Entrepreneurs work hard and shoulder tremendous risk to realize their ideas. In many cases they put their staff and suppliers well ahead of themselves and so it is important the province finds ways to support small businesses become established.
Operating a business on a Gulf Island has even more challenges and so when two business leaders on Salt Spring Island were awarded a Rural Dividend Grant to help develop shared services to support Island business, that was well worth highlighting in the legislature.
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SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES
INITIATIVE ON SALT SPRING ISLAND
Anyone who’s enjoyed the world-famous Salt Spring Island Cheese, Salt Spring Wild Cider or Salt Spring Soapworks, all produced on Salt Spring Island, can attest to the quality and ingenuity of the Island’s business owners and artisans.
Without these businesses, their competition and the risk-taking entrepreneurs behind them, the Island as we know it could not exist.
Two locals are using their knowledge and time to give back. Holly MacDonald and Francine Carlin of the Salt Spring Island Community Economic Development Commission are volunteer commissioners who have a vision for how small businesses and non-profits could band together to increase efficiency.
Recently, they won a rural dividend grant to explore what a shared business service would look like on Salt Spring Island. This service could take on the administrative work of many organizations, leaving time for the farmers, potters, weavers and knitters of Salt Spring to focus on what they do best — contributing to the vibrant and diverse marketplace of the island.
A major aspect of the island’s charm is the selection of unique businesses, which, in many cases, are run by families who simply love when they do. Getting the support they need to prosper and prospering on an island isn’t always easy, but with the help of provincial funding, Holly and Francine would help provide access to IT, marketing and hiring services that are often out of reach for a small business. A shared business services plan also allows for the development of a cohesive ecosystem, providing the longevity and sustainability of Salt Spring business.
I’m so inspired by the work of Holly and Francine to create models which allow for the local businesses to flourish, and I’m very pleased that the government has agreed to fund this initiative and look forward to seeing the benefits that everyone experiences when innovative ideas are supported by the province.
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