Starting a Business

Launching a company: what an adventure! Many entrepreneurs embark on it with passion and enthusiasm… before the reality and the obstacles suddenly catch up with them. To avoid putting the brakes on your entrepreneurial momentum, structure your business start-up efforts and have a game plan. As you go through the steps, you will get closer to completing your project

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A toolbox for starting a company

At each step involved in starting a business, the right tools can greatly facilitate the process. The Road to Entrepreneurship often starts with an idea. Then, many choices present themselves to the future small business owner.

There are several ways to start a business:

  • Creating a new business;
  • Buying a franchise;
  • Taking over an existing company.

You may need professional support to determine the legal form that the start-up company should take:

  • Sole proprietorship (if the company name differs from the owner’s first and last name);
  • Partnership;
  • Company (joint stock company);
  • Cooperative;
  • Non-profit corporation (or association

Specialists in business start-up coaching

To carry out your project, you have everything to gain by surrounding yourself with stakeholders who understand your reality. The advisors from the SADCs and CAEs in your region are in the best position to offer you personalized coaching that is truly tailored to the nature of your project. From the planning stages to the search for sources of funding, they are there to guide you toward the realization of your entrepreneurial project.

From the idea to the project

Your business start-up project is coming together more clearly, but you’re not quite at the finish line. To start a business on solid foundations, you have to do your homework and document the findings.

  • The market study will confirm or deny your business idea. It will allow you to validate the needs of the consumers, predict the demand for your product or service, and familiarize yourself with the market trends. It will also allow you to identify your potential direct and indirect competitors.
  • The business plan—also known as the corporate plan—is the result of the planning processes that you have completed in order to realize your business project. It allows the entrepreneur to put their ideas in order, question them, and make sure that they have thought of everything. The plan will be used to communicate the outlines of your project to financial (or other) partners to convince them that this is an attractive, viable, and profitable business opportunity. The business plan remains a reference for the entrepreneur and evolves with the company
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