business and professional services

Atlantic Canada has a vibrant and well-developed business and professional services sector, with more than 7 200 firms offering services ranging from marketing, engineering, and management, to financial, scientific, technical and legal. Because of the relatively small size of the Atlantic Canadian market, firms in this sector have traditionally operated with a global perspective, and they know how to meet the needs of local and international clients.

While Atlantic Canada is at the forefront of innovative services in the new economy, it remains strong in traditional services such as accounting, financial and legal services. The region also boasts a full range of financial services firms, including venture capital groups such as ACF Equity Atlantic Inc., a $30-million fund focused on entrepreneurs. The expertise of Atlantic Canadian translation firms also has worldwide appeal. New Brunswick's Optimum Translation was the first translation firm in the world to achieve the ISO 9001 quality standard.

When it comes to preparing for the future, nothing is more important to business than training. Atlantic Canada's training and e-Learning industries rank among the best in the world. These companies offer training in a wide range of fields such as management and human resource development, and specialized industry training in areas as varied as call centre operation and hotel management.

Traditional services have joined the sectors of the new economy in Atlantic Canada, where they have discovered a welcoming and low-cost environment, well-trained workers, and an excellent communications and business infrastructure.