In Manitoba, your success is our business. Whether your company is large or small, urban or rural or still a solid business concept waiting to crystallize, you’ve come to the right place.
The Manitoba government provides a variety of user-friendly programs and services to help start or grow a business. The spirit of innovation and co-operation thrives in our province, inspiring and supporting entrepreneurs who dare to dream. We’ll be with you as you strive for business excellence locally, nationally or globally.
Starting Smart
Need help finding the on-ramp for the road to success? Here are some excellent vehicles to help fuel your business drive:
Prime Services:
Canada/Manitoba Business Service Centre: The Canada/Manitoba Business Service Centre offers convenient, one-stop access to business information from various levels of government.
Small Business Gateway: business information from start to finish.
Companies Office: Get on-line information and forms about registering your business and corporation.
Workers Compensation Board: The workers compensation system is a mutual injury and disability insurance system for workers and employers, paid for by employers. Report claims and accidents, and request clearances on-line.
Employment Manitoba Centres: Employment Manitoba addresses current and future labour market needs through parternships with community, industry and employers groups.
Employment Standards: Manitoba’s Employment Standards Branch helps employees and employers define and protect their rights and responsibilities in the workplace.
Business Start Programs:
Manitoba Business Start Program: The Business Start Progam offers training and loan guarantees for starting a new business in Manitoba. The links contains a program description, terms and conditions, eligibility criteria and applications.
Starting a small business in Manitoba (PDF): A complete guide including legal requirements for the City of Winnipeg and rural communities.
Tools
BizCoach Manitoba: A non-profit organization that provides business mentoring services to qualifying Manitoba small businesses.
BizPaL: an online, one-stop service for entrepreneurs that simplifies the process of finding information on business permits and licences from all levels of government. Click here to view the www.BizPal.ca Flash presentation .
Business Research
Use the resources below to study your market(s) to get a clear picture of where you should go next.
Searchable Business Databases:
Manitoba Business Events Calendar: lists trade missions, trade shows and other information sharing opportunities.
Economic News: Economic News is a library of Manitoba economic news article summaries.
Manitoba Companies Directory: allows you to list your company or search for Manitoba companies by sector, name or market.
GIS Map Gallery: valuable land, permit, research information for Manitoba''s minerals and petroleum resources.
Land Titles Survey Index: provides you with access to a database of survey plans available at the Land Titles Office.
Industry Sector Specific Information:
Mining and Minerals Convention
Agriculture Sector:
Community and Business Development
Manitoba Food Products Directory Database: This directory provides a comprehensive list of Manitoba food suppliers, brokers, wholesalers and distributors, producer associations, marketing boards and research resources.
Hay and Forage Processing Industry Directory
Dairy Genetics Industry Directory
Environment Sector:
Environmental Companies Directory: Explore this directory and discover the many advantages of doing business with Manitoba environmental companies.
Statistical and Marketing Information
Manitoba Business Facts: Get the facts on the many competitive business advantages , low costs, taxes construction costs and excellent quality of life in Manitoba.
Download Marketing information in English and other languages
Financing a Business
Manitoba Business Start Program: offers training and loan guarantees for starting a new business in Manitoba. This link contains a program description, terms and conditions, eligibility criteria and applications.
Financial Assistance Programs: A comprehensive database of financial assistance programs to either start up or expand your current operation.
Small Business Info-Guide - Financial Assistance Programs: These Info-Guides will help you navigate through a wide range of programs and services in a specific area as well as related regulations that may affect your business venture.
Government Grants: A complete list of all federal and provincial grant programs available to Manitobans.
Financial Services Branch: Administers several programs that provide financial assistance to businesses.
Sources of Financing - Strategis: A searchable directory of Canadian financial providers; information on types of financing and tips on securing financing.
Financing Sources - links to banks and credit unions.
Ota Miska: Resource Manual: The Ota-Miska publication is an annual Aboriginal resource manual listing federal and provincial government departments as well as non-government organizations who provide programs and services for Aboriginal peoples.
Registration, Legal and Licensing
Things you need to know when starting, operating, changing or expanding your business.
BizPaL: An online service that simplifies the business permit and licence process for entrepreneurs, governments and third party business service providers by providing one-stop access to permit and licence information for all levels of government. Click here to view the www.BizPal.ca Flash presentation
Companies Office: Get information about registering your business and corporation.
Companies Office Online name reservation: Reserve your company name online.
Starting a small business in Manitoba - A guide to the basic legal requirements for the City of Winnipeg and rural communities
One Business, One Number: One business number to simplify your dealings with government.
Taxes and Tax Incentives
Provincial Business Taxes:
Corporate Income Tax: Effective January 1, 2007, the Manitoba government is cutting the General Corporate Income Tax Rate from 14.5% to 14%. This reduction will save Manitoba businesses $13 million annually.
Small Business Income Tax Rate: Effective January 1, 2007, the Manitoba government is cutting the Small Business Income Tax Rate from 4.5% to 3%. This reduction will save Manitoba businesses $12 million annually.
Corporation Capital Tax
Health and Post Secondary Education Tax Levy (Payroll Tax)
Other taxes: check out the other taxes administered by the Taxation division of Manitoba Finance.
Federal Business Taxes:
Canada Revenue Agency: Learn about your obligations and entitlements under federal law. This section also explains the different kinds of business structures, income tax reporting and payment, payroll deductions, electronic services, GST, and how to prepare for an audit.
Doing Business with Government
Tenders: Tendering opportunities with the Government of Manitoba.
Conduct Business Online
TAXcess: an online service you can use to file, pay and view your Manitoba business tax accounts. It’s simple, secure and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Sign up at www.manitoba.ca/TAXcess.
Companies Office online name reservation: You can now file your name reservation online.
Land Titles Survey Index: The Surveys Index provides you with access to a database of survey plans available at the Land Titles Office.
Manitoba Online: Save yourself a trip to our offices — Manitoba OnlineTM provides subscribers with immediate access to provincial government databases.
Online Gas Permits: Apply and pay online for permits needed before installing new and replacement gas and oil burning equipment. Permit numbers for residential work are issued 24/7 and are valid immediately upon payment.
Personal Property Registry: Search all records of personal property registered as security for a loan or collateral in Manitoba.
Business Development
Canada/Manitoba Business Service Centre
Economic Strategies:
Manitoba’s Action Strategy for Economic Growth
Implementation Framework for Bridging Opportunities (PDF): on Aboriginal Business Development and Increasing the Aboriginal Workforce.
Reaching Beyond our Borders - The framework for Manitoba´s International Activities
Exporter Development Initative
Seeing Green: Innovative ideas for a growing economy.
Human Resources for Employers
Hiring Employees:
Job Bank for employers
Manitoba Youth Job Centres
Wage Subsidies
Employment Manitoba: Offers wage subsidies to employers and assists in the cost of on-the-job training for potential new employees.
Laws and Regulations related to Employment:
Employment Standards:
Employment Standards fact sheets
What are Employment Standards
Vacations and General holidays
Remembrance Day
Human Rights:
Prohibited discrimination
Reasonable accommodation
Prohibiting workplace discrimination regarding pregnancy
Workers Compensation:
Registering your business
Filing a claim
Payroll Benefits:
Manitoba Pension Commission
Government sponsored benefit programs
Payroll information
Laws and regulations
Departing Employees:
Compassionate Care Leave
Maternity Leave
Parental Leave
Labour Adjustment Services
Helps workers and employers manage significant workforce changes.
Training Employees:
Industry Training Partnerships: Wise entrepreneurs know the most prudent step toward business success is to surround yourself with good people. Finding and keeping quality employees typically tops the to-do list of every business visionary, so let Industry Training Partnerships (ITP) plug you in to the human resource solutions to your business challenges. Through partnerships with industry associations, employer groups, union and other labour market organizations, we can help you make sure your success is based on the company you keep.
Apprenticeship Programs
Employment Manitoba
Labour Relations:
Labour relations and collective bargaining
Conciliation and mediation
Health and Safety:
Laws and regulations
Harassment/violence in the workplace
Workplace wellness
HR Planning:
Human resources planning overview
Forecasts and trends by occupation
Forecasts and trends by industry
Options for addressing HR issues
Exporting
Export services - Manitoba Trade and Investment: Strategies, research, tools, programs and services to help Manitoba companies conquer the world.
New Exporters Information: Canada/Manitoba Business Service Centre
Trade Events and Missions: upcoming and past events. Also see the Manitoba Business Calendar.
Trade Assistance Program (TAP): TAP helps you gain international exposure for your products/services with assistance for trade shows and for design and web sites.
Country Market Profiles: market information profiles available for various countries.
Global Trade: Discover the potential trade opportunities in key sectors in Manitoba.
Entrepreneurs:
Aboriginal Business
The Aboriginal Business Service Network Manitoba
Aboriginal Procurement Initiative: The objective of the Aboriginal Procurement Initiative is to increase the participation of Aboriginal peoples and suppliers in providing goods and services to the Manitoba Government.
Ota-Miska Publication and Directory: The Ota-Miska Publication is an annual Aboriginal resource manual, listing federal and provincial government departments as well as non-government organizations who provide programs and services for Aboriginal peoples.
Farmers
The Family Farm Business Gateway: The Family Farm Business Gateway model is a bird’s eye view of planning as it relates to the family farm business. It is one big plan made up of a number of components. Users may examine this model, determine where any gaps exist in their own planning process and, with a click of the mouse, retrieve the related resource information or tools.
Financial Assistance Programs: This resource lists financial programs currently available to agricultural producers and rural residents of Manitoba.
New Product Development: Agricultural entrepreneurs can access a set of guidelines to follow when adding value to primary agricultural commodities. The project outlines the steps involved in developing a new food product to be processed and marketed directly on a farm.
Persons with Disabilities
Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program
Trades
Women
Women’s Enterprise Centre of Manitoba
The Women’s Enterprise Centre of Manitoba (WECM) is a non-profit organization funded by Western Economic Diversification Canada and dedicated to helping entrepreneurial women start and grow their businesses.
Youth
Young Entrepreneurs Program: Young Entrepreneurs is designed to encourage Manitoba’s young people to start their own full-time businesses and pursue self-employment as a career choice.
Aboriginal Youth Means Business
The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program for Business (M.P.N.P.B): will assist you in the immigration process. The Province of Manitoba is committed to helping you and your family settle successfully, identify business opportunities and establish your business in the province.
Manitoba Business Facts: facts on the many competitive costs, taxes, services and excellent quality of life in Manitoba.
Overview
Economy
Business Costs
Utilities
Industrial Sites
Workforce
Transportation
Government
Quality of Life
Research & Development
Manitoba´s Business Advantages
Manitoba´s Strategic Business Advantages
Brochures in English and other languages
Manitoba Economic Highlights (PDF)
