Local governments that go out of their way to champion the growth of small businesses will be celebrated with a new, annual provincewide award.

B.C.'s Small Business Roundtable, established in 2005, with a mandate to advise on issues, strategies and potential actions to support B.C. small businesses, will select an award winner within each economic region of the province.

Applications for the award will be evaluated based on the following achievements:

* Reducing regulatory barriers.

* Enhancing small business competitiveness.

* Recognizing small business' contribution to their community.

* Supporting climate action initiatives, which benefit small business.

The small business sector is a key economic driver in B.C., employing more than a million people and providing nearly 57 per cent of all private-sector jobs in British Columbia. British Columbia was recently recognized by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business as Canada's leader in regulatory reform, and now the focus is shifting to recognizing the efforts municipal governments make to reduce regulatory barriers and help small businesses thrive.

The submission deadline is Wednesday, June 15, 2011. Up to three finalists per region will be selected by August 2011. The awards will be announced in October during Small Business Month.

Quotes:

Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Investment and minister responsible for small business -

"This award will honour communities that have been leaders in reducing small business regulatory barriers and enhancing small business competitiveness. B.C.'s Small Business Roundtable is inviting local governments to show their leadership by entering this competition."

Kevin Krueger, MLA for Kamloops-South Thompson, who will be taking a leading role with the Small Business Roundtable -

"Small businesses are the lifeline for many B.C. families. I am proud to support any measure that helps these enterprises, many of them family-run, be more successful."

Linda Larson, vice-chair of the Small Business Roundtable -

"Small businesses represent 98 per cent of businesses in British Columbia. By reducing regulatory barriers and freeing businesses to flourish, local governments are driving B.C.'s economic growth."

More information:

To submit an application for the award or to get more information about the contest, please go to: www.smallbusinessroundtable.ca

Quick facts:

* Small business makes up 98 per cent of all business in the province. They provide nearly 57 per cent of all private-sector jobs in British Columbia, the highest rate in the country. B.C. small businesses employ over a million people.

* The Small Business Roundtable is committed to making British Columbia the most small-business-friendly jurisdiction in Canada by cutting red tape and making it easier and less expensive to do business in the province.

* British Columbia has successfully reduced regulatory requirements by over 42 per cent since 2001. Here are a few examples of regulatory reforms that will continue to reduce the red-tape burden on small business:

o Reducing the burden: B.C. has reduced regulatory requirements to 206,345 today, down from 360,000 in 2001, a 42 per cent reduction.

o BizPal: This online service provides one-stop access to permit and licence information for all levels of government. The program reduces document research time and helps entrepreneurs start a business faster. A process that once took seven hours has been reduced to 20 to 30 minutes.

o Environmental Protection Office: Reduced pesticide certification time from 42 to 14 days.

o Liquor licensing: Streamlined by reducing the number of licence classes from 19 to two.

o Mobile Business Licence: The Province continues to promote and support the adoption of a mobile business licence by local governments. By purchasing one licence rather than multiple non-resident permits, a mobile business licence allows a business to operate in any participating municipality.

o Straightforward Forms: The Province is working on simplifying government forms and business processes to make them more citizen-centred and available online.

o Harmonizing the sales tax: This change has significantly reduced the paperwork and filing requirements small businesses faced under the old GST/PST regime.

o BCeID: This service allows businesses to sign in securely to any participating government online service. The main advantage is having a single password so that users do not need a different login ID and password for every website. In addition, BCeID eliminates the need to go through the process of registering for a new login ID and password when first using a service.

Contact:

Carolyn Heiman

Communication Manager

Jobs, Tourism and Innovation

250 387-2799

250 888-3545 (cell)

Connect with the Province of B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/connect