Welcome to Your Kamloops!

Learn about Electric Bicycles and Electric Scooters....

An interviewed filmed at the 2010 Kamloops Energy Fair with Angela Hambrook, from the Commuter Scooter Store on Tranquille Rd in Kamloops:

Watch live streaming video from yourkamloops at livestream.com

Getting a Taste of Kamloops On Your Smartphone...

I've been addicted to the iPhone for almost two years now. Yes, I know. Many may feel this sad. The odd time I agree.

The iPhone is, in my humble opinion, the most amazing device ever produced. It performs an amazing amount of really useful functions for my life, and I don't really ever use the phone. I use the Internet. I read and write email. I use facebook and twitter. I take photos and edit them. I shoot video. I use the GPS and clear maps to locate myself in another city, or to find a coffee shop nearby. I record and listen to audio. I take notes.

And, now, I can get some pretty neat Kamloops related functionality.

Most smartphones - whether blackberry, iPhone, nokia, android, or something else - have application (app) stores accessible on the phone menu. Searching for Kamloops on my iPhone brings up the below list. Special mention to Tourism Kamloops who have an app that allows you to see what amenities are nearest to your current location - very smart used of the technology.

    

Interview Schedule for Live Online Talk Show at Kamloops Energy Fair...

Excited about talking with the people at the Kamloops Energy Fair. I will be livestreaming here. 2010 Energy Fair Interview Schedule

TRU Looking for Business Partnerships...

Do you have an idea for a great new product? Starting a business but don't have a lot of resources?

No, this is not an infomercial.

Yesterday, Dr Lincoln Smith who works at Thompson Rivers University spoke to my Rotary Club. Lincoln was promoting TRU as a partner for local businesses. They already do a lot of work with manufacturing and technology companies, but are open to talking to any business about possible opportunities. Lots of interesting opportunities!

Committed North Shore Volunteers Need Your Help...

I am a huge admirer of Tom Hammer, Shannon Hammer, and Betty Nelson. They have all played such significant roles in the health of North Kamloops. We shouldn't burn these people out. Kamloops This Week has the story here. I hope they will get some back up support.

TRU Tourism School Continues to Innovate...

Good folks at TRU Tourism are examining promising ways to diversify our region's economy through rural tourism, especially with the devastation wrought by the Mountain Pine Beetle and the associated impacts on traditional industries. Here is the REDTREE information and information on the rural tourism conference just held.

Changing Face of Poverty Meeting - Highlights

Last Wednesday, at the monthly Changing the Face of Poverty roundtable, many items of note were discussed, including:

• a new brochure created by a TRU social work student that provides a snapshot of "poverty at a glance" in Kamloops. It's a good accessible way to get a broad picture of the challenges low income people face.
• a public forum will be held on the homelessness action plan on April 11th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the United Church, downtown. (I should write a separate post on this)
• the TD bank offers banking services for low income people (without large fees, and lots of red tape, etc)
• income assistance will start to be cut off for people who have outstanding criminal warrants to deal with. Some exceptions might be made (eg. singles with children).

For more info on any of this stuff,

Call: 250.374.2119 ext. 200    Email: [email protected]

Conversation with Dave Reid, Reid Business Consulting

Arrghh - somehow the audio for the podcast I recorded with Dave was corrupted!!

Apologies Dave!

I'm a huge believer in the power of entrepreneurship and am often in awe of the many great entrepreneurial success stories in Kamloops. Dave has a front row seat helping businesses in Kamloops grow. Dave is also one of the nicest people around town. 

Let me see if I can put down some of the highlights of our conversation:

• Reid Business Consulting offers business planning, accounting, and bookkeeping services.
• Business planning services help mentor business owners so they also learn business planning skills
• Biggest mistake people make is being to generous in the financials. In a business plan, the writing should be creative and forward looking, while the financials should be stated conservatively.
• Economic Development agencies might want to target value added businesses that bring higher paying jobs.
• Taxes are often a big issue, especially for small businesses.

Another Interesting Post on Tourism in Kamloops...

After reading my post below extolling our community as a tourism destination, a reader who wishes to remain anonymous reminded me of a great post on this issue by my friend Peter Cameron-Inglis. Added bonus is the informative comment from Howard Grieve from Tourism Kamloops on the same post.

Tourism in Kamloops? - You Betcha!

Vacationing in Kamloops may not be the first thing comes to mind when out-of-towners start to plan holidays. We are, however, becoming very well known and very well regarded for being a friendly town with a lot of comparably affordable activities and amenities.

I just spent some time on the Tourism Kamloops web site - always amazes me the amount of info there. And, if you are interested in the very best cowboy entertainment in Canada, check out their page on the  Kamloops' famous Cowboy Festival, coming in March.