People looking to start their own business should probably set up shop in the Okanagan, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) Entrepreneurial Communities report.
In the CFIB’s latest study, Penticton is the second best city to be an entrepreneur, while Kelowna takes third place. The top spot goes to Calgary periphery, which is a grouping of municipalities that surround Calgary.
The two Okanagan cities have made major strides in the past twelve months in growing their business communities. Last year, Penticton was ranked 20th and Kelowna was 15th on the list.
If the rating system is broken down by population size, Penticton is the frontrunner as the best small city in Canada to do business.
“Our future isn’t a new saw mill or fruit packaging plant, it is the entrepreneur that can compete and trade in the world market and still chooses to operate from Penticton because of our lifestyle, progressive policies and our competitive advantages,” said Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit.
The rankings are based on high concentration of entrepreneurs, high business start-up rate, optimism and success of business owners, and good public policy.
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