Small Businesses in British Columbia
A Profile of Small Business in British Columbia

Small Business - In 2002, small business accounted for almost 98 percent of all businesses in British Columbia. Micro-businesses (those with fewer than five employees) comprised about 83 percent of small businesses.

Employment - An estimated 952,900 people were employed by small business in British Columbia in 2001. This represents 58% of all private sector jobs in the province.

Women Entrepreneurs - In 2002, women owned and operated almost 37 percent of small businesses in British Columbia, which is the second highest rate of ownership by women in the country.

Gross Domestic Product - Among the provinces, British Columbia ranked second in Canada in terms of proportion of gross domestic product (30 percent) attributed to small business in 2002.

High Technology Sector - Small businesses comprised 95% of employers in high technology, the sector experiencing the fastest growth in net new small businesses.

Regional Focus - Between 1997 and 2002, the Mainland/Southwest region led the province in rate of growth in new small businesses, with an average increase of 1.9 percent per year.

Exports - Small businesses in British Columbia shipped $10.4 billion worth of merchandise to international destinations in 2001, or 33% of the total value of goods exported from the province.
(Source: Statistics Canada)