Celebrating Small Business Week from October 16 to 22
From October 16 to 22, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), in partnership with Desjardins, will celebrate Small Business Week. This year, our Small Business: Too Big to Ignore campaign highlights the importance of small business success for Ontario’s economic recovery and long-term prosperity. Small Business Week is an opportunity to celebrate the resilience and innovation of businesses across the province and shed light on challenges and opportunities impacting small business success.
As the indispensable partner of business, we continue to champion the needs of small businesses across the province.
We sincerely thank Desjardins for their partnership in making this campaign a success and their continued leadership in supporting the growth of small businesses across the province.
The publications below highlight the OCC’s continued thought leadership, providing the government with key recommendations to support entrepreneurship and business resilience. Click here to learn more about our work and advocacy.
Blueprint to Bolster Ontario's Prosperity
In August 2022, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and Ontario Chamber Network released its Blueprint to Bolster Ontario’s Prosperity, which provides a letter to each provincial cabinet minister outlining key policy priorities. The letters call for policies that create the right conditions to support competitiveness, productivity, and growth. Continued collaboration with the government is a win-win for the province and we look forward to working with all ministers in the interest of Ontario’s business community and our members.
The OCC’s blueprint letters includes both policy asks where immediate action is required to support business and foundational recommendations for long-term prosperity and were informed by OCC’s diverse membership.
Mental Wellness in the Workplace: A Playbook for SMEs
The OCC released two resources for the business community in partnership with SunLife – Mental Wellness in the Workplace: A Playbook for Employers and SMEs. These resources provide employers of varying sizes with strategies and supports to help bridge the gap – from fostering a health-focused culture to effectively communicating with employees to encouraging staff to access free government resources.
The She-Covery Project: Confronting the Gendered Economic Impacts of COVID-19 in Ontario
The economic crisis precipitated by COVID-19 disproportionately impacted by women, and especially racialized, low-income, newcomer, and other intersectional groups of women. The policy brief examined the gendered labour market impacts of the pandemic and offered policy solutions to support women’s economic recovery by confronting immediate and longer-term challenges. Our recommendations focused on leadership and accountability, childcare, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and flexible work arrangements.
Capital is Key: Financing Entrepreneurship in Ontario After COVID-19
As the province recovers from the COVID-19 crisis, access to the right forms of capital are fundamental to the rebound of small businesses and entrepreneurs. The OCC released a policy brief on May 26 called Capital is Key: Financing Entrepreneurship in Ontario After COVID-19. Our brief looked at existing financing options for small businesses at various stages of growth, pressure placed on capital due to the pandemic, and policy recommendations.
Small Business, Big Impact: How SMEs are Pivoting During COVID-19
Recognizing that small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the economy, the OCC launched a policy brief that outlined the societal and economic contributions that SMEs make in Ontario and the challenges that emerged due to COVID-19. The brief further examined how 28 different small businesses successfully navigated this health turned economic crisis.