In Alberta, Canada, there are approximately 169,337 small businesses. If you want to join these ranks, you need to know all you can about starting a business in Alberta. Fortunately, that’s where our team’s insights at Bizfund come into play. In today’s guide, we share how to start a business in Alberta by walking you through the various steps in the process.
We’ll touch on everything from licences and registration to Alberta-specific conditions. We understand that many want to start a business in Alberta because the economic landscape is diverse, tax rates are competitive, business density is low, and the business environment is supportive. So we want to give you the tools you need to be successful.
Develop a Plan
You can’t hope to start a business without a plan in place. We know it can be easy to be distracted by registrations, paperwork, licensing, and operations, but all of this comes after you know more about the ‘how and what’ behind starting a business in Alberta.
If you’ve been putting off developing your business plan because it feels like it will be too much work and a lengthy document process, strike this from your thoughts. Your business plan doesn’t need to be long.
The main thing it must do is clearly outline your business’s market opportunity, your financial projections, and the competitive advantages you have over others in the space. There are a few more things to include, but this will be a good basis.
Choosing Your Business Name and Structure
After you have a plan of action, you need to choose a business name and structure. This is one of the most important steps when learning how to start a business in Alberta.
Usually, your business name needs to be unique. You can have a look through the Alberta Corporate Registry to make sure you’re not trying to nab a name someone has already chosen. Then you must also register a trade name if necessary. In most cases, a trade name is only needed for those who operate under a name other than their legal name.
Now, when it comes to choosing a legal structure, you’ll have to choose between a few options. Typically, you can choose between a sole proprietorship or a corporation, with the choice based on how much legal separation and personal liability you want to contend with.
Register Your Business in Alberta
You can look into Alberta business registration after you’ve chosen your business name and structure. To register your business, you will need to do the following:
- Provincial registration: At the provincial level, you need to register your small business with Alberta’s Corporate Registry. You can do this at any Alberta registry office, like the AMA.
- GST/HST registration: You’ll only need to do this step if your business earns more than $30,000 annually. If you project you’ll earn close to this or more, register with the CRA.
- Federal incorporation: This is another registration you need only do if necessary. Usually, if you plan to operate across Canada, you need to consider federal incorporation with Corporations Canada.
Fortunately, registration is a fairly quick process for small businesses, but costs can vary. You should expect to pay between $50 and $500 or more, depending on your business type.
Get Licenses and Permits
If you’re starting a business in Alberta, you need to obtain the licenses and permits required by your industry to operate legally. Here’s a closer look at the types of licensing and permits you might need to have a more in-depth look at:
- Municipal business licenses: In Alberta, most small businesses require a local business license to operate. Usually, you can apply online through a city’s respective website for a municipal business license.
- Home-based business licence: Yes…even those who operate a business from home likely need one. You also might need to check zoning requirements to be sure you can operate a business from your house.
- Industry-specific permits: Different industries in Alberta require specific provincial and municipal permits; check to ensure you have them. For example, the food service or construction industries may require special permits or licensure.
For a business licence or permit in Alberta, the process can take one to two weeks or longer, and the costs and criteria will depend on your business type and location.
Set Up Financial Operations
Before you open your business doors, there are a few operations you need to set up. Over and above separating your personal and business finances for tax law compliance, you need to:
- Open a business bank account: You need to have a business bank account that controls your business’s finances, including money in and money out. Usually, major banks like RBS, ATB, and TD are good options. They offer important business banking services that you might need down the line.
- Purchase accounting software: For a while, you might be able to get away with free versions, but it’s important to upgrade to a paid version. Most paid accounting software plans, including Xero, FreshBooks, and QuickBooks, offer powerful tools that can help your business operate efficiently. These tools can include assistance with tax filing, expense tracking, and accounting and payroll management.
- Register for Payroll: If you plan to have or hire employees and want to add them to your accounting software, you need to register for a payroll account with the CRA. For legal purposes, this is a must-do.
Usually, you can set up your financial operations in a day or two. However, make sure you take time to do things properly, as you don’t want headaches down the road from mistakes made at the beginning.
Alberta-Specific Considerations
Now that you know more about starting a business in Alberta, you need to learn more about Alberta-specific considerations. The following are incredibly important to know if you plan on running a successful small business in this province, regardless of the industry:
- Taxes: Alberta boasts an 8% general corporate tax rate. This is the lowest in Canada, compared to British Columbia’s 12% tax rate and Ontario’s 11.5% tax rate.
- There are “no PST” savings: Only five provinces in Canada have no PST, and Alberta is one of them. This province applies only a 5% federal Goods and Services Tax.
- Labour laws: It’s easier for small businesses to plan staffing costs because Alberta has simple employment standards. In fact, compared to other provinces in Canada, Alberta’s labor regulations are more business-friendly. They are far more flexible, especially for industries with variable hours and seasonal work.
- Helpful provincial business programs: There are numerous grants, funding options, and resources available to Alberta small business owners. If you tap into these programs, you could accelerate your business’s growth and help mitigate some financial risk. There are grants for specific industries, innovation, and green businesses.
Funding Your Alberta Business
The reality is that many startups and small businesses need funding to get started or to grow, but there are quite a few options you can look into when you’re ready. For example:
- Small business loans. You could apply for a loan with a bank or with the ATB or BDC, which are known to offer funding specifically for small businesses. Some small businesses can secure anywhere between 5,000 dollars and 800,000 dollars.
- Family and friends. Sometimes, people close to you could help you with borrowing money, and it could be cheaper than going through a bank.
- Personal savings. If you have savings, you may need to use them to self-fund your business and get it off the ground while you try to secure other funding.
- Alternative financing. Often, there are alternative financing solutions you can explore, such as merchant cash advances. Companies like Bizfund offer MCAs to help small businesses develop and grow. With an MCA, you could secure up to $300,000.
The Key Takeaways for Starting a Business in Alberta
Starting a business in Alberta isn’t as difficult as you might have initially imagined. The steps we outlined should give you a good idea as to what you need to do to get the ball rolling. If one of your roadblocks is financing, you may want to consider applying for a merchant cash advance with us at Bizfund.
With our merchant cash advances, no collateral is required. There are no hidden fees, and you’ll enjoy flexible repayments. You’ll also receive fast funding. In as little as two business days, you could have access to the funding you need to get your dream started. So apply here.
