Barry O’Riordan is the manager of Economic Development Cowichan
DUNCAN – To assess progress towards business recovery in Cowichan and to inform regional recovery efforts, Economic Development Cowichan has launched the second in a series of COVID-19 business surveys.
The survey follows up on Survey #1 which was conducted in May and found that more than 50 per cent of Cowichan businesses had temporarily or indefinitely shut down, while 65 per cent had seen revenue decreases of at least 75 per cent.
Survey #1 results informed the economic response and recovery efforts of #CowichanStrong, a partnership of business support organizations formed in response to COVID-19. One such recovery action included the launch of the #BuyLocalCowichan initiative, comprising a website showing what businesses are open, a cross-platform marketing campaign, and support for Island Good branding in Cowichan.
“To say a lot has changed since May is an understatement. Now one month into Phase 3 of the BC Restart Plan, Cowichan businesses, farmers, and non-profits are facing a new set of challenges and risks, as well as opportunities to build resiliency” said Barry O’Riordan, Manager of Economic Development Cowichan. “The Post Disaster Needs Assessment #2 will help assess progress towards recovery, as well as inform additional regional-level actions and initiatives to build back better.”
All Cowichan based businesses – from industrial, tech, tourism, artists, agriculture, and non-profits – are encouraged to complete the survey, which can be found HERE and on the Economic Development Cowichan website. The survey will remain active until August 19, 2020.
This is the second of a series of surveys that will be shared periodically to assess the economic recovery progress on a local level.