David Arenburg – a Yarmouth resident who joined the board of the Nova Scotia government’s business development agency about a year-and-a-half ago – says NSBI wants to continue speaking to and hearing from Nova Scotia business operators about the challenges facing them.

Referring to the high Canadian dollar, he cites the example of a recent session held locally involving government officials (including representatives of NSBI) and area business people about the impact of the high loonie on their operations.

He points to the expanded use of a payroll rebate plan as an initiative NSBI hopes will help businesses that may, for instance, be looking to become more competitive in the export market.

NSBI’s trade missions seem to work well too, enabling business people to spread the word about their products and services, he says.

Nova Scotia Business Inc. unveiled its new five-year plan last September during a series of events that included a session in Yarmouth.

The agency’s five-year vision, as explained during that breakfast meeting six months ago, shifted the focus from simply creating jobs to securing higher-paying jobs.

As Arenburg points out in an article he penned recently, referring to the plan, “Job creation is only one part of the bigger picture. It’s also about providing the right job opportunities. It’s important for us to follow up with our local business community and our area development partners to understand how we can act on this plan in Yarmouth and the surrounding area.”

He notes that there are success stories at this end of the province – businesses “in a variety of industry sectors doing their part to grow the provincial economy.”

NSBI recognizes that different parts of Nova Scotia have different strengths and the like – rural areas compared to Halifax, in a general sense – and that “area-specific strategies” are needed, he says.

As for NSBI in particular, he says joining its board has been a learning experience. In reference to his fellow board members, he said they “are premier leaders in business and they take their job very seriously and view it from a very keen business sense.”

A key message he wants to send, he says, is that NSBI wants to stay in touch with people.

“NSBI is here to help,” he said. “If your business is looking to be more competitive, more productive or to grow…NSBI is open for business.”