2010 will be a good year, say
B.C. small business owners:
TD Canada Trust Small Business Survey reveals positive outlook
despite negative impact of recession
TORONTO, ON, October 8, 2009
– What do British Columbia’s small
business owners say was their biggest challenge in 2009? Not
surprisingly, the recession tops the list. However, 53% of B.C.
small business owners also say they are excited or optimistic about
2010 according to the second annual TD Canada Trust Small Business
Survey which was conducted to better understand the impact of the
recession on small businesses.
“The optimism expressed by
B.C.’s small business owners is a clear indication that
most feel the worst of the recession is behind them,”
says Norm Attridge, Regional Sales Manager, TD Canada Trust.
“This is reinforced by the fact that 65% of
B.C.’s small business owners say their business
performance in the past year was either on, or ahead, of
projections.”
How were small business owners in B.C.
impacted by the recession? Thirty-nine percent lost some business
(vs 31% nationally), 13% are in more debt than they were 12 months
ago (vs 18% nationally), 5% were forced to downsize their
operations or staffing and 7% say they came close to bankruptcy or
closing. Interestingly, 14% grew their business despite the
recession and 3% grew their business because of the
recession.
The impact of the recession is evident in how
Canadian small business owners rate their businesses. In 2009, only
19% of owners gave their business an A or A+, down from 25% in 2008
and 44% gave their business a B, down from 50% in 2008. However,
the majority of small business owners say they managed well
relative to the competition with 65% saying they fared as well as
their main competitors and 28% saying they fared better.
The impact of the recession is still
anticipated to be a big issue B.C. owners will face in 2010, with
30% naming it as the top challenge for next year, followed by
managing cash flow (20%) and managing growth (16%).
“B.C. small business owners rate
work/life balance as the best thing about owning their own
business,” says Attridge. “Business owners that
are having challenges finding that balance can visit their local TD
branch and meet with a Small Business Advisor – we can
help with everything from streamlining processes to cash flow
management.”
Small Business Week, October 18 to 24, is the
perfect opportunity to visit a TD branch and learn more about
business financing, business plans, and how to start, grow and
sustain a small business.
What does 2010 look like
for Canada’s small business owners?
Nine percent of small business owners are excited about 2010 saying
it might be their best year yet. The largest group, at 48%, is
optimistic, believing 2010 will be a good year. Twenty-seven
percent indicated that they anticipate their business to be flat.
Fifteen percent of business owners are concerned, believing that
2010 will be another tough year and 2% say they are panicked, not
confident that their business can survive another year.
What keeps small
business owners up at night?
When small business owners were asked what one thing about their
business they think about more than anything else, 31% said it is
the impact of the recession, followed by managing cash flow
(meeting payroll, paying suppliers) at 28%. These were followed by
hiring and retaining talent (8%) and access to credit
(5%).
2009 challenges:
projected and actual
In the 2008 survey, small business owners anticipated that their
biggest business challenges in the coming year would be cash flow
(23%) followed by managing growth (20%). In reality, they said
their biggest challenges in 2009 were the impact of the recession
(32%) followed by cash flow (25%) and managing growth
(11%).
What changes did small
business owners make in the past year?
Reducing operating costs was the most cited change (40%) that small
business owners made in 2009. This was followed by streamlining
processes (16%) and faster delivery of product and services (9%).
Interestingly, 35% of small business owners made no changes to
their company in the past year.
About TD’s
sponsorship of Small Business Week
Small Business Week is a nation-wide celebration of
entrepreneurship, October 18 to 24, 2009, organized by the Business
Development Bank of Canada (BDC) to pay tribute to Canadian small
business. With the endorsement of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce,
organized events such as conferences, trade fairs and seminars
provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs to network and exchange
ideas to enhance business growth. TD is a sponsor of Small Business
Week and to recognize its small business customers and support
businesses in the local community, TD is sponsoring SOHO (small
office, home office) conferences in Toronto and Vancouver and
sponsoring regional events with chambers of commerce and business
associations across the country. Visit or call your local branch
for details.
Events TD is sponsoring in B.C.
include:
Organization |
Event |
Date of Event |
Kamloops Chamber of Commerce |
2009 Business Excellence Awards |
17-Oct-09 |
Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce |
2009 Westside Business Awards of Distinction |
21-Oct-09 |
Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce |
Business Expo |
22-Oct-09 |
Langley Chamber of Commerce |
13th Annual Celebration of Excellence Business Awards |
24-Oct-09 |
If small business owners are not able to
attend events, they are encouraged to participate in one of TD
Canada Trust’s webinar workshops. A list of the workshops
can be found at www.tdcanadatrust.com/smallbusiness/webinars.jsp.
The next webinar on Unique Selling Proposition is on October 22,
2009 at 12:00 ET.
About the TD Canada
Trust Small Business Survey
The TD Canada Trust Small Business Survey polled small business
owners from across the country to understand the impact of the
recession on small businesses. The survey was conducted by Angus
Reid Strategies from September 8 to 14, 2009 with English and
French speaking small business owners (defined as business owners
with fewer than 20 employees) across Canada using the Angus Reid
Forum. The sample size included 1002 men and women.
About TD Bank Financial
Group
The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively
known as TD Bank Financial Group. TD Bank Financial Group is the
sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves
approximately 17 million customers in four key businesses operating
in a number of locations in key financial centres around the globe:
Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD Canada Trust
and TD Insurance; Wealth Management, including TD Waterhouse and an
investment in TD Ameritrade; U.S. Personal and Commercial Banking
through TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank; and Wholesale
Banking, including TD Securities. TD Bank Financial Group also
ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms,
with more than 5.5 million online customers. TD Bank Financial
Group had CDN$545 billion in assets on July 31, 2009. The
Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD"
on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.
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For further information,
contact:
Carolyn Abbass / Karen McCullough
Paradigm Public Relations
416-203-2223
cabbass@paradigmpr.ca /
kmccullough@paradigmpr.ca
Erin Baldwin
TD Bank Financial Group
416-308-4061
erin.baldwin@td.com
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