There’s plenty to celebrate in Humboldt and surrounding area during BDC Small Business Week on from October 16 - 22. It’s an annual celebration the Business Development Bank of Canada has organized for 43 years. 

This year, post-pandemic economic recovery has presented the country’s business sector with a range of challenges from inflation, supply chain woes, and the search for workers. In the spirit of entrepreneurial problem solving, small business owners are rising to the challenge, and the folks at Sagehill Community Futures are providing solutions, and this week, they’re celebrating the accomplishments of local business. 

Sagehill Community Futures is part of the networked organization of regional supports providing funding opportunities, advice, and avenues for business establishment and development. Director Susan Wehage talks about taking to the road for Small Business Week. 

“We’re extremely excited to celebrate with the small business owners during Small Business Week for all the hard work in providing products and services to the communities that they serve. We are going out to three communities this week.” 

Bruno, home to the Sagehill offices, will receive a visit on Wednesday, followed by Wakaw on Thursday, and Watson on Friday. All three communities are seeing businesses emerging with some transitions and successions under way as well, says Wehage. While many people associate small business with smaller communities, in actuality small business is the bedrock for commerce in the province.

“Small business represents 98.9 percent of the almost 150,000 business enterprises in the province of Saskatchewan,” Wehage reveals. Many of those are brick and mortar operations that derive their incomes locally or regionally, so during Small Business Week, Wehage and her staff share some thoughts on mustering support. 

“What we are just asking people to do is to help support small businesses in their communities. We’re asking them to shop local, like or share their Facebook or Instagram pages or posts, tell friends or family about the business, and just stop in to small businesses to say ‘thank you for all that you do’.”

Sagehill is profiling some of their members and small businesses on their social media. They have also put forward an ambitious plan to head out to thirty communities in their region within their next fiscal year. 

Small businesses remain critical to the well-being of all communities in the province, large or small, and Small Business Week serves as a reminder that you patronage and appreciation are important to their success.