Celebrating small business in Peterborough and beyond
By: Sandra Dueck, Policy Analyst, Peterborough Chamber of Commerce
This is the week that is set aside nationally to celebrate small business in Canada. The statistics speak for themselves as to the importance of small business in our national, provincial and local economies. Here are a few: • There are over 1.2 million small businesses in Canada • Small businesses account for 2/3 of all private sector workers • 93% of Peterborough Chamber members are small businesses The Peterborough Chamber is highlighting local businesses throughout the week and reminding government of the challenges these businesses face such as taxation and over regulation. “We need our small businesses to thrive and be successful and to have an environment in which there are fewer barriers, so that they can create more jobs and have more opportunities to give back,” says Stuart Harrison, President & CEO, Peterborough Chamber of Commerce. “The strength of the community is reflected in the strength of the business community.” The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has also launched Small Business Too Big To Ignore, a campaign highlighting the important contributions of small businesses to communities across the province. “Small businesses of 100 or fewer employees are the core of our membership and employ nearly 3 million Ontarians. They are powerful economic drivers in local communities and across the province. That is why for Small Business Week, we’re identifying the challenges small business owners face and celebrating everything they give back to our province,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has also triggered its #iheartsmallbiz campaign which includes testimonials such as this one from Matthew Strentse, Co-founder and COO of Iversoft: "If you want to see true creativity and innovation, ask an SME to solve a problem. SMEs in Canada are the ones taking risks, pushing boundaries, developing new and disrupting all industries. We are not afraid of tech, we are not afraid of change and we embrace it all to create the advantages we need to compete and win.” The encouragement and promotion of small business is not limited to just one week of the year, in fact it’s the Chamber’s concern year-round. We know from a report by the OCC titled Obstacles and Opportunities: The Importance of Small Business in Ontario, that the top three obstacles for small businesses in Ontario are: 1. Small businesses need access to talent. 2. Small businesses need government investment in infrastructure; and 3. Small businesses are concerned about the rising costs of doing business. In Ontario, small businesses make up 30% of provincial GDP and at the national level small business contributes 41% of GDP. Recently, the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce celebrated over 50 businesses at the Peterborough Business Excellence Awards night. The videos profiling all finalists are available on YouTube and are a shining example of the great work and workplaces we have in Peterborough. Often the most telling part of that evening is the comments from the recipients. The first people to be thanked are usually the team and it goes without saying that the work team is crucial. However, we’d like to broaden the thank you to the owners and franchise owners and say thank you for taking the risk. Thank you for making the conscious decision to give back to your community in the form of employment opportunities and sponsorship of community events, sports teams, the arts and so much more. Check out the #ExcellencePtbo finalists and recipients and learn more about the businesses in our community. peterboroughchamber.ca