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YOUR SOURCE FOR BUSINESS AND AGRICULTURE IN LANARK, LEEDS & GRENVILLE SEPTEMBER 2013
VOL. 12 NO. 5
Gananoque Chamber presents a positive ‘Forward Vision’
By MONIKA S. WALKER Bright Mingle Media
-Business Today photo by JAN MURRAY
Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve Clark, 1000 Islands Gananoque Chamber President Joe Baptista, and Leeds-Grenville MP Gord Brown are all pleased with the Forward Vision of this community. The 1000 Islands Gananoque Chamber of Commerce held a breakfast meeting Aug. 23 at Cousins on King to present this vision to all who attended. on jobs and economic growth and assured those in attendance that this is exactly what the plan is. He proceeded to briefly explain this economic plan. “It takes action in three important areas.� This will include investing in getting Canadians the right skills for the jobs available. One way they plan to do this, he explains, “Is through the New Canadian Job Grant which provides up to $15,000 more per person to ensure that Canadians have the skills that they need, and that employers are seeking.� Secondly, they are investing in roads and bridges, and the third action plan is for investments in manufacturing. Reassuring those in
attendance that all the while they will work to “ensure that taxes remain low.� He continued “low taxes are crucial to economic success.� Brown reminded everyone that “our Conservative government has cut taxes over 150 times! Income taxes, GST, business taxes, and we’re very proud of that record.� The MP spoke: on the budget, initiatives and jobs; on tougher sentences for sexual offenders and new projects in place for victims; on infrastructure, work completed at the Customs Centre at Johnstown and the $60,000 that went into the 1000 Islands Bridge. See CHAMBER page 2
Why does it matter if a business thrives? The answer may seem obvious, but the truth is we don’t always know the true value of a business and all it offers our community without reflection. And the open secret? Businesses that thrive recognize their own value. The Perth Business Referral Network (PBRN) is a small and growing group of local business owners who meet weekly to network and learn to communicate their business value, developing referrals and cultivating the best quality product or service they can to offer the Perth community. “PBRN can give people who are new to the community a place to plug-in,� says Denise Carpenter-Ducharmes of Reiki Associates, a founder of the PBRN. “Friendships develop, and the group gets along as a group.� PBRN members seem eager to attend, despite the meeting’s early start. More than an enjoyable social gathering, however, the PBRN has been supporting both new and established local businesses
to grow steadily in success through their participation as members. Cheryl Sinfield joined the group in March of 2012 with two new businesses: as an artist and sculptor handcrafting “faery houses� and mystical creatures, and a cleaning business called “The Cleaning Faery�. The latter has been so successful that she now has a client waiting list, and she just finished hosting the third annual Faeryfest this past June 2, which featured her art, a thriving local event with a record number of vendors attending. “If I hadn’t had the PBRN, I wouldn’t have this success,� Sinfield enthuses. “They all came through referrals - word of mouth and now I often have to turn people away!� Economic Development Coordinator for the Town of Perth, Casey Buchanan, recognizes the value of PBRN to Perth, explaining, “It’s important for us to retain small businesses. We need the support both financially and to meet the needs of our town’s ever-changing and diverse market.� See PBRN page 3
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By JAN MURRAY The 1000 Islands Gananoque Chamber of Commerce held a breakfast meeting last month at Cousins on King to present its “Forward Vision� to all in attendance. Special guests, MP Gord Brown and MPP Steve Clark, joined Chamber President Joseph Baptista to present their upbeat plan for the future and discuss ways in which the community has and will continue to thrive. In his opening comments, President Baptista stated, “Chambers need to be run more like the businesses we serve.� He continued, “This means running effective programs that meet the needs of our business and of our partners.� Part of Baptista’s four-part plan is segmentation. “We are going to take into account all the different elements of the different businesses that are members. We are going to look at their business structures; we’re going to look at their value propositions; we’re going to look at their needs.� By doing this, he believes that “We will be able to develop future programs that fit the needs of those programs.� Other areas in his future vision include developing programs which include training and mentorship, communication, and also the Tourism Program. “The Chamber continues to be the major player in the communication of promotion of Gananoque and the 1000 Islands and we want to continue that,� assured Baptista. Brown said that for the federal government, the economy and long-term prosperity of Canada, takes priority. Brown declared, “So far, with the support of our economic development plan, Canada is doing very well. Our economy has created over one million net new jobs.� He continued, “It’s clear that we are on the right track.� Brown reiterated that the focus needs to stay
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