Canada/Local economy: building permanently rather than supporting temporarily

"Support local purchasing. This phrase, repeated everywhere in Quebec these days, is often associated with difficult times when we need to pull together and give priority to local products. It's a gesture of solidarity, a concrete way of taking care of our world, our entrepreneurs, our artisans, our neighbors.

Every product and service purchased locally sustains a family, keeps a dream alive and raises the profile of Quebec know-how. But the current crisis is opening our eyes to our heavy dependence on other economies, and it's also prompting us to ask: isn't this an opportunity to transform our relationship with local purchasing on a permanent basis?

Isn't it time to "build" tomorrow's local economy, rather than simply "support" temporary initiatives?

Building tomorrow's local economy

As CEO of La Ruche, I have the privilege of rubbing shoulders every day with passionate local entrepreneurs who, through courage and innovation, are building tomorrow's local economy. I see these small and medium-sized businesses from the four corners of Quebec, meeting the needs of our towns and villages, creating jobs and enlivening our communities.

When I go out to meet local players in the regions of Quebec, there's no shortage of ideas, just the means to make them a reality. Everywhere, passionate entrepreneurs dream of starting their own business, contributing to their community, building something meaningful. But access to financing remains the major obstacle.

What can we do about it? By democratizing access to financing, innovating and changing our consumer habits. That's what we're doing at La Ruche: enabling entrepreneurs to finance a promising project for their community with financial contributions from the general public.

With purchases of $25, $50 and $100, the community gives birth to a local business, product or service that benefits all citizens. Every dollar invested becomes a gesture of solidarity, another building block in our collective resilience. Because in Quebec, we have unique know-how, daring creators and products of exceptional quality.

Encouraging our businesses means recognizing this wealth, investing in our talent and ensuring that our economy thrives on what we do best. Because a strong Quebec is one where innovation doesn't die for lack of support.

We also need to question our habits. Let's get into the habit of checking the origin of products before we buy, and give preference to local platforms like La Ruche over foreign giants.

This is not a one-day effort, but a commitment for decades to come. By transforming our consumer choices, we're giving our entrepreneurs the conditions they need to start, grow and stay in business.

In the end, fewer entrepreneurs means less vitality, fewer local products and less pride. Entrepreneurs carry with them a dream: that of a Quebec where buying local is a driving force for change, where our resources and services remain in our own hands.

Every project we support, every business we save, is another step towards that longed-for autonomy. By helping our entrepreneurs through modern tools like La Ruche, we're not just financing ideas - we're propelling our identity, our future, our Quebec.

Source: www.lavoixdelest.ca