Every other month, CFIB members lend their opinions to 'Your Voice,' a survey exploring a variety of current topics. The latest takeaways are showcased in a series of informative charts that summarize these findings.

Your Voice Highlights

January 2025

CFIB’s January 2025 Your Voice survey reveals insights regarding small business confidence, plans for the year ahead, perspectives on the GST/HST holiday, and priorities for the governments. Here are the key takeaways:

Confidence in 2025 – a mixed outlook

While 3 in 5 business owners are confident about 2025 being a successful year, over one-third lack confidence, highlighting the ongoing struggles they face in navigating economic uncertainty and maintaining stability.

GST/HST holiday - minimal impact on sales, added administrative burden

The GST/HST tax break had little impact on sales growth and created an administrative hurdle for many small businesses. Just 5% of businesses selling eligible products saw a sales boost compared to last year, while 3 in 5 faced challenges, with added administrative workload being the most common.

Business investments and priorities for 2025

Businesses appear to be pushing for growth despite challenges, with the largest share planning to invest more in technology, employee training, and new product development. These priorities align with their top government concerns—reducing the tax burden and addressing the cost of doing business—highlighting the need for policies that support growth.

The findings of this report highlight the need for targeted government support to address mixed business confidence, the limited impact of the GST/HST holiday, and ongoing concerns about costs and taxation. Supporting businesses in managing financial pressures and investing in growth will be critical to their success in 2025.

Dive Deeper into the Numbers

Explore the interactive dashboard below to delve into the data from our January 2025 Your Voice survey.  You can filter the data by province, sector, business size, and age for SMEs across the nation.

Marvin Cruz

Director of Research

Explore more January 2025 insights and our extensive survey collection below.