The Ontario Business Confidence Index shows that 72 per cent of Ontario businesses are confident in their own outlook with 60 per cent planning to expand over the next five years.
But about 41 per cent are unsure about the overall direction of Ontario’s economy.
The index is a survey of 2,386 businesses is as part of the chamber's Emerging Stronger 2013 document. The results were released Jan. 30 by members of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and its research partner, the Mowat Centre at the University of Toronto.
Among the survey recommendations are: enabling better access to capital for startups and small businesses through crowd funding; encouraging businesses to employ more Aboriginal people and people with disabilities; opening up more government services to private sector and not-for-profit delivery; utilizing Ontario’s large immigrant population to grow exports; and, allowing more employers to participate in training.
“As many Timmins businesses continue to struggle with workforce challenges, we’re glad to see the issue featured prominently within Emerging Stronger 2013,” said Art Pultz, president of the Timmins Chamber of Commerce. “Provincial action on these and other recommendations will go a long way to helping businesses in our community and throughout Ontario.”
“We are confident that Ontario has all the assets to prosper, but we need to act collectively, strategically, and with purpose,” said Allan O'Dette, CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
"Business sentiment is very much 'glass half-full' in the province right now,” said Dave Scholz, vice-president of Leger Marketing.