JULIE LAWLOR
WEST SHORE – We are well out of pandemic restrictions but we are not out of pandemic impact.
In 2023, this is coupled with rampant inflation as the following example demonstrates: “Because of record level inflation on all costs to operating a restaurant and according to a Restaurants Canada survey in July of this year, 51 per cent of restaurants are operating at a loss or barely breaking even. This is compared to 12 per cent pre-pandemic,” said Kelly Higginson, President and CEO of Restaurants Canada in a September media release.
Therefore my message for this holiday season is the same as last holiday season – please support your local businesses! Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of Canada’s economy. 98% of Canadian businesses have fewer than 100 employees. Profitable SMEs are therefore essential to the continued recovery of our economy…and are an essential part of our community.
We of course have lots of local shopping options in our region, and wherever you can I invite you to purchase directly from your favourite businesses. So many of them have undergone significant transformation since 2020, with online shopping options that didn’t exist before the pandemic. If online shopping is easier for you, I encourage you to see what your favourite local business has to offer.
And if you want to buy a gift for friends, clients, staff, or relatives elsewhere in BC while still directly supporting small business, then here is another option for you! Support Local BC is an initiative that offers you an option to buy virtual, prepaid Visa Debit Reward cards which are accepted at participating local businesses in 55 communities ranging from Greater Victoria to Abbotsford to Prince George. You can find out more at bc.supportlocalcanada.com
Thank you to the small business owners and their staff for everything you do, and thank you to everyone in the community who supports them! Our role at the WestShore Chamber is to support small business every day, and to find out more about our members from whom you can buy local, please go to westshore.bc.ca
Julie Lawlor is Executive Director at the WestShore Chamber of Commerce
