Despite the big-box business names cropping up in Cochrane, the Town of Cochrane is still fully committed to attracting small businesses to Cochrane, according to an economic development representative for town administration.
“We encourage small business to start up, and we try to help them flourish,” said Mike Korman, economic development manager with the Town of Cochrane.
“Small businesses are an important factor on the Canadian economy — and they certainly are here, in the Cochrane economy.”
The biggest way that Cochrane attracts small business is by not having a business tax, said Korman. Potential owners only need to apply for a business license.
But that doesn’t mean the process of obtaining the license is an easy one.
“We will always walk through the steps of getting the business license with the applicant,” said Korman. “It all depends on the type of license they are applying for. It does take some time. And our planning department has been working to make the process a better one.”
He added that more than 40 per cent of small businesses here in Cochrane are based in homes.
Korman said the goal is to help these businesses grow and thrive — hopefully to the point where they move outside the home and into the community.
Korman said the price tags attached to commercial and retail space in Cochrane go a long way to attracting businesses to the area.
While he said he’s unsure of the cost per square foot for space in Calgary’s downtown core, he’s confident the prices in Cochrane could drum up interest for potential businesses.
“I believe our prices are set at a price that will appeal to someone who’s tired of paying hefty prices elsewhere,” he said.
But there’s more to drawing businesses than the cost of office space and the elimination of a business tax, admits Korman.
The town’s economic development team is in the works of creating what Korman described as a “business incubator.” This project would act as a mentorship program for entrepreneurial-minded Cochranites — giving them the tools, knowledge and space to get started on their business.
To learn more about developing a small business or the towns’ bylaws for businesses, visit cochrane.ca.
