Small Business Week in Weyburn is a good time for residents to be reminded of the importance our small businesses play, as they form the backbone of the local economy.
Small Business Week in Weyburn is a good time for residents to be reminded of the importance our small businesses play, as they form the backbone of the local economy.
Weyburn has seen growth and expansion in the small business community in the last two or three years, driven in large part by the booming activity in the southeast oil industry, bringing with it an increase in the local population in Weyburn and the surrounding area.
The development activity brings a lot of temporary residents into the city, such as for drilling rig crews and so on, but once the infrastructure is in place and the pumpjacks are working to bring up the oil, there will be permanent jobs for the battery operators and truck drivers, and here is where the long-term growth in the city and area's population can occur.
One local retailer offered the thought that growth in the local retail industry won't occur until the population edges up a little further towards the 14,000 to 16,000 range; currently it's approximately around 11,000-12,000.
This raises a chicken-and-egg sort of question: will the growth in population come, in fact, if there isn't a growing and thriving retail sector to provide the goods and services needed by that population? Or will the burgeoning population then provide the necessary larger market, which encourages the chains and other significant retailers to consider moving in to the community?
In the meantime, the retailers who are here in the city and area need to be supported so they can continue to grow and offer the goods that are needed by local residents.
With the province's capital city only an hour's drive away, the temptation is rather strong to hit the highway and patronize the businesses in Regina rather than here - but in the long term, this will only hurt the local business sector if dollars flow north rather than staying in the community. And if the local businesses suffer, they won't hire as many people, and with fewer jobs, there is less income to be spent back in the business community.
There may be instances when a certain commodity or service is not available in the city and there is no choice, but for the most part, residents should make an effort to support the businesses that are located here and pay taxes here.
