A street corner in downtown Saskatoon seen on June 9, 2017. (Chris Vandenbreekel/650 CKOM)

By Logan Stein

Forty-four per cent of closed businesses in Saskatchewan might never open

Jun 16, 2020 | 3:00 PM

Saskatchewan is above the national average of 32 per cent when it comes to business owners being uncertain about whether they will be able to reopen or not.

According to the Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, 44 per cent of closed businesses throughout Saskatchewan are unsure if they will be able to reopen.

“Most of the closed businesses have less than 50 employees, this is really significant when you look at smaller businesses and the impact that COVID-19 has had,” says Sylvia Martini, interim chief executive officer for the Chamber of Commerce in Saskatoon.

For businesses that are choosing to stay closed even when they have the option of opening right now, it might not be as simple as some might think.

From the employer’s perspective, they might not be able to bring employees back and pay them, afford the costs of staying open, or open up with a looming limit of 50 per cent capacity.

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“I think for some owners it’s a wait and see approach and then for others it’s an assessment of cost versus income,” said Martini.

“My favorite saying since COVID started is business community is community. Our local businesses live here, they support our economy and support our community associations, sit on boards, give us their time, and they give back to the community. If you’re going to go out, support local. Thank your local shops for opening up and taking the neccessary precautions.”

Keith Moen of the North Saskatoon Business Association said that there has been great resilience among Saskatoon business owners, especially in the struggling hospitality and retail industry.

“The province has been through a lot of catastrophic times in the course of our history, this will be another one that we will overcome. I have confidence in our province,” said Moen.

“We are focused on keeping as many businesses open as we can.”

Despite the challenging times, Martini and Moen both stressed the importance of business operators being able to pivot and restructure how their business operates.

“Which businesses can survive are the ones that can regroup, and keep their overhead as low as possible,” said Martini.

“Entrepreneurial spirit is an incredible spirit of tenacity, and the ability to look at where opportunities are and to redirect the way they look at the strengths of their business and how they can serve customers.”

When it comes to safety, business owners need to be vocal with consumers on how they plan to enforce safety measures.

If it’s setting up plexiglass, hand sanitizer stations, or more thorough cleaning measures, customers ultimately want to feel comfortable.

The Chamber and NSBA were both adamant about providing support for businesses during this time.

“We are behind our business community. We are working very hard to make sure our economy can get through this,” said Martini.

Now more than ever, Saskatchewan businesses need support.

Martini believes that she will see people engaging in the community in a more meaningful way, unlike anything we have seen.

“We have had a huge example of what it is like when we shut down our arts and entertainment, our shops, our restaurants, the vibrancy and the pride we have as a community. I think there is a new value set emerging, and I think we are going to see people re-engaging in a more meaningful way.”

Moen and Martini both stressed how amazing Saskatoon and the rest of Saskatchewan is at overcoming adversity and succeeding through challenging times.

“I do have a great deal of confidence in Saskatchewan’s spirit, spunk, and entrepreneurship,” says Moen.

“I can’t think of a better place to be than Saskatoon.”