The city is looking to do better business with local companies.
To get there, city staff plan to meet with 60 business owners and managers starting this month through to the fall. That will inform the city's "strategic programming and services" to foster an environment "where local companies can reach their economic potential."
The personalized meetings are part of a program to retain and expand business in the city, now in its third year.
Melissa Barcellos, the city's economic development manager, called it "a proven model employed both nationally and globally that focuses on supporting companies in our community and helping them to survive and thrive."
"Research shows that 80 per cent of new jobs and investment in communities come from existing businesses so their growth and prosperity is directly linked to the health of our local economy," she said in the city statement.
It's part of an annual approach to information collection and the city said it would post its findings each year online at www.investprincegeorge.ca.
The last report, published in August 2015, found that three quarters of respondents operated all of the business in Prince George, and 85 per cent said they would be expanding their businesses.
More than half said their employment was stable, with almost a third projecting increases. In the last two years, business on the whole reported few unfilled positions, but the report noted the small data set appeared to show an overall slowdown in local economic activity.
"In this case, the "retention" part of (Business Retention and Expansion) is critical: a city must (to the best of its abilities) create an environment where businesses can be successful. To do so, it must listen to its business leaders," said the 2015 report, which also noted that the downturn in the oil and gas sector has caused companies to "shed staff" making more people enter the workforce.
Investment attraction is important, but the city "must not lose focus of the key drivers of growth" or the vast majority of existing business that employ residents.
"These firms must be heard, and given the tools to prosper," the last report said.
Have something to say? The city asks those interested in taking part to contact
The city's Business Development Officer, Bahar Mostofee-Afshar, at [email protected] or 250.561.7633.
"These meetings will provide an opportunity for us to learn, directly from business
representatives, about the benefits and the challenges of doing business in Prince George,"
said Barcellos.
