The North Perth Chamber of Commerce held their annual general meeting this week.
Overall, with some government grants, the chamber was able to have a somewhat stable 2020 despite COVID-19 challenges, and are in a stable position for 2021. North Perth Mayor Todd Kasenberg was a guest speaker, and he says the community was amazing in terms of helping out local businesses and each other. Specifically, Kasenberg touched on a number of initiatives the municipality launched to help the local business community.
"We launched the marketplace that allows e-commerce transactions called Shop Local North Perth, and this has had kind of modest, at best, response."
Despite that, Kasenberg says that North Perth is committed to keeping that online shopping portal available so the community can find solutions for online shopping needs. The Mayor also notes that they even had a page specifically set up for local restaurants.
"The North Perth Eats page. We dedicated a page on our website to introduce the restaurants and catering businesses in North Perth and that's available still. We are doing our best to keep that current, as circumstances change."
Kasenberg also says that a number of Covid Recovery Action Groups were formed to aid small businesses. He says North Perth will continue working with the chamber, and take suggestions from the COVID Recovery Action Groups, to help the business community. Some of the suggestions from the COVID Recovery Action Groups include efforts like surveys exploring possible collective delivery services, a local farmers market, or even a website established to easily find local social and healthcare services.
"They certainly have been trying to promote a local food initiative, including establishing a local farmers market. Their big ideas longer term are that North Perth should position itself to establish an abattoir, and to establish an organic soy meal processing facility."
Kasenberg's overall message was on resiliency, while highlighting the benefits of some form of action plan in order to help local businesses not only survive challenges like the pandemic, but to thrive in the long run.