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B.C. has most small businesses per capita in nation
2013 Small Business Profile now online
Small business is big business in British Columbia.
According to the 2013 Small Business Profile, B.C. has the most small businesses per capita in Canada, at 83.5 per 1,000 people.
The Small Business Profile is a statistical report highlighting the major role that small business plays in B.C. and its impact on job creation, economic investment, exports and contributions to the province’s gross domestic product.
“Business is the economic engine of our province, and small business is the fuel. The 2013 Small Business Profile clearly demonstrates that small business is a significant contributor to B.C.’s economy, and I want thank the thousands of small-business owners in British Columbia who employ more than one million British Columbians,” said Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business.
“Small Business BC offers a wide range of education and resources for small businesses throughout B.C., and we are always looking at how we can best support businesses to succeed. The Small Business Profile provides a wonderful snapshot of how B.C. is doing – both on its own and compared to other jurisdictions – so we can concentrate our efforts towards initiatives that will have the greatest impact for entrepreneurs and small business owners,” added George Hunter, CEO of Small Business BC.
Here are some of the highlights from the 2013 profile
* Small businesses employed more than one million people in the province in 2012.
* Small business provides about 55 per cent of all private-sector jobs in B.C., the second-highest rate in Canada.
* Small businesses account for 85 per cent of all exporters in B.C.
* B.C. small businesses shipped approximately $12.2 billion worth of merchandise to international destinations in 2011, which accounts for 42 per cent of all the goods exported from the province.
* About 385,900 small businesses were operating in the province in 2012, 82 per cent of which had fewer than five employees.
The Small Business Profile is produced by the B.C. government and BC Stats and is released during Small Business Month each October. The profile, which includes success stories from small-business owners throughout the province, is posted online. A special version is available for mobile devices.
Small business is defined as a business with fewer than 50 employees, or self-employed without paid help. Ninety-eight per cent of B.C. businesses are classified as small businesses, and B.C.’s small business community contributes 26 per cent of the province’s gross domestic product
* Small Business Profile 2013:
www.resourcecentre.gov.bc.ca/pdf/SB_Profile_2013.pdf
* Small Business Profile Highlights 2013:
www.resourcecentre.gov.bc.ca/pdf/SB-Highlights2013.pdf
* Mobile (smartphone) version Small Business Profile 2013:
www.resourcecentre.gov.bc.ca/m/sbp2013/index.html
* B.C. Small Business Accord: www.jtst.gov.bc.ca/sbaccord/
* Regulatory Reform B.C. website: www.gov.bc.ca/regulatoryreform
* Small Business Doing Business with Government Project:
www.jtst.gov.bc.ca/selltobcgov/index.htm
* B.C. Small Business Roundtable website and annual report:
www.smallbusinessroundtable.ca
* To better understand the importance of small business to our communities:
www.youtube.com/embed/160RqiFsb8k?rel=0
* WorkBC: www.WorkBC.ca
* Business products and services: www.smallbusinessbc.ca
* Nominate your favourite small business for a 2014 Small Business BC
Award: http://sbbcawards.ca/award-categories/
Small Business BC: www.smallbusinessbc.ca/
Above image: Cranbrook and District Chamber of Commerce hosted a packed Small Business Week Luncheon Oct. 23 at the Prestige Inn. A number of businesses participated in a mini trade show before the luncheon. Pictured from left: Community Futures East Kootenay Basin Business Advisor Will Nixon, CFEK general manager Sean Campbell and CFEK client account manager Keri Sanderman.
Ian Cobb/e-KNOW
