Business in Sooke: breakfast meetings

MapleLine Magazine ENEWS: May 7, 2010

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by Mary P. Brooke

An email without any "who's who" came rolling through on Friday morning May 7, asking for RSVPs to the brand new Sooke Breakfast Club without any clue as to the source.

Turns out the event is being organized by Jason Van der Valk (local photographer / Inktvis Creative), Karen Mason (local financial consultant, Mason Financial), Bev Petow (artist), and Frederique Phillip (co-owner, Sooke Harbour House) as an offshoot from the failed BNI group that could not muster up enough (relatively costly) renewals to stay afloat in small town Sooke during an economic recession.

"The meetings will provide an opportunity for each business owner to have a 60-second infomercial to promote their products and services," said Karen Mason on the phone Friday morning.

Without membership dues, but needing to buy a breakfast ticket of $15 for gourmet fare at the Sooke Harbour House meeting location (or $5 for just coffee/tea and pastry), the organizers have hand-picked their audience from those who have previously attended BNI meetings as well as other local business events.

"We've taken all the objections out of what people found unworkable about BNI," said Mason. The meetings will be every two weeks (1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month), from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m., allowing business owners to get back to their stores and offices at the start of the business day. There is no penalty for non-attendance and no membership dues. The goal is to "promote your business and support other local businesses". RVSPs for the first meeting (May 20) can be sent to sookebreakfastclub@gmail.com .

Another offshoot from BNI last year is the BizNet group which has been meeting on the last Thursday of each month (5:30 to 7:30 pm) at the Sooke Ocean Resort (organized by Marion DesRochers, Paul Thompson and Kari Osselton), with a $20 cover charge for refreshments and usually one speaker giving a longer talk about their own business. MM

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