How to Register a Business in Calgary? [Complete Guideline]

Calgary is one of the most business-friendly provinces in all of Canada. Running a business here can be a pleasant experience. But when starting, it may seem a little intense, too, since there are many steps to take. From gaining the courage to start the new journey to all the administrative works may seem a lot of work.

Among them, one of the most frightening questions is how to register a business in Calgary. While the registration is not very complex, the process may seem like it if you don’t have any idea.

To give you the best guideline, we are presenting a step-by-step guide on this matter. Let’s start the article by explaining the term “business registration.”

What Is Business Registration, and Why is it Important?

Business registration means applying to open a new business to the business register. It is a public database where there is all the information of all the companies running.

It contains various essential data of the company, such as:

• The name of the company
• The registered office of the company
• The owner/partners of the company
• An identification code

It is always a good idea to register your company or business because:

• Protection for you and your employees: when you register your business, you are safe from a lot of problems, for example, lawsuits. Once you’ve registered your business, it means you’ve legalized your business, and no other person can question your validity.

This brings protection to you and your employees.

• Protection for your customers: when you are a registered company, your customers are safe too. If there is any unwanted incident, you can solve it lawfully, both for you and your customer.
• Trust: it is a simple fact; people trust a registered company rather than any upstart business.
• Goodwill of the company: there are so many startups these days. You need to stay ahead of them. How to do that? Make a statement with your registration that you are serious and want to do it the right way.

 Setting up A Business in Calgary: Where to Start?

The first thing is then mental preparation. You have an idea, and you want to give that idea a shape. You’ve done half the work. From this point, it is all about the physical work.

Step 1: make a business plan

This is the foundation step of starting a business. While you may skip this step and want to start right away, writing down a business plan can be the most brilliant move.

In fact, studies have shown that companies with precise and thoughtful plans grow 30% faster than companies without plans.

Step 2: Choose the legal form of your company

When registering your business, you can do it four ways, depending on the company type.

• Registering A Trade Name or A Sole Proprietorship

You can register a trading name when you are the only owner. In such a case, usually, the owner runs the business under a different name than their own. Also, a corporation can do the same.

• Registering A Company In Partnership

You will also have to register if you have one or more partners in your business. All the partners may have equal rights, responsibilities and ownership.

• Registering A Limited Partnership Company

A limited partnership company usually has more than one partner. But some of them are general partners, and the others are limited partners.

• Registering A Company In Limited Partnership (SRL)

This is a different kind of partnership, where all the partners have limited liabilities. Limited partnership companies must register in Calgary, even if they are based elsewhere.

Step 3: Registering the Business

This is the main point of today’s article. After deciding the legal for of the company, you need to register your business. As mentioned above, taking care of these legal obligations right from the start will save you more hassle as you continue with your planning.

Step 3: Apply For Licenses and Permits

Once you have entered your business in the business register, you have established your business name. Now there are some additional steps you need to complete. Some services need to have commercial licenses and permits—for example, a catering business.

Step 4: Form a Team

When starting a business, you should remember that an organization is only as effective as its employees. Therefore, the next step is to plan your team and begin hiring the staff you need.

Step 5: Start Managing and Promoting Your Business

When you’ve covered all the essentials, you need to start a business as we reach our final step. After completing all these tasks and processes, you are ready to start your business.

How to Register a Business in Calgary: Step by Step

Once you have decided on the legal form of your company, the next step is to register with the commercial register.

Apply for registration with all the information they need on the form:

• The legal name of the owner
• Certified name of the business
• The legal address of the company
• Type of the business
• Where will the business operate in Calgary
• The date when the business started (or will start)

Fill the form with all the information and take it to a service provider. They will take care of the rest of the process.

If your information is correct and up to standards, it will automatically get registered. They will notify you through an email, and you will get your business code or number.

How Much Will It Cost to Register A Business in Calgary?

It depends on the type of ownership you have.

This sole proprietorship is probably the cheapest and easiest process. First, you need to check if there is any other company registered under his name. If not, then it will cost 52 CAD.

But if there is already another business registered under your desired name, it will cost some extra. You may have to pay up to 47.25 CAD.

This money will go to do a NUANS report.  This report ensures that you didn’t steal other’s names.

In case of registering a numbered company will cost approx—385 CAD.

There are other fees included, such as service provider’s fees.

Final Words

The truth is, figuring out how to start a business is no easy task. There are too many questions like how to register a business in Calgary? How much will it cost?

We have done our best to explain the nuances involved in registering and starting a healthy business. But in the end, being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart – owning your own business is an adventure.