Many successful small business owners share the ability to see the big picture and envision what their success will look like tomorrow. There are a variety of ways small business owners can focus on the future and keep moving forward.
One of the key activities is to keep learning. There will always be more to be learned and applied for even greater success. You can advance your knowledge through classroom training, workshops, online training, self-paced programs, collaborative opportunities, mentoring, and general reading.
The Chamber of Commerce seeks out learning opportunities and we want to make our local business owners aware of them. Three such opportunities are available now:
The first is the Micro Business Training Program. The Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation is providing up to $1,500 in grant funds to micro business owners so that they can access training. There are a few criteria: you must be a B.C. resident and a business owner with fewer than five employees and you cannot already hold any recognized certifications. In Summerland, the program is administered through the Summerland Chamber of Commerce so please contact us and we can provide you with the information. You can access a variety of general business training such as Bookkeeping, Marketing & Sales, Management, Computing, Websites and Social Media, etc. Participants can access training through public and private universities and colleges, PCTIA accredited organizations, local Chambers of Commerce and the Chamber Learning Network.
The second learning opportunity is a Branding for Small Business workshop being hosted by the Penticton Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Oct. 18. Facilitated by Jennifer Taylor of taylormadeideas.ca, this workshop will help owners of small businesses understand the importance of creating and maintaining a consistent brand. The workshop will guide participants on creating a brand vision for their business and effectively communicating it in every area of their company. Check out the poster for this workshop on our website at summerlandchamber.com.
Lastly, small businesses can learn about doing business with the federal government. Public Works and Government Services Canada’s Office of Small and Medium Enterprises helps small and medium businesses understand how the federal government does its purchasing. The office typically assists businesses ranging in size from sole-proprietors up to 20 employees. Approximately 63 per cent of their contracts go to small and medium businesses ($4.6 billion in the last three years) and they are coming to the Okanagan to teach businesses how to participate.
The Summerland Chamber of Commerce will host this free seminar on Nov. 21 and Peachland and Penticton Chamber members are also invited. The seminar will provide the essential information on how the government does its buying, how to register to sell to the government, how to keep track of opportunities, how to market to the federal government, and how to bid on opportunities.
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.
