Why Your Small Business Is Huge To Canada’s Economy
Zoe Paradis | February 5, 2021 | Yellow Pages for Business
It’s especially difficult to own a small business during a pandemic, and it may be even harder to appreciate how much your business matters—not only to you, but to millions of Canadians.
SMBs make up 99.8% of all businesses in Canada
According to BDC, 98.2% of all businesses in Canada are small businesses (fewer than 100 employees). When we factor in medium-sized enterprises (100 to 499 employees), that number jumps to 99.8 %.
SMBs create jobs
At least 70% of the Canadian workforce is employed by small and medium enterprises. According to Wagepoint, 85.3% of all new jobs (1.2 million jobs) were created by small and medium businesses from 2003 to 2017.
In fact, an RBC Small Business poll revealed that 63% of Canadians prefer to work for a small business.
Small businesses provide a greater sense of safety
According to public opinion research conducted in December 2020, almost three-quarters of Canadians said they feel safer shopping at a small local business with limited capacity than at a big box store during the pandemic.
Canadians value small businesses
Perhaps the most rewarding reason why SMBs mean so much: Canadians love them!
According to RBC’s 2020 Small Business Poll, 80% of Canadians surveyed said the pandemic has helped them realize how important small businesses are to their community. The poll also found that:
- 81% of respondents directly support a local business
- 67% would be willing to pay more to support a small business during the pandemic
While your business may be considered small or medium, the impact it has on your community, and our country, is large.
