Friday October 14, 2016 – BDC Small Business Week will be October 16 through 22, as declared by Mayor Hobbs.

BDC Small Business Week has been celebrating entrepreneurship since 1979. Business Development Bank of Canada, along with partners Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC)/Thunder Bay & District Entrepreneur Centre (EC), PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise, Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre, Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce, Thunder Bay Ventures, SHIFT Young Professionals Network, Partners in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (PIE), Lakehead University Economic Development & Innovation (EDI), and Thunder Bay Public Library, has compiled an exciting calendar of events and activities to recognize our small businesses and their contributions.

Under the theme, Measure Up! Shape Your Future, this year’s BDC Small Business Week will feature workshops on the topics of customer service, succession planning, energy savings, and financial literacy. Craig Haney, Head of Corporate Innovation at Communitech and former manager of Canadian Tire Innovations, will deliver a keynote.

A panel discussion with local innovators Dennis Wood of Cinevate and Michael Klegwegt of Airsuite is also taking place. There will be ample networking opportunities as well through the After Business and Entrepeer events.

“Small business is absolutely essential for a growing economy.  Successful businesses are serving our community, providing for a healthy tax base, and employing our workforce,” says Ryan Moore, Development Officer at the Thunder Bay & District Entrepreneur Centre. “BDC Small Business Week sheds some light on the entrepreneurial resources that small business owners can access to get the tools they need to succeed.”

Small and medium-size enterprises comprise over 98% of all Canadian businesses, and are responsible for 90% of Canada’s employment. Business Centre Manager at BDC, John Guarasci, adds, “At BDC, we believe the contribution of Canadian small businesses deserves to be celebrated. 

During this year’s BDC Small Business Week, we’re inviting Canadian entrepreneurs to benchmark their performance to discover their true potential. We’re pleased to partner with local Thunder Bay business partners to provide entrepreneurs with an opportunity to study examples of successful companies, develop new contacts and plan for new growth.”

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Contact: John Guarasci, Manager – Business Development Bank of Canada, 346-1785 or john.guarasci@bdc.ca.     

About CEDC: The CEDC is responsible for business development, retention and expansion, entrepreneurial support, opportunity promotion, and the collection and assessment of key business data. The CEDC receives formal proposals for projects that will contribute to economic development. It responds quickly to new opportunities and initiatives to attract direct financial involvement from the government and private sectors. For more information, visit www.ThunderBayCEDC.ca.

About BDC: BDC is the only bank dedicated exclusively to entrepreneurs. With more than 100 business centres and over 32,000 clients across Canada, it offers loans, investments and advisory services. BDC’s purpose is to support Canadian entrepreneurship with a focus on small and medium sized businesses. To learn more, visit www.bdc.ca

About BDC Small Business WeekTM: BDC Small Business Week is a Business Development Bank of Canada trademark event whose origins date back to 1979. Each year, hundreds of activities take place across Canada, bringing together thousands of business people anually to celebrate entrepreneurship at the local, provincial and national levels.