Competitors and Suppliers

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This section contains resources that can assist with identifying competitors and suppliers. Of special note is Reference Canada, which is free to access with a VPL card and provides information on more than one million businesses throughout Canada. You can also search the library catalogue or ask VPL Information Staff for industry-specific directories.

Watch Reference Canada Tutorial

Useful Websites

Trade and Invest British Columbia

A resource provided by the Government of British Columbia to help identify suppliers and exporters with goods and services for sale.

Business in Vancouver - Lists & Data

Business in Vancouver compiles lists of the largest companies in B.C. by sector. Only the top five companies on each list are visible. For the full lists, see Business in Vancouver listed in under Recommended Catalogue Titles below.

Procurement Assistance Canada - Regional Offices

Government of Canada service created to make it easier for smaller businesses to bid on federal contracting opportunities. Contact your regional office for information, assistance, or to register as a supplier.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) - Indigenous Business Directory

List of Indigenous run businesses in Canada. Search by industry.

Digital Library Resources

Reference Canada

Provides information on more than 2 million businesses throughout Canada. Tutorial available.

Access:

Everywhere for VPL cardholders

FP Advisor

In-depth corporate data on Canadian companies.

Access:

Everywhere for VPL cardholders

Canada Info Desk

Provides access to government directories and information on thousands of cultural, financial & professional organizations.

Note: exporting records is not an option with this version of the resource.

Access:

Everywhere for VPL cardholders

SimplyAnalytics

Provides demographic information including Canadian census data, household spending on hundreds of goods and services and detailed business profiles from Dun & Bradstreet. Digital lifestyle data providing mobile phone ownership/usage, detailed social media behaviors and activities, and online shopping insights is also provided. Limited to 5 simultaneous users. Resource will time-out after 20 minutes of inactivity. Not optimized for phones and tablets.

For more information see our help guide.

Access:

Everywhere for VPL cardholders