Starting a Small Business Guide
Starting a Franchise in B.C.
Starting a Restaurant in B.C.
This Guide
Your Two Primary Resources
Step 1: Make Sure Running a Small Business is Right for You
Step 2: Understand Business Structures
Step 3: Develop a Business Plan
Step 4: Secure Your Financing
Step 5: Choose a Business Name and Have it Approved
Step 6: Register Your Business
Step 7: Secure Your Online Presence
Step 8: Register for Provincial Sales Tax (PST)
Step 9: Register for Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Step 10: Complete Other Registrations
Step 11: Investigate Additional Business Registrations and Requirements
Step 12: Identify Permit and Licensing Requirements
Step 13: Get Support
Step 14: Check Out Other Useful Resources
Mobile Business Licence Program
Small Business Spotlights
Small Business Roundtable
Find Business Permits & Licences - BizPaL
Choosing your Business Structure
Summary of the Food Delivery Service Fee Act
In addition to Small Business BC and the OneStop Business Registry, there are a number of other places where small business owners can look for new business opportunities, practical advice and helpful services.
Indigenous Entrepreneurs
Aboriginal Business Entrepreneurship and Skills Training (BEST) Program
E-mail: aboriginalbest@shaw.ca
Aboriginal BEST is a 12-session training series – sponsored by the Provincial Government with additional funding from the Labour Market Development Agreement, and with support and funding from Vancity Credit Union– that provides young B.C. Indigenous entrepreneurs, aged 18 to 35, with the tools they need to start their own business. Through this program, you can conduct market research, write a business plan and explore financing options.
All Nations Trust Company (ANTCO)
All Nations Trust Company (ANTCO) is an Indigenous-owned financial institution that supports Indigenous entrepreneurs, businesses and communities. ANTCO offers financial services, including business loans and commercial mortgages, for Indigenous business ventures. Along with their subsidiary, All Nations Insurance Brokers Inc., they are a leading Indigenous financial institution in Canada. They also offer business support and advisory services for Aboriginal entrepreneurs in areas such as business planning, budgeting and marketing.
First Citizens Fund
E-mail: ABRInfo@gov.bc.ca
The Provincial Government manages the First Citizens Fund to expand cultural, educational and economic opportunities for Indigenous people in B.C. One of the fund's primary goals is to help Indigenous people and organizations start and expand businesses through business loans and business advisory services. Funding is also provided to the All Nations Trust Company for a business loan program.
Futurpreneur Canada
Futurpreneur Canada is a national non-profit that turns great ideas into successful businesses. They look at character, not collateral, when providing youth aged 18-39 with pre- launch coaching, start-up financing (loans up to $45,000) and mentorship to help launch and sustain successful businesses.
Women's Enterprise Centre
Tel: 1 800 643-7014
Women's Enterprise Centre is the leading business resource for B.C. women who own a business or are thinking of starting a business. Their team of professionals provides business loans up to $150,000 to start, grow or buy a business. They also offer workshops, business advisors, mentors, resources and a supportive community to help women succeed in business.
Small Business BC
E-mail: askus@smallbusinessbc.ca
Twitter: @smallbusinessbc Facebook: /smallbusinessbc
Small Business BC provides entrepreneurs with the information and guidance necessary to build a solid foundation for their business.Their team of business experts can assist with everything from business registration to marketing strategy. They offer guided support, one-on-one advisory services, business plan reviews, seminars and webinars on over 50 topics and dozens of free resources designed to save you time and money. So, no matter what stage or what skill level, when you find yourself asking "How do I…?" Small Business BC can help.
Service BC
Victoria: 250 387-6121 Vancouver: 604 660-2421
Toll Free: 1 800 663-7867 Outside B.C.: 604 660-2421
Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) Vancouver: 604 775-0303 Elsewhere in B.C.: 1 800 661-8773
Service BC makes it easy for British Columbians to find and access the government information and services they need. They provide services to citizens, business and government through multiple channels, including in-person, telephone, e-mail and online. Service BC Centres help citizens get the services they need, when, where and how they wish to access them. Each of the 62 Service BC Centres throughout the province provides in- person service for the delivery of hundreds of government services. Individuals and businesses can access information, complete transactions and receive assistance with forms, permits, licences and registrations from highly trained local staff. Service BC Centre staff can help you and your small business obtain information and conduct registration and payments.
All Service BC Centres are OneStop Business Registry locations.
FrontCounter BC
E-mail: frontcounterbc@gov.bc.ca
FrontCounter BC offers a citizen-centred approach aimed at providing clients with one source of information for all natural resource-sector related licences, permits and registrations needed to conduct business on Crown land in any part of the province. Clients may access FrontCounter BC services by telephone, Internet, e-mail or face-to-face with staff specifically trained and knowledgeable in authorizations and permits required for sectors such as energy, mining, forestry, agriculture, transportation, environment, commercial recreation, etc. FrontCounter BC services include guiding clients through required authorizations; helping clients complete application packages; interpreting land information, maps and management plans; following up and tracking the status of applications filed; liaising between ministries, agencies and governments; and free Internet access to services such as Base Maps Online Store, BCeID, Integrated Land Resource Registry and Mineral Titles On-Line. Find the location closest to you.
Tel: 250 952-6914 Toll Free: 1 877 952-6914
E-mail: workbcinfomration@gov.bc.ca
WorkBC is the provincial government's access point to the world of work in British Columbia. It was created with one key goal – to help all British Columbians successfully navigate B.C.'s labour market. WorkBC.ca provides a single access point to connect job seekers and employers to labour market information and services available across government. WorkBC helps workers find jobs, explore career options and improve their skills. WorkBC also helps employers fill jobs, find the right talent and grow their businesses.
Innovation Canada
Innovation.canada.ca matches clients with the right government programs and services in less than 3 minutes. By asking a few simple questions, it zeroes in on the best options from over 1,000 federal, provincial and territorial government supports including funding, loans, tax credits, wage subsidies, and more. Innovation Canada also has Innovation Advisors across Canada who can leverage their extensive network of contacts to help clients take advantage of government resources from financing to technical advice to foreign market expertise.
Community Futures British Columbia
There are 34 Community Futures offices strategically located throughout rural B.C. Supported by Western Economic Diversification, Community Futures are non-profit organizations that provide business financing, business counselling and training to small- and medium-sized enterprises in their rural communities. Find the Community Futures office that serves your community.
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
British Columbia is the preferred gateway for Asia Pacific trade, with the most competitive supply chain on the west coast of the Americas. B.C.'s integrated, seamless supply chain includes airports, seaports, railways, roadways and border crossings, connecting Canada and the North American market to Asia and the world. Government and industry partners have made investments to increase capacity, eliminate congestion, and streamline operations.
Société de développement économique
E-mail: info@sdecb.com
From promoting and boosting talent to steering projects, the Société de développement économique de la Colombie- Britannique (SDECB) strives daily to provide a voice, a space and tools for the Francophone and Francophile business community of British Columbia.
Small Business Branch
E-mail: smallbusinessbranch@gov.bc.ca
B.C. is committed to supporting and listening to its small businesses and has developed numerous valuable resources for business owners at various stages in their endeavours. Visit us online to learn more about what government is doing to support your business.
Or join the conversation:
Twitter on #BCBizChat or #SmallBizBC
BC Small Business Roundtable – the voice of small business
Trade and Invest British Columbia
Trade and Invest British Columbia works with international enterprises to help them build strong links to resources, skills and businesses that make British Columbia an attractive place to work and invest.
OrgBookBC
Use OrgBookBC to quickly verify if an organization is legally registered to do business in BC as a corporation.
Western Economic Diversification Canada
E-mail: info@wd-deo.gc.ca
Western Economic Diversification (WD) is committed to advancing priority areas of Innovation, Trade and Investment, Skills Development, and Aboriginal Economic Development. WD supports western Canadian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the Western Canada Business Service Network, which includes Community Futures, the Women's Enterprise Centre of British Columbia, and Small Business BC. Through the Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative, WD also offers repayable contributions to western Canadian SMEs to commercialize innovative processes and technologies.
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