On a family farm just outside Straffordville, you can find Carole of Maple Haven Farm tending to her local seasonal flowers. It is a beautiful farm with five massive maple trees lining the front yard to greet you as you drive up, each at least 150 years old. "It's one of the oldest farms in the area with a long history," Carole explained with a proud smile. "We feel so honoured to be a part of its story." 

Jared Chestnut's family had close ties to Trudie and Bill, Country Pizza's original owners and operators. "Within a year of being born, I moved to Belmont, so I just say that I am from Belmont because that is all I ever remember," Jared said with a smile. "We lived three doors down from the pizza shop, so we knew Trudie for a long time just by kind of being neighbours." Being neighbours turned into being coworkers, as Jared's mom began to work for Trudie part-time while Jared was growing up, followed by Jared's older sister, and eventually Jared himself. "I worked for Trudie for a lot of years," Jared said, estimating that he probably worked for her for 8 or 10 years on and off between going off to university and coming home for summers and winter breaks. "I've been a part of the business for a long time, and we kind of joked about it originally," Jared laughed. "We said, oh, you know, maybe I'll take over the business one day, and then during my time at university, we started to talk more seriously about it, and it wasn't much of a joke anymore." 

While it might sound like heading to the Horton Farmers' Market to stake out the competition what we mean when we talk about market research is something a little more complex --but it DOES involve checking out other local small businesses.

Market research is a critical component for the success of any small business. It involves gathering, analyzing, and interpreting information about a market, including information about the target audience, competitors, and the industry as a whole.

We've put together a concise guide to understanding and conducting market research for your small business:

In December 2022, Railway 1856 Ultimate Mini Golf officially opened in the Elgin Centre. The 18-hole indoor mini golf course was owner Joe Buttigieg's first experience planning, opening, and running a small business. "Previously, I had a 38-year-long career as a Business Account Executive." said Joe, "I had never owned a small business before, but it was a dream I knew I eventually wanted to try."