The informed and enabled small business entrepreneur, a case study of a city of Winnipeg information-based local economic development initiative, the draft document How to do business in the City of Winnipeg

Abstract

Changes in the Canadian economy suggest the need for municipal economic development initiatives in the form of growth of new and young small businesses. The problem that gave rise to the research undertaken for this practicum is that there are many barriers faced by entrepreneurs in terms of starting or altering a business. To ameliorate this problem, the City of Winnipeg Business Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs Department drafted the document "How to Do Business in the City of Winnipeg", which is intended to mitigate one such barrier--that of a complex and confusing regulatory process. The testing of this document, to determine whether it in fact provides information that assists entrepreneurs to navigate the regulatory process and thereby encourage an aspect of local economic development in the form of growth of new and young small businesses, was made the focus of the research for this practicum. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)