Supporting those dreams is one of the ways we work toward our dream of an inclusive, thriving western Canadian economy. Like similar federal agencies in other parts of the country, we were created to help diversify and develop the regional economy according to its own unique priorities. For programs to be successful, they must recognize and reflect regional differences. Those of us who live and work in the West are the ones best able to make the most strategic use of resources and generate our own economic priorities. For WD, that means a large part of our mandate involves making certain small and medium-sized businesses have access to the resources and information they need to succeed.
Small business is the engine of economic growth in western Canada.
And it's anything but small. There are 600,000 self-employed entrepreneurs in western Canada. Just as each of Canada's regions has different priorities and faces different challenges, so too do our entrepreneurs. Women aren't looking for special treatment, and they don't want to be treated differently. But women face unique challenges in starting and operating a business, and they often begin their new ventures with entirely different priorities.