Every small business owner knows how difficult it can be to make a profit, especially when there's government red tape involved.

In order to raise awareness of the negative impacts of excessive regulations on small businesses and residents, the province, along with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has proclaimed this week "Red Tape Awareness Week" in B.C.

Part of the week will include highlighting new provincial legislation that requires the government to report on regulatory burdens on a regular basis, and explain what's being done to deal with them.

"It's trying to lessen the number of forms and regulations and ways that individuals and businesses have to comply in order to do business or simply live in British Columbia," said Coquitlam-Burke Mountain MLA Doug Horne, adding that, since 2001, his government has reduced the number of regulations in the province to 150,000 from 400,000.

He said the legislation is also in place to ensure regulation doesn't start creeping back into the system.

The province has implemented a policy of no net increases in the regulatory count to 2015.

jdeutsch@thenownews.com