Why
How scoring works
Indication only. The score on Find your opportunity is a quick summary of a few public figures. It is not a forecast, market study, valuation or advice. This page is generated from the same rules the score uses, so it always matches the live code.
The six signals
Each signal is rated Favourable (2 points), Neutral (1 point), Watch (0 points) or Not enough data (left out). Beside each signal on the page you'll see its actual numbers and why it got its rating.
Demand
Is the community growing? Population change between the 2016 and 2021 censuses.
| Rating | Rule | Points |
|---|---|---|
| ● Favourable | Growth at or above the county's 7.3% | 2 |
| ◐ Neutral | Below the county, but at or above Ontario's 5.8% | 1 |
| ○ Watch | Below Ontario's 5.8% | 0 |
| ? Not enough data | Never (every community has census figures) | Left out |
Competition
How many businesses of your chosen type are already mapped, compared with how many the community would have at the county-wide rate per resident. Only your type counts (for a restaurant or café: restaurants and cafés, not pubs or fast food). Expected = county total × community population ÷ county population.
| Rating | Rule | Points |
|---|---|---|
| ● Favourable | Mapped is 70% of expected or fewer | 2 |
| ◐ Neutral | More than 70% and up to 130% of expected | 1 |
| ○ Watch | More than 130% of expected (crowded) | 0 |
| ? Not enough data | Fewer than 2 would be expected (too small to judge), or "Anywhere in Dufferin" is chosen | Left out |
Labour
Are people looking for work? The community's unemployment rate compared with the county's.
| Rating | Rule | Points |
|---|---|---|
| ● Favourable | Unemployment above the county rate | 2 |
| ◐ Neutral | Unemployment at or below the county rate | 1 |
| ○ Watch | Never used for Labour | 0 |
| ? Not enough data | No unemployment figure for the community | Left out |
Space
Is there a place to rent or buy? Reviewed commercial listings on WhyDufferin in the community. For-sale listings above your budget are dropped.
| Rating | Rule | Points |
|---|---|---|
| ● Favourable | 1 or more reviewed listings fit your budget | 2 |
| ○ Watch | Listings exist, but none here fit your budget | 0 |
| ? Not enough data | WhyDufferin has no reviewed listings at all yet (true today) | Left out |
Funding
Help with money: programs matching your business type and stage that are open or have an intake to check.
| Rating | Rule | Points |
|---|---|---|
| ● Favourable | 2 or more open or check-intake programs | 2 |
| ◐ Neutral | 1 program | 1 |
| ○ Watch | None | 0 |
Internet
Share of ISED broadband map areas (hexagons of about 24 km²) in the community where more than 75% of homes can get 50/10 Mbps.
| Rating | Rule | Points |
|---|---|---|
| ● Favourable | 75% of areas or more | 2 |
| ◐ Neutral | 40% to 74% | 1 |
| ○ Watch | Under 40% | 0 |
| ? Not enough data | No broadband figure for the community | Left out |
The overall score
- Signals with Not enough data are left out.
- Score = points earned ÷ points possible × 100, rounded. Points possible = 2 × the number of signals with data.
- If fewer than 4 of the 6 signals have data, no score is shown.
- Bands: 67–100 "Promising, worth a closer look"; 45–66 "Mixed, research the weak spots first"; under 45 "Challenging, proceed carefully".
What the score can't tell you
- Whether your idea, location, price, menu or team will work. That depends on you.
- Real demand or spending. Population growth is a rough stand-in.
- Every competitor. Our maps miss some businesses, and a low count is not proof of a gap. Quality, price and nearby towns aren't counted.
- Rents, costs, zoning or permits. Check with the municipality and a commercial realtor.
- Today's conditions. Census figures are from 2021 and other data has the dates shown above.
- Every signal counts equally, which is a simplification.
Talk to the free Small Business Enterprise Centre before spending money. Questions or a correction? [email protected]. All sources: Data sources.