This week is Small Business Week, and to celebrate, the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce is having a conference for small businesses on Oct. 18 and 19.

Melissa Syer, the executive director of the Yellowknifer Chamber of Commerce, told Yellowknifer about the desire from small businesses to have access to professional training.

鈥淥ne of the things we hear from our member businesses, especially the small businesses, is lack of access to professional development and training opportunities. Through funding from CanNor (Canadian 快盈v3 Economic Development Agency) and ITI (Industry, Tourism and Investment), we were able to put on a two-day conference with speakers.

鈥淪ome of the speakers came up from the south, and some are local Yellowknife business owners who talk on a variety of topics, (such as) talking about the future of work, social media, best practices, how to manage a website, everything. We鈥檙e able to put on a few catered lunches over the course of two days.

鈥淭he big celebration at the end of the week is our Business Awards Gala (at the Explorer Hotel). We will recognize 10 businesses in Yellowknife for their excellence in a myriad of ways.鈥�

One of the speakers invited to the conference, held at the Elk鈥檚 Lodge, was Dr. Susan Biali Haas. She made a presentation on mental health, particularly on how to deal with behavioral issues typical of leaders, and building healthy connections with employees.

She told Yellowknifer why mental health is important in a business context.

鈥淎s a business leader, people are under an enormous amount of pressure. They鈥檙e working long hours and are often not sleeping. They鈥檙e often not taking care of themselves properly, they鈥檙e not exercising, they鈥檙e probably not eating all that well either if they鈥檙e in a really stressful time 鈥� and that makes leaders stressed out,鈥� said Biali Haas.

鈥淟eaders, especially in this difficult time that we鈥檝e all been in for the last two-and-a-half years, it does make them more vulnerable. It鈥檚 a very important part of that conversation for the well being of leaders and business owners for themselves, but then also, to be able to have awareness for the people who are working for them, to have their eyes open and be able to identify when people are having challenges and be part of their support and helping people who are working for them to also maybe get help that they need or change things in their life or their work lives. It鈥檚 part it鈥檚 really about strengthening all of society, ultimately.鈥�

One of the major issues facing small businesses in Yellowknife and, by extension, the NWT, is inflation. It鈥檚 been an ongoing issue for many months now and that hasn鈥檛 been lost on William Kellett, a director with the NWT Chamber of Commerce and president of Kellett Communications.

He said businesses sometimes have no choice but to pass on rising costs to the consumer because of how margins are determined.

鈥淯ltimately, most businesses price their goods or services based on cost of goods sold for services (COGS), plus a margin,鈥� he said. 鈥淢argins can only be squeezed so far before an increase in costs gets passed on to the consumer. Some industries are more sensitive or necessarily responsive to cost increases, which is why we see it at the pumps and grocery shelves first. Eventually though, there鈥檚 a ripple effect to cost-of-living increases that affect wages and materials.鈥�

Kellett said he gave his staff a salary bump to try and offset their rising bills and it hasn鈥檛 been detrimental to his business.

鈥淭o their credit, my clients did not mind the corresponding increase to my rates,鈥� he said.