Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran is making a point to visit at least one local business per month in order to learn more about local industry and hear feedback from the community.

The mayor started his Business Visitation Program to help Kelowna businesses grow, improve, and to make the city more desirable to up-and-coming business people. 

On these visits, the City’s Director of Business and Entrepreneurial Development Robert Fine accompanies Basran.  

“It’s an opportunity for he and I to one, learn about the business and what they’re doing, but also to hear directly from business owners in terms of what types of things are helping their business in the city, the things we can do to maybe make their business better and just to hear their general feedback about Kelowna,” said Basran. “…the good things and the challenges they’re experiencing with their business.”

Photo Credit: Vadim Software.

After visiting about 6 businesses so far, Basran said he’s found the program helpful.

“I would say in particular, just for my own knowledge, of the types of businesses we have taking place in our community,” he said. “There have been some that I had no idea even existed and how many people they employ so for me it has been a huge eye opener.”

When he visits a business, Basran said he takes the time to hear their concerns, which he then takes back to council in hopes of implementing changes.  

“A lot of Kelowna businesses we’ve talked to are hoping to see room for growth in the coming years,” said Basran.

When it comes to improvements the city could make, Basran said he’s heard two concerns multiple times.

With most of the businesses looking to expand, people are calling for more affordable housing in Kelowna, “so that when these businesses grow they can attract people here.”

He said businesses also want to make sure that local post-secondary institutions in some cases are able to provide skilled labour needed.  

“Those are two of the bigger issues that we’ve heard but aside from that a lot of business owners in our community are quite happy with the continued growth of our city and have plans for their own expansion in the coming months and years ahead,” said Basran.

On March 10, Basran and Fine visited StarDyne Technologies Inc., the parent company of Vadim Software, which is located in one of the Landmark buildings.

Photo Credit: Vadim Software.Basran on his visit to StarDyne Technologies Inc.

According to the company’s blogpost, Basran talked to staff about what they are doing to put Kelowna on the map as one of the many tech companies in the city, and encouraged them to stick around.

“The job can be awesome but we know that in tech, in particular, you can go do that awesome job anywhere so we really need to be cognizant that Kelowna is an amazing place to live,” he said.

Some staff members were pretty shocked to have the Mayor at work for the day.

So far, Basran said the reaction to his visits has been positive.

“Business owners have been very happy to have me there and I just think it’s part of my job to listen to the community and to try to implement changes wherever it’s been possible for the city to do so and where we as a council agree it’s worth exploring,” he said.

There is no word on where the Mayor plans to drop in next.