The Business and Industry section contains information on various Canadian industries; industry and business issues such as manufacturing performance, financing, human resources, and incorporation; information on the Canadian business environment including statistics, company directories, and business information by industrial category; as well as resources for small business.
Aboriginal Business Canada (ABC)
Aboriginal Business Canada (ABC) promotes the growth of commerce as one means towards economic self-sufficiency for all Aboriginal peoples. For eligible applicants, ABC provides financial assistance, information, resource materials and referrals to other possible sources of financing or business support. Clients must be individuals of Canadian Indian, Métis, or Inuit heritage, or majority-owned Aboriginal organizations or development corporations.
Business Information by Industrial Category
The Business Information by Industrial Category section includes links to in-depth information on various industries, including:
- manufacturing industries (includes profiles on more than 25 industries such as apparel, automotive, chemicals, footwear, furniture, medical devices, plastics, shipbuilding, sporting goods and textiles)
- resource industries (agriculture, fisheries, mining, and forestry)
- service industries (links to information on approximately 30 industries including accounting, advertising, franchising, geomatics, health services, retail trade, tourism and wholesale)
- technologies (including advanced maufacturing technologies, biotechnology, and ocean technologies), and
- miscellaneous industries.
Each entry contains profiles on various industry sectors in Canada and some include a list of events, contacts, trade information, regulations and standards governing their sectors, related sites, company directories, and other information to help better understand the Canadian business climate.
Additional Resources
The Canada Business portal is designed to provide Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises with an entry point for direct access to key services and information from across the Government of Canada.
The site contains information on business start-ups, taxes, regulations, business statistics and analysis, financing, human resources management, exporting, importing, innovation, selling to government/tenders, sector information, and business information guides.
Canadian Industry Statistics
Canadian Industry Statistics presents statistical analyses of manufacturing industry trends for establishments, employment, wages, production, costs, investment, international trade and industry performance in Canada from 1990 to the present. Industries are defined according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
Company Directories
Looking for a Canadian company that manufactures a particular product or provides a specialized service? Through this website, you can search for Canadian companies in various ways:
- by category
- by keyword
- by NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) code.
Visitors to the site can also search Industry Canada's specialized company directories.
Industry Canada's Strategis website provides links to company directories for various Canadian industry sectors, including:
The Directory of Social Economy and Volunteer Associations is a centrally maintained, searchable database of 4000 Canadian associations representing community-based and collective entrepreneurship membership organizations focussed on health, social, cultural, educational and environmental goals. These associations represent the civic, social, professional or business interests of their members. They also frequently provide services for, or on behalf of, members to raise awareness in the community and improve capacity of member organizations.
The Suppliers, Partners, Customers section of the Strategis site contains listings of various directories to help users find information on companies located across Canada. Here, users can find some of the more popular directories, including:
- Canadian Company Capabilities
Users looking to partner with a company or interested in finding companies that manufacture specific products may find the information on the Canadian Company Capabilities site, which contains information and profiles on thousands of Canadian businesses.
- Canadian Importers Database
The Canadian Importers Database provides lists of companies importing goods into Canada, by product, by city and by country of origin.
- Federal Corporations Data Online
Federal Corporations Data Online is a searchable database containing information on thousands of federally incorporated companies in Canada.
Additional Resources
The Canadian Code of Practice for Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce establishes benchmarks for good business practice for merchants conducting online commercial activities with consumers. The Code's eight principles deal with topics such as online privacy, security of payment and personal information, unsolicited email, and communications with children.
The Digital Economy in Canada site is the virtual focal point for information on Canada's Electronic Commerce Strategy, outlining the various initiatives which are helping make Canada a world leader in the adoption and use of electronic commerce. The website contains answers to common questions about electronic commerce, electronic commerce policy, research and statistics, international activities, as well as other resources and links.
Ebiz.enable is Canada's e-business portal designed to guide commercial organizations through the issues and options encountered in implementing e-business strategies. Users will find tools to diagnose whether their company is ready for e-business, and information on where to start, what e-business can do, implementing e-business, assessing your business, what others are doing, and where to learn more.
The e-Business Service Centre is a division of the Canada/Manitoba Business Service Centre. This website provides leading-edge resources and services to help the business community remain competitive in the rapidly changing economy. Visitors to the site can take the e-business readiness quiz, or check out the counselling services, seminar series, information products or e-Supplier Database.
Student Connections, an Industry Canada initiative, provides Canadian business with practical, hands-on e-commerce and Internet training sessions. Student Connections offers E-Commerce First Step, a suite of services aimed at providing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with valuable e-commerce assistance. From planning, promoting and updating a website to incorporating electronic payment processes into online activities, Canadian SMEs will learn the elements of a successful and marketable e-presence. Student Connections services are delivered by college and university students who are highly trained and certified to become Student Business Advisors.
On this website, you will find information about Canadian service industries and what they are doing in e-commerce. The site includes studies and issue papers, company profiles, e-business case studies, e-commerce statistics and sources, and service industry profiles. Be sure to try the E-Commerce Quiz.
This online tool is designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) understand e-security and privacy risks, as well as what they can do to manage them. SMEs at any of the five different stages of e-business development — pre-Internet, online, website, e-commerce and fully enabled — can determine what they should be doing in terms of security and privacy.
As of January 1, 2004, all Canadian businesses are required to comply with the privacy principles set out by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). PIPEDA is a law that protects personal information in the hands of private sector organizations and provides guidelines for the collection, use and disclosure of that information in the course of commercial activity. As a result, Canadian organizations need to develop and implement privacy policies. This website aims to assist businesses in complying with privacy principles by providing information about PIPEDA and why it is important, as well as how to comply with the 10 privacy principles.
This site is to help small- and medium-sized Canadian retailers determine what role the Internet could play in their operations, how to set up an Internet presence, and how to use the Internet to enhance their competitiveness.
SourceCAN is a business portal providing access to business opportunities and tools to facilitate business on the Web. Registration is free and allows users to post and view business opportunities and find business partners. Other online resources include Virtual Trade Shows, business services, business and financial news and access further Internet-based business resources.
E-business links to all of the sites in the Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications (SITT) sector that are relevant to electronic commerce. This includes discussion forums, policy development initiatives and technology suppliers. Each site is described briefly and includes contact information.
The Using Electronic Commerce page on Strategis contains links for information on e-commerce in Canada, including departmental products, services, and consumer protection guides.
Additional Resources
Financing
The Access to Business Financing section of the Aboriginal Business Canada (ABC) website provides a step-by-step description of what's involved in applying for financial assistance with ABC.
The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), which is part of the Industry Portfolio, is a financial institution wholly owned by the Government of Canada. BDC offers financial, investment and consulting services to Canadian small business, with a particular focus on technology and exporting.
The Business Support, Financing section of Strategis includes links to information on:
The Canada Small Business Financing Program increases availability of finance for establishing, expanding, modernizing or improving small businesses in Canada. The site contains guides that outline the program and its eligibility requirements. Users can also learn about regulations relating to the program and lenders can download forms.
The Commercialization Portal, developed by Industry Canada's Life Sciences Branch, provides information to manufacturers of life-sciences-derived products such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices and biotechnology products. The financing section provides information about funding sources, organized by type of finance company, and stage of development of the firm seeking financing.
Industry Canada's Strategis website contains information on financing for various Canadian industry sectors, including:
The Financing section of the Innovation in Canada portal provides information on financing innovation, including an overview, links to information about government programs, tax credits, venture capital, seed financing, angel investors, incubators and databases, as well as tools such as calculators and ways to assess your level of financial readiness.
Additional Resources
Human Resources
The Human Resources section of ebiz.enable shows how using Internet and e-business technologies can help you recruit and train employees, as well as simplify human resources administration and improve employee relations.
Additional Resources
Canadian Resource Guide to High Performance Manufacturing
The Canadian Resource Guide to High Performance Manufacturing is designed to guide Canadian manufacturers towards the tools, resources and expertise they need to improve their manufacturing performance, competitiveness and success. The guide contains information on:
- Canadian and international specialists in manufacturing and related fields
- Canadian Consortia, which can provide details of shared learning experiences, peer discussions and upcoming workshops or seminars
- Canadian and international educational resources, including training institutions and learning materials
- Canadian federal and provincial resources for finance, research and manufacturing management.
Looking to incorporate your business? Want to see which companies are already federally incorporated? The Corporations Canada site provides all the information you need to know.
Several transactions can be completed directly on the website. Businesses can apply for incorporation in the Online Filing section or check the Federal Corporations Data Online section for businesses that are already incorporated. Forms and information kits, along with policies, procedures and guidelines are also included.
Information on registering a not-for-profit company can also be found here.
Guide to Federal Incorporation
Guide to Federal Incorporation gives an overview of the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA), supplying business owners with the basic knowledge and tools needed to incorporate and operate a small or medium-sized private company. The guide provides useful hints to help business owners meet the requirements for federal incorporation and instructions on how to incorporate online.
Additional Resources
Canada's Forest Network (CFN) is a collaborative effort by various companies, associations and government departments (including Industry Canada) from across Canada. The CFN provides information on Canadian forest products, services, news and publications, educational resources, facts and figures, legislation and policies, academic institutions and research, as well as forums and newsgroups. Visitors to the website can also join the CFN or add their website, event or contact information. CFN users can also search for job opportunities.
This website helps retailers develop their own measurement program to provide a method of evaluating their performance. Retailers can use the information to identify potential areas of improvement, plan future strategy, and assess their company's status in the areas of profitability, productivity and efficiency. The site also provides equations for key performance measures of:
- overall financial and administrative standards
- employee standards
- marketing and merchandising standards
- inventory standards
- facilities standards.
Visitors can read about “Establishing a Performance Measurement Program” or try the online Retail Performance Indicators — an interactive worksheet to calculate, track and manage their store's performance.
The Strategis for Retailers section provides information on e-business, securing customer satisfaction, a self-assessment guide and other tools.
Winning Retail is an instructional guide intended for owners and managers of independent retail stores and small chains, students of retail, and those exploring the possibility of establishing their own retail store. The guide provides information on retailing strategy, merchandise planning, buying practices, marketing, visual merchandising, customer service, employee development, sales management, store location, loss prevention, performance evaluation and retail information systems.
Small Business
Check out the Starting a Business section for information on starting a new business. It includes links to the Business Start-up Assistant, the Electronic Filing Centre, information kits and administrative forms, and provincial registrars.
The Small Business Research and Policy website provides information on small business research and policy. It includes a research database that contains literature on small business and entrepreneurship, as well as general research reports. Also included is information on policy development offices and current policy documents. Users can check the Statistics section for a link to the Small Business Quarterly and key small business statistics. The Research and Policy Network section includes a discussion forum, a calendar of events and a list of researchers and policy development offices across Canada.
Managing for Business Success contains information on small business support organizations, a search tool for professional assistance, a list of education programs provided by Canadian educational facilities, a resource centre, and information on how to set up a business network. Users can add their company information to a searchable database to increase their profile.
Performance Plus is an online performance benchmarking tool that can help a small business construct a business plan. It can also help new and established firms find out where they stand compared to the industry average.
SME Direct is the new, small business Web site that serves as a one-stop shop for all your small business needs. Diagnostic and benchmarking tools, informative Web sites, relevant databases and a wealth of other resources are provided to assist you in your decision-making. Whether you're just starting out or your business is well on its way, SME Direct has the information you need.
Additional Resources
Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)
The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) plans and implements programs to promote the Canadian tourism industry and provides information to the industry. Register online to join CTX, a business-to-business network for the Canadian tourism industry, and become part of a community with easy access to up-to-date information. Find out about CTC partnership opportunities for marketing, research, and development programs or check out the events, information for travellers and online resources.
Additional Resources
|