The awards given out at the Chamber Business Excellence Awards night were all well-deserved. All of the nominees were chosen by at least one person and the winners were likely those with a few nominations. It was good to know that a un-biased selection committee chose the winners. And hats off to one of the members of the selection committee who declined a free ticket to the gala because the chamber asked council for funding to augment the cost of putting on this event.
Businesses in Sooke strive to thrive in face of economic woes and competition from big box warehouse stores. What a business can offer, without charge, is good customer service. And that is one of the criteria for rating a business in Sooke. Word gets around pretty fast if service is not up to par, especially in a small town. You can’t fool the locals.
The businesses in Sooke work hard to gain and retain customers. They may not have everything the city offers but they do have local people working and that is a huge plus. Sooke needs to be a little more than a bedroom community of Victoria - and Sooke is. Sooke has a strong sense of community, a community supportive of each other and that can’t be bought - it is earned.
What is important is for locals to shop local. Check out some of the new stores and businesses opening up and see what they have to offer. You might be surprised at the sophistication and selection in places you might not expect.
If everyone got together and supported all businesses in Sooke, it would make a world of difference to you and them. Whether it is your favourite coffee shop, or a farmer at the country market, it all makes for a unified community of people who believe in supporting each other. And that is what Sooke needs to thrive and survive.