A week in the community

Small Business Week is over for another year and what a week it has been.  A number of my colleagues in Red Deer and Calgary are walking away with some well deserved recognition in their communities.  It is great to see so many wonderful businesses in Calgary, Red Deer and throughout Alberta do wonderful things for their clients, those they serve and also for their families.

I was speaking with Rob Gilgan from the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce yesterday at their annual business awards function at Red Deer College about community.  This is something I am seeing more and more, especially in the past 12 months or so.  A focus on community.  I am not talking about the small business IT community, I am talking about our towns and cities.  A real focus on building strong companies with a focus on building stronger communities of trust and where the best firms are giving something back to help those around them.

For a long time I was overly involved in the technology community across the globe, and yes this involvement is important.  What I did incorrectly, I took my eye off the ball here in Alberta.  Now, my efforts are flipped where I am still involved in the IT community however the community right outside my back door has a higher priority.  I knew I should have listened to my friend Gavin Steiner a few years ago.  Thanks Gavin, sometimes it takes a while for it to sink in.

The Red Deer Chamber awards were handed out last night.  Congrats to all the companies which were nominated and even submitted applications.  Here are the winners as I recorded them:

• Small Business – 53rd Street Music
• Medium Business – Rocky Mountain Phoenix
• Business of the Year – Stantec Consulting

It is great to be a small part of these vibrant communities.  I am looking forward to building my network through service in Red Deer, Calgary and wherever Bulletproof ends up in the next few years.  The community is critical to your success, getting out and serving this collection of people is critically important.  You have to do something no matter how big or small.  Scouting, entrepreneurship, service clubs, church groups, non-profits or whatever tickles your fancy….just do something!

I would love to hear what you do in your community, leave me a comment.