Chamber Blog Posts
And the Winners Are...
Oct 22, 2015KELOWNA, October 22, 2015 - Thirty-five finalists were honoured at the 28th Annual Business Excellence Awards presented by the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce and Platinum Sponsors the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and Far...
Read MoreCloud Accounting in Canada
Oct 14, 2015A common question posed by business owners like you to accounting professionals here in Canada: What’s the best way for a small business owner to generate business income / expense statements and file tax returns efficiently? The answer? It ...
Read MoreTPP Deal has potential to provide $9.9 billion in gains
Oct 6, 2015Yesterday's announcement that Canada has successfully concluded negotiations to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) came as a great relief to the Chamber. The economic benefit and jobs this trade agreement will bring our country's com...
Read MoreTravel, Awards, Best Business Practices - Fall is Underway
Sep 29, 2015We all say September 1 is the real start of the new year, and 2015 is no exception. Our tremendous staff at the Kelowna Chamber worked away during August to ensure all our September events filled up and shone; here we are staring October in the face,...
Read MoreCanada's Budget Surplus as the Holy Grail
Sep 23, 2015Never in Canadian history has such an abstruse issue of public finance so dominated the election campaign. Even before the government announced a $1.9-billion surplus for 2014-2015, each party was using the issue as a powerful symb...
Read MoreClean Drinking Water a Concern in Kelowna
Sep 15, 2015Kelowna City Council outlined priorities yesterday that will guide city operations through to 2018 and the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce was very pleased to see clean drinking water on the top of the priority list. Our residents and businesses ...
Read MoreBusiness Excellence Award Finalists Announced!
Sep 11, 2015Thirty-five finalists will be honoured at the 28th Annual Business Excellence Awards on October 21st at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort where eleven category recipients will be announced, along with the Business Leader of the Year recipient. ...
Read MoreFederal Candidate Business-Focused Q & A
Aug 31, 2015The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce is keenly interested in all levels of government and the business environments that encourage economic development. In this light, we are hosting a Federal Candidates Forum on September 25th, 7:30am at the Manteo Resor...
Read MoreHow to Find Time for Social Media
Aug 26, 2015Small business owners, especially those businesses with under 10 employees, find it extremely difficult to justify the time on social media because it doesn’t lead to predictable, measurable cost savings or revenue. Social media and cont...
Read MoreWhy We Need the TPP (“Trans-Pacific Partnership” or “Trade Is a Pain for Politicians”)
Aug 19, 2015Wouldn’t it be great to join a free trade agreement with 12 countries in the world’s fastest growing region— one that covers 40% of the world’s GDP and one-third of global trade? The Peterson Institute for Internationa...
Read MoreAugust Update @ The Chamber
Aug 13, 2015Here at the Chamber, we are gearing up for a VERY busy September. In partnership with our Ambassadors, we are hosting our very first Wedding Expo & Fashion Show. Those in the industry, or soon-to-be married, should not miss this! ...
Read MoreMark this Date on your Calendar as a Landmark for Canadian Businesses
Aug 5, 2015When Canadians go to the polls on Monday October 19, some results from this summer’s two major economic earthquakes will be known to us. Or at least, more clear. Greece: Is it still in the Euro community after the July emergency meetings? ...
Read MoreExport Revolution: When Zero Is Actually Pretty Good
Jul 31, 2015Economic weakness abounds! The country is in recession and exports are “stalled” according to the Bank of Canada. But if you dig into the numbers, something bigger is happening. The first five months of export data show a huge 31%...
Read MoreThe Return of Crisis: What it means for Canada's Economy
Jul 23, 2015Dark storms are gathering over the global economy. Greece is once again at the precipice, insolvent and in need of another €85 billion to stave off collapse and recapitalize its shattered banks. At the same time, China’s stock market i...
Read MoreCanada - Even better than Crest Toothpaste
Jul 8, 2015This week, we're going to channel Hendrik Brakel’s research on the Canadian “tourism economy” in the first quarter of 2015. Brakel, The Canadian Chamber’s Senior Director, Economic, Financial & Tax Policy, has turned h...
Read MoreThe Top 3 Issues in the Federal Election: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
Jun 30, 2015Jobs are always a top issue in a federal election, but with this shaky economy, it’s fast becoming the number one priority. Opposition parties have made much of the recent bad news: in the first quarter, Canada’s GDP shrank by 0.6%, e...
Read MoreCommodity Wildcard: What is happening in China?
Jun 22, 2015When someone asks where commodity prices are headed, they’re really asking: what’s the outlook for China? Last year, China consumed more coal than the rest of the world combined and imported 70% of the world’s seaborne iron...
Read MoreBreaking Barriers to Employing in Multiple Provinces
Jun 16, 2015Many businesses in British Columbia's resource sector must grapple with differences between the employment standards legislation of British Columbia and Alberta. This places an undue burden on many small businesses, and may result in a competitiv...
Read MoreAdvocacy Update
Jun 8, 2015Recently, our CEO, Caroline Grover and myself travelled to Prince George for the BC Chamber AGM. We brought forward five resolutions from our membership and received support from our colleagues across the Province. The theme this year for four...
Read MoreRight Place, Right Time
Jun 2, 2015As spring races into summer, Kelowna’s economic numbers continue to reflect a sturdiness that makes us all feel optimistic. Our Chamber members are cautiously confident – not all businesses are enjoying growth, but optimism and ...
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