As Ottawa tables its latest federal budget, small business owners in Nova Scotia are looking for some measures to help meet rising costs. Cathy Hope, manager of Lady Luck Boutique in Halifax’s Hydrostone Market, says costs are going up right across the board and it’s putting pressure on her women’s clothing and accessory store. “My rent is going up, my heat is going up,” she says. According to Hope, one area where small business owners could see relief is if the federal government cuts payroll taxes on employees’ wages, which are also taxed. “If I could afford to give more hours to my staff because it isn’t going to cost me more money, then that would be great for my staff and for the overhead of my business,” she says. But the payroll tax limits Hope’s ability to give more hours and even hire more staff, part-time or full-time, she says. The uncertainty and ever evolving situation around U.S. trade policy is creating some challenges for small businesses in Canada. Sheena Russell is the owner of Made with Local, a sustainable snack food company with a manufacturing facility in Windsor, N.S. She says she wants to see more tariff and trade supports extended to small businesses in the federal budget. She says a change in a trade policy at the border made it more expensive to ship small batches of her products to U.S. customers, which has been a setback for the company who is looking to expand their export market. “We just really lost that momentum when it comes to exporting to the U.S. and are now starting to look at exporting into other parts of the globe,” Russell says. The Atlantic Chamber of Commerce CEO Rhonda Tulk-Lane says unreliable cell service is impacting business, particularly for those who are working in rural areas. “We are looking for investment in connectivity, in partnership with our larger telecom corporations,” says Tulk-Lane. “Because small businesses can’t do their work. They can’t be driving somewhere and take a cellphone call or pull over and do a Zoom meeting. They can’t do that with the connectivity that exists right now.” For these local business owners and entrepreneurs, there’s hope the budget will include some practical measures to help them manage their rising costs. It’s something they don’t want to simply pass down to the consumers, who they know are dealing with the same pressures related to rising costs. “We need a break right now and so do our customers,” says Hope. “Our customers need to be able to feel good about walking into a local store and not paying an exorbitantly high price.” For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
