Business Impact Survey

The above question served as the premise of a survey we recently conducted, as part of a larger research project RIEP launched in July 2023 to attempt to understand the challenges and opportunities related to business impacts on BC's rural island and coastal communities.

Residents in these communities who own, operate, manage, or work at island-based businesses, including artists, artisans, freelancers and entrepreneurs, were invited to answer a series of questions intended to open up dialogue about the kinds of resources and supports our rural island economies need.

More Background on this Research

Since RIEP was founded in 2020, we have advocated for our rural island and coastal communities to get more resources and support to address important economic, social and environmental issues.

Our activities have included the following::

• Established Rising Tide Business Services (2021)
• Created the Rural Islands Values Framework (2022 RIEP Virtual Forum)
• Developed a set of 'Resolutions' for BC's rural islands (2023 RIEP Forum)

In March 2023, RIEP was awarded a grant through the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development & Innovation’s Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP) to fund research focused on the economic health of BC's rural island communities alongside shared ecological and social goals.

The goal of this work is to identify opportunities for sustainable economic diversification and development, specifically for Indigenous and coastal communities.

Through this survey, our first step is to learn more about on-island businesses, their activities and practices, and the support they need to adapt to the future changes in the region. In addition, dozens of owners, operators, and workers of rural island businesses will be invited to speak with our research team in 1-on-1 interviews.

Once the research is complete, we’ll deliver a full report to the provincial government, along with recommendations on funding, programs, and other resources needed by BC’s rural island and coastal community businesses.

Based on these recommendations, we expect to seek additional funding to bring the recommendations with the most ‘impact potential’ to BC’s rural islands…and to be part of the change we want to see in the world!