New Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) Call Centre
If you have applied for CEBA and have questions, please contact the new CEBA Call Centre at 1-888-324-4201 to receive a status update on your CEBA application.
The CEBA call centre is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm EST and can address the following types of questions:
What is the status of my application? Why was my application declined? Why was my submitted document rejected?
Small Business BC Webinar: COVID Safety and Energy Efficiency for Your Small Business
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
10:00am to 11:00am
COURSE DESCRIPTION During COVID-19, business owners have been looking at different ways to cut costs and become more efficient. What if it was possible to achieve this goal while helping to reduce transmission of COVID-19 at the same time?
Delivered by Sam Thomas, Principal and Kootenay Branch Manager of Prism Engineering, and Tiago Pereira, Energy Solutions Manager at FortisBC, attendees will learn practical steps for making the workplace safer, while also saving money in our “new normal.” We’ll also be covering tips for making your space cost-effective, COVID relief incentives for small biz and plumbing/environmental controls.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
Best practices in HVAC and safety during COVID-19, including filtration and UV-C
How to develop a pandemic response plan
Identifying opportunities for increased energy efficiency in your business
Rebates and energy saving resources from Fortis BC
BC Chamber of Commerce Releases Plan to Stimulate B.C. Economy
Yesterday, the BC Chamber of Commerce (BCCC) publicly released its Economic Recovery Submission (submitted to Government July 21st, 2020), made up of 54 policy recommendations focusing on competitiveness, innovation, and inclusivity respectively. The plan is a pan-provincial in scope and aims to guide the Province on stimulating BC’s economy through measures that support small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“We’ve been tracking the economic impact of COVID-19 on BC businesses since early March. Our recommendations are based on what we’ve heard at the community level—from our network of 36,000 businesses of all sizes and from all sectors across BC,” says Dan Baxter, Director of Policy Development and Government & Stakeholder Relations at the BC Chamber of Commerce.
“We have to aim beyond returning BC to the uncompetitive business conditions that existed before COVID-19.” says Baxter. “This strategy encourages entrepreneurship and investment to undo the damage inflicted by the pandemic, and also create a more competitive, resilient, and prosperous future.”
Creating a competitive tax environment to support business growth is key to the submission—the BC Chamber Network is asking the Province to embrace a made-in-BC value-added tax andto mitigate the impacts of the Employers’ Health Tax.
Other recommendations of note include: municipal property tax reform to eradicate the highest and best use designation for property tax; expanding CleanBC benefits for SMEs so they can adopt lower-carbon technologies faster to boost productivity; investments in rural and remote communities such as broadband infrastructure, and funding models that allow rural residents to redirect their investments into local economies; and providing businesses with grants and incentives at a time when cash reserves are low.
Removing PST on Machinery and Equipment is another recommendation that aims to help small businesses recover and grow.
“Business was down 70% in March and April, and everyone was on CERB. Removing this tax would allow us to increase our staff from 65 to 85, and put more money into research and development, so we could start to recover,” says Shelina Mawani, owner of Your Nana’s Kitchen, a food manufacturer in Surrey.
The submission also asks government to improve access to childcare to help people get back to work.
“Our goal has always been to keep expanding and create more jobs, but we can’t do that without childcare—and there’s a three-year waiting list where we live,” says Kerri Jones co-owner of Peaked Pies in Whistler.
“Recovery will be a long, multi-year process,” says Baxter. Our submission isn’t limiting government to its $1.5 billion dollars allocated to support economic recovery. We need to roadmap for growth and prosperity over the long term too.”
BCEDA is continuing to seek success stories to highlight on the Economic Development in Action website. The website is advertised internationally and used as a tool to market your community and attract international investors. Economic Developers can use the website to collaborate on ideas and gain inspiration from others. We a looking for a brief summary of your successful projects, partnerships and initiatives.
