Hi Jennifer,

Although there is no set age for starting a business, there may be certain age requirements for legal documents, incorporation, renting property or taking out insurance. Any business you start that would need legal contracts or business registration would require you to be 18 years old.

Good luck on your future business opportunities!

Par Entreprises Canada, le 15 juillet 2010

Hello Ganesh,

Thank you for your comment. Here is some information to get you started.

Non-Canadians who want to start a new business in Canada are regulated under the Investment Canada Act. Canada Business can help you understand these regulations and learn about:

1. Ontario Business Immigration

2. Foreign Investment

3. Starting an e-business

You can also visit the Invest in Ontario website to learn about the advantages to starting a business in Ontario.

To find out more about starting your business in Ontario, contact Canada Business Ontario to get in touch with one of our information officers.

Par Entreprises Canada, le 15 juillet 2010

Hi Wendy,

Although, we do not have a specific list of business ideas that may be successful, we do have information on developing your ideas for your new business venture. This information will help you evaluate your idea and determine what your chances of making a profit from that idea are. You may also wish to access our Step by Step Guide to Starting a Business that will help guide you to the information you need to get started on the right foot.

Good luck with developing your business ideas!

Par Entreprises Canada, le 19 août 2010

Hi Teresa,

In response to your questions:

1. We suggest taking a look at the information available on Registering Your Business. Under the section on business structures is information on what type of business structure may be right for your line of business. You may also be interested in the information on our E-business section that provides information about using the internet for your business.

2. You may want to contact a Canada Business office in your area to speak to one of their business officers via their toll-free number or email. They will be able to determine if there is any training available for new entrepreneurs in your area. 

3. The Protecting Your Interests section will provide you with information on how to protect your business and keep your business secure. Some areas of interest are: security and fraud, risk management and legal issues. The Canadian Internet Registration Authority can help you with registration for a dot-ca domain name. This information is also provided in our e-business section under services required for e-business.

Par Entreprises Canada, le 19 août 2010

Hi Salman,

If you are interested in moving to Canada to start a business, you may be eligible to immigrate under the Business Immigration Program. This program will provide you with the criteria you need to start a business in Canada as an investor, entrepreneur or self-employed person.

The contact section on this page will provide information for visa offices outside Canada and Canadian embassies, high commissions and consulates to provide information on your visa application process.

Good luck on starting your business in Canada.

Par Entreprises Canada, le 20 août 2010

Hi Mark,

For information on whether your business needs a licence, you will need to contact the provincial government in the area where you are doing business. Our Canada Business office in your area can help you get the information you require. You can contact them by email or via their toll-free number.

As you will be starting an image editing business online, you may wish to access information on privacy protection. Industry Canada’s Office of Consumer Affairs has an online Privacy Protection Guide which you may find helpful.

Our E-business and Business Start-up Checklist and Guides topics on our Canada Business website will offer you guidance with your new online business. Good luck with you new business opportunity.

Par Entreprises Canada, le 24 août 2010

Hello Leo,

To learn more about your financing options as a young entrepreneur, contact The Canadian Youth Business Foundation to find out about their loan programs and support services.

Best of luck with your business!

Par Entreprises Canada, le 14 septembre 2010

Hi Kevin,

You can search for applicable funding programs under the Government Grants, Loans and Financing search and filter for British Columbia. You will also find a list of funding programs available to small businesses operating in British Columbia in Small Business BC’s Overview of Financing document.

You mentioned that you’ve been discharged for two years. If you’ve been on an Employment Insurance (EI) benefit claim period within the previous 36 months, you might be eligible for the Self-Employment Program. This program provides financial support, planning assistance and mentoring to help you get your business up and running.

For information on whether you would be eligible, and if so, how to apply to a Self-Employment program, visit Be Your Own Boss.org if you are in the Lower Mainland region or to the Community Futures Development Corporation if you are in a rural area of British Columbia. You can attend an information session for the Self-Employment program that you are interested in, and then apply. Application forms are available upon visiting an information session.

Par Entreprises Canada, le 15 septembre 2010

Hi Rachael,

To find out what the existing and future demand is for such a service, you’ll need to conduct some research. You may want to determine if someone else is offering the same service and what their level of success is. You’ll want to get a good idea of the demand for the service and how much people are willing to pay. Depending on the nature of your business, you may want to determine the best location for your storefront or office. These are just some of the details you’ll want to find out. Our section on Conducting market research will help you get started.

Note that there are other aspects to entrepreneurship. You may want to visit our section Starting a Business to first find out if entrepreneurship is for you and how to develop your ideas.

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).

Par Entreprises Canada, le 14 décembre 2010

Hi Mohsin

Our Government Grants, Loans and Financing search is an excellent place to start. Here you can filter results by industry, location, demographic group and/or the reason you are looking for financing. The Grants and Finances section also links to some community-based and private sector financing resources.

If you are planning to buy a gas station that is a part of a franchise, you can also contact the Canadian Franchise Association to learn more about your financing options.

You can also learn more about financing for your business by visiting Getting a business start-up loan from your bank or credit union.

Contact Canada Business Ontario or call 1-888-745-8888 (TTY 1-800-457-8466) to learn more about starting a business in Ontario.

Par Entreprises Canada, le 21 juillet 2011

Hello Deva,

To learn more about your options as a young entrepreneur, contact The Canadian Youth Business Foundation to find out about financing programs, mentorship opportunities, and other support services.

Best of luck with your business!

Par Entreprises Canada, le 5 août 2011

Hello Andres,

You may want to get underway by looking at our section on Starting a business for tips on developing a business plan and getting started. There is also a lot of useful information relevant to your plans under the topic of Importing, especially about finding suppliers. The Importing process and the Permits and licences    sections may also be of interest to you.

If you need any more help, do not hesitate to call us at 1-888-576-4444 or
TTY: 1-800-457-8466 (hearing impaired), or contact one of our regional business service centres.

Best of luck in getting your coffee import/export business off the ground.

Par Entreprises Canada, le 18 octobre 2011

Hello Moeen,

For help or guidance on starting your health/medical magazine, you can consult Magazines Canada’s article on How to Start a Magazine. You could also contact your local Magazine Publishers Association.

Starting a Business is the section of our site that can help you understand entrepreneurship. You will find out how to develop your ideas and business plan, how to register your business name, and more. Please contact the Canada Business service centre in your region for further assistance.

Good luck with your magazine.

Par Entreprises Canada, le 18 novembre 2011