▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁" that ▁ 2 5 % ▁of ▁government ’ s ▁spend , ▁either ▁directly ▁or ▁in ▁supply ▁ch ains , ▁goes ▁to ▁S ME s ▁by ▁ 2 0 1 5 "; ▁it ▁achieved ▁this ▁by ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁ ▁Switzerland ▁▁ ▁In ▁Switzerland , ▁the ▁Federal ▁Statist ical ▁Office ▁defines ▁small ▁and ▁medium - s ized ▁enter pr ises ▁as ▁companies ▁with ▁less ▁than ▁ 2 5 0 ▁employees . ▁The ▁categories ▁are ▁the ▁following : ▁ ▁Micro entre pr ises : ▁ 1 ▁to ▁ 9 ▁employees . ▁ ▁Small ▁enter pr ises : ▁ 1 0 ▁to ▁ 4 9 ▁employees . ▁ ▁Med ium - s ized ▁enter pr ises : ▁ 5 0 ▁to ▁ 2 4 9 ▁ ▁employees . ▁ ▁Lar ge ▁enter pr ises : ▁ 2 5 0 ▁employees ▁or ▁more . ▁ ▁North ▁America ▁ ▁Canada ▁ ▁Indust ry ▁Canada ▁defines ▁a ▁small ▁business ▁as ▁one ▁with ▁fewer ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 ▁paid ▁employees ▁and ▁a ▁medium - s ized ▁business ▁as ▁one ▁with ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 0 0 ▁and ▁fewer ▁than ▁ 5 0 0 ▁employees . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁there ▁were ▁ 1 , 1 0 7 , 5 4 0 ▁employ er ▁business es ▁in ▁Canada , ▁of ▁which ▁ 1 , 0 8 7 , 8 0 3 ▁were ▁small . ▁Small ▁business es ▁make ▁up ▁ 9 8 . 2 ▁percent