Recent changes to CORES systems have made the filing of documents you need to start and maintain a business in Alberta even easier! Now, we can register all businesses -- whether Trade Names, Partnerships or Corporations -- online from our office, often while you wait.

Starting a business involves a myriad of related tasks. From a paperwork perspective, one of the first things to consider is its legal structure. Will it be a sole proprietorship (owned by an individual and operating under a trade name), a partnership (or limited partnership) or will it be incorporated as a limited company. There are pros and cons to each when considering these different structures.

If you are not familiar with the ramifications and consequences of this choice, you may wish to consult an accounting or legal professional. At the very least, visit the Library or a local book store and do some research on the subject. Also, our office sells kits for people starting businesses.

If you've read up or consulted a professional, you will be better prepared when you come in to register your business. Unless you are registering an incorporated numbered company, you should also give thought to what you will call the business.

The legal structure also partly influences the name of the business. For example:
"Joe's Shoe Repair" would signify a proprietorship.
"Joe's Shoe Repair Corp." or
"Joe's Shoe Repair Inc." or
"Joe's Shoe Repair Ltd." would signify corporations.

Using the name of your proposed business, we can provide a NUANS search which will yield a listing of other businesses with similar names. The purpose of this is to determine if the name you want is already in use or not. NUANS searches are mandatory if you are incorporating a company -- unless it is a numbered company -- and optional (but definitely highly recommended) for registering a trade name.

Ultimately, the decision to use a particular name is yours, provided it is not identical to an existing company. However, be aware that you should avoid using any name which might, in the mind of the public, confuse your business with another business. That other business could object and potentially force you to change your name. Once you have decided on the legal structure and name, your business can be registered or incorporated.

You will need to have your business registered or incorporated before any Bank will allow you to establish an account in the name of the business.

Some things we CAN'T do for you at our office, but that will likely need to be done afterwards, as part of your business startup:

• You will likely need to obtain a Business Licence from the City of Calgary or other local jurisdiction, depending on where your business is located.
   
• You will likely need to apply for a Goods and Services Tax licence from the Federal Government. This allows you to collect GST on sales and receive GST credit for purchases where you have paid GST.
   
• You will likely want to talk to Worker's Compensation to determine if your business needs to provide coverage for employees.

Note: City, Provincial and Federal Governments also require that your business is registered or incorporated before you can proceed with their applications.

For more information please contact our offices at 403.531.6575 or click here to send us an email.

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