You have a business idea. You don't know where to start. This handbook tells you exactly what to do, in what order, and what it costs — from first idea to first customer. Business structure, registration, GST/HST, banking, funding, marketing. All 10 provinces.
Buy Instant Download — CA$9.99 →Canadian Edition 2026 · 56 pages · PDF format
Before you spend a dollar, here are the four decisions every new Canadian business owner faces in week one — drawn directly from the handbook.
Those four decisions shape everything else. Want the full federal vs provincial registration walkthrough, the GST/HST decision tree, and the funding option comparison? Read on.
A visual map of the first 12 months. The handbook covers each phase in detail with checklists, registration links, and provincial variations.
Provincial business registration costs and processes vary widely. The handbook includes the full registration walkthrough for each province.
| Province | Sole prop name registration | Provincial corp incorporation | Annual provincial filing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | $60 (5 yr term) — ServiceOntario | $300 — Ontario Business Registry | $20-$120/yr (varies) |
| British Columbia | $40 — Corporate Online | $350 + $30 name reservation | $43.39/yr (BC Annual Report) |
| Alberta | $60 — corporate registry agent | ~$450 (incl. agent fees) | $50/yr |
| Quebec | ~$40 — Registraire des entreprises | $367 — REQ | ~$98/yr |
| Saskatchewan | $30 (3 yr) — Corporate Registry | $265 (incl. NUANS) | $45/yr |
| Manitoba | $45 — Companies Office | $350 | $65/yr |
| Nova Scotia | $70 (5 yr) — Registry of Joint Stock | $336 + name reservation | $118/yr |
| New Brunswick | $112 — Corporate Affairs | $262 + name reservation | $60/yr |
| Newfoundland | $50 — Registry of Companies | $300 + NUANS | $60/yr |
| PEI | $50 (5 yr) — Companies Office | $200 | $60/yr |
Snapshot only. Registration fees, annual filing fees, and online vs in-person processes change. The handbook includes current links and current fee schedules. Federal incorporation ($200 + $13/yr) is also an option for businesses operating in multiple provinces.
First-time founders who don't know what they don't know about business setup in Canada
Side-hustlers approaching the $30K GST/HST threshold who need to register properly
Anyone considering quitting their job to start a business and who needs the runway math
Owners of unregistered side businesses who need to legitimize before tax season
From CRA case files and bookkeeping data, the same expensive mistakes appear again and again. Avoid these and you've avoided the bulk of small-business legal and tax damage.
Using your personal account for business transactions creates a tax audit nightmare and undermines any liability protection. Open a separate business chequing account on day one — even most banks offer no-fee tiers for low-volume use.
Once you exceed $30K in trailing 4-quarter revenue, GST/HST registration is mandatory and retroactive. Late registration triggers penalties and back-taxes. Track the threshold quarterly, not annually.
Incorporating "to look professional" before you have revenue costs $200+ in fees plus $300-$1500/year in maintenance with no tax benefit. The handbook covers when each structure actually pays off.
Canadian-controlled private corporations get a much lower tax rate on the first $500K of active business income (~12% federal+provincial combined vs ~27% personal). Many new corp owners forget to claim it or pay themselves wrong.
General liability, professional liability (E&O), and cyber insurance are cheap ($400-$1,500/yr each for most small businesses) and cover catastrophic events. One slip-and-fall lawsuit on a residential service business can end the business entirely.
The new-business deep-dive on registration, taxes, and the first 90 days is on the publishing schedule. Subscribe to the free guide below to be notified.
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