What a week in Calgary! The AVCC team flew across Canada to attend the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Canada Conference and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce AGM and Convention last week. It was an informative opportunity to learn about the future planning of various Chambers across Canada and how the Annapolis Valley aligns with the collective vision.
We met so many other individuals from the Chamber community and were able to connect and bounce around ideas about the Chamber world and gain valuable insight for moving forward.
We left with informative takeaways from keynote speakers including Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small Business, Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board, Eric Termuende, Workplace and Cultural Leadership Expert, Dave Kilby from the California Chamber of Commerce, and more. We’re excited to incorporate what we’ve learned into the upcoming year to benefit our local membership.
We experienced a heartwarming keynote address by the Honourable Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board, at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce AGM and Convention.
Minister Anand proudly recollected learning from a young age the importance of small business to our local communities. She referenced her upbringing with our members in the Town of Kentville as an inclusive supporting community, ready for business growth and supporting diversity. She called out our members Kentville Pharmasave, R. D. Chisholm LTD and local business Phinneys as not only a great place for her family to shop but as the heartbeat of the community. Their children went to school at KCA, donated to charities, sponsored local events, and volunteered, creating a vibrant community for everyone!
For the majority of the last two days, we voted on policies brought forward by Chambers across the country. It was an amazing opportunity to be a part of the discussion and decision-making of what advocacy issues the Chamber is fiercely supporting during the upcoming year. You can find the Proposed Policy Resolutions here.
To all our small businesses, the Chamber network sees you, and we appreciate the hard work you do every day. Even during the difficult past few years, our members have continued to be vital to our communities. Hearing them recognized at the national level in front of our colleagues across Canada was very deserved! Let’s make a conscious effort to support our local businesses. Without them, we would not have a sustainable and thriving community! Let’s celebrate and support the businesses that make a difference in our neighbourhoods.
Your Business & Being Online
We heard a lot of great information Tuesday at the Business & Being Online workshop! The Annapolis Valley Chamber in collaboration with CBDC Hants-Kings hosted a workshop for Small Business Week, Your Business & Being Online.
Joel Stoddart, CBDC Hants-Kings spoke about the opportunities to expand online for Small Businesses through the Canada Digital Adoption Program.
Eligible businesses will receive a micro-grant of up to $2,400 to help with the costs related to adopting e-commerce and supported by a network of e-commerce advisors. The options for this program are extensive and if you are a Small Business in the area that would benefit from assistance with your online presence, I would encourage you to reach out to CBDC Hants-Kings.
To further expand on the topic of your business and being online, Julie Ogilvie (before she made her way to Halifax for the Social East conference), from Julie Ogilvie Digital Strategy helped participants navigate the challenges of creating content online, how to help turn their customer transformation stories into profit, and what specific formats best used to convey their stories to customers.
We’re always looking for feedback on what topics are beneficial for our local business community & Chamber members, if you have suggestions, please reach out to coordinator@annapolisvalleychamber.ca
The Chambers Plan
All our Plans include awesome extras, like Business Assistance Service, Teladoc Medical Experts, and my-benefits health. Explore what’s available for free with your coverage. Learn more https://www.chamberplan.ca/…/group-benefits/group-health
Welcome New Members!
- Fix Auto Kentville
- Mountainview Poultry Ltd
- Adrienne Comeau Photography
- Tidal Training Club
- Puppets At Hand
- The Smart Energy Company
- Furry Paws Pet Salon
Chamber Members – we want to hear from you!
It’s planning time at the Chamber! As we begin to wrap up 2023 we want to hear from you. We’re seeking input from our membership to gather information to shape our focus and projects for 2024. We want to know the opportunities you’re looking forward to your biggest challenges and how the chamber can better serve your business. Fill out the quick survey below!
Chamber Perks
The Annapolis Valley Chamber of Commerce is excited to offer all chamber members as part of their membership the Chamber Perks Mobile App for FREE.
The Chamber Perks App will allow your business to now be featured on our mobile business directory for all chamber businesses and users who have downloaded the app to easily search for your business. The App will also provide you with a great marketing tool for your business to offer perks and discounts not only to other chamber businesses but to users who download the app.
The Chamber Perks App will also allow your business and your employees the opportunity to save money and take advantage of perks and discounts offered exclusively to chamber businesses and their employees.
Valley Social Network: Networking at The Noodle Guy
