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Small Business Task Force seeks input
Time sensitive survey closes June 29 at 4 p.m.
By Michelle Forbes
Tuesday, June 25, approximately two dozen small business owners joined a Small Business Task Force at St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino to discuss their business concerns here in the Kootenays.
The task force was created to gather concerns and possible solutions to create recommendations to the provincial government, to better support entrepreneurs and small business owners, who make up approximately 98% of B.C.’s businesses.
Participants were welcomed to St. Eugene by Bonnie Harvey of Fry Bread For Funs catering company (pictured right), with a traditional Ktunaxa prayer. Following introductions to the task force members, participants broke into four groups to discuss the concerns they face in the Kootenays.
Topics included lack of affordable housing, minimum wage, the rising price of gas and other goods, finding and retaining employees in remote areas, the bureaucracy of dealing with the government, and the surging real estate costs – which causes higher rent for businesses and employees.
Business owners said that in rural areas, they are not only paying their employees, but sometimes feel compelled to find both physical and mental health help for staff in isolated area of the Kootenays. Some suggested that rules made for businesses in the lower mainland penalize businesses in the Kootenays, who do not have access to the same resources and advantages, what one owner termed, “First world rules with third world access.”
In discussing constructive solutions to the problems, there were many ideas. For the rise in minimum wage, a training wage was suggested to train those learning a trade, or those new to the work force, like students who still live at home, with little or no experience.
Another suggestion revolved around government incentives for businesses in rural areas, similar to rural nurses’ and doctors’ incentives. For the difficulty of navigating the red tape to start a new business, community liaisons were suggested to connect new business owners with the necessary documents and sources.
Michael Hwang, one of the members of the task force, said they have been gathering information from small businesses, but the more feedback they receive, the more viable the information will be. They have currently received close to 500 questionnaires, but are hoping for many more before the 10-minute survey closes (tomorrow!) June 29 at 4 p.m.
“The more surveys we receive,” he said, “the more accurate the statistics are, and the more the government is inclined to listen.”
Anyone wanting to provide input about their views of how the government can better help small businesses in B.C., is encouraged to fill out the survey before Friday at 4 p.m.
In July, the task force will create an engagement summary report based on all of the information collected, both through meeting with business owners, as they did at St. Eugene on Tuesday, or through the online surveys, and will put together an engagement summary report. They will seek feedback on that report before creating a final report with recommendations to deliver to the government in the fall of 2018.
To learn more about the round table Small Business Task Force: Small Business Task Force public engagement.
Lead image: Kootenay East MLA Tom Shypitka addresses the recent Small Business Task Force meeting. Michelle Forbes photos
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