Building community resilience through women-owned and women-led enterprises

Last week, the co-owners of Capital City Luggage & Repairs in Ottawa announced that, after 35 years, they are liquidating inventory, closing their doors and handing the business over to a daughter who will focus on online sales. The announcement captures some of the challenges facing small businesses during the pandemic and opportunities in the post-pandemic recovery.

Many have read similar news stories about the devastating impacts of the pandemic on small businesses, particularly consumer-facing services, such as retail and travel. Capital City Luggage and Repairs appears to tick both boxes. Many are also aware or perhaps living with the toll of managing a business while struggling to juggle family responsibilities associated with virus-containment measures.

Given that women are more likely to operate in sectors that have been hardest hit by the pandemic, it is not surprising that Statistics Canada has reported that, compared to all small and medium-sized enterprises, women business owners are more likely to have pivoted products or services, closed temporarily or cancelled contracts as means to adapt. Anecdotal evidence suggests that women are over-represented in digital main street programs. The transition of Capital City Luggage & Repairs to online sales mirrors the efforts of many women who are reskilling to enhance productivity and expand their customer bases.

This is good news for Canada’s economy as women entrepreneurs bring experience-based innovations to the market and help secure local supplies. A growing network of women-led social enterprises is creating jobs, often by employing women, while addressing community needs. For example, a 2020 Women Entrepreneurs Knowledge Hub report noted that majority women-owned social enterprises are nearly 10 times more likely to be a not-for-profit or charity organization than a social for-profit venture.