If you鈥檙e a business owner or operator, Community Futures West Yellowhead wants to talk to you.
The non-profit organization is conducting a business visitation study to gather information on the challenges facing businesses in Jasper.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be talking to [business owners] about things like what it鈥檚 like to start a business, what it鈥檚 like to do business in Jasper, what it鈥檚 like to really be a part of this community,鈥� said Morgan Roberts, Community Futures鈥� business visitation coordinator.
The provincially funded study will see Roberts sit down with as many business owners as possible to ask a list of questions that were drafted in collaboration with the municipality, the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce and the Jasper Partnership.
Each session will take about an hour, said Roberts.
鈥淚t is voluntary to participate, but we do hope that businesses will participate,鈥� she said, noting that none of the business names will be included in the study. 鈥淎ll information will kept confidential. It will be graphed and presented by industry rather than by business title.
鈥淪o this is really an avenue for local businesses to be heard. They鈥檒l get a chance to make comments and provide feedback on the different services that are currently offered.鈥�
And with that information, Roberts will be able to identify some of the services that are lacking in the community, and she鈥檒l be able to provide that information to Parks Canada and the municipality, so they can use it when they consider new services and resources for business owners in town.
The information will also be made available to the the community, said Roberts.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 stress enough that the information isn鈥檛 owned by Community Futures, but it鈥檚 owned by the community as a whole. So if there are individuals who want access to this information it will be no problem.鈥�
Roberts hopes to have the study completed and ready for distribution in time for Small Business Week in October.
Community Futures has been working in Jasper for more than 20 years, providing a wide range of small business services and business management tools for people wanting to start, expand, franchise or sell a business. The business visitation study was identified as a priority by Nancy Robbins, Community Futures West Yellowhead鈥檚 general manager.
A similar study is also taking place in Grande Cache.
Business owners who would like to participate in the study are encouraged to contact Roberts at [email protected] or by calling 780-865-1224.
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
