REGISTER A BUSINESS

Steps to Starting Up a Small Business

1. Registering a Business Name

When to register

The name of a new business must be registered if it’s different than the business-owner’s legal name. The registration is valid for 5 years. Then it must be renewed.

It’s up to you to keep your registration up to date. This means renewing it before the end of the 5-year period, and knowing when you have to register again. If you change your business name or type (for example, from a general partnership to a sole proprietorship), this requires a new registration.

You will receive a Master Business Licence (MBL), which you can use as proof of business name registration at financial institutions and in business transactions with the Ontario government.

Costs

The costs are:

$8-$26 depending on the types of records you want to include in your search

$60 to register

$60 to renew

Registrations can be made in any of the following ways:

Register or renew in person:

You can drop off completed hard-copy forms for a sole-proprietorship, partnership or corporation at the following address:

Ministry of Government & Consumer Services
Central Productions and Verifications Branch
375 University Ave., 2nd Floor
Toronto, ON M5G 2M2
This location is the only one that accepts in-person paper registration and renewals. The office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm, except holidays.

Register or renew by mail:

Register or renew a business name by mail for a sole-proprietorship, partnership or corporation:

Ministry of Government & Consumer Services
Central Production and Verification Services Branch
393 University Ave., Suite 200
Toronto, ON M5G 2M2
Your new Master Business License will be mailed back to you in 20 business days. A renewed license will be mailed back to you in 10 days.

Search, register and renew online:

You can register and renew a business name anytime, day or night, but the search tool - the Enhanced Business Name Search is only available Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 6 pm, excluding holidays.

Go to www.ontario.ca
Select: English
Select: Business + Economy
Select: Register a business name
Select: #4 - Search, register or renew online now (blue button)

Go online at a ServiceOntario centre:

ServiceOntario Centre
34 Simcoe Street, Unit 102
Barrie, ON L4N 6T4

2. Open a Business Bank Account:

You will need a photocopy of your Master Business License.

3. Business Number (BN):

Your BN is a nine-digit identifier for businesses to simplify their dealings with federal, provincial, and municipal governments in Canada. It aims to give each registered business its own unique number.

You only need a BN if you need one or more program accounts. A program account is an account you register for with the Canada Revenue Agency to deal with specific programs. The most common program accounts a business will need are GST/HST, payroll deductions, corporation income tax and import-export.

How to register
You can register for a Business Number (BN) and one or more of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) program accounts at the same time using any of the following methods:

By Internet:
Go to www.cra-arc.gc.ca

By Phone:
To obtain a BN call 1-800-959-5525

By Mail & By Fax:
Sudbury Tax Centre
Office/mailing address
1050 Notre Dame Avenue
Sudbury, ON P3A 5C1
Fax: 705-671-3994/1-855-276-1529

5. Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

www.wsib.on.ca or call Toll free at 1-800-387-0750 to request enrollment for your employees.

6. Licenses:

Contact the Municipal Office where your business will be located to see if any permits are required.

7. Ministry of Labour:

www.labour.gov.on.ca to view the Employment Standard Act, 2000 (ESA).

8.Small Business Centre:

The Small Business Centre encourages and supports entrepreneurship in the City of Barrie, the City of Orillia, and all of Simcoe County, by being a one-stop source for all your small business needs. For more information: barriebusinesscentre.ca.