Business Retention & Expansion Program

It’s a conversation with your Economic Development team. We come to you, learn about your business, and hear what’s going well and what could be better.

It’s not a “survey”.
It’s not an inspection.
It’s a conversation.

We use what we learn to better understand local businesses and improve the way we support them.

Every business in Haldimand plays an important role in our local economy, from creating jobs to supporting vibrant downtowns, tourism, and essential services.

But no two businesses are the same.

These visits help us:

• Understand what businesses are experiencing right now
• Identify common challenges and opportunities
• Improve programs, supports, and communication
• Make sure local priorities are informed by real business needs

Simply put, better understanding leads to better communities.

Visits are designed to be easy and flexible.

Typically, we:

• Meet at your place of business
• Ask open-ended questions about your experience 
• Talk through what’s working and what’s not
• Learn about any plans, changes, or opportunities ahead

Most visits take about 30-60 minutes, depending on how talkative you are!

There is no preparation required.

Right now, we are focusing on all types of businesses located in downtown areas across Haldimand County. 

If you run a business in the downtown areas of Caledonia, Cayuga, Dunnville, Hagersville, Jarvis, Selkirk Haldimand, we want to hear from you!

If you're not in the downtown area, another member of our team would be happy to meet with you! Email Opportunity@haldimandcounty.ca to request a business visit. 

There are two key follow-ups.

Direct support and connections:

We help connect you with information or resources that may support your business. In some cases, this may be within the County, and in others it may involve referring you to an external organization or partner.

Community-wide insights:

We review what we hear across all business visits to identify patterns, opportunities, and shared challenges.

This helps us:

• Inform future economic development programs
• Advocate for local business needs
• Improve communications and supports
• Identify gaps and opportunities in the local economy

Individual business information is kept confidential and is not shared publicly.

If we haven’t visited your business yet, we’d still like to hear from you.

You can request a visit at a time that works for you.

Book my visit!