Micro-businesses make up the majority of the national economy. Yet their crucial role is often underestimated, despite the fact that there are almost a million of them.
According to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISDE)In December 2017, the country had 1.18 million companies employing staff. Of these, almost 98 % had fewer than 100 employees. More than half (53.8 %) included fewer than four employeesand nearly 75 % had them less than nine. In Quebec, data from the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) for 2014 reveals figures 137,000 micro-businesses (1 to 4 employees) and 41,000 very small businesses (5 to 9 employees).
Between 2010 and 2014, companies with fewer than 100 employees contributed an average of 38.4 % of gross domestic product (GDP) of Canada. Yet their role is often underestimated. There isn't even a uniform definition of "small business" in Canada, largely because of their diversity.
Key sectors for companies with fewer than 20 employees in Quebec
In Quebec, five sectors account for 64.5 % of jobs in companies with 1 to 19 employees:
- trade (23 %, 222,000 employees),
- accommodation and catering (13.8 %),
- healthcare and social assistance (11.2 %),
- construction (8.5 %)
- and manufacturing (8 %).
Very small businesses: growth or stability?
Very small businesses (VSEs) can include structures that are not necessarily looking to expand, such as hairdressing salons or restaurants. Company size is therefore not always a limit, but often a strategic choice in line with the company's specific needs. model and its ambitions.
Experienced men and women at the helm of small businesses
Despite the diversity of small businessesIn 2017, the Institut de la statistique du Québec attempted to draw a portrait company managers from 2014 Survey on Financing and Growth of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
The Institute reveals that less than 15 % of companies with 5 to 19 employees are run by womenThis proportion falls to around 6 % for SMEs as a whole. The remaining companies are mostly owned by menWhether exclusively (62 %), predominantly (12 %) or equally (11 %).
In terms of education, the managers of these small companies are fairly evenly divided between those with :
- a high school diploma or less (29 %),
- college (33 %)
- or university (38 %).
In companies with 100 to 499 employees, the proportion of managers with a university degree rises to 71 %.
More than three quarters of small business owners have more than 10 yearsexperienceThis finding is supported by the fact that more than half (57 %) of SME owners in Quebec are over 50, while only 17 % are under 40. Some 64 % of Quebec SMEs were created over 10 years agocompared with just 7 % over the past two years.
These data raise the question of relief for these owner-managers.
National Entrepreneurship Week in Quebec
To promote the importance of transfer companies and make entrepreneurs aware of this essential opportunity for the Quebec economy, the Centre de transfert d'entreprise du Québec (CTEQ) had launched in 2023, National Entrepreneurship Week. Supported by the Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie, this initiative is designed to highlight the challenges and successes of entrepreneurship in Quebec, with a focus on eventsand conferencesand webinars across the province.
With the business succession market booming, some 34,000 entrepreneurs are planning to transfer their businesses between 2020 and 2025. La Semaine nationale du repreneuriat, April 28 to May 4, 2024also featured the 7th edition of the Sommet du repreneuriata major event bringing together all those involved in business transfers.
Many partners, such as :
- Fédération québécoise des municipalités (FQM),
- Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ),
- and the Conseil du patronat du Québec (CPQ), have joined this initiative to support and promote entrepreneurship as a key solution for ensuring the long-term future of Quebec businesses.
The event aimed to mobilize the entrepreneurial ecosystem around the transmission and to encourage a new generation of buyers to seize these opportunities to contribute to Quebec's economic growth.
SADC Achigan-Montcalm: Who are we?
To help you manage your business efficiently and exploit its full potential, the SADC offers you :
- an array of management consulting
- solutions corporate financing
- and a support for collective projects.
We believed in their project and they put their trust in us.
SADC can help you develop your business. Call on our team to bring your entrepreneurial projects to fruition.
