May 2018 Inside this issue: General Managers Report New Members Events Review Annual Awards Dinner Overview Member Spotlight Expert Article
CHAMBER at a glance
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a publication of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce
President’s Message
W
ith the recent announcement of our new K-8 elementary school, and our upcoming Manitoba Chamber of Commerce (MCC) Annual General Meeting, I thought it would be perfect timing to discuss the importance of Chamber advocacy.
Canada, in the political landscape. At the upcoming MCC Annual General Meeting, all chambers in Manitoba will have the ability to put forth their submitted policies that are important to their community and ask that it be adopted into the Manitoba Chamber. These policies will be put to the floor and voted on. If adopted at the Terry Burgess, our past president, Manitoba level, it provides the wrote it the best in a previous article Manitoba Chamber with their “Advocacy on behalf of our members agenda for the following year, on does primarily happen at a local level where they will put their focus on but we also have an opportunity to advocating at a provincial level. It is a impact Provincial and National issues remarkable process and I personally when developing policies with and believe it to be a very exciting and for the Manitoba rewarding Chamber of opportunity to The best Commerce (MCC) watch. and the Canadian decision I Chamber of This May at the made on a Commerce. This MCC Annual means we are General Meeting personal, and potentially our Prompt business, level engaging the Payment Policy will strengths of these go to the floor was to get organizations to seeking approval. involved. impact our Our submission community.� speaks to the delayed payment that agreements Prior to joining the Chamber Board, I see when dealing with government was unaware of the impact that we contracts. Honourable Don Plett, as smaller chambers had throughout Conservative Senator from
Tami-Rae Rourke Chamber President
Manitoba, introduced Bill S-224 regarding this, back in 2016, and successfully passed third reading in the Senate May 4th 2017. Liberal MP, Judy Sgro, is expected to sponsor the bill in the House of Commons in 2018. We are asking the MCC to advocate for and support the adoption of the Prompt Payment in Manitoba. This leads me to our next step, your contribution. For the Chamber to continue to drive these issues and have them be at the forefront we need our members, like you, to come forward and invest a small amount of your important time into assisting the Chamber. The policies are created at the committee level, and approved at the board level, so even (Continued on page 6)
FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER’S DESK
GM REPORT
Investing in a Strong Business Community
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y now, our annual membership survey has hit your inbox. Your feedback is instrumental in helping determine our priorities and shaping the development of our programming. Through our surveys, as well as the many other forms of outreach that we utilize, such as in person calls and visits, stakeholder roundtables and forums, and by your engagement in existing services, we learn about the Chamber benefits that are most important to you and how the Chamber can better support you, our members, and the greater business community. So, why do members belong to the Brandon Chamber? Here are just a few reasons that you have shared with us:
Be involved in chamber advocacy to ensure the business voice is heard Take advantage of the money saving discounts through affinity programs and member pricing Access to networking events to grow my connections Grow our business and raise our business profile through the Chamber Keep informed and connected with relevant information and educational opportunities The opportunity to have a voice in chamber initiatives
Overall, you recognize that collectively we can do more together to influence change and make a difference in creating an environment where business can grow and prosper.
To remain relevant and provide value to our members we need to understand your needs. If you haven’t completed the survey yet we encourage you to do so (there are prizes available!), or if you prefer, send us an email. We would love to hear from you! Soon, your inbox will also include your Chamber membership renewal. As a membership driven organization, we rely on your re-investment each year. Your chamber involvement allows your business to decide the benefits that have most value for you. We know the needs of businesses change and evolve over time, and you can remain confident that the Chamber continues to offer value to all our members. We thank you for your continued support and as always, welcome your ideas and feedback!
In May, the Election Committee will be accepting nominations to stand for the election to the Board of Directors. Put your name forth and make a difference in the business community. For more information contact: Carolynn Cancade, General Manager 204-571-5342 | gm@brandonchamber.ca
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Carolynn Cancade General Manager
P.S. Need a refresher on all the ways you can maximize your membership investment? Check out our upcoming Chamber 101 on May 23rd! Your can register online or by calling our office at 204-571-5340.
www.brandonchamber.ca
MEMBERSHIP ZONE
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Business Wave Media Marketing Agency 2-535 Lorne Avenue Brandon, Manitoba 204-918-8562 matt@businesswavemedia.com www.businesswavemedia.com
Legacy Denture Clinic Denture Clinic 642B 18th Street Brandon, Manitoba 204-725-1661 info@legacydenture.com www.legacydenture.com
Sphere Media Agency Design & Marketing Agency Kildonan Place, RPO Box 43084 Winnipeg, Manitoba 204-977-2805 dominick@spheremediaagency.com www.saymag.com
Clear Lake Marina Marina at Clear Lake 320 Kirkcaldy Drive Brandon, Manitoba 204-848-1770 summer@clearlakemarina.ca www.clearlakemarina.ca
Peterbilt Full Service Trucking Dealership 1809 18th Street North Brandon, Manitoba 204-725-1991 cbirch@peterbilt-truck.com www.peterbilt-truck.com
Trumpet & Tassel Homemade Jewelry Brandon, Manitoba 204-720-8825 trumpetandtassel@gmail.com
Fast Fired by Carbone Restaurant - Pizza 825 18th Street North #1 Brandon, Manitoba 204-510-2365 Benjamin@carbonepizza.ca www.fastfired.ca
Smitten Premium Adult Boutique Adult Boutique Retail Store Unit 1—658 18th Street Brandon, Manitoba 204-727-2446 admin@mysmitten.ca www.mysmitten.ca
Futurpreneur Entrepreneur Coaching & Mentoring 321 McDermot Ave Winnipeg, Manitoba 204-726-6158 epelton@futurpreneur.ca www.futurpreneur.ca
Sokol Supportive Housing Retirement Community & Home 30 13th Street North Brandon, Manitoba 204-726-5873
Yiwii International International Consulting Agency Unit 5J - 20, 18th Street Brandon, Manitoba 204-808-0078 Paul.xu@yiwii.com www.yiwii.com ZA Pizza Bistro Restaurant - Pizza #9—1865 Sargent Ave Winnipeg, Manitoba 204-891-1648 manly@pizzabistro.com www.zapizzabistro.com
It is time to renew your investment in the Brandon Chamber of Commerce! Membership fees are one of the sources of revenue that allow the Chamber to provide a range of programs, services and benefits that help members to save money, promote their business network, access educational resources and ensure their voice is heard at local, provincial and federal levels of government. We thank you in advance for renewing your membership and joining us in our commitment to create a thriving business community in Brandon. Please note that membership invoices will be sent out the first week of June via EMAIL. Please let us know if you have any staffing or contact information changes.
May 2018
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EVENTS
Luncheon Series: Manitoba Success Story - Amanda Buhse March 8th
Special Friday Coffee: International Women’s Day March 9th
Luncheon Series: State of the Province April 19th
Amanda Buhse, an owner of Coal & Canary spoke to attendees of this luncheon regarding the beginning struggles, and eventual success of their business, and provided some advice for the aspiring entrepreneur.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, the Chamber hosted a special Friday Coffee to honour the many inspiring and successful women in our community.
Premier Brian Pallister addressed the crowd of over 450 attendees as the Manitoba Government reaches the halfway point of their mandate. Chamber President Tami Rourke questioned the Premier on a few issues affecting the local business community.
Thank you to our Coffee Sponsor:
Thank you to Booth Sponsors: Provincial Exhibition Thank you to our Luncheon Sponsor: Brandon University
16th Annual Aboriginal Job Fair March 13th
Thank you to Booth Sponsors: Business Wave Media Co. St. John Ambulance - Brandon Branch
Thank you to our Luncheon Sponsors: Westman Business The Interprovincial Association on Native Employment hosted the 16th Annual Job Fair at Shoppers Mall, which saw 22 vendors and over 300 attendees over the course of the day. The Brandon Chamber of Commerce is proud to support this initiative.
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www.brandonchamber.ca
SIGNATURE EVENT Thank you to the many sponsors and volunteers that made this evening possible. HOST, PLATINUM & GOLD SPONSORS
This year’s Annual Chamber Awards Gala celebrated our business community and honored leadership, involvement, and excellence with the presentation of the following Business Excellence Awards:
Ron And David Cummings - Business Person of the Year The Sneath Group of Companies - Outstanding New Business Brockie Donovan Funeral & Cremation Services Business Excellence Jeff Fawcett - Community Service Award CHAMPAGNE—Sunrise Credit Union SILVER PLUS—Maple Leaf Fresh Foods, MNP LLP, Vanguard Credit Union Limited SILVER—Behlen Industries LP, CAA Travel, Canad Inns Destination Centre Brandon, Futurpreneur Canada, Guild Insurance Brokers, Leech Printing Ltd., NetSet Communications, RBC Royal Bank, Victoria Inn, West-Fit Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic, Workers Compensation Board, Zeke’s Quality Jewellers BRONZE— Beaver Truck Centre, Better Business Bureau, Brandon Wheat Kings, Cando Rail Services, Chemtrade, Clarion Hotel & Suites, HUB International STRATA Benefits Consulting, R & M Homes, Raynor Bookkeeping Services Inc., Western Financial Group SUPPORTER—Assiniboine Community College, Burns Maendel Consulting Engineers, Dick Agencies, Dr. Robert Ward, Leon’s Furniture Superstore ANNUAL DINNER COMMITTEE Greg Cristanti (Tim Hortons), Brad Danielson (Benmarks), Meredyth Leech (Leech Printing), Katrina Sigurdson (The Party Professionals & Rental Co.), Donna Sagin (NetSet Communications), Whitney Sharkey (BDO Canada LLP) SERVICE GROUPS ACC Interactive Media Arts Students, Brandon Sunset Rotary, Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba, Keystone Centre, Brandon General Museum, Daly House Museum
May 2018
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT President’s Message (Cont’d from page 1) giving some time on a committee can be extremely advantageous. I truly believe that Brandon is an amazing community, and that we continue to grow with, and support each other. The best decision I made on a personal, and business, level was to get involved. The choice of time you can commit is in your hands. The Chamber understands that successful people , such as yourselves, are busy, and that is why we are a team and work together. If you can give any amount
of time, please contact Carolynn at the Chamber to discuss where you would like to contribute. Any time will be greatly appreciated. In summary, I am sitting here writing this article with my windows open and the cool spring breeze at my back. I wish you all many spring days ahead, and a wonderful summer to come!
First Friday Coffee @ the Chamber Join us the first Friday of every month for coffee and conversation from 9:00 - 10:00 am Sponsored by:
Tami-Rae Rourke Chamber President Tami can be reached at president@brandonchamber.ca
member
SPOT LIGHT
MULLIGAN'S ELECTRIC LTD
How long has your business been in business for? We opened the door to Mulligan’s Electric Ltd on September 1, 2016. What are the goals of your business? Customer satisfaction is our #1 goal. What does your business offer to customers? Our company guarantees that Mulligan’s Electric will put the customer first, providing quality and efficient services in a timely matter, as well as, in a safe environment. Where is your business located? 762 - 6th Street, Brandon, MB. What is something your business does that most customers don’t know? Mulligan’s Electric Ltd is able to provide services in an array of areas, such as, but not limited to, industrial, commercial, residential, upgrades, solar and maintenance. No job is to big or to small for us, we’d be happy to help you with any electrical issues you may have. Give us a call for a free quote at 1-204-724-9288.
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www.brandonchamber.ca
5 MINUTES FOR BUSINESS
Sometimes Sustainability Is Just another Word for Common Sense First published by Alita Fabiano on the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Blog, April 12th, 2018
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few years ago, BC Comfort Air Conditioning, a B.C.-based company with over 45 years experience in mechanical HVAC services, noted employees were leaving the doors wide open in the chilly season for convenience.
$65,000 in hauling costs by diverting 35% of its waste from the local landfill, reducing emissions by an amount equivalent to three tanker trucks of gasoline. A hotel chain in the Yukon was able to save $180,000 a year by upgrading its incandescent light bulbs to LEDs. Sometimes the company’s return on One simple change—asking workers to investment was not in savings but in keep that bay door closed—helped cut happier employees or improved reputanatural gas use by 65%, saving the com- tion. pany $7,000 a year and reducing carbon emissions by the same amount as Many small businesses, however, are planting 500 trees. short on resources but long on to-dos. When it comes to considering the susThe company appears as one of 12 case tainability of business operations, it can studies in a new report, 200 Million be intimidating to figure out that first Tonnes of Opportunity: How small and step. medium-sized businesses are driving Canadian clean growth, a report from Luckily, there are tools to help. The Climate Smart Businesses. 200 Million World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet Tonnes features stories from 800 SMEs @Work program provides a list of activin 13 sectors Climate Smart has worked ities and programs people can use to with, offering real-world examples on start the conversation in their workplachow to cut costs by reducing emissions es. The WWF’s Smart Office Challenge through actions like route optimization, focuses on IT, which as a part of almost paperless operations, heat recovery, every business and a significant energy employee engagement and more. consumer, is a natural starting point for sustainability newbies. The tool offers a In another example, a company saved check list of simple actions that can have a big impact. For example, cutting energy consumption from PCs by half can be as simple as getting employees to turn them off at night. More information is available in this interview with the Canadian Chamber.
Flashy new innovations or clean technology start ups are exciting stories that make headlines and it can sometimes seem that is what sustainability is all about, but much of the time, going green can simply mean finding ways to use resources more efficiently. When a business reduces its environmental impact by making better choices about how it uses energy and materials, some call it sustainability, but the practice has an older name: common sense.
What your Chamber membership does: 80% Increase in the likelihood that a consumer will patronize your business
73% Increase in consumer awareness 68% Increase in your local reputation when compared to the competition 49% More likely that consumers have a favourable view of your business
The Canadian Chamber is also partnering with Climate Smart to help share its 10% More likely to a consumer that your training program across the chamber product is better than the network. The Victoria Chamber of Comcompetition merce and the Mississauga and St. John’s boards of trade will pilot the out*The Schapiro Group Study reach program, offering their members on Chamber Effectiveness a $1,000 discount. SMEs that belong to other member chamber of commerce are also able to access the discount on a For more information, please contact: first come-first served basis. policy@chamber.ca. May 2018
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Chamber at a Glance is published six times per year by the Brandon Chamber of Commerce 1043 Rosser Avenue | Brandon, MB R7A 0L5 Phone: (204) 571-5340 | Fax: (204) 571-5347
info@brandonchamber.ca www.brandonchamber.ca
EDITING & DESIGN PRINTING 2017-2018 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHAMBER STAFF
Who we are: The Brandon Chamber of Commerce is an independent, membership funded, non-profit organization that represents Brandon business from the grassroots level.
Our Mission: To encourage growth in the Brandon community by fostering a progressive business environment favorable to enhancing existing and attracting new business.
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www.brandonchamber.ca