Healthy Kimberley’s Taking Care of Business initiative is offering free consulting services to local businesses in order to help business owners achieve a healthier workplace.
Marina Stropky, Health Promotion Coordinator with Healthy Kimberley said, “we love Kimberley’s unique and dynamic business community and we want to help make local businesses healthier and even more awesome.”
She adds that they are offering free consulting services because Healthy Kimberley believes the best way to be healthy is a community.
“Local businesses play a key role in their influence on our workplaces and on consumer choices,” she said. “We are offering free consulting in order to help businesses determine what health promotion strategies could be most effective in each unique workplace and how to implement these strategies.
“Most business owners care about the health of their staff and customers, but it can be a challenge to determine effective ways to promote healthy choices. We can provide evaluations to determine existing strategies, make individualized policy suggestions based on the distinct strengths and needs of each business, offer advice on setting smart goals and provide staff with incentives for healthy workplace challenges.”
Healthy Kimberley has resources available to local businesses that can help implement these effective policies that promote healthy choices for staff and customers.
“Most business owners know that a healthy work environment is good for business; more productive and engaged staff and attractiveness to customers. Our consulting services help find the best way to achieve this,” said Stropky.
One great perk, she says, is that it allows Healthy Kimberley to get to know local businesses, most of which are already supporting community health in some way.
“It gives us the opportunity to share the healthy products and services that they offer in our interactions with other businesses and local media,” said Stropky.
So far, five businesses have participated in an initial consultation and some follow-up. A dozen more have expressed varying levels of interest, Stropky says, but have not yet started utilizing their services.
“The overall goal of the Taking Care of Business initiative is to include businesses in Healthy Kimberley’s community-wide health effort,” she said. “We would like to see businesses set and achieve goals that create healthy work environments for staff and provide healthy options for customers.”
Some examples of a healthy workplace are promoting the benefits of healthy diest and physical activity through posters, newsletters and workshops, adopting healthy policies such as a ‘walking meeting’ policy, supporting community initiatives like Bike to Work Week, providing facilities that support healthy choices for staff (fridge, microwave, bike rack) and providing healthy options for customers (healthy menu item, nutrition information, encouraging non-screen activities).
Healthy Kimberley plans on hosting a competition for participating businesses, including a grand prize for ‘SMART’ goals achieved. Details are in the works.
To find out more information or book your free consultation contact Stropky at 250-919-3766 or email her at tcobkimberley@gmail.com.