Tuesday E-mail - April 21, 2010

What Is The Chamber Doing For You?


Business After Hours at Canadore College

Don’t miss your chance to get engaged in your business community and NETWORK! Business After Hours events are not just for business owners and managers; we encourage members to give front line, sales, tech, or other staff the opportunity to meet and mingle and make new contacts.

Join us and your host, Canadore College at 60 James Street, Suite 201, Parry Sound on Wednesday, April 21 from 5:00 pm-6:00 pm. Beverages and snacks will be provided by the Log Cabin. Bring your business cards along to participate in a door prize draw and to ensure all of your new contacts know exactly how to reach you!

Other Upcoming Business After Hours Dates:
• The Ridge at Manitou, May 19, 5 pm to 6 pm
(pre-event golf will be available – details to come!)
• Big Sound Marina, June 25, 5 pm to 6 pm
• Delta Rocky Crest, July 14, 5 pm to 6 pm

Please RSVP to info@parrysoundchamber.ca or call 746-4213 to confirm your attendance for any Business After Hours. We look forward to seeing you there!


Hands On E-Business Event

In follow up to the E-Business Seminar in February, The Business Centre and the Chamber of Commerce are offering a hands on learning opportunity dedicated to integrating social media into your marketing or customer awareness campaign. Sue Sutcliffe, The Web Coach, can help you harness new and upcoming technologies to your advantage.

The free three-hour seminar will be held on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 28, from 1 pm - 4 pm at the West Parry Sound District Museum. The content will be at an intermediate computer skills level and we encourage everyone to bring a wifi-enabled laptop with them if they can. As space is limited for this extremely interactive session, sign-up will be on a first come, first served basis.

Please send your RSVP to info@parrysoundchamber.ca or (705) 746-4213 by April 23rd. If you have specific questions about social media and marketing your business on the web (ie. how do I make a Facebook Fan Page), please include those questions with your RSVP.

Thank you all for your interest and dedication to ongoing professional skills development. Special thanks to our sponsoring partners, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund
and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.


New OCC Initiative Announced: Accessibility Works

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been actively involved in developing accessibility standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). The goal of the act is to make the province accessible by 2025 by developing standards in key areas including customer service, transportation, information and communications, employment, the built environment.

The Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Standard (O. Reg 429/07), also known as the customer service standard, came into effect on January 1, 2008 and is the first standard developed under AODA. It applies to all businesses and organizations that provide goods or services to the public or other organizations and have at least one employee in Ontario.

Compliance dates and reporting requirements for organizations in the private sector, including non-profit are as follows:
• Businesses with 20 or more employees must comply by January 1, 2012, and report in 2012.
• Businesses with one to 19 employees must comply by January 1, 2012, but are exempted from reporting.

Accessibility Works is a new initiative of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), in partnership with the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario. The OCC will work collaboratively with the Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade to help businesses in Ontario become aware of and comply with the customer service standard.

Key resources and tools of the project will include:

• Web-based information and an online training module designed specifically to help business implement and comply with the customer service standard.
• Facilitators information kit to help the OCC’s 160 affiliated local Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade disseminate information to their corporate members.
• Up to 40 information sessions held with local Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade.

For more information about the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act visit: http://www.accesson.ca/


What’s Happening In Our Community?


An Evening with the Deputy Ministers

When: Thursday, June 17, 2010
Where: Design Exchange, Toronto
Tickets: $210 plus GST (OCC Member rate)
Agenda:
5:00pm – Cocktail Reception
6:30pm – Dinner & Deputy Minister Roundtable Discussions
7:30pm – Moderated Question & Answer Period with all Deputy Ministers
9:00pm – Closing Remarks

Launched in 2006, this is an annual evening of dialogue, discussion and sharing of ideas between business and community leaders and the leaders of Ontario’s public service. Through a networking reception, hosted dinner Roundtables, and a Q&A period moderated by Shelley Jamieson, the Secretary of the Cabinet, the evening offers direct access to Ontario’s Deputy Ministers in an informal setting.

Each Roundtable is hosted by a different Deputy Minister, allowing an informal exchange of ideas, concerns and opinions with the DMs as well as with other business leaders at the table. Should guests wish to discuss issues pertaining to more than one ministry, they do so during the open Q&A period during which all the Deputy Ministers will respond to questions. Alternatively, some bring a colleague to join the discussions at another table.

Registrations are limited for this unique opportunity and they quickly reach capacity seating each year. The 2009 An Evening with the Deputy Ministers was a SOLD OUT event.
For more information on this OCC event, please contact Rosanna Ho at rosannaho@occ.on.ca.


What Are Our Members Doing?


“20 Minute Makeover” This Thursday

The Chamber staff challenges all Chamber members to participate this Thursday April 22, in the “20 Minute Makeover”

It’s simple, when the clock strikes 2:00pm:
• Stop what your doing
• Walk outside and look around
• Take notice of the litter scattered around the area
• Take action for 20 minutes and clean it up

By working together we can help make our area even more beautiful!