November 2018 Inside this issue: General Managers Report New Members Member Spotlight Events Review Business Anniversaries Presidents Message Expert Article
CHAMBER at a glance
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a publica on of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce
Message From the President
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ello again fellow chamber members! I hope everyone has enjoyed their Fall to date (minus the September snow, of course) and is back into the swing of things.
A big thank you must go out to those that let their name stand for elec on as there is a tremendous amount of effort and me put into running for any elec on.
With Fall wrapping up, we have Our Chamber season is now in full made it through another Municipal swing as well, with commi ees elec on cycle, execu ng their that was ac ons plans somewhat accordingly. ...We will be underwhelming. There is great present as With an work being done incumbent on our different proceedings mayor, voter ways to drive begin for School turnout was less economic than desired. A development in Divisions and big our region, be er City budget congratula ons improve our goes out the rela onship with consulta ons to newly and regovernments to advocate that elected City allow for business Councillors and and Brandon to tax dollars are School Division grow, and to spent Trustees, and to con nue incumbent Mayor providing events effec vely. Rick Chrest. On and services that behalf of the members want to Brandon Chamber of Commerce we compliment their business. A big look forward to working with you to thanks goes out to our commi ee con nue to make Brandon a be er chairs, board members, and place to do business. volunteers for their hard work and
Jeff Hood 2018- 2019 Chamber President
dedica on to the Chamber. A few of our Directors had the opportunity to a end the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce Awards Gala on October 25th, 2018. From Brandon, there were three members up for awards. Brockie Donovan Funeral and Crema on Services, and the Sneath Group of Companies were nominated for Outstanding Small Business. Westman Communica on Group Ltd. was nominated for Outstanding Large Business. These nomina ons showcased exactly how our business community here in Brandon is crea ng waves across the en re province, which I’m sure we (Con nued on page 6)
FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER’S DESK
GM REPORT
Celebra ng Business
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ne of the best aspects of my job is the opportunity to celebrate and recognize our local business community. I am always inspired by the stories of perseverance and courage in overcoming adversity, the innova on to tackle challenges and leverage opportuni es, and the passion and spirit that inevitably started the journey. While most of whom I get the opportunity to speak with downplay their own victories, I believe their accomplishments speak for themselves! Luckily this me of year, there seems to be ample opportunity to share the celebra ons. In the Fall, nomina ons for our Business Achievement Awards opened and I am always impressed with the nominated businesses and stories of success from a diverse group represen ng different sectors, industries and business sizes. We are s ll in the process of collec ng applica ons, but this year appears to be no excep on of excellence, and I certainly don’t envy our Awards Selec on commi ee who is given the task to review and determine award recipients. We will present the awards at our Annual Gala in March, so remember to get your ckets (on sale January) to come help us celebrate!
daughter, now sees that same daughter in a lead role in the business. As part of our local celebra on, we also recognize businesses that have celebrated milestone anniversaries – from those that overcome the start-up hurdles of naviga ng a new business, and others who have been established for over a millennium of business that create opportunity for themselves, perseverance and success., all of which business owners who spend countless are featured in this Glance. hours working to establish or grow their business and then donate more At the recent Manitoba Chambers me in be erment of our community. Annual Awards Gala, businesses came We salute you for your passion. This together to recognize the great work of Christmas season; remember the best companies from across the province. way to recognize local business is to do Brandon was well represented, with business with them. three local finalists: Brockie Donovan Funeral Home & Crema on Services, Sneath Group and Westman Communica ons Group. While there was no hardware for our local businesses to take home, we are so proud of their successes and being Carolynn Cancade recognized as one of the best in the General Manager province’s business community. If you have ideas on how we can There is much to be proud about, and provide more value for your we take great pride in being able to membership investment or are recognize the talents and successes of interested in hearing more about our our business community. Not just programming and advocacy award recipients, but those that rise up work, please let us know! I can be to be leaders in our community, those reached at gm@brandonchamber.ca.
Every October we also celebrate Small Business Week in recogni on of the vital role small business contributes to our economy and communi es. This year, we heard from featured speaker, Sylvia Ubell of Two Farms Kids, as she shared their 30 year journey. A truly family endeavour that started only 18 days a er the birth of their youngest
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www.brandonchamber.ca
MEMBERSHIP ZONE
W LC ME N W M Konica Minolta Business specializing in mobile & cloud services, and op mizing business processes
Masson & Associated Chartered Professional Accountant
BE S TORMAX Canada Inc.
Chartered Professional Accoun ng firm
Automated entrance systems, manual and overhead door services.
239 Portage Ave Winnipeg, Manitoba h p://www.konicaminolta.com
Unit B—1212 18th Street Brandon, Manitoba h p://www.massoncpa.ca
Unit 1 - 55 Wheat Belt Road Brandon, Manitoba h p://www.tormax.ca
Cloudtric Inc.
The Chopped Leaf
Cloud-based so ware development company
3300 Victoria Avenue Brandon, Manitoba h ps://www.cloudtric.com
Restaurant specializing in fresh & healthy meals
601 18th Street #1 Brandon, Manitoba h ps://www.choppedleaf.ca
member
Yiwii International
SPOT LIGHT What are the goals of your business? Yiwii’s ul mate mission is not only to build easy and smooth transi on for newcomers to Canada but also to create accessible pathways to career and life success in Canada. To enhance our clients' compe veness in the job market and smooth life and career transi on, we are working with different stakeholders to develop an “Adapt-to-Canada Program” (ATC) to ensure our clients are well prepared for the Canadian job market and Canadian life in Brandon.
What does your business offer to customers? As a professional and comprehensive business group, our services offered through different firms include interna onal educa on consul ng, interna onal students recrui ng, Canadian immigra on consul ng, accoun ng and tax planning, business and investment consul ng, Asian food and product retailing, and food beverage prepara on and retailing. Our scope of business is constantly growing to meet the demands of services in Brandon.
What are you most proud of about your business? Our firm has been working closely with Brandon University for more than 5 years and we successfully marketed Brandon University to Chinese students. I am very proud that Yiwii’s contribu on is the major reason behind the fact that Brandon University’s interna onal student popula on has been doubled since 2013. In addi on, Yiwii has successfully connected Brandon University with several universi es with good reputa on in China. In spring 2018, the Ministry of Educa on of China approved a joint educa on project between Brandon University and Shangqiu Normal University (HSU) of China. This Yiwii-ini ated project could poten ally bring dozens of new students to Brandon University each year.
What is something your business does that most customers don’t know? From the first day of opera on in Brandon in 2014, Yiwii is commi ed to bring more Asian elements to the City of Brandon and make Brandon a more desirable homeland for Manitobans and newcomers to Canada alike. As an interna onal student recrui ng agent for Brandon University, Yiwii hopes all students will love Brandon and remain in Brandon. Over the last couple of years, we supported several local non-profit organiza ons such as Brandon University Chinese Students Society and successfully organized several community and student events. In 2018, Yiwii made an arrangement with a local community soccer team to provide gear and training support. Yiwii will con nue making contribu ons to the society and working with all stakeholders to build a warm and a rac ve homeland for Manitobans, Canadians, and new immigrants.
November 2018
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EVENTS
Chamber Luncheon—Moving Canada’s Goods to Market with Sean Finn of CN September 6th
standing room only as reps from Century 21, our President Jeff Hood, and Mayor Rick Chrest cut the ribbon commemora ng their new base of opera ons.
The first Luncheon of the season brought out Annual General Mee ng September 28th hundreds of Chamber guests for the first me a er the Summer! Sean Finn, VP of CN, and a decorated Chamber advocate, spoke of the impact CN has had in our community, and what we have to look forward to in the future.
First Friday Coffee September 7th & October 5th Our Friday Coffees are a great way for Chamber Members to meet somebody they may not normally meet in their day to day business life, which can lead to new & exci ng opportuni es for them and their business.
Members enjoyed food, drink and mingling at the Dome Building, sponsored by the Provincial Exhibi ion. The event was catered by Joe Beevers. The President’s message, report from the GM, and financials from the 2017-2018 Chamber year were given. We also heard from the Provincial Exhibi on about their restora on efforts of the historic building hos ng the event.
Business A er 5 @ Heritage Co-op October 2nd
Heritage Co-op opened the doors of their newly renovated food store to the business community, to showcase their new efficient Business A er 5 @ Century 21 use of space, as well as many test sta ons Westman Realty featuring their wares, such as their sushi bar, September 12th and their amazing dry aged beef! Everyone there was also treated to a 10% discount off Century 21 Westman Realty hosted well over of their groceries. 100 Chamber Members at the Ribbon Cu ng of their loca on on Victoria Avenue. It was
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2017 Westman Human Resources Conference October 10th Partnering with Economic Development Brandon, and Entrepreneurship Manitoba, The Chamber invited over 150 Westman managers, employees and HR professionals to the fourth annual HR Conference. Sessions included Marijuana in the Workplace, Reducing Toxicity, Centered Leadership for Supervisors, and Conflict Resolu on. There were two keynotes as well who spoke on HR Prac ses and crea ng an accountability culture in today’s unique workforce.
Chamber Luncheon—Celebra ng Small Business with Sylvia Ubell October 18th The Chamber celebrated Small Business Week at our luncheon by featuring one of our small business members, Sylvia Ubell of Two Farm Kids Natural Foods, who have been in Brandon for 30 years! There were also many of our local members celebra ng milestone anniversaries, so we made sure to recognize them for their investment in the Brandon Community!
www.brandonchamber.ca
EVENTS & ANNIVERSARIES
Congratula ons to all of our members celebra ng the following milestones this year!
(Above) Recipients of our Certificates of Recognition at our October Luncheon, honouring milestone anniversaries in our business community.
Special Friday Coffee: Meet the City Councillor Candidates School Trustee Candidates! Recep on October 19th October 22nd The Chamber was more than happy to welcome a majority of the School Trustee Candidates to our Office, to allow the business community to inquire about how decisions at the School Board level will affect business in Brandon.
Candidates of the Municipal Elec on were present at the Clarion Hotel & Suites to meet with our members and the public to let us know about how they will keep Brandon “Open For Business” over the next four years
Thank You to our Event Sponsors!
November 2018
BMO Bank of Montreal Construction Association Of Rural Manitoba GT SMITH & SONS
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Brandon & District United Way Dick Agencies Insurance Brokers
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Reesor's Jewellery (1978) Ltd. Westoba Credit Union
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Wheat City Concrete Products Ltd. P. Quintaine & Son Ltd.
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Shur-Gro Farm Services Ltd. Figol Electric McMillan Bookkeeping Services Taggart Painting & Restoration Ltd. Ted Good Music (1973) Ltd. Wheat City Lions Club Inc. Ben Wiebe Construction (1985) Ltd. Brugger Wealth Management Cando Rail Services Grand Valley Mechanical Ltd. Millcosteel Ltd. The Green Spot Victoria Inn Westman Communications Group Westside Plumbing & Heating Cancade Fire Restoration Brandon Source For Sports Raynor Bookkeeping Services Southern Water Systems Two Farm Kids Natural Foods Subway Alternative Landscaping Forbidden Flavours Gold Business Solutions Jamieson Construction The Bloombox Gontree Tree Services Ltd. Sunrise Credit Union Scinocca Corporate Promotion
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President’s Message (Cont’d from page 1) will con nue to do so. A big congratula ons to all three companies on their nomina ons. Our upcoming months look to be busy. We will be present as proceedings begin for School Divisions and City budget consulta ons to advocate that tax dollars are spent effec vely. We will also be a ending the Day of Advocacy in Winnipeg as hosted by the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce, which is a great opportunity to speak with Ministers and government officials to ensure that Brandon is on their radar.
answers with this ini a ve that has many of our country’s leaders divided amongst themselves which causes uncertainty for our business climate. In signing off, I wish you all the best over the next couple of months, which will entail holiday shopping, me with family and friends, and great business success.
We will also be staying informed of the issue of a Carbon Tax, and how it will unfold in Manitoba, as it seems to Jeff Hood become more confusing every me there is a press release. 2018-2019 Chamber President It s ll seems as though there are more ques ons than
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www.brandonchamber.ca
Expert Ar cle
Privacy Breaches and Your Business Wri en by experts from Guild Insurance Brokers, exclusively for Chamber At A Glance.
Businesses rarely ques on the need for a fire safety plan, because they have seen what a fire can do. While damage from a data or privacy breach maybe can’t be physically seen, the poten al business and brand damage can leave you in just as much disarray. A privacy breach happens when personal informa on of clients or employees is stolen, lost or mistakenly shared. Privacy breaches may also be a consequence of faulty business procedures or opera onal breakdowns. The way technology is progressing, the reality is companies need to take steps to protect themselves from such disaster. New breach no fica on rules are in force as of November 1, 2018 in Canada. This means that if you suffer any type of loss of personal protected informa on of a third party you will have to report it to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada who will determine what steps you must take as a result of the breach, if any. If you don’t report, you are subject to fines of up to $100,000 per individual that should have been no fied and was not no fied. As a business, you need to understand the threats you are facing. Knowing what personal informa on you have, where it is and what you are doing with it is impera ve. Having an understanding of your vulnerabili es and your industry will help you create best prac ces to help avoid a privacy breach. Your data security plan doesn’t need to be an expensive or frustra ng process but you do need a plan.
November 2018
Having privacy breach coverage added to your policy ensures that whether there is a loss, the or unauthorized access to or use of your customers or employees informa on, you have expense coverage that ensures you can get back to business quickly with as li le impact to your bo om line as possible. These coverages include: Legal Expense Coverage: for certain legal fees or defense expenses for civil proceedings resul ng from a privacy breach. Remedia on Expense Coverage: for certain expenses that could include no fying your clients, post -breach fraud or credit monitoring and if necessary securing forensic services. Business Interrup on Coverage: to cover certain loss of income resul ng from the breach, including necessary extra expenses.
Something you can do in-house is ensure employees clearly understand that data security is a cri cal element of their jobs. Let employees know the behaviours to avoid like clicking on suspicious links in emails or sharing login creden als with other employees. Providing educa on on what a poten al security incident would look like and what to do if they see suspicious ac vity is crucial. Passwords are key. Implemen ng a policy that incorporates strong password crea ng is another tac c that doesn’t cost anything and is a powerful way to block hackers. Ideally
a password is not found in the dic onary. It should be a long mix of upper and lowercase le ers, and include numbers and symbols. Passwords should also be changed at least twice a year. An virus so ware is a best prac ce for servers and desktops, but what about mobile devices. Smart phones can also fall prey to malware from links in emails, internet browsing and other ac vity that occurs when the user is not on a secure network. If company mobile devices such as smart phones, laptops or tablets have access to your business network or informa on, they are at risk. Easy passwords like birthdates and commonplace words are easy to crack. Ensure mobile devices have hard-toguess passwords using upper and lowercase le ers and special characters. Public wireless networks may or may not be secure and there is risk that others can capture data sent over these networks. Ensure employees don’t send personal data over public wireless networks (i.e.) airports, unless they have added security such as a Virtual Private Network (VPN). And always, remind employees never to leave their devices una ended.
For more informa on about privacy breaches or this ar cle, please contact Guild Insurance Brokers at (204) 7294949 or info@guildinsurance.ca
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Chamber at a Glance is published six mes 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
Shop Local & Support Your Community As consumers, you have the power to shape our city. Every me we open our wallets to a business, we are saying, “I like what you do! Keep doing it!” When we shop local, we are saying YES to a strong, vibrant local economy, that translates into a unique and interes ng city. We invite you to: THINK locally, SPEND locally & ENJOY locally. Support the businesses around you that support the area where you live, work and play.
PRINTING
2018-2019 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Local merchants are more likely to be focused on customer service, quality and warran es. Local purchases support public services through sales taxes – these dollars fix our roads, maintain our recrea onal facili es, fund our police departments, and much more. Local businesses create local jobs, increase local prosperity and reduce unemployment. Local businesses that have customers invested in them will in turn invest in their city through non-profits, events, and more. Contact the Chamber if you need a local referral for any product or service!
CHAMBER STAFF
Who we are: The Brandon Chamber of Commerce is an independent, membership funded, non-profit organiza on 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 exis ng and a rac ng new business.
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www.brandonchamber.ca