High Country merchants hit hard by the 2013 flood are getting a much-needed boost the next 18 months.
Community Futures Highwood partnered with the Bragg Creek and Diamond Valley Chambers of Commerce, Community Futures Centre West and the Towns of Black Diamond and Turner Valley to offer merchants free monthly development workshops to get them back on their feet and give them an edge in business success.
The Ministry of Alberta Innovation and Advanced Education provided $150,000 over two years to Community Futures Highwood to support flood-affected businesses. The initiative began in High River six months ago and kicked off in Turner Valley, Black Diamond and Bragg Creek on Sept. 30 with a two-hour information session on business plans in Black Diamond.
The workshops come as a relief for Lorne McLash, who lost his business, Smack Cycles in Bragg Creek, after the 2013 flood.
McLash said he was preparing to open his shop when the flood destroyed his merchandise and damaged his building. He had no funding or insurance coverage to get him back on his feet, yet he didn’t give up. He rebuilt and opened his doors 11 months after the flood.
“I’m alone so it’s nice to have help,” said McLash. “When there is a tragedy people tend to pull together and say, ‘Let’s work together here.’”
McLash, a member of the Bragg Creek Chamber of Commerce, was one of eight merchants who attended the business planning session last month.
He has since refined his business plan and will review it monthly. He is looking forward to the session on social media at the Turner Valley Golf Club on Nov. 26.
“I have a good web page, but the amount of work it takes now I realize I just have to hire somebody to do it,” he said. “How do you fund those types of things?”
Judy McMillan-Evans, the program’s manager, said the merchants select the session topics, and chose marketing and social media for the next two.
“We are trying to be responsive to the needs of the businesses,” she said. “It was the decision of the communities to work together to hold sessions so that there would be stronger collaboration and possibly some great opportunities to market together.”
The $150,000 covers the cost of administration, marketing, room rental and training – most of which will be provided by McMillan-Evans to cut costs.
“$150,000 to cover four communities for two years – for some that might look like a lot of money and to do this kind of work in four communities is damn skinny,” she said. “When Black Diamond, Turner Valley and Bragg Creek said, ‘Let’s work together’ it’s a great way to leverage our resources and cut our costs. We will stretch the dollars as far as we can.”
In addition to monthly workshops, the program offers merchants free one-on-one coaching, said McMillan-Evans.
“As they are working on other problems within their business we can help them resolve that one on one or help them implement new resources,” she said.
Monique LeBlanc, Turner Valley’s assistant chief administrative officer, said this program is just what the town’s businesses need.
“While they didn’t have physical damage, they were seriously affected by the road closures, the bridge being out and people thinking Turner Valley was completely cut off – and we were for quite some time,” said LeBlanc.
“That lack of income has been extremely difficult for the businesses to recover. Anything we can do to help support them and provide information to help them recover will be a benefit.”
Bev Geier, business owner and Diamond Valley Chamber of Commerce president, said her businesses weren’t impacted by the flood, but many were and this program is a great way to get merchants back on their feet.
“It’s important for every business to learn where their weaknesses and strengths are,” she said. “Nobody comes into your shop and says, ‘You are kind of weak in this area.’ It’s just learning how to reinvent yourself is what it’s all about.”
Geier said she gained valuable information for her picture framing business and Nature Arranged in Black Diamond.
“Judy said 70 per cent of businesses fail because they don’t do a business plan,” she said. “There’s a tendency to think we know everything, but we don’t. You can get stale and do the same old thing.”
Geier is looking forward to the next session about marketing strategies on Oct. 22 in Bragg Creek.
“We always forget about advertising when things are going great,” she said. “Then when things fall down we are wondering why. I think it’s learning how to keep your name out there and identifying more what my target market is.”
