Small Business Month 2021
During the month of October Canadians from coast to coast to coast recognize and celebrate the significant contributions of entrepreneurs and small businesses to their communities and the entire Canadian economy. Celebrated as Small Business Week since 1979, the event was expanded in 2006 to offer small business owners more opportunities to take advantage of events, seminars, and other resources as they come together to celebrate, learn, and network with other entrepreneurs.
Small businesses are the foundation of the Canadian economy. As of December 2018, there were 1.2 million employer businesses in Canada. Of these, 1.18 million (or 97.9%) were small businesses. Small businesses employed 8.4 million Canadians in 2018, or 69.9% of the total private labour force.
In Durham Region, entrepreneurs are fortunate to have the support and guidance of the Business Advisory Centre of Durham (BACD) to help them start and grow their business. In recognition of Small Business Month, we sat down with Teresa Shaver, the Executive Director of the BACD, to discuss the value of local labour market information and other resources provided by the Durham Workforce Authority. Check out the full video below.