We are living in extraordinary times. Nothing is the same anymore, whether it is working, connecting, networking, exercising, or even shopping. Perhaps, there will be a new normal post-COVID-19.
WESK is here for you. We are working to do all we can to support our members and all Saskatchewan women entrepreneurs during this period of uncertainty.
Here are some of the measures we have implemented:
- Waived our annual membership fee for the month of April, enabling you to meet with a business advisor for free
- New payment solutions for our loan clients
- Free weekly webinars, virtual workshops, and virtual “networking” events
- A COVID-19 webpage that includes up-to-date information, resources, and tips for small business owners
- Advocacy strategy for women entrepreneurs to both the provincial and federal governments to ensure that small businesses with 0-9 employees receive relief measures that are applicable and relevant
For those of you who participated in our Small Business Survey, thank you. Your answers have helped us to be your voice with the provincial and federal governments. I’d like to highlight some of our key findings:
- 57% of businesses categorized themselves as “solo entrepreneurs”
- 92% of businesses have under 10 employees
- 80% of businesses generated under $250,000 in revenue prior to COVID-19
- 60% indicate they can only sustain their business for less than 3 months
- 70% require financial support of under $10,000-30,000 in the next 3 months
We understand that these are difficult times for most of you. The federal and provincial governments have various funding and relief programs available to you. You can discover what funding options are available to you in the “Emergency Funding for Small Businesses” section of our COVID-19 page. Please note that our provincial government recently announced the Saskatchewan Small Business Emergency Payment that provides up to $5000 for every small business. Please take advantage of this support.
The key message I want to leave you with is that WESK is here to support you. We will advocate for you, and we will provide you with relief measures as needed.
Keep well, stay safe. TOGETHER, we will get through this.
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| Prabha Mitchell Chief Executive Officer, WESK |