Small Business Expo - this evening 
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 21st - 4:30 to 7:00 pm
FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON - Kelowna Airport

 

Speed Networking between 4:30-5:00

 

Join us for hors d'oeuvres from Ric's Grill, some tasty beverages from Ancient Hill Estate Winery, Big Surf Beer, Vital Waters and an opportunity to network with the business community.

 

Ticket prices at the door:

$10 each for Members  /  $20 each for Future Members
                          (exact change is appreciated)
Pre-Registration is not required for Business After Hours events 
What's Happening?
Upcoming Chamber Events you definitely won't want to miss
  
Tonight | Small Business Expo/Business After Hours  at Four Points by Sheraton
Dec 4  | Power Hour Series - Video for Your Business - Why Does It Matter & How Do I Use It?
Dec 6 
| 
Luncheon - A Candid Political Discussion for Kelowna
Dec 10 |  
Speaker Series - Grow Your Business, So It's Right For You
Dec 12
| 
Christmas Business After Hours - Volcanic Hills Estate Winery  
  
If you are interested in sponsoring a Chamber Event contact: 

 Glen Hawes

 at 250-469-7357

Does your office need a makeover? 
We can help! 
You could win a makeover worth $5,000 in the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce's "Early Bird" Membership Renewal Campaign.  
The Kelowna Chamber has partnered with Total Interiors to give your business a chance to win a $5,000 Office Makeover. 

You'll be eligible to win as soon as you renew your membership for 2014. 

It's as simple as that.  

Deadline for entries: midnight, December 31, 2013

The lucky winner will be drawn randomly from all renewal entries on Tuesday January 14, 2014.

Winners must accept prize as awarded; no cash value; no substitutions.

Submit your "before" photos to the Chamber and we'll post them on our Facebook page.

Along with the many membership benefits the Chamber offers, we involve our members in this annual program to ensure one of you gets a new look in time to enjoy your new digs in 2014!

 

Contact Paulina at the Chamber for more information

[email protected] or 250-469-7354

 

 

Micro-Business Training Program
                             
Eligible business owners can receive up to $1500 in training on business skills such as bookkeeping, computing, marketing / sales, social media, management and many others.
 
 
Applying for the program is fast and straightforward. Click on the image above to complete the online application.

In the News...
BUSINESS, TECHNOLOGY, ECONOMY
 
Nominate a great Small Business! The Small Business Awards recognize the contribution and achievements of BC small business owners... 

Central Okanagan EDC - Recycling Regulation Focus Group in response to concerns raised by the small business community... 
 
City Seeks Input on New Parking Strategy - The City is asking residents to share their ideas and feedback to help shape a new city-wide Parking Management Strategy...

Find a Mentor Program - B.C.'s small businesses have gained a new resource for finding mentorship opportunities: an online database called MentorshipBC.  Raising awareness of B.C.'s mentorship resources was one of six key action items committed to in B.C.'s Small Business Accord; the BC Chamber was instrumental in achieving that Accord...

 

The big purple button! - Correctional Centre Business Registry; click the purple button on the SOCC website to sign up...

BC Chamber & Liquor PolicyThe BC Chamber supports the complete privatization of all aspects of B.C.'s liquor industry including both retail and wholesale.  As a free-enterprise organization, the BC Chamber believes that a more competitive liquor industry that better supports private liquor retailers must be open for all.  A level playing field must ensure that all interested parties have access to the same opportunities.

BC Chamber Insight - Business Vote, Job Grant and more are featured...


Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Media Releases              City of Kelowna Council Highlights
  
An interesting read from BC HRMA
Dealing with the rapid pace of change in the workplace

If you're a supervisor or manager then you don't need to be told that workplaces today are changing exponentially - you're living it.  Find out what can you do to help yourself and your people successfully deal with this rapid pace of change in this month's people-focused article from BC Human Resources Management Association

 

 

 
NOVEMBER 2013

 

What happened to the fall? That rushing sound isn't just the leaves falling, it's time moving at twice its normal rate as the busy business season runs up to the Christmas and holiday break.  Golf seems a thing of the past, and the Business Excellence Awards, the national Chambers of Commerce convention and multiple chamber networking events that began in September are already in the rear view mirror.

 

Advocacy issues have been top of mind this fall: MMBC (the multi material recycling regulations); new municipal election reform, ongoing review of the Property Transfer Tax, the Canada-EU trade agreement, the resolution calling for more Open Skies , shared prosperity for BC, helping win the "Kelowna Open for Business Award" - it's quite a list of issues and accomplishments over the past 75 days. 

Caroline Grover, CEO
Caroline Grover, CEO


Our Chamber board works tirelessly for our 1,200 member businesses, and issue management is key.  I spent a day in Victoria in late October, meeting with Peter Milburn, Deputy Minister for Finance, along with our incoming Chamber President for 2014.  We had enlightening and frank discussions around lowering the property transfer tax, benefits to private/public partnerships for infrastructure development and The Financial Institutions Commission.  Just another part of what we do for our members.

 

Before we open presents Christmas morning, we will have hosted a small business expo at the new Four Points Sheraton, hosted two Business After Hours (at Four Points and Volcanic Hills Winery), hosted two of our MLAs and our MP Ron Cannan at an annual lunch where they catch us up on their recent activities on our behalf - and as well, hosted a new member reception, and several educational breakfast and lunch seminars.  Oh, yes, we're also launching our 2014 membership renewal campaign, with a terrific $5,000 'Office Makeover' from Total Interiors as an early bird renewal prize opportunity to one lucky member who renews before Father Time rolls the clock over at midnight December 31.  At the holiday break, we'll pay attention to Ferris Bueller: 
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it". 

 

Business Highlight - Silver Star Mountain Resort
 

There are few sites in the Okanagan as iconic as the village at Silver Star.  Sitting mid-mountain the colourful Victorian themed resort is painted on a backdrop of pristine Okanagan powder.

The resort sits one mile above sea level, just 22 kilometres northeast of Vernon. From the Kelowna International Airport, Silver Star is just over an hour away. The new highway development has made Silver Star even closer.  And it is exactly that terrain that keeps guests coming back. 

Silver Star has 115 ski runs, highlighted by some of the steepest and deepest terrain on it's Putnam Creek run, or as it is often referred to by season pass holders, The Dark Side. With more than 40 runs marked black or double black diamond, The Dark Side offers skiers and boarders the thrill of big mountain skiing with minimal waits in line, thanks to its high-speed quad chairlift.

The front side of the mountain is accessed from the Comet Express 6-Pack chairlift that offers a wide variety of runs ranging from long groomed cruisers to glade skiing to access to the 16-plus acre Rockstar Terrain Park.

 

While a lift ticket or season pass at Silver Star offers skiers and boarders some of the best terrain in B.C., it also offers guests the chance to explore the rest of the mountain, free of charge. Silver Star is the first resort in Canada to offer the My1Pass, where every lift ticket or season pass allows guests to not only ski all day, but entrance to its more than 55 km of cross country trail, endless laps at Tube Town Adventure Park, skating at Brewer's Pond and access to its extensive snowshoe trails.

 

Silver Star has also launched a new MyMtn Flexicard, available online for residents of B.C., Alberta and Washington. Once purchased, the Flexicard offers guests any three days-worth of lift tickets they choose, as well as discounts on future lift tickets.  Better still, reciprocal pass holders receive a 4th day on the Flexicard absolutely free.       

A special Offer for Kelowna Chamber Members
                           Christmas has come early this year!  
As a member of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, we would like to offer your business a LiveSmart BC Business Energy Advisor energy assessment and report at no cost. Don't wait to receive your costly winter energy bills, take advantage of this opportunity to make your business more energy efficient now. This free walk-through assessment will identify ways to help you save money and energy by providing you with recommendations for operational, technical and behavioural changes as well as information on how you can access rebates and incentives through BC Hydro and FortisBC.

Save on power bills. Save on heating and cooling costs. You Choose, You Save.

To book your assessment time please contact Allisha Heidt at 250-862-8942 x 104

What else is happening around town?
Community Announcements, Events & Endeavours

Nov 23 & 24 | 1st Annual Kelowna Christmas Show
Nov 25 to 28 | 
Innovative & interactive opportunities for information-sharing
On-going
|
Blood Donor Clinics - needs increase during the holidays; please keep giving
Nov 27
| 
Downtown After 5 @ Laurel Packing House
Nov 28 | Paws It Forward - Uptown Rutland 
Dec 3 
| 
Dec 7 |25th Annual Downtown Kelowna Light Up
Dec 8 
| 
Dec 11
| 
Business After Hours - Westbank & District Chamber of Commerce 
 


544 Harvey Ave. 
Kelowna BC V1Y 6C9
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