The Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce has a mission to help create a strong and healthy business environment on the Peninsula. All the activities that the Chamber undertakes fit into this mission—advocacy for business friendly municipal policy and practice, hosting learning events, helping business owners connect to each other and to customers, helping firms save money and operate more efficiently, etc.
However, in order to ensure that our region can support the services and infrastructure we desire into the future, we must pursue sustainable and manageable economic growth. The activities that support this are called economic development.
When we think about economic development, we often think about big box stores and factories with smoke stacks. Contrarily, the Chamber believes that economic development is more about the success of local firms, rather than spending time, energy and resources pursuing external investment into the region.
Perhaps a better way to think about economic development would be the concept of “economic gardening”. Economic Gardening focuses on increasing the competitive capabilities of local business owners, nurturing them and their businesses so that they can expand, hire more people, and develop the next generation of entrepreneurs.
The Chamber, in partnership with the local municipalities, hope to start this process with a program called Business Retention and Expansion. BR+E is systematic way to discover the needs of local firms and coordinate a way amongst public institutions, local government, and other service providers to meet those needs and nurture their growth.
- Read more about our BR+E approach here.
- Please contact us is you would like to be part of shaping a new economic era on the Saanich Peninsula.
- Are you thinking of starting a business on the Saanich Peninsula? We would love to chat with you about your idea and we may be able to connect you with information and contacts that might help.
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