Selah Spa, among several other businesses in Prince George, say business in 2024 has been stronger than 2023

By Tommy Osborne

Local business

Business is booming for small businesses in Prince George

Aug 21, 2024 | 4:48 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – A survey with 1000 business owners across the country by Zensurance.com revealed 2024 has been great for small business owners across the country. According to the survey 58.5% of small business owners are reporting increased revenue in 2024 compared to the first half of 2023, and several Prince George businesses are feeling the boost too.

“Our revenue is up anywhere between 28% to 33% depending on the month, so we are seeing a definite increase,” said Selah Spa Owner Lisa Kinnee.

What’s making 2024 better than 2023? Kinnee believes several factors are in play, but says lower interest rates and inflation slowing down means people have more disposable income, which is vital for businesses specializing in luxury services.

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“We rely a lot in our industry on people having excess disposable income because wellness and personal care, that tends to be the first thing that gets neglected, so to speak,” Kinnee said.

“I’m finding gift card sizes are going up. We’re finding people are,not just giving smaller amounts, but larger amounts, creating gift card packages for loved ones, for spouses, family members, birthdays, anniversary,” she continued.

For Selah Spa specifically Kinnee also noted there has been noticeably more men visiting the spa, so an increased customer demographic has certainly helped.

“We are noticing that we’re finding a lot more men actually are looking for things like pedicures, facials, lasering, things like that,” she said.

Newer businesses have also immediately enjoyed the benefits of a 2024 that’s seen increased business action. Wall of Fame hasn’t even hit its 1 year anniversary, but business is so good that it’s already planning an expansion!

“We’re not even a year old yet, we’re still a month out from that, but we’ve been in a steady kind of growth pattern. I would say 2024 has been great for us, absolutely,” said Wall of Fame owner Jordan Reinitz.

A flourishing local business scene means great things for a community beyond just the business owners, as it also creates jobs. Wall of Fame’s expansion means more people will be working, while Kinnee added she’s been able to hire more people thanks to a large revenue increase. In fact, she’s also been able to give her staff raises thanks to the business spike.

“We were able to actually give a wage increase to our staff, which I’m quite proud of. This summer, with the increase in revenue for us, we’ve just been able to turn that around and and give raises and make the living wage in Prince George and go beyond that,” Kinnee said.

Zensurance’s survey also revealed one third of small businesses are planning on hiring, thanks to continued strong business.

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