Exporting As a Means of Growth for Women-Owned Canadian Smes‪.‬

Introduction A large share of Canadian job creation is attributable to the growth of SMEs, growth that is often a consequence of exporting. Yet, for the majority of Canadian small and medium enterprises (SMEs), business expansion stops at the border. Industry Canada estimates that approximately 11% of Canada's 2.2 million small SMEs engage in some form of exporting (Industry Canada, 2002). The typical small and medium-sized firm engages in less than three export transactions per year (Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade [DFAIT], 1999). These observations suggest that there may be considerable unrealized scope for Canadian firms to export.