Photo: Gagandeep Ghuman
By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: Feb.06, 2014
Five businesses moved or invested in Squamish last year through the direct efforts of the economic development office.
District EDO Dan McRae, however, didn’t reveal the names of businesses his office managed to attract to town.
“About 15 per cent of those who interacted with this office have actually invested in Squamish,” he said.
On average, the EDO office gets 44 business enquiries.
“About 15 per cent of those who interacted with this office have actually invested in Squamish.”
EDO McRae
Dan McRae was hired in 2011 to implement a five-phase economic development plan created by the previous council.
McRae said business enquiries to his office vary.
One day, he hears from a solo entrepreneur enquiring about the demographic. The next day it could be a company sending down their consultant to talk about a big investment.
McRae said it’s important to remember his efforts are just one variable in someone’s decision to invest in Squamish.
“Businesses aren’t going to come here just because I told them to,” he said.
Neither can a district incentive alone close the deal, he added.
Prospective businesses are looking at a host of other factors.
“Is the work force there, is the community supportive, is there a nice guy helping them when they need it,” he said.
Marketing the town to the investors all over the world is an important component, he added.
In 2012, the district produced videos profiling local businesses that cost the tax payer $10,000.
They have a little over 5,000 views on YouTube, but McRae says they provide an effective marketing tool.
“I email the videos to prospective investors and they can use that to showcase Squamish to their business partners,” he said.
It’s in this context the district is starting its branding and marketing plan, he added.
“If we are going to go and tell people something, then we have to make sure the brand is there,” he said.
“If we are going to go and tell people something, then we have to make sure the brand is there.”
Tourism Squamish, the Chamber of Commerce, the BIA, and local realtors have done the marketing for Squamish till now.
Now, the district-led branding and marketing strategy will coalesce the ideas.
McRae said branding is important to tell a consistent story about Squamish.
“In this day and age of marketing, you don’t have a lot of time to make a sale,” he said.
In 2012, the district also interviewed local business owners to find out more on how the district can help them.
McRae said zoning, affordable space, staffing and local regulations were some of the issues mentioned by the business owners.
He said the district is working to resolve some of those issues.
