A local company has won a province-wide award celebrating the achievements of Aboriginal business owners.
Premier Christy Clark and chair of the BC Achievement Foundation, Keith Mitchell, announced that Bizzbody Events won the award for “outstanding achievement” on Wednesday Nov. 7, 2012.
“Wow, it feels fantastic,” said Jocelyn Schick, the owner.
“It’s one thing to know that a client or an associate of Bizzybody felt inclined to nominate us, but then to realize that on a provincial level – and there are a lot of aboriginal owned businesses in British Columbia – to know that there’s something that Bizzybody had done that stood out in their mind is a huge honor to me.”
She is particularly proud that a business from the north, in a more rural area of the province, was nominated.
“It’s probably more challenging to be an owner operator in a rural remote community than it is in a larger centre because you have less options for clients and venues, and all kinds of logistics change when you remove yourself from a large centre like Vancouver. So I think it’s great they recognize smaller companies from rural and northern communities,” noted Schick.
The award is presented by the BC Achievement Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation.
“The British Columbia Aboriginal Business Awards showcase the continuing positive impact Aboriginal business has on British Columbia’s economic development,” said Premier Christy Clark.
According to Schick, there are always challenges in small business no matter what background someone has.
“I think whether you’re from any ethnic background there’s always challenges in small business, you don’t have resources there’s nobody to give things to do because you’re the doer, so there’s definitely challenges but there’s also benefits as well,” she noted.
Schick explained that running her own business out of her home has allowed her to work while raising her five-year-old daughter.
“She told me a couple weeks back that when she goes up she wants to be a Bizzybody so I’m an inspiration for her too which is an amazing feeling,” said Schick.
While there are many benefits to owning her own business, Schick explained that for her the most positive thing that’s come out of being a small business owner is the building of relationships with the community.
“A lot of the work in a small community is done by relationship building and I’ve only been in the community of Fort St. John for nine years so I haven’t had a history with people or organizations or friends that grew up with,” she said, “and to come into a small community like this and provide a service that nobody else was providing when I started the company has really allowed me to understand what relationship building is in business.”
Schick attributes her success to the love of her work and the positive relationships she has within the community.
“When you like to do something and you can build relationships with people in the community it really just all falls together on it’s own.”
