Canadian Survey on Business Conditions, first quarter of 2025

Business or organization information

1. Which of the following categories best describes this business or organization?

Government agency
Private sector business
Non-profit organization
- Who does this organization primarily serve?
  - Households or individuals
    e.g., child and youth services, community food services, food bank, women's shelter, community housing services, emergency relief services, religious organization, grant and giving services, social advocacy group, arts and recreation group
  - Businesses
    e.g., business association, chamber of commerce, condominium association, environmental support or protection services, group benefit carriers (pensions, health, medical)
Don't know

2. In what year was this business or organization first established?

Please provide the year this business or organization first began operations.

Year business or organization was first established:
OR
Don't know

Approximately how long ago was this business or organization first established?
- 2 years ago or less
  Established in 2025, 2024, or 2023.
- 3 to 10 years ago
  Established in 2015 to 2022.
- 11 to 20 years ago
  Established in 2005 to 2014.
- More than 20 years ago
  Established in 2004 or earlier.
- Don't know

3. Over the last 12 months, which of the following international activities did this business or organization conduct?

Select all that apply.

Export or sell goods outside of Canada
Include both intermediate and final goods.
Export or sell services outside of Canada
Include services delivered virtually and in person.
e.g., software, cloud services, legal services, environmental services, architectural services, digital advertising
Make investments outside of Canada
Sell goods to businesses or organizations in Canada who then resold them outside of Canada
Import or buy goods from outside of Canada
Include both intermediate and final goods.
Import or buy services from outside of Canada
Include services received virtually and in person.
e.g., software, cloud services, legal services, environmental services, architectural services, digital advertising
Relocate any business or organizational activities or employees from another country into Canada
Exclude temporary foreign workers.
Relocate any business or organizational activities or employees from Canada to another country
Engage in other international business or organizational activities
OR
None of the above

4. Over the next three months, how are each of the following expected to change for this business or organization?

Exclude seasonal factors or conditions.

Number of employees
- Increase
- Stay about the same
- Decrease
- Not applicable
- Don't know
Vacant positions
- Increase
- Stay about the same
- Decrease
- Not applicable
- Don't know
Sales of goods or services offered by this business or organization
- Increase
- Stay about the same
- Decrease
- Not applicable
- Don't know
Selling price of goods or services offered by this business or organization
- Increase
- Stay about the same
- Decrease
- Not applicable
- Don't know
Demand for goods or services offered by this business or organization
- Increase
- Stay about the same
- Decrease
- Not applicable
- Don't know
Imports of goods or services
- Increase
- Stay about the same
- Decrease
- Not applicable
- Don't know
Exports of goods or services
- Increase
- Stay about the same
- Decrease
- Not applicable
- Don't know
Operating income
- Increase
- Stay about the same
- Decrease
- Not applicable
- Don't know
Operating expenses
- Increase
- Stay about the same
- Decrease
- Not applicable
- Don't know
Profitability
- Increase
- Stay about the same
- Decrease
- Not applicable
- Don't know
Cash reserves
- Increase
- Stay about the same
- Decrease
- Not applicable
- Don't know
Capital expenditures
e.g., machinery, equipment
- Increase
- Stay about the same
- Decrease
- Not applicable
- Don't know
Training expenditures
- Increase
- Stay about the same
- Decrease
- Not applicable
- Don't know
Marketing and advertising budget
- Increase
- Stay about the same
- Decrease
- Not applicable
- Don't know
Expenditures in research and development
- Increase
- Stay about the same
- Decrease
- Not applicable
- Don't know

Business or organization obstacles

5. Over the next three months, which of the following are expected to be obstacles for this business or organization?

Select all that apply.

Shortage of labour force
Recruiting skilled employees
Retaining skilled employees
Shortage of space or equipment
Cost of inputs
An input is an economic resource used in a firm's production process.
e.g., labour, capital, energy and raw materials
Costs in real estate, leasing or property taxes
Inflation
Interest rates and debt costs
e.g., borrowing fees, interest payments
Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from within Canada
Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from abroad
Maintaining inventory levels
Insufficient demand for goods or services offered
Fluctuations in consumer demand
Attracting new or returning customers
Lack of financial resources
Technological limitations
Regulatory constraints
Cost of insurance
Transportation costs
Obtaining financing
Increasing competition
Challenges related to exporting or selling goods and services to customers in other provinces or territories
Challenges related to exporting or selling goods and services outside of Canada
Maintaining sufficient cash flow or managing debt
Other obstacle
- Specify other obstacle:
OR
None of the above

Flow condition: If at least two obstacles are selected in Q5, go to Q6. Otherwise, go to Q7.

Display condition: Display in Q6 the obstacles selected in Q5.

6. Of the obstacles selected in the previous question, which obstacle is expected to be the most challenging over the next three months?

Shortage of labour force
Recruiting skilled employees
Retaining skilled employees
Shortage of space or equipment
Cost of inputs
An input is an economic resource used in a firm's production process.
e.g., labour, capital, energy and raw materials
Costs in real estate, leasing or property taxes
Inflation
Interest rates and debt costs
e.g., borrowing fees, interest payments
Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from within Canada
Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from abroad
Maintaining inventory levels
Insufficient demand for goods or services offered
Fluctuations in consumer demand
Attracting new or returning customers
Lack of financial resources
Technological limitations
Regulatory constraints
Cost of insurance
Transportation costs
Obtaining financing
Increasing competition
Challenges related to exporting or selling goods and services to customers in other provinces or territories
Challenges related to exporting or selling goods and services outside of Canada
Maintaining sufficient cash flow or managing debt
Other obstacle

Flow condition: If “Cost of inputs” is selected in Q5, go to Q7. Otherwise, go to Q8.

7. Over the next three months, which of the following costs of inputs are expected to be obstacles for this business or organization?

Select all that apply.

Cost of labour
Cost of capital
Cost of energy
Cost of raw materials
OR
Don't know

Flow condition: If "Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from within Canada", "Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from abroad", or "Maintaining inventory levels" is selected in Q5, go to Q8. Otherwise, go to Q11.

Display condition: If "Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from within Canada", "Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from abroad", or "Maintaining inventory levels" is selected in Q5, display in Q8.

Supply chain challenges

8. How long does this business or organization expect the following to continue to be an obstacle?

Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from within Canada
- Less than 3 months
- 3 months to less than 6 months
- 6 months to less than 12 months
- 12 months or more
- Don't know
Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from abroad
- Less than 3 months
- 3 months to less than 6 months
- 6 months to less than 12 months
- 12 months or more
- Don't know
Maintaining inventory levels
- Less than 3 months
- 3 months to less than 6 months
- 6 months to less than 12 months
- 12 months or more
- Don't know

9. Over the last three months, how have supply chain challenges experienced by this business or organization changed?

Supply chain challenges include difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from within Canada or abroad and difficulty maintaining inventory levels.

Exclude seasonal factors or conditions.

Supply chain challenges have worsened
- Which of the following factors have contributed to these challenges?
  Select all that apply.
  - Increased prices of inputs, products or supplies
  - Increased delays in deliveries of inputs, products or supplies
  - Supply shortages resulted in fewer inputs, products or supplies being available
  - Supply shortages resulted in no inputs, products or supplies available
  - Other factor
    - Specify other factor:
  - OR
  - Don't know
Supply chain challenges have remained about the same
Supply chain challenges have improved

10. Over the next three months, how does this business or organization expect supply chain challenges to change?

Supply chain challenges include difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from within Canada or abroad and difficulty maintaining inventory levels.

Exclude seasonal factors or conditions.

Supply chain challenges are expected to worsen
Supply chain challenges are expected to remain about the same
Supply chain challenges are expected to improve

Flow condition: If “Government agency” was selected in Q1, go to Q12. Otherwise, go to Q11.

Display condition: If “Non-profit organization” is selected in Q1, do not display “Transfer the business” or “Sell the business” in Q11.

Expectations for the next year

11. Over the next 12 months, does this business or organization plan to do any of the following?

Select all that apply.

Expand current location of this business or organization
Expand operations of this business or organization internationally
Expand operations of this business or organization into a new province or territory within Canada
Move operations of this business or organization to another location within the province or territory
Move operations of this business or organization to another province or territory within Canada entirely
Expand this business or organization to other locations within the same province or territory
Expand this business or organization without increasing physical space
i.e., hiring more staff who will work remotely, or expanding online sales capacity
Restructure this business or organization
Restructuring involves changing the financial, operational, legal or other structures of the business or organization to make it more efficient or more profitable.
Acquire other businesses, organizations or franchises
Invest in other businesses or organizations
Merge with other businesses or organizations
Reduce the physical space of this business or organization
Scale down operations of this business or organization to within a single province or territory within Canada
Transfer the business
Sell the business
OR
Close the business or organization
OR
Don't know
OR
None of the above

2024 revenues compared with 2023

12. Compared with 2023, how did the revenues of this business or organization change in 2024?

Compared with 2023:

Revenues were higher in 2024
- Compared with 2023, by approximately what percentage were revenues higher in 2024?
  Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage
  - Percentage revenues were higher by in 2024:
    OR
  - Don't know
Revenues were the same in 2024
Revenues were lower in 2024
- Compared with 2023, by approximately what percentage were revenues lower in 2024?
  Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.
  - Percentage revenues were lower by in 2024:
    OR
  - Don't know
Don't know

Online sales

13. What percentage of total sales were made online in 2024?

Online sales, or electronic commerce (e-commerce) refers to all sales of a business' goods or services where orders were received, and the commitment to purchase was made, over the Internet.

Include sales made on this business' or organization's website and third-party websites and apps.
Exclude the delivery of digital products and services for which orders were not made online and orders received or commitments to purchase made by telephone, facsimile or email.

If there were no sales made online, enter "0".

Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

Percentage of total sales in 2024 made online:
OR
Don't know

Wages

14. Over the next 12 months, does this business or organization expect the average wages paid per employee to change?

Average wages are expected to increase
- By what percentage are average wages expected to increase?
  Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage:
  OR
- Don't know
Average wages are expected to decrease
- By what percentage are average wages expected to decrease?
  Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage:
  OR
- Don't know
Average wages are expected to stay approximately the same
Not applicable
e.g., This business or organization does not pay wages
Don't know

Housing supply

15. Over the last 12 months, to what extent has the availability or cost of housing affected the ability of this business or organization to recruit new employees?

Large extent
Moderate extent
Small extent
No extent
Don't know

Investments

16. Over the next 12 months, does this business or organization plan to invest in advanced technologies?

Advanced technologies are technologies (equipment and software) that either perform a new function or significantly improve a function when compared to commonly used technologies in the industry or by competitors.

Yes
No
- For which of the following reasons does this business or organization not plan to invest in advanced technologies?
  Select all that apply.
  - Not relevant to this business or organization at this time
  - Have recently made investments in advanced technologies
  - No knowledge or expertise to invest in advanced technologies
  - No financial resources available for this purpose
  - Other reason
    - Specify other reason:
    OR
  - Don't know
Don't know

17. Over the next 12 months, does this business or organization plan to use any of the following staff development measures?

Exclude on-the-job training for new staff.

Select all that apply.

Training in classrooms, workshops or online
Mentoring or buddying
Mentoring or buddying is a system where a colleague or someone from the same specialty provides guidance and support by sharing knowledge, skills or experience, to help another to develop and grow.
Mistakes acceptance and trying out different ways to carry out their tasks
Engage in rotation, exchanges, secondments, or study visits
Job rotation within the enterprise and exchanges with other enterprises as well as secondments and study visits with the primary intention of developing the skills of the workers involved. Transfers of workers from one job to another which are not part of a planned developmental programme should be excluded.
Other staff development measure
- Specify other staff development measure:
OR
This business or organization does not plan to use any staff development measures over the next 12 months

Flow condition: If "This business or organization does not plan to use any staff development measures over the next 12 months" is selected in Q17, go to Q18. Otherwise, go to Q19.

18. For which of the following reasons does this business or organization not plan to use staff development measures over the next 12 months?

Select all that apply.

No staff development measures needed at this time
Have recently made investments in staff development measures
No financial resources available for this purpose
Other reason
- Specify other reason:
OR
Don't know

Disruptions

19. Over the last 12 months, what types of disruptions have impacted this business' or organization's ability to acquire inputs, products or supplies from Canada or abroad?

Select all that apply.

Disruptions due to labor disputes impacting this business' or organization's suppliers
Disruptions due to labor disputes impacting this business' or organization's transportation providers
Disruptions due to international geopolitical events
Disruptions due to natural events
e.g., fires, floods, tornadoes
Other disruptions
- Specify other disruptions:
OR
No disruptions experienced

Outsourcing

20. Over the last 12 months, what types of tasks, projects or short contracts, if any, did this business or organization outsource?

Include any work outsourced to freelancers, gig workers or other businesses or organizations.

Select all that apply.

Data entry, tagging photos or videos, and other clerical tasks
Copywriting, editing, translation, transcription
Graphic design, audio-visual production
Website or software development, computer programming
Sales and marketing support
Delivery driving, errands
General labour, repairs, cleaning services
Accounting, law or other professional services
Information technology (IT) services support
Event planning
Online support or conference hosting
Other task, project or short contract
- Specify other task, project or short contract:
OR
No tasks, projects or short contracts were outsourced
OR
Don't know

Flow condition: If at least one option between "Data entry, tagging photos or videos, and other clerical tasks" and "Other task, project or short contract" was selected, or "Don't know" was selected in Q20, go to Q21. Otherwise, go to Q22.

21. Over the last 12 months, which third-party digital platforms, applications or websites did this business or organization use to outsource tasks, projects, or short contracts?

e.g., Fiverr, TaskRabbit, Upwork, UberEats

Select all that apply.

Freelancer.ca
Fiverr
TaskRabbit
Upwork
Pagato
Amazon Mechanical Turk
Toptal
Freel.ca
UberEats, Skip the Dishes, DoorDash or similar
Other third-party digital platforms, applications or websites used
- Specify other third-party digital platforms, applications or websites used:
OR
Don't know
OR
None of the above

Liquidity

22. Does this business or organization have the cash or liquid assets required to operate for the next three months?

Yes
No
- Will this business or organization be able to acquire the cash or liquid assets required?
  - Yes
  - No
  - Don't know
Don't know

Debt

23. Over the next three months, does this business or organization plan to apply to a financial institution for a new line of credit, a new term loan, a new non-residential mortgage, or refinancing of an existing non-residential mortgage?

Include commercial mortgages.

Exclude residential mortgages.

Yes
No
- Does this business or organization have the ability to take on more debt?
  Answer based on this business' or organization's ability, even if there are no plans to take on more debt.
  - Yes
  - No
    - For which of the following reasons is this business or organization unable to take on more debt?
      Select all that apply.
      - Cash flow
      - Lack of confidence or uncertainty in future sales
      - Request would be turned down
      - Too difficult or time consuming to apply
      - Interest rates are unfavourable
      - Payment terms are unfavourable
      - Credit rating
      - Other reason
        Specify other reason:
      - OR
      - Not applicable
      - OR
      - Don't know
  - Don't know
Don't know

Payments

24. Over the next three months, how confident is this business or organization in its ability to make its payments to suppliers and service providers in full and on time?

Exclude payments made to financial institutions.

Very confident
Somewhat confident
Not at all confident
Don't know

Working arrangements

25. Over the next three months, what percentage of the employees of this business or organization is anticipated to work on-site or work remotely?

Exclude employees that are primarily engaged in providing driving or delivery services or employees that primarily work at client premises, and contractors.

Working on-site refers to working from an office or job site, while working remotely refers to an employee working from home or another location of the employee's choosing, other than their regular on-site location.

Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

If the percentages are unknown, leave the question blank.

Work on-site exclusively
Percentage of employees:
Work on-site most hours
Percentage of employees:
Work approximately the same number of hours on-site and remotely
i.e., 2-3 days per week on site
Percentage of employees:
Work remotely most hours
Percentage of employees:
Work remotely exclusively
Percentage of employees:

Future outlook

26. Over the next 12 months, what is the future outlook for this business or organization?

Very optimistic
Somewhat optimistic
Somewhat pessimistic
Very pessimistic
Don't know

Employment information

27. For each of the employment categories below, please provide the proportion of employees of this business or organization that are women and men.

For a smaller business or organization, a senior management position could be the owner or operator.
For a larger business or organization, senior management positions may include: Executive Director, President, Vice-President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, General Manager, Chairperson, or Corporate Controller.

Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

In senior management positions
Percentage of employees that are women:
Percentage of employees that are men:
In all other management positions
Percentage of employees that are women:
Percentage of employees that are men:
In all other positions
i.e., employees who do not occupy a management position
Percentage of employees that are women:
Percentage of employees that are men:

Flow condition: If “Private sector business” was selected in Q1, go to Q28. Otherwise, go to “Contract Person”.

Ownership

(i) The groups identified within the following questions are included in order to gain a better understanding of businesses owned by members of various communities across Canada.

28. What percentage of this business or organization is owned by each of the following groups?

Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.
If the business or organization is not owned by anyone that falls under that group, please enter "0".

What percentage of this business or organization is owned by women?
Percentage of business or organization owned by women:
OR
Prefer not to say
OR
Don't know

What percentage of this business or organization is owned by First Nations, Métis or Inuit peoples?
Percentage of business or organization owned by First Nations, Métis or Inuit peoples:
OR
Prefer not to say
OR
Don't know

What percentage of this business or organization is owned by immigrants to Canada?
Percentage of business or organization owned by immigrants to Canada:
OR
Prefer not to say
OR
Don't know

What percentage of this business or organization is owned by persons with a disability?
Percentage of business or organization owned by persons with a disability:
OR
Prefer not to say
OR
Don't know

What percentage of this business or organization is owned by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or two-spirited (LGBTQ2) people?
Percentage of business or organization owned by LGBTQ2 people:
OR
Prefer not to say
OR
Don't know

What percentage of this business or organization is owned by members of visible minorities?
A member of a visible minority in Canada may be defined as someone (other than an Indigenous person) who is non-white in colour or race, regardless of place of birth.
Percentage of business or organization owned by visible minorities:
OR
Prefer not to say
OR
Don't know

Flow condition: If more than 50% of this business or organization is owned by members of visible minorities, go to Q29. Otherwise, go to "Contact person".

29. It was indicated that at least 51% of this business or organization is owned by members of visible minorities. Please select the categories that describe the owner or owners.

Select all that apply.

South Asian
e.g., East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan
Chinese
Black
Filipino
Latin American
Arab
Southeast Asian
e.g., Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai
West Asian
e.g., Afghan, Iranian
Korean
Japanese
Other group
- Specify other group:
OR
Prefer not to say