Rural Women Entrepreneurs Focus on Workforce Challenges over Capital

Women entrepreneurs across rural Manitoba are gathering to address a shared challenge that outweighs traditional capital concerns: workforce shortages. The Manitoba Women’s Enterprise Centre (WeMB) launched a provincial listening tour to understand what business owners in smaller communities actually need, moving beyond the typical focus on urban entrepreneurship.

The fourth stop of 15 planned discussions took place in Winkler in September 2026, where business owners and community partners gathered to discuss the realities of operating service-based companies in smaller markets. The conversation revealed that hiring and retaining skilled employees has become a priority that rivals access to financing for many entrepreneurs.

Why Rural Workforce Challenges Run Deeper

WeMB CEO Jackie Hunt explained that rural and northern Manitoba host thriving entrepreneurial communities with distinct challenges that differ from Winnipeg-based businesses. “You have to make sure that your business can entice and recruit people with the opportunities and be willing to train them if they’re not skilled at the level that you need them,” Hunt said.

Service-based businesses rely heavily on local employees and customers, making workforce availability a critical constraint on growth. Many entrepreneurs at the Winkler roundtable emphasized that skilled staff must be a priority, but the small-market labor pool makes this difficult to achieve.

Women entrepreneurs also face financing barriers specific to their situation. Hunt noted that women often bootstrap their businesses using personal savings rather than seeking external capital. “Women tend to use all of their own money to get their businesses started,” she said. “Often women still maintain the family responsibilities as well,” adding another layer of complexity that male entrepreneurs may not encounter as consistently.

The listening tour aims to hear from at least 100 women entrepreneurs and ecosystem partners before compiling recommendations for government funders and business support organizations. This approach reflects WeMB’s recognition that provincial policy and funding decisions should account for the needs of entrepreneurs outside major urban centers.

Building Networks as a Business Tool

One of the most concrete benefits emerging from the roundtable was the formation of connections among local business leaders. Crystal Thiessen, owner of Renew Wellness Centre in Winkler, said hearing other entrepreneurs’ experiences and learning about available resources was invaluable. She discovered funding and training opportunities she had not previously known about.

Helly Wiens, director of administration at Access Windows & Doors, found that the event created space to discuss shared challenges. “I think it’s great to connect women from different businesses and to share ideas, share challenges,” Wiens said. Her conversations about workforce development led to a potential partnership that could provide installer training for employees.

Tanya Chateauneuf, executive director of the Winkler and District Chamber of Commerce, observed that the roundtable drew entrepreneurs who do not typically attend standard chamber events. “We saw some familiar faces, but we also saw some faces that don’t typically come to some of those regular events,” she said. The chamber plans to use feedback from the discussion when planning future workshops and resources for members.

Hunt emphasized that isolation is a common experience for entrepreneurs. “Bringing women together in this environment reminds them that there is a community, that there are people that want to support them right in their community and around the province,” she said.

Moving From Listening to Action

The WeMB listening tour represents a deliberate shift toward understanding what entrepreneurs need rather than assuming policy solutions from a distance. Hunt said the provincial mandate requires serving entrepreneurs across the entire province, not just in major centers. “We think it’s really important that we show up in those communities and listen and learn,” she said.

The roundtable in Winkler was part of a larger provincial initiative, but it also built on existing networking opportunities. The Winkler and District Chamber of Commerce holds quarterly Women in Business events that create space for ongoing connection and resource sharing.

What emerged from the discussion is clear: rural women entrepreneurs need more than access to capital. They need skilled workers, training resources, meaningful networks, and policies that recognize the distinct pressures they face. Whether those needs will translate into concrete support depends on how government funders and business organizations respond to the findings WeMB compiles from all 15 listening sessions.