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Ready to Begin Your Business Journey Now?
Use these quick links to take your first step.
Start Here: Our Business Basics Course
Work at your own pace and learn the essentials to get started. We’ll cover how to make sure your business idea fits your life, understand your service and the market you’ll serve, identify what your customers want, write your business plan, stay organized, and be successful at sales.
🚀 Enroll in Business Basics Course
Not Sure Where to Start?
!💡Contact Us → to speak with someone who understands your circumstances and can help you explore whether entrepreneurship is right for you.
Quick Resources
- be paired with a business coach
- receive real-world business training
- join the Northstar Startups Hub
- qualify for funding for marketing and small equipment costs
- have your service promoted on our website
- be introduced to local professionals
Your business coach will typically support you for 6 – 12 months.
A Guide for Starting a Small Business in Scarborough
Disclaimer
###### Important Information About This Guide
###### This guide is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. While we strive to provide accurate and current information about starting a business in Scarborough and Ontario, this content should not be considered professional advice.
Starting your own business can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re facing financial constraints. But here’s the truth: your unique circumstances might actually be your greatest strengths as an entrepreneur. This comprehensive guide will show you exactly how to start a small business, even with limited resources, and connect you with the support you need to succeed.
Understanding Your Potential as an Entrepreneur
Many small business owners start their journey thinking they need thousands of dollars and perfect circumstances. The reality is different. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs began with nothing more than determination, creativity, and the ability to solve problems with limited resources. These qualities often develop naturally when you’ve faced financial challenges.
Your life experiences have likely given you resilience, a deep understanding of your community’s needs, and the motivation to create meaningful change. These aren’t just personal qualities – they’re business superpowers waiting to be unleashed through entrepreneurship.
Related Reading: Positive self-talk plays a big part in building confidence
Why Start a Small Business
Small business ownership offers more than just income opportunities. When you start your own venture, you’re taking ownership of your financial future while building something that reflects your unique abilities and serves your community.
People running their own ventures discover that self-employment allows them to work with their natural rhythms and life circumstances rather than against them. Whether you have ADHD, irregular schedules, or other challenges that make traditional employment difficult, starting a business can turn these perceived obstacles into competitive advantages.
Developing Your Idea
The foundation of any successful business starts with a solid idea that matches your skills, interests, and market demand. Look around your community and identify problems you could solve or services people need.
Consider these proven ideas that require minimal startup capital:
Service-Based Business Options:
Skill-Based Opportunities:
Home-Based Business Ideas:
The key is choosing an idea that aligns with your existing skills while serving a real need in your community. Use these 10 steps to find your customers early.
Conducting Market Research
Before diving into your venture, conducting market research helps you understand your potential clients and competition. This doesn’t require expensive studies – start by talking to people in your neighbourhood about their needs and frustrations.
Visit local businesses and observe what they offer and what gaps might exist. Check online community groups and social media to see what people are asking for or complaining about. This grassroots approach to research often reveals opportunities that formal studies miss.
Related Reading: Reframe your approach to sales and customer conversations.
Creating Your Plan
A business plan serves as your roadmap to success. While it might sound intimidating, a plan can be simple and straightforward. Focus on the following steps and key questions:
Many small startup owners find that writing down their plan, even informally, helps clarify their thinking and identify potential challenges before they become problems. Learn how to set goals and create an action plan.
Choosing Your Business Structure
Your business structure determines how you operate legally and affects your taxes and personal assets. Northstar Startups supports entrepreneurs starting as sole proprietorships unless you’ve previously incorporated a business. A sole proprietorship is the simplest business structure where you operate under your own name or a registered business name. You have complete control, and all business income is reported on your personal tax return.
As a sole proprietor, your personal assets aren’t separated from business debts and obligations, but this structure works well for service-based and home-based businesses, especially when you’re just starting. It requires minimal paperwork and lets you focus on building your business idea rather than complex administration.
Other common business structures exist – partnerships if you’re working with others, corporations that create separate legal entities and protect personal assets, or limited liability companies that combine simplicity with legal protection. However, most entrepreneurs start with a sole proprietorship and can always change their structure as their business grows and their needs evolve. Choosing the right structure early helps you focus on the business activities that generate revenue rather than complicated legal arrangements.
Registering Your Business Name
In Ontario, you can start your new business operating under your own legal name without any registration. Many entrepreneurs begin this way; it’s immediate, free, and lets you start serving potential buyers right away.
If you want to use a business name (like “Sam’s Lawn Care” instead of “Samuel Johnson”), you’ll need to register it through Ontario’s Business Registry. The registration costs approximately $60 and lasts for five years. Before registering, search the Ontario Business Registry online to make sure your chosen name isn’t already in use.
Your business name should be memorable and clearly communicate what you do. Keep it simple, you can always rebrand later as your business evolves. The key is getting started, not having the perfect name from day one.
Understanding Licences and Permits
Most service-based businesses in Scarborough don’t require special licenses to get started. If you’re offering lawn care, cleaning services, dog walking, tutoring, or similar business activities, you can typically begin right away.
Specific situations that do require licenses or permits:
Food Handling: If you’re preparing food for sale (like baked goods or meal prep services), you’ll need a food handler’s certificate. In Ontario, this involves a short online course that costs around $20-40 and takes a few hours to complete. If you’re cooking from home, you may also need a home food premises inspection from Toronto Public Health.
Working from Home: Some home-based businesses require a home occupation permit from the City of Toronto, though enforcement varies. Most businesses operating as home-based businesses don’t face issues, but check your specific situation. Don’t let uncertainty stop you from starting. Many entrepreneurs begin first and handle permits as their business grows.
Selling Products: If you’re selling physical products regularly, you may need to register for HST once your revenue exceeds $30,000 annually.
Don’t let license requirements become a barrier. Start with what you can do immediately, and address additional requirements as they become relevant to your growing business.
Setting Up Business Finances
Proper financial management starts simple: open a second personal bank account dedicated to your business. This isn’t a business bank account (those often have higher fees and requirements at most financial institutions), it’s just another personal account where you deposit all business revenue and pay for business expenses.
Many financial institutions offer free or low-cost personal chequing accounts that work perfectly for tracking business activities. Shop around to find one that fits your needs without monthly fees eating into your profits. This approach works well, especially for home-based businesses where expenses are typically lower than traditional commercial operations.
Here’s how this works:
1. All money you earn from your business goes into this dedicated account
2. All business expenses (supplies, equipment, gas, promotional costs) get paid from this account
3. Regularly transfer your “paycheck” from the business account to your personal account
4. Keep all receipts and track what you spend for tax purposes
This approach keeps your business finances separate from personal spending, making it easy to see how your business is performing and simplifying tax preparation. Check out tips on thriving financially even on a tight budget. You can use a simple spreadsheet or even a notebook to track income and expenses – start basic and add complexity only as needed.
As your business evolves and revenue increases, you might eventually want a formal business bank account through financial institutions, but many successful entrepreneurs operate with this two-account system for years.
Do You Need Business Insurance?
Business insurance protects your company from unexpected events and provides peace of mind. While not all small businesses need extensive coverage initially, consider these basic types:
Many insurance providers offer affordable packages designed specifically for small businesses and home-based businesses.
Finding Business Financing and Funding Options
Most successful entrepreneurs start their businesses without traditional loans or large amounts of capital. This approach is called bootstrapping, using minimal resources to start, then reinvesting early profits to grow your business gradually.
Bootstrapping Your Business: Begin with services that require little to no startup costs. Use equipment you already own, start with potential customers in your immediate network, and reinvest your first earnings into necessary supplies or basic equipment. This approach keeps you in complete control while minimizing financial risk. Many entrepreneurs find that starting small and growing organically creates more sustainable businesses than trying to launch big with borrowed money.
Northstar Startups Support: Through our programming, we help cover some initial business costs that might otherwise be barriers. We can support marketing materials like business cards and flyers, and help with small equipment purchases needed to get started. This support is designed to remove obstacles without creating dependency. We’re investing in your success, not creating debt you need to repay. We also connect you with more resources and ongoing guidance to help your business succeed beyond the initial launch, including helping you develop a strong business plan.
Related Resources: Price your offers with the 3 Box Pricing Model.
Government Programs: Various provincial and federal programs offer grants and support for small businesses. Ontario’s Small Business Grant programs and federal Self-Employment Benefits can provide funding and training for qualifying entrepreneurs. These programs often require quarterly reporting – typically once each single calendar quarter – to track your progress and ensure accountability. Research what’s available, but don’t wait for grant approval to start; many successful businesses begin before formal funding arrives.
Community Resources: Microloans and community lending circles offer alternatives to traditional bank loans, often with more flexible requirements and better understanding of entrepreneurs facing financial constraints.
The key to successful funding is starting lean, proving your business idea works, and growing based on actual customer demand rather than projected hopes.
Building Your Customer Base
Attracting clients is essential for business success. Start by leveraging your existing network of friends, family, and community connections. These people can become your first customers and help spread word about your services.
Strategies to Attract Customers:
Finding Your Target Market: Identify the specific group of potential buyers most likely to need your services. Understanding demographic data about your ideal clients helps focus your marketing efforts and messaging.
Developing Your Marketing Plan
A marketing plan outlines how you’ll reach and draw in clients to your business. Effective marketing doesn’t require large budgets, it requires understanding your audience and consistently communicating your value. Learn how to build your personal brand.
Social Media Marketing: Social media platforms offer free ways to connect with potential buyers and showcase your work. Choose platforms where your target audience spends time and post regularly about your services, customer successes, and business updates to build your company profile.
Local Marketing: Focus on your immediate community through:
Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Exceptional customer service naturally generates positive word-of-mouth recommendations. Focus on exceeding expectations, and satisfied customers will become your best marketing advocates.
Common Challenges for New Business Owners
Every entrepreneur faces similar challenges when starting their business. Understanding these common issues helps you respond effectively:
Financial Management: Cash flow problems affect most businesses, especially during the early stages. Plan for irregular income and unexpected expenses by maintaining emergency reserves and tracking expenses carefully. Remember that some months will be better than others, this is normal, not a sign of failure.
Work-Life Balance: Business ownership can require long hours and constant attention, making work-life balance challenging. Set boundaries and schedule regular breaks to prevent burnout. Your business should support your life, not consume it entirely.
Customer Acquisition: Finding and keeping customers remains the primary challenge for many businesses. Focus on delivering exceptional value and building strong relationships rather than constantly seeking new customers. Satisfied customers become your best marketing through word-of-mouth recommendations that help your business succeed.
Competition: Every market has competition, but this validates demand for your services. Differentiate your business through superior service, specialized expertise, or unique value propositions. Your personal story and community connections are advantages that competitors can’t replicate.
Building Long-Term Success
Sustainable business success requires more than just surviving the first year. Focus on building systems, relationships, and reputation that support long-term growth:
Customer Relationships: Invest time in building genuine relationships with customers. Understanding their evolving needs positions your business to grow alongside them. Repeat customers and referrals form the foundation of sustainable business growth.
Community Integration: Become an active member of your business community through networking events, professional associations, and community involvement. Strong community connections create referral opportunities and business partnerships while building the integrated, supportive communities we all want to live in.
Continuous Learning: Successful entrepreneurs never stop learning. Stay current with industry trends, attend workshops, learn from other entrepreneurs’ experiences, and remain curious about better ways to serve your clients and run your business.
Financial Planning: Develop long-term financial plans that account for business growth, personal income needs, and future security. Many entrepreneurs build significant wealth through business ownership combined with smart financial planning, your business can be your path to breaking cycles of financial insecurity.
Support for Your Journey
Starting a business doesn’t mean going it alone. Northstar Startups provides comprehensive support specifically designed for entrepreneurs facing financial constraints and systemic barriers.
Through our programming, you’ll receive:
This support is designed to work with your life circumstances, not against them. We understand that traditional employment may be difficult while maintaining essential supports, and we’ve built our programming specifically for entrepreneurs navigating these realities.
Taking the First Step
The journey from business idea to successful operation begins with a single step: enrolling in Northstar Startups’ Business Basics Course.
This course serves as your step-by-step guide covering the essential foundations you need to launch your business, developing your idea, understanding your market, setting up basic finances, attracting your first buyer and building the confidence to move forward. You’ll learn alongside other aspiring entrepreneurs who understand your circumstances and share your determination to create meaningful change.
The Business Basics Course is designed for busy lives and real-world constraints. We know you might have irregular schedules, family responsibilities, or other challenges that make traditional programs difficult. Our approach is flexible, respectful of your intelligence and capabilities, and focused on practical skills you can implement immediately.
Beyond the course, you’ll join a community of entrepreneurs who support each other, celebrate wins together, and prove that your circumstances don’t define your capabilities, they might actually be your superpowers.
Every successful business owner started exactly where you are now – with an idea, determination, and willingness to learn. Your unique circumstances, life experiences, and community connections are assets that contribute to business success when properly leveraged. This comprehensive step-by-step guide, combined with Northstar’s personalized support, gives you everything you need to begin your entrepreneurial journey with confidence.
Starting a small business isn’t just about creating income, it’s about taking ownership of your future, building something meaningful, and creating positive change that ripples through your family and community. With proper planning, dedication, and the right support, you can build a business that not only succeeds financially but also reflects your values and contributes to your community’s strength.
Your community needs what you have to offer, and you deserve the opportunity to build the business you’ve been dreaming about.
Ready to take that first step?
Sign up for Northstar Startups’ Business Basics Course and start your entrepreneurial journey today.
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