How to open a business in Calgary, according to a city official
Whether you’re looking to take your brewery out of your bathtub or share your grandma’s pastry recipes with your community, starting your own small business is easier than you think.
In fact, small businesses are a major part of Canada’s economy, employing 7.7 million individuals across the country, or 67.7% of the total private labour force.
While the process might seem a little complex, The City of Calgary has developed several initiatives over the past two years to support small business owners and guide you through the permitting and licensing process.
Business Experience Representatives
One of the initiatives is the Business Experience Representative Program, a new one-stop shop for business licence applicants. We sat down with Heather Hill, a senior business experience representative at The City, to learn more about the program and the regulatory process of getting a business licence in Calgary.
Since the launch of business experience representatives in May of this year, Hill and her team have been working with local entrepreneurs interested in opening restaurants, breweries, distilleries, or urban agriculture businesses in Calgary.
“Every applicant who applies for a restaurant, brewery, distillery, or urban agriculture business licence in Calgary is assigned a Business Experience Rep who will review the initial application, make sure the appropriate permits are applied for, and ensure that all parts of your application are submitted to get you through the process faster,” Hill tells Daily Hive.
To demystify the process, Hill provided us with some tips to help prospective business owners start their establishments in Calgary more quickly.
Register your business and submit a complete application
Before you’re able to open a business in Calgary, you need to register your business to see what type of licence and additional permits you’ll need.
The process for registering is easy. When you contact the Planning Service Centre, a representative from The City will ask you a series of questions to determine the licence categories, land use requirements, and building requirements for your business. After you’ve finished, a representative will get in touch with you to review the information and advise you on what to do next.
“We want to enable business owners to open sooner by helping them through the regulatory process,” says Hill. “From application, approvals, inspections, and licensing, we’ll take you through all the steps, so you can focus on the things you need to bring your big dream to life.”
The city also offers a quality and completeness check on every application to make sure you’ve submitted all of the required components of your application. It’s important to follow up on any pending requirements as you move through the process to help you get your approval faster.
Before settling on a location, ask the right questions
Not all commercial properties can host any type of business. Before signing a lease or purchasing a space, Hill suggests contacting the Planning Services Centre at the city to make sure you won’t be paying extra for upgrades to the space you will occupy, and the associated permits.
“I always like to tell our applicants to ensure you can do what you want to do, where you want to do it,” says Hill. “If you found a location you love, check with the city about the change in land use, because a development permit or building permit may be required, which will impact your timelines and scheduling.”
To help you form a realistic opening date, Hill also recommends allowing plenty of time for construction or renovations in your project timeline.
Reach out and use city resources
The City of Calgary is constantly trying to make its services more accessible for business owners and improve its quality of service to meet their needs. As Hill points out, the Business Experience Representative Program is just one of a few programs started this year to help.
Developed in partnership between Business Link and Digital Main Street, and funded by the Governments of Alberta and Canada, the city hired 15 Calgary post-secondary students to create the Digital Service Squad that offers free digital marketing services to eligible business owners. This helps give students the experience they need and allows small businesses to build an online presence at no cost.
Last year, the city rolled out free Home and Small Business Webinars to educate small business owners about the permitting and licensing requirements for different business licences — adding new topics every few months.
“[The webinars] provide entrepreneurs with an opportunity to ask questions to subject matter experts before they apply for their business licence and provide helpful information about the permitting and licensing process for specific business licence type in a live question and answer format,” says Hill.
Business owners can rewatch previous webinars, sign-up for upcoming sessions, or suggest topics for future webinars by visiting the city’s website.
Have a clear vision for your business
Hill states that it’s important to have clarity about the details of your business before you turn over that open sign for the first time.
Figuring out exactly what kind of service, product, or facility you would like to operate is key, but there’s also the matter of the people involved. You have to decide whether you’re going to be the sole proprietor of your business (i.e., the one who runs the ship), bring in a partner, or operate like a corporation (a legal entity that is separate from its owners, the shareholders).
“Running your own business is challenging, even at the best of times. We’re here to make it easier for you,” says Hill. “Our team works with applicants to ensure that the licence accurately reflects what the business owner wants to do, not just now but in the future. We act as the main point of contact, guiding you through each step of the business licensing application and answering any questions you may have along the way.”
For more information on how to open a business, head to the city of Calgary’s website.
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