We Are Looking for Volunteers for Celebration Canada 2019

We Are Looking for Volunteers for Celebration Canada 2019

Dear prospective volunteer,

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCCT) will hold its annual Celebration Canada event on Saturday, June 29th 2019 at Taipei Hakka Cultural Park. It’s our 152nd birthday, and it’s going to be an exciting day!

This is the largest expat celebration event in Taiwan. Celebration Canada is an FREE event that local people and expats can share together, have fun at, and enjoy new experiences. Our event includes examples of Canadian music, culture, games, food and drinks. We are looking for volunteers to help at the event and with set-up before the event begins.

This is an amazing opportunity to meet new people and give back to the community. If you or any of your friends are interested in volunteering, please register using our Google Form below.

Date: Saturday  June 29th, 2019
Venue: Taipei Hakka Cultural Park (Taipower Building Station – Green Line)

SIGN UP AT:
https://forms.gle/8RyeJkGUMvngLHFd6

Please indicate which you prefer or if you want to help all day. Our volunteer slots are going on a first-come, first-serve basis.

We need help in the following areas:

1. SET-UP FOR CELEBRATION CANADA (June 28, 2019)

Help set-up Taipei Hakka Cultural Park on Friday for the big event on Saturday.

Time: 1pm to 6pm.

2. CELEBRATION CANADA – Saturday, June 29, 2019

Celebration Canada Tattoo Stickers

Celebration Canada volunteers at the tattoo sticker booth in the Family Zone.

We need help in the following areas.

  • Kid Zone – Tattoo stickers
  • Kid Zone – Face painting
  • Kid Zone – Bouncy Castle
  • Mechanical Bull
  • Children’s Teepee Area for painting activity
  • Event Support Group

Session 1 – 12pm to 5:30

  • Flag set-up starts at 12pm
  • Area setup (including name plates on booths) starts at 12:30pm
  • Booth and main operations start at 12:30pm
  • Main building door guard in position 12:30pm
  • Continue operations in all zones
  • We need volunteers to help us refill ice and help with garbage removal each hour
  • Opening ceremony (4pm)
  • Close down Family Zone starting at 5:30. To be completed by 6pm.

Session 2 – 4:30 to 9pm

  • Close down Family Zone starting at 5:30. To be completed by 6pm.
  • Continue operations in all zones
  • We need volunteers to help us refill ice and help with garbage removal each hour
  • Site cleanup starts at 8:30pm
  • Take down flags at 9pm

3. CLEAN UP FOR CELEBRATION CANADA (June 30,  2019)

Help clean-up Taipei Hakka Cultural Park from the big party the day before.

Time: 9am to 3pm


For volunteers who commit to the times mentioned above, you will be provided with:Celebration Canada volunteers at the face-painting booth in the Kids Zone.

  • Free Celebration Canada T-shirt Celebration Canada volunteers at the hockey booth in the Family Zone.
  • 2 free drink tickets (alcohol or soda)
  • Water
  • Lunch box
  • A certificate of completion for volunteer hours with the CCCT

*If your school gives extra credit for volunteer work or community service we can help. Please see your school’s office for the form required and we will be happy to stamp it to get you that credit.

SIGN UP AT: 

https://forms.gle/8RyeJkGUMvngLHFd6


**Shorter shifts are available, but please DO NOT include the above-mentioned items unless you are volunteering for a minimum of 5 hours.


If you choose to volunteer for two days, you will receive a free non-voting membership with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan that gives you free access to some of our events or a discounted price to all our events.


Thank you so much for helping out at the 2018 Celebration Canada. We couldn’t do it without you!Celebration Canada volunteers at the hockey booth in the Kids Zone.


親愛的義工志願者,

加拿大商會(CCCT),將於7月1日(六) 舉辦一年一度的加拿大國慶節Celebration Canada; 加拿大國慶節Celebration Canada是台灣最大的國際慶典活動。每年活動參與人數高達數千人,來自世界各國的外籍及本地賓客同聚一堂,共同慶祝加拿大的生日,並為本地居民及外國友人提供一個友善交流的機會。 本次活動內容有不斷電Live樂團演奏、超刺激騎野牛競賽、充氣城堡、臉部彩繪、冰球體驗、超大獎好康摸彩 (需自購)、道地異國美食 & 遠渡重洋來台的加拿大冰涼冷飲,還有華麗的閉幕煙火秀!

主要區分成5大區域:親子區、野牛區、舞台區、攤位區及廣場區.

日期: 6月29日 (六)
地點: 台北市客家文化主題公園 (新店線-台電大樓站)

所需人員如下:
1. 親子區 (充氣城堡、臉部彩繪及紋身貼紙) – 我們需要喜愛孩童、具備親和力及基礎繪畫能力的義工在此區支援。
2. 現場機動支援小組 (支援活動場內、外全區包括停車場) – 我們需要具備熱情、有活力、高調度性/配合度、小強性格的人員在此區支援。

於加拿大國慶節內擔任義工者,我們將會提供您:
1. 國慶節活動T恤一件
2. 二張飲料兌換卷 (可兌換酒精性飲料)
3. 喝到飽冰涼礦泉水
4. 美味餐盒
5. 提供公共社區服務時數証明 (請先向就讀校方索取制式申請表格)

志願時段為: 早場 12pm-17:30 (5.5小時),晚場 16:30-9:00 (5.5小時)

非常感謝您對加拿大國慶節的支援及協助! 加拿大商會感謝您!

A Departing Message from Our Chairwoman Carrie Kellenberger

On behalf of the Board of Directors and Supervisors with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan, we would like to thank our valued members and distinguished guests for attending the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan’s Annual General Meeting.

We would also like to thank you for your continued support and patronage to the Canadian Chamber.

This year has been another successful year for the Chamber, both in terms of activity and membership. The CCCT made great strides towards our mission objectives in 2017 and we had some huge successes in 2017 thanks to strong support from our members. None of our events would’ve been possible without their support in 2017.

We’d also like to thank the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei for their full support over the years and congratulate them on their own successes in 2017. It has been a pleasure for all of us here at the CCCT to assist the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei and, in particular, I’d like to extend our sincere congratulations for their work with MOFA this year in projecting the Canada150 logo on the government building in downtown Xinyi for the first time ever.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such amazing synchronicity before outside an Olympic event.

Just as Mr. Ste Marie and his team were lighting up Xinyi with the Canada150 logo, our CCCT team was hanging the original Canada D’Eh sign at Taipei Hakka Cultural Park.

It was just one of many moments in 2017 that stood out in our minds, and we are so very grateful for CTOT’s help, support, and friendship.

I would also like to thank and acknowledge our platinum sponsors this year, including the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, the Alberta Office, Air Canada, and The Grand Hyatt Taipei for sponsoring two of our three signature events this year. These four members should be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the Chamber.

Our members enjoyed a number of Chamber events because these four members were so involved with the funding of these events, especially Celebration Canada.

Just a few Canada 150 Volunteers with Director of Volunteers, Mr. Steven Clark.

The only way for us to throw a great Canada Day celebration and keep it free for the 60,000+ Canadians in Taiwan is to ensure that we have enough sponsors to help us throw the biggest Canada national day party in Asia.

Hosting an event like this is no small feat. It took months of prepping and teamwork to ensure that July 1st went off with a huge bang. (If you weren’t there for the fireworks show at the end of the night, we can assure you, it was one of our best yet!) I don’t think one person left the event without a smile on their face.

Just one of many board meetings to bring our events from us to you!

I’d like to thank our incredible all volunteer team, our Board of Directors and Supervisors for an incredible Celebration Canada in 2017. It was one of our best years to date, and it’s to these individuals that we owe our thanks, and to the volunteers on our committees who helped make our events a success.

Astronaut Scott Kelly wrote in his best selling novel Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery that:

“I’ve learned that an achievement that seems to have been accomplished by one person probably has hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people’s minds and work behind it, and I’ve learned that it’s a privilege to be the embodiment of that work.”

Truer words have never been spoken, especially when I think of our team, so thank you, Team Canada. Congratulations to every one of you who assisted with our events this year. You are incredibly dedicated and talented individuals and it was a pleasure to work with you these past two years.

In addition to our Celebration Canada event, we hosted our 3rd Annual Maple Ball Charity Gala. This annual event has supported MacKay Memorial Hospital Children’s Wing for the past three years. Funds that we earned at our 2017 Maple Ball Charity Gala went towards assisting the hospital in opening a new bone marrow transplantation ward.

Over the past three years, thanks to help from MacKay Memorial Hospital and the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, we not only raised NT$460,152 for the opening of new bone marrow transplantation ward, but we also met our goal of donating over 1 million NT to the hospital over the past three years!

I’d also like to thank our main event sponsors for the Gala: our main event sponsor for the evening was Air Canada.

Northland Power, Elixir Herbary, and Il Mercato were all event sponsors for the night. We’d like to thank them for their kind sponsorship of this event, because without their assistance, this cheque and our special evening wouldn’t have been possible.

Among our other networking and happy hour events, we were also able to launch our third signature event of the year and make it a huge success thanks to our Dragons’ Chamber Taiwan committee. This was a new initiative that we undertook in 2015 and it was a roaring success for two years in a row. We already have sponsors lining up for our 3rd Annual Dragons Chamber Taiwan in November 2018.

Dragons’ Chamber Taiwan works to bridge the fundraising gap for entrepreneurs who need to raise up to NTD5 million. The initiative takers to this event are experienced foreign entrepreneurs who have lived in Taiwan for many years and who understand the challenges of fundraising. For years, we have watched the TV show Dragon’s Den offer a platform for entrepreneurs and investors to meet and now we want to do something similar in Taiwan.

On a personal note, I would also like to thank our members and the Board of Directors for putting their trust in me for the past two years. It has been my great honor and a privilege for me to be associated with the Chamber and the good work it does in our community, The Chamber’s Board of Directors and committee members are always looking for new people to get involved and I encourage anyone who is interested and has time, to join us in this very worthwhile cause.

I never thought when I got involved with the Chamber that I would one day be at its helm, and it has honestly been one of the most positive and rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. I’ll leave it to our new Chairperson to announce the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan’s new Board of Directors and Supervisors, and I promise you will be hearing from him shortly.

We welcome you to get involved with our committees in 2018 if you’d like to volunteer your time. We’re always happy to have new hands on deck and new friends helping out. Thank you so much for coming out to join us at our AGM on February 13, 2018. We wish you a a prosperous Year of the Dog and a very happy New Year Lunar Celebration with your family and friends.

Thank you once again!

 

 

Carrie Kellenberger,

Chairwoman, Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan 2016-2018

 


This year, we are bidding a fond farewell to Ms. Shannon Watson, Co-Chair of our Membership Committee, in 2018. Shannon has served on our Board for four years. Among her membership duties, Ms. Watson has worked on all our Committees to assist the Chamber whenever possible.

We would like to thank our Lady in Red for her tireless work with the CCCT. Thank you, Shannon. We wish you well on your next adventure.

A Message From Our Chairwoman Carrie Kellenberger

Dear Members and Friends of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan,

Thank you for your support.

2016 was an incredible year for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan. It was a busy and transformative year for us from May 2016 onwards, as we had a few key players leave our team this year to move on to other adventures.

Carrie Kellenberger - Chairwoman Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan

I am proud of what the CCCT accomplished in 2016. Canada Day 2016 was a great success, and our 2nd Annual MacKay Charity Gala for MacKay Memorial Hospital doubled in size. We raised over $10,000CDN for the hospital and we celebrated the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei‘s 30th Anniversary in Taiwan.

This year, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce stepped up its game in the small business and foreign entrepreneur communities in Taiwan by hosting its first ever Dragons’ Chamber Taiwan, an event that is geared towards Taiwan’s vibrant and growing start-up scene.

Dragons’ Chamber Taiwan 2016 helped to bridge the fundraising gap for entrepreneurs who needed to raise up to NT$5 Million to start their businesses. We’re pleased to announce that four out of the five teams we worked with this year received assistance from angel investors and from other individuals who were interested in these new and innovative ideas from our foreign community through our Dragons’ Chamber Taiwan event.

We would like to thank Business Next magazine, Meet Start-Up Taipei, and Elias Ek for working with us on our mission, and our plans are proceeding for our 2nd Annual Dragons’ Chamber Taiwan.

Meanwhile, we are continuing our hard work with the CCCT’s Small Business Network to connect small business owners and entrepreneurs with industry leaders in Taiwan, and we started 2017 with some excellent lunches hosted by our Business Luncheon Committee, including a well-attended luncheon with Mr. Pierre Loisel Sr., a proud Canadian and a legend in Taiwan.

We are also making great strides with the CCCT’s dedicated Membership and Events Committees that are hard at work to bring you even better events in 2017.

2016 truly was a year to remember, but we know that 2017 is going to be even better!

For example, in 2017, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be celebrating Canada’s 150th Anniversary on Saturday, July 1st, 2017 at Taipei Hakka Culture Park. We hope to see you there!

Our event planning team for Celebration Canada 2017 began meeting in November 2016 to ensure that this is our biggest and best Canada Day celebration ever. We have a number of new surprises in store for you at Taiwan’s largest outdoor foreign national day event in Taiwan.

I would like to thank you, our valued sponsors and members.

I’d also like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation towards our all-volunteer Board of Directors, Board of Supervisors, and their hard-working committees. These individuals generously donate their time, money, and energy into making the CCCT the success it is today. Without these key players, the CCCT would not be what it is today.

As the Chamber has grown and changed over the years, it has become even more important to work and plan together with common goals and a united leadership.

We recognize and appreciate those who have shared this vision, created these goals, and led the efforts that our CCCT community currently enjoys. We have much more in store for you, so please keep an eye on the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan‘s website or give the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan’s Facebook page a ‘like‘ to show your support for Canada and Taiwan. Follow our Events calendar for upcoming events. We promise, we have much more in store for you in 2017.

It is my honour and pleasure to serve as Chairwoman of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan and its governing body for 2016 through to 2018. It is my great privilege to be walking in the footsteps of those who have made the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan into what it is today.CCCT

Please help us to make 2017 an even greater success.

All the best,

 

Carrie Kellenberger

Chairwoman, Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan

All Chambers Taiwan Golf Tournament 2016 – Congratulations to our Canadian Golf Team in Taiwan

With Tom Cumming (Deputy Director Trade Commissioner at the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei), Steven Clark, John Kellenberger (Director at Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan), and David Merrifield.

Congratulations to our Canadian Golf Team in Taiwan for bringing home 1st place for the All Chambers Taiwan Golf Tournament on Saturday, November 5, 2016. The trophy is displayed at the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei | 加拿大駐台北貿易辦事處 (CTOT) for the next year. See you then!

Way to go, guys!

The Legacy of George Leslie Mackay

One of Taiwan’s best known and most loved expats was a Canadian man from Zorra Township in Oxford County, Canada, which is now known as the Province of Ontario.

His name was George Leslie Mackay and he was the first Presbyterian missionary to visit Formosa (Qing-era Taiwan). He arrived in Southern Taiwan on December 31, 1871 and began his life in Tamshui (Danshui) in northern Formosa in early 1872. He remained in Tamshui for 30 years until his death in 1901.

Mackay had the honor of being the first missionary to be dispatched by the Presbyterian Church of Canada. His mission was to bring the gospel to those who had not heard of Christ.

My commission is clear; I hold it from the King and Head of the church: …To get the gospel of the grace of God into the minds and hearts of the heathen, and when converted to build them up in their faith – that was my purpose in going to Formosa.” (Mackay p. 135)

Right from the very beginning, Mackay was known to avoid the small European community in the Tamshui area. The local European and Christian communities did not take well to his arrival. Moreover, the environment during that era was somewhat hostile for foreigners. Mackay was often labelled as a ‘foreign devil’ and a ‘black-bearded barbarian’, and the locals were reluctant to become involved with him.

Shortly after arriving he wrote:

“I am shut out from fellowship with Christian brethren, yet I am not lonely nor alone. I feel my weakness, my sinfulness, my unfaithfulness. I feel sad when I look around and see nothing but idolatry … I can as yet tell little about Jesus, and with stammering tongue. What can I do? Nothing; But, blessed thought, the Lord Jesus can do all things. .. Jehovah is my refuge and strength.” (Mackay p 18-19)

Since Mackay had no means to speak with his parish, he decided it was of the utmost importance that he learn the language. When he was not able to find a tutor, Mackay spend his time with local herds boys, and they agreed to teach him Taiwanese. He learned vernacular Taiwanese, the language that is spoken by the common people of Taiwan, and it was in this way that he was able to preach his basic gospel message.

Upon mastering Taiwanese, he helped to adapt the Taiwanese language to a written form by adapting the Latin alphabet to represent it phonetically. From then onwards, this style of writing was used by the Presbyterian missionaries and by the indigenous Presbyterian Church of Taiwan.

In addition to learning the local language, Mackay employed a number of different methods to find converts. He preached predominantly with aboriginals in mind, and his earliest converts were illiterate natives. He wasn’t a doctor of medicine, but he had sufficient skills in medicine to be able to provide aid to those who suffered from tropical diseases such as malaria. His most notable method at the time was an itinerant dentistry practice that he used to extract teeth, all while singing and preaching his message. He was eventually granted a honorary doctorate by Queen’s College in Kingston, Canada for his many achievements in Taiwan.

Danshui Foreigners' Cemetery

By 1888, he had 16 chapels and 500 converts among the native Taiwanese.

His marriage to a Taiwanese slave-woman named Tiu Chhang-miâ is also another example of Mackay’s success in going native to find converts. His marriage caused a considerable amount of controversy in Canada and in the foreign community in Formosa. However, his wife, known by the name of Minnie in the West, proved to be a formidable force in the mission. She helped to raise money in Oxford County for the construction of Oxford College in Tamshui, and she also acted as matron of the girls’ school. Their marriage was a happy one, and they had three children together.

In 1895, Dr. Mackay authored a missionary ethnography and memoir of his missionary experience in Taiwan in 1895. His book was called From Far Formosa: the island, its people and missions. It is is best known because of its defense of gender and racial equality, but it is also of importance to many historians and scholars because it lends an important anthropological understanding of Taiwan’s peoples and cultures during the nineteenth century in Taiwan.

Dr. Mackay is responsible for many incredible achievements in Taiwan, including the establishment of churches, schools, the first western medical hospital of its kind in Taiwan, and a dentistry practice for aboriginals. The churches that he founded eventually became part of the present Presbyterian Church in Taiwan.

Although Dr. Mackay achieved many incredible milestones during his lifetime in Taiwan, perhaps his most significant achievement was the building of the MacKay Memorial Hospital, which was established on December 26, 1912. It is one of the largest medical centers in Taiwan, and it is deeply rooted in the Presbyterian tradition.

The original Mackay Hospital was initially called Mackay Clinic, and it was built in Tamshui in 1880. The hospital was closed in 1901 at the time of Dr. Mackay’s death, but it reopened in 1905 and it was eventually relocated from Tamshui to Taipei in 1912. The hospital was renamed as the Mackay Memorial Hospital.

Mackay showed great love and pride for Taiwan and because of his achievements, he was eventually loved by Taiwanese and expats alike. Some families in Taiwan today, especially of lowland aboriginals of the Kavalan ancestry, can trace their surname to ‘偕’ (‘Kai’ or ‘Kay’), which not only demonstrates their love and respect for Dr. Mackay, but it also shows their family’s conversion to Christianity by Mackay.Mackay and wife grave

Dr. Mackay was one of those rare individuals who allowed himself to be transformed by the people he served, and his life is truly something to be celebrated. Taiwan would not be what it is today without George Leslie Mackay’s significant contributions.

He dedicated his life to bringing medical, dental, and spiritual guidance to the people of Taiwan, and was directly responsible for establishing more than 60 local churches, Oxford College (Aletheia University), the first girls’ school (Tamsui Girls’ School on the east side of Oxford College in 1884), and Tamsui Middle School, which is now known as Tamkang Senior High School.

Mackay might be unknown to most Western scholars of religion, but in Taiwan he is revered as Taiwan’s most famous ‘native son’. His story and memoir provide valuable insight into his life, background, and legacy, as well as the Taiwanese cultural background in which he worked. His lifetime achievements are a true demonstration to his love for Taiwan and its people.

How dear is Formosa to my heart! On that island the best of my years have been spent.
How dear is Formosa to my heart! A lifetime of joy is centered here.
I love to look up to its lofty peaks, down into its yawning chasms, and away out on its surging seas.
How willing I am to gaze upon these forever!
My heart’s ties to Taiwan cannot be severed! To that island I devote my life.
My heart’s ties to Taiwan cannot be severed! There I find my joy.
I should like to find a final resting place within sound of its surf and under the shade of its waving bamboo.
-“My Final Resting Place” by George Mackay

Business Interview – Clear Sky Communications with John Groot

Today we’d like to introduce a new interview series to introduce our Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan business members to the general community.

If you’d like to interview with us for our business interview series, please email us at info@cancham.tw with the subject line “CCCT Business Interview”.

To kick off this series, we have an interview for you with Mr. John Groot, owner of Clear Sky Communications based in Taipei.

CCCT: Thanks for joining us today, John. Can you tell us a little about yourself?John Groot

I used to be a journalist back in Canada. I’ve been working here in Taiwan as a trainer for 14 years. Last year I finished a project where I walked around the entire coastline of Taiwan.

CCCT: Can you tell us a little about your business?

We’re a small training and consulting company, a bit of a boutique business. We do customized programs that include business English training for teams with a specific purpose, like marketing teams, IT teams, sales teams etc., as well as some more interesting programs like cross-cultural communication. We also do writing and editing work, like technical editing, online articles, and also some curriculum design.

CCCT: How did you get started with Clear Sky Communications?

Well, I had been working as a freelancer for a while, and had a chance to do a big project for a major ICT brand. But I needed to issue them an official tax receipt, so we incorporated. After that, things just snowballed.

CCCT: Can you describe your customers?

They’re a pretty diverse group. I’ve worked for many of the biggest ICT brands, some less well known Taiwanese tech firms, big pharma companies, and lots of individuals. I’ve had some private clients who were newly arrived business people who wanted to get a cultural orientation to Taiwan. I’ve done training for the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei’s trade assistants. I guess the common thread is that they all have an international focus.

CCCT: Would you mind answering how you set your business up here in Taiwan?

I set up the business with my wife, as it was the easiest way to do it.

CCCT: Where do you see your business in the next year? In the next five years? In the next ten years?

Over the next 2-4 years we hope to become one of the top customized training companies in Taiwan. Our plan is NOT to hire more employees, expand, and compete for market share with established players, but rather to follow the small team approach and go for higher-level training opportunities.

CCCT: Is there anything about your company that you feel makes it special? Clear Sky Communications Taipei

We really take the time to get to know what senior managers want, what HR wants, and what the trainees want. Then when we deliver the program, it is almost always very close to what everyone actually needs. If it isn’t, we can correct course very quickly. This is actually rarer in the training business than you might think.

We can do all this because the trainer, the training program designer, and the contact window are one person, myself. So I can get to know everyone and don’t operate at a distance from decision makers or end users. I think this helps us deliver a special level of customized service.

CCCT: Thanks, John. We look forward to seeing you out at a CCCT event some day soon! Good luck!

Business Links

http://www.clearskycommunications.tw/

https://www.facebook.com/clearskycommunications

If you’d like to interview with us for our business interview series, please email us at info@cancham.tw with the subject line “CCCT Business Interview”.

Common Mistakes Made by New Business Owners in Taiwan

Jumping In With Both Feet – Common Mistakes Made by New Business Owners in Taiwan

Last month, the CCCT Small Business Committee launched its second event, which was aimed at sharing common mistakes that are made by new business owners in Taiwan.

The CCCT’s Small Business Committee’s objective is to host events that are of interest to members while supporting our small business members. Thus, some of our event locations might not be held in a traditional setting, but we are achieving our goal of supporting local businesses in Taiwan. You do not need to be a member or be Canadian to join our events, but if you would like to host an event, you must be a CCCT member.

We had five guest speakers speak to a packed house on October 9th at DV8 in Taipei.

We opened with a great discussion on a few questions that plague new business owners. Is this something I can make money on? Will it work?

No one can just look at an idea and know if it will fly, but we have gathered a group of experienced business owners here in Taiwan that can certainly be able to offer some help and advice.

Market Research – Know the lay of the land in terms of where you want to launch your business. Ask yourself – Is it being done by someone else? If it’s not, there’s probably a good reason for it. Find successful and profitable business models and then add your unique spin on things. A million-dollar idea is typically based on what others have done, just make sure you do it uniquely so you can go farther. Become so familiar with your market research that you know the pros and cons in your field.

Who is the best? What are the mistakes people are making? What are customers asking for? Knowing the answers to these basic questions means avoiding less mistakes down the road.

Find out what the need is and if it’s within your ability to do so. Make sure you provide an excellent customer experience, offer amazing customer service, and make sure you show that you care about your customers.

John Kellenberger, Owner of Reach To Teach Recruiting – Topic: Financial ConsiderationsTeach in Taiwan with Reach To Teach

John has set up two businesses through JusRegal. He has also advised a number of individuals who are interested in starting a small business here. Here are some of the points he touched upon during his presentation:

  • Not having enough cash reserves
  • Sustaining your business through an unexpected difficulty (Example: Dealing with the Georgian Ministry of Education
  • Doing careful projections for your business (preparing for it not to go right – profit projections)
  • Shorting yourself on compensation
  • New owners tend to put everything back into the business and short themselves if the business hits a hard patch. If you plan properly like we mentioned before this hopefully won’t be necessary. Shorting your own income can lead to a whole host of issues.
  • Not realizing all of the cost of setting up a business
  • Registration costs – $30 to $40k,
  • Capital – APRC 100k, ARC 500k (ARC also has revenue standards for 1 year)
  • Office Rent – virtual, service, separate
  • Employee costs (health, pension, labor, employment insurance)
  • Insurance for business goods
  • We recommend using Vincent Kao at JusRegal CPA Firm. JusRegal JusRegal 200is Taiwan’s Exclusively Licensed Immigration CPA Firm.

John Groot, Founder of Clear Sky Communications – Topic: Mistakes Made Because of Cultural DifferencesClear Sky Communications logo

John talked about losing an important business friend. Having friends in business is important everywhere, but in few countries is this truer than Taiwan. But when a business contact, especially a VIP, says that they are your friend, what does that mean? I had and lost such a friend in Taiwan, a C level IT executive for a large enterprise that helped me set up training contracts among his contacts.

He could have helped me a lot more, had I not made a fatal mistake. Not a blunder, it was a culturally based misunderstanding. But it made me realize that it is not just important to know who your friends are, but what that friendship means to them. Hopefully this example can help entrepreneurs avoid similar mistakes, and have better relationships with their key business partners and patrons.

Josh Yang, General Manager, Able-Intl Products – Topic: Mistakes made with import and retail businesses in Taiwan

  • Employ a scientific process for selecting potential products (i.e. the look, features, price) This will enhance the likelihood of introducing a successful product to market.
  • Keep reasonably small inventory when products are still new on the market. I can’t stress enough the importance of having cash reserve.
  • Ask around for the market price before joining a trade show. If you don’t know what the average prices people are paying for a booth, you might end up paying more than others.
  • Have a good mix of chain store and independent store customers. Independent stores give you the cash you need, but chain stores might give you the sales volume, but longer terms of payment and takes you more resources.
  • Differences between importing Canadian vs American goods. You have more US suppliers / products, better prices, more boats coming from the US, better freight rates etc., but, more consumers here have better perception about Canadian products.

Joe O’Brien, Managing Director White Fox Global Co. Ltd – Topic: Timing and scheduling of imported items

Joe will talk about timing and how to figure out when things need to be processed for importing and exporting.

Andrew Lunman, Restauranteur, Owner of Coda, Bongers, Forkers, and Eat Smart – Topic: Setting Up Your Restaurant Legally

Andrew touched briefly upon the topic of setting up a restaurant correctly and which license to apply for, as well as stressing why you should set your business up in your name.

NOTE FROM THE CCCT SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE

We are always looking for guest speakers, so please get in touch with us at info@cancham.tw. If you’d like to get involved in future small business events through the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan.

Would you like to be a speaker at one of our events?

 

 

The Ontario MPP Delegation Visits Taipei

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (CCCT) and the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT) were pleased to host a welcome reception in honour of the Ontario Members of Provincial Parliament Delegation on Wednesday, March 18th, 2015.

Our welcome reception provided a valuable opportunity to meet the Delegation and to learn about green energy, travel, and business opportunities in the city. Following the reception, a small group of guests were invited to a late night dinner and drinks at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Taipei.MPP Ontario Delegation
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario, (also known as Ontario Legislative Assembly or Parliament of Ontario), is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada by number of members. It meets at the Ontario Legislative Building at Queen’s Park in the provincial capital, Toronto.

The Delegation was comprised of:

Bill Walker (Member of Provincial Parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound)

Gila Martow (Member of Provincial Parliament for Thornhill)

Michael Harris (Member of Provincial Parliament for Kitchener—Conestoga)

Jagmeet Singh (Member of Provincial Parliament for Bramalea-Gore-Malton)

MPP Delegation Ontario