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December’s Business After 5, which takes place on Wednesday, December 13, is a very special version of the monthly Chamber event.

With a “Yule Shop & Mingle” theme, the event, which takes place at the Dante Club (1330 London Road) from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., will feature an extra hour of networking, along with shopping for those special people on your list.

This is one of the most popular Business After 5 events of the year, made extra special in that the “holiday spirit” has settled on us all!

Having the opportunity to see what various merchants who have signed up to display their goodies (Christmas presents anyone?) puts the proverbial icing on the cake.

There is also an opportunity as part of this Business After 5 to “meet and mingle” with members of the YP Connects group.

Looking for an opportunity to take part in the shopping part of this event? A few spots are still available by contacting Kim Inniss-Petersen, the Chamber’s manager of Member Engagement and Retention.

Don’t miss out!

The Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce has urged Sarnia City Council to “think outside the box” and provide leadership with a view to increasing revenue without putting additional burdens on taxpayers.

The comments from the Chamber came in the form of a letter addressed to Mayor Mike Bradley and members of Council that was delivered to City Hall ahead of budget deliberations that took place earlier this week (Nov. 20, 2017)

Chamber CEO Shirley de Silva and Chair Michael Kooy, in acknowledging that “our goals are high,” also said the vision of the Chamber and its members is clear.

“We will need to work together as a community to succeed,” said the Chamber representatives.

In the letter, the Chamber focused its comments on three areas: taxation, debt, and infrastructure.

Taxation

The Chamber is advocating for revenue generation over cost reduction or increasing taxation. The organization said it supports Council’s direction to staff to research potential business incentives, including locked-in commercial tax rates and grants to offset development charges.

The Chamber advocates a “trial” period for the incentives to determine their effectiveness.

Debt

While the Chamber has congratulated the City for reducing its municipal debt, it reminded Council of its urging last year to take advantage of historically low debt and low-interest rates to invest in economic development projects. This year, it cited the partnership to redevelop the former Sarnia General Hospital site as an excellent investment that will revitalize a neighbourhood while removing what had become an eyesore, a fiscal burden, and a security risk.

The Chamber also pointed to funding for the Oversized Load Corridor by the City as a worthwhile investment.

Infrastructure

The Chamber is pleased that Sarnia is expanding its asset management plans pointing out that there is a minimum of $240 million in repairs, upgrades, and replacements needed.

The letter concluded with a recommendation to make wise investments “to create a more prosperous community which new and existing residents are proud to call home.”

The Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Government of Canada and Government of Ontario, is offering a FREE half-day seminar that will benefit companies interested in exploring how exporting can make a positive difference in their growth trajectory.

The seminar, which takes place Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017 at the Chamber’s offices at 556 Christina St. N., will run from 9 a.m. to noon.

The first 15 businesses to register will be able to attend the seminar, which is being offered by the Canada-Ontario Export Forum, Ontario’s Regional Trade Network.

The organization is a partnership of federal, provincial, municipal and non-profit organizations—all dedicated to helping Ontario companies export.

The Chamber’s Global Business Opportunities Community is hosting the seminar in its role as a facilitator of export development opportunities in Sarnia-Lambton.

Companies that attend will be able to explore ways they can assess and develop their export readiness. They will also learn what resources are available to help them achieve export success.

Participants will also receive an overview of key export support resources and partners that can help small and medium enterprises become “export ready” and export to global markets.

Registration information can be found HERE.

Karen Minty, a new member of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce through her Forty Hours business, is offering individuals the opportunity to build an effective introductory tool that she says will help set them on the right path.

Her upcoming “Elevator Pitch” seminar is one of the latest examples of how Minty is helping make a difference in the community.

The event takes place on Thursday, Nov. 30 at the offices of EXIT Realty (1323 Michigan Ave., Sarnia). The cost is $45 for the 9 a.m. to noon seminar.

To register, email Minty.

Forty Hours is Minty’s umbrella business that she says is about helping individuals and organizations create positive change in the way they present themselves.

“Together, we’ll dig deep to uncover that ‘superpower’ of yours,” said Minty. “We’ll help you to embrace that difference, push it to the forefront, and weave your story in a way that empowers you. Properly told, your story will resonate with people and draw them in as potential clients or investors.”

The “Elevator Pitch” is often can be a first step in that process.

Minty offers workshops, speaking engagements, and individual appointments as a way to help individuals present their message in a clear, concise, and engaging way.

Three new members have come on board recently at the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce.

We are extending a warm welcome to Bricks 4 Kidz, which uses Lego products to provide a fun, hands-on learning and building experience focused on the increasingly important STEM model (short for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Critical thinking for kids is part of what makes Bricks 4 Kidz so popular.

Bricks 4 Kidz is located at 1030 Confederation St, Unit 8A. Owners Stephen Devlin and Celyn Marsh would love to hear from you. They can be contacted at (519) 381-5856.

Another new member is Young Drivers of Canada, locally operated by Alexa and Alex Pape. Previously Alex had worked with great success at Young Drivers in Ottawa. Then a year ago, the couple decided to relocate to the area to be closer to their extended family. “The risk and uncertainty of starting our own business have been so worth it,” said Alexa. “We have truly enjoyed serving Sarnia and area and plan to continue to do so for years to come.”

The third new member is Karen Minty and her fortyhours business. Minty is a professional communicator/facilitator who is featured elsewhere in this newsletter.

We warmly welcome these “newcomers” to the Chamber family!

When the Sarnia Lambton Workforce Development Board was first created, it was firmly focused on training, says Shauna Carr, now its executive director.

“It was even in our name,” says Carr, who runs the small office (there are just two full-time and one part-time staff) that is celebrating 20 years of service. “Some people still refer to us as the Training Board.”

It was those two decades ago that the organization was put in place as part of a joint initiative by the provincial and federal governments, originally to look what training would be required.

“It was an initiative that would bring a local perspective,” says Carr. “The idea being that the local community knew better what was going to be required.”

A decade ago, the current name was adopted and today the SLWDB is funded solely by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development.

“We haven’t had federal funding for several years,” notes Carr, who also serves as co-chair of Workforce Planning West, comprising the nine boards in the western region as part of Workforce Planning Ontario.

Under the current umbrella of services, the SLWDB has doubled down on its goal of better understanding what the local labour market plan for the Sarnia Lambton community should be, basing those projections on a combination of census data an “employer one” survey that is done every January.

“We help employers look to the future and encourage them to look at issues that are going to impact their business,” says Carr.

One of those is the reality that more people are retiring but most companies, the vast majority being small businesses, aren’t necessarily planning for how they will adapt.

“The extremely forward-thinking businesses have been doing that,” says Carr. “But smaller firms don’t necessarily have those resources to do the planning that is necessary.”

Carr is doing what she can to fill the gap, working with a volunteer board of directors made up of representatives of business, labour, education and the community.

“We’re basically a research agency that helps inform what the supply and demand is from a workforce standpoint,” she notes.

Making connections between job seekers and employers is part of that task.

“A lot of it is related to the skills gap,” says Carr. “And what skills are needed in big cities like Toronto aren’t necessarily the same as in Sarnia-Lambton.”

One possible surprise to some may be that there is a shortage of engineers in our area.

“I would never have thought that,” says Carr. “But it’s talking to local employers that revealed that key insight.”

Other realities like the need to bring on more apprentices to keep renewing a skilled workforce are also part of what the SLWDB sees on its radar.

“The key thing is that we’re always available to present what we’ve learned about the local labour market,” says Carr, who points to the organization as being a source of information on grants being sought. “If we have it, we’ll provide it, but if we don’t we’ll get you to that person or explain why the data isn’t collected. That’s why we’re here.”

Shauna Carr can be reached by email. Her phone number is (519) 332-0000.

Next year’s “Famous 5” speaker series has announced its roster for 2018, with special pricing available until Dec. 31, 2017.

The name refers to a group of five courageous women, known as the Famous Five, who stepped forward to challenge laws and convention by insisting that women were indeed “persons.”

The Enbridge Famous 5 Speaker Series combines tribute with inspiration as it profiles extraordinary women.

The events take place at the Holiday Inn in Point Edward and run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Early bird pricing information and booking can be found HERE.

The four events on the featured guest list for 2018 are:

Thursday, February 1, 2018: Emm Gryner; Singer/Songwriter

Thursday, April 12, 2018: Elizabeth Manley, Olympic Figure Skater & World Silver Medalist

Thursday, June 7, 2018: Gina Wilson, Deputy Minister, Status of Women, Canada

September 27, 2018: Barbara Stegemann, from CBC Dragon’s Den