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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, October 27, 2016 | 10 Small business facing challenges in Ontario: Chamber The Oakville Chamber of Commerce joined the Ontario Chamber in marking Small Business Week (Oct. 16-22) by releasing a report on the obstacles and opportunities for small businesses within the province. The report was released following six months of detailed consultations with 25 chambers of commerce and boards of trade and hundreds of small business owners. "In Oakville, local businesses are working hard to expand their operations, however, they are facing some big obstacles, including the Hockey and Figure Skating Boots SKATE CLEARANCE SALE · Hockey Skates at MSRP · Huge assortment/styles to choose from · Over 2,000 pair available Hours: Thursday, October 27 - 1PM - 8PM Friday, October 28 - 1PM - 5PM Saturday, October 29 - 1OAM - 6PM Sunday, October 30 - 1OAM - 5PM 70% Off · Figure Skate Boots up to MSRP · Great assortment/styles to choose from · Over 480 pairs available Address: 43 Main St. South, Campbellville (Guelph Line) Exit 312 (Mohawk Raceway) - 500m south of 401 Located behind Fine Oak Things Furniture Please note - Cash only! 85% off rising cost of doing business in Ontario," said Caroline Hughes, Oakville chamber chair, in a press release. "The results of our 2016 Advocacy Survey showed that our members find rising costs to be the most significant factor impacting business and industry." Additionally, Hughes said, 64 per cent of respondents believe traffic congestion is a significant obstacle for business because it keeps staff from getting to work on time. She said almost 70 per cent of respondents believe current regulations are unreasonable and excessive. "It is critical regional governments work with the provincial and federal government to ensure that investments and programs are targeted to reduce operational costs and to support business growth in our region," said Hughes. The report also highlights that businesses with fewer than 100 employees make up 98 per cent of total Ontario businesses and two-thirds of private sector employment in Ontario. They contribute approximately 28 per cent to the provincial GDP and created 87.7 per cent of the new jobs nationally from 2005-12. Given the significance of small businesses to the provincial economy, the Ontario Chamber Network urges the government to take immediate action to implement the following three recommendations in the near term: · Continue the scheduled Business Education Tax rate reductions; · Develop a single access point for all government-funded workforce, training, and employment services; · Have all three levels of government commit co-ordinated infrastructure dollars to connect all Ontario businesses to the 21st century global economy. "Small businesses in Ontario are being held back by a diverse set of challenges that need to be addressed by all three levels of government," said Allan O'Dette, president and CEO of the Ontario Chamber in a press release. "We are encouraging the provincial government to implement our report's recommendations so we can ensure our economy will have sustained economic growth for many years to come." The Oakville Chamber of Commerce, along with the Ontario Chamber Network, encourages the provincial government to work closely with the employer community to implement the recommendations in the report. These recommendations will feature prominently in the Ontario Chamber Network's advocacy work leading up to the 2018 provincial election. At that time, the advocacy organization will evaluate the political platforms of each party with a particular consideration as to how their campaign commitments align with the interests of small business owners in Ontario. oakville.ca Fall loose leaf collection October 11­November 25, 2016 Loose leaves will be collected from designated areas in Oakville as follows: Date October 11­14 October 17­21 October 24­28 October 31­November 4 November 7­11 November 14­18 November 21­25 Zone 4, 5, 6, 7 1, 3, 9, 10 4, 5 6, 7, 9 1, 3, 10, A 4, 5, 6, 7, B, C 1, 3, 9, 10 Collection guidelines · Place all loose leaves on the boulevard or on the shoulder, not over catch basins or in the ditches in front of your house. · Ensure leaves are free of garbage or other yard waste materials such as brush, branches, large twigs or stones. · Put leaves out no earlier than seven days before the first day of your pickup and no later than 7 a.m. on the first day of collection in your zone. Contaminated piles of leaves or leave that have been put out after the pickup dates will not be collected. Homeowners are responsible for removing uncollected leaves. Bagged leaf service Halton Region collects bagged leaves and yard waste on the same day as regular garbage pickup. This is a separate program from the Town of Oakville's loose leaf collection. Visit halton.ca for more information on your waste collection schedule. For more information on Oakville's fall loose leaf collection, contact ServiceOakville at 905-845-6601 or serviceoakville@oakville.ca.