The State Of Small Business And Entrepreneurship In Northern Ontario

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.

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.

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.