What is Our Okanagan?

Our Valley is filled with many wonderful products/services and great opportunities.  The challenge we face is finding them easily and quickly.  Our Okanagan is an online tool developed to address this challenge.  Our goal is to connect those with needs to those that can address them, creating more opportunity for all of us in the Okanagan. 

How did Our Okanagan Come About?

While engaging local businesses, Community Futures of the Valley and Okanagan Partnership noticed many organizations are sourcing products and services outside of the Valley that could be sourced locally.  Soon a small group began brainstorming ideas on how to connect businesses and individuals to local suppliers of products and services.  Then, with funding from the Rural Economic Diversification Initiative of BC, the Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust, Okanagan College, University of British Columbia - Okanagan and the Ministry of Housing and Social Development - Employment and Labour Market Services, Our Okanagan was developed. 

How Much Does Our Okanagan Cost?

To search, it's free.  Best of all, there aren't any paid advertisements influencing your search.    For businesses and non-profits, it is free for the first year thanks to the funding by the providers mentioned above.  After the first year, the fee will be based on a cost share for hosting the portal and the number of organizations registered.  Our goal is to keep the costs as low as possible to allow every business and non-profit in the Valley to register. 

Who is Our Okanagan?

Our Okanagan is an independent steering committee with representation from the Community Futures of the Valley, Okanagan Partnership, OSTEC, Chambers of Commerce and the Economic Development Community.  Community Futures staff and contractors have been assembled to build and market the portal throughout the Valley. 

Want to add your Business to Our Okanagan?

Community Futures BC has recently become the agency responsible for the Industry Canada’s Small Business Internship Program www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/sbip-pspe.nsf/eng/home

The Small Business Internship Program provides small and medium-sized enterprises financial support to hire a post secondary student intern to assist them in their adoption of e-business strategies to increase their productivity and competitiveness.

A significant number of SMEs are currently simply connected to the Internet or are passively on-line, and might not be taking advantage of the possibilities offered by e-business. The Small Business Internship Program seeks to improve the competitiveness of SMEs by supporting businesses to actively market on-line and improve their competitiveness with e-business practices and technologies.

Your firm will receive financial support towards the employment of post-secondary students who will work on e-business projects. The Government of Canada will reimburse 75% of the eligible wages and related expenses such as statutory employee benefits, up to a total of $10,000. Your firm is responsible for covering other expenses such as fringe benefits and overhead costs. Support will be available for twelve weeks.

Students interested in being a part of the SBIP must meet the following criteria:

• be enrolled in a post secondary education program (or have recently graduated from such a program) AND intending to return to school;
• be under the age of 30;
• be pursuing education in an information and communications technology-related field where information technology (IT) knowledge and skills are important (e.g. business, e-commerce studies, computer science);
• be legally entitled to work in Canada (this includes permanent residents of Canada but does not include those awaiting permanent status, or persons with temporary work visas, such as students who have graduated and have temporary work visas); and
• be willing to compete for the positions.

Students gain valuable work experience as well as help fund their post-secondary education.

Call Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Okanagan for additional information 250-868-2132.

Community Futures Development Corporation of the Central Okanagan is pleased to offer “Developing Prospects and Building Revenue” a comprehensive and integrated sales and marketing development program for Entrepreneurs.

This program is designed for the entrepreneur who:

• wants to increase their sales
• want to better serve their clients
• are interested in receiving quality sales training

Combining our proven model of learning with technology we are able to deliver just-enough, just-in-time training in manageable amounts.  New information and skills can be implemented into day to day activities before the next segment of learning happens.

Over a 12 week period, you will receive:

• On-line SkillsCheck™ Assessment
• Evaluation Report
• Eight on-line training modules

1. Introductions
2. Opening Conversations
3. Effective Questioning
4. Talking About Your Product
5. Prospect Motivators
6. Presenting Relevant Information
7. Handling Objections
8. Asking For Business

Four on-line webinar sessions with an experience sales and marketing coach

On-The-Job Resources

On-The-Go Resources via Email

Post Evaluation & Survey

Sales & Marketing Coaching

No longer do sales and marketing skills have to be a weak area of your business. Spending just 20 minutes each day on the on-line modules and then attend a ninety (90) minute webinar with a professional sales and marketing coach every third (3^rd) week.  This will allow you to take control of your development and subsequently start building more revenue today.

You may register for this program on-line at:  www.cfsales.ca