When I think of celebrating our community and what it means to live here, I cannot think of it without thinking of small business. I know that volunteerism is not replaceable in making a community great, but there is another group of people just as important – small business owners.
It is a good bet that almost all of the businesses that meet our daily needs are small businesses in our own communities. From our grocery stores, restaurants, hairdressers, mechanic shops, and hardware stores to the coffee shop, jewellery store, gift boutiques and specialty item stores, small business meets our needs. Each morning, small business owners get to work, doing the job of driving our communities’ economy – locally and nationally.
Do you know what defines a small business? It is any business with fewer than 100 employees, and there are almost one and a half million of them in Canada. It was reported that this counts for approximately 98 per cent of businesses in Canada.
Our local entrepreneurs keep our community viable and attractive. They commit to this community in ownership and as employers. When we need something, they are there. They are more than business owners; they are our friends and neighbours, and the supporters of all community events and fundraising. For those working in the private sector, these small businesses employ well over half of us. These businesses contribute to Canada’s gross domestic product in the growth sector and are vital to our economy. The passion and commitment they bring to their business and community drives innovation and quality of life. They offer non-corporate benefits like flexibility and soft structures to fit family life and individual lives.
Small business is being recognized and given some well deserves support and TLC next week in honour of them and Small Business Week. We need to continue to appreciate our small local businesses and remember how much we value them. They define our community and our lives. During Small Business Week, remember the people right here at home who make your daily life work so well.
- submitted by Dianne Russell, Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce
Did you know?
• There are currently 126 business licences issued to people with business property in Flin Flon. Additionally, there are 98 people with home businesses in Flin Flon.
• Small businesses make up 97.9 per cent of all employer businesses in Canada – there are about 1.14 million of them in the country.
• The Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce has 103 members.
• As of December 2015, Manitoba was home to 37,776 small businesses.
• As of 2015, small businesses employed over 8.2 million individuals in Canada, or 70.5 percent of the total private labour force.
