Our popular publication Your Guide to Small Business (480KB) is also available online as a PDF file. PDF files can be read with Adobe Acrobat®. If you do not have a copy of Acrobat®, you may download a copy from the Adobe website.

Introduction

"A lot of people are under the impression that it's really difficult to get a business started and it's not. The challenge is to keep it going, which is why people need to put a lot of thought and effort into their businesses."

Paul Dandavino
Consultant
The Business Enterprise Centre, Timmins

Every year, thousands of Ontarians take the leap. With high hopes and unbridled enthusiasm, they launch their own businesses and enter the challenging-and potentially rewarding-world of entrepreneurship. Some of them thrive, but many fail. And most often it's because they weren't well prepared and didn't know what they needed to know.

This book is designed to give entrepreneurs like you the tools you need to succeed. It's not a "how to" book; it's an information resource that will help you identify the things you need to do before, during and after launching your own business.
It begins at the starting line with the all-important question: do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

From there it takes you step by step through the process: preparing to start your business, starting it, running it and expanding it. At the end of each section there are checklists to help you determine if you're ready to move on to the next stage.

There's also a section on valuable contacts and resources for entrepreneurs, which includes important government programs and business associations, as well as ten must-visit websites.

Finally, the book includes inspiring and informative success stories and tips and advice from successful entrepreneurs and Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC) managers.