Canadian Survey on Business Conditions, first quarter of 2022

Business or organization information

1. Which of the following categories best describes this business or organization?

  • Government agency
  • Private sector business
  • Non-profit organization
    • Who does this organization primarily serve?
      • Households or individuals
        e.g., child and youth services, community food services, food bank, women's shelter, community housing services, emergency relief services, religious organization, grant and giving services, social advocacy group, arts and recreation group
      • Businesses
        e.g., business association, chamber of commerce, condominium association, environment support or protection services, group benefit carriers (pensions, health, medical)
  • Don't know

Business or organization information

2. In what year was this business or organization first established?

Please provide the year this business or organization first began operations.

Year business or organization was first established:

OR

Don't know

3. In the last 12 months, did this business or organization conduct any of the following international activities?

Select all that apply.

  • Export or sell goods outside of Canada
    Include both intermediate and final goods.
  • Export or sell services outside of Canada
    Include services delivered virtually and in person.
    e.g., software, cloud services, legal services, environmental services, architectural services, digital advertising
  • Make investments outside of Canada
  • Sell goods to businesses or organizations in Canada who then resold them outside of Canada
  • Import or buy goods from outside of Canada
    Include both intermediate and final goods.
  • Import or buy services from outside of Canada
    Include services received virtually and in person.
    e.g., software, cloud services, legal services, environmental services, architectural services, digital advertising
  • Relocate any business or organizational activities or employees from another country into Canada
    Exclude temporary foreign workers.
  • Engage in other international business or organizational activities
    OR
  • None of the above

4. Over the next three months, how are each of the following expected to change for this business or organization?

Exclude seasonal factors or conditions.

  • Number of employees
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
    • Don't know
  • Vacant positions
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
    • Don't know
  • Sales of goods and services offered by this business or organization
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
    • Don't know
  • Selling price of goods and services offered by this business or organization
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
    • Don't know
  • Demand for goods and services offered by this business or organization
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
    • Don't know
  • Imports
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
    • Don't know
  • Exports
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
    • Don't know
  • Operating income
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
    • Don't know
  • Operating expenses
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
    • Don't know
  • Profitability
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
    • Don't know
  • Cash reserves
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
    • Don't know
  • Capital expenditures
    e.g., machinery, equipment
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
    • Don't know
  • Training expenditures
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
    • Don't know
  • Marketing and advertising budget
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
    • Don't know
  • Expenditures in research and development
    • Increase
    • Stay about the same
    • Decrease
    • Not applicable
    • Don't know

Business or organization obstacles

5. Over the next three months, which of the following are expected to be obstacles for this business or organization?

Select all that apply.

  • Shortage of labour force
  • Recruiting skilled employees
  • Retaining skilled employees
  • Shortage of space or equipment
  • Rising cost of inputs
    An input is an economic resource used in a firm's production process.
    e.g., labour, capital, energy and raw materials
  • Cost of personal protective equipment (PPE), additional cleaning or implementing distancing requirements
  • Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from within Canada
  • Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from abroad
  • Maintaining inventory levels
  • Insufficient demand for goods or services offered
  • Fluctuations in consumer demand
  • Attracting new or returning customers
  • Cost of insurance
  • Transportation costs
  • Obtaining financing
  • Travel restrictions and travel bans
  • Increasing competition
  • Challenges related to exporting or selling goods and services outside of Canada
  • Maintaining sufficient cash flow or managing debt
  • Entry to new markets
  • Other
    • Specify other:
    OR
  • None of the above

Flow condition: If "Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from within Canada", "Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from abroad", or "Maintaining inventory levels" is selected in Q5, go to Q6. Otherwise, go to Q12.

Supply chain challenges

6. How long does this business or organization expect the following to continue to be an obstacle?

  • Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from within Canada
    • Less than 3 month
    • 3 months to less than 6 months
    • 6 months to less than 12 months
    • 12 months or more
    • Don't know
  • Difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from abroad
    • Less than 3 month
    • 3 months to less than 6 months
    • 6 months to less than 12 months
    • 12 months or more
    • Don't know
  • Maintaining inventory levels
    • Less than 3 month
    • 3 months to less than 6 months
    • 6 months to less than 12 months
    • 12 months or more
    • Don't know

7. Over the last three months, how have supply chain challenges experienced by this business or organization changed?

Supply chain challenges include difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from within Canada or abroad and difficulty maintaining inventory levels.
Exclude seasonal factors or conditions.

  • Supply chain challenges have worsened
    • Which of the following factors have contributed to these challenges?
      Select all that apply.
      • Increased prices of inputs, products or supplies
      • Increased delays in deliveries of inputs, products or supplies
      • Supply shortages resulted in fewer inputs, products or supplies being available
      • Supply shortages resulted in no inputs, products or supplies available
      • Other
        • Specify other:
      • Don't know
  • Supply chain challenges have remained about the same
  • Supply chain challenges have improved

8. Over the next three months, how does this business or organization expect supply chain challenges to change?

Supply chain challenges include difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from within Canada or abroad and difficulty maintaining inventory levels.
Exclude seasonal factors or conditions.

  • Supply chain challenges are expected to worsen
  • Supply chain challenges are expected to remain about the same
  • Supply chain challenges are expected to improve

Supply chain

9. Over the last 12 months, from which of the following regions did this business or organization directly source its inputs, products or supplies?

Select all that apply.

  • Canada
  • United States
  • Mexico
  • Europe
    e.g., Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Belgium
  • Asia
    e.g., Japan, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, India
  • South America
    e.g., Brazil, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Guyana
  • Africa
    e.g., South Africa, Mauritania, Nigeria, Morocco, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger
  • Other
    • Specify other:
  • Unknown region

10. Which of the following strategies does this business or organization currently use to address its supply chain challenges?

Supply chain challenges include difficulty acquiring inputs, products or supplies from within Canada or abroad and difficulty maintaining inventory levels.
Select all that apply.

  • Monitor shortages, delays, or disruptions for critical inputs, products or supplies
  • Search for alternate sources of supply
  • Increase tracking of delivery progress
  • Increase communications with suppliers or wholesalers
  • Maintain higher inventory levels of inputs, products or supplies
  • Other
    • Specify other:
    OR
  • Don't know
    OR
  • None of the above

11. Over the next 12 months, does this business or organization plan to make any of the following adjustments to its supply chain?

Select all that apply.

  • Relocate supply chain activities to Canada
  • Relocate supply chain activities outside of Canada
  • Substitute inputs, products or supplies with alternate inputs, products or supplies
  • Shift to local suppliers
  • Partner with new suppliers
  • Implement technological improvements
  • Invest in research and development projects to identify alternate inputs, products, supplies, or production processes
  • Other
    • Specify other:
    OR
  • Don't know
    OR
  • None of the above

Flow condition: If the business or organization is a private sector business or non-profit organization, go to Q12. Otherwise, go to Q13.

Expectations for the next year

12. Over the next 12 months, does this business or organization plan to do any of the following?

Select all that apply.

  • Expand current location of this business or organization
  • Expand this business or organization to other locations
  • Expand this business or organization without increasing physical space
    i.e., hiring more staff who will work remotely
  • Restructure this business or organization
    Restructuring involves changing the financial, operational, legal or other structures of the business or organization to make it more efficient or more profitable.
  • Acquire other businesses, organizations or franchises
  • Invest in other businesses or organizations
  • Merge with other businesses or organizations
    OR
  • Don't know
    OR
  • None of the above

Flow condition: If the business or organization is a private sector business, go to Q13. Otherwise, go to Q14.

13. Over the next 12 months, are there any plans to transfer, sell or close this business?

  • Yes
    • Does this business plan to:
      • Transfer to family members without money changing hands
      • Sell to family members
      • Sell to employees
      • Sell to external parties
      • Close the business
      • Don't know
  • No
  • Don't know

Input costs

14. Over the next 12 months, how likely is this business or organization to pass on any increases in its costs to customers?

Include costs related to taxes, rents, wages, inputs, products, supplies, or carbon prices.

  • Very likely
  • Somewhat likely
  • Somewhat unlikely
  • Very unlikely
  • Don't know

Wages

15. Over the next 12 months, does this business or organization expect the average wages paid to change?

  • Average wages are expected to increase
    • By what percentage are average wages expected to increase?
      Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.
      • Percentage average wages are expected to increase:
      • Don't know
  • Average wages are expected to decrease
    • By what percentage are average wages expected to decrease?
      Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.
      • Percentage average wages are expected to decrease:
      • Don't know
  • Average wages are expected to stay approximately the same
  • Not applicable
    e.g., This business or organization does not pay wages

Recruitment, retention and training

16. Over the next 12 months, does this business or organization plan to start doing any of the following?

Select all that apply.

  • Increase wages offered to new employees
  • Increase wages offered to existing employees
  • Increase benefits offered to new employees
  • Increase benefits offered to existing employees
  • Offer signing bonuses or incentives to new employees
  • Offer option to work remotely
  • Offer flexible scheduling
  • Apply for learning and development programs provided by governments in order to upskill or reskill current employees
  • Work with education and training institutions to offer work-integrated learning programs such as co-ops, internships, and apprenticeships
  • Provide tuition support to employees to take courses or programs
  • Provide employees with paid time to engage in learning and development programs
  • Provide training to employees to take other positions within this business or organization
  • Encourage employees to participate in on-the-job training
  • Encourage employees to acquire micro-credentials which help individuals develop job-related competencies
    Micro-credentials are short, concentrated groups of courses that are based on industry needs. They are generally offered in shorter or more flexible timespans and tend to be more narrowly focused in comparison with traditional degrees and certificates. Some micro-credentials may be stackable and can be combined to form a part of a larger credential.
    OR
  • None of the above

Liquidity and debt

17. Does this business or organization have the cash or liquid assets required to operate for the next three months?

  • Yes
  • No
    • Will this business or organization be able to acquire the cash or liquid assets required?
      • Yes
      • No
      • Don't know
  • Don't know

18. Does this business or organization have the ability to take on debt?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Don't know

Working arrangements

19. Over the next three months, what percentage of the employees of this business or organization is anticipated to do each of the following?

Exclude staff that are primarily engaged in providing driving or delivery services or staff that primarily work at client premises.

Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.
If the percentages are unknown, leave the question blank.

  1. Work on-site exclusively
    Percentage of employees:
  2. Work on-site most hours
    Percentage of employees:
  3. Work the same amount of hours on-site and remotely
    Percentage of employees:
  4. Work remotely most hours
    Percentage of employees:
  5. Work remotely exclusively
    Percentage of employees:

Flow condition: If 100% of this business's or organization's workforce is anticipated to work remotely exclusively in Q19, go to Q21. Otherwise, go to Q20.

20. Over the next three months, for this business or organization, is insufficient technology a limiting factor in having more employees working remotely?

e.g., computers, video conference tools

  • Yes
  • No
  • Don't know

Technology and automation

21. Over the next 12 months, does this business or organization plan to adopt new or additional digital technologies?

e.g., artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, cloud computing services, collaboration tools, security software tools, software or databases for purposes other than telework and online sales.
Note: Press the help button (?) for additional information.
(?) Digital technologies include technologies that can improve productivity and accelerate business growth, such as:

  • Software or hardware using artificial intelligence
    e.g., machine learning, predictive technology, virtual personal assistants, online customer support bots, image or speech recognition
  • Robotics
  • Automation of certain tasks
    e.g., through the use of robots or computer algorithms
  • Cloud computing services that are used over the internet to access software, computing power, or storage capacity
    e.g., Microsoft 365®, Google Cloud™, Dropbox™
  • Collaboration tools
    e.g., Zoom™, Microsoft Teams™, Slack™
  • Security software tools
    e.g., anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-malware, firewalls
  • Software or databases for purposes other than telework and online sales
  • Digital technology to move business operations or sales online (for purposes other than teleworking or remote working)
  • Yes
  • No
    • For which of the following reasons does this business or organization not plan to adopt any digital technologies over the next 12 months?
      Select all that apply.
      • COVID-19 has delayed the business's or organization's plans to adopt digital technologies
      • This business or organization does not have the necessary financial resources
      • This business or organization does not have the necessary human resources
      • This business or organization has recently adopted digital technologies
      • Other reason
        • Specify other :
      • Digital technologies are not relevant to this business or organization
  • Don't know

Future outlook

22. Over the next 12 months, what is the future outlook for this business or organization?

  • Very optimistic
  • Somewhat optimistic
  • Somewhat pessimistic
  • Very pessimistic
  • Don't know

2021 revenues compared with 2019

23. Compared to 2019, how did the revenues of this business or organization change in 2021?

  • Revenues were higher or the same in 2021
    • How were revenues impacted by COVID-19?
      • Revenues were not affected or have been higher due to COVID-19
      • Revenues were affected by COVID-19 but have recovered since
      • Don't know
  • Revenues were 1% to less than 25% lower in 2021
  • Revenues were 25% to less than 50% lower in 2021
  • Revenues were 50% to 75% lower in 2021
  • Revenues were 75% to 100% lower in 2021
  • Revenues were 100% lower in 2021
  • Don't know

Employment information

24. For each of the employment categories below, please provide the proportion of employees of this business or organization that are women and men.

For a smaller business or organization, a senior management position could be the owner or operator.
For a larger business or organization, senior management positions may include: Executive Director, President, Vice-President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, General Manager, Chairperson, or Corporate Controller.
Note: Press the help button (?) for additional information.
(?) Employees in senior management positions are responsible for developing and establishing the directions and goals for the business or organization. They are responsible for managing the staff and finances of the business or organization. They may also plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the operations of the business or organization in relation to established objectives.
All other management positions are defined as all other managers, excluding senior managers.
All non-management positions are defined as employees in non-management positions.
Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

  • In senior management positions
    • Percentage of employees that are women:
    • Percentage of employees that are men:
  • In all other management positions
    • Percentage of employees that are women:
    • Percentage of employees that are men:
  • In all other positions
    i.e., employees who do not occupy a management position
    • Percentage of employees that are women:
    • Percentage of employees that are men:

Flow condition: If the business or organization is a private sector business, go to Q25. Otherwise, go to "Contact person".

Ownership

(i) The groups identified within the following questions are included in order to gain a better understanding of businesses owned by members of various communities across Canada.

25. What percentage of this business or organization is owned by women?

Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

Percentage:

OR

Don't know

26. What percentage of this business or organization is owned by First Nations, Métis or Inuit peoples?

Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

Percentage:

OR

Don't know

27. What percentage of this business or organization is owned by immigrants to Canada?

Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

Percentage:

OR

Don't know

28. What percentage of this business or organization is owned by persons with a disability?

Include visible and non-visible disabilities.
Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

Percentage:

OR

Don't know

29. What percentage of this business or organization is owned by LGBTQ2 individuals?

The term LGBTQ2 refers to persons who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or two-spirited.
Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

Percentage:

OR

Don't know

30. What percentage of this business or organization is owned by members of visible minorities?

A member of a visible minority in Canada may be defined as someone (other than an Indigenous person) who is non-white in colour or race, regardless of place of birth.
Provide your best estimate rounded to the nearest percentage.

Percentage:

OR

Don't know

Flow condition: If more than 50% of this business or organization is owned by members of visible minorities, go to Q31. Otherwise, go to "Contact person".

31. It was indicated that at least 51% of this business or organization is owned by members of visible minorities. Please select the categories that describe the owner or owners.

Select all that apply.

  • South Asian
    e.g., East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan
  • Chinese
  • Black
  • Filipino
  • Latin American
  • Arab
  • Southeast Asian
    e.g., Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai
  • West Asian
    e.g., Afghan, Iranian
  • Korean
  • Japanese
  • Other group
    • Specify other group:
    OR
  • Prefer not to say
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