Sidney is a great place to live and work but our business community is struggling and about to face increasing competition on several fronts.
Unless the business community can band together to attract more customers to Sidney, businesses will continue to struggle and some more will fail.
Together, Sidney has great potential. An increasingly vibrant business community will have economic and social benefits for the entire Peninsula.
The only way to affordably and effectively market the town and its businesses is through a BIA (business improvement area).
The three other business models considered in our community are all voluntary in nature. Unless participation is mandatory through a BIA, the many benefit from the effort and commitment of the few, and enough funding to attract significant business to Sidney cannot be reached.
A BIA will allow the business community to work together. A BIA with a reasonable budget cap will be affordable, sustainable and effective. That is why we, and many of our colleagues, are actively supporting the creation of a BIA for Sidney.
Muffet Billyard-Leake, Muffet & Louisa
Geraldene Coates, Marmalade Tart Boutique
Julia Bannister, Mineral World
Larry Hanlon, Peninsula Gallery