Approximately 17 Port Alice residents showed up at the Royal Canadian Legion on Feb. 15 to show their support for a new business association in their community.
The idea was spearheaded by Barbara Purewal, owner of The Good Shepherd B&B. She and other volunteers—“Rikki” of Mio Amore Pizza, Renae Marshall of Financial Future-Finance Consulting and Ruth Duffin of Bodysense bath and household products and Sunseeker B&B—have taken some preliminary steps toward establishing a business association. The meeting was called to gauge the level of interest in the community, and to invite people to sign up as volunteers and board members. Rikki of Mio Amore Pizza headed the meeting, describing the purpose, function and benefits of a business association for Port Alice.
Rikki said a business association would foster business growth and support by providing marketing support, networking opportunities and business development strategies. It can also facilitate access to workshops, as well as training and funding opportunities to help businesses stay competitive and adapt to market challenges.
A business association would provide advocacy and economic development by representing the collective interests of local businesses and advocate for policies that benefit them at the municipal and regional levels. It would also focus on attracting new businesses to Port Alice while supporting the growth of existing ones, contributing to a stronger and resilient local economy.
A business association can help create a supportive and thriving business environment through organized community events, workshops and initiatives, as well as foster collaboration between residents, businesses and local governments.
Of the benefits of a business association, Rikki suggests there will be a stronger local economy through collaboration among local businesses. A business association can provide increased visibility through collective marketing efforts, social media exposure and local advertising. It can provide access to special resources and training, such as workshops with Community Futures and Work BC. A business association can provide a unified voice to influence municipal polices and regulations that impact local businesses. It can support events that attract visitors and promote local spending. It can also provide cost savings through discounts on advertising, insurance and bulk purchases.
As part of the initiative to launch a business association, volunteers have so far created two Facebook groups that will eventually become websites for the benefit of Port Alice’s economic climate. One is Port Alice Biz and the other is Discover Port Alice.
Port Alice Biz is a public group where business people can promote ads. This can include crafters, accommodation providers, realtors, caterers and any other businesses in town with stuff to sell or promote. The more businesses post, the more the algorithm gets showcased on Facebook. This will start changing the algorithm so that Port Alice will pop up in quicker searches.
Discover Port Alice is for promoting tourism in Port Alice. People can post about their experiences and special discoveries in and around Port Alice.
Barbara Purewal is in the process of registering the society and opening a bank account. She has also been attending chamber of commerce meetings in Port McNeill and Port Hardy, to learn what people are doing for promotion and try to involve Port Alice in Tri-Port activities. She is also learning what is out there, to give Port Alice some ideas to play with.
Ruth Duffin presented a proposal for an artisan’s cooperative in Port Alice. Duffin, the owner of the Sunseeker B&B, recently arrived here from Gibsons where she lived for 41 years. She is basing her idea on Trinkets and Treasures and Mosaic Market, two collective markets that have been running in Gibsons for 45 years.
Duffin states that 70 to 85 per cent of her guests have been returning to Port Alice every year and that they’ve got nothing to do and nowhere to shop. She suggests even the locals need somewhere to shop. She says that there is 2000 sq. feet of available space for a cooperative at the old Scotiabank building. Each member of the cooperative can pay percentage per square foot for their space to market their wares. They will be asked to volunteer to work one day a week, so that the store can be open every day.
Anyone who is unable to volunteer can have the option of paying a commission. There are also two rooms in the back that can be rented out for studio space. Artisans can also put up displays or even work on their art or craft in the undercover area surrounding the building. Space will first be offered to Port Alice residents, then it will be opened to other tri-port residents.
Anyone who interested in getting involved with the business association and/or the artisan’s collective can email portalicebiz@gmail.com.
