'Your Voice' Omnibus Survey on Small Business Issues

Every other month, CFIB members lend their opinions to 'Your Voice,' a survey exploring a variety of current topics. The latest takeaways are showcased in a series of informative charts that summarize these findings.

Your Voice Highlights

August 2026

The August 2026 Your Voice survey of 1,577 small business owners reveals a cautious outlook among SMEs. Half of business owners would not recommend starting a business today, citing high costs and economic uncertainty as the primary reasons. While most businesses rate their financial health as average or better, more than one in five describe it as weak or critical. Entrepreneurial sentiment is closely tied to financial health, with owners facing greater financial challenges being less likely to recommend starting a business. 

Views on starting a business today

• Half of small businesses would not recommend starting a business right now
• Reluctance to recommend starting a business is widespread across provinces, reaching a high of 55% in British Columbia
• Businesses in accommodation and food services (61%), transportation and utilities (56%), and construction (56%) are most likely to say they would not recommend starting a business now
• High costs and economic uncertainty are the leading reasons businesses say now is not a good time to start a business, with nearly nine in ten citing each factor (88% and 86%, respectively)

Financial health and entrepreneurial sentiment

• While most owners describe the overall financial health of their business as average or better, about one in five (22%) rate it as weak or critical
• Views on whether to recommend starting a business become less positive as financial health declines

Mandate vote

Personal guarantees for SME financing: Most business owners show support for eliminating personal guarantees on loans under
the Canada Small Business Financing Program, reflecting concerns about personal financial risk and entrepreneurship.
Canada's de-minimis threshold: Views are divided on whether Canada should eliminate its de minimis duty exemption for low value imports, highlighting competing concerns around competitiveness, consumer costs, and affordability.
 

Explore more August 2026 insights and our extensive survey collection below.