Municipality of Roblin

Your business plan is the most important business document you will ever prepare and it is also probably the most difficult.  It takes a lot of time, research, self-discipline, and commitment to complete properly and is not a lot of fun.  However, regardless of whether you intend to start a small, part-time business in the basement of your home or launch a sophisticated, high-growth venture, you still need a business plan.

A business plan outlines your business objectives and your strategies to achieve them within a budget.  Business plans are important for three reasons:

• A business plan helps evaluate your business idea and decide whether or not to proceed with the venture
• It helps improve your chance of success by setting out realistic goals and financial projections
• A business plan helps obtain financing.  Financial institutions and other lending agencies require a detailed business plan before they will consider lending you money.

The following may be able to provide help and information in regards to business planning:

The Roblin & District Community Development Corporation offers financing for small business start-ups and expansions as well as information in regards to business plan templates.

MAFRI GO Centre has information on the various financing programs that are available and can assist in accessing them as well as business plans. Stop by the office at 117-2nd Ave NW Roblin, or call 937-8640.

Community Futures Parkland has information on various financing programs as well as business planning.  Stop by their office at 421 Main St Grandview, MB, or give them a call at 204-546-5100.

The Roblin & District Community Development Corporation offers financing for small business start-ups and expansions.

MAFRI GO Centre has information on the various financing programs that are available and can assist in accessing them. Stop by the office at 117-2nd Ave NW or call 937-8640.

Community Futures Parkland has information on various financing programs as well as business planning.  Stop by their office at 421 Main St Grandview, MB, or give them a call at 204-546-5100.

The name of your business must be registered if you intend to carry on business under some name other than your family name, you are associated in a partnership (even if both names are part of business name), and if your business name - even though it uses your family name - indicates that more than one person is involved in conducting the business, e.g. Jones & Company.

There are two steps to registering:

1. Reserving the name:

To find out if the name you have chosen is available, you must file a Request for Name Reservation with the Companies Office for a fee. If approved, the name will be reserved for 90 days. If it is rejected, you must choose a new name, file again and pay another fee.

You can reserve a name two ways:

• Download and fill out the Request for Name Reservation Form.Then mail or fax the form to:

Companies Office
1010-405 Broadway
Winnipeg, MB R3C 3L6
Phone: (204) 945-2500
Toll-free: 1-888-246-8353 (in Manitoba)
Fax: (204) 945-1459
Email: companies@gov.mb.ca

• OR Reserve on-line

To determine if there is a similar name on record before you file your name search, you may want to look in the Yellow Pages or at the list of registered names in The Companies Office.

2. Registering the name:

Fill out the Registration for Business Name before your reservation expires and pay the required fee. Please write separate cheques if you are filing your Request for Business Name Reservation and the registration forms together. Mail the form to:

Companies Office
1010-405 Broadway
Winnipeg, MB R3C 3L6
Phone: (204) 945-2500
Toll-free: 1-888-246-8353 (in Manitoba)

For further information, contact the Government of Canada website or the Manitoba Companies Office Website.

To incorporate in the Province of Manitoba, ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, must be filed. 

There are two steps to incorporate:

1. Reserving the name:

To find out if the name you have chosen is available, you must file a Request for Name Reservation with the Companies Office for a fee. If approved, the name will be reserved for 90 days. If it is rejected, you must choose a new name, file again and pay another fee.

You can reserve a name two ways:

• Download and fill out the Request for Name Reservation Form.Then mail or fax the form to:

Companies Office
1010-405 Broadway
Winnipeg, MB R3C 3L6
Phone: (204) 945-2500
Toll-free: 1-888-246-8353 (in Manitoba)
Fax: (204) 945-1459
Email: companies@gov.mb.ca

• OR Reserve on-line

To determine if there is a similar name on record before you file your name search, you may want to look in the Yellow Pages or at the list of registered names in The Companies Office.

2. File Incorporation Papers

The following papers must be filed:

• Articles of Incorporation – for-profit-businesses - Corporate Filing Request  with required fee.
• Articles of Incorporation – not-for-profit businesses - Corporate Filing Request  with required fee.

Forms can be mailed to:

Companies Office
1010-405 Broadway
Winnipeg, MB R3C 3L6

For further information see the Manitoba Companies Office Website.

You have to register for GST/HST in the following cases:

• If you provide taxable, including zero-rated goods or services in Canada in the course of carrying on business in Canada and your revenues exceed $30,000 ($50,000 for public service bodies) in a single calendar quarter or in four consecutive calendar quarters
• You make taxable sales of admissions in Canada for a place of amusement, a seminar, an activity, or an event held in Canada, even if your sales do not exceed $30,000
• You host a convention in Canada, and more than 25% of the delegates are residents of Canada
• You solicit orders for publications to be delivered to customers by mail or courier in Canada
• You do not have to register if you are a non-resident who sells taxable real property located in Canada other than in the normal course of business.

How to register:

You can register for a Business Number (BN) and one or more Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) accounts at the same time. The Business Number (BN) is a 9-digit federal client identification number to which businesses can register program accounts. This number should be used when communicating with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) about accounts you have or wish to create. For example, if you would like to discuss your GST/HST account or you would like to create a payroll account, you should quote your existing BN.

There are several ways to register:

• Business Registration Online is a service that allows you to register for a BN or a CRA account via the Internet. You can also register for some provincial programs accounts at the same time. Businesses that do not have complex registration requirements can use this service
• Phone 1-800-959-5525 and be ready to answer questions on Form RC1 Request for a Business Number (BN)
• OR mail or fax form to:

Canadian Revenue Agency
325 Broadway Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3C 4L4
Phone: (204) 983-3918
Fax: (204) 983-2066

The retail sales tax (PST) is a tax imposed on the retail sale of goods and certain services. The sale of realty and intangibles is not subject to the tax. The rate is 7%, and the tax is calculated on the selling price before G.S.T. There is no charge for registering for sales tax purposes.

Your business is required to be registered for sales tax purposes if:

• You carry on business in Manitoba, selling taxable goods or services at retail
• You are a manufacturer, wholesaler, importer, or jobber in Manitoba (whether directly or through an agent)
• You bring or receive into Manitoba taxable goods for consumption or use by your business, e.g. manufacturing equipment, computer hardware/software
• You are an out-of-province business that sells, or solicits to sell goods in Manitoba
• You are a mechanical or electrical (M&E) trade, performing work in Manitoba
• You are a retail business operating in Manitoba on a temporary, short-term or intermittent basis

Not required to be registered for sales tax purposes are:

• Contractors* (except M&E contractors) who only "supply and install" goods into real property and buy all their goods from sellers registered under Manitoba Retail Sales Tax
• Hobbyists and crafters*, where their level of sales is considered to be of a not commercial nature
  * These persons are considered to be the consumers of the goods and materials purchased, and therefore pay the sales tax directly to their suppliers at time of purchase.

Forms can be found at Manitoba Finance

For more information:            
Department of Finance
Taxation Division
Room 101 Norquay Building
Winnipeg, MB R3C 4G4
Phone (204) 945-5603
Toll Free 1-800-782-0318

For provincial, federal and municipal licencing and regulations, please use BizPal. 

The Roblin Planning Department is responsible for issuing local building and development permits for the Municipality of Roblin. The office is located in the Municipal Office at 125 1st Avenue NW and the phone number is (204) 937-8333 ext.227. Before any work is done on land or buildings, you are encouraged to contact the Roblin Planning Department. For a development permit, building permit or for more information please view the Planning & Development section of the website.