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#WOIAsks Honourable Mary Ng — Twitter Chat Recap
Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade
From promoting Canada to the world as a great place to do business, to helping our entrepreneurs and businesses grow and access new markets —Minister Ng is focused on helping Canadians succeed. First elected the Member of Parliament for Markham–Thornhill in April 2017, Minister Ng wasfirst appointed to Cabinet in July 2018 as Minister for Small Business and Export Promotion. After being successfully re-elected in November 2019, she became Canada’s Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade. Prior to serving as a Member of Parliament, Minister Ng served as Appointments Director for the Prime Minister, and as Executive Director for the President of Ryerson University where she oversaw the creation of a world-leading business incubator for tech start-ups. Throughout her 20 years of public service, Minister Ng has been a devoted community leader with a focus on creating jobs, fostering entrepreneurship, and empowering small business to innovate and grow. We caught up with her last week for a #WOIAsks Twitter Q&A to discuss what is being done to help small businesses, and how she’s navigating life in lockdown.
Q1: How are you keeping your morale high during these challenging times? #WOIAsks @mary_ng pic.twitter.com/r0gP6X07Pm
— Women of Influence (@WOIGlobal) April 15, 2020
A1. Now more than ever, it’s important we support each other. Things are changing daily and even hourly, and I know Canadians are worried right now. I take comfort in phone calls with family, virtual girls nights, and making the time to call someone who really needs it. #WOIAsks
— Mary Ng (@mary_ng) April 15, 2020
Q2: How has your role changed due to the pandemic? What are your key areas of focus now? #WOIAsks @mary_ng pic.twitter.com/bqE6dNhtyW
— Women of Influence (@WOIGlobal) April 15, 2020
A2. My priority has always been to help #CdnBiz succeed – that hasn't changed.
— Mary Ng (@mary_ng) April 15, 2020
What’s changed is how quickly we need to act to get our emergency supports out there to small businesses & entrepreneurs– & making sure no one gets left behind, including #womenentrepreneurs. #WOIAsks
Q3: What do you recommend for business owners who are struggling to find out what resources are available to them? #WOIAsks @mary_ng pic.twitter.com/PHov1GKXqs
— Women of Influence (@WOIGlobal) April 15, 2020
A3. A few resources for #CdnBiz:
— Mary Ng (@mary_ng) April 15, 2020
✅Our support measures ➡️ https://t.co/n4rSH15XQN
✅Help with navigating #COVID19 with @CdnChamberofCom ➡️ https://t.co/0lJxGQ4L6X
✅Your bank/credit union can help point you in right direction
(You can also #AMA every week on Insta!) #WOIAsks
Q4: What side effects do you see the COVID-19 pandemic having on women's entrepreneurship? #WOIAsks @mary_ng pic.twitter.com/pJrrcZLynK
— Women of Influence (@WOIGlobal) April 15, 2020
A4. Women entrepreneurs face unequal barriers to success, like access to funding. They also might be the primary caregiver at home. There is no question COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting women.
— Mary Ng (@mary_ng) April 15, 2020
To these women – we see you & we are working hard to support you. #WOIAsks
Q5: What has been the most difficult thing you have had to adjust to during this period? #WOIAsks @mary_ng pic.twitter.com/K8oQWVIFg1
— Women of Influence (@WOIGlobal) April 15, 2020
A5. Like many Canadians, I’ve found that staying home can be a challenge. But we all need to listen to our public health officials to get through this. I want to thank #CdnBiz owners & entrepreneurs who are doing their part to #PlankTheCurve. We have your back. #WOIAsks
— Mary Ng (@mary_ng) April 15, 2020
Q6: What has been one of your highlights during this time? #WOIAsks @mary_ng pic.twitter.com/KrF8xVa2e9
— Women of Influence (@WOIGlobal) April 15, 2020
A6. Since the beginning of this crisis, so many have shown what it means to be Canadian -- restaurants giving free meals to #HealthcareHeroes, people donating to their food banks, #CdnBiz stepping up to produce medical supplies.
— Mary Ng (@mary_ng) April 15, 2020
It’s been a true #TeamCanada effort. 🇨🇦#WOIAsks
Q7: What are your top 3 tips for small businesses at the moment? #WOIAsks @mary_ng pic.twitter.com/JzHcCxjqLj
— Women of Influence (@WOIGlobal) April 15, 2020
A7. My tips for #SmallBiz right now would be:
— Mary Ng (@mary_ng) April 15, 2020
1. Stay informed: https://t.co/Bjzs5UB5Bz for health & economic updates.
2. Take advantage of our support measures so that you can get through this & rebuild once this is behind us.
3. Be kind. We're all in this together.#WOIAsks
Q8: What is your biggest hope for entrepreneurs moving forward from this global pandemic? #WOIAsks @mary_ng pic.twitter.com/11ClTPFAhB
— Women of Influence (@WOIGlobal) April 15, 2020
A8. My hope is that we help as many small businesses & entrepreneurs as possible weather this storm. They are at the heart of our communities. We’ll keep listening & working tirelessly to support them, and will be there to help them recover once this is behind us. #WOIAsks
— Mary Ng (@mary_ng) April 15, 2020
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