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Step 1 of 12

Choose your structure and business name

Decide how the business is set up and what it is called.

Time
1–2 hours
Cost
Free
Ontario Business Registry name search ↗

Choose your structure and business name: step-by-step guide

Screenshots use a made-up example business. Official sites change, so yours may look slightly different.

  1. Ontario page on choosing an ownership structure with the sole proprietorship section highlighted
    1. Read Ontario's guide to ownership structures. A sole proprietorship is the simplest way to start, but you are personally liable for the business.
  2. Ontario Business Registry page with the search link highlighted
    2. Search the Ontario Business Registry to check that no one else is already using the name you want.

Screenshots captured 2026-10-06. See something different? Report a problem

Structure

Start as a sole proprietorship. It is the cheapest and simplest option, and you can incorporate later if the business grows.

The trade-off is that you are personally liable for the business. Ontario's own guidance puts it plainly: creditors can take your personal assets and your business to pay debts. Insurance (step 6) is how you manage that risk.

Name

  • If you trade under just your own legal name (for example "Jane Smith"), you generally do not have to register a name.
  • If you use any other name, for example "Jane's Gift Shop", you must register it in the next step.

Pick a name that is unique, easy to spell and easy to say. Search it in the Ontario Business Registry before you fall in love with it.

Keep it practical

Choose a name you are comfortable seeing on a bank statement, a licence and a shipping label.

Your checklist