What is the Pemberton Chamber of Commerce doing for business in 2010? Perhaps a better question would be: What would you like it do?
To answer the former, the Chamber offers its members the benefits of group insurance, merchant banking services, payroll management systems and discounts on a variety of business related expenses such as financial bookkeeping, fuel and office supplies. In addition, networking and marketing tools to expand your business base are offered. We also support the Tourism Pemberton and the Pemberton Visitor Centre.
All these actions are good for business and good for our community, but are they good enough?
What happens after the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics? The athletes and reporters will have all gone home. The highway will return to normal, and unfortunately the public transit system between Pemberton and Whistler will not be as convenient!
Is it business as usual when the hype is gone? The Village of Pemberton, Squamish Lillooet Regional District and private business laboured hard for Olympic legacies, only for to fall short.
Or did they?
Have we really seen the extent to which the upgrade of Highway 99 impacts our community? The speed with which the Vancouver market can reach Pemberton and vice versa hasn’t had a chance to take root.
The net exposure of Vancouver and Whistler will invariably bring new avenues of tourism and business to our doorstep. If we’ve learned anything from bidding on contracts, requests for proposals or building new relationships, it’s that preparation and persistence are key. We expect it from our best athletes — do you expect it from your business? Shouldn’t you expect it from the Chamber?
We can make assumptions about what you want out of the Chamber, but unless we ask we might not deliver what you need to be successful. Seems pretty simple and could be very effective.
Do you want more opportunities to network and attract more clients? Would you attend luncheons or seminars with guest speakers related to business practices in the valley? What subjects or guest speakers would you most like to hear about or from?
The Chamber needs your feedback before we act. You can participate by answering a quick survey on our website at www.pembertonchamber.com.
The Chamber looks forward to working with you in 2010. We need to be more in touch with our current members and be able to attract new members. Our strength should rest in our diversity, our growth in listening to your ideas and our success built on partnerships. Can we actually achieve it? We’re up for the challenge… is your business?
