IT IS always good for businesses to give back to the community. There are many ways to do this and a number of businesses are giving time and money to some really important causes. I give my time to a social services organisation in another centre and, at Balance, we have recently decided to support the Cancer Society.
One of the organisations that I also give my time to is the Whanganui Chamber of Commerce. During the past few months, the group has been laying the foundations to re-establish a relevant advocate to the local business community. This comes after breaking away from Business Central; after the value of that previous merger wasn't realised.
The chamber has a board of diverse experience and expertise and is led by our chairwoman Raewyn Overton Stuart, who built a national business network from Whanganui. We have representatives of diverse business groups on the board spanning hospitality, retail, Maori businesses and organisations and the business heart at Heads Rd.
One of the secrets to developing a relevant position in a market is to deliver to expectations and to undertake initiatives that build the brand. One such initiative that was a staple of previous chamber calendars was the annual awards ceremony.
A few weeks ago, the chamber launched the 2016 Whanganui Business Awards. It will be held at Whanganui Racecourse on Saturday, October 15. This is but one of a number of initiatives that will be launched in the next few months. These are exciting times for the chamber. We are in the process of appointing a CEO to turn the strategies of the board into reality, marking an important phase in the chamber's development.
