In 2020, Shifting Mosaics Consulting, an ecological consulting company based in Fort Nelson, received a $21,250 rebate through Northern Development’s Small Business Recovery Consulting Rebate. The rebate was used to increase operational efficiency, develop marketing strategies and implement technology to benefit and grow their business.
The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic added to existing hardship brought about a few years earlier by the economic downturn in Fort Nelson. These difficulties led the company to seek work far from home, in the territories, Alberta and elsewhere.
“I’m not too sure if it can be understood how much of a positive impact your program has made on my company, my crew and I,” said Dr. Sonja Leverkus, owner and senior ecosystem scientist, Shifting Mosaics Consulting. “We just finished the most successful year I’ve ever had and it was during a global pandemic. All of our COVID tracking is online and other companies sought out our safety and health support because we were so advanced on our work which was made possible through the digitization work that was done with funding from your program – a complete new market for me to be in – health/safety!”
Shifting Mosaics worked with a consultant, who provided a series of deliverables across six key areas, with a focus on the company’s digital presence and use of technology. The Consulting Rebate project was specifically designed to help the business become a more credible service provider in northeastern B.C. and to avoid losing work to companies from other parts of B.C. and beyond.
“I cannot express how much of a difference this program has made to both of my companies and my team,” said Leverkus. “We have continually evolved our websites to the point where I have included two new positions and we added an Indigenous tab recently to our website to reflect the majority of my team.”
The rebate allowed Shifting Mosaics Consulting to grow their team and contribute indirectly to the local economy through their employees investing into themselves by purchasing chain saws, home furniture and providing for their families to celebrate holidays and other significant events.
