There is a a general meeting scheduled at 17h30 on the 21st of October at the Dutch Reform Church Hall.
Memberhip fees range from R50 a month for sole proprieters to R400 a month for corporate members.
Payable to:
First National Bank Knysna
Knysna Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Branch Code 21-02-14,
Account number 622 3971 1311.
Please add your business name as a reference on the deposit slips / transfers.
Contact person: peterd@seanet.co.za
If you own a business in Knysna you need to ask yourself this question. Will you qualify for a seat on the vehicle that will transport the survivors?
As the recession runs its course. As with business elsewhere in the world and other parts of South Africa, Knysna seems to have run into a wall. As you plug the holes and look for the solutions to improve your personal business situation, you may want to ask yourself this question. Do you have the passion, desire, drive, energy, commitment, and will to be a survivor? And even if you do have all that, will you, your business, and those who depend on you for their livelihood, survive the present and future business challenges if you continue to battle along on your own?
Synergy is the simple, uncomplicated, reality that one plus one is more than two. When like minded, similarly situated, equally challenged, people unite to identify, select, and implement solutions, the outcome is better and greater than it would have been if each member applied the same energy and passion to finding the solutions on their own. One strand of cotton can be snapped by a child, but hundreds of strands twisted into a single cord can lift an elephant.
For the first time ever, Local Government (The Council) and Tourism are committed to working with the Business Community to make Knysna “A Town that Works for ALL. ” All the people who live here stand to benefit by participating in the establishment and work of the Knysna Chamber of Commerce and Industry that will be launched at a Business Summit that will be held on the 28th of August 2009.
All the essential ground work has been done. An interface between important international organisations that want to “twin” with Knysna and contribute to the transformation / improvement of the economic conditions here, have been started. Negotiations are under way with large and Influential Universities and Colleges in America and Europe, to establish a University in Knysna that will address all the aspects related to “Wellness” the global Ecology, Global Warming and associated disciplines. Imagine the impact that the spending power of 2 000 international students, their families and their friends, could have on Knysna.
Services that will help, mentor, educate and develop existing and new entrepreneurs in Knysna are already in place. The Chamber will enable members to access these services and other relevant information and training at a fraction of the normal cost.
Business owners are being invited to contribute to the process by submitting their specific needs or requirements to the people listed below. It’s all about communication, service and community. We can only be effective if you tell us what you need.
There are obviously a host of other issues and services that will be addressed, and provided, by the chamber, but access to the support demands your participation.
It is therefore a pleasure to invite every business person in Knysna to attend the launch of the new Knysna Chamber of Business and to become a member of the KCCI.
This is your opportunity to close ranks, join hands, and work towards a better future for everyone in Knysna.
Please RSVP / notify Peter Dijkstra at peterd@seanet.co.za or Dave Hendry at dave@botany.co.za or phone 044 382 5851 to confirm your attendance.
Besides what we are doing there are a number of other initiatives in Knysna:
Boerewors Bash – Colin Vermuelen
Coffee Club – Dave Hendry 3825851 or 0825660252
dave@botany.co.za
Bus Net Int – Trish Thompson 3824750 or 0828997723
BOP Business Link Up – Bev Moodie 3829730 or 0832687678
bop@lantic.net
“The Municipality” – Who knows? Who cares?
The Knysna Council is once again coming under fire as work begins on the Oyster Walk development behind Pledge Square. Its difficult to understand what the issues are and this is precisely what concerns me. Questions have been asked about the alienation and sale by the Council of erf 431 and Council appear to be doing their best to dodge the issue. My question is why? Who are they accountable to? Can they be held to account?
Erf 431, the paved parking above the Knysna Movie House, is a public erf expropriated in 1995 for public purposes, in particular to provide an attractive entrance to Pledge Nature Reserve. The Engineer’s drawing of 1996 shows it as an extension of the Reserve. What has “developed” since then ? And if the property was sold, were the proper procedures followed? Did it change hands at market value?
What are the answers to these questions? Who really cares?
We are building a database of all the businesses and services being offered in the Knysna municipal area and are looking for people who would like to get involved. We will provide you with a web site on which to build your list. We will show you how to add content and how to compile your lists. We will also show you how post features and pictures and make suggestions on added value services you can offer to turn this into a small home office businesses you can run in your spare time. All you require is access to the internet and a willingness to learn. We will show you what to do, when and we will walk you into our workshop without rushing and pressuring you .
The other day I was walking through the Mall just as Eskom flicked the switch to restore power and it was as if everyone had been waiting for it to happen. The centre sprang to life and it was business as normal. But what I dont understand is why we are not doing something about these power cuts. What is it we are all waiting for? How do the local businesses cope? Why are we not organising and doing something constructive to get our names taken off Eskom’s hit list? Whose job is it? Who should we be talking to who? Whose responsibility is it if its not yours, if its not mine.
I cant believe that anyone can still be in any doubt that we need to form a Chamber of Business and to ensure that these sort of issues are addressed and that solutions are found. But I could be wrong and it wont be the first nor the last time.
Most of the restaurants I speak to are very concerned about the costs they face in having to carry their business through the quiet months. And nearly everyone is either thinking about or they are already in the process of getting a glossy flyer printed with every intention of hitting that well worn path that leads to the B&B’s. But how effective is this going to be? Printing is not cheap and I dont think many realise just how much effort it takes nor what an utterly wretched job it really is.
Would it not make sense to pause for a moment and ask ourselves whether we could not achieve a lot more by doing it slightly dfferently? Would it not be in everyones interest if we started pooling our efforts and looking for ways to work smarter.
Of course it would. That is what this initiative is all about. There is a need which can be addressed but only if people are prepared to change the way these sort of things have always been done and only if they are prepared to look for and work towards answering the question that arise.
Who really knows? I saw the Garden Route Investments headline asking me whether I was arriving or whether I was leaving and I never bothered to take the matter any further. Its a moot point and a question we are all asking. But in the meantime we still have to get on and deal with those day to day things .
For our part we have set up our first quality circle and are busy promoting the concept to the restaurants, food and hospitality industry. This with the objective of providing a service and resourcing a full time employee who can commit the time that’s needed to get this organisation running.
Whatever your opinion and although there are arguments whether it is true or not, it does seem as though we are heading toward a global recession. Apologies if I am coming across a little pessimistic but all the indicators are there. This is why it is more important than ever to re-establish the Knysna Chamber of Commerce. There are undoubtably some tough times ahead of us and if we want to keep our heads above water we need to start working smarter. We also need to recognise that a lot of what needs to be done needs to be done collectively. So here we are ladies and gentlemen, The Knysna Chamber of Commerce is available (free) to help coordinate a brighter future and despite ESKOM and everything that they cant or wont to make it any easier.
Rather ask what you can do for you. We have ideas but there is a fair amount of work to be done before any of it is going to happen.