Small Business Start Up

By Susan Ward, About.com Guide to Small Business: Canada

Thinking of starting a small business but wondering what being an entrepreneur is like or whether you have what it takes to run a business? Or are you planning to start a business but looking for business ideas, how to write a business plan or how to find the start up money you need? Or are you at the start up stage where you need to know how to register and license your new business? From being an entrepreneur through details on the steps you need to follow when starting a business in Canada, here's the start up information you need to successfully start a small business.

Are You Ready to Start a Business?
Starting a Business Advice
Business Ideas
Buying a Business
Business Plans

How to Start a Business in Canada
Finding Business Start Up Money
Starting a Home-Based Business
Starting an Online Business
Starting an Import / Export Business

Are You Ready to Start a Business?

What's it like to run your own business instead of working for someone else? What personality traits do successful entrepreneurs share? How can you successfully make the transition from being an employee to being self-employed? Here's the place to find out if starting a small business is right for you.

Starting a Business Advice

What kind of business should you start? What resources do you need to have in place before you start your own business? What are common start up mistakes and how can you avoid them? Increase the chances of having a successful start up and a thriving small business with these articles offering advice about starting a small business.

Business Ideas

Business ideas are the starting point for any new business. But how do you separate the wheat from the chaff and find the business idea that you can turn into a thriving small business? Browse these collections of business ideas and see what sparks your interest and fits your circumstances. Or learn to invent business ideas of your own.

Buying a Business

Buying a business can be more advantageous than creating a business from scratch. It can give you an existing customer base and/or the equipment, personnel and even management advice that you need to make starting and running your business easier - especially if you buy into a turnkey operation. See if buying a business is the right choice for you and learn about the purchase procedure with these articles.

Business Plans

Writing a business plan should be one of the first things you do once you decide to start a business. This information on how to create a business plan, including how to organize and write a business plan, and sample business plan templates that you can use, will make preparing your business plan easier.

How to Start a Business in Canada

Sole proprietorship, partnership or incorporation? What's the business registration process? How can you pick the right name for your new business? And does your business need to register for GST/HST or PST? This section deals with the legalities of starting a business, from choosing a legal structure through the different business registrations that your new business will need.

Finding Business Start Up Money

No matter what kind of business you start, it's going to cost money to get it started and keep it operating until it starts making money. This section is all about finding the business start up money you need to get your new business up and running - from Canadian small business loans and grants through how to attract angel investors.

Starting a Home-Based Business

From a legal and structural point of view, starting a home-based business is just like starting any other small business. But from an operational point of view, starting a home-based business is different. Figuring out whether a home-based business is the right choice for you, working at home and home-based business tax issues are just some of the topics specific to starting a home-based business dealt with here.

Starting an Online Business

What's the procedure for registering a domain name? How do you get your web pages high rankings in search engines? How do you build an ecommerce site? What taxes do you have to collect if you're selling online? Here's where to find answers to your starting an online business questions.

Starting an Import / Export Business

Learn how to set up an import or export business in Canada, the rules for importing or exporting goods, about the import / export documents you need and even how to prepare an international marketing plan with these import / export resources.

Susan Ward
Small Business: Canada Guide

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