Do you Tweet? Facebook? Pin on Pinterest?

(Manager is on vacation!)
Are you one of the many people who use social media to communicate? Do you Tweet? Facebook? Pin on Pinterest?
While in Victoria last weekend, I found myself turning to my handy, out- dated iPod for assistance. We wanted to explore new places find new restaurants. Looking for some useful apps, I found the “Urban Spoon” quite useful.
We toured around the outskirts of Victoria, relying on our GPS system. “The voice” kindly told us where to go and which routes to take. The system is quite simple and easy to use. We were only lost twice!
Halloween was “Facebooked and Tweeted”. Plenty of parents were updating as they took their children around neighbourhoods how bad the weather was and who had the best candy!
Are the days gone where we just hop in the car, take our chances as to our destination or do we have to check online to see who has the better ratings?
Were you in on the Tweet up last Tuesday?  Minister Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of State for Small Business, (@NaomiYamamoto) held a twitter town hall regarding the Small Business Accord.
 
The Small Business Accord will be designed to develop a regulations framework to reduce red tape and help make BC the most business-friendly jurisdiction in the country. 
The consultation process involves public engagement (the twitter town hall) and an online survey  - http://www.bcjobsplan.ca/bc-small-business-accord-survey/
 
For more information on the Small Business Accord http://www.bcchamber.org/news/releases/small_business_accord.html
 
Shared from: Community Futures Alberni Clayoquot
 Small Business Success November 12 newsletter:
 
 Websites businesses should refer to:
Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerceavcoc.com is the Alberni Chamber’s website. Not only does it contain valley and Chamber information, but you can access all our member’s websites and even shop on our on-line auction!Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Most chambers of commerce across the country are members of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce; the organization represents more than 420 chambers and boards of trade, which in turn represent 192,000 businesses. Check this site often to find out what's going on in the Canadian business world.
Canadian Federation of Independent Business
The CFIB has almost 110,000 members and is the voice of small business from coast to coast. The association fights for fair taxation, reasonable labour laws and a reduction in the regulatory paper burden we all face. Check out the association's surveys and reports to discover the latest news affecting small business.
Elance
This tremendously useful site puts you in touch with a world of freelancers just waiting to do your bidding. If budgets are tight, or you can't find someone with just the right skill, or expertise, check out Elance and browse the thousands of portfolios and find the perfect match.
CNet
This is a great site for up to date information on what's happening in the world of hardware and software. There are thousands of reviews and you can download just about anything. They scour the Internet for the best deals so check out the special offers; you probably won't find what you want for less anywhere else.
Business Development Bank of Canada
This website is well worth a visit and keep bookmarked for future reference. BDC's mission is to create and develop Canadian businesses through financing, venture capital and consulting services, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The bank is dedicated to assisting Canadian entrepreneurs and currently helps almost 28,000 businesses reach their full potential.
One thing for sure is social networking is here to stay. It’s important for us to use it wisely.
 Now, if I knew how to make an App for Port Alberni…
 For many of you this is old news but to those of us who are older - this is news.
Thought for the Week:
“People are not an interruption of our business. People are our business.” Walter E Washington

FROM THE MANAGER’S DESK
SUBMITTED BY DEB OAKES
ASSISTANT TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ALBERNI VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE