Celebrate Small Business Week by Sharing Your Shop Local Stories

To celebrate Small Business Week this year, October 18-24, 2020, the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Community Futures Wood Buffalo and Startup YMM, is pleased to be running an online contest that supports small businesses in our region.

The goal is to encourage residents to share stories about their favourite shops - highlighting the dedicated small business owners working hard behind the scenes, local hidden gems that provide great customer experiences. The contest runs from October 18 to October 24, 2020. Participants in the online contest will have a chance to win $500 of Fort McMurray Bucks that can be spent at any participating local business. All of the details can be found at www.fortmcmurraychamber.ca/small-business-week

“Communities are comprised of stories, these are stories of businesses and the people behind them, stories of our experiences with their product or service. The stories are inspiring, educational and are asking to be shared,” says Dianna de Sousa, Executive Director of the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce.

The theme of Small Business Week 2020 is “Forging the Way Forward,” to recognize the challenges businesses are navigating and pay tribute to the small business owners who contribute so much to our community. It is important that our community finds ways to support small business owners in moving forward during these uncertain times.

“Community Futures Wood Buffalo encourages business owners to share your stories with us. For over thirty years, we have been working with small businesses and would love the opportunity to learn more about your business. After all, in difficult times, its great relationships that keeps us moving forward,” says Pamela Ramrup, Executive Director of Community Futures Wood Buffalo.

This is a call to our community to show support for our small business community by spending locally — use the services of a local vendor, grab a socially distanced coffee with a friend at an independent café, or shop at a local boutique.

“Small businesses are fundamental to our everyday as they offer us places to be social and active, and provide us with experiences, products and services”, says Natasha Hartson, Director of Entrepreneurship & Innovation for Wood Buffalo Economic Development Corporation. “They are an important part of our community fabric and we encourage you to join us as we celebrate them.”

Contest Details:

1. Share your small business stories on Facebook and Twitter

2. Include the hashtag #wbsmallbusinessweek

3. Tag Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce (@YMMChamber)

4. Tag the Business you are writing about

5. Each story with the correct tags will result in an entry

6. The same stories if posted on both Facebook and Twitter will qualify for 2 entries

7. Competition runs from October 18, 2020 to October 24, 2020

8. Facebook live draw will take place on October 27, 2020 at 4pm

About Small Business Week

Small Business Week is an annual celebration of entrepreneurship that has been organized for over 40 years. Every year, close to 10,000 entrepreneurs gather to learn, network, and celebrate the people building businesses across the country.