It is Small Business Week, a time to salute the importance of the sector to our community.
In Yorkton there is a definite feeling of optimism in terms of business, an optimism built of several factors.
Certainly business growth spurs interest by others, and when we look around our city we see the signs of new business development. In the coming months there will be several large business developments taking shape, from the Ford and Honda dealerships, to the businesses at the Highway 10 Development near the Parkland Mall.
Often as businesses take shape it builds confidence in others to expand, or establish in the city. There is a feeling if one business can expand and expects success, others businesses can follow suit.
Then there is the generally good picture in agriculture. A crop which was at least average for most, an open fall which allowed most farmers to harvest a good quality crop, and the generally good commodity prices for cereals and oilseeds bodes well for business.
When farmers have money, they spent it.
There is always interest in upgrading machinery, buying additional crop resources for the 2012 season, and simply paying bills. That money flows through an economy going through many hands.
A farmer buys a new tractor. The machinery dealer pays his mechanic, who in turn buys a necklace at a local jewellery store for his wife's Christmas present. The Jeweller buys a video game for his children, or pays taxes, or buys gas for his car, and the money keeps passing through the local economy.
Farming has long been recognized as an economic engine in rural Saskatchewan, and this year the engine is hitting on all cylinders.
The potash sector is also chugging along nicely in Saskatchewan.
Mine expansions by Mosaic and the PotashCorp in the Esterhazy/Rocanville have spin-offs for our city, but those will pale in comparison to the impact of a new BHP Billiton mine south of Yorkton if it goes forward. So far all indicators seem to point to the development being assured, although the exact timing remains unclear.
With such positive indicators there is good reason for optimism, although the cloud of staffing shortages does hang over things.
The city needs an influx of people, and while the population is growing, it's not keeping pace with the number of staff wanted signs around Yorkton.
When people do arrive there is also the issue of affordable housing. New homes coming on line at $200,000 - plus, and apartment rentals steadily climbing are bad news for the many people in Yorkton working jobs at, or near minimum wage.
Wages are likely to be forced higher by a new potash mine, but then housing prices and rents will spike too.
Where low income earners -- there are numerous jobs that by the nature are not high paying -- will finding housing is as big an issue as finding the workers themselves.
Business growth is obvious in our city, but so too are the challenges. Dealing with the challenges is paramount to keeping business optimism high.
