Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Data Warehouse (SME Data Warehouse)

Detailed information for 2001-2006

The objective of this data warehouse is to provide comprehensive business demography statistics and performance indicators on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Canada.

Data release - July 10, 2008

• Description
• Data sources and methodology
• Data accuracy

Description

The data warehouse is based on existing administrative data sources from Statistics Canada and Canada Revenue Agency.

This data warehouse provides government agencies, at all levels, and researchers and academics that have a strategic interest in promoting growth of small and medium sized businesses with integrated data to facilitate analysis and provide information that can be used to encourage and promote SME businesses.

Subjects

• Business performance and ownership
• Entry, exit, mergers and growth
• Small and medium-sized businesses

Data sources and methodology

Target population

This product contains a complete, up to date and unduplicated list of all businesses in Canada based on Statistics Canada's Business Register. It produces data for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). SMEs are defined as enterprises with less than 250 employees and less than $50 million in total revenue.

Instrument design

This product uses existing administrative data. No new survey collection is involved.

Sampling

Data are collected for all units of the target population, therefore, no sampling is done.

Data sources

Data are extracted from administrative files and derived from other Statistics Canada surveys and/or other sources.

This product is based on several sources:

- The Statistics Canada Business Register.
- Administrative Data (incorporated (T2), unincorporated (T1) tax declaration, GST remittance and payroll deduction accounts (PD7) from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Error detection

Error detection occurs at two levels. Micro data error detection and edits of fields are performed during the construction of the input files to ensure that data values for each field are present in every year and that they are consistent over time. During the creation of this product, longitudinal consistency comparisons are also made at the macro level. In particular, employment, revenue, NAICS, and province information is edited to ensure consistency at an aggregate level over time.

Imputation

This methodology does not apply.

Estimation

This methodology type does not apply to this statistical program.

Quality evaluation

Quality measures are performed using various methods such as:

An historical trend analysis was done by comparing the current version to the previous one to verify historical coherence of data.

Data were confronted with data from the Business Register for coherence.

Data quality was also assessed through reverse record checks.

Disclosure control

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any data that would divulge information obtained under the Statistics Act that relates to any identifiable person, business or organization without the prior knowledge or the consent in writing of that person, business or organization. Various confidentiality rules are applied to all data that are released or published to prevent the publication or disclosure of any information deemed confidential. If necessary, data are suppressed to prevent direct or residual disclosure of identifiable data.

No micro data are accessible by the public. All counts are aggregated.

Revisions and seasonal adjustment

Data are subject to revision if the source data and/or methodologies used, are revised.

Data accuracy

Coverage Error - The number of enterprises is derived from the Statistics Canada Business Register. It includeas alll firms having a valid and active business number for the reference year in question.

The Business Register is largely based on information provided by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Therefore, the quality of the data is ultimately dependent upon the quality of the information submitted by Canadian businesses to CRA.

The employment count for each business is based on a 12 month average employment reoported by that business to CRA PD-07 Payroll Account files. Where PD-07 data were not available for a given year, the employment count comes from the closest year PD7 data is available for that business or failing that, the employment value carried on the Business Register which is an estimate Total employment reported in this data product should not be confused with Statistics Canada's official estimates of employment produced by the Labour Force Survey.

Revenue for each business is based on tax information from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). When data for a given tax year is not available for a business the revenue value is based upon the previous year value and if this is not available the value comes from the Business Register which is an estimate.

Data Accuracy: The following measures have been taken to ensure and improve data accuracy:

1) Duplicates BNs were eliminated,
2) Businesses having inconsistent NAICS code over time were corrected using historical information and other administrative information,
3) Province code was assigned where missing.