BUY BC BUSINESSES Business Buyer's Guide Vancouver Island Coastal Region Spring Edition 2014 | Page 2
E
ntrepreneurs and small businesses 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 385,900 small businesses operating in the province in 2012,
82% had fewer than five employees
In 2012, 26% of BC’s Gross Domestic Product was generated by small
business, compared to the national average of 25 percent
BC ranks first in the country for the number of small businesses per
capita, with 83.5 per 1,000 people
55% of private sector jobs in 2012 were provided by small businesses;
second highest in Canada
Small business employed over a million people in the province in 2012
Between 2011 and 2012, small business employment in BC grew by
0.4 percent, slightly faster than the national rate of 0.2 percent
In 2012, small business provided 31 percent of all wages paid to
workers in BC, the highest share of all provinces
The accommodation and food services industry was the largest
provider of new small business jobs in BC between 2007 and 2012.
Employment in this industry climbed 5.2 percent, creating
approximately 4,600 new jobs over the five year period
Many business opportunities are represented and offered for sale in this
booklet. These small businesses are among the many providing valuable
products, services and employment. For a complete Small Business Profile and
other information relating to small business, please visit:
www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca ǀ http://www.gov.bc.ca/jtst/
www.resourcecentre.gov.bc.ca
ON THE COVER
Photo courtesy of Nancy Burroughs, Quatsino, BC.
The Mount Waddington region is a diverse
landscape of unsurpassed natural beauty,
encompassing the northern third of
Vancouver Island, smaller adjacent islands
and a large area of BC’s mainland. With a
comparatively small population of
approximately 12,000 residents, it is
nevertheless one of the most important
timber production areas in Canada, home to
roughly half the farmed salmon production
on the BC Pacific Coast and location of one
of the few specialty cellulose mills
(sulphite pulp) on the continent. It has
considerable resources over a large land
base that includes forest, mineral, water,
fish and alternative energy. The region’s
distance from and comparative size to larger
centres is an asset that makes its communities unique, safe and desirable to live in.