Will the Canadian Election make any Difference to Small Business?

April 13, 2011 - PRLog -- Edmonton, AB- Despite the revealing comments in the debate last night, Canadians will be going to the polls May 2 to decide on a new government; but will the new government be any different from the old?

"Not when it comes to small business, most likely no," says Greg Kopchuk, who heads up ActionCOACH Canada, the most successful business coaching firm in Canada.

Says Kopchuk: “Governments help big business, even when they are failing miserably, because they cannot afford to lose the votes of the people in those industries. That's why there will always be loan guarantees for Air Canada as long as they keep their headquarters in Montreal. The U.S. is no better: when push comes to shove, Congress will always bail out the big 4 automakers, or big 3, or whatever. They cannot afford to lose Michigan in a national election.”

Kopchuk and his team work with small businesses every day and working in such close quarters with them they hear the real problems that governments don’t address, no matter who is in power.  “Don't take my word for it: ask all the small-to-medium sized business people you know. Do they get tax breaks? No. Do they get loan guarantees? No. Will the banks loan them money? In most cases, no. I know a small businessman who was refused a line of credit by his own local credit union----even though he has always made a profit!”

If the candidates for Canada’s new government really care about helping small business, it’s time they stopped talking about how great small business is for the country....and actually help them. Small business is the engine that drives our economy: stats show that it accounts for 29% of Canada’s GDP & employs 48% of the private sector workforce. Small businesses are also huge exporters, generating 84 billion a year for the Canadian economy. (That is an astonishing 87% of ALL Canadian exports.)

Here are 5 simple things that Kopchuk suggests the new government do:

1) Real tax breaks for small business. That is, if they don't clear 50k a year in profit (NOT sales), then they don't pay taxes.

2) Institute a bank for small business in Canada. By and large the big banks and credit unions in Canada will not help small business; quite the contrary.

3) Make sure that bank has the resources to help small businesses who really need it. (That is, when they are trying to grow.) And make sure it's run by someone with experience in business.

4) Stop making business cater to City hall. How many businesses do you know that have to write a library of paperwork to keep their patio open 20 minutes longer on weekends?

5) Stop "harmonizing" sales taxes. Governments have become addicted to sales taxes--but they are a real drain on commerce. Hundreds of restaurants in ON & BC were closed after the government "harmonized" their sales tax last July.


Greg Kopchuk heads up ActionCOACH Canada, the #1 business coaching firm in Canada. They work with established and emerging small and medium businesses. They are the winners of the CFA Bronze Award of excellence for non-traditional franchises and the CFA Franchisees’ Choice Designation Award for 2011.

For information on Greg Kopchuk and ActionCOACH Canada visit http://canadaceo.wordpress.com/in-the-press/ or  www.actioncoachcanada.ca

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