October is Small Business Month across British Columbia and to celebrate, the Township of Langley will be out in the community conducting Business Walks within the store-front commercial areas of North West Langley, Walnut Grove, and Willoughby. Business Walks are intended to connect community leaders with local businesses, to build relationships, to informally gather – through conversation – business intelligence that’s needed to stimulate and diversify the local economy, and check the pulse of the local business community. Since launched in BC in 2012, this will be the 3rd Business Walk conducted by the Township.

This year, each business day between Tuesday, October 15, and Friday, October 18, Business Walk teams will walk business-to-business in selected areas of the community to talk with business owners and learn about business successes, barriers, and opportunities. In addition to Township elected officials and staff, members of various stakeholder groups including the Walnut Grove Willoughby Business Association and the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce, will also be part of the Township’s Business Walk teams.

Then, from October 19 to 31, to increase the reach of this activity, the Township will be hosting an online business survey open to all businesses in the North West Langley, Walnut Grove, and Willoughby areas. The online survey contains the same questions as those used for the Business Walk.

All data collected during the Business Walk and through the online survey remains confidential and is aggregated into summary findings. In a continuous effort to strengthen our relationship with the business community, businesses that participate in the Business Walk or the online survey will receive summary results. Staff will also report back to Mayor and Council, as well as the Township’s Agricultural Advisory and Economic Enhancement Committee.

To learn more about the 2019 Business Walk or to take the online survey open from October 19 – 31, visit invest.tol.ca/events.