About Small Business Week
For 34 years, the Business Development Bank of Canada has been organizing BDC Small Business Week in recognition of the contributions and achievements of Canada’s entrepreneurs.
Events held during the week bring entrepreneurs together at conferences, luncheons and trade fairs across the country where they have the opportunity to learn, network and enjoy themselves in the company of their peers.
Every business begins with an idea and a vision. Yet the roadmap to growth is never simple. Canadian entrepreneurs know that long-term success requires passion, commitment, hard work, a great offering and a solid plan.
Expanding one’s market, whether at home or abroad demands determination and adaptability, resources, an appetite for greater risk and even a little luck.
BDC’s Small Business Week 2013 - is a time to celebrate and recognize the nation’s business owners - to help map one’s future growth and success!
Small Business Week History
BDC Small Business Week is a Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) trademark whose origins date back to 1979 when BDC business centres in British Columbia’s Lower Fraser Valley pooled their resources to organize a week of activities for entrepreneurs.
This first event and one that followed in 1980 were so successful that BDC officially launched Small Business Week across Canada in 1981.
The initiative was quickly adopted by Canada’s business community. In 2012, over 200 activities across Canada attracted close to 10,000 business people to BDC Small Business Week. This BDC flagship event celebrates entrepreneurship at the local, provincial and national levels.
Small and medium-sized businesses are the cornerstone of the Canadian economy. They account for 99.8% of all Canadian companies and employ more than 60% of private sector workers.
