Sooke is open for business?

Published in MapleLine Magazine: May 5, 2010

Business printing at the MapleLine Business Centre >>

By Mary P. Brooke

Sooke says it is open for business. Okay... how realistic is the venture of opening a new business in a region with about 8,500 to 10,000 people, with about half of that tally in and around its town core?

Every year TD CanadaTrust reviews the business prospects for opening a branch in Sooke; the numbers are just not there. Likewise, it seems, the Scotia. People toss around “we have no Tim Hortons” as if that is the measure of Canadian community success; many wish not for that to happen ~ losing the flavour of a small town to the flavour of Hortons coffee and donuts might be a trade-off later met with regret.

The cost to open a new business is steep. Premises improvements are often required of the tenant, in all manner of lease or month-to-month arrangements. Available retail and office space is presently scarce. When Mariners Village opens (2011?) there will be more offerings, and perhaps older commercial spaces that have remained unoccupied in 2009-2010 will go down in price. Word is that Mariners Village will include a medical clinic as a (de facto) temporary measure toward the goal of having a hospital for Sooke (a service-area population of 25,000 is apparently required).

Local businesses that do thrive often have an online component to their revenue stream, outsource some services as a way of keeping staffing costs down, operate part-time while holding down other employment in Victoria, or are part of a franchise that carries some of the costs.

An increased residential population is obviously required to provide most businesses with an adequate local consumer base. Housing prices, while the lowest in Greater Victoria, are still a stretch for many families. Coupled with the requirement for frequent travel to services in Langford and Victoria, this attracts the ‘monied new resident’ (those who sell homes elsewhere, and move here to pocket the difference). This singular fact is good for local business, as the quasi-retired residents have resource and time on their hands to spend it.

Businesses that fail to either thrive or even survive, appear to have relied solely on walk-in retail or a single aspect of recreation. While eco-tourism is a valid and positive economic contributor, it will not bring permanent daily expenditure to the widest swath of businesses in Sooke. More stay-in-Sooke spenders are required for that -– i.e. people who can find jobs here and find enough amenities here to enjoy the town without dashing to Victoria. If transportation to Victoria is a requirement for business or leisure (not to mention health services), then issues of driving the Sooke Highway rear their realistic heads.

It’s all a tough nut to crack, and it will take time. Mayor and Council seem to be aware of the issues and are approaching things on many fronts, including continued lobbying for highway improvements and enhancing the cultural profile of the town primarily through support for handcrafting artists. Where Council might reconsider is to allow illuminated signage for business storefronts (previous businesses have ‘grandfathered’ rights, setting new businesses at a distinct disadvantage) and to offer one-time grants to commercial tenants for facade improvements. MM

MapleLine Business Centre - Great business card design and printing. Open Monday through Saturday. 6707 West Coast Road, Sooke, BC. Phone: 250-642-7729 or toll-free 1-877-595-6925. info@maplelinebusinesscentre.com

These articles were first published on page 22 in the print edition of MapleLine Magazine (Summer 2010 issue - May-July 2010). Additions about businesses for sale, done May 30, 2010.

Other articles from the Summer 2010 edition: Sustainable Communities | Sooke's Earth Future | Communities in Bloom