The Small Business Accelerator is an initiative of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Use the free tools on this website to structure your market research, grow your business, gage potential market size or learn the latest industry trends. Managed by specialized librarians, the Small Business Accelerator (SBA) provides free access to reliable resources to help you build a successful business.
Five Ways We Support BC Businesses:
- Access to Industry Research: We provide over 100 detailed Accelerator Guides covering 18 industries, helping entrepreneurs find key data, understand trends, and plan with confidence.
- Learning Tools for Market Research: Our Business Research Basics manual and short video learning resources offer step-by-step guidance for navigating business-information tools and conducting effective market research.
- Events That Connect and Inspire: We host and promote business-focused events across the province, highlighting practical skills, market insights, and community success stories.
- Collaboration Opportunities: We offer clear pathways for cross-sector collaboration, including opportunities for contributors to share knowledge, resources, and market-research expertise.
- A Community of Business-Support Organizations: Our directory connects entrepreneurs with a growing network of regional business-support organizations. You can join our directory if your organization provides free educational or advisory support to the business community. We currently do not list B2B service providers or fee-based consulting businesses.
We Value Collaborations
We value collaboration and appreciate the expertise of community support providers and information professionals in BC. If you help would-be start-ups or small businesses and have resources, events or information you'd like to share -- please consider joining our community or becoming a SBA partner. Learn more here.
Background
The Small Business Accelerator (SBA) began as an initiative led by Jan Wallace, former Interim Director of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and Head of the David Lam Library. The original vision was simple but impactful: to create a set of online research guides that would help BC entrepreneurs conduct secondary market research and strengthen their business planning. The project was built on the expertise of the business librarians supporting the Sauder School of Business. In 2008, Aleha McCauley, Community Engagement Librarian (Business Services), joined the program. Under her leadership, user-centred design and community engagement became core principles in shaping the SBA’s direction. After extensive development, the Small Business Accelerator officially launched in November 2010.
Since its launch, the SBA has continued to evolve—expanding its guides, learning resources, and community connections—while staying true to its original purpose of providing accessible, reliable business-research support to entrepreneurs across British Columbia