Fostering Relationships and Supporting Newcomers

Jamie Arsenault tries to imagine how a newcomer must feel, trying to find services in a foreign place. “You don’t just want to go off the street and talk to somebody,” says the partner at Fitzpatrick & Co. “You want a referral. You want to have trust in a person.” Jamie says PEI Connectors provides a platform where newcomers and local businesspeople can build those relationships — and establish that trust.

His involvement as a Connector grew out of his work at accounting firm Fitzpatrick & Co., which serves many newcomer clients. As a volunteer, Jamie participates in networking events, meets newcomers to exchange ideas, and offers tax education sessions.

"It all comes back to providing information,” he explains.

Mutual Benefits and Meaningful Connections

Jamie sees his firm’s partnership with PEI Connectors as a two-way street. Fitzpatrick & Co. provides tax information and networking opportunities. In return, participating in such activities builds business. For example, Jamie recalls that two or three years after he gave a particular tax presentation, one of the newcomers he’d met approached him to say, “OK, I’m ready for an accountant now.”

Jamie says he gains new perspectives by meeting so many newcomers. “It’s a good way to learn about different cultures, about how people do business, and about different ideas that we’re able to incorporate into our firm.”

Networking through PEI Connectors has also helped him locate new employees and make new friends. He and his family have savoured the cuisine at the homes of some clients; he has commiserated about his golf score with others. “I’m able to meet some great people,” he concludes.Overall, he describes any act of volunteering as an investment of time.

“With PEI Connectors, I can honestly say the value of what you gain from that time far outweighs the actual time you’re inputting.”

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