Shawnigan Village Business Walk (Business Card) (Banner (Landscape)) (72 × 18 in)

Cowichan Bay Business Walk

Welcome to the Cowichan Bay Business Walk

In May 2022, Economic Development Cowichan and partners conducted a Business Walk in Cowichan Bay (May 5 and 6, 2022). The team went door-to-door talking to local business owners and managers to learn more about the state of local business.

The Cowichan Bay Business Walk was the second in a series of Business Walks in communities throughout the Cowichan region. Staff members from Economic Development Cowichan (EDC), as well as community partners, went door-to-door speaking with the owners and managers of local businesses. Three to four conversational questions prompt discussion about the challenges and opportunities of doing business in Cowichan Bay. The conversations took 5-15 minutes, and well help inform future services and programs. EDC also followed-up and provided support for the individual and collective needs of the business community.

A report summarizing the results of the business wall is available here.

Business Walk Questions

The Business Walk questionnaire is centered around four key questions:

What is the state of your business?
What do you like about doing business in the area?
What do you find challenging?
What can be done to help your business thrive?

These questions are intended to be conversational, and include prompts to guide the discussion, with the aim of uncovering opportunities for supporting local businesses. The whole conversation should only take a few minutes, and typically lasts between 5-15 minutes (though can always go on longer)!

Business Walks have proven to be a useful tool for business retention and expansion strategies. The information gathered on the Cowichan Bay Business Walk will be used to guide the work of EDC, as well as inform programs and services offered by other business support organizations.

If you operate a home-based business, or want to view or complete the survey online follow the link below:

TAKE THE SURVEY ONLINE

Follow-up Event

Are you interested in the results of the Business Walk? Would you like to get together with other local business owners and managers to meet, greet, and share your thoughts? Economic Development Cowichan is hosting a follow-up event and in-person gathering at the Cowichan Bay Maritime Centre to share the main takeaways from the Business Walk. Complimentary refreshments are included, and the event will provide an opportunity to talk about some of the broader challenges and opportunities for Cowichan Bay businesses. Representatives from Work BC, Tourism Cowichan, Community Futures and the Duncan-Cowichan Chamber of Commerce will be invited to provide a brief summary of the programs and services they provide and answer specific questions.

Date: Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Location: Cowichan Bay Maritime Centre

Business Walk Results

A total of 60 responses were received for the Cowichan Bay Business Walk. On the business walk days, a total of 54 businesses were visited, and the team spoke with representatives in-person. Additional businesses completed the online survey or followed up by phone after the walk.

Key challenges for businesses in Cowichan Bay included:

Labour force,
Supply chain, and
Public infrastructure

Strengths of doing business in Cowichan Bay included:

Location,
Community, and
Innovation

Download the full report on the results of the Cowichan Bay Business Walk here:

Cowichan Bay Business Walk Report

Cowichan Bay Design Charette

The Business Walk in Cowichan Bay is part of a broader effort to support economic development and recovery at the community level, and may help identify further opportunities to act on the recommendations from the Cowichan Bay Design Charette. Actions and opportunities for revitalizing the Cowichan Bay Village area were identified, and arranged into the framework on the Design Guide, Development Guide, and the Implement Now Brochure. Economic Development Cowichan is now re-visiting the actions identified in the Charette, and the feedback collected on the Business Walk will ensure actions are relevant to the needs of local businesses, and post Covid-19 pandemic economic recovery.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT