The State Of Small And Medium Sized Enterprises In Northern Ontario

In terms of the number and the proportion of establishments in the high-knowledge sector, Northern Ontario counts 997 businesses (3.6%) in this sector and is similar to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. [...] The unemployment rates in Northeastern and Northwestern Ontario remain some of the highest in the province in 2006. [...] Compared to other CMAs in the province, the percentage increases in employment between 2000 and 2006 in Sudbury and Thunder Bay are among the lowest in the province. [...] The mining resource sector is positively affecting the economy of the Northeast while the economy of the Northwest is negatively affected by the current state of the forestry and wood products industry. [...] It includes an overview of the Northern Ontario economy, the Northern Ontario business environment, the characteristics of SMEs in Northern Ontario and current challenges and opportunities for growth.

This study was conceived to respond to the need for a benchmark report on the state of the northern Ontario economy. The first two chapters provide the economic base of the report and describe changes in the industrial structure of the northern Ontario labour force and the state of northern business. Information is included on employment distribution by industry, changes in employment over 1989-93, employment by gender, the importance of the resource sectors, number of businesses and their sectoral distribution & growth, sectoral distribution of businesses by size, and employment & average earnings by business size. The next three chapters are largely based on data collected from a 1997 survey of 229 northern Ontario businesses. These surveys provide information on northern entrepreneurs, sources of financing, the relationship between small businesses and financial institutions, utilization of government agencies and programs, demographic sub-groups of business owners (women, Aboriginals, Francophones), trading outside the local market, extent of market research and perceived competition, use of technology, employee training, organizational strategies, and growth rates. The final chapter contains an overview of the recent economic picture and a framework for assessing the state of small business & entrepreneurship in the north, with reference to factors identified as important to business formation and growth.

Small and medium sized businesses increase the chances of success for all kinds of individual and collective initiatives and ensure the development and maintenance of an economic and social fabric. This paper defines small and medium sized businesses, and offers a quantity of statistical data concerning the importance of their role in the economy. It discusses the necessary distinctions to be made between the terms entrepreneur and manager, and provides a detailed analysis of the major advantages and problems peculiar to small- and medium-sized businesses in Canada. The purpose of the final portion of the paper is to sensitize the reader concerning what is being done about getting to know these businesses better.

This book analyzes economic development policy governance in northern Ontario over the past thirty years, with the goal of making practical policy recommendations for present and future government engagement with the region. It brings together scholars from several disciplines to address the policy and management challenges in various sectors of northern Ontario's economy, including the mining, pulp and paper, and tourism industries, and both small- and medium-sized businesses. Governance in Northern Ontario assesses the role of the provincial government and its economic policy intervention in the region's economic development. The contributors evaluate the relationship between the provincial and local governments and the business sector, and also looser structures of policy networks, such as those of First Nations and other interested community groups. Focusing on the nature of partnerships between governments and societal interests, Governance in Northern Ontario makes a significant contribution to the theories and practice of public policy governance in socioeconomically disadvantaged regions.

This is a report on the state of financing for small & medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Canada, with information obtained from three Statistics Canada & Industry Canada surveys. Part 1 first analyzes results of a Statistics Canada survey & other sources to create a profile of the demand for debt financing. Key issues covered include application & approval rates, suppliers & debt instruments used by SMEs, collateral & application requirements faced by firms of different employment sizes, industries, regions, & other factors. Subsequent sections in this part review results relating to leasing, risk capital financing, and other sources of financing such as factoring & supplier credit. Part two provides a profile of SMEs & entrepreneurs, with information on the effects of demographic factors on SME financing. It explores the conditions faced by women, youth, Aboriginal, and minority groups in obtaining business financing. The final part offers a history of the SME Financing Data Initiative and examines how this project will be expanded in the future. Appendices include a definition of knowledge-based industries and a glossary.

Aboriginal communities have an increasing interest in small business. This book looks at the growing small business sector in aboriginal communities. Containing current information on special programs, this innovative text identifies small business opportunities and covers the financing and daily management of these enterprises. Aboriginal Small Business and Entrepreneurship in Canada is an invaluable book for potential aboriginal entrepreneurs, people who work in the community, and those interested in aboriginal studies.