Start out a Company

Start out a Company

Nanaimo Financial Improvement Office environment

Situated in the heart of downtown, the Nanaimo Financial Development place of work can connect you to the people today and information and facts that you need to create or broaden your small business in Nanaimo. If you are exploring a company idea, commencing a small business, or have an existing organization, we can aid!

aerial photo of Nanaimo's Service and Resource Centre

Get in touch with Nanaimo Economic Advancement for more information and facts. Business: 411 Dunsmuir Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9S 5J6  p: (250) 755-4465

Measures to Commencing your small business

Stick to the online ways underneath, or obtain the Town of Nanaimo Company Guide.

Analysis the regional Business enterprise Local weather

Seeking for information and facts about Nanaimo’s economic drivers, demographics, and infrastructure? Visit Economic Data pages dedicated to serving to you accessibility all set-to-use nearby knowledge & intelligence. 

Establish a Small business Plan 

Creating a small business prepare is critical in guaranteeing very long expression success. A small business system assists in examining business enterprise probable, as effectively as identifying the hazards that may be associated. Group Futures situated in Nanaimo is a great place to start out for a organization prepare template and suggestions. You will also discover many handy sources on Smaller Business BC website.

Sign-up your organization

The initially move in incorporation or development of a business enterprise is the registration of your business name.  Apply for your  Enterprise Identify at BC Registry Providers.

Get your Municipal Organization License

Just about every enterprise functioning in Nanaimo, like individuals found in a personal home, need to have a legitimate City of Nanaimo business enterprise license. Organization license service fees differ relying on the sort of enterprise as determined by municipal bylaws.  Apply for your Organization License  

Property-Primarily based Small business

The Town of Nanaimo encourages the operation of house-centered enterprises. In Nanaimo, house-based mostly organization is defined as an occupation or profession carried on as a company by a person  residing in the identical dwelling unit as the enterprise.

Home-based organization is generally a small get started to a much larger professional or industrial endeavor. The strategy at the rear of residence-primarily based small business is to persuade self-used business owners to commence up a business enterprise even though preserving overhead low. As soon as the organization is recognized to a issue where by a much larger region is necessary, staff need to have to be employed or other ailments for a house-centered enterprise can no extended be achieved, it then gets to be time for that enterprise to relocate to correctly zoned industrial or industrial premises.

Residence-centered organization laws prohibit the scale and scope of enterprise operations and regulate issues like variety of workers, parking, storage etcetera. Dwelling-dependent business regulations 

Company Spot

Permitted employs on a piece of residence are ruled by municipal plans, policies and bylaws. In advance of you dedicate to a place or purchase or lease a developing, check out with the Recent Scheduling Division to assure the zoning of the house is suitable for the company. From time to time, the use of area can’t be altered devoid of a creating allow or re-zoning.

Building permits

A making permit assures that the proposed creating complies with the BC Developing Code and other municipal bylaws. Prior to issuing a business enterprise license, the developing inspector must approve the proposed premises for occupancy. You could be essential to implement for a building allow for the modifications essential to accommodate your enterprise.  A making allow is demanded when you do the subsequent:

  • Construct a new setting up.
  • Include to an existing building.
  • Improve the occupancy of an existing creating.
  • Make interior renovations that may possibly impression the route of journey to an exit.
  • Enclose your carport or modify your garage to dwelling place.
  • Finish an current basement.
  • Incorporate or relocate plumbing, hearth alarm or fire sprinklers.
  • Find a non permanent making.

Get hold of the Developing Inspection Division for data on the unique needs of your small business and the demands for producing a creating permit application.

Signage

The bylaw regulates the styles, measurements and locations of signage primarily based on zoning and location within the City. For additional information and facts relating to what indicators are permitted, you can get hold of the Latest Planning Section

Other Registrations

For other criteria and registrations, take a look at our Other Registrations page.