Breakfast with the Premier at the Delta Burnaby Hotel Conference Centre

Over the past year the BBOT has hosted an impressive roster of events  as part of our Distinguished Speakers Series. Tomorrow that list will be topped as the BBOT welcomes Premier Christy Clark at the Delta Burnaby Hotel and Conference Centre. Clark, who was born and raised in Burnaby is expected to talk about the recently tabled budget as well as the BC Jobs Plan.   If you’re not joining us in person, join us online using this hashtag #BBOTChristy. We’re looking forward to it! For more information on this event visit us here.

Social Media For Member Organizations – Chamber Week 2012

Paul and I went to the W.A.C.E. (Western Academy of Chamber Executives) recently and came back with some really great information. These conferences are important because they expose you to a wide range of best practices in the industry. The key is to take manageable, actionable items and integrate them into your core deliverables.
Breakout sessions could be roughly categorized into “Economic Development“, “Member Retention“, “New Members“, and “Social Media” and we definitely came away with some key takeways in each of these areas. In the coming weeks we will be implementing some of these into our own strategies so stay tuned.

One of the break-out sessions I attended was called Networking in the Age of Social Media: Defying the Myth that Social Media is Detracting From Personal Networking and Relationship Building. Speakers Lisa Farquharson, (Pendleton (OR) Chamber and Jennifer Wells, Camarillo (CA) Chamber both have a robust Facebook social media presence. So what is the key to their success? This is what I learned.

They have both figured out what platform really works for them and they focus their communication efforts in that area.

They are both extremely active in that space and use their personal warmth and voice to communicate to members and their community.

Top of mind always is  ” How can I communicate this out to our members?”

General rule of thumb for posting:

• Develop a plan
• Share your stories
• Build Relationships –  Build Community
• Inform and Educate

How does this translate into action?

• “Like” member pages
• Welcome new members
• Support business with “shout outs”
• “Check” into businesses (Facebook, Foursquare, Yelp if you’re using those social media tools)
• Comment on member posts
• Share event invites
• Share important news
• Focus on members

So what platforms work for you and what strategies do you use to build community and drive value for your members? I would love to hear from you!

So What Exactly IS a Board of Trade??

I’ve been asked this question a few times since I began working for the Burnaby Board of Trade just short of one year ago. It’s kind of a great question. After all, we’re in the business of growing our membership and not even our own website has a straightforward definition.

There are a lot of times in life when you come across a term/concept/idea/word you simply can’t define. Often, you’ve heard it mentioned many times before, but life’s experiences haven’t granted you the opportunity to quite grasp what it is. You don’t want to ask for fear of sounding dumb. If you really need to know, Google and Wikipedia are terrific resources, but even they sometimes skip over the basics and jump right into the convoluted detail.  Sometimes it’s nice to just get a simple straight answer.

Board of Trade is essentially a synonym for Chamber of Commerce. If there is any meaningful difference between the two, I couldn’t tell you what it is. For some people this is a perfectly sufficient answer. They know about CoCs, they’ve just never heard them referred to as BoTs (or vice versa).

For the rest of you, a Board of Trade (or Chamber of Commerce) is a business organization made up of a membership of local businesses in a community. These organizations work to bring businesses together to develop strong networks, to represent the interests of the business community to local government, and to foster economic development. They also usually provide a range of services and benefits to their members such as specialized or exclusive events and workshops, and discounted rates on common business expenses. In addition they often provide services such as business registration, business name approvals, and certification of Certificates of Origin.

Boards and Chambers also exist at the provincial or state level (such as the British Columbia Chamber of Commerce), as well as at the national level (e.g. the Canadian Chamber of Commerce). These organizations usually work to represent business interests to higher levels of government and serve to advocate on relevant legislation. More in-depth information on the purposes and different models of Boards of Trade and Chambers of Commerce can be found here.

So for anyone who wasn’t sure, now you know. I hope this was somewhat helpful!

Homage to a Two-Wheeled Commute

Allow me to preface this post by stating that my purpose is not to expound on the lack of abilities of cyclists/drivers in this city. Raising the subject evokes impassioned criticism and defenses from both ends of the biking vs driving spectrum without fail. I think it’s fair to say that there is a myriad of horrible and self-absorbed cyclists AND drivers in this city, so let’s just all do an extra shoulder check and be on our merry way, shall we?

I just reached my 2^nd anniversary of biking to work, so I feel it appropriate to share my sentiments towards my two-wheeler. I had been a casual cyclist since 2005, but it wasn’t until the Vancouver Winter Olympics that I began to cycle to work regularly to avoid the throngs of Olympic tourists using the public transit system. Although it was initially a bit of a challenge to start cycling in the dead of winter, the benefits of biking to work eventually won me over.

Here are a few of my favorite things that I have come to love about biking to work:

Providing Value to Interns in the Work Place

It’s interesting reading Michael’s take on the relevance of internships to gaining  employment after university. Before coming to the BBOT I had never worked with interns and really had no idea what it was all about.  What surprised me was the willingness of smart  people  to work for free. What surprised me even more was how diligent and professional they were. In retrospect I’m not sure why I was so surprised. Interns are afterall young professional people looking to get the experience and contacts to take the next step in their professional development.

Yet, there is something about people working hard for free that makes me uncomfortable and I haven’t been unaware of the controversy surrounding unpaid internships. The Globe & Mail  did a story that exposes both its benefits and drawbacks and Intern Nation: How to Earn and Learn Little in the Brave New Economy  describes itself as “the first no-holds-barred exposé of the exploitative and divisive world of internships.”

The intern relationship has to be a value proposition on both ends for it to really work. For me, the importance of an intern is the value of their freshness and intellect that youth and recent education bring to the table. The value for them is our life and business experience and providing a soft cushion for them to land if they wander too far off course.

Giving an intern all the ‘joe’ jobs doesn’t work for me and I don’t think it actually benefits our organization. Inviting them to participate in our planning and creative meetings is as important as ensuring that along with the regular boring admin tasks, they also have the opportunity to work on projects that benefit us as an organization and allows them to use their creativity and brains.

Of course, finding the right person is key along with the time commitment they’re prepared to make. Through experience we’ve learned that anything less than 3 days per week doesn’t work -  and 5 can occassionally be daunting in terms of filling up their time meaningfully. Typically we look for someone who first of all can fit into the culture of our team (fun, a little unstructured at times, can run with projects, is good with dealing with the more routine tasks, can multi-task wildly). As a result of this ‘program’ I’ve developed great professional and personal friendships and as an organization we have actually hired 4 interns full time.

Gaining Experience in a Ruthless Job Market

Here’s a post for all you English-major baristas, astrophysicist salespeople, and communications couch surfers.  Read carefully.

Jobs are hard enough to find at all right now, never mind stimulating jobs in your field paying a decent salary. Don’t be fooled by stats showing BC unemployment hanging steady – increasingly,  good, full time jobs are simply being replaced by low wage part time positions. The good jobs that remain are in high demand for people with a lot more experience than you. That means for a lot of soon-to-be and recent graduates, it’s back to serving and cashier jobs.

It kind of makes you wonder why you just spent at least four years (probably more) and a fortune to get a fancy degree that seems to buy you little more than a piece of paper to hang on the wall. At least it did for me. Eventually though, after a lot of searching (about 18 months) I was given a solid opportunity – to work for free. For two months I worked very hard to prove myself as indispensable. And then I got the job you ask? No. But I did get a three month temporary contract to continue to prove myself as indispensable. THEN did I get the job? Yes, yes I did. With health benefits and everything!

The first lesson here today, kids, is that unpaid internships are a godsend. Employers are always looking to save some money and they will often take a chance on you if you’ll do the job for free. It may not always lead to a permanent position, but it will give you the vital experience needed to compete with other well qualified candidates.

Now believe it or not, even unpaid internships can be hard to come by, and yes, even they often require some experience. The reasons are simple: there is a ton of demand, and employers – who are not interested in babysitting you – have the luxury of choosing professionals with proven competency. I neglected to mention that even I had a good two years of significant professional work experience before I was given the aforementioned internship opportunity. That’s thanks to my participation in a university Co-op program, which brings me to lesson 2: take advantage of youth development programs.

It’s one of the most common complaints I hear from recent grads, and one I have made myself numerous times: how am I supposed to gain experience in my field if even entry level jobs require experience? The answer is through volunteering, Co-op programs, and association with business organizations like the Burnaby Board of Trade. In regards to the latter, business associations often have youth development programs designed to help students transition into the business community. These programs can be invaluable for building confidence, making connections in your field or industry, as well as fine tuning those job hunting skills.

The BBOT is launching its very own youth development program this spring with first enrollment expected in the fall. If you’re a third or fourth year student looking to bolster your resume, or if you know one, keep your eyes open for more information on all BBOT communication channels in the coming weeks.

Happy 2012! Marketing Plans for a New Year

Just before signing off in the old year (just a few short weeks ago) I posted a link to Boxcar Marketing’s The Twelve Days Until Christmas Marketing Tips (or what you can get done before the year ends). We definitely didn’t have as much down time as I thought we would have but I did take the opportunity to tweak our social channels. I opened our group on Linked In, added links to our blog, @BurnabyBOT and Facebook , and have made a list of to do’s for Facebook. A beautiful landing page to start and flesh out what the numerous initiatives BBOT is involved with (more to come on that) and develop an awesome social media engagement plan.

Last year we were all relatively new at the BBOT so a lot of our focus was just keeping things moving. But to get better at serving our members, we need to stop, assess, listen, plan and execute. As most of us who work in small organizations know, pausing, planning and executing on a plan is much easier said than done. As soon as things get busy (which is pretty much right away) it’s easy to lose sight of your goals.

The Eventual Conclusion that December is a Time for Productivity NOT Distraction

So it’s the last week before Christmas, and it seems to me there are three things most people are trying to do … finish their holiday shopping, finalize their holiday plans, and try to get their year-end work done without being distracted by the first two things.

It can be a serious challenge, and as someone who leaves his shopping and planning until the last possible moment, I can relate. At this very moment I’m trying to write a blog post while simultaneously witnessing a lengthy – and  occasionally heated – email string develop between my wife and my mother (who are arguing and debating about when we’ll be over to open presents and drink eggnog – isn’t it nice to be wanted?). I’m also trying to figure out when I’m going to catch up on committee meeting minutes and over-due marketing collateral while pondering how I’m going to do all my shopping on my Wednesday lunch break.

Interestingly however, I’ve noticed over the last week or so my phone isn’t ringing too much and my (work) email inbox is relatively empty. It seems I’m not the only one having trouble focusing. It also occurs to me though, that rather than seeing other peoples’ inefficiency as a saving grace for my own distraction, I should see it as an opportunity. How often do workplace distractions quiet down to a gentle buzz? Rarely. The last week before Christmas might actually be the best possible time for optimum productivity. No one bothers you. It’s just you and the large to-do list you’ve been meaning to get to all year long. So step up and get to it!

And for all of you requiring some tips on how to be more productive, here’s a short article that might help. Come on – read it now, and you can procrastinate for five more minutes!

From the Burnaby Board of Trade, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! See, I said both. No one’s offended

The Ironic Musings of a Neo-Luddite Blogger

I’m back! Amped up, ready to go … blog posting #2 (career). You might have guessed based on blog posting #1, Hello Blogosphere (Goodbye Movember), that I am not a techie kind of guy. To be honest, I have difficulty even embracing “everyday” gadgets like smart phones or laptops. True story: My phone is a several year old LG flip phone that I acquired begrudgingly and free as a hand-me-up from my little brother. I say begrudgingly because if they still existed anywhere, I could probably get by on 75 cents per month using payphones.

But even now, my phone bill is only $10 per month (+ tax) and it serves all my needs. It makes me seriously wonder how much more value anyone could possibly be getting out of a $200-$400 “smart” phone.  And at the rate these things become obsolete, should companies really not just be giving them to you in exchange for the additional $100 per month payment you’re already making just for the privilege of using it?

“Ah but!” you’ll say. “The phone is not just a phone, it’s also a computer that lets me shop online, check facebook and follow Charlie Sheen’s twitter account!” Okay, fair point I guess – if not for the fact that you probably also carry around a laptop or tablet for that very purpose. And if you feel any of those things are really worth your time. Mobile online shopping, for instance, just seems unnecessary (and says something about gross hyper-consumerism). As far as rampant social media goes, I’ve never really understood the fascination. I have no Facebook account, yet I don’t seem to be lacking for friends. And I don’t tweet, as there have been few worthwhile statements ever made in 140 characters or less (and I don’t believe the average tweeter is capable of mastering the art). I do have LinkedIn, but only because you can’t get a job anymore without it.

Now as for blogs … do I sense some potential here? The opportunity to express full, complete thoughts? To inspire real dialogue? Maybe there is a place for me in the too often superficial world of cyberspace. I feel like Christopher Columbus, discovering something millions of people knew about before me!

… And yes, for the sharp ones out there, that last line was a Simpsons reference. Expect a lot of those from me; I use them frequently and shamelessly.

I suppose my real issue with social media is not the general idea of it, but the volume and shallow content that has frankly grown out of control. People (and businesses) with nothing to say are providing the same useless updates about their lunch plans and whatever else on not one, but three or more different media channels. This is ludicrous behavior, and if you’re a business it’s also harmful. I know everywhere you turn people are telling you that social media is a must for engaging your client base – and they’re probably right. But it has to be done well. It has to be relevant, interesting, and absolutely should not be used for directly selling something. I’m not going to provide tips for effective social media (it’s obviously not my strong suit), but if you want to find out more, there’s an interesting article in the Burnaby Board of Trade Membership & Resource Directory.

So remember: use social media responsibly; buy new technology critically; and argue with me! Let me know what’s so great about all this new-fangled, feel-good online sharing!

Buy Local

Buy Local

Like Michael, I too took some kind of beginner computer programming course at university but that was back in the day when I still deluded myself into thinking that I was a ‘techie’. By week three I was forced to drop out because I had no idea what was going on and I enrolled in film instead. Any illusions of technical ability died with that course. Chatting and telling stories were much more my thing. Like Michael I am hopeless with technology or anything that requires spatial sense but unlike him, I love social media. HELLO WORLD! Social media is the perfect environment for an almost professional conversationalist.

It was by way of the oldest of these digital technologies, email, that I came across the idea for this post… a little something to chat with you about. The email was about ‘buying local’. If you’re anything like me, gift buying is difficult at the best of times. But buying gifts in financially uncertain times is definitely a challenge for all of us. That’s why buying local makes so much sense.

It’s not just about supporting businesses in your local community but also buying things that people might actually need or use. For example, there were some great ideas in the service sector that I would never have thought of as gifts. Along with gift certificates to your favourite local restaurants, pubs or hotels, why not  give gift certificates for services like hairdressers, oil changes,  florists, financial services, pre-paid vet or dental visits, car detailing, gym memberships, museum or gallery visits,  a round of golf at a local course, computer tune-ups, garden makeover or support local musicians by supporting your local pub! (I’m quite partial to this last one!).

If you’re looking for something a bit more personal there are local artisans, jewelers and fashion designers that could provide just the right gift. I’m sure I’m missing a hundred categories but you get the idea.

For Burnaby Board of Trade members there is the added bonus of our Member to Member Discount program that offers special discounts to BBOT member purchases. For example, J and M Jewelery Ltd. offers a 10% discount on all regular-priced jewelery and Baxter-Kobe Flowers and Gifts offers 10% off all floral arrangements, gift items and greeting cards!

I would love to hear what your gift buying strategy is this season and if there’s anything I’ve missed here that’s obvious.