Entrepreneurs by the numbers; How many small businesses are there in Canada? How many employees do they have? What percentage of owners are women?

06 April 2011

The Globe and Mail  

Quick facts about Canada's small-business community

There are more than one million small businesses and about 2.7 million self-employed Canadians

98% of Canadian businesses have less than 100 employees.  In 2009, small businesses alone employed about five million people.  About 16% of working Canadians were self-employed that year.

Small businesses are major employers in industries that include retail, construction, accommodation, food, health care, forestry.

Politicians miss the mark on small business; Political parties are furiously competing for the biggest share of the entrepreneurial community, but courting it is proving to be no easy feat

06 April 2011

The Globe and Mail 

Small-business owners represent a critical voting bloc, but some of them say they are feeling overlooked by candidates on the federal campaign trail: various campaign promises resonate with only parts of the community at a time when smaller firms are increasingly expected to propel economic growth and create jobs.

Beverly Gordon, co-owner of Swansea Massage Clinic in Toronto, said political parties have failed to address the needs of micro-businesses.  Her business would not benefit from the hiring tax credits being offered by either the Conservatives or the NDP. Ms. Gordon would like the next government to introduce a Plain Writing Act, similar to what was introduced in the United States last year, to force the Canada Revenue Agency to use easy-to-understand language in its communications. She also wants the federal government to establish a national database of Canadian products made by small businesses to better promote the merits of buying from smaller firms.

Barbara Orser, chair of the Taskforce for Women's Business Growth, said Canada desperately needs a national strategy to support female entrepreneurship.  Female-owned firms are, on average, half the size of those of their male counterparts and may not necessarily benefit from existing innovation agencies because many are in the early stages of development.
  

Credit-card fees are the No. 1 issue identified by small retailers, said Diane Brisebois, CEO of the Retail Council of Canada. While the NDP has pledged to regulate credit-card transaction fees for merchants, small retailers are disappointed that other parties have failed to follow suit.
 

Garth Whyte, CEO of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, said politicians need to broaden their definitions of innovation and entrepreneurship. "They don't know that we are a $60-billion industry - that we employ more people than

forestry, fisheries, mining, agriculture and the financial sector combined."  The industry generates nearly 4% of Canada's GDP and is the country's fourth-largest employer. The association has created a federal candidate checklist that includes issues such as red-tape reduction, payroll taxes and credit-card processing fees.

Aboriginal business owners growing in numbers, businesses experiencing growth and profitability

05 April 2011

Canada NewsWire  

The first in-depth research in a decade shows Aboriginal small business owners across Canada are growing in numbers and experiencing wide spread success.

Key findings from Promise and Prosperity: The Aboriginal Business Survey, published by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business:

- The number of Aboriginal business owners and entrepreneurs is growing at a rate that far exceeds that of self-employed Canadians overall.

- Aboriginal businesses are diverse, and are not limited to any one region, industry sector, or market.

- Aboriginal small business owners are succeeding, in terms of profitability and growth but also in ways that go beyond the bottom line.

- Successful Aboriginal small businesses are distinguished by their use of annual business plans and innovation.

- Aboriginal small businesses create jobs for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people alike.

- Aboriginal entrepreneurs rely primarily on their own resources for both start-up and ongoing financing, and access to financing is considered one obstacle to growth.

- Despite the challenges of small business ownership, there is widespread confidence about the future.

The Report contains broad recommendations for the consideration of financial institutions, government, Aboriginal entrepreneurs, and organizations with the interest and capacity to work with Aboriginal Businesses in order for more Aboriginal businesses to achieve success:

- Improve access to capital for Aboriginal businesses;

- The creation of provincial and municipal Aboriginal procurement strategies

- Business planning by Aboriginal Business Owners is a critical success factor;

- Building stronger networks will lead to sharing of expertise and knowledge among and between Aboriginal businesses.