New local chamber president promises to help boost local economy
Derek Fox is adamant that the Greater Boksburg Chamber of Commerce will add value to help grow the local economy.
Fox is the new president at the chamber following the recent death of Willie Riedl.
“There are a lot of chambers on the East Rand that have become defunct, and I know there is the perception that we play but an insignificant role, so we intend to change this mindset,” said Fox.
“These are exciting times at the chamber and we are looking forward to positive developments. We intend to be the voice of business in the greater Boksburg region and to make sure local businesses benefit from our presence.
“The chamber has always supposed to be the one-stop shop where anybody can acquire business-related information, such as taxes and training. This is the service we will strive to offer.
“For example, there are a lot of people who want to start up their own businesses, but there is a big difference between being an entrepreneur and just being an employee.
“Before then starting a business or investing in a franchise, rather come to speak to the chamber where we assess if someone is a true entrepreneur, otherwise as what happens so often, the business fails and a lot of money is lost.”
The chamber has also recently moved offices. It was previously located in town but now has been set up at a business cafe on the corner of Fourth Street and Eleventh Avenue.
“The new offices will make us more accessible to the public, and these new premises are more conducive for business meetings and for training to be conducted.”
Also on the executive board are Wayne Newton (vice-president, training), Brian Furlong (municipal liaison), Carol Ova (training), Berick Tempest (tourism and hospitality), Wendy Skeens (community safety), Rita Nel (PRO) and Henrico Voster (finance).
Already the executive has plans in place to make sure that businesses will benefit from its services.
According to Fox, this includes holding weekly business showcases targeting a specific industry.
This will afford members of the chamber who are associated with a targeted industry to benefit from the exposure platform.
Fox said members of the public who are also involved with the industry during a specific showcase will be invited.
“Then we are also looking at staging monthly networking sessions not only for chamber members but also for the public. And we will also assist businesses and the public to network efficiently and strategically.”
He said another exciting development is the launch of the Greater Boksburg Chamber of Commerce Training and Development Academy, which will provide the following to SMMEs and corporates:
* Access to a holistic approach to training and development with a strong value system of emotional intelligence underpinning all programmes (public or private), projects and the support and guidance provided.
* Access to benchmarked-level training and development for all levels of staff (management and non-management).
* Access to public courses, including exposure to individuals from larger corporations.
* Guidance with the total training function required for organisations, from the development of competency profiles to addressing the talent management function, training needs, mentorship and coaching.
Fox said they will especially be focusing on entrepreneurial development.
To ensure that the chamber meets the needs of all the businesses within the greater Boksburg area, it has also restructured membership into four categories – micro, small, medium and large.
The chamber may be contacted on 083 417 3585.
