Hi Members,

It has been an interesting year for business, to say the least. Each business has been impacted by Covid-19 in different ways.
In Queensland we have been fortunate to avoid the contraction and restrictions faced by other states. It has impacted how we connect and introduced us to new ways of communicating.

I mentioned at the September breakfast that one of the biggest impacts in families, communities and business was a restriction on how we connect. Having an ability to come together each month and talk about how business is going, the ups and downs, connecting with other members, new members is incredibly important as business owners. You just can’t share good conversations over tea, coffee and delicious hashbrowns using Zoom or MS Teams as effectively as you can in person. I am looking forward to connecting with more members as restrictions ease and we work on growing our membership.

Thank you to our September guest speaker Amanda Rosazza for her engaging presentation on making the most of our superpower. Amanda was spot on when she said that we all have something that makes us unique in how we engage in business and assist our clients – our superpower. We need to do more to use our superpower. You can connect with Amanda here.

Committee past and present
Thank you to the committee which has served for the past 12 months, and for those who have served beyond those 12 months. Thank you to Michael Sunderland for stepping in as acting President for these past 6 months or so and to Kath Lewis, our immediate past president for her service to the Chamber from 2016 to 2020.

I am excited to accept the role as President for this coming year, and spend time with our Chamber members, focusing on the objectives for which the Chamber was established. If there are topics which you as members would like to know about, please contact me. If there are things we can do better as a Chamber to support you in business, please let me know.

Your contribution is key: In the coming month the Committee will send out a survey to all members. I know sometimes it can feel like we are over-surveyed – we buy something online, we get a survey, we finish working with a client, we send a survey. We do that within the Chamber as well. Surveys are so vital in helping shape the future of the Chamber – what are the things we want to hear about, learn about, be engaged in. When the survey comes out please take the time to fill that out. Your input into the running of the Chamber is key to it’s future.

Speaking of surveys – the BCQ Pulse Survey is out. Each quarter the Business Chamber Queensland (our peak body) aims to collect information regarding business to shape services and influence policy. The current survey is out and closes on 5 October 2020. If you haven’t completed it, please do. If you know of other businesses in your area share the survey with them.

If there are other businesses within your local area who aren’t coming along to the Chamber monthly meet ups – invite them, share our newsletter with them. Thank you for your continued support of the Chamber.

Until next time.

Elizabeth Fairon
President
Brisbane Southside Chamber of Commerce