Small Business Statistics in Canada

Every now and again I'm asked for information on how many small businesses there are in Canada. Here are some recent statistics that were recently compiled by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) related to small business in Canada:

Interested in how much small businesses contribute to Canada's economy?

Want to know how many small businesses are there in Canada, or how many people they employ? 

More information is available at: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/10-surprising-stats-small-business-canada-095704808.html

Canada - One of the Best Countries for Small Business

Please forgive me for doing something that Canadians are not known for doing ... but I couldn't resist 'running this up the flagpole' and letting others see this article. 

By all means, please read the full article in the Oct 31, 2011 Financial Post, written by Eric Lam   – http://business.financialpost.com/2011/10/31/world-beaters-for-startups/

Canada is one of the best countries among the G20 for small business owners, but there is still plenty of room for improvement, especially as the country will need to lean on younger entrepreneurs coming out of the current recession, Ernst & Young said in a new business barometer released Monday.

The study, prepared for the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Summit in Nice, France, that starts Monday, surveyed 1,000 entrepreneurs across the G20 (50 in each country).

It found Canada is among the leaders in several areas, including business confidence, startup costs, strong banking sector, and good coaching and education programs for young entrepreneurs.

“There is only one G20 country – Canada – that can claim that high levels of confidence among entrepreneurs in their country are reflected in a similarly high number of new businesses registered,” the authors of the study said. “For all other countries there are significant opportunities for improvement on one or both of these key measures.”

Read the full article in the Financial Post at: http://business.financialpost.com/2011/10/31/world-beaters-for-startups/

Working with Others Successfully

We recently had opportunity to take in the now world-famous production, STOMP.  Perhaps you've heard of it ... and, I'd be really surprised if you haven't!  :)


To be truthful, I wasn't really sure what we were going to be 'in for', but I anticipated that it would be LOUD. So, yes - I came prepared!  I had a set of ear plugs, just in case the volume became too overwhelming, and I also brought a couple of extra sets of ear plugs that I could pass along to others in our little group ... again, just in case they were needed!


Well ... I am pleased to let you know that the ear plugs were NOT required. In fact, the entire evening was a very pleasant surprise and totally enjoyable. VERY INTERACTIVE with the audience, funny, captivating, a definite production to take in - great for kids too!


NOW ... WITH RESPECT TO WORKING WITH OTHERS ... there isn't much getting away from it, is there?  You may operate your business as a sole practitioner, independent contractor, proprietor etc. BUT the reality is that every business is dependant upon OTHERS for their success!  The 'others' that I am referring to could include: customers, suppliers, employees, sub-contractors, funders, regulators, just to mention a few. The key to success is to find a way to work with the important 'others' that are a part of our lives.


We invite your suggestions in a comment to this POST, on HOW CAN WE BETTER WORK WITH OTHERS?


REGARDING "STOMP": (from http://www.stomp.co.uk/about/)

STOMP is a group of people, with very strong personalities, who work together using simple building blocks to create something complex , something everyone can identify with: everyone has, at some time, to engage in group activity, whether they like or know the people they are working with or not. It’s the little idiosyncrasies, the differences between people, and the games of one-upmanship that ensue, which define the group dynamic.

STOMP has no words – everyone can understand it. It has little or no melody in the traditional sense, so it doesn’t matter if your taste in music is jazz, classical, dance or pop. STOMP is about rhythm, which is common to all cultures. Everyone knows rhythm, if only from the beating of their own heart – it is the basis of all music.

BTW - there is a very funny sketch on NBC's Website from Saturday Night Live that I recommend you watch. It was referenced on the STOMP Website and comes with their endorsement!

Link to the SNL Digital Short: Stomp

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/snl-digital-short-stomp/1359562