Starting a small business guide

This guide

The strength of small business continues to drive the economy in British Columbia.

Small businesses in British Columbia, those with fewer than 50 employees or self-employed, provide employment to over 1 million people. These jobs account for 54 per cent of private sector employment within the province.

In 2022 there were approximately 513,300 small businesses operating in B.C. They range from agriculture to technology, hospitality to tourism, construction to manufacturing, and education to mining and resource management.

This publication has been developed as an introductory guide to help you with planning and starting a small business. It provides essential information as well as links to additional resources to help ensure that your new business is successful.

Further resources including business advisory services can also be located through the Resources for small businesses section of the website.

Many of the resources listed in this guide are web-based only.