When you are starting a new business in Manitoba, there are many steps to take. These include registering with the provincial government and getting all required permits and licences. The Manitoba Companies Office can help you with this process by providing information about how long it takes to register a business name, how much it costs etc. In this blog, we will give you all the information about how to register a business in Manitoba.
How to Register a Business in Manitoba?
A business is a legal entity that has a distinct identity and form of organisation. It can be an individual, partnership, company (limited liability company), corporation or other legal entity.
Business registration serves two critical functions: it protects your right to do business in Manitoba. As well it allows you to conduct business activities in the province without having your personal information disclosed publicly on government databases like Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
This certificate of registration acts as proof that the business is legally registered with the government. The information in this certificate can be used to verify that a company is legitimate and investigate further if there are any concerns about its activities or legitimacy.
Companies are required to register with the government so that they can be held accountable for their actions. This accountability is necessary because it ensures that businesses follow the laws of Manitoba, pay taxes and create jobs. Business registration also prevents people from setting up fake companies and committing fraud against consumers or other businesses.
Choose Business Idea
Choosing a business idea that you can run successfully would be best. You need to be able to run your own business and make it profitable, or else you will fail.
You also want to select an area where only a few businesses in your industry are already operating and where the market demand is high enough for more people to start businesses in Manitoba.
To find out which types of businesses are popular in Manitoba, check out our list below:
- Restaurant and cafe
- Retail store
- Beauty salons and barbershops
- Real estate agencies and property management business
- Construction Company
- Handyman services
- Home renovation business
- Property maintenance business
- Event planning and wedding service
- Animal care business
- Pet grooming service
- Dog walking business
- Pet sitting and kennel service
Choose Business Plan
You can start with a business plan, which is a plan that outlines your company’s goals, mission, and vision. It also includes detailed information about your products or services and how you plan to reach customers. The business plan should include the following:
- What the business will be called, including the name of your company and your website address
- How you will attract new customers to your business (through advertising, social media, etc.)
- How much it costs to start up and operate your business (this includes everything from rent to utilities)
Register Your Name
While starting a business registering and reserving your name is most important. Let’s see how to do it in the following
Choose a Business Name
Choose a name that is short enough. You want to make sure that you can fit it into the space available on your business card, so choose names that are at most three to four words and keep them as short as possible.
Make sure the name doesn’t sound confusing. It may sound like every other business in town, but if it does, people will think twice about choosing yours over theirs when shopping for insurance or legal services!
Avoid using words with similar meanings (like “bank”). This could lead people to assume that you actually run an actual bank instead of just offering financial products through your company’s website because some people might think that all banks offer such things. Then there would be no way anyone would ever trust you again after discovering what kind of person runs their local branch!
Reserve Your Name
To reserve your business name, you need to complete the following steps:
- Open up a Business Account with Manitoba Business Registry (MBR). The MBR website is easy to use and provides all the information needed to register your company.
- Fill out the online form by providing basic details about yourself, including your contact information, whether or not you’re an individual or corporation/limited liability partnership (LLP), and which province you live in. You’ll also be asked whether or not any existing businesses in Manitoba share similar names with yours; if so, select “Yes” under “Do You Have An Existing Name?” and enter those details on this page as well.
Once you’ve filled out all of the information, click “Continue.” You’ll be asked to provide your business’s legal name on the next page. This will be the name that appears on all documents and transactions related to your company.
Register With the Manitoba Companies Office
If you want to register a business in Manitoba, there are several steps that need to be taken. First, you must contact the Manitoba Companies Office and request an application form. You will then need to complete this form with your information and submit it along with your required documents.
Once submitted, they will review the application and send back a letter confirming that they received everything. This can take anywhere from one week up to six months before you receive official confirmation that your company has been registered!
Get the Required Permits and Licences
To start your business, you need to get the required permits and licenses. Different licences and permits depending on the business type you want to run.
Business licence:
This is required for any company or organisation with employees or a physical presence in Manitoba. You must apply for this before starting up your business. If no employees are working for you at the time, then no application is necessary as long as there’s not any place where people can come together (like a restaurant). A business number is needed if it involves manufacturing products; otherwise, only an operating certificate will suffice under these circumstances.
Zoning and Building Permits:
The Planning, Property, and Development agency of the City of Winnipeg handles the zoning and permit review and approval process for business projects that require approval from more than one City agency.
A Building Occupancy Permit is needed for all businesses working in a non-residential space. If the type of company, business name, business address, or space changes, the permit must be renewed.
Operating Certificate:
This allows owners of sole proprietorships or partnerships who do not have employees—and therefore do not require a business licence—to operate their own businesses without having to pay taxes on profits earned from these operations during those years when they operated their respective businesses successfully (this includes things like wages paid out by employers).
Environment Approval
The aim of environment approval is to ensure that development is regulated to protect the environment and public health while maintaining a high quality of life for current and future Manitobans. They offer a broad range of permits, licenses, and approvals. This includes a public registry, outfitter licensing, the issuance of wildlife, fishing, hunting licenses, and water use licencing permits.
Environmental Assessment and Licensing
The environmental assessment and licencing programme reduces the environmental effect of the proposed development. This is accomplished through an environmental assessment process that identifies environmental effects and mitigation measures, as well as a licencing process that establishes clear performance requirements for projects throughout their life cycle, including construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning.
The environmental assessment and licencing procedure regulate pollution sources and other environmental impacts caused by municipal, industrial, commercial, resource use, and hazardous waste projects. The Environment Act requires projects needing environmental assessment and licencing to be listed on an inclusion list, which is provided in Manitoba Regulation 164/88, the Classes of Development Regulation. The Dangerous Goods Handling and Transportation Act require licencing for some undertakings.
Water Use Licensing Permits
The Water Rights Act provides equal access to water to all property owners on a first-come, first-served premise. However, if you intend to use water for municipal or industrial purposes or if you intend to use more than 25,000 litres per day for other reasons, you must first acquire permission from our branch. We are responsible for allocating the use of water supplies throughout the province under The Water Rights Act.
Register for Goods And Services Tax
GST is a tax that applies to most goods and services sold in Manitoba. GST is collected at the point of sale and remitted to the federal government by businesses that collect it from their customers and any person making a taxable supply of tangible personal property or services.
The purpose of GST is to reduce paperwork for taxpayers by eliminating the need for them to calculate separate PST and HST amounts based on where they make their purchases. Instead, all Manitobans pay one combined rate regardless of where they buy things from within our province (or country). This means you can save time by paying just one tax rate instead of calculating both PST/HST separately when buying groceries, gasoline, etc.
Register for Provincial Sales Tax
To register for PST, you will need to fill out a form and pay the provincial sales tax of 6%. The rate is fixed and applies throughout Manitoba.
If you don’t register for Provincial Sales Tax (PST), it means that your goods or services will be subject to an additional 5% surcharge when you file your business tax return each year. This penalty could lead to fines, interest charges and even jail time!
There are a few exceptions to the PST law. For example, if you are selling goods that have been purchased outside of Manitoba but don’t have any physical presence in the province (for example, if you own an online store), then you probably don’t need to register for PST.
The same goes for goods that are shipped out of Manitoba within 24 hours of purchase. If you are still determining whether or not you need to register for PST, contact the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) directly.
Support Your Employees
If you are new to the workforce, knowing your rights and responsibilities as an employer can be difficult. Being aware of your rights and responsibilities will help you in many ways:
- You will be able to support your employees by paying their wages properly, deducting Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions, employment insurance (EI) premiums and income tax from their salaries, wages or any other type of income
- You can also register with the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba as an employer when you have your first employee. This can help provide workers compensation coverage in case they get injured while they are on the job with you. Self-employed individuals can also obtain personal coverage
Conclusion
Suppose you’re looking for a business entity to start your operation in Manitoba. In that case, knowing that many factors will determine what type of entity is best for your needs is essential. We hope this blog is helpful to you in understanding the procedure for registering your business in Manitoba.
FAQ – How to Register a Business in Manitoba?
How much is it to register a business name in Manitoba?
The cost of registering a business name is $60 for a corporation, which includes the following:
- A certificate of incorporation
- An annual renewal fee (this is separate from the initial registration)
If you are applying to register your business under another legal entity, such as an LLC or partnership, there will be additional fees:
- For corporations: $100
- For limited liability companies: $50
How long does it take to register a business in Manitoba?
It depends on the type of business you want to open. Mostly it takes about 4 to 6 business days after filling out your business registration. If your company is buying and selling goods or services, it must be registered with the Manitoba Securities Commission (MSC).
The MSC has offices across Canada’s provinces, so if you live in Manitoba and want to start your own business there, you should contact them first. They will give out information about how long it takes them to process applications from people starting their own companies here.
Do all small businesses need to be registered?
All businesses must be registered because it allows them to be taxed and helps ensure their compliance with federal and provincial laws. However, there are exceptions:
Small businesses that don’t sell goods or services (e.g., home-based businesses) can avoid registering if they meet certain conditions:
- The value of their annual sales must not exceed $10 million;
- Their annual payrolls and purchases cannot exceed $350k per year;
- Their total sales volume must not exceed $1 million during any 12 months in any 12 months during the preceding two years.
What happens if a business name is not registered?
If you don’t register your business name, it’s illegal for you to use that name in any way. This includes:
- Trading under that name
- Using the same name on other documents, including agreements with suppliers and customers and invoices or letters
- Applying for loans or grants with your unregistered business name on them
Can I run a business without registering in Canada?
Sole proprietorships operating under the company owner’s name are sometimes exempt from registration. For more information on the requirements of your provincial or territorial company registrar, visit their website.
Who are exempt from registering their business?
The following are exempt from registering their business:
- Companies that have been operating for less than six months
- A sole proprietor or partner in a partnership who has been operating the business for no more than three years
Companies that have earned less than $100,000 in the prior two years. And are not engaged in interstate or foreign commerce and have gross annual revenue of less than $500,00.
