StatsCan data show most common performance indicators

Statistics Canada has released more data from its 2012 Survey of Innovation and Business Strategy, showing that 76.7% of firms surveyed use sales and income growth as their most common performance indictor. The second most common — used by 60.2% of firms — is gross margin and operating margin growth. Large firms are more apt to use both measures while more than three-quarters of medium- and small-sized firms use sales and income growth as their primary measure. The survey also found that firms direct their strategic focus on maintaining or optimizing existing business activities rather than introducing new or improved products and practices. In addition, 90.2% of companies focus their sales on the Canadian market....