Finding a niche in the marketplace was one of the topics of discussion at the recent Eastern P.E.I. Chamber of Commerce conference in Georgetown.
The occasion was the chamber’s second annual Explore Economics East Conference at the King’s Playhouse.
The first panel was titled ‘Finding a Niche in the Market and Market in the Niche’ and featured Frances Sands of Eastern Kings Rustic Timber, Starla Wilson of Shiny Paint, Sherri Spatuk and Mark Mahar of M4G Alternative Housing and Kim Doherty-Smith of Fleece and Harmony.
These speakers discussed their ability to find and fulfill niche markets, scaling their work, distribution and success by leveraging the skills of both partners in their company.
The second panel, ‘Being Relevant and Staying Relevant’ featured Rose Viaene of the Chuckwagon Farm Market, Jeff Beck of Beck’s Home Furniture, Karen Creighan of Main Street Pharmasave and Brodie Rice of A.M. Auto Parts.
As more established businesses, they discussed targeting a varied audience, making their business a destination point and the importance of maintaining connections.
Nicole Verkindt, founder and CEO of OMX (market exchange), was the keynote speaker, talking about the importance of resilience in the face of difficulty and the importance of small business to the Canadian economy.
More than 100 businesses were represented at the conference.
“The conference is growing to be a premier networking and educational event for the eastern P.E.I. business community,’’ said Paul Lypaczewski, president of the chamber. “We have a vibrant, growing and dynamic economy in eastern P.E.I., with world-class companies. Our goal is to bring together entrepreneurs from the whole region and encourage them to work together and learn from each other.’’
