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B.C. small businesses have lowest confidence among provinces, says CFIB

Short-term confidence among West Coast SMBS falls 12 points below the historic average, according to barometer
Adam Campbell
Adam Campbell
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Business confidence is hitting rock bottom for B.C. business owners, according to Canadian Federation of Independent Business.Hispanolistic / E+ / Getty Images

B.C. small businesses are reporting the largest decline in long-term confidence among all the provinces.

That’s according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, which calculated long-term confidence for West Coast SMBs has declined 3.7 index points to 49.2 on its business barometer.

Short-term confidence among B.C. small businesses is also the lowest across Canada, sitting at 41.8 index points, according to the CFIB’s Thursday report.

That’s 12 points below B.C’s historical average. 

The CFIB said lack of demand is the biggest barrier for 59 per cent of B.C. small businesses, while taxes and regulations are the main constraints for 77 per cent of SMBs.

CFIB senior policy analyst Emily Boston said in a statement that a looming trade war is making it hard for businesses to plan for the future. She said half of all exporters will take more than six months to stabilize operations if tariffs are enacted.