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.

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.

Quotes:

Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business -

"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."

Iain Black, president and CEO of the Vancouver Board of Trade -

"Our organization fully understands the crucial role that small businesses play in our provincial economy. We see the difference they make every day, in the actions of our thousands of small business members."

"Entrepreneurism is the lifeblood of British Columbia. Our province is a hotbed for creativity, ingenuity, and tenacity. We have an obligation to support and nurture B.C.'s small businesses - to give them every possible competitive advantage, so they are able to grow into healthy, job-supporting companies."

George Hunter, CEO of Small Business BC -

"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."

Learn More:

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/

Vancouver Board of Trade: www.boardoftrade.com/

Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour
Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business
250 387-2799