The economic slowdown created by the COVID-19 pandemic has created both provincial and municipal initiatives to help small businesses through the winter.
Jill McKnight, president of the Ladner Business Association and owner of West Coast Casuals in Ladner, encourages Delta residents to make use of these resources citing the butterfly effect of benefits shopping local has on the community. Two resources created to help small businesses mentioned by McKnight include Support Local BC and the City of Delta’s online local business directory.
While Support Local BC provides a platform for businesses across the province to sell gift cards, McKnight says it can benefit Delta businesses in other ways.
“It’s a great way of getting our message out on a much broader scale and connecting people outside of our community with Delta businesses but it’s also making it more accessible to people,” she said adding the site can be used to support other small businesses outside Delta without having to visit them.
McKnight also voiced her support for the City of Delta’s online local business directory, saying it is a great opportunity to be able to search local Delta businesses licenses.
“The question of shopping local or supporting local means different things to different people, she said. “Shop local doesn’t mean just shop in Ladner, it can mean shop in Delta, it can mean shop in the greater Lower Mainland depending on the product need that you have.”
On the topic of shopping local, McKnight spoke to what it means to her and other small business owners when residents choose local businesses.
“It’s everything for us,” she said. “Especially at this time one of the things that has been very encouraging during some of the times of unknown is the customers that have reached out to us.
“It does mean a lot and it puts a smile on your face and you’re very grateful sometimes on a day when who knows what else you’ve been faced with that day.”
McKnight went on to say locally spent dollars tend to stay in the local economy and turn into more investment for the community.
“One of the things I love about the Ladner Business Association is being able to see the connections of members working together,” she said. “When you’re supporting a local store that store in turn might support the local printing company or the local web designer or the local graphic designer.
“I think this is a great opportunity that Delta is putting forward to help communicate this information and make it readily accessible to people.”
