Timmins looks at business retention.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: Brief Article

Taking the temperature of the Timmins business climate is the aim of an extensive business retention and expansion project being undertaken by a partnership of community players.

The city's Venture Centre, the local community futures agency, is spearheading the effort with the aid of the local chamber of commerce, Timmins Economic Development Corp., the City of Timmins and the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, to pinpoint what factors and barriers are preventing local businesses from expanding and flourishing.

"The attention always seems to be focused on bringing new business into the community to diversify the economy," says Mark Jensen, the city's director of planning, building and economic development "This project specifically looks at our existing business inventory through a comprehensive survey."

After an official kickoff of the survey in early September, the plan is to recruit and train about 200 volunteers to head out into the community and interview businesses on their individual needs, concerns and problems. The survey will be carried out through the entire month of October.

Brenda Southcott, business retention and expansion co-ordinator at the Venture Centre, says the volunteers will be drawn from the ranks of business management, Northern College students and retirees.

Using a standard sample survey put out by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, volunteers will fan out across the city interviewing about 300 local businesses to see what can be done to keep business in Timmins. All major employers of more than 100 people will be...