Battling the odds with a new business

It took Brandon Burns nearly 30 years to become a true relic.

The young Barrie entrepreneur opened his Tru Relic clothing company in 2020 at the start of the pandemic.

“It was pretty rough at the beginning,” Burns said. “My original plan was to have my clothing in retail spaces and events, and that was just not happening at that time.”

Added to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic were Burns’ episodic depression and social anxiety.

“Depression doesn’t help. There are lots of hurdles to get through. It’s like when you’re knocked down, and you can’t get back up,” he said.

Not one to give up, Burns said this is one of a half-dozen businesses – or side hustles – he has started, including a multi-level marketing business, starting his own marking company IAM, which led to its sister company Praxis Entertainment Innovations and a Barrie magazine called Inspire.

Released Tuesday, a new Ontario Economic Report from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) says business confidence is at an all-time low.

"Ontario business confidence has dropped to a record low in 2023. Labour shortages, inflation, health care system vulnerabilities and forecast of an economic contraction are dampening confidence in the province's economic outlook," said Rocco Rossi, president and CEO of the OCC.

Rossi said only 16 per cent of businesses have confidence in the economy, which is down 29 per cent from last year.

As for Burns, he said although he isn't making a living at his Tru Relic business yet, he's hopeful.

“It’s like a slow-moving train. But I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of networking, and that seems to be helping,” he said.