powerpoint presentation 2019 .pdf · 2019-04-12 · confidential to intended audience this...

April 2019

QUESTIONNAIRE– January 2019

Respondent demographics

IMPORTANCE / VALUE to respondent

EVENTS –satisfaction

SERVICES -satisfaction

Confidential to intended audience This presentation contains information for current Town of Wasaga Beach employees and Council. Any dissemination, publication, or copying is strictly prohibited. 2

VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE – 2018

3Confidential to intended audience This presentation contains information for current Town of Wasaga Beach employees and Council.

Any dissemination, publication, or copying is strictly prohibited.

OPEN HOUSE -January 31,2019The Chamber welcomed participants from all businesses, members and non-members.

After an introduction by the Chamber President, participants broke out into small groups. A Board member facilitated each discussion with another performing as scribe. The following summarizes what we heard.

WHY WB TO LIVE? • We wanted somewhere to raise our kids• Loved the outdoor area – great place to be – pricing was good• Hiking/canoeing/the beach/ stuff to do• If you have an income, it’s a good place to live but hard to find work• Came to WB 13-14 years ago b/c of skiing, beach, lifestyle, snow in winter. Small town

community for kids.• Came to WB for water, for healing from illness• Was always in corporate world. Real estate was affordable in WB at the time. Nature is second

to none in WB. Brick & mortar buildings don’t live up to nature.• Weekenders/skiers• 4 season residents / lifestyle• Weekenders/retirement • Family immigrated 36 years ago.

WHY WB FOR BUSINESS?• My business is home-based so can be based anywhere• Saw a need in summertime because of our location• Opened business after 4 year concussion; her products benefitted her and wanted to share

products with others• Never owned a business in town. Was part of school board. Lived in friend’s house in WB and

stayed.• Opened business after having business in Alberta. Could give community a good business for

dog grooming. There was a need.

DID WB REACH EXPECTATIONS?• Not in winter/ totally seasonal is tough.• Hard to do business in winter. • Lives up to expectations (the beach, activities in all seasons• WB has lived up to expectations in business and personally.• Needs to revitalize• Feels not reaching potential. Happy to see changes happening. • Good town for tourism and accommodations.• Money to be made in season. Reached out for US and tourists from other provinces.• Tourism plan to extend into season. Outdoor activities. • Need family resort style place to attract more tourists.• Weather dependent. Doesn’t matter what you have.

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6Confidential to intended audience This presentation contains information for current Town of Wasaga Beach employees and Council. Any dissemination, publication, or copying is strictly prohibited.

OPEN HOUSE - January 31, 2019

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY THAT IS CONCERNING TO YOUR BUSINESS? • New council.• New/great priorities• Grow tax base through business.• Grow economic development• Participants home-based business• Large growth plan• Larger community / more people• If the Chamber took some action, “I” would join the Chamber. Need our business to have more exposure.• Chamber is good for networking and loyal.• More people need to know about the Chamber. • Paying high maintenance fees/rent for commercial unit. Maintenance is not being done. 5 year lease and no response from landlord to fix

concerns• Not much support for local business from residents. • Business is taken out of town, although I try to stay in town• Want more networking opportunities for business• Infrastructure is maximized for local businesses• Bring people to town!• Things for locals and tourists to do• Has to look good• Enhancement to business - $2,000 not much money. Maybe a little more? • Plover fence needs to be better. • Like change of direction / decisions after pause • Casino after 6 years in the works – synergy, hotel, spinoffs• Negativity on social media is a very small group • Digital – nothing consistent advertising events in and around WB• Expanding businesses not to be a summer business only; the potential is here• Summer vs winter – there are a lot of opportunities that people don’t know about• No one is talking about what you CAN do. Could be a year-round town.• Collingwood: Blue, The Village – brought in the bigger businesses. Continue promoting all the way to Toronto. Great support, $$, great

events/music/bars• Blue – conventions to fill shoulder seasons. Focused on increasing summer when skiing used to be all they had• Blue Mountain Chrysler – support CGMH; volunteering• Last 6 months – VERY negative, toxic• FB – negative/ toxic; lots of ‘watchers’ even if they don’t comment

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WHO DO YOU FEEL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROMOTING TOURISM?• ED and town should be responsible• Every provider should be doing their own promotion• Multi-tier responsibility• Any patron visiting is going home and promoting….good and bad• Should move beer & liquor store to Foodland plaza• 3 different nodes – don’t want to drive 20 minutes east to west• Everyone should be promoting WB and tourism (we need more of this) • Tourism helps economically and financially• People tend to visit first before becoming a resident• Other town had small kiosks to interact/guide tourists• Big, one-time events are great but we need more permanent options• One source can’t be said to promote tourism• Town should promote WB (events, promotions, etc)• Town is not there to promote their business• Only 46-48% of our tourism businesses have an online presence• Digital platform is inconsistent – needs a consistent message• Businesses can then promote their tourism business• Residents will then stay in WB with their purchases • Offer everything so there’s no need for residents to go elsewhere• Business is not closely tied. Tourism is flexible for some. • Vendor events help promote to tourists. Can then follow-up with tourist• VGB is crossover between Chamber and Tourism• Little trailers can’t compete against the other businesses• Trailers are subsidized but businesses are paying lots of money• VISION: Abby brought in a whole new plan – “Beach 2 Family Fun Centre”• People with young families are moving here but don’t go to Beach 1• Problem with the trailers as sometimes not open at Beach 1. Need something there but…• The Splash pad is super scary as traffic and so much going on. Very stressful.• Town, Chamber and Mayor to promote tourism. They should work in conjunction.• Those who had an online presence, 25% of those have a substandard presence.• Real Estate – people come for a weekend and buy a home• Beach 1 is WB’s main focus. It attracts people. Beach 1 needs development/improvement• Tourist related business should promote tourism and promote their own business (this attracts people)• Visitors see signs/ new developments. Vacationers who eventually move here. “Brampton North” • Higher % of Seniors than anywhere else in (Ontario?) If you have a $1million home in Aurora, you can buy for $400K in WB and retire on

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G • Tourism promotion is a dual-function• Businesses are struggling just to pay bills• Not moving forward• We need to be a “complete community”• Business is tied to tourism• Beach front is sad looking• Tourists/weekenders bring their dogs• Seasonal residents bring business• The bathrooms aren’t great either• Splash pad isn’t in a great location• Let’s try to beautify the spots we have• Beach – needs to have clean bathrooms• Needs to have shower to wash off feet• Get rid of scuzzy bathrooms, etc.• Beach 1 80% of businesses are just summer• Town should do this to attract people



IF BUSINESS IS TIED TO TOURISM….HOW MUCH SHOULD CHAMBER BE INVOLVED WITH TOURISM?

• Need locals to help support a business• Should totally be a part of it• A percentage?• Town’s responsibility to bring in people

WHAT TYPE OF PROMOTIONS WORK FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

• Understand what customer is looking for• Chamber should work with media to support business• “Feature of the Month”• Word of mouth/ trust when health related• Work of mouth/reputation/referral• Newspaper/digital/social media, word of mouth/satisfaction level• Digital/ word of mouth• Online for used cars, radio, referral program is personal, *personalized Tim Horton cards• Referral partners/ lunches or Blue Jays & limo rides• Networking from Day 1 prior to opening my businessM

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VISITORS GUIDE BOOK:• How do tourists get it? Other visitor centres/ motels/ restaurants/ swap• Electronic – Needs to be done; missing younger demographic• Seniors want paper so need both• But needs to be affordable for businesses to be part of• The Chamber is pretty invisible. There needs to be more of a presence of them. That will show the businesses the value in it.• As a newcomer, the Chamber was hard to find. Maybe Chamber should do bulk buy of ad space, etc.• Running a business here takes time. It’s a long-term investment

WHAT DO YOU GO OUT OF TOWN FOR?• How very little out of town shopping. Maybe furniture • Doctor, dentist, legal, professional services, building supplies are in town• Can get most things in town• Shopping for teenagers/families is hard. They want a shopping mall. Orders online for things we can’t get local. • 1-2 day service (if feasible) is beneficial • Movie theatre is out of town• Entertainment (live show, bowling, theatre) are out of town• Most clothing is bought out of town• Selection of restaurant in WB is limited• Try to keep in town• Cars are bought out of town• Have heard people don’t use contractors in town – they are unreliable/unresponsive• Residents have a hard time getting a family doctor in town• Need a good second-hand clothing store• Movie theatre• Specialty food provider out of town (for people and for dogs)• Try to stay in town when she can• Business supplies out of town (specific to her business)

SUGGESTIONS: • Kids could write letters to town or Chamber with their suggestions. WB should consider this as it gets younger generation involved. • More garbage cans at beach and along trails\• No one should ever see a full garbage can or dirty public washroom• Keep bins from overflowing and causing a mess• Ride the Bus! Good people, good bus and taxi drivers• Track where YOUR business is coming from, and where they learned about you. (what works?)

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IS THE CHAMBER DOING ENOUGH? • For the area, it’s pretty good but need to know what the businesses need. • Identify what the Chamber can do. Can do more.• There are complex and different issues. Examples:

• WSIB costs• Competition with people working under the table• Underground economy – Chamber can educate people

• Big part of Chamber is to bring legitimacy to your business – Trustworthy• Voice is being heard but slowly. Want business to grow faster. Shares via networking, joining with other businesses. Vendor shows work

best for her.• Voice is being heard. Been here 45 years. Recognizes everyone doesn’t agree all the time. Kept involved (Probus, Kinsmen when it

existed.) On Council. Chamber After 5s. Presents what he thinks directly to person involved. • Learning to control voice. Voice is being heard. Word of mouth for her business. Educating public on her business. Involved in

Home/Garden Show. Wants to be involved with Chamber. Considering fostering with Caithkin. • Voice is being heard. Takes leadership role in community with strong support system. • Good track record for accomplishments. • Chamber has history of being strong voice. • Good Chamber / good business community. • WBWBA, WOW, various networking / social groups• Wants to be more involved. Shifting to copywriting from instructional design so needs to grow network. (to f/up after re: BNI)• Voice is being heard. Council and Chamber are approachable• Talk to customers – nothing very positive, corruption in WB• Doesn’t know where to get answers so reads The Sun (not ‘e’ connected)• Would love to know who to advertise with• Blurbs on Facebook person page, a lot in WB News & Commentary• Need to know about more interactive community events for public to have voice heard. Encourage people to get out to meet people.• Not a lot if you don’t like winter sports here. Need more to do here. F-un, healthy in winter.• Full time things not just festivals – bowling alley, etc. • Service clubs, Probus clubs, lions club, rotary, lioness clubs found on visitor guide book, library, snowman mania• WBWBA, Chamber, Builders Assoc – good speaker, good meal, support local • Struggling – 1st year on Mosley. Summer was good but Sept. it dropped. Struggling to find locals to get to see her business.• Stores are closed at 6pm???• Drive-bys, word of mouth, marketing guy backed out on her. On Mosley and wonders if a bad street.• Works and mostly doing work in the city. Joined to try and figure out how people want to expand their business.• GTA vs WB clients – no huge difference but variety• Volunteering, getting involved and meet people at clubs• Came here as a kid in summer. Parents and in-laws live here. Potential for growth exciting. Outside of social media, he doesn’t see

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SHOULD CHAMBER BE DOING MORE TO ATTRACT MORE BUSINESSES? • Need to educate all businesses about the Chamber. • Find a different way to attract new businesses (surveys don’t always work) • Awards – in past it was board member won. Need a 3rd party to award the businesses.• Should Chamber look in future to representing other home-based, network, or member-t0-member business?• Time to kill – nothing here. Has to travel to other areas. Lack of culture.

IS THERE A DRAW TO BRING IN NEW BUSINESSES? • Not enough of a spotlight• Do we do something like a “welcome wagon” for new business? • Or give the 3-month membership for free? • Or promote them for free for a month?• Newspaper unreliable – not always delivered• Radio? – 6 spots for a new business? • Online / social• People are engaging online – promote online

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE? • Chamber has positively evolved• Facility is good• Events are superior to what they used to be• Excited to see Chamber evolved• Chamber needs to distinguish itself in advertising from the town• Finds chamber helpful and friendly, good atmosphere• Hasn’t been actively involved in Chamber but is considering it• Chamber serves a niche for businesses• Can’t speak to today’s Chamber • What % of town’s businesses are Chamber members? Of those members, how many are actively involved? • Chamber needs to engage other businesses• Contact businesses who aren’t members to ask why• Impressed with that she is seeing the Chamber doing• Believes the Chamber will grow because of what it is doing• Chamber can have a role to identify opportunities to bring businesses to WB• Make businesses aware that we may not have one of their businesses in WB



CASINOADVOCACY - Survey question



Insights from the casino advocacy question were sent by email to Council on February 18th with intent to share with the decision-makers.

powerpoint presentation 2019 .pdf · 2019-04-12 · confidential to intended audience this...

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