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ISSUE 6 | FALL 2017
Kamloops
Saluting THE BEST BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS FINALISTS REVEALED page 8
NATIONAL FOCUS ON KAMLOOPS
STARTUP AWARDS p.6
THINKING CAREER CHANGE?
ACE THAT INTERVIEW p.10
JUST THE FACTS
THE LATEST ECONOMIC DATA p.14
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Boutique Men’s Shop ~ Since 1914
PHOTO: DAVE EAGLES
Business Excellence Awards A Boutique Men’s Shop with Vintage Service In this current day, a man’s closet should always be evolving. Every piece of clothing in your wardrobe should serve a purpose in your daily life. Suits should be tailored to fit you perfectly and give you that feeling of pride and confidence throughout your day. Casual clothing should be comfortable enough to ease into, but still look great into the evening. A wardrobe doesn’t have to be an expansive collection of clothing that spans decades. Instead, it should be clean, concise and practical. We’re maintaining our traditional focus on service and quality while continually adding some exciting accessories one enjoys discovering in a boutique men’s shop.
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COVER: Kamloops Chamber of Commerce president Paul Ross and chamber partner TD are excited to reveal the finalists in this year’s Business Excellence Awards. The contenders are in Talk Business and winners will be announced on Oct. 21.
Tim SHOULTS Operations Manager
Christopher FOULDS Editor
Lee MALBEUF Production Manager
Talk Business is published twice per year by Kamloops This Week. No part of this supplement may be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission. Unsolicited materials will not be returned. The publisher assumes no responsibility for editorial information. Contact Christopher Foulds, publication editor.
235 Victoria St, Kamloops, BC
250.372.9588
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@kamthisweek
inside: Improving North Shore Building a community Building a strong professional network
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We Help Create Greater Success. (Find out how)
Start them up!
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New airport manager
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• Leadership • Management • Sales • Customer Service • Hiring
Indications of change
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www.glennon.sandler.com FALL 2017 talk
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START THEM UP! STARTUP CANADA AWARDS HANDED OUT IN KAMLOOPS By Jessica Wallace
W
hile the Kamloops tech community is no stranger to the Startup Canada Awards, this year marked the first time the event was held in the Tournament Capital. In fact, it was the first time it has been held outside of Vancouver — and it all came down to an after-party. “We hosted an after-party [at last year’s event in Vancouver] where we impressed the event organizers,” said Kamloops Innovation Centre executive director Lincoln Smith. “That opened up talks to move it to Kamloops.” The regional awards were held on Sept. 15 in the Rex Hall downtown. The awards highlight excellence in entrepreneurship and innovation in British Columbia. Regional events are held across the country, culminating with a grand finale national awards ceremony at Shaw Centre in Ottawa on Oct. 19. Award categories range from environmental and cultural advancement to outstanding impact in entrepreneurship, with 17 awards handed out to individuals, organizations and networks. THIS YEAR’S WINNERS WERE: • Lynda Brown-Ganzert, founder and CEO of Curatio, Entrepreneur of the Year. • Catherine Dahl, founder and CEO of Beanworks, Woman Entrepreneurship Award. • Vicki Collet, co-owner of Harper’s Trail Winery, Senior Entrepreneur Award.
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•M anny Padda, founder of New Avenue Capital, Entrepreneur Promotion Award. • Accelerate Okanagan, Entrepreneur Support Award. •H ummingbird Drones, Innovation Award. •B roadbandTV, High-Growth Entrepreneurship Award. •K eela, Social Enterprise Award. •H ootsuite, Global Entrepreneurship Award. Collet and Hummingbird Drones are from Kamloops. It’s not the first time Hummingbird Drones has received accolades at the Startup Canada Awards as company co-founder Robert Atwood was named Startup Canada Young Entrepreneur of the Year back in 2015. Other past winners from the River City have included: John Zubak, 2016 Startup Canada Adam Chowaniec Lifetime Achievement Award; iTel Networks, 2016 Startup Canada Award for High Growth Entrepreneurship both regionally and nationally; and Kamloops Innovation, 2015 Startup Canada Award for Entrepreneur Support. While the technology industry has long held a foothold in Kamloops, Smith said it is growing, along with a sense of community he said will lead to more companies popping up in the area in coming years thanks to a new partnership between Thompson Rivers University and Kamloops Innovation and events like the Startup Canada Awards. “It speaks to the tightness and sense of community we have, as well as we’re growing and getting on the radar of the larger entrepreneurial support networks across Canada,” he said.
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SALUTING THE BEST IN BUSINESS IN KAMLOOPS
F
inalists have been named in the 31st annual Business Excellence Awards, presented by the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce and TD. The 53 members of the independent selection committee will now interview each finalist to determine the winners of the awards, which will be handed out on Oct. 21 at the awards gala at the Coast Kamloops Hotel and Conference Centre. “The chamber is proud to honour our entire business community with the Business Excellence Awards program,” said chamber president Paul Ross. “Every year, the number and quality of the nominations prove the calibre of our businesses and how they have built loyalty with their customers and clients.” Added Patrick Therrien, relationship manager with TD commercial banking: “TD is proud to be celebrating our 10 year anniversary in partnership with the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce recognizing business excellence in our community. Congratulations to this year’s finalists.” Tickets to the awards gala are $152.25, including GST ($131.25, including GST, for Kamloops Chamber of Commerce members) and can be purchased by calling 250-372-7722 or by going online to kamloopschamber.ca.
2017 Business Excellence Awards finalists City of Kamloops Community Service Award: • B100, Today’s Hit Music • New Gold Inc., New Afton Mine • Small World Productions Rocky Mountaineer Environmental Stewardship Award: • Habitat for Humanity Kamloops ReStore • Horizon North Manufacturing • New Gold Inc., New Afton Mine Open Door Group Inclusive Workplace Award: • Cain’s, Your Independent Grocer • Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott • Urban Systems Ltd. BDC Business Development Bank Manufacturer Award: • Horizon North Manufacturing • The Noble Pig Brewpub • Top 40 Woodworks 8
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Venture Kamloops Resource Industry Award: • Axis Forestry Inc. • Marwest Utility Services Ltd. • Woodland Equipment Aberdeen Mall Retailer 1-10 Staff Award: • 4 Cats Art Studio • Heather’s Fabric Shelf • The Printing Place Valley First Insurance Retailer 11+ Staff Award: • Brandsource / La-Z Boy • Cain’s, Your Independent Grocer • Petland Berwick on the Park Service Provider 1-10 Staff Award: • TasteFull Excursions Inc. • Visual Signs & Printing • Whole Health Care Kamloops Lincoln Service Provider 11+ Award: • Kamloops This Week • Royal LePage Westwin Realty • Senor Froggy Restaurant
BCLC Technology Innovator Award: • Axis Forestry Inc. •K atipult • Streamline Transportation Technologies Inc. TRU Faculty of Adventure, Culinary Arts & Tourism and Tourism Kamloops Tourism & Hospitality Award: •DiVine Tours • TasteFull Excursions Inc. • Treetop Flyers Zipline CN Project of the Year: •B rewloops • I nterior Health Authority • Jubilee Urban Movement Partners Kamloops Coast Kamloops Hotel & Conference Centre Employer of the Year: •C ain’s, Your Independent Grocer •L yon’s Landscaping • RTOWN •S cott’s Inn and Restaurant
United Way Not-For-Profit of the Year: •B IG Little Science Centre •K amloops and District SPCA •N ew Life Community TRU School of Business and Economics Young Entrepreneur of the Year: •E laine Topolnisky, Kinetic Energy Healthcare & Wellness Centre • Jesse Faubert, Common Sound •M itch Forgie, Red Beard Cafe KGHM International - Ajax Project Small Business of the Year: •R iversong Guitars •S ummit Gourmet Meats • TasteFull Excursions Inc. Excel Personnel Business Person of the Year: • Jack Mendes, Top 40 Woodworks • Jim Lightbody, BCLC •M ike Miltimore, Riversong Guitars
CITY BUSINESS GETS BC ABORIGINAL BUSINESS AWARD NOD
2017 Business Excellence Awards sponsors: Premier Sponsor: • TD Media sponsors: • 98.3 CIFM / B-100 Kamloops at Work Station / CFJC TV 7 • Kamloops This Week • Lee’s Music Supporting sponsors: • Fresh Inc. • Wayside Printing • ROI Media Works
Select sponsors: • Kent Wong Photography • Viva Bridal & Event Design Gala sponsors: • KPMG • New Gold, New Afton Mine • Highland Valley Copper • Monte Creek Ranch Winery • Coast Kamloops Hotel and Conference Centre • Telus
A Kamloops company will be recognized at the ninth annual BC Aboriginal Business Awards, which will be handed out in Vancouver on Oct. 26. Beyond the Bell Out of School Care will be honoured with an Outstanding Business Achievement Award in the Business of the Year/Three-to-10-Person Enterprise category. In addition, a Merritt company, Bar S Ventures, will be recognized with an Outstanding Business Achievement Award in the Business of the Year/10-Or-More-Person Enterprise category. The BC Aboriginal Business Awards were launched in 2008 to honour and celebrate business excellence. A total of 19 Indigenous businesses, entrepreneurs, partnership entities and community-owned enterprises will be recognized at this year’s gala dinner at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Members of the 2017 jury panel include Brenda Baptiste, Glen Ohs and Laara Yaghujaanas. In addition, Chief Gibby Jacob of the Squamish Nation has been selected as the recipient of the 2017 BC Aboriginal Business Award for Individual Achievement in recognition of his efforts toward economic development and business in the province. The award is selected by the British Columbia Achievement Foundation’s board of directors. The BC Aboriginal Business Awards are presented by the BC Achievement Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, and supported by New Relationship Trust, TD, Teck, BC Hydro, CN, Encana, Enbridge, MNP LLP and Vancity.
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ACING
THAT JOB INTERVIEW
WHEN SWITCHING CAREERS
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE CHANGE CAREERS EVERY YEAR.
Whereas professionals may have once worked for the same company for the majority, if not the entirety, of their careers, today it’s not uncommon for men and women to change jobs several times before reaching retirement. Changing jobs and switching careers are not necessarily the same thing. Professionals mulling a career change will have to consider a host of factors that men and women looking to change jobs may never have to contemplate. Such factors may include returning to school and lifestyle changes designed to make living on less income more feasible. Professionals changing careers may also need to develop a strategy for handling job interviews. When changing jobs as opposed to careers, professionals can draw attention to their résumés, essentially letting their experience speak for itself. However, while experience is often a feather in a job candidate’s cap,
professionals changing careers may need to focus more on their futures than their pasts when interviewing for a new career. • Draw attention to those skills that will apply to your new career. All of your experience and skills likely won’t transfer to your new career, but that does not mean you’re going in with an empty briefcase. Make a list of your most transferable skills and develop an interview strategy that highlights those skills and explains how they can be applied in both the near future and over the course of your new career. • Use your contacts to your advantage. Even if much of your experience won’t transfer to your new career, your professional network might still be valuable to a prospective employer. The longer you have been working, the larger your professional network likely is, so highlight those contacts in your interview and illustrate how you can put them to good use should you be hired. • Showcase how you have adapted in the past. Much of the business world moves at a breakneck pace. That pace has become even faster thanks to
advancements in technology that routinely affect how businesses operate. Even if you have never before changed careers, that does not mean you have not adapted to change. Make a list of the changes your employers have instituted throughout your career, highlighting how you adapted to those changes and benefitted from them in their aftermath. •R emain positive throughout the interview. Even if you are changing careers because you’re unhappy and/or unfulfilled in your present line of work, avoid badmouthing that industry and your past employers. Doing so will only reflect negatively on you and raise a red flag with prospective employers. Instead, explain your reasons for pursuing a new career path in terms that excite potential employers about your candidate. The decision to change careers can induce both excitement and anxiety. Maintaining a positive attitude and employing various strategies when interviewing with prospective employers can help make the transition to a new career go smoothly.
AWARD-WINNING
Community Newspaper
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NEW MANAGER LANDS AT KAMLOOPS AIRPORT
T
By Sean Brady
he Kamloops Airport has a new managing director. Venerable manager Fred Legace signed over his job to incoming managing director Heather McCarley in early September. McCarley started at a regional airport 30 years ago, also obtaining her pilot’s licence. Since then, she has worked for a regional airline and a ground-handling company and has been manager of airside operations at Vancouver International Airport. “It’s really nice to be coming back to regional airport operations here in Kamloops,” McCarley said. “Good regional airports connect their communities to destinations, for business and leisure. They offer jobs and make a difference in the community. It’s certainly what the Kamloops Airport has done in this community.” With Legace looking back on 15 years as manager, community was on his mind as well as he pointed to the people he’d be leaving behind, listing everyone from car rental agency workers to airline workers and janitors. “There’s so much community around here that goes into making this thing happen,” he said. “Those are the people I’m going to miss. Really.” Legace came to Kamloops from
Winnipeg in 2003. When he arrived, he saw there needed to be a broader range of flight options available during the day and thought that getting the infrastructure airlines needed would be the key to making that happen. Legace said that the airlines responded to that, noting flights are actually now cheaper at YKA than they were 15 years ago. At the official signing over of the accountable executive for the airport, Legace jovially threw his arms up in excitement as McCarley left her signature, but he’s mindful of what he’s leaving behind. “I always thought that when the time was right, that I should want to leave,” he said. “It’s still bittersweet. This is the best job in the whole damn city. It really is. You’re tightly connected to the community and the community really supports what we’re doing here.” Legace will stay in Kamloops and plans to work in insurance and risk management for small businesses. “They say a change is as good as a rest,” he said. As for McCarley, she acknowledged she has big shoes to fill, but added she is keen to dig into the job and feels reassured by the experience of Legace’s former team. “There’s been a lot of good work done and I hope to continue that,” she said.
TAKING FLIGHT WITH FACTS
The direct, indirect and induced economic contribution is: • $38.9 million to gross domestic product • 610 person years employment generating $27.8 million in household income • $8.3 million in taxes to all levels of government The airport contributes $8.3 million in taxes each year to all levels of government: • Federal taxes of $5.5 million • Provincial taxes of $2.2 million • Municipal taxes of $800 thousand Kamloops Airport creates 610 direct, indirect and induced person years of employment. Travellers arriving by air create another 250 person years of employment in the food and accommodation sectors. The airport: • Represents 0.6% of the regional economy • Employs 1.1% of the labour force • Pays about 1.2% of the total employment income. SEPTEMBER 2017 talk
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e d i s t u O x o e Th B
Outside the Box is a community project in partnership with Canadian Tire, Family Glass, Sun Valley Painting, Downtown Kamloops and the North Shore BIA. 14 local artists came together and painted metal newspaper boxes spread throughout the city. These 14 artists competed by following the criteria of a Kamloops theme, along with Canada 150, and showcasing their own unique talent.
Canadian Tire stepped up in a huge way for this event. They provided their new acrylic line of Premiere paint for the artists to use for the competition. By providing this to the artists, they were able to showcase what amazing community partners they are, and they have their sponsorship logo on all of the boxes as well. Plain and Simple, we could not have done this without Canadian Tire.
Find all our boxes at these locations NORTH SHORE • Craig’s Bakery 1800 Tranquille Rd.
• Outside Wilson House 115 Tranquille Rd. • Outside Red Beard 449 Tranquille Rd. • Outside Nu Leaf 740 Fortune Dr. • Outside NorthHills Shopping Centre 700 Tranquille Rd.
Not only did Sun Valley Painting agree to protect our box with weather resistant coating, they also added a graffitti protectant layer on them and they even did the whole job on our site to save us from transporting these boxes anywhere else. Sun Valley Painting has other jobs on the go and the fact they found time to provide us what we needed for this project shows what a great organization they are.
DOWNTOWN • Outside Caffe Motivo/Mittz Kitchen 227 Victoria St.
• Outside of 322 Victoria St. • Outside the Commodore 369 Victoria St. • Outside the Art Gallery/Library 465 Victoria St. • Outside the Noble Pig 650 Victoria St. • Outside Red Collar Brewery 355 Lansdowne St.
Richard Walker is a family man. He and his wife have twin girls and they work so hard from morning to night. We realized there were some windows on these boxes that needed repair and replacement and this amazing family run business didn’t hesitate to help out. Their attention to detail and willingness to do this shows they are a great contributor to Kamloops.
• Outside CBC Radio studio 218 Victoria St. • Outside Hotel 540 540 Victoria St. • Outside Scoopz Ice Cream Parlour 265 Lorne St.
venture kamloops
ECONOMIC UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
EMPLOYMENT RATE
THOMPSON OKANAGAN
BC
SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA LFS
CANADA
THOMPSON NICOLA REGION
BC
61.9%
62.5%
61.4%
63.1%
58.0%
7.1%
6.4%
AUGUST 2017 2017 2016
60.6%
5.1%
5.8%
6.8%
6.4%
AUGUST 2017 2017 2016
CANADA
SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA LFS
BUSINESS LICENCES THROUGHOUT AUGUST
469 374 BUSINESS LICENCES ISSUED (YTD)
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED (YTD)
96
COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED (YTD)
SOURCE: CITY OF KAMLOOPS
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601 Lansdowne St. Kamloops BC V2C 1Y6 P: 1.250.682.ISIN (4746) TF: 1.855.9ITISIN (4844746)
INDICATORS AIRPORT PASSENGER VOLUMES 2016 RESIDENTIAL (YTD)
216,720
YTD TRAVELERS
95,518,291
$
91,941,478
$
COMMERCIAL (YTD)
AUGUST MONTHLY TRAVELERS
CONSTRUCTION VALUE • AUGUST
205,228
27,388
20,921
2017
BUILDING PERMITS
20,671,951
$
$14,685,461
2017 2016
SOURCE: CITY OF KAMLOOPS
SOURCE: KAMLOOPS AIRPORT AUTHORITY
KAMLOOPS
$
$
2016
393,000
AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL PRICE • AUGUST
425,000
NUMBER OF HOUSING STARTS YTD • AUGUST
399
REAL ESTATE
362
HOUSING CONSTRUCTION
2017 SOURCE: CITY OF KAMLOOPS, STATISTICS CANADA
SOURCE: CITY OF KAMLOOPS
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IMPROVING
NORTH
SHORE EVERY DAY
by Steven L. Puhallo executive director, North Shore Business Association
N
ext year will be the 30th anniversary of the North Shore Business Association incorporating as an official business improvement area. Our beginnings go back to 1972, when the provincial government amalgamated the areas surrounding the original City of Kamloops. This included, among other areas, the village of Brocklehurst and the municipality of North Kamloops. In an effort to ensure there was still a voice in this now-larger municipality, the original group of business people came up with the name “North Shore” to describe what are now the regular neighbourhoods of Brocklehurst and North Kamloops. It’s those two neighbourhoods that make up our business improvement area. So, when you hear the term “North Shore,” it means Brocklehurst and North Kamloops. Trust us on this — we’re the organization that came up with it. Why is this important? Because recognizing and celebrating our different communities is one of the best parts of living in this great city. As Canadians, we are just as likely to celebrate what makes us unique as we are to celebrate what we have in common. If you’re from Valleyview, be proud of it. If you’re from Rayleigh, be proud of it. We’re proud to say, “We are the North Shore.” After four years as executive director of this great organization, it still surprises me that most people don’t know how a business improvement area works. When you live, breathe and sweat it every day, you sometimes forget part of your job is educating the community on who you are and what you do. 16 talk
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Business improvement areas operate under B.C.’s Community Charter legislation (statute 215) and are enacted through a bylaw passed by the city in which they operate. Our core funding comes from a levy placed upon the value of the commercial properties within our business improvement area. Our accountability measure comes in when our bylaw levy is renewed (for us, that’s every four years) and our commercial property owners can choose to continue to support us — or not. Our last levy renewal was in 2015 and we received a 97 per cent approval rating from our commercial property owners. As a BIA, our job is to work with our communities and businesses, as well as our private-sector and public-sector partners to grow our commercial districts. The NSBIA is unique among other BIAs because we don’t centre around a downtown core, but encompass the airport village, Ord Road industrial area, Brocklehurst Shopping Centre, 12th Street commercial corridor, 8th Street commercial corridor, Fortune Shopping Centre, Northills Shopping Centre and the Tranquille Market corridor. Surrounding all of that are our beautiful North Shore neighbourhoods, parks, schools and playgrounds, sports centres and fields, walking paths and beaches. It’s an exciting time for Kamloops, with the Sept. 30 civic byelection the focus of much attention this summer. Many quality candidates came forward and it shows the North Shore Business Improvement Association how engaged people are and how much they want to contribute to their city. It’s encouraging for us to hear so many candidates speak to the issues on the North Shore and put forward ideas on how we can continue our positive growth and community building. Elections are important events because they determine who makes the decisions about how we live, our taxes and services and what our priorities as a community are. With voter turnout at 33 per cent in the last Kamloops municipal election, we can do better. If you care about taxation rates, enforcement levels, spending priorities, infrastructure or garbage and recycling pick-up, you get to decide in every civic election. Every vote counts and these elections are where you can choose the future you want for Kamloops. It’s thanks to our businesses, commercial property owners, project sponsors, community neighbours and board of directors that we are so successful. Thank you to everyone who has been so helpful and supportive as we build on our past successes. We are the North Shore — and we’re excited to see what tomorrow brings.
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DIGITAL.KAMLoopSTHISWEEK.CoM
BUILDING A COMMUNITY,
1
O
AT A TIME SPOKE by Gay Pooler community builder and general manager Downtown Kamloops/KCBIA
ur goal for downtown Kamloops is to have people downtown — people doing business, people living, people having fun and life happening all around. Thus, a successful and vibrant neighbourhood. In this article, we will demonstrate how BIAs contribute to building community. The ways we get things rolling are not new; however, for the purposes of visualizing ideas, we are using a wheel. Looking at the supporting spokes, their goals, we see what we do as a BIA and the partnerships we build to achieve the desired end result of a vibrant neighbourhood. There are six spokes on our wheel: urban design, place management, public engagement, organic ownership, business attraction and retention and developers. Each has goals and actions. With urban design, the goal is to make downtown a place people — businesses and customers — want to be. Planning and
designing of the physical space takes into consideration how people will interact within that environment. Strategic planning is key. As a BIA, we help create the vision for downtown and we work with the city and other stakeholders, consulting, planning and advocating, contributing to the overall community plan and the city centre plan. Our businesses and property owners contribute by having the essential core businesses and services in our area and investing in downtown. Victoria Street is a success story. In the 1980s, our visionary business people worked with the city, putting up money to revitalize the street, creating the essential, strong spine that would support downtown and enable it to grow and thrive. Planning for the future, one of the design elements necessary to further support growth and vibrancy is a public plaza — a community gathering place in the heart of the city. Once people want to be downtown, place management’s goal is to ensure they are compelled to stay, making sure people
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feel comfortable and welcome. This involves everything from beautification and clean and safe programs like our Customer Care and Patrol (CAP) Team ambassadors to interactive activities that keep people engaged. Our CAP Team is a successful example, as are bistro sets and outdoor games like checkers and giant Jenga. People stop, sit, play, converse, have fun and are now staying longer and loving it. We are striving for 250 days/evenings a year of activity in our downtown. They need not all be big events, but any activity, event or program that will engage even 50 or 100 people is desired. Consistency is king. Yoga in the Park, Artisans Alive and lunch and evening music are some we currently do. These examples roll us into the next spoke of the wheel — public engagement, which is creating and building positive experiences that engage our customers. This starts with marketing — especially social media — and builds with unexpected, random happenings, such as Roving Santa or impromptu jam sessions at a public piano. It grows with dynamic events that people embrace as their own, inviting all of their friends, such as our recent multi-partner Back Alley Block Party. That party was fun and immensely enjoyed by all who attended. We want to collaborate with others in the community to have more of all these different types of activities downtown. Let’s roll ahead to the key spoke of organic ownership. At this point, we have gotten people downtown, actively engaged them and given them a good experience, with the result that they want to call it their own. Organic ownership flourishes. We must build on that and encourage it. We act as a host, welcoming events and programs organized by others — including paint nights at a pub, a remembrance, Santa or Pride Parades, Ribfest, Brewloops and fundraising runs. We host, facilitate and promote building loyalty in the neighbourhood along the way. Look at the Back Alley Block Party, where we created a unique space in our back alleys,
partnered with others to make it happen and attracted the people — more than 1,800 attendees who rated the event an 8.7 out of 10, with 20 per cent of them coming because a friend invited them. Planning ahead, we will have more block party-type events, consistent smaller activities and new festivals. Downtown Kamloops is the place to have your activity, program or event. At this point in the wheel, we have people downtown and business follows people. Our job is to spread the word to businesses that downtown Kamloops has people in it, people happy to be here. We do this by collecting and supplying information. A very useful tool is our State of Downtown Report, which is available on our website. This has myriad information specific to downtown Kamloops, including statistics and facts — such as pedestrian counts, lease rates and demographics — that businesses look for when determining if they want to locate in a specific city or area of a city. Business attraction and retention is a spoke in the wheel we consider a high priority and on which we work with Venture Kamloops and others. This brings me to the final spoke, which is all about developers. If we want more residential units, in addition to appealing public spaces and more people in the area, we must attract developers. Sometimes, this requires incentives such as the revitalization tax exemption, development cost charge reductions and solid neighbourhood plans with proper zoning in place. The KCBIA works alongside both the city and stakeholders to find solutions to problems and innovative ways to incentivize development. Collaboration and partnerships are essential to all the spokes on the community building wheel. They wrap around it all, creating a circle that enables forward momentum, taking us down the path to a better community. The rubber hits the road.
Kamloops’ #1 News Source KAMLOOPSTHISWEEK.COM
www.kamloopsthisweek.com • Ph: 250-374-7467 • Fax: 250-374-1033 • 1365B Dalhousie Drive FALL 2017 talk
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INDICATIONS OF CHANGE by Jim Anderson, executive director, Venture Kamloops
COMMUNITY SUPPORTING COMMUNITY Investing in the community to impact change through collaboration and partnerships
www.cooperfamilyfoundation.com 20 talk
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celebrate
spirit
pay it forward
rarely based on the state of a local economy, but rather on challenges facing the particular line of business across its entire operation. In 2004, the Office of Consumer Affairs, Industry Canada issued The Consumer Trends Report and updated it in 2011 with the Consumer Trends Update. These documents portray a starkly changing retail landscape. However, the data highlighted in the report shows that annual retail sales in Canada continue to grow by tens of billions of dollars each year. The lesson to be drawn from these trends is that changes in retail are not an accurate local economic indicator. In fact, retail activity is a trailing indicator. We should look to employment numbers, real estate sales and, on a local level, building activity and business licence activity as truer indicators of the local economy. These are reliable, data-driven indications of just how well the economy in the city is doing. Change can be hard. And there is no doubt that empty storefronts do not fit the picture of a bustling, growing economy, but these situations are indications of change, not indications of the economy. We’re all served best by keeping a close eye on the best economic indicators and working to ensure the economic drivers behind them remain strong and healthy.
inclusion
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n his book Everybody’s Political What’s What?, published in 1945, George Bernard Shaw famously wrote, “progress is impossible without change . . .” This statement is just as true today as it was then. And it’s particularly true when viewed from the perspective of economic development because lasting development of an economy, be it local, regional, national or international, will only take place if things change. It can be a troubling process. For us in Kamloops, recent changes have included some highly publicized closures of longstanding, well-regarded businesses. While reasons for these closures vary greatly, the fact remains: businesses we’ve grown to know and trust are no longer there and the people they employed no longer have those jobs. These situations are troubling, to say the least, and the loss of jobs causes questions to be asked about the economic health of the city. The prudent thing to remember in these cases is that retail closures are generally an indication of changing consumer habits, rather than a local economic indicator. This is particularly true in the case of closures of local outlets of larger nationwide chains. The decision to close locations across a national network is
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Q&A
RECRUITING
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WITH
EXCEL PERSONNEL Q: What, exactly, does a recruitment agency do?
A: Excel Personnel is an employment/ staffing/recruitment agency hired by our clients to source, shortlist, select, interview, evaluate and reference/vet candidates for the position available in the client company. We also complete education verifications and any criminal record search or drug and alcohol tests.
Q: Does your agency help find employees for employers or does the search work the other way as well? A: Excel Personnel works for the client for a fee-for-service, very similar to an outsourced human-resources consultant working for the client to identify and present top-tier candidates for any position within their firm. It is illegal to charge a candidate to assist them in finding work in Canada.
Q: What are the benefits of contracting a recruiter?
A: At Excel Personnel, contacting our recruiters is the first step in identifying which positions are being worked on with our recruitment team, which jobs are advertised and which ones are silent and confidential. Our recruiters are aware of what is out there in the market and what may be on the horizon.
Q: Does your agency focus on a specific type of employee/ employer (i.e. professional versus blue collar jobs)?
A: Excel Personnel has built the business over the last 25 years based on being a boutique recruitment firm. That means we recruit all positions in all industries, from janitors to general managers. We do not have the luxury of being a specialized firm like our affiliates in the larger centres.
Q: In addition to recruitment services, what else does your company provide in terms of helping pair employees to employers? Resumes? Interview tips? etc. A: When Excel Personnel is working with a client and candidate, we make sure their resume is in its best presentation format for the client’s review. It is tweaked and
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presented on our letterhead without any contact information or references, in order to keep their information confidential until such time as a hire is pending. Excel Personnel debriefs all candidates on the company with which they will be interviewing, explains the company culture and walks them through a scenario on a possible interview and what they can expect in their meetings. Our motto: “If you have the skills, abilities, personality, dress and attitude that the client is seeking, we are presenting you for an interview.
Q: Is hiring a recruitment agency affordable?
A: Nationally, you will see different rates from smaller agencies so they can get the business. Standard across Canada, agencies bill a placement fee based on a percentage of the first year’s gross income of the candidate up to a certain salary range. Typically, Excel Personnel bills 15.5 per cent of their salary, with a 50 per cent upfront retainer and the balance due on hire date. This recruitment fee also is attached to a guarantee period of between three and six months. This guarantees to the client that Excel Personnel stands behind their practices and guarantees if the candidate leaves for any reason or the client is released for cause, Excel Personnel will recruit again immediately, at no additional cost, for the same position.
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FALL 2017 talk
21
HOW TO BUILD A STRONG PROFESSIONAL NETWORK
N
etworking is often seen as a means to further one’s career, but developing a group of professional contacts can also be a great way for professionals to stay abreast of trends in their particular fields. Networking also can benefit small businesses as they look to connect with vendors that can help them grow their businesses. A strong professional network is not built overnight and many professionals spend years nurturing relationships with people in their networks. Individuals and business owners can take several approaches when building professional networks they will rely on for years to come:
Ask around:
Some individuals may hesitate to seek networking advice out of fear of appearing opportunistic. But successful professionals understand the need to network, so your colleagues will likely be glad to offer referrals if they’re in a position to do so. When receiving a referral, ask if you can use the person’s name, which should help you establish a connection during the 22 talk
FALL 2017
introductory process. Resist the idea that using a colleague’s name when meeting a professional you hope to work with is something sinister, as the name will only help you with the introduction. Once the introduction has been made, it’s up to you to do the rest.
Get active in your industry:
Referrals are not the only way to develop professional contacts. Being active in your industry by joining professional organizations and attending seminars and other industry events is a great way to expand your network. Volunteer to work with professional organizations when possible or offer to host information sessions or educational workshops at your business.
Reconnect with your college or university:
Another great way to build a professional network is to reconnect with your college or university. When meeting people affiliated with your alma mater, the ice has already been broken in a sense as the school is essentially a built-in connection.
You also won’t have to worry about the awkwardness that might come when meeting a professional contact with whom you have less in common. Alumni organizations and local chapters can introduce you to people who earned your degree at your school, and many people love to help out their fellow alumni.
Employ social media:
Social media is not just for kids. In fact, social media is a great way for professionals to make and maintain professional contacts. LinkedIn, for example, makes it easy to connect with fellow professionals who are looking to do the same. Twitter can be used to promote professional events such as seminars or workshops you are working with. These platforms can be used to grow your network quickly and easily, but be sure to vet each person you connect with to make sure you are affiliating yourself with the right people. Building a strong professional network takes patience and hard work. But the right network can pay dividends for years to come.
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The path to our destination may not always be straight, and the weather may not The path to our destination may not always be straight, and the weather may not always be clear. But handling what nature throws our way is part of being Canadian. always be clear. But handling what nature throws our way is part of being Canadian. 4MATIC all-wheel drive from Mercedes-Benz gives you the traction, stability and 4MATIC all-wheel drive from Mercedes-Benz gives you the traction, stability and control you need to get to the moments that matter. Learn more at 4MATIC.ca control you need to get to the moments that matter. Learn more at 4MATIC.ca
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© 2017 Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc.
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