When you're researching a business plan and looking for information on Canadian industries, Industry Canada is your logical first stop. Their Business Information By Sector offers the ability to search by alphabet, industrial sector, or Trade Team Canada sector and includes a link to Technology Roadmaps.
Also on the Industry Canada site is this compilation of Economic Analysis And Statistics, which includes links to more Industry and Trade Statistics.
Another primary source for industry and economic information that you can easily access online is Statistics Canada. From this home page you can find a wealth of free statistical information; on their services page, you'll find listing of both free Internet publications and publications for sale.
There are also provincial offices of statistics where you'll be able to find more economic, social, and demographic statistics relating to your industry and the business environment. Here, courtesy of Statistics Canada, is a list of Provincial and territorial statistics offices.
An excellent secondary source for economic information is Canadian Economy Online, a Web site also run by the Government of Canada. Their About Business page lists research resources by topic, source, and link, which makes it very easy to use.
The Canada Business Service Centres located in each province also offer excellent collections of resources online, and telephone and email information services. You'll find a list of links to the Canada Business Service Centre in each province in my Provincial Programs and Services Resources.
The business sections of national newspapers and business magazines will also be helpful; these often carry features on past and future business trends.
And don't forget your local sources of business information when you're researching your business plan, such as your Economic Development Centre, Chamber of Commerce, or Women's Enterprise Centre, or the business section of the local library.
Conducting Business Plan Research
If your business is related to manufacturing, begin by determining the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) of your particular industry, and the sector and sub-sector if applicable. This will make it easier for you to find statistical information relating to your industry. If your business is a service, begin with Industry Canada's service industry profiles.
Refer to the list of questions on the previous page of this article as a research guide. Whenever you find a piece of information that you want:
a) check its date and determine whether or not the information is current enough to be valid;
b) write down the date and source of the information, as you'll need to cite your information sources in the business plan.
When you're writing a business plan, you want your research information to be as up-to-date as possible. After all, there's no point in starting a business if you don't want it to succeed.
