JEN DART
Special the the Westerly
The Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce is starting a new program that will be seeking input from local businesses. The Tofino Business Retention and Expansion project is starting this spring thanks to funding from Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET) and the Chamber.
We are looking to interview a total of 50 business owners and manager this spring and fall. Kat Derusha, the Chamber’s Business Advisor, has been hired for this purpose and comes to us recently from the Yukon where she worked with the Dawson City Chamber of Commerce.
We are asking questions on business related topics from staffing to housing, from resources to local services. This is an effort to establish some baseline data that we will be able to build on year over year, as well as to get some insights into the challenges that are currently facing our business community. We know about a lot of the issues and need concrete information. By quantifying some of this information, which we have not been able to do on this scale before, we hope to have valuable data to share.
While the individual information will be kept anonymous, the results of the collective interviews will be shared with local leaders and organizations and will help to inform the Chamber’s lobbying efforts to other levels of government. The Chamber will also use this information to pursue programs and other possible partnerships that may be required and beneficial.
This project is the first of its kind in Tofino, and it will allow us to hear directly from local businesses. We are looking forward to hearing what insights come from these very important conversations.
The interviews will preferably be done in person with Kat on site at your business or at another location. It is also possible to accomplish them over Zoom, although in-person is preferred. They will take roughly 45 minutes to one hour to complete and cover a fair amount of information in that time period.
The best person in your business or organization to do the interview is an owner or manager that is familiar with staffing levels, staff housing, current operations, and future growth.
To book an appointment with Kat, please visit here.
For more information, please see our website at www.tofinochamber.org/bre.
Jen Dart is the executive director of the Tofino Long Beach chamber of commerce.
READ MORE: Ambassador Program boosts local knowledge in Tofino and Ucluelet
READ MORE: Three Tofino companies up for Small Business BC Awards
READ MORE: Ucluelet chamber excited about economic development