entities and community-owned enterprises will be recognized at this year’s Gala Dinner.
Mustimuhw Information Solutions Inc. is an innovative software development and solution provider in the health and child and family services information management sector. It is currently operating in seven provinces across the country, with their solutions serving more than 230 First Nations communities.
“We are honoured to receive this acknowledgement of our achievements,” said Qwulthimulet (Craig George) a director of MIS and elected council member of Cowichan Tribes.
“Nation-based business ventures are a necessary ingredient of nation building and a healthy nation. MIS is a good example of this for Cowichan Tribes. We are committed to supporting Indigenous communities to advance their digital health capacity and support health system transformation.
“Community-owned businesses also provide important own-source revenue streams that in turn enhance our ability to support services and infrastructure for our community members.”
Mustimuhw Information Solutions has had an exciting year as they continue to expand their solutions across the country. Earlier this year they also achieved an important milestone with Canada Health Infoway certification for their community electronic medical record system.
They also have an award-winning documentary currently in the film festival circuit, which will be released later this fall, highlighting the interesting health information management work they are doing in Ghana.
“On behalf of the MIS team we would like to thank the BC Achievement Foundation and their partners and sponsors for the Indigenous Business Awards program,” said Mark Sommerfeld, chief executive officer, MIS.
“It is an important platform and opportunity to acknowledge the innovation and hard work occurring across the province in Indigenous businesses.”
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It’s a new fiscal year at the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce and with that comes a call for expressions of interest to serve on the board of directors for the 2019/20 term.
“Directors of the Duncan Cowichan Chamber lead the strategic direction of the organization and play a vital role in supporting and advocating for the Cowichan business community,” explains Sonja Nagel, the Chamber’s executive director.
“If you have energy and ideas, if you want to create positive impact in your community and contribute to the success of the Chamber, if you have six to eight hours per month to contribute, and if you are a Chamber member in good standing — we would love to have a chat about the opportunity to serve on our board of directors.”
Connect with executive director, Sonja Nagel, at 250-748-1111 or manager@duncancc.bc.ca to learn more and what the role of the director entails.
“We will be accepting applications until Oct. 18,” Nagel adds. The Chamber’s AGM is held on Tuesday, Nov. 26 when there will be an election for board of directors.
