What is the Small Business Roundtable?
The Small Business Roundtable was established in 2005 to provide small business in British Columbia with a permanent voice in government.
Its mandate is to:
- Engage in dialogue with small business to identify key issues and opportunities.
- Develop recommendations to government and to small business owners on strategies to enhance the small business climate in B.C.
- Champion small business interests in the province. Chaired by the Minister of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development, the Roundtable has 20 board members who are recognized leaders in their small business communities.
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Who do we represent?1
- 98 per cent of all businesses in British Columbia are small businesses.
- Small businesses provide nearly 57 per cent of all private-sector jobs, employing over one million people.
- Small business generates just over 41per cent of the total value of goods exported from B.C.
- B.C. small business is responsible for about 32 per cent of the province’s GDP.
Number of small businesses per economic region, British Columbia, 2009
|
 |
| Region |
Population2 |
# of small
businesses3 |
# of small
businesses
per 100 people |
| 1.Vancouver Island/Coast |
772, 309 |
71,658 |
9.28 |
| 2.Mainland/Southwest |
2,667,496 |
231,206 |
8.67 |
| 3.Thompson-Okanagan |
536,315 |
53,447 |
9.97 |
| 4.Kootenay |
151,821 |
14,648 |
9.65 |
| 5.Cariboo |
160,699 |
11,877 |
7.39 |
6.North Coast and
7.Nechako |
98,320 |
6,334 |
6.44 |
| 8.Northeast |
68,247 |
6,730 |
9.86 |
| British Columbia |
4,455,207 |
395,900 |
8.89 |
1Statistical source: Small Business Profile, BC Stats, 2010
2Source: BC Stats, Regional Population Estimates and Projections (2009 data)
3Source: Small Business Profile, BC Stats, 2010