| | Rating | Comments |
General Overview | | |
Assessment of market need for product or service | | |
Basic industry background of product or service | | |
Business plan | | |
Financing | | |
Commercial loans
| | |
Family loans
| | |
Friends’ loans
| | |
Government grants and assistance
| | |
Personal
| | |
Marketing plan | | |
Personal profile as risk taker | | |
Projected income and expenses | | |
Considerations for Starting Your Own Business | | |
Bottom line overhead | | |
Client development | | |
Corporation | | |
Flexibility in products and service | | |
Franchise | | |
High risk | | |
How personal life and business life merge | | |
Joint venture | | |
Long hours | | |
Partnership | | |
Sole proprietorship | | |
Buying an Existing Business | | |
Buyer’s comfort level with business | | |
Due diligence | | |
Owner’s reason for selling | | |
Personal interest in business | | |
Your reason for buying | | |
Location | | |
Building – suitable appearance exterior and interior for type of business | | |
Acoustics
| | |
Comfort
| | |
Floors
| | |
Heating
| | |
Landscape
| | |
Layout
| | |
Lighting
| | |
Outside storage
| | |
Packing
| | |
Snow removal
| | |
Waste disposal
| | |
Zoning – present | | |
Potential future changes
| | |
If location needs to be rezoned, time span
| | |
Transportation | | |
Any road restrictions for trucks | | |
Nearby air terminal | | |
Nearby rail terminal | | |
Nearby truck terminal | | |
Public transit for customers and employees | | |
Shipping section | | |
Street accessibility for customers and employees | | |
Truck access | | |
Utilities | | |
Gas | | |
Monthly/annual price estimate
| | |
Power supply | | |
Monthly/annual price estimate
| | |
Sewers | | |
Monthly/annual price estimate
| | |
Water | | |
Monthly/annual price estimate
| | |
Taxes | | |
Current business tax assessment | | |
Future increases
| | |
Current property tax assessment | | |
Future increases
| | |
Other tax considerations | | |
Lease | | |
Landlord’s responsibilities | | |
Liability for drawing lease | | |
Options | | |
Reviewed by lawyer | | |
Short or long | | |
Tenant’s responsibilities | | |
Professional Assistance | | |
Banker | | |
Chartered Accountant | | |
Lawyer | | |
Registration | | |
Articles of incorporation | | |
Federal
| | |
NUANS search
| | |
Provincial
| | |
Business name | | |
Name search
| | |
Co-operative | | |
Articles
| | |
Ministerial approval of name
| | |
Partnership name | | |
Limited partner
| | |
Name search
| | |
Licenses | | |
Building | | |
Business | | |
Delivery | | |
Excise bonds | | |
Export | | |
Fuel | | |
Import | | |
Liquor | | |
Municipal | | |
Professional | | |
Provincial | | |
Surety bonds | | |
Tobacco | | |
Transportation | | |
Zoning | | |
Regulatory Compliance | | |
Competition Act | | |
Consumer protection legislation
| | |
Discriminatory business practices legislation
| | |
Similar provincial legislation
| | |
For particular industries | | |
Athletic gym owners (i.e., boxing, wrestling)
| | |
Auto repair shops
| | |
Book and magazine distributors
| | |
Car dealers
| | |
Cemetery owners
| | |
Collection agencies
| | |
Condominium owners
| | |
Debt collectors
| | |
Funeral directors
| | |
Movie theatres
| | |
Prepaid services such as health clubs
| | |
Private bailiffs
| | |
Real estate agents and brokers
| | |
Travel industry
| | |
Health-related | | |
Food inspection
| | |
Packaging/labelling
| | |
Product safety
| | |
Technical standards | | |
Pollution control
| | |
Taxation | | |
Capital gains tax
| | |
Capital tax
| | |
Corporations tax
| | |
Customs tariffs
| | |
Fuel tax
| | |
Gasoline tax
| | |
GST/HST
| | |
Income tax
| | |
Input tax credits
| | |
Land transfer tax
| | |
Property tax
| | |
Retail sales tax
| | |
Source deductions
| | |
Tobacco tax
| | |
Patents | | |
Issue date
| | |
Pending
| | |
Registration number
| | |
Trade-marks and some trade names | | |
Date of first use
| | |
Issue date
| | |
Pending
| | |
Registration number
| | |
Quality mark | | |
Timber mark | | |
Industrial design | | |
First made public
| | |
Owned or licensed
| | |
Registration date
| | |
Copyright | | |
Author
| | |
Owned or licensed
| | |
Performing rights societies (i.e., Socan)
| | |
Registration
| | |
Certification | | |
Canadian Gas Association
| | |
Canadian Standards Association
| | |
Electrical inspection
| | |
Laboratory underwriter
| | |
Industry certificates (as required by provincial law) | | |
Industry Certification of Other Trades (which may be optional) | | |
Labour Relations | | |
Business information | | |
Canada/province business service center | | |
Employment Standards Act (or similar provincial legislation) | | |
Equal pay and opportunity | | |
Minimum wage | | |
Provincial ministry | | |
Source deductions | | |
Vacation pay | | |
Workers compensation/health and safety | | |
Resources | | |
The Alliance of Manufacturers and Exporters Canada | | |
Better Business Bureau | | |
Canadian Association of Family Enterprise | | |
Canadian Association of Specialty Foods | | |
Canadian Association of Women Executives & Entrepreneurs | | |
Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety | | |
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce | | |
Canadian Direct Marketing Association | | |
Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs | | |
Canadian Federation of Independent Business | | |
Canadian Franchise Association | | |
Canadian Importers Association | | |
Canadian Standards Association | | |
Canadian Youth Business Foundation | | |
Direct Sellers Association | | |
Junior Achievement of Canada | | |
Ministry of Education and Training (provincial) | | |
Provincial Chamber of Commerce | | |
Provincial Restaurant Association | | |
Retail Council of Canada | | |
Retail Merchants Association of Canada Inc. | | |
Trade Associations | | |
Young Entrepreneurs Association | | |
