A new project aims to give local businesses a chance to voice their concerns and opinions about the local economy.

The North Simcoe Community Futures Development Corporation (NSCFDC) will be overseeing the implementation of an economic development project in the area’s four municipalities: Tay, Tiny, Penetanguishene and Midland.

Titled the North Simcoe Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E), the project officially began earlier this month. Trained volunteers have been visiting local businesses to conduct surveys to help identify their needs and concerns, ask their opinions about government, and determine in what ways the local business climate can be improved.

This is a project that is being conducted in communities across the province, says Sylvia Bryant, project assistant for NSCFDC, the main sponsor of which is the Ontario Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs.

“The cross-sectorial survey has been put together by the ministry, and we will be interviewing businesses from the various different sectors, including retail, manufacturing, tourism and agriculture,” she says. “It’s a community-wide effort to see what can be done to improve the profitability of our local business and to retain the business we currently have in the community.”

The goal, she says, is to try to assist businesses by improving their profitability and how they operate on a day-to-day basis – something NSCFDC believes is “crucial to the sustained viability of communities as business that stay competitive are more likely to remain and expand in the community.”

“The visits we are doing with local businesses have four objectives,” said Debra Muenz, general manager, NSCFDC in a news release.

“First, we want to show our local businesses that we really appreciate the contributions they are making to our local community. Second, we want to see if they have any concerns, and, if so, are ways we can help. Third, we will be offering to help our local businesses take better advantage of available business resources. And finally, we are asking businesses to help us set priorities for future economic development planning.”

While Bryant admits attracting new business is important to the area, retaining the ones already here is just as important.

“We want to retain them for the well-being of the economy of our area,” she tells The Mirror, adding part of the survey includes a list of community-related questions, from which they are hoping to get information from businesses as to why they would stay in the area and how best to attract new business.

Volunteers are expected to be out in the community in May and June, and should take about two months to complete the surveys, she says, noting all of the survey information gathered will then be entered into a database and analyzed.

“If there are any immediate situations that need to be addressed (those are determined by the volunteer interviewers), they will be addressed right away,” she says.

The BR+E program has already been implemented and completed by a number of communities in the province, with the overall results being positive, including the development of a more business friendly attitude, new local investment, more jobs, fewer barriers to development and easier access to financing, to name a few.

“The results have been wonderful and it’s been very well received by the community. It’s very important that the community participate in this – it’s confidential, and would be a great opportunity for businesses to express their views on issues within the community.”