Business Resources

The South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce offers a wide range of resources for your business from start-up to expansion to succession planning.

Our services include:

• Research – fee for service
• Small Business Start Up – Community Information
• Statistical Information
• Economic Gardening
• Business and organization training seminars and workshops
• Project information and referrals

South Okanagan Immigrant and Community Services

The South Okanagan Immigrant and Community Services (SOICS) developed this employer
toolkit, with funding from the Government of Canada and the Province of British
Columbia.

The toolkit is divided into four main sections:

• Benefits of Hiring Immigrant Workers
• Understanding Culture
• How to Recruit and Retain Skilled Immigrant Workers
• Employer Resources

Dowload the Employer Tool Kit .pdf

South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce Professional Business Consultant

WESTRAND Consulting Group is a professional consulting company dedicated to providing management development and consulting expertise, corporate and organizational development, leadership development and mentorship to the clients we serve. Our customers range from small and medium size businesses to community groups including  Chambers of Commerce and Cooperatives.

Professional services:

-         Business Plan development

-         Strategic Planning for organizations and business

-         Leadership and management development

-         Small business and retail development

-         Community development

For more information about business start-up or resources, contact the Chamber of Commerce CEO, Bonnie Dancy, or call 250-498-6321

Links to our Partners:

Online Business Permits and Licencing Service

www.oliver.ca

www.osoyoos.ca

www.rdos.bc.ca

Community Futures Okanagan

Economic Gardening

A three tiered process focusing on information, infrastructure and connections, Economic
Gardening supports the idea that economies are grown internally and driven by local entrepreneurs.  While traditional economic development strategies focus on attracting and recruiting new businesses, Economic Gardening is an approach designed to support local business and bring more wealth into the local economy.

Economic Gardening is focused on supporting local companies that are innovative and growing • Using the same sophisticated tools used by large corporations such as:

• Online Database searching to gather competitor and market information
• Geographic Information Systems for mapping market and competitor information
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to increase website visibility
• Web Marketing to increase web presence and traffic
• Social Media & Research Tools to communicate via the web
• Hiring and utilizing highly skilled staff

For more information contact Charles Cornell

250 493 2566 ext 213

www.cfokanagan.com

BC Small Business Resource Centre

Resource Centre for Small Business. Our goal is to become the most business-friendly jurisdiction in Canada. This site will connect you with the many programs and resources available to help you grow your small business in British Columbia.

www.resourcecentre.gov.bc.ca