Tuesday, October 3, 2017 – Vancouver: Small Business BC is making sure people and businesses who have been impacted by the 2017 wildfire season are supported during this time of need by providing a special edition of Small Business BC’s ‘Ask the Expert’ service to help small businesses who have been impacted by wildfires throughout B.C. This service will allow fire-impacted small businesses to gain insight, advice and support from key professional fields.
The 2017 wildfire season has been one of the largest B.C. has ever seen. Since April 7, 2017, there have been more than 1,250 wildfires and many hundreds of small businesses have been affected.
‘Ask the Expert’ is a long-running service provided by Small Business BC, where small business owners have face-to-face or telephone/Skype meetings with experts in a range of professional fields. The series provides access to experts who work in fields that a small business owner would not typically have on staff.
The Special Edition: ‘Ask the Expert’ for Wildfire Affected Businesses will run from Oct. 11 to Oct. 25, 2017. The areas of expertise being provided during these weeks include law and accounting, to answer the key questions small business owners have to get back on their feet. One law firm, Benchmark Law, and 14 accounting firms that belong to the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC) are volunteering their services for the event. A small business owner will have 30 minutes of time to discuss their situation, on phone or Skype, and ask advice or guidance on their chosen topic.
Space is limited, with 80 ‘Ask a Lawyer’ slots and 100 ‘Ask an Accountant’ slots available. Each time slot is offered on a first come, first serve basis. If the topic that the small business is requesting advice or guidance on falls out of scope, or if it will take more than the allotted 30 minutes, the expert has the ability to offer his or her services to the caller outside of the ‘Ask the Expert’ service.
“This partnership with Benchmark Law and the CPABC will allow small business owners to gain the valuable insight they need to get back to work after a wildfire season that disrupted the operation of many small businesses, said George Hunter, CEO of Small Business BC.”
Learn More:
- Small Business BC: co/bcwildfireexpert
- Red Cross Support for Small Business Helpline: 1 855 999-3345 from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. To apply online, visit: https://marsh.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eWKxmlubG4HOeQB
- Red Cross B.C. wildfires support for small businesses: http://www.redcross.ca/bcfires/smallbusiness
- Small business emergency preparedness information: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/preparedbc/small-business-preparedness
- Up-to-date provincial wildfire information, including evacuation and alerts and orders: bcwildfire.ca
Media Contact:
Gill Tempest
Senior Marketing Manager, Small Business BC
Direct: 604-775-8151
[email protected]
About Small Business BC
Small Business BC provides entrepreneurs with the information and guidance necessary to build a solid foundation for their business. Through a wide range of products, services, education and resources there’s a piece that fits with every business. No matter what stage or what skill level, when an entrepreneur finds themselves asking “How do I…?” Small Business BC is the one to call.