COVID-19 & Business Research for British Columbia’s Small Businesses
Note: This is a work in progress and intended to be a starting place for Canadian, and specifically BC, businesses to gather information. Special thanks to the Academic Business Librarians of British Columbia, who have helped curate the information on this webpage. Check with your local library regarding access to subscription resources.
1.0 Key Business Research Starting Places
A live resource to support businesses across the province as they navigate the COVID-19 pandemic on their road to recovery as set out in BC’s Restart Plan.
- BC Chamber of Commerces' Resources to Help Businesses Affected by COVID-19
A listing of up-to-date resources to help BC businesses affected by COVID-19 curated by local and provincial Chambers. - Small Business British Columbia’s COVID-19 BC Business Support Service
A full suite of services to help BC businesses connect with the resources, and guidance necessary to navigate challenges from COVID-19.
- WorkSafeBC
Partnering with the BC government to develop specific resources for industries as they prepare to reopen and Information and resources for staying safe in your industry.
- South Island prosperity partnership - COVID-19 Business Resources
Curates weekly news updates and links to local resources.
- BC Centre For Disease Control - COVID-19
Authoritative health information and data as well as information and guidelines for employers and business.
- Government of Canada’s Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, Support for Businesses
Includes a virtual chat COVID-19 assistant. Has information on funding, human resource management, as well as those who are self employed or operating indigenous businesses.
- Clicklaw, Businesses, Non-Profits and Consumers (COVID-19)
A list of resource with an emphasis on providing British Columbians with trusted sources of legal-related info as the landscape rapidly evolves.
- CovidImpact
An app, COVID-19 Business Care Package, created by UBC graduates that offers a "...small business care bundle that equips the founder with everything they need to immunize their business to COVID-19 and its after-effects."
- Small Business BC Back To Business
Whether your business is getting ready to reopen, or you’re pivoting operations to service the new COVID economy, you don’t need to face these challenges alone. Small Business BC is here to help with the tools and resources you need to weather these unprecedented times.
- The Consulting Hive
A network of British-Columbia based consultants, advisors and specialists to assist owners and managers of for-profit, not-for-profit, social enterprises and charities at all stages of their business journey during and beyond COVID-19.1.1 Funding Resources
1.2 Industry Databases with Licensed & Freely Available Content
1.2.1 Tools to Learn about Industry Impacts
- BCC Industry
Subscription required for analysis of global market sizing, forecasting and industry intelligence, covering markets in science and technology, but some free blog content is available, as well as an overview of analyst reports such as Impact of COVID19 on the Global Economy. Also see BCC’s series of white papers, many of which touch on the impact of COVID19 on specific industries and markets (registration required for free access).
- Gartner
Subscription required to visit the COVID-19 Client Resource Center but some Free content is available. Free resources include articles and webinars about leading your organization from initial response to recovery with a collection of COVID-19 research and tools.
- IBISWorld
Subscription required for industry and market research reports. Industries impacted by the coronavirus now include a COVID-19 impact update
Free content includes industry fast facts, industry exposure tools, analyst insights and webinars for Canada and other countries.
- Statista
Provides statistics gathered by market researchers, trade organizations, scientific publications, and government sources. Search for COVID-19 to find related statistics. Example: smartphone COVID. Subscription required for some resources
- Dun & Bradstreet
Subscription required for corporate and financial information on public and private companies, industry markets research, and analysts reports.
Free content includes Coronavirus resources.
- Mintel
Subscription required for most COVID-19 related insights, trends, articles, and reports produced by Mintel but some free Canadian News content available on Mintel’s blog.
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You can find the COVID-19 data in SimplyAnalytics in two places: [recommended] Go to the Data tab, click on the "Data Folder" view (located just below the data search box), then scroll to the bottom of the list of data folders, or go to the Data tab, click on the Health category icon, then check the box next to COVID-19 in the list of health sub-categories. Subscription required.
1.2.2 Tools to Learn about Economic Impacts
- CB Insights
Subscription required but some free content is available including research briefs and reports such as "All Of Big Tech’s Investments Since The Covid-19 Outbreak".
- Conference Board of Canada
Subscription required for research reports on business, economy, and forecasts of industry trends. Free content includes all COVID-19 insights and analysis on economic impact and implications for Canada.
- eMarketer
Market data, statistics, and articles on online marketing, e-commerce, media, and emerging technologies worldwide. Search for COVID-19
Subscription required but some free content available, including webinars, reports, statistics and marketing trends about Coronavirus.
- Marketresearch.com
Subscription required but some content available in white papers, blog, etc.
- Passport/Euromonitor
Subscription required for market research data, reports, and consumer trends worldwide. Reports and data on short and long term impact of coronavirus across various product categories, economic scenarios, and consumer behaviour. Free content includes a selection of analyst insights, podcasts, and an international price and availability tracker tool.
- PitchBook
Coronavirus Updates: Latest News and Analysis. Continually updated. Free news and analysis from PitchBook, a data and research provider focused on VC, PE, and M&A but some content will be only accessible to subscribers.
1.3 Legal Resources
- People’s Law School (BC)
Coronavirus: Your Legal Questions Answered. Q&A written by lawyers, includes help for small business owners, canceling flights, scams, and signing a contract or a will.
- Justice Education Society, Legal Help BC
A Q&A style article for questions concerning how COVID-19 will affect issues around consumer law and money, and small business in British Columbia.
- The Lawyer’s Daily
Subscription required for daily Canadian legal news published by LexisNexis. Free content available: LexisNexis has opened up access to regular updates about COVID-19. Coverage includes how the pandemic has impacted the legal industry and the practice of law, as well as the Canadian court system, federal agencies, industries, businesses and more.
- Lexis Practice Advisor
Subscription database for practising lawyers in Canada. Free content available: Coronavirus Document Kit (PDF available here) offers guidance related to COVID-19 and the law. The content includes guidance for employers on their obligations during a pandemic, key implications of COVID-19 for Canadian public companies, insight on commercial deals and terms, crisis communications, and more.
- Thomson Reuters
Subscription required for legal materials available on WestlawNext Canada. Free content available: webinars, news, and Practical Law’s Canada Coronavirus Toolkit which includes resources to assist on the legal and practical issues arising from the threat of business disruption.
- Law firm newsletters
Major Canadian law firms are writing bulletins tracking changes and updates related to client business and industries, there are many, some samples include:
1.4 Educational Opportunities
1.4.1 Free Educational Opportunities & Professional Development Opportunities
- UVic’s Gustavson School of Business webinar series: Navigating Uncharted Waters. Topics include retaining consumer trust, granting employees voice, innovating during a crisis and more.
- UBC’s Sauder School of Business’ Virtual Leadership Series. Topics include: leading authentically, how to restart businesses, communicating effectively, and more.
- Northern Lakes College, Continuing Education & Corporate Training has limited-time online opportunities. Topics include: Creating webpage, podcasting for businesses, leading during turbulent times, maintenance management amid COVID-19, and many more.
- Small Business BC's Back To Business Webinars are a series of educational webinars, articles, and resources to help support small businesses safely reopen their business. Content ranges from how to effectively communicate your health and safety plan, to earning back the trust of your customers
- Women’s Enterprise Centre is offering online education and resources, preferred entry into the Women’s Enterprise Centre Mentoring Program for six months of mentorship with an experienced entrepreneur (subject to availability) and professional business support and connections with a community of other women business owners throughout BC.
- Charity Village is Canada's nonprofit sector's largest online resource for recruiting, news and how-to information. The Learning Centre provides access to articles related to professional development, webinars and podcasts.
- BCC Industry
1.4.2 Student Placement Programs
- BC Chamber of Commerce’s Talent Forward Program is a free program provided to BC Chamber members. Using the work-integrated learning model, Talent Forward seeks to connect businesses with students to help businesses recover and build for the future.
- Magnet Student Work Placement Program, funded by the Government of Canada’s Student Work Placement Program, provides employers with wage subsidies to hire post-secondary students for paid work experiences. Employer applications are now open.
- Mitacs Accelerate Program connects companies with research-based universities through graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, who apply their specialized expertise to business challenges. Click here to watch John Hepburn, CEO and scientific director of Mitacs, discuss a new initiative pairing business students with companies impacted pandemic develop a business strategy. This interview was conducted by Business in Vancouver.
1.5 Related Library Resources & Guides
- COVID 19 and Business Research. This is being regularly updated and has a US focus. This webpage was inspired by this in-depth online resource curated by Alice Kalinowski of Stanford University.
- Small Business BC's Personal Protective Equipment Marketplace. The Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness has partnered with Small Business BC to establish a searchable directory for businesses to easily locate suppliers with the necessary non-medical PPE to help them operate their business safely.