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Sudbury ranks low in list of entrepreneur-friendly cities

Canadian Federation of Independent Business ranked Sudbury 88th out of 121 municipalities
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Greater Sudbury ranked 88th, out of 121 municipalities across Canada, in the Canadian Federation of Independent Business' latest Entrepreneurial Communities report. File photo.

Greater Sudbury ranked 88th, out of 121 municipalities across Canada, in the Canadian Federation of Independent Business' latest Entrepreneurial Communities report.

Ted Mallett, the federation's vice-president and chief economist, said municipalities in the prairies and Northern Ontario that depend on natural resources were hit hardest in the 2016 rankings.

“We certainly noticed the big shift in the resource economy of Canada had a big effect,” Mallet said. “It's been well known that resource economies tend to be quite variable.”

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business looked at 14 indicators, drawing from Statistics Canada data, municipal tax information, and surveys of its 109,000 members across Canada, to draw its conclusions.

The 14 entrepreneurship indicators were grouped into three categories: presence, a representation of the scale and growth of business ownership; perspective, which covers indicators associated with optimism and growth plans; and policy, which represents indicators associated with the actions local governments take with respect to business taxation and regulation.

Mallett said they gave the greatest weight to the policy category because of the immediate impact it can have on small businesses, and governments' abilities to change those policies if necessary.

Greater Sudbury ranked low with the indicator “government understands small business”, where 15.6 per cent of survey respondents said local government's understanding of small business was good or adequate.

Collingwood topped the  Canadian Federation of Independent Business' rankings for entrepreneur-friendly municipalities, and other municipalities near Toronto, including Barrie and Guelph also fared well.

“Many parts of the GTA tend to have low commercial to residential tax ratios compared to the average,” Mallett said. “Proximity to strong markets is a driver for entrepreneurship.”

Kelly Scott, second vice-chair with Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, and general manager of Barrydowne Paint, said the survey results present a chance to strengthen opportunities for local entrepreneurs.

“Many of us see it as an indication of where we're weak, and also where we're strong,” Scott said.

Scott said the municipal government could help small businesses by speeding up building permits and helping make Greater Sudbury a more attractive community for new immigrants.

She said the Gearing Up for Business Advisory Panel, which concluded its term in December 2015, could lead to small business-friendly improvements at the municipal level.

“I think it's really important for people to keep in mind that Sudbury is extremely entrepreneurial,” Scott added.

She said organizations like NORCAT and the Regional Business Centre help foster new entrepreneurs through programs like Startup 101


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