BUY BC BUSINESSES Business Buyer's Guide Cariboo ǀ Chilcotin ǀ Northern Regions Spring 2015 | Page 16

Venture Connect helped my boss to prepare his business for me to buy it from him. And I’m glad they did! E. [email protected] TF. 1.855.421.0082 Small Business Profile Entrepreneurs and small business are critical to the economic health and prosperity of our communities. From creating and maintaining jobs that support families, to producing goods and services, small business is the engine driving British Columbia’s economy.    Small business accounts for 98% of all business in British Columbia Of the 382,200 small businesses operating in the province in 2013, 81% had fewer than 5 employees In 2013, 31% of BC’s Gross Domestic Product was generated by small business, compared to the national average of 29 percent  BC ranks first in the country for the number of small businesses per capita, with 83.4 small businesses per 1,000 people. The national average was 70.1  55% of private sector jobs in 2013 were provided by small businesses; second highest in Canada and well above the national average of 49%   Small business employed an estimated 1,032,900 people in the province in 2013 In 2013, small business provided 32 percent of all wages paid to workers in BC, the highest share of all provinces. The national average was 26%  The accommodation and food services industry was the largest provider of new small business jobs in BC between 2008 and 2013. Employment in their industry climbed 9.1 percent, creating approximately 8,2000 new jobs over the five year period For information relating to small business, please visit: Www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca