North Thompson businesses have a resource available for one-on-one support.
Deana Pidcock is the FIR Program Advisor for Community Futures in the North Thompson. She is inviting entrepreneurs and operators to call on her to access programs for building and growing businesses in Barriere, Little Fort, Clearwater, Vavenby and Blue River.
“With the resources available through Community Futures, I am able to meet with businesses in the valley to assist them by assessing their current business needs and coach them through the process of growing their business,” Pidcock said. “Because my position is essentially paid for under the umbrella of ETSI-BC which is the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior, via Community Futures, much of what I am able to offer is free or low-fee services to area businesses.”
Some of the support services offered and facilitated by Pidcock are individual business coaching, business planning, management consulting, online and in-person workshops, access to lending services, resume organization, and access to coaching and advisory services.
Pidcock is excited to be collaborating with Clearwater and District Chamber of Commerce which will also attract interest in services offered by that organization. Once her funded contract concludes, the local Chamber will carry on with some of the services they are jointly promoting to benefit businesses in the valley.
She explained, “I am focusing on small/medium sized business supports. There is no obligation and it is a complimentary service. I can also work with organizations and individuals and have done resume/job search assistance. My next set of workshops will be scheduled one-on-one services for focused tasks such as Google business profiles, online booking/shops, setting up social media, and so on. If anyone has any digital set-ups they are looking for help in, they are more than welcome to let me know.”
There is also a digital survey for small businesses to fill out available online.
She adds, “I will be offering and facilitating workshops but I also really find value on working business owners one-on-one, getting people in front of me and asking them about their online presence to see how we can improve upon what they are doing, brainstorming together. It’s a very unique position because it’s free for them to get together with me and review what their needs are.”
Pidcock is now sharing office space with the Clearwater and District Chamber of Commerce at Dutch Lake Community Centre in room 126, and will be there on Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to meet with business owners and members seeking some advice or counsel.
The CDCC and Community Futures will be offering two upcoming courses in April. A Food Safe Level 1 certification and a Marketsafe Food Safety Training course.
The Food Safe Level 1 course will be held on April 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Dutch Lake Community Centre in the multi-purpose room. The fee for Chamber members will be $95 with proof of membership and $115 for those who are not Chamber members. This course is for individuals or companies, food handlers in restaurants and other hospitality industries. Fees include in-person instruction, workbooks, and exams. Lunch is included.
A Marketsafe Food Safety Training course happens from 1 to 6 p.m. on April 28 in the Dutch Lake Community Centre in the multi-purpose room. The course is free for farmers’ market vendors with proof and $75 for non-farmers’ market vendors.
This course is for farmers, food processors, producers and food handlers who make, bake, or grow products to sell at local farmers’ markets, farm gates or other types of temporary food markets. Fees include in-person instruction, workbooks, and exam fees. Lunch is included.
You can contact Ms. Pidcock via email at: DPidcock@communityfutures.net or call her to arrange an appointment at: 250-828-8772