Claiming that small businesses largely make up the economic backbone of a community — and arguably the country as well — is no exaggeration.
Without small- to medium-sized enterprises, people would largely have no jobs. And without decent jobs to provide a good living, there are no residents. Of course without residents, there is not much of a community worth speaking of.
The only way for businesses to survive and thrive is of course for people to buy the products or services being offered.
In a community like Sundre, that becomes particularly challenging during the winter months when the number of visitors drops significantly compared to summertime. Combined with a significant portion of locals who leave in the fall not to return or set foot in any local shops until the spring, business owners are all too aware how valuable every customer and dollar spent in their establishments is.
Without a healthy core of successful businesses that range in size from just a few employees to perhaps even hundreds, no community can hope to achieve long-term sustainability, let alone growth, said Mike Beukeboom, Sundre and District Chamber of Commerce president.
Potential residents certainly scrutinize public amenities such as hospitals, schools and recreational facilities. However, they also heavily weigh their decision to relocate and settle new roots not only on the number of local businesses but the quality and variety as well. Businesses are like the common glue that contributes in great part towards binding a community cohesively together, he said.
“We're all trying to achieve a better Sundre and area,” he recently told the Round Up during an interview about the upcoming Sundre Business Awards, which are taking place Friday, Oct. 21 at the Sundre Performing Arts Centre.
“Quality of life is critical.”
Small and medium businesses are the lifeblood of any community. They contribute in great part to providing residents with a higher standard of living. If the business sector is doing well, the whole community benefits.
But if these businesses are being starved of dollars that could be invested in Sundre yet are instead being spent elsewhere, the ramifications can reverberate throughout the community. Prices might be increased to make up shortfalls, owners might reconsider reinvesting, renovating or hiring someone new — or even worse, employees could potentially be let go. And if people start to lose their jobs and cannot find a suitable replacement, they'll look elsewhere. That, of course, is a recipe for a steady downward spiral to oblivion, something anyone with a vested interest in his or her hometown should want to avoid at all costs.
Making an effort to spend a few more dollars locally does not mean having to drown oneself in debt — quite the contrary. If everyone in Sundre spent as much as $50 or more on their favourite local establishments every month, that economic activity would generate roughly three quarters of a million dollars per year, which could then be reinvested into the community through business expansions and new jobs.
Since times have been challenging for many Albertans, perhaps those who are not in a position to spend an extra $50 locally every month could consider simply making an effort to patronize Sundre businesses even if it means only spending a few extra dollars on something like coffee or a snack.
It all adds up, and it all counts.
