Independent businesses are extremely important in the Canadian economy. According to CBC, independent businesses account for 58.3 percent of the labour force.
It’s extremely likely that any given woman will be working for a small, independent business, and as we’ll see that presents some interesting challenges and considerations. Since independent businesses are subject to different policies than other forms of business, we have to adapt our strategies.
What Are Independent Businesses?
Independent businesses are defined by their ownership structure, for the most part. They are owned, not by a larger corporation or by shareholders, but by private owners.
These are the businesses that make your town unique, that help to make it “local.” However, what makes them challenging from a policy perspective is that same thing that makes them “cool” — their independence. Because they’re often not connected to any larger body, it makes engaging them and motivating change a challenge.
Independent Businesses and WEC
Due to the special challenges that come with working with independent businesses, we are forced to come up with unique strategies for doing so. These strategies involve uniting them around common community goals, and educating independent business owners.
Many of our projects involve liaising with independent businesses on a local and regional level. This is because these businesses are very important to the economy, and will have an effect on our goals.
