Opportunity Knocking

March 5, 2007

In today's fast paced, highly competitive landscape, communities, businesses and individuals are being forced to view change and conduct themselves differently in order to reach their goals. We must run lean and efficiently, using limited resources to attain maximum results, and constantly assess those things which held perceived value that must now be sacrificed. We must be creative in problem solving and developing new opportunities. And most importantly, we must be well positioned to recognize and take advantage of those opportunities which are presented to us and will move us toward the achievement of our long term goals. The cost of not doing so is incalculable. The key is to know and be able to communicate the goal. You need a plan of activities and timelines that are flexible and a set of values that are immovable. The creativity and competency of each individual, businesses and community is interconnected and impacts the other. The achievement of a team member in a business impacts its success and the success of many businesses impacts the prosperity of a community. The decisions and actions of each can also impact the other in negative terms. Therefore, the need, willingness and ability to work together in a strategic manner are essential.

As a rural community in Eastern Ontario, competing in a global economy it is imperative that we are clear on our vision and our plan, we work in partnerships and we are diverse in our approach. We have been fortunate to maintain a strong manufacturing base despite many challenges and we must continue to support these companies, making it as easy and cost effective as possible for them to conduct business here. Meanwhile, we have seen tremendous growth in our commercial sector. And as we move toward developing our service and tourism base, we must be prepared to convince those who would have us stay the same and bypass projects and ideas that have the potential to increase our future economic prosperity. In 2002, the Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce identified tourism as a significant economic driver in our region. Since then we have worked with community stakeholders and in regional partnerships to maximize our resources and create the greatest impact for marketing Brockville and the 1000 Islands. This past year, we also took the opportunity to work with surrounding communities and all three levels of government to complete a provincial asset development tool called Premier Ranked Tourist Destination Framework. We feel confident that the results of this exercise along with recommendations from the recent Anchor Attraction report and the current proposals from interested developers will lead us into an exciting era of revitalization.

The Chamber believes in taking advantage of opportunities that foster a competitive business environment and demonstrates this by advocating for continuous improvement and positively influencing any change that impacts our region's ability to attract and retain business. A key strategy in accomplishing this goal is networking; learning from the expertise of our volunteers and working together for the mutual benefit of all. We encourage members of the business community to do the same. The Chamber provides many opportunities for our members to network; build relationships with customers and colleagues, learn from the experience and expertise of other business people, market their business and develop new business ideas. Together - let us embrace this as the year of opportunities and reap the rewards of an exciting 2007!