Canadian Small Businesses Going Extinct!
The Canadian landscape has long been dotted with vibrant coffee shops, cozy bakeries, bustling restaurants, and skilled construction businesses. These small enterprises are not just places of commerce; they are the heartbeats of communities, offering unique flavors, warm atmospheres, and expert craftsmanship. However, in recent times, the harsh reality of economic challenges has cast a shadow on many small businesses, leading to closures that have rippled through local communities. In this article, we explore the impact of these closures and the resilience displayed by both business owners and their communities in the face of adversity.
The Heartbreak of Closures
Across Canada, the doors of beloved coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants, and construction businesses have closed, leaving behind not just empty storefronts but also a deep sense of loss within communities. Economic downturns, skyrocketing housing prices, increased mortgage rates, skyrocketing rental prices, stringent regulations, food inflation, tax hikes and shifting consumer behaviours have played significant roles in these closures. For many entrepreneurs, the decision to shut down their businesses was heart-wrenching, often representing years of hard work, dedication, and dreams that had to be let go. Besides every business closure there is often a financial collapse and financial uncertainty. And that all in country were immigration as always boosted the economy, creating new opportunities ad owning f new businesses. Now, it is all different. Daily news sites and blogs are full of articles on business closures. Every day, there is a story on restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries and other businesses closing due to all above listed issues.
The Toll on Coffee Shops and Bakeries
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the delightful scent of baked goods have long been cherished in communities across Canada. However, many local coffee shops and bakeries have succumbed to economic pressures, unable to sustain operations amidst rising costs and reduced foot traffic. These closures have not only impacted the business owners but also the loyal customers who frequented these establishments for their daily dose of caffeine or a sweet treat. The high property cost and skyrocketed rental costs have devastated many and keep devastating remaining businesses across Canada. What was the scene in the USA during economic trouble during 2006-2008, Canada seems to get the reflection of the same now. Walking trough Canadian cities, towns and even major shopping malls, Canadians can witness many store closures, plenty of abandoned store fronts, boarded up and “up for rent” signs dangling from it. What draconian COVID restrictions did not destroy, enormous rental prices and cost of living did!
READ MORE: Pandemic of Coffee Shop closures throughout Canada
Restaurants: Where Culinary Dreams Meet Reality
The restaurant industry, known for its creativity and culinary expertise, has faced immense challenges. Social distancing measures, restrictions, forceable shutdowns, rental prices, increase in minimum wage, changing dining habits due to increased cost of living have hit restaurants hard. For some, the closure meant saying goodbye to cherished family recipes and unique culinary experiences, leaving a void in the culinary landscape. Many ave gone under during COVID restrictions, yet many ave not given up, until now. Canadians have witnessed increased menu prices in almost every restaurant out there, meals that usually have cost $16-19 Canadian went up to be $21-26. Not a pretty sight for customers if everything else went up in price and the budget gets tighter on monty basis. But, restaurants had no choice, increase the prices or go under. That tactic has reduces restaurant visits in Canada by 20%. Some restaurant owners stay afloat while others lock their doors the last time ti never open again. This is not an exaggeration but restaurant owner daily struggle and reality.
Construction Businesses and the Ripple Effect
Even the construction industry, often seen as resilient, has not been immune to closures. Canadian media is full of stories that Canada has not enough skilled workers and how we need more houses to build and so on, yet talk is cheap as we all know. Small construction businesses, from carpentry workshops, home renovation companies, property maintenance contractors have faced the impact of economic uncertainties. Closures in this sector have not only affected the business owners but also subcontractors, suppliers, and skilled workers, creating a ripple effect in the broader economy. What used to be photography shop closures during 2010-2020, construction small businesses are falling down the same rabbit hole. Increased rental, transportation, labour and advertising costs leave meagre profits, not enough to sustain high cost of living for long. Next time you call your property maintenance or home renovation company of choice, thank them for still being around, than the chance for them to go into financial ruin is very high. Same as in restaurant or coffee shop business, high costs of operating the business and less jobs due to clients struggling with increased cost of living contribute to financial uncertainty or even closures.
All these aspects of increased cost of operating a business, increased cost of living and less client confidence contributes to small business closures and economy chaos. Every closed small business effects others as well, from less sales in stores, less employment opportunities, less taxes the government can collect to more unemployment and financial ruins.
Once highly praised country for its economic growth, affordable housing and general quality of life seems to have lost the charm and future destination. Is this just a blip in the system or just the beginning? One can only hope for better times.
