Top 40: Manik Dhir
Contributed - May 19, 2020 - People in Business

Photo: Contributed

Okanagan Edge and the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce are partnering to showcase some of the region’s most exciting entrepreneurs through the “Top 40 Under 40” program.

Sponsored by BDO, the “Top 40 Under 40” recognizes high-achieving professionals in our community and showcases their accomplishments. This marks the sixth year the chamber has conducted a “Top 40” showcase. Honourees will be featured throughout the year on Okanagan Edge.

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Manik Dhir is a seasoned, reliable and resourceful entrepreneur offering substantial experience in all areas of entrepreneurship, stakeholder engagement and business management through his background with multiple ventures and volunteerism.

Dhir completed his education in operations management at a young age, allowing him to work in the private sector in several executive positions before becoming an entrepreneur at 26. Dhir moved to Kelowna in 2013 when he acquired Hollywood Market, a commercial real estate plaza. Ensuring the involvement of the community in promoting local business, the plaza grew from one business with two employees to now three successful local businesses with 17 employees; another two local businesses are forecasted for 2020.

Dhir is also the managing director of Epitome Holdings Inc, where he is responsible for purchase and sale of assets, project management and delivery for properties throughout B.C. In his latest venture, he co-founded Rentolio, a cloud based property management application, addressing pain points in key areas of a landlord/tenant relationship, providing access to services that simplify the rental and payment process. Passionate about making a difference in our community, he donates his time by volunteering on the board of directors for Rotary Centre for the Arts as well as serving as an ad hoc member on the finance committee for the KGH Foundation.

Dhir strongly believes that people are a major component in the success a business or organization attains, and believes in empowering his team members by giving them the tools and resources they need to be successful. He has seen continuous improvement through involving education in his life, which is why it’s imperative that his organizations offer learning opportunities to all team members.

Dhir has his master’s degree in management from UBC Okanagan, his post grad diploma in applied project management from Simon Fraser University and graduated with distinction in operations management (industrial engineering) from BCIT.

He was featured in the Convenience Store News Canada magazine as a cover story in the March/April 2019 issue.

Q&A with Manik Dhir (conducted April 7)

How are you approaching the current situation?

My portfolio consists of commercial real estate as well as active retail businesses, so needless to say this is a challenging time for landlords and business owners. From a landlords perspective I’m trying to work with my commercial tenants as I understand the challenges faced by small businesses and that this pandemic will affect their livelihood.

How is your business doing in the current climate?  

For my retail business portfolio we are closely monitoring the situation and reacting accordingly. For example Hollywood market has tweaked its hours of operation to capture those customers that cannot make it to the grocery stores. Since the store carries dairy, bread and other essential everyday items it is imperative that we be there for our community during this time when people want to refrain from visiting bigger grocery chains due to social distancing. To ensure the safety and well being of our staff and customers we have also implemented social distancing tactics like limiting five customers in the store at any given point as well as have become diligent with wiping down counters, door handles and debit terminals every hour. I think being one of the oldest businesses in Kelowna we want to ensure we do our part in providing people with everyday essentials without compromising their safety and well-being.

I’m in a unique situation as I can both empathize with landlords as well as business owners during this unprecedented time. I hope that we stand together as a community and a city during this time and come out of it stronger and united.

What is your favourite quote?

“If you believe it will work out, you will see opportunities. If you believe it won’t, you will see obstacles.” — Wayne Dyer


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