Small businesses are thriving in British Columbia and our government is helping them expand beyond our borders while addressing skills shortages at home.

In celebration of Small Business Week which is being celebrated this week, the Government is investing $414,685 to launch two new initiatives that will help small businesses enter international markets and address skills shortages.

Under the new initiatives, Small Business BC will receive $246,735 to launch TradeStart, a program that will help small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) enter international markets.

In addition, the BC Chamber of Commerce will receive $167,950 to establish nine Regional Skills Advisory Councils, who will work together to develop a plan that addresses skills shortages in British Columbia. The Province of British Columbia has also invested $151,900 toward this project.

The programs will be delivered through Western Economic Diversification Canada(WED) in partnership with Small Business BC and the BC Chamber of Commerce to launch two new services that will enable companies to attract top talent and become export ready.

WED is a department of the Government of Canada that works in partnership with the provinces, industry associations and communities to encourage diversification of the western economy, as well as to represent the interests of the West in national decision-making. The Minister responsible is Rona Ambrose.

Small Business BC is a non-profit organization funded by Western Economic Diversification Canada and the BC Ministry of Small Business and Revenue. It delivers government programs and timely business information to entrepreneurs throughout B.C. Entrepreneurs can access services and information such as: start up and expansion information; financing options and sources; registration and licensing requirements; government acts and regulations; a business library and bookstore; market research and consultation; business planning services; export consultation; business seminars and e-Business information. The website address is www.smallbusinessbc.ca

BC has a vibrant small business export sector which is responsible for over one-third of all B.C. exports, an amazing statistic considering only 1.5% of the province’s small businesses are involved in export. TradeStart will serve importers as well as exporters, offering information on such topics as productivity enhancement, expansion of trade markets and competitive strategies for success in the global market.

The BC Chamber has made very favourable comments about the initiatives, particularly in relation to the significant support being provided by Western Economic Diversification Canada toward the creation of Regional Advisory Committees which are important because the skills and labour shortage problem cuts across all regions and sectors in BC.

The support of the British Columbia Chamber of Commerce is encouraging since it is the widest and broadest based business organization in the province, representing the views of more than 130 chambers of commerce and boards of trade and over 31,000 businesses from every size, sector and region of the province.

Our own Kelowna Chamber of Commerce has been particularly active in this respect and recently visited Ottawa to meet with several Ministers’ offices to discuss some of the more pressing issues, including the skilled labour shortage.

The Chamber also recently held its 2007 Business Excellence Awards and it is clear to see that small business continues to thrive in the Okanagan. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists.

Small business is and will always be the backbone of our economy. More than 98 percent of all businesses in Canada are small businesses (those with fewer than 100 employees), and approximately 139,000 new small businesses start up each year. In 2006, small businesses employed about 5 million workers — nearly half of the total private sector labour force. I am pleased that our Government recognizes the need to strongly support the small business sector in Canada as it will ensure the sector’s longevity and future.

If you have questions regarding your small business or have ever thought of having your own business and wondered where to find ideas to help you get started, please check out the many programs and services that are available to you at CanadaBusiness.ca.

I encourage any of our local small businesses to contact me to let me know what I can do for them and how our Government can continue to help small business thrive. I can be reached at 470-5075 or at ron@cannan.ca