Nearly six in 10 Canadian small business owners do not have a succession plan, according to a new report.
BMO Financial Group, Toronto, published this finding in a summary of results from a new report conducted by Leger Marketing, Montreal. Completed in April, the study polled 500 Canadian business owners.
The report finds that most of Canada's small businesses (58%) do not have a succession plan. When asked why, more than a third (36%) of the respondents say that it is too early to begin thinking such a plan.
On a positive note, the report observes that 42% of owners who do have a succession plan represents a 15% increase over those who reported having one in 2010, when BMO last polled small business owners on this question.
BMO's 2012 study also reveals that:
Of those businesses with 10 employees or more, half had a succession plan; two-thirds of business with fewer than 10 employees report they do not have a plan.
One-third (36%) of Canadian small business owners want to keep their businesses in the family.
More than one-quarter (26%) would select an outside source to buy out their business.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.