Despite some notable recent closures, Airdrie remains an attractive destination for businesses, according to Economic Development Officer Tara Levick with Airdrie Economic Development – particularly among smaller operators.
She said small businesses – defined as any business employing less than 100 people – are the “backbone of the community.”
“They’re the majority that we have here in Airdrie,” Levick said. “We only have a few major employers that have over the 100-employee threshold, so [small businesses] really are the businesses that people are going to on a daily basis.”
Beside supplying jobs, goods and services, she said, many small businesses play an active role by supporting local community groups, non-profit organizations, events and teams through sponsorships.
So far this year, she said, 559 business licenses have been issued. Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 15, 73 storefront businesses have opened, along with 262 home-based businesses. Another 224 new non-residential licenses have been issued – “outside companies who want to work in Airdrie, but they don’t have a physical location here,” according to Levick.
“We are on-trend in comparison to last year,” she said. “We’re actually seeing more business openings on average per month than in 2018, so we view that as a positive.”
In total, slightly more than 5,000 business licenses are on file in Airdrie, which indicates “a very healthy business community,” according to Levick.
The recent closures of two businesses – Thumbprint Craft Beer Market and Hayloft Restaurant – within days of each other has led to speculation about the viability of small businesses in Airdrie. Levick said those two closures in particular were “a big hit” for the community, but noted the rate of closures this year has remained relatively consistent with past years. In 2018, there were 51 storefront closures, she said, compared to about 35 so far this year.
“Businesses close for a multitude of reasons,” she said. “It’s not always that they couldn’t make it here. There could be personal factors – a family could be moving.”
The shuttering of a beloved business is always sad for both the community and Economic Development, Levick said, but while these closures tend to capture the attention of the community, openings can sometimes fly under the radar.
She added Airdrie has seen several major openings in 2019, with chains like Winners coming to the city for the first time, and independent businesses including Balzac Craft Brewing Company, Flavours of Montreal, Airdrie Puppy Pals and Magic Mountain Child Development Centres opening or expanding.
Several local resources are available to help small business owners achieve success, Levick said. Consultations with Economic Development can be booked by calling 403-948-8844, and additional resources are available online at airdrienow.ca
She added “Airdrie: Shop Local,” a new Facebook group, has recently come into existence, noting consumers have an important part to play when it comes to small businesses.
“We need to support our own,” Levick said. “These business owners took a large step in opening their business in Airdrie, they saw there was a market here, so we need to support them and show them that we want them to stay.”
