What do Columbia Valley retail stores, law offices, restaurants, manufacturers, trades services and financial services have in common? They represent the types of businesses that will be visited by business leaders, in Columbia Valley communities during our first Business Walk on November 12.

The program is designed to have representatives of organizations that serve the business community take the time to connect face to face with business operators in an informal, casual way and determine how conditions can be improved.

The program is powered by the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce and is a partnership between the BC Economic Development Association, the Ministry of Job Tourism & Skills Training, Shuswap First Nation, Akisqnuk First Nation, local municipalities, Regional District of East Kootenay, Fairmont Business Association and both Chambers of Commerce. Business walks have proven highly effective in strengthening local economies by retaining businesses in a community and creating an environment where they can grow.

The plan is to have more than 40 volunteer business leaders “walkers” call on 200 businesses and have brief conversations around three key questions: “How is business?”; “What do you like about doing business in your area?”; and “How can business be improved?” Companies with specific needs will be followed up and provided one-on-one assistance.

The information gathered during business walks can be used in a number of ways. For organizations such as the Community Futures, Basin Business Advisors (CBT), College of the Rockies, Ministry of Jobs Tourism and Skills Training and the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce, business walks track the pulse of the business community and is one tool used to identify needed programs and services to the community. Civic leaders can better connect with businesses in their communities through the face-to-face conversation that is initiated, and identify and remove barriers to doing business in their areas.

Corie Griffiths, Business Development Officer for the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission and the first organization to conduct a Business Walk in Canada, says “Recognizing the economic impact small business have on the local economy, business retention and enhancement has been the mainstay of COEDC programming. This is an excellent way for service providers throughout the region to come together to improve the services we provide to our local businesses and ensure a sustainable economic climate that promotes growth in the region.”

“The Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce has been wanting to conduct a business walk for a couple of years and when the BCEDA provided training recently and provided us with the tools necessary to gather and input the data and we felt that the value of the data for supporting the economic resilience of the Columbia Valley was well worth the investment of time and resources to take advantage of the opportunity,” explained Susan Clovechok, Executive Director CVCC.

Volunteers will gather at the CVCC at 11:30 a.m. on November 12 for a light lunch and training before heading out to speak to local businesses throughout the Columbia Valley.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the Columbia Valley Business Walk can call Susan at 250-342-2844.

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