BACC BUZZ For September 17th, 2007
2. 1. A Word From the President
2.uUpcoming Chamber Events
3. Member News and Views
4. Office Hours
5. Training and Seminars Available
6. Contact Information
1. From the President, Vernon Cornish.
The last month has been a busy one. I have spent the time "getting up to speed" on the many activites that the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce is currently involved in. II have had the opportunity to meet a number of the members since August 14th and I look forward to meeting more in the days and weeks ahead.
Fifty-two people attended the lunch on September 5th when Gerald Keddy, MP presented his views of the accord and the best course of action for Nova Scotia. The information was well received from those in attendance.
The past month has been a busy one. I had the opportunity of attending the opening of The Fairview Inn and Cranberry's Restaurant. Congratulations to Jerry and Pam Porodo on a job well done. They have taken one of the historic buildings in the town and given it a well deserved face lift.
On August 21st Maria Antonietta and Fritz Conradin, owners of the Lighthouse Motel, hosted an alive@5 event for Chamber members and guests. Great food, great view and great company, what more could you ask for. A special thanks to Maria and Fritz for inviting us to their beautiful spot on the LaHave River.
Dave and Betty, owners of Dave's Vacuum have recently expanded their store and are planning a evening of celebration on Wednesday, September 26th. The members of the Chamber are invited. Take this opportunity to drop by and congratulate the hard working owners of Dave's Vacuum. More details are in the Upcoming Chamber Events section of this newsletter.
Your comments and suggestions are important to us, please forward them to the Chamber office at bacc@eastlink.ca.
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2. Upcoming Chamber Events
Bridgewater & Area Chamber of Commerce
Alive @ 5 Event
Open House Event – Dave’s Vacuum Clinic
Join us for an evening of information, prizes, deals and networking.
This promises to be a great evening. Enjoy cocktails prepared by Dave’s guest Chef, home on vacation from Ontario. He is a former chef of Le Bistro and The Henry House in Halifax and currently works with the Serendipity Café in Windsor, ON. Let your taste buds be pampered!
Dave’s Vacuum has expanded and Dave will give us a grand tour complete with an overview of new product launches along with a full focus on their new Green Cleaning product line of refillable products. Way to go Dave!
Prizes will be given – Special pricing will be available!
Wednesday September 26, 2007
Dave’s Vacuum, 209G High Street, Bridgewater
5:00 – 9:00 pm
Cost: FREE of Charge
To confirm your spot, please call 212-2525
or email hector@hisecurity.ca
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Mark your calendars for a special networking breakfast to be held on Friday, October 5th.
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October 18th, 2007 Lunenburg County Business Excellence Awards.
Where: The Wandlyn Inn, Bridgewater
Tickets will be on sale next week.
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3. Member News and Views.
The Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome Sylvia Booth as a member of the Chamber. Sylvia is the regional representative for the Centre for Women in Business. Sylvia is well known to many business owners in the area. Welcome to the Chamber!
It’s not everybody that can say that they love their job. Even fewer would say that they have the perfect job. But in the case of Sylvia Booth, she loves what she does and thinks she has the ideal job.
Sylvia is the Centre for Women in Business’ regional business facilitator for the South Shore. In this role, she works with South Shore women business owners to connect them with the tools and resources that will help them achieve their business goals.
Sylvia, a Certified General Accountant with a background in various aspects of business management, has worked for and with small and medium sized businesses for the past 25 years. In addition to her work with the Centre, for the past nine years she has owned and operated an accounting business.
“In my role with the Centre I’m able to take all of my experience and put it to good use helping my clients,” says Sylvia.
The Centre for Women in Business, located at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, was created with funding from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) to provide female entrepreneurs with the support, training and resources they need to succeed in business. Since opening in 1992, the Centre has served more than 4000 women in business.
While the Centre’s main focus is to help and support women in business and some activities like the monthly Women’s Networking Nights are reserved for women-only, generally both women and men are welcome to use the programs and services offered by the Centre. These range from business advisory sessions to business management training workshops and a membership program.
The Women in Business Initiative (WBI) is a program of ACOA that provides funding to the Centre to offer rural women in business the services they need to grow and compete. Sylvia is one of the Centre’s five staff members across mainland Nova Scotia that are available to help rural women business owners. The team assists women entrepreneurs to access the right business advice, information and support, improve their skills and business network, improve their access to financing, obtain expert advice, and identify ways to enhance your innovation or export capacity.
“The most rewarding aspect of my job is being able to sit down with a woman business owner, listen to her story, and find ways to help her move her business along the path to success,” says Sylvia. “When my clients receive accolades for their business, it is icing on the cake.”
Sylvia doesn’t believe that you can’t have your cake and eat it to. She gets to do what she loves, and in the process, help others do what they love. It’s no wonder she believes her job is perfect.
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4. Office Hours
Monday September 17 9:00 to 3:30
Tuesday, September 18 9:00 to Noon (out of office meeting in the afternoon)
Wednesday, Sept 19 Office Closed
Thursday, Septebmer 20 9:00 to 3:30
Friday, September 21 9:00 to Noon
Monday, Sept 24 9:00 to 3:30
Tuesday, Sept 25 9:00 to 3:30
Wednesday, Sept 26 Office Closed
Thursday September 27 Office Closed
Friday, September 28 9:00 to 3:30
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5. The following information is about two seminars that are being offered free of charge. Please contact ACBSC to register if you are interested in attending.
The ABCs of the Workers’
Compensation Board
Tuesday, September 25, 2007, 6:00-7:30pm
ACSBE Resource Centre, Suite 108, Gateway Plaza, 215 Dominion Street, Bridgewater
Delivered by: Tom Burt, WCB of Nova Scotia
To register: call 543-1067 or email Andrew.button@acadiau.ca
Cost: No cost to attend
Did you know that the Nova Scotia Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) provides workplace injury insurance for more than 18,000 employers, representing about 300,000 workers across the province? Maybe you did.
But did you also know that as an employer, you have rights and responsibilities to the WCB? On September 25, WCB representative Tom Burt will make it all very simple for you. During this 90 minute workshop, you’ll learn:
- · why the WCB exists, and what it does for you as an employer
- · whether or not you are legally required to register with the WCB
- · how to figure out how much you need to pay the WCB, and how often
- · how you can reduce your WCB payments
- · how you can make your workplace safer for all employees
So You Want to Start a Business…
Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 9:00am-4:00pm (one hour for lunch)
ACSBE Resource Centre, Suite 108, Gateway Plaza, 215 Dominion Street, Bridgewater
Delivered by: Helen Abel, ACSBE
To register: call 543-1067 or email Andrew.button@acadiau.ca
Cost: No cost to attend
Starting a business isn’t usually as confusing or complicated as you might think, but it can seem that way if you’re sitting at home with an idea in your head, and wondering “what do I do first?”
Designed for aspiring business owners, ‘So You Want to Start a Business’, examines all the necessary steps in an easy-to-follow format. Specifically, we’ll discuss each of the following topics
- self-assessment and suitability for self-employment (is it right for you?)
- components of a winning business plan, including marketing, financial planning, and goal setting
- where and how to acquire small business financing
- how to make sense of registrations, permits, and government requirements
- who can help?
So join us on September 26, and find out if you have what it takes.
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6. Please contact us at
543-4263
543-1156 FAX
Bridgewater And Area Chamber of Commerce
220 North Street, Bridgewater NS, B4V 2V6
