Basic Steps for Starting a Business
Choosing a Business Structure- Business Start-Up Assistant
- Your Information Site for Starting a Business in Canada
Nova Scotia – How to Start
This page provides general information and resources including checklists and guides for starting a business in Nova Scotia.
General Information and Guides
Legal Aspects
Setting Up an Office
Buying a Business
Electronic Magazines and Portals
Organizations/Networks/Programs
General Information and Guides
- Checklists for Going Into Business – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Feasibility Checklist for Starting a Small Business – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Points to Consider When Starting Your Own Business – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Online Small Business Workshop – Canada Business Service Centres
- Business Start-Up Info-Guide – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Aboriginal Business Info-Guide – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Connections: An Immigrants' Guide to Starting a Business in Nova Scotia – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre Printable Version – PDF (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)
- Guide for Canadian Small Businesses – Canada Revenue Agency
- Getting Started in Small Business – Canadian Bankers Association
Legal Aspects
- Legal Issues in Starting a Business – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Protection of Personal Information - Your Responsibilities – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Questions to Ask Before You Sign a Lease – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Bonding – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
Setting Up an Office
- How Will You Operate? – Canadian Bankers Association
- Signs and Your Business – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Store Location - "Little Things" Mean a Lot – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Making Your Organization Bilingual - Guide and Practical Tools – Canadian Heritage
Buying a Business
- Buying a Business – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Forty Concepts for a Small Business – Canada Business Service Centres
- How to Buy a Business - Checklist – The Business Link
Electronic Magazines and Portals
- Atlantic Business Online
- Progress
- Canadian Business Online
- Small Business Canada Magazine
- CanadaOne Magazine
- Réseau de développement économique et d’employabilité (Available in French only)
- BizSTARTUPS – Entrepreneur.com
- Entrepreneur.com
- The Wall Street Journal Online – Entrepreneur – Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Organizations/Networks/Programs
Resource Centres
- Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Annapolis County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Antigonish County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Cape Breton County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Colchester County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Cumberland County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Digby County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Guysborough County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Halifax County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Hants County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Inverness County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Kings County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Lunenburg County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Pictou County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Queens County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Richmond County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Shelburne County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Victoria County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Yarmouth County Resources – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
Organizations
- Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Canadian Innovation Centre - CIC – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development (CEED) – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Community Business Development Corporations (CBDCs) – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- InNOVAcorp - Nova Scotia Innovation Corporation – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Le Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CDÉNÉ) – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association (MISA) – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Network – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Open For Business – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Regional Development Authorities – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Government of Nova Scotia
- Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) – Government of Canada
- Canadian Council for Small Business & Entrepreneurship
- The Canadian Technology Network – National Research Council Canada
- Canadian Federation of Independent Business
- Export Development Canada
- Black Business Initiative – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Business Development Bank of Canada - Mandate – Canada/Nova Scotia Business Service Centre
- Entrepreneurship Institute of Canada
- HITE - An association for hi-tech startups
University Business Development Centres
- Acadia Centre for Small Business and Entrepreneurship
- Centre for Women in Business – Mount Saint Vincent University
- Saint Mary's University Business Development Centre
- Centre Jodrey – Université Sainte-Anne
- Saint Francis Xavier Enterprise Development Centre (XEDC)