By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON January 31, 2012 Burlington’s Public Involvement Coordinator is setting up a focus group with people from each ward in the city to talk about home based business’s – which at this point aren’t legal in Burlington – although there are tons of them in the city.
Christine Iamonaco, Burlington’s Public Involvement coordinator is facilitating a focus group to gather views and feelings about the current home-based business bylaw.
By not being legal the city means you cannot employ a person and have that person working out of your house. You can be a hair dresser and toil away by yourself – but you can’t hire another person as a hair dresser and pay that person a wage.
It’s been a bit of a sticky issue. People who provide a service feel they should be able to do so and hire other people to work for them. The man who fixes out lawn mower works out of his garage – is that considered his home? For a lot of guys the garage is home – but I digress.
There are people in some neighbourhoods who don’t want abnormal traffic coming and going to a home that has a couple of woman working as hair dressers.
The city appears to want to review the bylaw that governs all this.
Home-based businesses have been described as a growing and dynamic part of Burlington’s local economy with hairdressers, music lessons and pet grooming given as examples.
City staff is looking for 6 to 8 people to take part in a 1 ½ -hour focus group conversation about home-based businesses in Burlington. They want to learn about your experiences with home-based businesses in your area.
Should people be permitted to run a dog grooming business out of their homes? Focus group being held to get answers to that question.
The city is looking for one person from each ward; people who operate a home-based business; • people who live next door to, or near-by to a home-based business and people who live in single detached, semi-detached, or multi-residential units including townhouse, condo, or apartment.
The focus group session will take place on February 5, 2013, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Burlington City Hall. Compensation for participating is $50.00.
If you think this might be something that interests you or something you have an opinion on answer the questions below and email them to christine.iamonaco@burlington.ca by Feb 4, 2013. If you are selected for the focus group, city staff will phone you to confirm your participation.
Cut and past with the answers in place and email to: iamonacoc@burlington.ca Put words focus group in the subject line
Home Based Business Focus Group Participant Application
Name: _____________________________
Ward and/or Postal Code:____________
Dwelling type: single detached house semi-detached home or multi-residential unit
Indicate if you are: a home-based business operator OR a home-based business neighbor or near-by resident
Phone number(s):________________
Your E-mail address:________________
