Twenty-five years ago, the federal government established Small Business Week to recognize the contributions that small and mid-sized businesses make to our economy.

Just what kind of impact do they have on our day-to-day lives? Check out these stats from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB):

• Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees represent 97.8 per cent of total businesses in Canada.
• Small firms with fewer than 50 employees employ 31.3 per cent of Canadian workers.
• The vast majority of Canadian exporters (85.5 per cent) are small businesses, each with fewer than 100 employees.
• In 2008, there were 2.6-million self-employed Canadians, making up 15.4 per cent of the total workforce.
• In 2008, 12 per cent of total job creation was attributed to the self-employed.

Check out the full report from the CFIB here.

At Rogers, our commitment to small business goes well beyond October, supporting entrepreneurs through programs such as Celebrate Small Business, Innovations@Work and the Coalition Committed to Growing Small Business. You can read all about our products, services and programs for small businesses at rogers.com/business.

Do you do work with a small business, or are you self employed? Tell us about your experiences and what you’d like to see from us.

Geoffrey Booth is a regular contributor to RedBoard Biz.