For many businesses in Parklands, the “company” may be one owner, a family operation, or a very small team. That is the clearest story in the 2025 data. Parklands had 6,718 business establishments, and 5,970 of them had 0 to 4 employees. That means 88.9% of all establishments in the region were micro firms.
Figure 1. Parklands’ business base is heavily concentrated among very small establishments, with 4,931 firms having no employees and another 1,039 employing 1 to 4 people.
How small is the average business base?
Parklands’ business landscape is heavily concentrated at the smallest end of the size scale. The region had 4,931 establishments with no employees and another 1,039 with 1 to 4 employees. Together, they make up the vast majority of the local business base.
The drop-off after that is sharp. Only 579 establishments had 5 to 19 employees, representing 8.6% of the total. Another 169 businesses had 20 or more employees, equal to just 2.5%.
How many large employers are there?
Large employers are rare in Parklands.
In 2025, 107 establishments had 20 to 49 employees. Another 41 had 50 to 99 employees, while 12 had 100 to 199. Only 8 establishments had 200 to 499 employees. At the very top end, Parklands had just one establishment with 500 or more employees.
Here’s what stands out: Parklands is home to thousands of active businesses, yet very few operate at a large-employer scale.
Trend to watch: Nearly 9 in 10 business establishments in Parklands had 0 to 4 employees in 2025, pointing to an economy shaped strongly by owner-operated firms and very small employers.
How does Parklands compare with Winnipeg?
Winnipeg also has many micro firms, but Parklands is more concentrated in that category.
In Winnipeg, establishments with 0 to 4 employees made up 84.2% of the business base. In Parklands, the share was higher at 88.9%.
That difference matters because it shows how strongly Parklands depends on very small businesses across its economy. The region has a broad base of entrepreneurship, with fewer mid-sized and large firms to balance the structure.
Which sectors are most dominated by micro firms?
Some sectors in Parklands are almost entirely made up of very small establishments.
Figure 2. Micro establishments account for most businesses across nearly every Parklands sector, with especially high shares in utilities, real estate, agriculture, construction, and professional services.
In agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, micro firms accounted for 97.1% of establishments. Real estate and rental and leasing was even higher at 98.9%. Utilities reached 100%, meaning every establishment in that sector had 0 to 4 employees.
Other sectors also showed high micro-business shares. Manufacturing stood at 75.9%, while transportation and warehousing reached 85.5%.
Where do larger firms show up more often?
Some sectors have a wider range of business sizes.
Retail trade had a micro-establishment share of 54.2%, one of the lowest among the sectors listed. Educational services stood at 56.5%, while wholesale trade reached 58.9%. Information and cultural industries had a micro share of 61.5%. Accommodation and food services stood at 61.4%, and health care and social assistance reached 66.2%.
These sectors still include many small operators, but they also have a stronger presence of businesses with more employees.
What does this mean for Parklands?
Parklands’ business base is wide, active, and deeply entrepreneurial. The region’s economy depends heavily on many small establishments rather than a small number of large employers. That structure can support local ownership, flexibility, and community-based enterprise.
It also raises an important question for future economic development: how can Parklands help more of its small businesses grow, hire, and stay rooted in the region over time?