What a dynamic month it has been for Chamber!   Apart from the business awards event held each October this month has been by far the busiest I can recall.  

Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Ministry of Social Development held a Job Summit on the 8^th April, attended by 120 invited business leaders from throughout the region.   Phil O’Reilly, CEO for Business NZ was keynote speaker and set the tone for the summit.   Workshop topics included Infrastructure, Skills/Training and Education, Community Wellbeing, Business Support and Sector Growth.   Each group had a facilitator and scribe with every person in the room having the opportunity to contribute to the robust discussion within each sector group.  From each group three priority actions including who took leadership on each action were identified.    If Wanganui business could take this holistic approach to problem solving and identifying opportunity – there would be no stopping this city, it would be on a roll and I applaud every participant at the Job Summit for their active and enthusiastic engagement in the process.  Ordinary people achieving extraordinary results!    Subsequent meetings have been held and will continue to push forward the action points, delivering real and sustainable business solutions.

Chamber of Commerce is going from strength to strength.  Your membership enables us to provide a strong voice for business and now it is more important than ever to belong to Chamber for networking opportunities, business advocacy, recession proof tools and robust representation.   In representation Chamber also provides advocacy and submissions.  One submission we will be preparing is for the Wanganui District Council Annual Plan.  In this process we look at how the business rate payer dollar is spent, what impacts that will have, identify shortfalls in the economic plan and submit constructive proposals.   This is a time consuming process but absolutely necessary for our members.    Each year we invite you to let us know the issues important to your business and where possible incorporate these into the Chamber submission.  Please advise Philip if you have an item you want represented. 

Networking opens up vast opportunities.  Every network event should be viewed by business as a customer referral base, making the most of these events involves participation, promoting your business, products and services, listening, and a lot of business card exchanging.  Anyone who has heard Deb Bell speak on Networking will know exactly what I mean.  She is the network queen.   

Media interest has been high with comments on the Job Summit, High Speed Broadband and the ‘H’ in Wanganui in newspapers and radio.  Chamber applauds the Government initiative to get Wanganui up to speed with high-speed broadband.  Creating a fibre optic network using 50/50 crown and private partnership approach is the logical way for this to happen.   I contacted some of our members for a response to the ‘H’ inclusion in Wanganui.   Comments determined there is no official stance reflecting either adversity or support.   The message that did come through strong was a city working together is more important than developing division in a community over a name and there are currently more important issues impacting on business.  

Coming up on 27^th May is the Massey University Business Awards Launch at Training For You.   The launch is always well attended but my challenge to you is ‘We Want YOUR BUSINESS To Enter’.  There is a new category this year called ‘Management Excellence’ this category should appeal to a lot of businesses in recognition of our business leaders regardless of how large or small the organisation.   

The end of a positive month!

Bronwyn Paul