Vernon Chambers celebrates Small Business Week

Small Business Week kicks off Monday, Oct. 19, and the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce along with chambers across the Okanagan will celebrate it with events, webinars and support for small business.

“Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities, creating employment, supporting our non-profits and sports teams and adding diversity to our economy,” chamber manager Dan Proulx said.

“The Okanagan We Got This coalition of chambers wants to celebrate the importance of small business and that is the primary focus of our OK We Got This video and its message of staying positive, working together and showing local some love.”

To mark the occasion, the coalition — which consists of chambers in Enderby, Armstrong-Spallumcheen, Lake Country, Kelowna, Peachland, Summerland, Penticton, South Okanagan and the Greater Westside Board of Trade — is hosting a myriad of events aimed at boosting small business.

In collaboration with Community Futures, Valleywide Small Business Week showcases webinars aimed at helping the Okanagan’s small businesses; topics include Small Business Financials (Oct. 20), Marketing and Cyber Security (Oct. 21), and HR and Workplace Culture (Oct. 22).

The week will conclude with a bang as the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce hosts the 2020 Business Excellence Awards, presented by Valley First. This year’s virtual celebration will see guest speakers such as Jillian Harris, founder and creative director of Jillian Harris Design, and Vernon native and Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland.

Vernon’s own Andrew Allen will provide the entertainment in the virtual presentation.

Watch the whole evening unfold online on the chamber’s website.

BDC Small Business Week, which runs countrywide from Oct. 19-23, is organized by the Business Development Bank of Canada for more than 40 years

SMALL BUSINESS WEEK ACTIVITIES IN THE OKANAGAN

• In partnership with Community Futures – Valleywide Small Business Week showcases webinars aimed at helping Small Businesses in the Okanagan. To find out more check out: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/small-business-week-tickets-124192889275
• October 20 Small Business Financials sponsored by BDO
• October 21 Marketing and Cyber Security sponsored by VantageOne Credit Union
• October 22 HR and Workplace Culture

• On Oct. 21 at noon, the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce hosts Michael Denham, president and CEO of the BDC in a special event, Forging The Way Forward: How Entrepreneurs Are Adapting to the Pandemic. The link to register is: https://bit.ly/34sGiUV

• On Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., the Penticton Chamber of Commerce is celebrating Small Business Week with a Chamber Cash Mob. The chamber will host the event in-person and online, visiting three stores, over 10 hours, in a hybrid-mob format. More information on the event can be found here: https://bit.ly/353HwWV

• On Friday, Oct. 23 from 6-8 p.m., the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce hosts the 2020 Business Excellence Awards, Presented by Valley First, a division of First West Credit Union. Headlining the virtual celebration are guest speakers Jillian Harris, founder and creative director of Jillian Harris Design, former Bachelorette and co-host of Love It Or List It Vancouver; and Ken Holland, Vernon native and general manager of the Edmonton Oilers. And Vernon’s Andrew Allen will take to the stage and perform. The link to register for this event is: https://bit.ly/3dvcZoS

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