March 18, 2014, Richmond, B.C. – The Sage Canadian Small Business Weather
Survey has found that the most common responses from
Canadian small businesses to adverse weather have been to reduce headcount
and employee hours. The report focuses on the impact recent severe weather had on Canadian small
businesses during the winter of 2013, and offers tips to help you prepare your
business for adverse weather.
March 18, 2014, Richmond, B.C. – The Sage Canadian Small Business Weather
Survey has found that the most common responses from
Canadian small businesses to adverse weather have been to reduce headcount
and employee hours. The report focuses on the impact recent severe weather had on Canadian small
businesses during the winter of 2013, and offers tips to help you prepare your
business for adverse weather.
The survey’s key findings include:
·
Twenty five per cent of
Canadian small businesses said the winter weather has negatively affected their
business.
·
The most common responses from
Canadian small businesses to the adverse weather has been to reduce headcount
and reduce employee hours.
·
Twenty per cent responded that
this winter’s weather has been worse than recent years.
·
The Atlantic and central
regions were most likely to say this winter’s weather has been worse.
·
The biggest problems resulting
from this year’s winter weather are lower revenue, lower productivity and lower
profit.
·
In Canada, the negative effect
has lasted longer than it has in the U.S.
·
Only 25 per cent of Canadian
businesses had a bad-weather plan in place this winter.
·
The most common type of
bad-weather plan is an employee communication plan (75 per cent among those who
have a plan).
Careful planning is key to successfully
navigating severe winter conditions and business emergencies in general.
Sage offers Ten Tips to Prepare Your Business
for a Weather Emergency.
The survey was conducted in February 2014
among 459 Canadian businesses and has a confidence level of 95 per cent with an
error rate of +/- 4 per cent.
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