The Estevan Chamber of Commerce is stressing the value of small business to the local and provincial economy during Small Business Week from Oct. 16 to 22.
“Small businesses are the backbone of this community,” said Jackie Wall, the chamber’s executive director. “If you take a look around, it is the small businesses who are local people who are employing local people, and have a vested interest in the community.”
These businesses don’t just have an office or a store in Estevan. They financially support local schools, charities and other organizations. They also volunteer for service clubs.
“Local small businesses build communities,” said Wall.
She noted the bulk of the businesses in this province are small businesses.
Wall understands the value of small business. She used to run a floral shop in Ponteix, and she provided business consulting services.
Her family also operated a ranch in southwest Saskatchewan.
Local businesses have felt the pinch of the downturn in the local economy over the last couple of years, but there are some businesses that are expanding and growing, and have moved to larger locations.
“There are businesses that are feeling the impact, but they’re adapting, and they’re looking at new ways to increase their business, or just ways of staying viable during the slower times,” said Wall.
Other people have decided to follow their dreams of being an entrepreneur, and they have started their own businesses in the last couple of years.
She doesn’t have an estimate for the number of small businesses in the community, but the chamber has about 330 members, and most of them are small businesses.
“I think the small business owners are some of the hardest-working people, across the board,” said Wall. “They work hard, not only for their businesses, but for their community and their employees.”
The staff members aren’t just a number for most small business owners. They become colleagues and friends.
The chamber does a lot for small businesses, as they advocate for the local business community, and they bring local concerns to the attention of municipal, provincial and federal governments.
They also have a group insurance plan that is available for small businesses, even those that don’t have any employees. And chamber members have access to discounts for merchant data and shipping services.
The chamber is also highlighting October as Women in Business Month, and the efforts that women make to thrive in the business world.
Oct. 16 to 22 also marks Co-op Week, with International Credit Union Day falling on Oct. 20. The chamber wants people to be aware that co-ops and credit unions are set up in small communities to provide a service to customers that would otherwise go unfulfilled.
