Changes Ahead

In November 2015, while I was serving on the Board of The Society of Notaries Public, a 3-day strategic planning session was held. One of the outcomes of that session was the decision to split the professional advocacy role of The Society away from the regulator and form a separate entity, now the BC Notaries Association (BCNA).

The driving force behind that decision was twofold.

First, it was simply the right thing to do. The public regulator function and the professional advocacy function needed to be separated. That was in the best interests of both the public and the profession.

Second, we discussed how professional governance in BC was changing and that it was very likely that one day legislation would be amended that would make it impossible for the regulator to advocate for both the public and the profession—and that we should be out-in-front of such a change.

On March 3, 2022, that reasoning became a reality with the announcement by the Ministry of Attorney General that professional governance of legal services was about to go through a major change— one regulator would regulate all legal service providers, the goal being to enhance public protection and increase access to justice for all British Columbians.

That is certainly a pursuit worthy of our support.

Daniel Boisvert

This also became even more clear to me that day: The ongoing role of the BCNA is to ensure that through the process, BC Notaries will maintain their very specific identity as providers of the noncontentious legal services that we have delivered to British Columbians since our Society was formed in 1927.

Now more than ever, the profession needs a voice with government to ensure that our unique and much-needed services to the public are not just maintained but enhanced.

The change in legislation is an excellent opportunity for Notaries to showcase the exceptional work we do each day in British Columbia and why we should be entrusted with an expanded scope of practice.

The BCNA will spend the next several months engaging with government and other stakeholders to ensure the voices of our profession are heard.

In this issue of The Scrivener, we explore the elements of running a successful business. As I reflect on the past 14 years of running mine and, more important, look ahead to the next 14 years, this is what I see . . . • I love my work. • I love my office. • I love my staff. • I love my clients.

To me, that means I am running a successful business!

It’s sometimes too easy to get caught up in the daily minutia of running a business to determine whether it’s successful. You can analyze financial statements and re-work operational and HR policies all you want, but if you don’t love being there, if your employees don’t love being there, and if clients don’t love being there, then regardless of any other measure of success, I am not sure you have a successful business.

When I am working on my business, this is my focus and my path to success. • How do I create a better experience for my staff and for my customers? • Ask your staff, “Are you happy here? How can I make it better for you?” • Ask your clients those same questions. Their answers may surprise you. Then be sure you act on the data to create a better overall experience. Success will follow.

I hope you enjoy this issue of The Scrivener and take in the various perspectives on how others define the elements of running a successful business. s