So much to celebrate during Small Business Week!
Support Your Local Merchants in Colchester County
The Truro & Colchester Chamber of Commerce will be celebrating Small Business Week from Oct. 15 to 19 with a wide range of networking and educational activities planned for members and the business community at large. Small Business Week was founded by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) about 39 years ago. According to BDC, 99.7 per cent of Canadian businesses are small and mediumsized businesses. Our Chamber joins BDC and thousands of businesses across Canada to celebrate our small to medium enterprises driving the nation’s economy. The Chamber is hosting events every day and will launch its Small Business Week celebration on Oct. 15 with a free breakfast for Women in Business from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at the Holiday Inn. Gena Arthur, President of Pure Paint Laboratories in Bible Hill is our guest speaker and will discuss her experiences establishing and growing her business. The breakfast, sponsored by Grant Thornton and BDC, is open to everyone; however, seating is limited so please register early. In the evening, we will continue to celebrate women in business at the Marigold Cultural Centre from 4 to 6 p.m. with inspirational motivational speakers followed by a wine and cheese networking reception. Guest speakers for the evening are Dawn Shive and Eleanor Beaton. Shive is the COO at Patterson Law, and is speaking on how in a business world where women have been routinely underestimated, women don’t need to make themselves into someone else. There are many characteristics that women bring to the table that are changing the equation, and business outcomes. Beaton is a women’s leadership mentor and founder of Fierce Feminine Leadership, an organization that helps ambitious professional women and business owners develop the confidence, presence, political savvy and influence they need to smash the glass ceiling and take their seats at the tables where the big deals and big decisions are made. No admission is being charged for this event; however, we invite donations to be shared with the Central Nova Women’s Resource Centre and Third Place Transition House. A free Business Builder Breakfast will be held on Oct. 16 at 8:30 a.m. at the Marigold Cultural Centre themed “How Your Job Post can Make an Impact With the Right People” with guest presenter Erin Barclay, sponsored by White LeBlanc Wealth Planners – Hollis Wealth. A Lunch and Learn on the topic of group insurance benefits for Chamber members with guest speaker Don Theriault of the Chambers of Commerce Insurance Plan, will be held on Oct. 17 at noon (12 p.m.) at the Marigold Cultural Centre. On Thursday, Oct. 18 we will recognize several outstanding businesses in this area with seven awards: New Small Business of the Year, sponsored by Community Credit Union; Small Business Achievement, sponsored by PWC; Export Achievement Award sponsored by NSBI; Small Business Innovation, sponsored by RBC; Excellence in Community Development Award sponsored by the Town of Truro; Agriculture/ Agri Small Business Award, sponsored by MNP LLP; and Small Business Growth Award, sponsored by BDC.In addition to those awards, the Chamber will present its second annual Legacy Award for a business start-up. Guest speaker at the award luncheon, sponsored by Grant Thornton, is Sandra Quesnel, program manager for the Yarmouth Association for Community Residential Option. The Chamber is partnering with the Downtown Truro Partnership and the Truro and Colchester Partnership for Prosperity to promote a shop local day on Oct. 19. According to a BC shop local group LOCO, for every $100 spent at Canadian businesses approximately $46 stays in the community. When you shop at a big box store, just $18 out of $100 stays in the community. Supporting locally owned businesses enables more jobs to be created, about 57 jobs for every $10 million spent and local businesses support local events, sports teams and charities 250 per cent more than big companies. A small shift, just 10 per cent, of a budget which a consumer planned to spend anyway would contribute millions back into the local economy. Our Chamber encourages people to give thought to shifting their shopping habits whenever possible in an effort to support local. Please join the Chamber and its partners during Small Business Week to highlight the many people who own, operate and work at our small businesses making a significant positive impact on our region. To view a list of all of our events and others celebrating small business during the week, or to register, visit our website, www.trurocolchesterchamber.com.