Hello Khalid,

Canada Business aims to provide information on how to start, expand, or improve a business in Canada. If you are looking for specific information on how to obtain a work permit to be allowed to work in Canada, you may wish to consult the Government of Canada’s Working in Canada website.

By Canada Business on September 15, 2010

Hi Darren,

To search industry requirements for a bakery in Vancouver, visit BC BizPal and filter your search for Vancouver and chose Retail Bakeries. As well, check with the Vancouver business license office at (604) 873-7568 or online to enquire about any applicable bylaws, inspections and permits required for your small bakery business.

Also you may want to speak with your local health unit (you’ll find the phone number in the blue pages of your phone book) to enquire about health regulations and inspections required for your specific food business.

For more information, check out Small Business BC’s Starting a Business/Legal Requirements for checklists, instructions and relevant links to guide you through the basic steps and requirements to start your business in British Columbia.

By Canada Business on September 15, 2010

Hello Judy,

There a number of matters to consider when naming and incorporating a business. The Business name and registration section of the Canada Business website helps walk you through the main elements of the process.

For more help with the requirements on incorporating or using an “operating as” name, contact the business service centre in your province or territory or call toll free 1-888-576-4444.

Best of luck to you and your friend.

By Canada Business on September 15, 2010

Hello Stefan,

There are a number of resources that may be able to help you get the information you are looking for. The Canadian Border Services Agency’s Step-by-Step Guide to Importing offers a list of different products and who to contact for more information.

You can also visit the importing section on our site.

By Canada Business on September 17, 2010

Hi David,

You can visit the ServiceOntario website to search for Ontario licences and permits using the online search tool, BizPaL. You can also speak with the municipal government where you plan to start the business for information on city licences and permits that may be required. Find a complete list of Municipal governments in Ontario at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario website.

You may also need to contact Canada Border Services Agency if you will be bringing goods into Canada, as well as Ontario Immigration if you plan on employing Non-Canadian workers. You can get additional information on Canadian immigration requirements by contacting the nearest Canadian embassy or consular office. 

To find out more about the permits and licenses that could apply to your business, contact Canada Business Ontario.

By Canada Business on September 23, 2010

Hi Margaret,

You can visit the ServiceOntario website to search for Ontario licenses and permits using the online search tool, BizPaL. You can also contact the City of Toronto directly for information on municipal licences or permits and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation for any additional provincial requirements.

To find out more about the permits and licences that could apply to your business, contact Canada Business Ontario.

By Canada Business on September 23, 2010

Hi Sanjay,

The issuing office for the licence should be able to tell you what requirements you need to meet in order to get the licence. If the licence you’re referring to is a municipal licence, the City of Toronto can be contacted for more information on licensing for a business in Etobicoke.

You may also be interested in the guide How To Start a Restaurant or Catering Business in Ontario.

Visit the ServiceOntario website to search for additional information on Ontario licences and permits using the online search tool, BizPaL. To find out more about the permits and licenses that could apply to your business, contact Canada Business Ontario.

By Canada Business on October 20, 2010

Hello Mshan,

To learn more about the stipulations of work permits for your particular situation, contact Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Best of luck with your business.

By Canada Business on November 5, 2010

Hi Sydney,

Being aware of regulations and complying with them is indeed an important part of running a business. You can use our search tool to find out the permits and licences required for your specific business situation, in this case catering from home. Requirements vary between municipalities as well as between provinces and territories. There are also different requirements depending on the nature of your business, if you’ll have employees or not, your business form and many other factors. You may want to also consult our section Regulations for specific business activities and filter our website by selecting your province or territory in the right hand box from where you will be running your business.

If you are looking for more information on regulations and other aspects of starting or running your business, feel free to contact the Canada Business office in your region for assistance.

By Canada Business on December 9, 2010

Hello Emily,

The permits and licences search can help you find and obtain the permits and licenses that may be required to open and operate your business.

There are three steps to see most of the permits that may apply to your situation:

1- Choose you business location and type (in your case, it may be easiest to search by keyword “health”), then submit form.
2- Choose the municipality where you will operate your business.
3- Read about the permits and licences that may apply to your business and find contact information.

Note: Though the search is meant to be thorough, not all provinces and municipalities have provided information and not all industry sectors are included in the search.

For more information on starting a business in Canada, you may contact the business service centre in your province or territory or call toll free 1-888-576-4444 (TTY 1-800-457-8466).

By Canada Business on March 2, 2011

Hello Draco,

The permits and licences search can help you find and obtain the permits and licenses needed for opening and operating a martial arts studio.       
       
There are three steps to see most of the permits that may apply to your situation:       
       
1- Choose your business location and type, then submit form.       
2- If prompted, choose the municipality where you will operate your business.       
3- Read about the permits and licences that may apply to your business and find contact information.       
       
Note: Though the search is meant to be thorough, not all provinces and municipalities have provided information and not all industry sectors are included in the search.       
       
For more information on starting or growing a business in Canada, contact the Canada Business service centre in your province or territory, or call toll free 1-888-576-4444 (TTY 1-800-457-8466).

Best of luck with your plans.

By Canada Business on June 13, 2011

Hello Brant,

As a freelance photographer, you may want to see how much time you wish to invest in your hobby before registering it as a business. If you operate under your own name, as a self-employed freelancer, you are not required to get a business name. However, if you choose to take on a business name, you will need to register your home-based business. Have a look at our section on Registering your business to see what steps to take, especially in your province or territory.
 
Keep in mind that most businesses in Canada need to register with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to get a Business Number. Registration is mandatory if your business requires a GST/HST, Payroll, Corporate income tax or Import/Export account, but you may find your photography sideline is not yet at this stage. To determine whether you need a GST/HST account, a good place to start is by taking the CRA’s handy questionnaire. This becomes a factor as your photography revenues increase.
 
If you do decide that you are interested in starting a sole proprietorship, our section on Starting a business can be very useful. And don’t forget that the Business Information Officers at the Canada Business service centre in your province or territory can provide you with many useful resources.

Good luck with your photography.

By Canada Business on July 28, 2011

Hello Romy,

You can use our search tool to find the permits and licences required for your situation. Red Seal certification for Bakers is also available in most Canadian provinces and territories.

Note that as a Baker, one of your biggest concerns may be food safety and labelling; being aware of regulations and complying with them is an important part of running a business. For more detailed information on regulations and other aspects of starting or running your business, you may want to contact the Canada Business service centre in your region for further assistance or dial toll free 1-888-576-4444 (TTY: 1-800-457-8466).

Best of luck with your new business!

By Canada Business on August 17, 2011

Thank you for contacting us with your inquiry. Business Licensing for most businesses is regulated by municipalities. Each municipality can designate what requirements different types of businesses face within their jurisdiction. A great starting tool is BizPaL, which is a database of municipal and provincial permit and licensing requirements.

You can access our Guide For New Alberta Businesses — Step 3 discusses business licensing in-depth and the guide also mentions other necessary start up steps. You will need to contact the municipal office of the city or cities in which you plan to operate to discern what license requirements your business faces. The guide also discusses, and gives contact information for, Service Alberta. Depending on how you plan to operate your retail business, there may also be provincial licensing requirements.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact the service centre nearest you.

Good luck with your business!

By Canada Business on October 4, 2011

Hi Asif,

You can visit the ServiceOntario website and use the online search tool BizPaL to search for Ontario licenses and permits for your home-based computer repair . You can also contact the City of Toronto directly for information on municipal licences, zoning requirements or permits that will be required to operate a business from your home in Toronto.

Depending on how you want to structure your business, additional regulations or registrations may apply. Our section on Starting a business  and the Business Start-Up Info-Guide may be useful to you.

To find out more about the registrations, permits and licences that could apply to your business, contact Canada Business Ontario.

By Canada Business on October 12, 2011

Hello,

You may wish to visit Bizpal.ca to find out about the industry regulations and permits relevant to the municipality where you wish your business to be located.  You can contact the city hall in your municipality to find out about any zoning restrictions for the location.

Comprehensive food safety training programs are available through FoodSafe BC. Courses are available face-to-face, online, and by correspondence, and are recognized throughout BC as meeting the requirements for food safety training for food service industry workers.  Further safety guidelines are available through the BC Centre for Disease Control.

Our Restaurant Start-Up Checklist and Permits and licences page may also be helpful.

Good luck with your bakery!

By Canada Business on November 2, 2011

Hello Edgar,

The U.S. Small Business Administration can help you find the required permits and licenses to start a computer store in Pharr, Texas. If your business is established in Canada and you’d like to expand and open a store in Texas, you can contact the Canada Business service centre in your province or territory or call toll free 1-888-576-4444 (TTY 1-800-457-8466).

Best of luck!

By Canada Business on November 16, 2011

Hello May,
Our permits and licences search can help you find and obtain the permits and licenses that may be required to open and operate your business.

One thing to keep in mind is that before you start importing, you must register your business for an import/export account. Find out more about duties and the import process in our Importing section.

If you are in the business of importing or selling any textile fibre product, such as clothing, you can also register for a CA Identification Number through the Competition Bureau.

For more information on starting a business in Canada, contact the Canada Business service centre in your province or territory, or call toll free 1-888-576-4444 (TTY 1-800-457-8466).

Good luck with your online clothing store.

By Canada Business on November 28, 2011

Hello Katy,

Our Starting a Business section might be helpful in terms of developing a business plan and making other decisions that could help you get your business underway.

We also have a permits and licences search tool to help you find and obtain the permits and licenses that may be required to open and operate your snack food manufacturing company.

You may find useful research on the Canadian Snack Food Industry in our section on Agriculture and Agri-Food Research and Statistics.

As well, Industry Canada offers a Manufacturing Sector Gateway that provides information on programs and resources that are available to Canadian manufacturers.

For more information on starting a business in Canada, contact the Canada Business service centre in your province or territory, or call toll free 1-888-576-4444 (TTY 1-800-457-8466).

Good luck with your snack food business.

By Canada Business on December 2, 2011

Hello,

You will find the permits you need by going to the BizPaL search and selecting “Performing arts, spectator sports and related industries”, then selecting the activities that apply to you.

Good luck with your business!

By Canada Business on January 31, 2012