B.C. is the most entrepreneurial province, survey says

65 per cent of B.C. respondents reported they would like to start their own business

65 per cent of respondents reported they would like to start their own business, but cash is a problem

When it comes to being their own boss, British Columbians walk the talk. A whopping 39 per cent have gone into business for themselves, according to a recent poll by multichannel commerce platform Shopify Inc. That put us just ahead of Alberta (38 per cent) and above Ontario (33 per cent) in the online survey of some 1,700 Canadians. Meanwhile, 65 per cent of B.C. respondents said they wanted to go it alone someday, three percentage points below the national average. Unsurprisingly, survey participants listed lack of cash and plain old fear among the top barriers.

Shopify, which closed at $116.80 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on July 14, powers some 400,000 businesses in about 175 countries. More than 30,000 of them are in Canada; from 2015 to 2016, the Ottawa-based company saw a 52 per cent increase in B.C. merchants. August 1 to 3 in Vancouver, Shopify will give local entrepreneurs a chance to hone their chops at its Shop Class conference. Held at the Stanley Park Pavilion, this gathering includes workshops, panel discussions and networking. Tickets range from free to $30.