Building a small business sector in the North.

• Author: Buconjic, Nevin
• Position: Guest Columnist

The importance of small business to Northern Ontario cannot be overstated. Northern Ontario is heavily dependent on resource-based industry, from mining and forestry to steel. Our economies ebb and flow with the cycles of big business and industry.

Most of our cities and towns learned long ago that relying solely on resource-based industry and traditional manufacturing is a recipe for disaster. Communities like Sault Ste. Marie have worked hard to diversify their economies for many years, with varying degrees of success.

While they are now much less reliant on these major industries, they still represent the bulk of private-sector jobs in our communities.

When these commodity-based sectors have economic challenges, jobs are often lost and communities can be devastated. We are left with the small businesses that call each community home. I think most people would agree that a thriving small business scene is an essential component of a healthy and happy community. Small business drives innovation, leads job creation and builds wealth like no other economic engine in our nation. Over 98 per cent of businesses in Canada have less than 100 employees, and small business employs almost 70 per cent of the private workforce. Small business helps to grow and strengthen our communities, and strong communities attract greater investment.

What can we do to encourage and support new business startups in Northern Ontario?

There are many organizations across the North that deliver small business support services and government funding programs. Ontario's Small Business Enterprise Centres provide business advisory services and assistance for new businesses, and are located in Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Thunder Bay and Kenora. The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, NORCAT in Sudbury, the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre in Thunder Bay, IION in North Bay, and the Productivity and Innovation Centre in Timmins work with technology and science companies to build those sectors in their respective communities.

Small business incubators offer affordable office space, access to shared resources, training and more. Co-working spaces are popping up, where entrepreneurs, freelancers, consultants, or anyone for that matter, can rent a desk for the day, week or month. These co-working spaces are often open-concept, and...