2nd Annual Quesnel Business Walk

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

To recognize Small Business Month this year, Quesnel’s Economic Development team is proud to be organizing the 2nd Annual Quesnel Business Walks which will take place on October 27th and 30th. Quesnel was one of the first communities in British Columbia to implement this program which has now received province wide attention and is recognized as an Economic Development Best Practice by the Provincial Government. The Business Walks program offers an excellent opportunity for organizations who serve the business community to listen to local business owners, identify common themes for action and bring together educational resources and municipal and provincial services for specific action plans.

Along with Economic Development staff from the City of Quesnel and Cariboo Regional District, the Quesnel and District Chamber of Commerce, Community Futures North Cariboo, Quesnel Downtown Business Association, South Quesnel Business Association, Mayor Bob Simpson and members of Council, and MLA Coralee Oakes are participating as volunteer walkers. All volunteers have a vested interest in the success of small businesses and are enthusiastic about the opportunity to talk one-on-one with Quesnel entrepreneurs.

“A healthy and entrepreneurial business sector is vital to our community’s future,” said Quesnel Mayor Simpson. “Annual Business Walks allow us to better understand what these significant local employers need to maximize their business opportunities, job creation potential, and contribution to our local and regional economy.”

Over the course of the day, small teams of volunteers will walk from business to business to ask a few questions of business owners or managers. The questions are meant to keep the visit brief and very conversational. The goal will be to identify successes and obstacles that face the business community within Quesnel and the North Cariboo region and as a means to help businesses stay in the community and grow. Following the Business Walks, Economic Development staff will use the information gathered to prioritize projects and provide one on one support to businesses as needed.

“Economic Development goes beyond investment attraction and must include business retention and expansion,” said Amy Reid, Economic Development Officer. “The Business Walks are a great way to hear about the challenges and successes of our current business community so that we can work to address these issues for existing and prospective businesses alike.”

Last year, the Business Walks program in Quesnel was a great success and welcomed by the business community. During the 2014 Business Walks, business owners identified “Location” as one of the top reasons why they chose Quesnel and 84% of businesses reported a positive outlook. These statistics were highlighted in an Investment Attraction video that was produced by the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training in partnership with Economic Development. Quesnel’s new Relocation Guide was also developed after the 2014 Business Walks to assist businesses in attracting skilled employees. Reports were shared with participating organizations to assist them in their strategic planning.

The 2014 Business Walks reports, Investment Attraction video and Quesnel’s Relocation Guide can be viewed on the Economic Development website www.quesnelinfo.com. Businesses are encouraged to share the Relocation Guide with employment candidates and in job postings. If you would like more information or to register your business to participate in this program, please contact Rhonda Gutoski by email at rgutoski@quesnel.ca or call 250-991-7449.