The Small Business Roundtable is celebrating a year of accomplishments and looking forward to helping small businesses to grow and succeed in British Columbia in 2013-14.

Highlights from the roundtable are laid out in their eighth annual report, which was presented to Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business Naomi Yamamoto at a CGA luncheon in Vancouver today.

Roundtable accomplishments from the report include:

• Completing the Small Business Accord consultations - more than 35,000 people participated through regional consultations, online surveys and #BCBizChat Twitter Town Halls.
• Ensuring that government kept its commitment to maintain a net-zero increase in regulations.
• Working to ensure a smooth transition back to PST.
• Implementing a Skills Training for Micro-Business Pilot, which offered training to 1,200 business owners with fewer than five employees.

B.C.'s Small Business Roundtable is responsible for identifying key small- business issues and opportunities, providing recommendations to enhance the small-business climate in B.C., and promoting small-business interests in the province.

The report also outlines what government and roundtable members will work on in the coming year, including:

• Continuing to ensure that the principles of the Small Business Accord are upheld.
• Ensuring that government delivers on its commitment to consider small business when drafting all policies and regulations.
• And continuing to work with local governments to encourage them to adopt mobile business licences.

In addition to focusing on economic development and trade opportunities, the Small Business Roundtable continues to advise government on issues, strategies and potential actions to make it easier to do business in British Columbia. The roundtable was formed in 2005. Its members are small business leaders who represent regions, industries and associations throughout British Columbia.

The roundtable has launched a new website to support their efforts. The website has a built-in feedback tool, so small-business owners, employees, stakeholders and members of the public can submit their ideas and suggestions on how best to support small business success throughout the province. The roundtable will use this feedback to inform future policy and programs related to small businesses.

Quotes:

Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business Naomi Yamamoto -

"Small businesses are the heart and soul of our communities, and the roundtable is working to ensure that more B.C. communities are operating in the spirit of the Small Business Accord. They are giving small businesses the support they need in order to thrive and to help B.C. reach its goal of being the most small-business friendly jurisdiction in Canada."

Cybele Negris, vice-chair of the Small Business Roundtable -

"In our annual report to government, the Small Business Roundtable celebrates its success in implementing key strategies and driving the small business agenda in British Columbia. In the coming year, we will continue to build on these achievements and will work hard to support, recognize and celebrate small business success."

Quick Facts:

• With the help of public consultations, Twitter conversations on #BCBizChat and #SmallBizBC the roundtable work to better understand business issues and opportunities, which are often unique to the region where they were identified.
• Small business is defined as a business with fewer than 50 employees, or self-employed without paid help.
• 98 per cent of B.C. businesses are classified as small businesses.
• Small business provides nearly 56 per cent of private-sector jobs, employing over one million people in B.C.
• B.C.'s small business community contributes 26 per cent of the province's Gross Domestic Product.

Learn More:

New 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

B.C. Small Business Accord: www.jtst.gov.bc.ca/sbaccord/

Regulatory reform: www.gov.bc.ca/regulatoryreform

Information on starting and growing a business in B.C: www.gov.bc.ca/businessandinvesting

WorkBC: www.WorkBC.ca

Small Business Doing Business with Government Project: www.jtst.gov.bc.ca/selltobcgov/index.htm

Business products and services: www.smallbusinessbc.ca

Nominate your favourite small business for a 2014 Small Business BC Award: http://sbbcawards.ca/award-categories/

Media Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of State for Tourism and Small Business
250 387-2799