B.C. is providing funding for a pilot project aimed at finding ways to help small businesses with their succession planning.
With almost 400,000 small businesses in B.C., the issue of succession planning promises to become increasingly critical for what is one of the province's largest economic drivers.
A B.C. Chamber of Commerce survey found that 23% of its members have no succession plans.
According to the provincial government, about 29% of small-business owners in B.C., or roughly 116,000 businesses, plan to retire in the next five years.
The government's pilot project, developed by NextSteps Enterprise West Society, will deliver workshops via video-conferencing and peer-to-peer mentoring.
The training sessions are scheduled to take place in Vernon, Nelson, Duncan, Houston and Kamloops for about 60 small businesses across the province.