Biz West invites you to their third annual Networking Night.

By Suraj Sasi

Our West End Neighbourhood Renewal, a grassroots community roundtable of residents and organizations, is holding an event on March 27. The event hopes to provide direction about residents’ priorities, identifying gaps in programs and services, mapping community assets and supporting west end residents, organizations and businesses.

“Biz West Networking night is an event we created from our biz west program,” said Tamara Murray, 49, Community Coordinator at Our West End Neighbourhood Renewal. “We know small community businesses have business needs.”

Murray said five years ago some store fronts were neglected but are now quickly being filled by businesses.

“There were eight vacant stores in the west end but now there is only one,” said Murray.

Murray explained more about the West End Neighbourhood and the goals they are focusing on.

Murray asked students and residents about what they expect to see within their community, keeping in mind what students might need.

“One of the biggest gaps for students was after hours entertainment,” said Murray. “They want to go out for a movie night or go out for bowling and not travel all the way to Devonshire mall.”

This year the networking night will include marketing experts. While reading the feedback from business owners who attended the networking night last year, Murray said she came across some really interesting suggestions including demand for a marketing expert.

“Since you are a small business owner, you do not have money to bring in a marketing expert, but we as a neighbourhood renewal could bring a marketing expert to come in and talk  about street level marketing that they need ,” said Murray.

She also said apart from creating a new community, they invited crime prevention experts to speak about small businesses vulnerability to crimes.

“When you have more businesses housed side by side, then you also create a safer neighbourhood and we also work on that safety,” said Murray.

Murray will also have a small presentation at the event about how the businesses can grow in west end.

Nicole Sekela is the owner of Rock Bottom Bar & Grill. She has been running the business for 22 years and is going to attend the Biz West Networking Night in March.

Sekela said she made two big contacts at the last networking night and is also partnered with one local business that she met at the event.

James Ging, owner of Jimmy G’s said the event will have a lot of people from the community and will be an insight for what businesses are expecting.

“We are visioning west end for business,” said Murray. “We want to attract the families back to the west end. We have diverse culture, education and income more than anywhere else in the city and we want to capitalize and be open for possibilities and for community businesses.”

The Biz West Networking night will be held on March 27 at Jimmy G’s Bar & Grill from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.