friday, march 21, 2014 a1 mybusiness · surrey-white rock, present the show every april in...

Alina KONEVSKIABBOTSFORD NEWS

Anyone looking to grow their business and make a few extra connections will soon have the networking event of the year on their doorstep in Abbotsford.Fraser Valley chambers of commerce are banding together to create this year’s Business Showcase. The seventh annual event will have more than 1,000 business people from the region mingling with about 200 exhibitors of all types.“We have local businesses ranging from small to large. We have not-for-profit organizations. We have home-based business. We have chamber mem-bers and non-chamber members,” said Carole Jorgensen, Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce’s events coordinator.The chambers from Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Cloverdale, Langley, Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, Mission, Surrey and South Surrey-White Rock, present the show every April in Abbotsford and every fall in Langley.Admission is free, and there will be complimentary ap-petizers and beverages.“It’s a unique event. Yes, we

have exhibit booths, but because we have it com-plementary to attend, and

we’re providing food and beverages, it makes for a unique networking event,”

said Jorgensen. “And be-cause of the members at-tending from all the partic-

ip-at-ing

chambers, we have a great

mix of exhibitors.”New for this year is a line up of speakers. IGL Financial Solutions’ will give a talk at 3 p.m., with John Hakkarainen and Dustin Hughes; the topic will be about the Cham-ber of Commerce group insurance plan. At 4 p.m., Guy Steeves of Constant Contact will speak about the power of social media, while at 5 p.m., IQ Man-agement’s Gerry Wiebe will present on employee training. Finally at 6 p.m., Ken Keis of CRG Consulting Resource Group will speak on creating greater value to improve credibility in the workplace.The 2014 Fraser Valley Chambers of Commerce Business Showcase will be held at TRADEX in Abbots-ford on Wednesday, April 16, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.Attendees are required to pre-register at abbotsford-chamber.com.Organizers are also looking for one more event spon-sor, to join the list of three already signed on: Canadi-an Blood Services, Ja-ni-Clean Janitorial Services, and Instant Imprints.There are still booths left for exhibitors, and non-member businesses

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Abbotsford News Friday, March 21, 2014 A1

Photos from last year’s successful networking event at Tradex.

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“Because council members need more than just papers in a binder!”

The Abbotsford Chamber would like to welcome 5 businessessince February 21:

On Wednesday March 19, members of the Chamber gathered at the Rancho for our Annual General Meeting. At the meeting, the membership had the opportunity to elect 5 board directors for a 2 year term and hear from the Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of Inter-national Trade & Member of Parliament for Abbotsford. One of my favourite parts of the AGM is the opportunity that I have as President to update the membership on what we have accomplished over the last year. Here are a few of the highlights. In 2013 we celebrated our 100th year as a Chamber with many events to mark this great milestone. We orga-nized a trip to China and created a

community grant program where we awarded $2,500 to three deserving local non-profit organizations. We launched this new Chamber publica-tion with the Abbotsford News called myBusiness and worked with a class of UFV students to help us with a mem-bership drive. From an advocacy perspective, we protected the interests of local berry producers by opposing an audible bird scare device bylaw. We saw the completion of the Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Prosperity and creation of an Economic Development Strategy for the City. The city announced that it will continue with the Mobile Business License Program brought forward by

the Chamber.Another area where we supported small business was our opposition to the location of a very controversial sup-portive recovery home. Although we support the need for this low barrier facility in Abbotsford, we don’t agree that the C7 zone within the Business Improvement Area is the right location. We continue to lobby to ensure that MMBC will have a minimal impact on businesses that produce paper or pack-aging that will enter the residential recycling stream. As we look forward into 2014 we have many new exciting initiatives under-way which I will elaborate on in future issues.

P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G EBOARD OF DIRECTORS20

14

N E W B U S I N E S S E S :

Joshua BachVICE PRESIDENT

Kenda AllenDIRECTOR

Hilary BeardDIRECTOR

Mark DanaDIRECTOR

Dave MillerDIRECTOR

Sara LawsonDIRECTOR

Brandon KelleyTREASURER

John MacDonaldDIRECTOR

Jason BlumenfeldDIRECTOR

Parm SidhuDIRECTOR

Cameron WilsonDIRECTOR

Mark WarkentinDIRECTOR

Mike WeltePRESIDENT

Industrial Quality Management – Gerry Wiebe – 604-746-6447The Chef’s Pantry and Catering Co. Ltd – Pamela Scott – 604-855-2545Jelly Marketing – Darian Kovacs – 866-459-1648Abbotsford Paint & Decorating – Martin Prus – 604-850-6750Killer B’s Renos – Matt Beingessner – 778-242-1191

Becoming a member of the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce provides substantial benefits to generate more business and reach the heart of your community.

The Voice of Business for Abbotsford.

A2 Abbotsford News Friday, March 21, 2014

Membership updated on accomplishments in past year




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Practice makes perfect. That may seem like a cliché, but it holds true when students are trying to finesse a new skill. And since students in UFV busi-ness professor Mark Breedveld’s BUS 322 (Advanced Selling) class are working on honing their sales skills, it made perfect sense to team up with a local organization that was looking to expand its client base.Third-year business students have been working with the Abbotsford Chamber of Com-merce on a sales campaign aimed at boosting awareness — and ultimately membership numbers.The students were divided into teams, and assigned to do “cold calls” from a list of business names drawn from the city’s business licence registry. Students were welcome to call their own “warm” contacts as well, but each student had

to cold call 30 businesses to encourage a decision-maker to attend one of six information sessions being led by the stu-dents at the Chamber’s Seve-noaks boardroom.Allan Asaph, executive director of the Abbotsford Chamber, has been working with the stu-dents, letting them know what benefits to highlight when making their cold calls.During the week of March 24-28, the student groups will make in-person presentations to the “prospects” who have ex-pressed interest in the Chamber after having heard the initial pitch via phone or in person.A component of the students’ grades in their UFV course will be based on their ability to fill the room with prospective Chamber members — some of whom will hopefully proceed on to membership. “This is active learning at its

best,” says Breedveld. “Our students enjoy the opportu-nity of being able to apply the knowledge they are learning in the classroom.”Some of the benefits that the students are explaining to potential members include net-working opportunities, advoca-cy that the chamber provides on issues such as taxation, access to group benefits, the chance to meet new potential clients, and advertising oppor-tunities in various Chamber media products.So if you see a few new mem-bers at Chamber functions this spring, ask them how they heard about the Chamber of Commerce. Chances are, a UFV business student sold them on the concept by showing how Chamber membership could solve some of their business challenges.


Chamber teams up with UFV business students on membership drive

Allan Asaph, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, working with UFV business students.

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A4 Abbotsford News Friday, March 21, 2014

Bill 14 requirementsMade easy with St. John Ambulance TrainingWorkplace bullying and harassment is a growing issue in British Columbia. So much so that last May the Government of B.C. passed Bill 14, aimed at address-ing revisions to the Workers Compen-sation Act as it relates to compensation for mental health disorders. The government gave employers a six-month timeframe ending November 1, 2013 to meet these new requirements which include official anti-bullying pol-icies, anti-bullying and harass-ment training for all employees, clear reporting and complaints procedures for bullying and ha-rassment as well as detailed records for all cases of bullying and harassment. Given the significance of the changes, St. John Ambulance British Columbia and Yukon recognized the policies may be difficult for companies to meet. “Bullying and harassment is a major occupational safety issue that pos-es potential risk to the physical and mental health and safety of workers and it’s hard to know where to start when implementing new company

policy,” says Karen MacPherson, CEO St. John Ambulance British Columbia and Yukon.“While the initial six-month timeframe has passed, it’s still just as important that companies, regardless of in-dustry or area, are educated on the importance of Bill 14 and are capable

of meeting these new requirements. As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting workplace health and safety, we developed online support and training programs aimed at em-ployers and employees to make these adjustments as easy and accessible as possible.”The two-part program includes a free online tutorial, “BC Bill 14: Workplace Bullying and Harassment – Meeting Employer Requirements” for employers

which shares resources and informa-tion needed to ensure compliance with Bill 14.A second, online employee program “Workplace Bullying and Harassment – How to Recognize and Respond” provides the required training and

tools to prevent and respond to workplace bullying and harass-ment, including: a training pro-gram for supervisors and work-ers on how to recognize and report workplace bullying and harassment, adaptable tem-plates for managers to develop

an anti-bullying and harassment policy for the workplace, and procedures for reporting complaints and incidents of bullying and harassment.St. John Ambulance’s online format makes it easy for Abbotsford busi-nesses to meet these requirements. For more information on these cours-es, or to register, visit bc.sjatraining.ca, call our Abbotsford branch at 604-853-8700 or Customer Service at 1.866.321.2651.

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L I V E W O R K P L A Y

Maybe you can see our city having lower taxes, creating a better environment for small business,stimulating jobs, improved transit or solving social issues.

Our goal is to stimulate conversations from Abbotsford residents to bring ideas and issues to the table for this year’s review of the Official Community Plan and the fall Municipal election. Also, BOLD Forums will be held for your opportunity to submit your idea(s) in person. Dates will be posted on the website below.

WE ARE ASKING YOU . . . WHAT IS YOUR BOLD IDEA FOR ABBOTSFORD?

TO PARTICIPATE: Complete the online form (it will only take a few minutes) at

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UPCOMINGCHAMBER EVENTST H E A R T O F S U C C E S S F U L N E T W O R K I N G DATE: Thursday, April 10TIME: 7:30am - 9:00amLOCATION: abc Country Restaurant

F R A S E R V A L L E Y C H A M B E R S O F C O M M E R C E B U S I N E S S S H O W C A S E DATE: Wednesday, April 16TIME: 2:00pm – 7:00pmLOCATION: TRADEX

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Y O U N G L E A D E R S M I N G L E DATE: Thursday, May 8TIME: 4:30pm – 7:00pmLOCATION: Chances Abbotsford

All events require pre-registration. Visit www.abbotsfordchamber.com to register.


Transforming the lives of our most vulnerable children

Have you ever wondered how you could truly make a difference in the life of a child in this commuity?The Abbotsford School District recognizes the significant role that community plays in the success of our students. We know that it takes more than just a school to transform the lives of some of our most vulner-able children, and that is why we are asking for your support.The CIS initiative proves that a dedicated school staff and parent group, together with community volunteers, can make a significant impact on the future of our children. The project aims to break the cycle of poverty for students living in identified priority neighborhoods, by combining a focus on academic achievement and a positive school environment. We are not asking for financial resources, we are asking for the gift

of time. If you think you are part of a community-minded organization that may be able to release you to volunteer for up to 1 hour per week and are interested in helping the most vulnerable members of our community, then we would love to talk to you about how you can become a Community in Schools partner agency. It Takes an Entire Village to Raise a Child…Please contact us today at [email protected] or [email protected] to be part of your next staff meeting.Best regards,Andrea Senft & David de WitCommunity in Schools Coordinators

For community and business leaders, a Community in Schools (CIS) partnership can be one of the most efficient and effective ways to contrib-ute to significant community change: • Partnerships are making a

significant and direct impact, and they have engaged the community to be part of that change.

• Volunteers return to work feeling positive and satisfied with their contribution.

• Volunteers enjoy sharing in children’s lives and celebrating their successes.

friday, march 21, 2014 a1 mybusiness · surrey-white rock, present the show every april in...

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