Business launch checklist: what to have ready before you open
Key takeaways
- Register the business and open a business bank account before you take a payment.
- Have your brand, website, email and Google Business Profile live before you promote.
- Decide how you will answer and follow up with inquiries before they start arriving.
- Order signs, menus and printed materials early. Print is the item most often left too late.
Most businesses do not fail on opening day because the idea was wrong. They struggle because small things were not ready: the sign arrived late, the website was half built, nobody replied to the first ten inquiries.
This checklist covers what a new small business in Canada should have in place before the first customer arrives. Work through it in order.
1. Registration and money
- Choose a structure: sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation. Our guide to sole proprietorship or corporation in Ontario explains the difference.
- Register the business name or incorporate.
- Open a business bank account.
- Ask an accountant about GST/HST registration and how to keep your books.
- Check which licences or permits apply to your industry and city.
2. Brand
- A logo that works in colour and in black and white.
- A colour palette and fonts you use everywhere.
- A one-sentence description of what you do and who it is for.
- Your prices, written down.
3. Online presence
- A domain name and a professional email address at that domain.
- A website with at least three pages: Home, Services and Contact.
- A Google Business Profile with your hours, services and photos.
- Social media profiles with matching names, logo and description.
4. Systems
- One place to record every lead and customer.
- A way to take bookings or orders.
- A way to take payment and send receipts.
- A follow-up routine: who replies to inquiries, and how fast.
5. Print and physical materials
- Storefront or vehicle signage.
- Business cards and a brochure or menu.
- Packaging, bags or labels if you sell products.
- Uniforms or branded apparel.
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Our launch packages cover registration, brand, website, email and print from $1,499, built by one team in the right order.
See launch packages6. The launch itself
- Pick a date and work backwards from it.
- Plan an opening offer or event.
- Tell people two to three weeks ahead on social media, by email and in person.
- Ask your first customers for a Google review.
If you can tick every item above, you are ready to open. If you cannot, fix the gaps before you spend money on advertising.
Quick answers
What do I need before I launch a small business in Canada?
A registered business, a business bank account, a brand, a website and email, a Google Business Profile, a way to take bookings and payments, and your signage and printed materials.
How long does it take to get a business ready to launch?
It depends on the business, but brand, website and print can usually be prepared in a few weeks when they are planned together.
What do new business owners most often forget?
A follow-up system for inquiries, and ordering signage and print early enough to arrive before opening day.