WELLINGTON COUNTY – The 46th edition of Small Business Week is taking place across the country between Oct. 19 and 25 with the theme “The Economic Revolution.”
This year the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and its partners are inviting Canadian entrepreneurs to come together and explore ways to evolve their businesses in what officials call a rapidly changing environment.
“Between the rise of artificial intelligence, the removal of interprovincial trade barriers, the redefinition of global economic relations, and a wave of business transfers, one thing is clear: entrepreneurship is undergoing a major transformation,” BDC officials stated in a press release.
They add the BDC wants to help Canadian entrepreneurs prepare for what’s next.
“Canadian entrepreneurs have always led with resilience and vision. Today, their ability to adapt and innovate is more important than ever,” stated Isabelle Hudon, the CEO of BDC.
“As our economic reality and the global market shifts, the challenge in front of them, in front us all, is significant, and this week offers a chance to pause with purpose: to reflect, connect, and prepare for what’s next.
“This is a unique moment to celebrate those who embody entrepreneurship with passion and determination, and who fuel it with energy every day.”
To kick off Small Business Week, BDC will release the first edition of its Report on the State of Entrepreneurship 2025 on Oct. 20.
Officials say the document, which will be published annually, “will provide a rich, multidimensional portrait of Canadian entrepreneurs and their businesses, with fresh national and regional perspectives shedding light on emerging trends and challenges.”
Small Business Week is an annual entrepreneurship event the BDC has organized for 46 years.
Every year, more than 10,000 entrepreneurs gather to learn, network and celebrate Canada’s dreamers and doers, officials say.
Small Business Week started in 1979 in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley, when local branches of the Federal Business Development Bank (now BDC) organized a week of management training for entrepreneurs.
The initiative was repeated the following year, and by 1981, it was officially launched nationwide as an annual celebration of Canadian entrepreneurship.
For more information visit bdc.ca.
