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Embarking on the entrepreneurial journey in Canada and setting up a successful business comes with unique challenges and opportunities. To guide you through the process, we’ve gathered insights from CEOs and Founders, starting with the importance of conducting thorough market research and culminating with the need to balance marketing and operations. Here are the eleven key steps these seasoned professionals recommend for starting and running a successful business in the Great White North.
- Conduct Thorough Market Research
- Understand Cross-Border Trade
- Create a Detailed Business Plan
- Maintain Your Day Job
- Foster Local Business Relationships
- Seek Legal and Tax Advice
- Monitor Your Financials Closely
- Embrace Innovations and Adaptability
- Develop a Digital Marketing Strategy
- Establish Robust Financial Systems
- Balance Marketing and Operations
Conduct Thorough Market Research for a Successful Business
Bassem Mostafa, Lead Market Analyst and Founder, Globemonitor
With considerable experience in conducting market research across various geographical regions, including Canada, I am well-positioned to offer insights into starting and running a successful business in Canada.
A key step to starting and running a successful business in Canada is conducting thorough market research and understanding the local business environment. This step is crucial for several reasons:
Understanding Consumer Behavior: Canada’s diverse population means consumer preferences can vary significantly. Comprehensive market research helps in understanding these preferences and tailoring your product or service accordingly.
Regulatory Compliance: Each Canadian province has its own set of business regulations. It’s vital to understand and comply with these regulations to operate smoothly.
Competitive Landscape: Analyzing the competitive environment in your industry within Canada helps in identifying market gaps and opportunities for differentiation.
Cultural Sensitivity: Being aware of cultural nuances and incorporating them into your business practices can significantly enhance customer relationships.
Networking: Building a strong network with local businesses and entrepreneurs can provide invaluable support and insights. My advice for entrepreneurs in Canada would be:
Leverage Local Resources: Utilize resources such as the Canada Business Network, which provides guidance on government services, programs, and regulations.
Focus on Digital Presence: With the increasing shift towards digital platforms, having a robust online presence is crucial for reaching a wider audience.
Prepare for Seasonal Variations: Canada’s distinct seasons can impact consumer behavior and business operations, so plan accordingly.
Starting a business in Canada presents unique opportunities and challenges. With careful planning, research, and adaptation to local contexts, entrepreneurs can establish and grow successful businesses in this vibrant and diverse market.
Understand Cross-Border Trade
Steve Mascarin, CEO, Taunton Village Dental
One key step is to understand how to cross borders into the U.S. with your products or services. This can involve regulations, depending on what your business is, so some research is involved. It also means you need to understand money exchanges and how that affects cost and price. You also have to understand the American mentality, markets, and what U.S. consumers look for when they buy products and services.
That last item may be the most challenging. Some may think that Canadians and Americans are alike because they are neighbors and often cross borders to do business. That’s not entirely true. Each has a different way of doing business and different values in purchases. Marketing may differ from American consumers when compared to Canadians because each may have different motivations that convert leads into sales.
Create a Detailed Business Plan
Mark Buskuhl, Founder and CEO, Ninebird Properties
Having a well-thought-out and detailed business plan is crucial for starting and running a successful business in Canada. This document will serve as your roadmap, outlining your goals, strategies, and financial projections. It should also include market research, competitor analysis, and marketing plans.
A strong business plan helps you make informed decisions and makes it easier to secure funding from investors or financial institutions. So, take your time and put effort into creating a solid business plan that will guide you toward success.
Maintain Your Day Job
Scott Lieberman, Owner, Touchdown Money
Too often, I see mentees of mine quitting their day jobs because they have this unique, million-dollar idea. However, the outcome is always the same: They run out of savings six months into starting their business, and they return to their day job.
Therefore, continuing to work at your job is the most important part of launching a new business in Canada or wherever you’re located.
Businesses fail when they run out of money. But when you keep working, you can dedicate a couple of thousand dollars every month to your business, and regardless of how long it takes to become profitable, you’ll be able to keep it alive with your salary.
Foster Local Business Relationships
Gil Clark Jr., CEO, GH Clark
A vital step for a successful business in Canada involves fostering strong relationships within the local business community. Engaging with local chambers of commerce, networking groups, and industry associations can provide invaluable insights, support, and potential partnerships.
Building a network of connections not only helps navigate the business landscape but also opens doors to collaborations, mentorship, and market opportunities unique to Canada’s diverse and dynamic business environment.
Seek Legal and Tax Advice
Sebastian Jania, CEO, Ontario Property Buyers
One key step to take for starting and running a successful business in Canada is to get the proper legal and tax advice for your situation and goals. It’s important to decide whether to set up a proper corporation with the appropriate corporate structure or to simply create a business in Canada as a sole proprietor.
These decisions can have a massive impact and should be the decisions in which one invests some time and money to ensure they are the right ones. In Canada, there can be a significant difference between a tax perspective and a liability perspective depending on the type of business structure one establishes.
In my experience, I opened up a corporation fairly quickly for our house-buying company but made the mistake of doing it through an inexpensive service provider compared to going through a lawyer or accountant to set up the proper structure, which would have saved me money and headaches.
Monitor Your Financials Closely
Axel Hernborg, Founder and CEO, Tripplo
Keep a close eye on your finances. Whether your company is new or has been operating for some time, monitoring your working capital, sales, profits, and operating expenses is critical. It’s best for beginning business owners to have low overhead expenses and to increase those costs as their company expands.
A bank business loan is one of the most popular funding methods. As soon as you get to Canada, start raising your credit score so that you will get a business loan later on.
You might also be qualified for funding from non-profit or community-based organizations like Futurpreneur Canada, or government programs and grants, like the Canada Small Business Financing Program (CSBFP). Locate a financial advisor who can offer advice on your company’s financial aspects.
Embrace Innovations and Adaptability
Gillian Perkins, CEO, Startup Society
In my journey of running a successful business in Canada, a pivotal step is embracing innovation while staying adaptable. My distinctive advice: Prioritize continuous adaptation to market trends and integrate innovative solutions.
Embracing technological advancements and evolving consumer needs allows for agile business strategies, ensuring relevance and competitiveness in the Canadian market.
This proactive approach to innovation fosters resilience, propelling the business forward amidst dynamic changes in the Canadian business landscape.
Develop a Digital Marketing Strategy
Cyrus Partow, CEO, ShipTheDeal
I highly recommend developing a robust digital marketing plan tailored to Canada when launching a business there. With so much competition online, utilizing SEO, content marketing, and social media is imperative for the acquisition and retention of Canadian customers.
At ShipTheDeal, our data-driven marketing approach focused on Canadian keywords and platforms was instrumental in cost-effectively attracting customers. For example, we targeted keywords like “shipping to Canada” and “shipping within Canada” to reach customers searching for domestic shipping solutions. We also leveraged platforms like Facebook to geo-target ads to Canadian IP addresses.
Establish Robust Financial Systems
Ray Wang, Principal, RW Digital
Starting a business in Canada requires careful planning, a strong understanding of the local market, and adherence to legal and regulatory requirements. There are many fees and tax regulations associated with starting a business in Canada, which can be tough on your finances.
My top tip for anyone looking to create a startup in Canada is to establish robust financial systems for invoicing, accounting, and budgeting, and to consider hiring an accountant right away to help you set up these systems and ensure compliance with tax regulations.
A well-thought-out business plan is also essential for guiding your business and attracting potential investors or lenders to ensure you have the right funding to start. So always create a solid (but flexible) business plan so you know how much funding you need, and how much you may need for unexpected expenses.
Balance Marketing and Operations
Graham McCormack, SEO Specialist, Graham SEO
Marketing and Operations: Create a powerful presence both online and offline by establishing a well-designed website and encouraging active participation on social media.
Maintain a focus on operational efficiency while providing great customer service to fulfill the requirements of the customers. Maintain constant vigilance in the performance of your company and be flexible enough to adjust to shifting market conditions.
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