CFIB Manitoba

Good intentions, but misses the point. A trade mission won’t help an ice cream shop or brewery sell in other provinces when interprovincial barriers still stand in the way. If we want true internal trade growth, we need to eliminate the barriers, not promote around them.

Manitoba’s 2026 budget avoids new costs for small businesses but falls short on real relief. With rising costs and falling confidence, this was a missed opportunity to support SME's. Click here to see CFIB's full budget reaction: cfib-fcei.ca/en/media/manit…

“We’ve been bleeding businesses since the start of 2024. CFIB is calling it the entrepreneurial drought that Canada is now facing. This is concerning, and the numbers this morning just confirmed the trend. Again. We haven’t been able to invert the trend.” financialpost.com/news/economy/n…

Great to see the House of Commons Industry Committee recommend a big bump in the small business corporate tax rate threshold (from $500K to $1M). This is a very positive report focused on measures to improve productivity.

This budget is a real chance to turn things around. CFIB is calling to lower costs by raising the small business tax threshold to 700k, eliminating PST on all forms of insurance, and on all capital inputs so SME's can invest, grow, and succeed with confidence.

Costs are squeezing small firms from all sides: wages, taxes, red tape, insurance, and rising crime. 70% of MB small businesses don’t feel the government has their back, and 79% aren’t confident the budget will strengthen the small business environment.

Ahead of tomorrow’s MB budget, small businesses are sending a clear signal: the climate for entrepreneurs needs work. Over 50% would NOT recommend starting a business right now. Manitoba can’t afford an entrepreneurial drought.

Appreciated another good conversation with PC MLA Josh Guenter. Thank you for taking the time to listen to the voice of Manitoba’s small business owners.

🤝Appreciated the chance to meet with Manitoba's Labour and Immigration Minister, Hon. Malaya Marcelino today to share what we’re hearing from small business owners. Thanks for listening to their concerns, challenges, and priorities.

New CFIB Monthly Business Barometer: Manitoba’s 3‑month confidence is the strongest in Canada, though long‑term confidence eased. • Top cost pressure: tax & regulatory costs (64%). • Top limitation: insufficient demand (44%). cfib-fcei.ca/en/research-ec…

CFIB is hearing from Manitoba small businesses about steep commercial property tax increases that are squeezing already tight margins. We raised these concerns with the Finance Minister and are calling for targeted relief in the upcoming budget.

In Manitoba, commercial property owners pay BOTH the Education Support Levy (ESL) and rising school division taxes - while homeowners don’t pay the ESL. That means small businesses are carrying a heavier share of education funding. ctvnews.ca/winnipeg/artic…

📉 Employers across the Prairies continue to report that skilled labour shortages are the biggest barrier to growth & expansion. A shrinking labour force, where fewer people are actively looking for jobs, makes hiring even harder for small firms.

Employment is down across Canada for the second month in a row. That includes in Manitoba, where there are both fewer jobs available and fewer people looking for work. Global's Katherine Dornian has more on why.

As @MBGov signals it will poll Manitobans on changing clocks “any switch must involve proper consultation & co-ordination with businesses in various sectors tied to cross-border schedules, as well as neighbouring trading partners such as ON & the U.S.” winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2…

CFIB has long recommended increasing basic personal exemptions so workers keep more of what they earn. Yesterday’s PC proposal moves in that direction, using the tax system to boost take-home pay rather than raising costs for employers.

📢 Small businesses call for stronger domestic energy supply amid global uncertainty. 68% of small firms say their energy costs have increased over the past year, adding pressure at a time when global events continue to create volatility in energy markets. cfib-fcei.ca/en/media/small…

CFIB agriculture members, we want to hear from you! Please complete the agriculture survey, which asks about your confidence in property rights, insurance costs, red tape, etc. Visit the member portal and select ‘Active Surveys’ under ‘My Membership. members.cfib-fcei.ca/en-ca/my-cfib?….

A welcome move to provide rural small businesses with some help in keeping their doors open: CFIB statement on Temporary Foreign Worker Program changes cfib-fcei.ca/en/media/cfib-…

"Burdensome regulation is the silent killer of economic competitiveness." This burden has accumulated over decades, across all levels of government, and now touches nearly every corner of the Canadian economy. thehub.ca/2026/03/12/its…