8/9/2019 Incidence of Entrepreneurship in the General Population

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ncidence of Entrepreneurship in the General Population

Robert G. Wyckham William WedleyFaculty of Business Administration Simon Fraser University

Abstract

Given the importance of entrepreneurial activity as a driver of theeconomy, it is vital to know, with some accuracy, the number ofstartups and shut-downs of businesses in any given period. Anexamination of the many sources of data on business births and deathsin Canada suggests major weaknesses in that information. Differencesin definitions, methodology and data bases result in a wide variation inestimates. These data problems are exacerbated by the growth of self-employment and the informal economy. A pilot study of the incidenceof entrepreneurship conducted in Vancouver indicates that the number

of small businesses in Canada may be quite a bit larger than officialestimates. Without accurate information governments, banks andother institutions are not in a position to develop policy and takeactions to encourage entrepreneurship.