Celebrate Small Business Week 2019 from October 20 - 26
Join the Ontario Chamber Network from October 20 – 26 in celebration of Small Business Week 2019.
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has teamed up with Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade across the province for the 2019 Small Business Too Big To Ignore campaign to raise awareness of the important contributions of small businesses to local communities across the province and the economy.
As Ontario’s business advocate, the OCC advocates on behalf of Ontario’s small business community on a number of issues. Small businesses constitute the vast majority of our members, volunteers, and are often the people actively involved in community service. They are a powerful and significant business group that deserves to be heard.
In Ontario, small businesses are facing more obstacles than ever, and the OCC is committed to ensuring the voice of small business is heard. Drive the conversation forward online with #TooBig2Ignore.
Ontario’s economy and local communities thrive when small businesses succeed, which is why the needs and interests of small businesses are simply too big to ignore.
Did You Know?
Quick facts about small businesses in Ontario:
- Small businesses are the backbone of the Ontario economy, making important contributions to local communities across the province
- There are over 400,000 small businesses in Ontario, providing important jobs and livelihoods for many Ontarians
- Small businesses make up 98% of all Ontario businesses and 30% of Ontario’s provincial GDP
- Small businesses employ over 3,000,000 Ontarians and two-thirds of all private sector workers in Ontario
The Importance of Small Business in Ontario
In 2016, the OCC identified many obstacles small businesses across the province are facing in the report: Obstacles and Opportunities: The Importance of Small Business in Ontario.
The report highlights the contributions of small businesses to the provincial economy, while also identifying, and offering solutions to, the most pressing challenges that small business owners face.
The top three obstacles identified in that report are still relevant today.
- Small businesses need access to talent.
- Small businesses need government investment in infrastructure; and
- Small businesses are concerned about the rising costs of doing business.
#TooBig2Ignore
Small businesses are a powerful and significant business group that deserves to be heard.
Small businesses constitute the vast majority of the OCC’s local Chamber members, volunteers, and are often the people actively involved in community service. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the heart of our local communities. They are simply too big to ignore.