Each month, Cleanlist tracks both newly registered and closed Canadian businesses. Together, these metrics provide a clear view of business churn — and the real operating environment facing Canadian entrepreneurs and the brands that sell to them.
After a surge in year-end formations, January shows a sharp and predictable slowdown.
📊 January 2026 Snapshot
In January 2026, Cleanlist identified:
- 5,450 new businesses
- 8,754 business closures
This results in a net decline of 3,304 businesses nationwide.
Compared to December 2025:
- New businesses ▼ 81% month-over-month (vs. 28,988)
- Closures ▼ 67% month-over-month (vs. 26,618)
- Net growth turned decisively negative after December’s modest gains
This January reset is not unusual — but the depth of the pullback highlights how fragile business formation remains.
Why January Looks So Different from December
December is structurally distorted:
Entrepreneurs rush registrations before year-end
Fiscal and tax timing drives incorporations
Many businesses defer closures until December
January strips those effects away.
What remains is a clearer signal of underlying confidence — and in January 2026, that signal is muted.
Fewer new businesses are launching, and closures continue to outpace formations.
What This Means for Business Churn?
January’s data reinforces a pattern seen throughout 2025:
- Business creation is episodic, not sustained
- Closures remain structurally elevated
- Net expansion is difficult to achieve
In short, Canada remains in a high-churn, low-growth business environment.
Why This Matters for Marketers and Sales Teams
When formations slow, timing matters more than ever.
For organizations selling to businesses:
- New companies are fewer — but highly motivated
- Early vendor decisions happen fast
- Supplier relationships harden quickly after launch
This makes immediate post-formation outreach critical. Waiting even a few months can mean missing the window entirely.
In slower formation periods, precision consistently outperforms volume.
The Cleanlist Takeaway
January’s data confirms that December’s surge was a timing effect, not a turning point.
For teams targeting Canadian businesses in 2026:
- Growth will come from speed and relevance
- Newly formed businesses must be engaged immediately
- Messaging must focus on efficiency, cash preservation, and risk reduction
The opportunity isn’t just knowing how many new businesses are created — it’s knowing who they are and reaching them first.
🔍Want to Reach Canada’s Newest Businesses?
Cleanlist offers free self-service counts to help you size the opportunity. See our business data page for more information and links.
