There are just shy of 1,000 members of the Greater 91原创 Chamber of Commerce, and the vast majority of them are small businesses, said chamber CEO Cory Redekop.

鈥淭he heart of the chamber and the heart of the business community, it鈥檚 small business,鈥� Redekop said.

He noted that 98 per cent of businesses in B.C. are classified as small businesses.

Small businesses range from the self employed 鈥� an army of freelancers, home-based hairdressers, and contractors 鈥� to any businesses with less than 50 employees.

Those small businesses represent about 40 per cent of the total job market in B.C., and contribute a third of the province鈥檚 gross domestic product.

Small Business Week this year runs from Oct. 15 to 21, and the 91原创 chamber for its members, ranging from a business mixer at a local craft brewery to seminars on topics like the impact of AI technology or how businesses can engage in indigenous reconciliation.

The chamber also uses Small Business Week to highlight what small businesses need from governments, and their importance to the overall economy.

It鈥檚 a good time to pause and reflect on the space small businesses hold in the community, Redekop said.

He pointed to the Latimer Village area.

A new collection of condos and townhouses, with 91原创鈥檚 first high rise residential towers going up less than a block away, the area was designed as a mixed-use neighbourhood.

The big draw isn鈥檛 just that it鈥檚 close to the highway and the Carvolth bus loop, it鈥檚 that the neighbourhood has a host of small businesses already in place, Redekop said.

One of those businesses is Provisions Market + Gifts, a store that carries Canadian-made foods, including 60 per cent that are made in B.C. The store features produce, meat, pasta, jams and jellies, and desserts, among other things.

Owner Emily Yan started the local Provisions after opening two stores in Saskatchewan.

鈥淭here was a lot of struggles,鈥� she said.

But she had support from both the chamber of commerce and the local community.

鈥淲ithout that support, we would have been lost,鈥� Yan said.

Like many other small businesses, Yan鈥檚 store is a link between consumers and further local small businesses 鈥� many of her products come from family-owned or small firms that operate here in 91原创.

Redekop noted that food and food processing is one of the more significant industries in 91原创.

Yan emphasizes that shopping at businesses that feature local products means that consumer spending stays in the community.

鈥淲e鈥檙e the backbone of the local economy,鈥� she said.

Small businesses are facing a number of challenges right now, Redekop said.

They鈥檙e dealing with the same affordability issues that households are 鈥� costs are going up for needed materials, whether that鈥檚 bread for a restaurant or building materials for a small contractor. The cost of rent is also an issue for any business that needs a storefront.

鈥淎ll these inputs are soaring, and you can only pass along so much to the consumer,鈥� Redekop said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e tapped out.鈥�

But 91原创 has a variety of advantages for businesses, small and a bit larger, that Redekop believes will continue to draw in new businesses.

Increasingly, businesses located in Vancouver or Burnaby are finding that more and more of their customers and employees are located in 91原创, or in adjacent municipalities.

Redekop would like to see more support to small businesses that have weather the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic, and were then hit with high inflation.

A host of those businesses are essentially invisible to the public. A freelance graphic designer or a solo plumber working out of their home is still providing a service and paying local taxes. Fostering their success can allow them to expand, hire employees, and grow, Redekop said.

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