Starting a New Business? Economic Development Office is Here to Help

In part two of our interview with Economic Development Officer Marilyn Crewe, we look at the smaller side of business.

Almost as important as what businesses Neepawa has or has coming, are those we don’t have yet. A few wish list items are things like a retail business focusing on seniors supports, or outdoor sports, but Crewe largely lets herself be led by what entrepreneurs bring to her, whether it’s by appointment in her office or through a program like What’s the Big Idea, which allows entrepreneurs pitch to local investors in a Dragon’s Den-like event.

"If there's an entrepreneur and he's passionate and has the skills to do what he wants to do,” says Crewe, “who am I to say, ‘No, you shouldn't do that.’" Which is not to say that she won’t sit down with an aspiring entrepreneur and encourage them to do their market research and come up with a realistic business plan.

Crewe has what she calls her New Business Consult Form that helps her get a sense of where the entrepreneurs is in terms of their research, business plan, and understanding of the requirements of the business. From there she can offer them resources and assistance on a variety of topics depending on their needs.

The economic development office runs on a year-to-year budget, but like the Public Works department, Crewe is planning several years in advance, and for the same reasons. If an opportunity comes up for a large business to move or expand their operations into the Neepawa area, the water lines and the sewer lines have to be in place already. They can’t be five years down the road.

While she works in partnership with almost every other department in municipal government, Crewe also has a network that goes beyond that. She sits on the board of the Economic Developers Association of Manitoba and works closely with other economic development officers around the province, including those in a similar growth situation as Neepawa with whom she can exchange ideas and experiences.

Ideally, Crewe would like to see economic development work on a more regional basis, to use the interconnectedness of rural economies to benefit everyone.