Business and community leaders throughout the province now have a guide for leading Business Walks in their communities, Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business announced today.

Business Walks bring together business and community leaders to tour a number of businesses in their town over a three-to-four hour period. The walks are informal events and give everyone a chance to ask businesses what local governments, civic groups, the Province and other businesses can do to help their business community succeed. Local governments can then follow up with individual businesses to discuss specific needs or challenges they face.

Many communities throughout the province have found that simple conversations with local business owners can provide a better understanding of what’s working and what needs to be addressed. The Business Walks 101 online guide gives best practices for communities looking to launch their own Business Walks.

B.C.’s first Business Walk was put on by the Central Okanagan Economic Development Corporation in October 2012, where more than 65 business and civic leaders walked door-to-door and surveyed 325 businesses throughout Peachland, West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation, Kelowna (Downtown & Rutland) and Lake Country business districts. 

Since then, a number of successful Business Walks have taken place across the province, including the three pilot projects in Quesnel, Tofino and Ucluelet that helped to inform this online guide.

The new Business Walks 101 guide can be found at: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=34A071CAD913488B9B358CCF9C61B457

Quotes:

Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business -

“Small businesses are at the heart of B.C.’s communities and central to our regional economies.  I hope every community takes a look at the online guides and organizes their own Business Walks. These walks are an excellent opportunity to take the pulse of a business community and for small businesses to connect with local leaders.

Josie Osborne, mayor of Tofino -

“Tofino’s 2014 Business Walk was an incredible opportunity to step through the front door of over 50 businesses in one afternoon and hear straight from business owners what they love about doing business in Tofino and what challenges they face. Through a series of quick, candid and honest conversations, Tofino’s community and business leaders have forged better relationships and the District of Tofino is better able to support small business. I encourage every B.C. community to undertake a Business Walk.”

Quick Facts:

• Quesnel Business Walk success story: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=313E0C9DEF714F2EBB03EB70E24092FA
• Tofino Business Walk success story: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=9A714E1D058A45AC920EB510103647D7
• McBride Business Walk success story: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=8CB72C7FE80B4F63BFA17F006AFA0021
• Small business makes up 98% of all business in the province and employs over one million people.
• Small business provides nearly 55% of all private-sector jobs in British Columbia, the second-highest rate in the country.
• There were approximately 382,200 small businesses operating in the province in 2013.

Media Contacts:

Media Relations
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour
250 387-2799