Fredericton APEC Conference Brought Suggestions for Growth
FREDERICTON–Thursday morning’s Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (APEC) conference focused on the need for stronger export performance to improve what’s expected to be a sluggish economy in 2017.
APEC expects an improvement in economic growth in New Brunswick from this year’s 0.5 per cent to 0.8 per cent in 2017
APEC president and CEO Finn Poschmann said New Brunswick, in particular, has the opportunity to focus on growth through building on the resources of smart, skilled people in the province. He explained that the high rates of corporate, personal and sales taxes here could harm the attraction of these skilled people.
“Access to smart brains is a very big deal for this community here,” Poschmann said. “It’s not just about dollars in the pocket but it’s about dollars to be able to reinvest to bring smarter people into the province.”
“We have access to resources and some very big thinking … we do have a lot of strengths and the people-based strengths are the most important by far. These are things we can build and produce more of.”
The conference concluded with a panel on “The Quest for Growth” involving local business people Populus Global Solutions vice-president Beth Webster, Northampton Brewing Co. owner Sean Dunbar and C-Therm managing director Adam Harris.
One of the final questions panel moderator Finn Poschmann put to the panelists was what advice they would give to people considering starting a business.
Beth Webster felt that it’s important to always respect and communicate with your shareholders. Adam Harris added that stepping away once in a while from what actually looks like work can actually help the idea process.
“Start it,” Sean Dunbar replied. “Take your wildest, craziest idea, ramp it up a little bit and start it. Do it. Fail. We need to shake off any sort of conservatism we have if we’re going to actually get growth going here. Everybody should take their wildest, craziest idea and try it.”