Montreal, October 20, 2004 The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is proud to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Info entrepreneurs service, a leader in the delivery of high-quality, integrated information about government programs and services for business people. For the Board of Trade, it is clear that SMEs are at the heart of our economic vitality. In Quebec, they represent the great majority of our companies. Not only do they employ almost half of Quebec workers but they also create the majority of new jobs in Quebec. Our entrepreneurs are a precious asset, and we are proud to have supported them for the past ten years through our Info entrepreneurs service. Our team quickly provides companies with specific business-related information about assistance and funding programs as well as provincial and federal services and regulations all free of charge. The need for this service is immense, and the numbers speak for themselves: last year alone, we received no less than 600,000 requests for information over the telephone, by e-mail, or through personal or virtual visits, declared Benoit Labonté, president and chief executive officer of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. The expertise of the Board of Trade's Info entrepreneurs team and the relevance of its advice are linked to its privileged access to a wide variety of reliable, specialized information sources as well as its vast network of federal, provincial, municipal, and private-sector partners. I would like to thank all of our partners and especially our principal partner Canada Economic Development as well as the National Secretariat, Canada Business Service Centres, which enable us to provide daily support to entrepreneurs throughout Quebec and thus help SMEs realize their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity, and competitiveness, added Labonté. On June 23, 2004, as a member of the Network of Canada Business Service Centres, which counts thirteen principal centres across Canada the Board of Trade's Info entrepreneurs service was awarded the 2004 United Nations Public Service Award in the category of "Improvement of Public Service Results" for delivering information to the business community. Thanks to the experts in its Info entrepreneurs service, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is the leader in the delivery of high-quality, integrated information about government programs and services for business people and a preferred source of business information helping SMEs realize their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity, and competitiveness. -30- Source:
Sylvie Paquette
Coordinator, Media Relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tél.: (514) 871-4000, poste 4015
sylvie.paquette@ccmm.qc.ca
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