Fredericton Chamber of Commerce "Insight" July/August 2012

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CREATIVE DIRECTION AND DESIGN PRODUCED BYEMERGE DESIGNSPUBLISHERSteve Boulter - Emerge Designs

PRINTERKwik Kopy Design & Print Centre

PROJECT MANAGERWendy Morrell

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTWendy Morrell

PRESIDENTJanice [email protected]

POLICY & RESEARCH MANAGER

EVENT MANAGERStacey [email protected]

BUSINESS IMMIGRANT MENTORSHIPPROGRAM PROJECT COORDINATOR Janet Moser [email protected]

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERKrista [email protected]

OPERATIONS &COMMUNICATIONS MANAGERWendy [email protected]

BOOKKEEPER Brianne Phillips [email protected]

DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP &MARKETING Katie Gillingham [email protected]

CONTRIBUTORSJanice CoreyKrista RossJennifer English Wendy MorrellKevin BrownJanet MoserBen ConoleyGinger Designthe Garrison District Ale House

Insight is published by Emerge Designs.

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Fredericton Chamber of CommercePO Box 275, 270 Rookwood Avenue, Fredericton, NB E3B 4Y9Tel: (506) 458-8006 Fax: (506) [email protected]

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President’s Message

CEO’s Message

Economics for Business

Leveraging Social Mediafor Effective Advocacy

Fredericton CommunityCalendar

Getting Started withSocial Media

Chamber WelcomesNew Members

Business ImmigrationMentorship Program

the Garrison DistrictAle House

Member Pro�ile

Chamber Buzz

Member for Meals

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68 Kent Street, Fredericton, NBCanada E3A 4Y1

Ph: 506.999.3332Fax: 506.206.5300Email: [email protected]

emergedesigns.ca

he introduction of social media and networking into the business landscape has been fast and furious. For those of us a bit unprepared, it is similar to the introduction of the fax machine many years ago and invokes some of the same questions that we had way back then:

• Is it safe? Can we rely on it?• Is the information hitting the intended target/market/customer?• What will this change in the process of doing business?• What happens if we don’t adopt it?

I will admit I am far more hesitant than my children in adopting these new technologies and very cautious when I look at the application toward business. As in other forms of business communication and connectivity, once information is ‘out there’ it is forever ‘out there’. As business owners, we are thrown into the realm of the technical age which marries the technicality of these new streams of communication and connectivity with the sociology and psychology of using these continuing emerging technologies.

I am sure that some of us were shocked when we first encountered individuals who no longer had ‘land lines’ for personal or business use – but relied wholly on cell phones. That change was confusing to some of us. So too is the realm of social media.

So, what exactly is social media? It is email, twitter, LinkedIn and facebook to name a few. We are finding that these internet based applications that allow the creation and exchange of user generated content have forever changed the scope and feel of all of our marketing and communications plans.

Social media isn’t about websites…it is about customer experiences. The empowered customer is now in control of the business relationship – and they do just that in the social media universe. As business owners, delivering customer value is vital, and with these emerging technologies the business’s behavior is as important as its products and services.

Historical marketing was hinged on direct marketing out to the customer. Social media is a two-way conversation with our potential customers. Websites are now the anchor of social media – the hub or ecosystem from which the spokes of our marketing and communications strategies should be developed.

Let’s consider this information from a recent IBM study. Today’s customer is empowered and connected and they have your brand at their reach. The top six (6) factors that impact marketing for business were found to be:

1. Customer collaboration and influence (68%)2. Growth of channel and device choices (60%)3. Social Media (57%)4. ROI Accountability (47%)5. Decreasing Brand Loyalty (43%)6. Shifting Consumer Demographics (37%)

This study also outlined that 79% of marketing personnel feel unprepared to manage the impact of the key changes in marketing. Their top five areas included social media .

As this environment changes, our marketing personnel and ourselves as business owners still struggle with the changing reality shift. We are still focusing on understanding markets rather than individuals. Our new reality in this area clearly shows it is the individual (customer) that we need to build the relationship with, not the market segment.

Janice Corey, President

InsightJuly - Aug. 2012

4 ...Continued on Pg. 15

SOCIAL MEDIA….Friend or Foe To Business?

sk any good restaurant owner, manager, or front line staff, “What is the most important item on your menu?” They may tell you about the extremely popular main course, or the desserts that keep people coming back, or perhaps it’s the fantastic and creative appetizers that they offer, maybe it’s the wine list. In some restaurants… it might even be the daily specials! But most of them will tell you, no one item or section of their menu is so important that they could drop the rest and still have happy clients.

So… in your business… think about your menu. Your communication menu includes all of the ways and means that you use to establish and maintain a rapport with your clients, your potential clients, and the general public. It is important to understand that different people have different tastes. Some people will want to hear from you only by phone. While others may want to get their promotional flyers, invoices, statements and advertising pieces in the mail. Some may say, don’t mail me anything – keep me up to date through email or come and visit me. But increasingly, we are learning that people want to hear from us through social media and, in fact, they EXPECT to hear from us in this manner.

How do you add social media to the menu of ways that you communicate and share information? Think back to the restaurant, if you added a new appetizer, would you get rid of the main courses? Of course, not! So it is with adding social media to your menu. When you decide to add such things as twitter, facebook and linked in to your menu, it doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t still have your more traditional communication vehicles available to assist you in communicating with your clients and others.

Using the restaurant analogy again… would you add a new dessert to your menu without doing research to find the best recipe? Would you even consider changing your menu up without consulting with a few of your top clients to see if the new items fits with how they see you? Next, you would probably try the new additions several times to ensure they

meet your quality standards and pass your employee taste test -declaring it good enough for your clients. And, do you and your staff have the skill to create the new dishes? Or do you need some training?

Too many businesses today, however, are jumping on the social media bandwagon, but instead of enhancing their menu, they are throwing out everything that has been tried and true and that their customers were used to and then wondering why nobody is ‘following, linking, liking, or looking’. Don’t make this mistake! Use your social media to grow your lines of communication – in time, you may find that there are some communication methods that you can drop as your clients adapt and learn to love your new ways of communicating – but don’t make that move too quickly and risk losing your connection!

In making a hasty decision to add social media, don’t just assume because it is easy to do… that it is easy to do right! Get some help from experts! There are numerous companies that can help you in this regard. Do your own research too, what are your competitors doing? What are the experts in your field doing? What are the world class businesses you emulate doing? The ease of use of such tools as twitter make some people think that they don’t need to do any research or educate themselves to make sure they are using the tools in the best way possible.

SO…. If you want to reach me… here’s how…. Drop in at the Chamber Office, call me (on any of my three lines), fax me, email me (I have 2 of those), text me, mail me a letter, send me a note on twitter, link in with me or comment on my facebook or on the Chamber website, but most importantly, contact me!! With all these ways for us to communicate, I hope that we do! I look forward to hearing from you, in whatever way works best for you!!

Krista Ross, CEO

Insight

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July - Aug. 2012

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What’s on the Menu?? That is, Your Social Media Menu

The monthly Labour Statistics are estimated by a phone survey conducted by Statistics Canada. They survey about 54,000 households or 100,000 individuals to gather a variety of Labour and Demographic information. It is less accurate than the Census, however it is much less expensive to administer so it can be gathered much more frequently. Economists compare this information to other statistics to see if the trends are in line with each other.

1 Statistics Canada 2011 Census Profile2 http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3701&lang=en&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2#b1

The first characteristic that StatsCan determines is the population 15 years old and older. In February, 2012 it was estimated to be 109,900 people for the Economic Region. It was 108,400 people in February 2011.

The second characteristic that they look for is the Labour Force. These are people 15 years and older who are employed or available to work. In February 2012, 71,000 of the 109,000 people were employed or available to work. So about 38,900 of the population was not employed or available to work. If we look at the ratio of employed plus people looking for work to the population we get a sense of how much of our population is contributing or can contribute to our economy. This is called the participation rate. The greater the participation rate the more potential to generate wealth we have. Last year at the same time, there were 72,400 people working or available to work. So even though the population estimate increased by 1,500 people, there were 1,400 fewer people in the labour force. One of the reasons for this could be that some people, who may have been looking for work became discouraged and stop looking.

Next, StatsCan estimates the number of people who are employed. In February 2012 there were 64,900 compared to 67,300 for the same period last year. So again, while the population estimate increased by 1,500, the number of employed people dropped by 2,400. Obviously, we want as many people working as possible and we want the highest percentage of people available to work to be employed.

The final number that Statscan estimates from the survey is the number of people unemployed. For February 2012, this was 6,100, which is up from 5,100 last year.

From these numbers, they calculate the statistics we often see in the media.

This is the second instalment in the Economics for Business people series.

Unemployment Statistics Matter to EmployersEvery month we see a flurry of articles in the media referring to the unemployment rate. As a business person, entrepreneur or manager, why should this matter to me? Being aware of what is happening in the local, regional and national economy can help you make effective decisions.

Regional labour statistics are an excellent indicator of the health of the economy at any point in time. They are even more useful when trends are examined over time and compared with other regions.

As a business person, if the trends indicate that unemployment is rising it could mean that the economy is slowing down and your sales could be negatively affected. On the other hand, if you have confidence that your long term sales are stable, however, you are having a difficult time with recruitment, this could mean you have an increasing pool of talent to draw from.

How many people live here and how manyare working?For the purpose of monitoring employment performance, Statistics Canada divides the Country into 79 regions, including the Nation as a whole and the Provinces. New Brunswick includes five of those regions. Fredericton is one of the five. You can see that the Economic region is larger than the metropolitan area. The 2011 Census indicates that the population of the Economic Region was 135,467 , while the Census Agglomeration includes 94,268. So when we see the statistics in the media, we need to be aware that they are referring to an area larger than Fredericton proper. However, Fredericton does reflect about 70% of the population of the Economic Region.


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Economics for Businessby Kevin Brown

Economy

�e Unemployment Rate (Measure of Pain)Next up is the most quoted statistic, which is the unemployment rate. This is a measure of the “pain” felt in the region so it can be the most sensational indicator. Now there is a bit of a trick to calculating the unemployment rate. You might think that it is the percentage of the population who are unemployed. But it’s not; it’s the percentage of people who are in the Labour Force (working or available to work) who are unemployed. Remember that only 71,000 out a population of 109,900 were in the Labour Force in February. So 6,100 of the 71,000 were unemployed. This means that the unemployment rate can decrease, not because more people are unemployed, but because more people are looking for work. Conversely, it can decrease increase, not because there are fewer unemployed people, but because there are fewer people looking for work.

�e Employment Rate (Capacity Utilization)The last ratio which is calculated is the employment rate. This is estimated based on the percentage of the total population who are employed. It is often used as an indicator of how much of the pool of working age people are creating wealth in the economy. the equivalent in your business is that you want to know “Of all of the hours people are at work, how many are dedicated to being productive?”

So What Does �is Mean To Me?If I am selling to a population, locally or exporting, where the number of employed people is increasing, it may be an indicator of an expanding opportunity. This can happen even when the unemployment rate is going up. (the Labour Force is increasing faster than the Population yet Employment, while increasing, isn’t growing as fast as the Labour Force).

Additionally, if the unemployment rate is increasing in my area, it may mean that my local sales could be threatened and I need to monitor closely. However, it may mean that talent has become available to help improve my business performance.

�e Participation Rate (how many people consider themselves work ready)The participation rate is the percentage of the population who are employed or are available. In February it was 64.6% which is down from 66.8%. This is because our population went up while the number of people in the Labour Force went down.

At the end of the day, I can make more effective decisions if I understand what is happening in the community and world my business operates in.


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!Fredericton Economic Region - Labour Force Statistics

February 2011 vs. 2012

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2012 Partcipation Rate: 64.6%

2011 Partcipation Rate: 66.8%

2012 Employment Rate: 59.1%

2011 Employment Rate: 62.1%

2012 Unemployment Rate: 8.6%

2011 Unemployment Rate: 7.0%

Economy

his issue of INSIGHT includes articles on how social media can better connect you to your customers, your clients, your audience, your suppliers – in short, to those you most want to reach to promote and further your business.

Effective use of social media also allows the members who sit on our policy development committees to bring a much richer perspective to our discussions of the issues that matter most to our business community. Although the basic process of assessing an issue remains relatively the same – committees still come together at the Chamber office at least once a month to discuss any changes in the political landscape that might impact members – the popularity of social media has significantly increased our ability to gather input from the business community.

During the 2011-12 committee year, we had 52 active committee participants, each of whom is connected to a unique professional and personal network outside of their involvement with the Chamber. When these committee members come together to discuss an emerging issue, the perspective they bring comes not just from their own experience and the information they’ve gleaned from media reports, but also from what their neighbours, friends, coworkers, and competitors are saying on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites.

This means that when 12 committee representatives meet to form a policy position to present to the provincial government, the position they develop is based on the perspective(s) of a much broader, more diverse network than that present in the room.

The result is a more comprehensive understanding of the issue at hand and the ability to develop recommendations that better represent the opinions of our 930 members.

So if don’t have the time to sit on a Chamber committee yourself, add a committee chair, Board member, or Chamber staff person to your preferred social network – we’ll make sure your voice is heard.

August 30thAnnual Chamber Golf Tournament hostedby Kingswood

September 6thBusiness After Hours hosted byMcInnes Cooper

October 4thBusiness After Hours hosted by theFredericton Playhouse

October 11thBusiness Excellence Awards held at theDelta Fredericton Hotel

By Jennifer English

July - Aug. 2012

Insight 8

Events

After nearly five years with the Chamber, Jennifer English will be leaving her position as Director of Policy and Research effective June 22nd. We congratulate Jenn, in her new position as Senior Policy Analyst with the CFIB in their Halifax Office.

We wish her the very best of success.

Thank You!

he Fredericton Chamber of Commerce launched the new “Fredericton Community Calendar” on Thursday, June 7th at their Summer Biz Bash which was held at Brewbakers. This calendar was an initiative of the chamber’s Communications Committee which consists of Jill Dickinson, chair; Wendy Morrell, chamber staff and committee members, Doug Daley, Nick Fanelli, Sonya Gilks, Craig Allen and Lucas Roze. The original intent of the calendar was to help the community to avoid scheduling conflicts for major events in the city. Through discussions in the committee, it was decided to broaden the focus to support the business community and to support the activities of groups that contribute to the vibrancy and enjoyment of our community. The calendar is for everyone to post all of their event information in one place for not only Fredericton but New Maryland, Fredericton Junction, Tracy, McAdam, Harvey, Nackawic, Stanley, Millville, Oromocto, Gagetown, Cambridge Narrows, Minto and Chipman. Visit www.frederictoncalendar.ca

The calendar is very user-friendly offering different options for searching for the type of event you are interested in.

You can search by day, week or month and you can also search by category.

To find out more about a particular event just click on the event title and you will be able to read a bit about the event, find your venue on a map, tweet about the event, and even add it directly into your calendar.

Adding an event is as easy as clicking on the “Add an Event” link which takes you to a form to complete. The form is sent to the calendar administrator for approval and then your event is added to the calendar.

The Fredericton Community Calendar is also a great place to advertise your business or event with low introductory rates for just $100 per month. Contact Wendy Morrell at (506) 458-8006 for details and to book your ad today.

The Fredericton Community Calendar is “THE” spot to find out all the great events our area has to offer so visit www.frederictoncalendar.ca .

Calendar

By WendyMorrell

Search byDate

Search byCategory

Advertise

Here

Add an

Event

July - Aug. 2012

Insight9

By Ben Conoleyof Ginger Design


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o you’ve decided that social media is something your business is going to start putting some effort into you. Congratulations! Social media is an exciting, fun, and most importantly, a rewarding way to interact with your customers.

At Ginger, we work with a number of businesses getting started with social media, and as such, we are often asked “Where do I begin?” Not knowing where to start with social media is an understandable concern but should certainly not be a barrier to getting your feet wet. We like to think of social media as the next step in a long line of marketing tools, such as television, radio and print, only it’s a lot more dynamic and can be used creatively to tie all of your marketing channels together.

With this in mind, we’d like to take a moment to share a number of things you may want to consider when starting out with social media.

Set Goals: One of the things that makes social media so powerful is that there are a number of ways to do it. It’s important to determine what you want to do and how you want to reach your audience. Do you want to make instructional videos on YouTube, write a blog about day-to-day life in your business or talk directly to your customers on Facebook and Twitter? Take some time to determine the level resources you can dedicate to what you want to do.

Start Off Slow: You’ve decided what social media channels you’re going to employ (let’s say Twitter, Facebook and Youtube). That’s great to hear, but it doesn’t mean you need to jump right in. Start off by using one channel and develop your voice. Perhaps you might start with just your Facebook page. Starting gradually like this will allow you to not only develop your voice, but also find out what kind of time commitment is needed to do things right.

Start Listening: You may be surprised to learn that the most important part of social media is not talking, but listening. That’s because social media allows customers to engage with an organization in a way that traditional media has never been able to; it allows customers to talk back! So before you start sharing your story, listen to what your customers and others in your industry are talking about. Know what the conversation is before you become involved in it. Your customers are also going to want to talk to you. Monitor your social media channels to see if customers are asking you questions or providing feedback. Use this opportunity to respond and develop a relationship.

Getting StartedwithSocial MediaS

Getting Started


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Make Connections: The power of social media comes from personal connections, so it’s important to start building positive relationships immediately. If you’re using Twitter, you may want to start following accounts of community leaders and industry peers in order to show that you’re a real part of both your local and business community. If you have created a Facebook page, invite your friends and family to like it. At the same time, you should be liking other pages. For example, a restaurant may want to like and follow other restaurants in the area, or local food providers and restaurant critics. Following others is also a great way to encourage others to follow you back.

Start Sharing: Now that you have a handle on what you want do and what people are talking about, it’s time to have some fun and start contributing. While it’s exciting to get your message out on social media, it’s important to remember one fundamental rule: Give people something worth sharing. Social media is different than traditional advertising in that nobody has to listen. Unlike television, radio and even print commercials, customers get nothing tangible (such a television show or song) for participating in a social media conversation with a business. If you want people to listen to you, you have to give them something in return. Dentists may want to share tips on how to keep a clean mouth. Dieticians may want to share advice on healthy living, and restaurants may want to provide recipes for their customers to try at home. By doing this you will build a level of trust and a reputation of being sincere, making people more likely to listen to you when you do talk about yourself.

Of course, the most important advice we can offer is to just do it! Social media is incredibly flexible, and allows you to do things your own way. If you keep a few basic ideas in mind (listen, connect, share) you’re going to do just fine. So get in there, start talking, and most importantly, have fun!

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Point Zero One Realty Ltd.285 Canada StreetFredericton, NB E3A 4A3Tel: (506) 451-0101Email: [email protected]: www.pointzeroone.caContact: Pat Septon

Easiview Networking Solutions850 Prospect StreetFredericton, NB E3B 9M5Tel: (506) 292-0062Email: [email protected]: Network CablingContact: Matt Cameron

The Cooperators – Kris Mann Agent138 Dundonald StreetFredericton, NB E3B 1W8Tel: (506) 458-8600Fax: (506) 450-1052Email: [email protected]: Kris Mann

New Brunswick Nurses Union103 Woodside LaneFredericton, NB E3C 2R9Tel: (506) 453-0829Toll Free: (800) 442-4914Fax: (506) 453-0828Email: [email protected]: www.nbnu.caCategory: Health Care ProfessionalsContact: Deborah Gill

Alan Howie’s Golf Shop331 Golf Club RoadFredericton, NB E3B 4Z9Tel: (506) 443-7710Fax: (506) 443-7708Email: [email protected]: www.playfgc.comCategory: Retail / Specialty StoresContact: Alan Howie

Technico Technologies Inc.12 Airport RoadHoyt, NB E5L 2K5Tel: (506) 687-4272Email: [email protected]: Information TechnologyContact: Darlene HoganProducts & Services:Technico is an Agri-Biotech Company. We are applying our award winning TECHNITUBER® seed technology to revolutionise the global seed potato industry. We provide supply chain solutions to our global customers by using proprietary technology to deliver early generation seed potato products.

Discount Framing & Crafts435 Brookside Drive (Brookside Mall)Fredericton, NB E3A 8V4Tel: (506) 450-3232Email: [email protected]: Joe Fisher

Gagetown Fruit Farm30 Courthouse RoadGagetown, NB E5M 1E4Tel: (506) 488-2286Email: [email protected]: Restaurants, Food, BeverageContact: Heather Rhymes

NATECH Environmental Services Inc.2492 Route 640Hanwell, NB E3E 2C2Tel: (506) 455-1085Fax: (506) 455-1088Email: [email protected]: www.natechenv.comCategory: Environmental EngineeringContact: Jochen Schroer

FLOW146 Carlisle RoadDouglas, NB E3G 7N4Tel: (506) 472-2748Fax: (506) 472-2748Email: [email protected]: www.flowcleaners.comCategory: Commercial / Residential CleaningContact: Monica Danielski

Hello toourNewestMembers


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New Members

his issue of INSIGHT includes articles on how social media can better connect you to your customers, your clients, your audience, your suppliers – in short, to those you most want to reach to promote and further your business.

Effective use of social media also allows the members who sit on our policy development committees to bring a much richer perspective to our discussions of the issues that matter most to our business community. Although the basic process of assessing an issue remains relatively the same – committees still come together at the Chamber office at least once a month to discuss any changes in the political landscape that might impact members – the popularity of social media has significantly increased our ability to gather input from the business community.

During the 2011-12 committee year, we had 52 active committee participants, each of whom is connected to a unique professional and personal network outside of their involvement with the Chamber. When these committee members come together to discuss an emerging issue, the perspective they bring comes not just from their own experience and the information they’ve gleaned from media reports, but also from what their neighbours, friends, coworkers, and competitors are saying on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites.

This means that when 12 committee representatives meet to form a policy position to present to the provincial government, the position they develop is based on the perspective(s) of a much broader, more diverse network than that present in the room.

The result is a more comprehensive understanding of the issue at hand and the ability to develop recommendations that better represent the opinions of our 930 members.

So if don’t have the time to sit on a Chamber committee yourself, add a committee chair, Board member, or Chamber staff person to your preferred social network – we’ll make sure your voice is heard.

T he Fredericton Business Immigrant Mentorship Program has recently wrapped up year three with the completion of cohorts 5 and 6. Participants of the program were recognized for their achievements and program completion on June 6th at year end event held at the Station on York Street. In attendance were Minister Martine Coulombe – Department of Post Secondary Education, Training and Labour, Mr. Charles Ayles – Assistant Deputy Minister, DPETAL, Mayor Brad Woodside – City of Fredericton, Mr. Kevin Price – Executive Assistant to Federal Minister Keith Ashfield, MLA Pam Lynch, Janice Corey – President Fredericton Chamber of Commerce and Krista Ross – CEO. With over 80 people in attendance we celebrated the completion of the year while offering thanks and best wishes to our immigrant mentees and our volunteer mentors.

The Business Immigrant Mentorship Program is a program offered to immigrant business investors who are in the planning stages of starting or purchasing a business. This six month programs sees new immigrants partnered one on one in a mentorship pairing with a local business professional. During the six months mentees and mentors work together to establish objectives, timeliness and a strategy to fast track immigrants to their goal of becoming business owners. Also included in the six month term is an in depth business training program to assist newcomers in understanding the structure of doing business in New Brunswick. What started as a pilot program in Fredericton, the mentorship program is now offered in Moncton, Saint John, Bathurst and will be soon launching in Edmundston NB. Recruitment is now underway for cohort 7! If you are interested in this exciting opportunity to volunteer with this uniquely rewarding program please contact Janet Moser today at the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce office. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you to the Population GrowthDivision – Province of New Brunswick

for their continued support of theBusiness Immigrant Mentorship Program

By Janet Moser


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B.I.M.P.

Suffice it to say we have a number of savvy business owners in Fredericton and the surrounding area who do a terrific job of incorporating these social media technologies not only in their personal lives, but also seamlessly in their professional lives.

So for those of us we aren’t there yet, how do we proceed?

First, by recognizing that in order to do this smartly, efficiently and ultimately effectively we need to devise a strategy and not to go about it haphazardly or without a plan. The IBM study referenced above identified five key obstacles that prevent businesses from developing new strategies:

1. Cost (72%)2. Lack of ROI certainty (61%)3. Tool Implementation Issues (47%)4. Lack of Skills (46%)5. Lack of Marketing and IT alignment (45%)

The questions we should be considering as we move forward include:

• How are we preparing our marketing people, programs and processes to understand individuals, not just market segments?• Which tools and processes are we investing in to better understand and respond to what individual customers are saying and doing?• How do we safeguard our customers’ data and privacy in a multi-channel, multi-device world?

To deal with these obstacles we are fortunate in the Fredericton area to have a number of businesses who specialize in helping businesses such as mine and yours to develop a plan. See a member first! We need an approach that addresses the questions raised above and addresses each new technology that we want to incorporate.

Each technology within the social media landscape needs a strategy in order to function for and within your business. How your business will approach an email lead generation campaign is different than how it might utilize a twitter account.

Our Chamber of Commerce is also leading in providing business members with education in the area of social media – I would encourage all members to become involved or have your employees involved in these education opportunities.

As I continue to learn more and adopt these emerging technologies into my business and that of my customers, I know I will seek out a chamber member in this area (see membership directory under Web Developers/Web designers/Social Media, take advantage of the Chamber’s education series in this area and continue to seek answers to my questions.

Social media…I will attempt to make it my friend!

A Message from the President...Continued from Pg. 4


15

Continued

Our YouTube channel features dozens of videos of our Chef, Aaron Fraser, demonstrating how he makes some of our most-requested items. We also have beer and wine videos promoting local and international brands and the stories behind some of our favorite beers.

Fredericton is also home to what we consider the best brewery in Canada. We love championing Picaroons and other great local businesses. We also use social media to direct people to fundraising efforts, such as Movember.

Of course, we haven’t forgotten that we’re mainly here to provide great service to our guests. We use social media to make sure that happens. One instance that stands out was when a guest wasn’t happy with his food and voiced his disappointment over Twitter. We read the tweet, found out which customer he was and delivered a new meal to his table before he had a chance to alert our staff, or more importantly, leave unsatisfied. People can also make reservations through social media and book their next meal without having to use up those precious daytime cell phone minutes. If someone has a question about any of the food or drinks we offer, they can jump online and ask us, and they can expect an answer pretty quickly!

At the end of the day our goal is to establish tangible relationships with our guests, letting them know that we’re not just here to make sales, but that we love our community and want to become more involved in it both online and off.

beer we don’t. We wanted to become a trusted resource for beer info and let people know that we’re not always

trying to sell to them. In addition to providing our own material we also take requests. Customers planning trips can ask about breweries they might want to visit, while others have wanted to know where to get some good beer in Bangor.

We use social media to discuss our many events. We live-tweet from our beer and wine tastings, engaging with people in attendance while letting people at home know what a great time it is. We also have events that we promote exclusively on social media, letting community members

know that there’s an exclusive benefit to having a social media

relationship with us.

t the Garrison we know that many of our guests are actively involved in social media, using it to stay connected not only with their friends, but the businesses they frequent. With that in mind we set out with Ginger Design to create a social media presence that would engage and show our customers how much we value them.

It was important for us to establish real relationships with our guests. This meant doing more than simply blasting out our daily features. One part of our business that we’re really proud of is our beer selection. We know that many of our customers love talking about (and drinking) beer that they can’t find anywhere else. So it only made sense to spend a lot of time talking about beer. Not just beer that we sell, in fact often about

A

thegarrison.ca

By The Garrison District Ale House

July - Aug. 2012

Insight 16

The Garrison

The Fredericton Community Foundation has been connecting donors who care to causes that matter since 1956. The Foundation offers unique opportunities to meet the needs of both donors and charities. As a donor, multiple giving options are available including cash, publicly traded securities, bequests through an estate and life insurance policies. Whatever the method of giving, the donor can create a named fund in their family name or the name of a loved one. It is a special way to keep a person’s memory alive for generations. The donor has the option to give to a charity that is special to them through the Foundation or allow the Foundation to decide what local needs require funding in any given year. For charities, the Foundation provides an opportunity to apply for grants in support of projects and programs that make our community a better place to live. Creating community impact through our grants is a goal of the Foundation. Grants have been used to help schools purchase playground equipment, to help open a local women’s shelter, to assist with upkeep of local graveyards and historical sites and to provide subsidized access to children’s summer camps. The Foundation has impacted all aspects of community life including education, social development, arts and culture, health, youth, heritage, athletics and the environment.You can find out more about how the Fredericton Community Foundation can help you build a legacy and enhance lives by calling 454-2262 or visiting www.fredfdn.ca.

As the premiere personal training studio in Atlantic Canada, OFC offers:• Privacy• Education• Motivation• World Class Experience• A 5000 sq. ft. Facility• GUARANTEED RESULTS AND SUCCESS

OFC has developed a unique and well rounded program coaching people on 3 key components: exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle. We teach members that instead of concentrating on your weight (number on the scale); the real results lie within changing your body composition. This will give you a more accurate picture of how well you’re doing and will allow your body to burn fat and in turn keep the fat off! The benefits of the TransformOver program include but are not limited to: increased energy levels, decreased sick days, improved cardiovascular health, disease prevention, permanent weight loss, and improved strength and muscular functions. OFC’s TransformOver program is proven to be the most powerful and effective program of its kind. We have had a 100% success rate for 2 years running! For more information, check out our website (www.transforming-lives.ca) or call us (450-9972) to start your TransformOver!

At OFC, we not only offer the best one-on-one personal training, but we also provide our clients with proper nutrition planning and all the necessary tools

to achieve their best personal fitness levels... all in one place. We believe that proper training techniques, along with proper nutrition methods are the true keys to success in developing and maintaining a great physique and most importantly, a healthy lifestyle.

July - Aug. 2012

Insight17

Start Sharing: Now that you have a handle on what you want do and what people are talking about, it’s time to have some fun and start contributing. While it’s exciting to get your message out on social media, it’s important to remember one fundamental rule: Give people something worth sharing. Social media is different than traditional advertising in that nobody has to listen. Unlike television, radio and even print commercials, customers get nothing tangible (such a television show or song) for participating in a social media conversation with a business. If you want people to listen to you, you have to give them something in return. Dentists may want to share tips on how to keep a clean mouth. Dieticians may want to share advice on healthy living, and restaurants may want to provide recipes for their customers to try at home. By doing this you will build a level of trust and a reputation of being sincere, making people more likely to listen to you when you do talk about yourself.

Of course, the most important advice we can offer is to just do it! Social media is incredibly flexible, and allows you to do things your own way. If you keep a few basic ideas in mind (listen, connect, share) you’re going to do just fine. So get in there, start talking, and most importantly, have fun!

Pro�iles

On Friday, May 11,the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, in

conjunction with Business Fredericton North,

Downtown Fredericton Inc. And Fredericton Green

Shops presented” An Hour with the Ecoholic”. The

York Street Train Station was a great venue for

hearing renowned environmental author Adria Vasil

talk about how to do a better job of greening your

business and your life! Following an inspiring and

educational talk, Ms. Vasil took questions from the

floor which ranged from office recycling and

composting programs to product

recommendations. The well attended

morning session was part of the launch

for Adria’s newest book, Ecoholic Body.

Her first book, Ecoholic, is widely

considered to be the environmental

bible when it comes to making

practical changes in battling your

environmental footprint. Pictured

here is Ms. Vasil with Chamber

President Andrew Steeves.

The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce to you that Stacey Murray has joined the chamber team as Event Manager. Stacey is responsible for the set-up of the Chamber's 50 plus events per year, including seven major events such as, the State of the Province Address, the State of The City Address, the Distinguished Citizen Awards and the Business Excellence Awards. She coordinates the monthly networking events such as, Business After Hours, Early Bird Networking and Networking Luncheons. Welcome to the Chamber Stacey.

Past Events

On Wednesday, May 30th,the Fredericton Chamber Annual General Meeting was held at The Station. During the meeting the new board of directors for the 2012-2013 year were sworn in along with new Chamber President Janice Corey. Following the event was the President’s Reception where fellow members welcomed our new president and the board.

Recently, the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce co-hosted a luncheon with the Canadian

Manufacturers & Exporters in celebration of NB Manufacturers Days. Chamber President Andrew

Steeves addressed the crowd with his thoughts on the manufacturing sector and the metamorphosis

it is undergoing. He stressed the importance for organizations like the Chamber and the CME to work

cooperatively with governments to improve the regulatory and taxation regimes and allow business to

grow our economy. He also talked about the fact that we must have an even greater focus on

innovation and productivity to ensure the sustainability of the provincial economy. In addition to the

many business people in attendance, we were pleased to have a number of our provincial politicians

in attendance including; Hon. Blaine Higgs, Hon. Trevor Holder, Hon. Craig Leonard, Hon. Mike

Olscamp, Hon. Dale Graham, MLA Glen Tait, MLA Jim Parrott and MLA Ross Wetmore. Premier David

Alward was the guest speaker for the event.

Welcome!


18

After 45 years in the land surveying profession, Doug Morgan has retired from GENIVAR (formerly Trainor Surveys 1974 Ltd). GENIVAR staff remain available for all of your surveying, engineering, and planning needs in the Fredericton community.

OMISTA Credit Union, with branches in Moncton, Fredericton, and Oromocto, was just awarded the position of 6th Best Place to Work in Atlantic Canada!To be named one of the 29 Best Places to Work in Atlantic Canada is a prestigious distinction. The Best Places to Work program recognizes employers that make it a priority to create rewarding environments and workplaces for their employees.

Tina Price of the Prism referred:New member: Discount Framing & Crafts

Peter Lindfield of Balanced Viewpoint referred:New member: FLOW

Melissa Stairs, Hatheway Orthodontics referred:New Member: Alan Howie’s Golf Shop

July - Aug. 2012

Insight19

Around Town

The Chamber’s Summer Biz’ Bash was held on Thursday, June 7th at Brewbakers. It was a relaxed afternoon event with great refreshments supplied by Brewbakers. New Chamber President Janice Corey spoke of behalf of the chamber and Head Chef Shawn spoke on behalf of Brewbakers talking about their new changes to the menu and drink menus. Chamber CEO Krista Ross also launched the new Fredericton Community Calendar which has been an initiative of the Fredericton Chamber Communications Committee.

Chamber President Andrew Steeves presents Frank Flanagan of the City of Fredericton with the 2012 Chamber President’s Award at the June 11th City Council Meeting. Thank you Frank for your dedication to the Chamber and nearly 10 years on our Board of Directors

CANADA’SCANADA’S

PLANPLANFOR EMPLOYEE

BENEFITSFOR EMPLOYEE

BENEFITS

Call Blair or Robyn Corey 458.0102 or Vernon Boyer 452.1891 to tailor a plan suited to your needs. See what the Chamber Plan can do for you! www.chambergroup.ca

Fredericton Chamber of Commerce "Insight" July/August 2012

Documents

Transcript of Fredericton Chamber of Commerce "Insight" July/August 2012