A new Statistics Canada policy that makes all electronic publications on the agency's website - more than 150 in total - available free of charge has received lukewarm reviews.
"Newspapers and universities are ecstatic about this initiative," says Francois Borde, Statistics Canada's director of communications. "Government departments, journalists and the public at large who were willing to pay, now get this information for free."
But Borde admits small businesses aren't all that interested.
"They're interested in their domain of expertise - for example, building a specific type of machinery. But, Statistics Canada doesn't go to such a micro level ... The information is too aggregated and more generic.
"The plumber who has a plumbing-equipment store won't find much to help him, even though now it's free," Borde says. "The manufacturing sector, food statistics, food-consumption patterns, etc. give a broad indication which won't specifically help the needs of a small business."
One example of the publications available is the Canadian Economic Observer, a monthly report of the economic conditions of Canada, which previously cost $100 per year for a subscription and is now free.
Dino Rocca, acting director for the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, says most small business owners will view the policy change, which took place on April 24, as neutral. "They don't have time to be online and to download this information. They're too busy running their shops."
Rocca views the initiative as "a double-edged sword" because small businesses spend a lot of time filling out forms for Statistics Canada, "which takes their focus away from doing what they need to do to grow and prosper."
Nonetheless, "for the organizations that cater to the interests of small business, like the CFIB (Canadian Federation of Independent Business), the availability of statistics and policy items will help them to develop programs and policies," Rocca says.
The CFIB, however, is not overly enthusiastic.
"It is a good first step, a good start, but it doesn't go far enough," says Garth Whyte, CFIB executive vice-president. He adds that while the now-free e-publications are very broad, they're not very deep.
"They offer a macro perspective and aren't attracting employers. Small businesses need a narrower focus and a deeper scope - raw data or customized data sets, like certain regional and sector information" that isn't free, he says. "Someone may be starting a vineyard in Niagara and wants to research the competition in that sector, or someone may be starting up a retail operation in a particular city and wants to know if it's a good place to start a business or not."
Such customized data can cost "anywhere from $3 to thousands of dollars," Whyte says, "even though businesses have to provide the data on which the customized data sets are based. This is insult to injury. They fill out the forms, but then they don't get the results of the data compiled."
Organizations such as the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI), which helps area technology companies thrive locally and compete globally, welcome the change, however.
"There's lots of information under the labour portfolio that's going to be most useful, particularly if it's free," says Alicia O'Brien, the OCRI's manager of marketing communications.
Michael Darch, OCRI's executive director of global marketing, says that while Statistics Canada publications weren't that expensive, making them free allows easier access. "We work with ingoing and outgoing investments ... It (the policy change) will help us enormously.
"We're trying to attract small business from the Silicon Valley to potential investments here," Darch says. "They're mostly in knowledge-based industries and are asking increasingly fine questions. They want more detail on demographics, education, research and development spending, and so on."
He says small and medium-sized companies need to ensure that the workforce they need is available and small companies in places such as Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton are having trouble getting the skills force they need at an affordable price.
Making the publications free is "another step to make it easier to see where the workforce is going and what skills we have and need in our communities."
Canada's biggest advantage and biggest disadvantage is being next to the United States, Darch says, and as a result people abroad see Canadians as second cousins.
Despite that perception, he adds, "a Statistics Canada study released on May 11 revealed that Ottawa is second only to San Jose in terms of the number of scientists and engineers."
"The Canadian workforce is as well or better trained than the U.S workforce in this area. Statistics like that help us counter long-held misbeliefs out there," he says.
Borde says the change was made because some of the information on Statistics Canada's website was free and some required payment. "There were inconsistencies in our approach to the delivery of information to the public. We decided to be consistent and this gives the public easier access to what's produced.
"We still have a print publication program," Borde says, "and some are for free, but most are available for a fee, such as the CPI (consumer price index) information and very detailed international trade figures."
(Anastasia MacLean can be reached at maclean@businessedge.ca)
