Our valley is filled with many wonderful products/services and great opportunities. The challenge we have is finding them easily and quickly. Our Okanagan is an online tool developed to address this challenge. The goal is to connect those with needs to those that can address them, creating more opportunity for all.
Our Okanagan is an independent steering committee with representation from the Community Futures of the valley, Accelerate Okanagan, chambers of commerce and the economic development community. While engaging local businesses, Community Futures and Okanagan Partnership noticed many organizations were sourcing products and services outside of the valley that could be sourced locally. Soon a small group began brainstorming ideas on how to connect businesses and individuals to local suppliers of products and services. Our Okanagan was developed and Community Futures staff and contractors have been assembled to build and market Our Okanagan throughout the valley.
Are you a consumer who wants local products and services? Are you a local business or non-profit that wants to showcase your local products and services on a valley-wide forum? Visit www.ourokanagan.ca and follow the easy and quick sign up. Join the over 1,600 already registered memberships in Our Okanagan. To search, it’s free. Best of all, there aren’t any paid advertisements influencing your search. For businesses and non-profits, it is free until January 2012 thanks to the funding by the providers mentioned. The fee will then be based on the total cost of hosting divided among all of the organizations registered. The steering committee’s goal is to keep the costs as low as possible to allow every business and non-profit in the valley to register.
Don’t miss out on the last Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce Business After Business of this season. The Ramada Inn will host the season wrap-up on June 23 at its newly renovated poolside from 5-7 p.m. There is no charge for chamber members, while future members may check out the action for $20 at the door.
The Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce is also hosting the last spring business excellence seminar in June. “Customers – The Centre of Your Business” is a workshop that targets business owners and employees to expand on their definition of service and creates a refreshing approach to the important customer service issue that affects your bottom line. Sorry, the June seminar is already sold out.
And don’t miss out on the Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce membership special. Join as a new member by Sept. 1 and receive an extra three months of membership for the price of 12 months. Call Andrea at 250-492-4103 and mention this special. Offer is for new members only.
Erin Hanson is the general manager of the Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce.