The IT Nerd

A newly released survey by Zoho Corporation – the Zoho SMB Outlook Survey – reveals that Canadian small and medium-sized business leaders are optimistic about their company’s prospects. 

The survey – which queried 750 business people across Canada – found that 66.7% of respondents are optimistic about the next six months, with 74.2% of those surveyed forecasting upwards of 20-percent growth. This positive outlook stems, in part, from productivity, as more than three-quarters of respondents expressed satisfaction with their output.

Key Survey Findings:

Productivity

• 77.7% of respondents are satisfied with productivity
  • 83.9% of Quebec’s respondents are satisfied 
  • 73.7% of Alberta’s respondents are satisfied

Optimism

• 66.7% of businesses are moderately to very optimistic about the next 6 months
  • 14.8% very optimistic; 20.8% moderately optimistic; and 31.1% optimistic
  • 71.4% of Quebec’s respondents are optimistic
  • 64% of Ontario’s citizens are optimistic

• 39.1% expect their business to grow by 1-10% during the next six months
  • 51.3% of Albertan respondents anticipate growth of 1-10%
  • 32.1% of respondents in Quebec anticipate growth of 1-10%

• 22.5% expect their business to grow by 11-20% during the next six months
  • 26.8% of respondents in Quebec anticipate growth of 11-20%
  • 15.8% of Albertan respondents anticipate growth of 11-20%

• 12.6% expect their business to grow by 20+% during the next six months
  • 15.8% of Albertan respondents anticipate growth of 20% or more
  • 14.3% of respondents in Quebec anticipate growth of 20% or more

Hiring/Retention

• 42.4% of businesses are hiring and 52.7% are neither hiring nor laying people off
  • Only 4.9% anticipate layoffs

• 42.5% have struggled to retain employees

• The majority of respondents have retained more flexible work options, with hybrid work accounting for 36.8% and at-home work accounting for 29.7%. Only 33.5% of respondents are working in-office.
  • 39.3% of Quebec’s respondents have a hybrid workplace model and 21.4% work from home; 39.3% work in the office
  • However, 53.9% of Albertans work in the office, while 32.9% use a hybrid workplace and 13.2% work at home

Return To Workplace / Mask Mandates     

• 64.5% of businesses have already returned to the office, while 13.6% are planning to return in the Fall
  • In Alberta, 81.6% of respondents have returned to the office while only 58% Quebec’s respondents have gone back

• 38.4% of all respondents will maintain a mask mandate
  • 41.4% in Ontario
  • 32.1% in Quebec
  • 17.1% in Alberta

• 44.7% of all respondents won’t maintain a mask mandate
  • 68.4% won’t in Alberta
  • 41.1% won’t in Ontario
  • 32.1% won’t in Quebec

• 46.3% of all respondents will require employees to be vaccinated
  • 48.2% in Quebec
  • 46.2% in Ontario
  • 34.2% in Alberta

IT Highlight

• 76.1% of IT respondents are optimistic about the future of their business, positioning them as the most optimistic vertical

Report Methodology

Conducted in March 2021 by Zoho Survey, this study contacted 750 individuals across Canada. Participants in the study included a range of business leaders, from manager roles to the C-level, at small and large enterprises across a variety of industries.

This entry was posted on May 19, 2022 at 9:02 am and is filed under Commentary with tags Zoho. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.