Dear Readers,

We would like to congratulate Allison, our Communications & Events Manager at the  Kelowna Chamber, on being promoted from Miss to Mrs over the weekend. Best wishes to Allison and Jared Franczak of Vantage West Realty on their new life together. 
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The Chamber sent out a Member Satisfaction Survey this past week. We value our members and would appreciate your feedback on your experience with our organization. Contact  Brittney to receive a link to the survey. Deadline to submit your response is September 26th at 4pm.
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Great News: T he Province will be providing the Thompson-Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) with $200,000 to assist with tourism-related impacts seen from the BC Wildfires. TOTA will be working closely with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture and Destination BC to assess the needs of those affected and how we can best support in the days ahead. 
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Update on the Federal Tax Legislation Policy Changes:
The advocacy work being done by the Kelowna Chamber and chambers across the country is ensuring small businesses hear about the issue and react in advance of the October 2, 2017 consultation deadline. The Kelowna Chamber has established a link on its website which gathers much of the background information and Chamber releases in one place. Read further to see the results of our survey this past month. 

Our Executive Director, Dan Rogers, is en route to the Canadian Chamber AGM, where Finance Minister Morneau has agreed to meet with the Chambers & Media. Dan will be bringing forward the Kelowna Chamber's Requests of the Prime Minister and the Federal Government in joint partnership with Chamber's across Canada.
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Our BDO Top 40 Under 40 program is officially underway.  Nominate someone deserving of this recognition today!


Warmest Regards,
The Kelowna Chamber Team
Upcoming Events
TONIGHT, Sept 21 | 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm | 3rd Floor - 1665 Ellis St
Chamber Luncheon Series with Keynote Speaker
Charles Duncan, New President WestJet Encore
Sept 29 | 11:30 pm - 1:30 pm | Coast Capri Hotel

A chance to win 2 tickets to a WestJet destination with each registration!
30th Annual Business Excellence Awards
Early bird ticket sales end Sept 30th at 4pm!
Member News
  • Congrats to  Global Okanagan on celebrating their 60 year anniversary in the Okanagan Valley!
  • Get involved with Women in Tech initiatives by Accelerate Okanagan. They host a variety of events including 'Women in Technology Unwine'd' on October 5th. Join their Facebook group.
  • The Elizabeth Fry Society is hosting a Burger & Bevvies Night Fundraiser at Rose's Waterfront Pub on Sept 28th from 6-9pm. Tickets purchased here.
  • Okanagan College will be hosting workshops for soon-to-be retirees. 'Launching Your Encore Career' starts Sept 26th and 'Am I Ready to Retire?' workshop runs Nov 7 + 9th at the Kelowna Campus.
  • Kelowna Community Resources will be hosting a workshop on 'Fund Development Overview' on October 3rd and 10th from 9am - 4pm. Register here.
  • Canadian Wholesale Lighting will be having their grand opening and Chamber Ribbon Cutting on Sept 28th from 4pm - 7pm at #5-1525 Dilworth Dr. Come in and receive a 25% discount.
  • We were onsite for a great evening on Sept 7th at our member Stor-X Kelowna's new showroom space with special guest Jillian Harris!
Survey Results on the Proposed  Federal   Tax Legislation Changes
Thank you for participating in our survey on the proposed Federal Tax Legislation Changes this last month. 

Not surprisingly, members of the Kelowna Chamber are overwhelmingly opposed to the proposed tax policy changes. The findings flow from a recently conducted poll of Chamber Members. The results fell into line with those of many small businesses surveyed nationally since the July government announcement.

Across the board, 86% of respondents said they were aware of the proposal. And 81% of those thought they would be negatively impacted by the proposed changes. Kelowna member businesses expressed dismay, anger, concern and heartfelt requests for the Feds to extend the consultation period on the proposed changes, and allow small businesses, farmers, incorporated professionals, and other affected business people a chance to tell their stories.

"We have been extremely active in the last month trying to ensure the voice of local businesses are heard at the national level but we didn't want to miss an opportunity to engage and listen to the specific concerns of our members," says Dan Rogers, Kelowna Chamber Executive Director... 
Members: Gain Exposure by  Offering Coupons & Discounts
Are you interested in driving business to your door?  Not only do we offer a listing in our   Business Directory  on the Kelowna Chamber website for our members, but we also offer an opportunity to post  enticing coupons or discounts of good value to our   Coupon & Discounts  page. So  why not gain some extra exposure for your business for free! 

Upload your discounts by reading these instructions or contact Diana, our Member Engagement Specialist, for further questions.

  Check out what you as a member can also benefit from with the Kelowna Chamber.
How Trustworthy Are You?
Charles Green, CEO of Trusted Advisors, has been studying trust and how to build it in organizations since 1997. What he has found is that trust is made up of four components:
  1. Credibility - The words we say, the skills and credentials we bring, and the way in which people experience our expertise make people trust us.
  2. Reliability - The actions we take, our predictability, and the ways in which people find us dependable make people trust us.
  3. Intimacy - The extent to which people feel they can confide in us and perceive us as discreet, empathetic and safe all make people trust us.
  4. (Low) self-orientation - The more people feel we are focused on them, rather than on ourselves, the more they trust us...
The Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of BC & Yukon  is pleased to provide monthly HR advice and information to the members of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. 

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