Harper Government Marks Small Business Week

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Oct. 19, 2014) - Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, James Moore, Minister of Industry, and Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) (Agriculture), today marked the beginning of the Business Development Bank of Canada's Small Business Week, which runs from October 19 to 25.

Small Business Week is an annual celebration of entrepreneurship that the Business Development Bank of Canada has been organizing for 35 years. Each year, thousands of business people come together at events across Canada to learn and network through conferences, seminars, information sessions and trade fairs.

There are over one million small and medium-sized businesses in Canada, making up 99.8 percent of all companies in Canada and employing more than 9.8 million Canadians. The new trade promotion plan under Canada's Global Markets Action Plan is ensuring small and medium-sized Canadian businesses can take advantage of the opportunities and easily access the tools and support necessary to succeed at home and abroad. The Harper Government has successfully concluded negotiations on free trade agreements with 38 countries, bringing the total to 43 countries, which represents more than half of the global economy and nearly one quarter of the world's countries.

The Government of Canada is supporting small and medium-sized Canadian businesses in numerous ways, including by cutting red tape, opening up domestic markets and helping tear down internal trade barriers. It is also helping businesses reach their export potential by enhancing coordination and alignment among the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, Export Development Canada, the Canadian Commercial Corporation and the Business Development Bank of Canada.

Quick facts

• Cutting the small business tax rate and increasing the small business income limit have translated into $2.2 billion in tax relief in 2014.
• Under Canada's Global Markets Action Plan, the government is working with Canada's small and medium-sized businesses to grow their export presence.
• On October 10, 2014, Minister Fast announced that the Government of Canada would lead a series of trade promotion workshops in communities across the country to provide small and medium-sized Canadian businesses with practical information and all the available tools to help them export.
• According to Export Development Canada, of the more than one million small and medium-sized businesses active in Canada, 41,000 are currently exporting.

Quotes

"I am pleased to join my colleagues in celebrating the launch of the BDC's Small Business Week. Our government has made it a priority to protect and support Canadian small businesses and workers. They help drive innovation, create new jobs and ensure Canada's continued leadership on the global stage. While I am encouraged by our success to date, Small Business Week also gives us a chance to look forward. Our work is not done, and we remain committed to further strengthening our national economy and enabling small and medium-sized businesses to grow and prosper by cutting red tape, breaking down barriers to trade within Canada, and opening new markets for Canadian goods and services."

- James Moore, Minister of Industry

"Canada's small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our economy and job creators for hard-working Canadians in every region of the country. That is why our government is committed to providing tools and support to help them grow, expand and succeed in new markets around the world, which we know creates new jobs and opportunities here at home."

- Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade

"This week we recognize the immeasurable contributions that Canadian entrepreneurs make to our local communities. Our goal is to help small businesses focus on what they do best: creating jobs and growing our economy."

- Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) (Agriculture)

Related products

- Address by Minister Fast to Economic Club of Canada

- Harper Government Launches New International Trade Plan

Associated links

- Global Markets Action Plan

- BDC Small Business Week

- The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service

- Export Development Canada

- Canadian Commercial Corporation

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