Local business - the heart of our community
By Joan Janzen
joanjanzen@yahoo.com
As we navigate through the last quarter of 2021, we look forward to celebrating successes and accomplishments and also determine to face challenges together. The Kindersley Chamber of Commerce is an organization that specializes in those efforts.
The Chamber is made up of a group of people interested in the success of businesses in Kindersley and area. They represent the interest of its members, as well as the interests of the community. Kevin Martin is the Chamber’s Executive Director and the most visible member of the group.
The group’s most recent promotion involves giving a 10 percent or more discount to visiting sports teams and parents and grandparents of team members while in town for tournaments. For example, the ten teams participating in the girls under 13 hockey tournament will receive a 10 percent discount for themselves and their parents.
“We have over twenty-nine businesses participating in this initiative,” Kevin said. “It’s a great way to promote our town.”
We witnessed Kindersley’s small businesses being celebrated in Kindersley’s Goose Festival parade in September. “We had a successful Goose Festival,” Kevin noted. “It brought a lot of people to town and businesses benefitted from that, as there were so many people walking up and down the streets throughout the day. Everyone had a great time.”
“Our Canada Shop Local program just wound down,” Kevin said. This was a Shop Kindersley gift card promotion. “We’ve been having more people sign up for the gift card program and also sign on as Chamber members. I think we’re more relevant now, and there’s more of a reason to join the Chamber.”
Businesses are looking ahead to the future with cautious optimism. “Supplies are coming in slow, which is a challenge. It’s difficult for everybody,” Kevin said. He’s also hearing business owners request the need for a job fair, which may be scheduled for January 2022.
Kevin has been with the Chamber since August of 2019 and says he loves what he’s doing. Having worked in retail most of his working years, he feels comfortable going into businesses and meeting new people. Not only is he promoting Kindersley’s small businesses, but he has recently started his own small business venture.
“I replace grips on golf clubs and extend the golf club shaft if need be. If your grips are worn it’s difficult to grip them and results in bad shots. A new softer grip is better. That’s been going decently well for me. It’s a service that no one was doing out here. I’m trying to get the word out. It’s nice to open a business that’s needed, and it helps me out as well,” Kevin explained.
The goal of local businesses is to be able to provide necessary services and products to our community. Local businesses are truly the heart of our community.
Kevin Martin, Kindersley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.
PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
