by Tom Thomson
Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce
Two long years! It is about one week shy of when business around the province were sent into a tailspin of uncertainty with the arrival of COVID-19 and the unknowns of how the virus was going to impact our personal and business professional lives. It has been a roller coaster of emotions since March of 2020, and a challenge for businesses throughout Nelson and area and around the world. While COVID continues to weigh heavily both personally and professionally, there is a great deal to celebrate.
The precautions taken in our province and country to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have brought unprecedented challenges to employers in Nelson and area. The chamber and our economic development partners have been working tirelessly on your behalf and has been striving to share vital information, provide access to assistance programs, and continue our support of the business community during this time.
Working collaboratively with our chamber network at the B.C. and Canadian level, we succeeded in shaping the government policies that would prevent countless livelihoods from being lost and allow businesses stay afloat. From poster campaigns, enhanced Think Local First marketing efforts, to relaxed downtown patio bylaws and continual advocacy, we worked hard for you, because you work hard for the community. Nelson and area businesses continue to exhibit extraordinary resilience, and thanks to all the business community efforts, we can cautiously begin to peer beyond COVID-19 and look to the future. But more work is left to do.
We want to hear from you. What issues are still hindering your business profitability? Where can we help? The chamber and our business recovery team lead by Darren Davidson are making the rounds, knocking on doors and making appointments to stop by.
In the coming weeks, we will be taking a deeper dive into sector consultations with food and beverage, retail, as well as builders and developers.
Beginning Friday March 11 with the food and beverage sector, the chamber will be taking a look into the issues still causing some concerns.
We have heard rising costs of doing business, including inputs, labour, capital, energy and raw materials, is the biggest obstacle for businesses over the next three months. Six in 10 businesses are likely to pass on the rising cost of doing business to customers over the next 12 months. The Canadian industries most likely to pass along costs are accommodation and food services (81.9 per cent), wholesale trade (79.9 per cent), manufacturing (79.9 per cent) and construction (77 per cent).
The quarterly Canadian Survey on Business Conditions (CSBC) examines issues like the impact COVID-19 had on businesses, changes businesses are making to adapt to evolving restrictions, and the challenges they expect to face as the recovery begins.
Across the spectrum, businesses report they continue to struggle with recruiting and retaining staff. Sixty per cent of the CSBC survey respondents indicated they will be taking more proactive measures over the next year to address the talent shortage, including increasing wages to existing employees (45 per cent), providing increased wage offering to new employees (24 per cent), offering flexible scheduling (23 per cent) and encouraging employees to participate in on-the-job training (20 per cent).
Seven in 10 businesses say supply chain challenges have worsened over the last three months of winter, but nine in 10 businesses expect supply chain problems to remain the same or deteriorate further into the spring.
Chamber AGM March 31
The Chamber will be hosting our annual general meeting and election of directors on March 31 at the Adventure Hotel. There will be at least two new directors for the upcoming board. President Paul Wiest says that the board and staff have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, and the new directors coming on board will be important as we move deeper into the recovery from the pandemic.
Interested chamber members can contact info@discovernelson.com or Paul Wiest for more details on the AGM or the opportunities that exist on the board of directors.
Tom Thomson is executive director of the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce.