Start a business in BC or Alberta: registered, set up and online
For anyone starting a business in British Columbia or Alberta, or a sole proprietor going corporate. Finvo helps you choose the structure, handle the registrations and open clean books, and a web partner we have contracted builds your website: four packages from $699, with hosting in year one and your domain included.
What starting a business actually involves
Three things have to exist before the first customer pays you: a business that is registered, the accounts the government expects, and a way for people to find you. This page covers all three, from one place.
Sole proprietorship
You and the business are one taxpayer. Profit goes on your personal return, you register a business name if you don't trade under your own, and you carry the business's debts personally.
- Good for testing an idea, a side business, or profit you will spend each year
- Fewer filings: your T1 return, plus GST/HST or payroll returns once you have those accounts
- Can still order any website package and open a business bank account
Corporation
A separate legal person you own through shares. It files its own T2 return, you pay yourself a salary, dividends or both, and business debts usually stay with the company.
- Good for profit you can leave in the business, higher-risk work, or partners and investors
- Three incorporation options from $149 plus government fees: see what each includes
- Not sure yet? Try the Should I incorporate? calculator or read when to incorporate
This is general information, not legal advice. For liability, shareholder agreements or more complex ownership, we work alongside your lawyer. Our registrations and set-up page walks through the steps in order.
The registrations most new businesses need
We tell you which ones apply to you, handle the CRA and provincial ones for you, and give you a short list of what only you can do.
Business number
Your CRA business number arrives with your first CRA program account, such as GST/HST or payroll; a corporation is given one when it is incorporated. CRA does not charge for it.
GST/HST, when needed
Most businesses use the $30,000 small-supplier test, with different timing rules for single-quarter and multi-quarter crossings. Exceptions include taxi and commercial ride-sharing services. Eligible input tax credits depend on registration, commercial use and supporting records. Our GST/HST registration guide.
canada.ca, checked 30 Oct 2026.
PST in BC
If you are located in BC and sell or lease taxable goods, or provide software or taxable services, you generally register to collect PST. Alberta has no PST. The BC PST registration guide.
gov.bc.ca, last updated 1 Oct 2026, checked 30 Oct 2026.
WorkSafeBC or WCB-Alberta
Workplace insurance is mandatory for most industries once you hire: WorkSafeBC in BC, WCB-Alberta in Alberta, where some industries are exempt and a required account must be opened within 15 days of hiring the first worker. We check whether yours is covered and the board's deadline.
Payroll account
Before your first pay run: a CRA payroll account, a TD1 form from each employee, and a check that each worker really is an employee rather than a contractor. We can run payroll for you.
Municipal licence
Most cities and towns need a business licence, and some trades need a provincial permit. Only you can apply for these; we put them on your list with what each one asks for.
Who does what
Two teams, one invoice, one plan.
The structure, the registrations, the business number and CRA accounts, guidance on opening the business bank account, and your books, payroll and tax once you are trading.
A web partner Finvo has contracted builds the website in one of the four packages below: design, pages, hosting, domain and launch.
One named person is assigned to you and works closely with you on your needs from the discovery call to launch. You pay Finvo; we pay the partner.
Four website packages, from $699
Every package includes hosting in year one, your domain, and one named point of contact. From year two, hosting continues without a hosting charge under the agreed hosting terms; domain renewal is payable, and email renewal and post-launch changes are specified separately. Pick by how many pages your business needs; we confirm the package before any work starts.
Starter
For a new business that needs to be found, trusted and contacted.
From
$699
Includes:
- A five-page website
- One business email account for one year
- Hosting included in year one
- Your domain
- One named point of contact
Standard
For a business with several services or locations that each need their own page.
From
$999
Includes:
- A ten to twelve-page website
- Two business email accounts for one year
- Hosting included in year one
- Your domain
- One named point of contact
Growth
For a business that wants to be found in search, and in the AI answers people now ask instead.
From
$1,999
Includes:
- A twenty to twenty-five-page website
- Parallax design
- SEO and GEO: set up for search engines and for AI answer engines
- Crawlability and searchability built in
- Three business email accounts for one year
- Hosting included in year one
- Your domain
- One named point of contact
Growth plus strategy
For an owner who wants the site and two working sessions on the business behind it.
From
$2,999
Everything in Growth, plus:
- Two 90-minute strategy calls
- The twenty to twenty-five-page website with parallax, SEO, GEO, crawlability and searchability
- Four business email accounts for one year
- Hosting included in year one, your domain, one named point of contact
In every package
The same things come with all four, whatever the page count.
- Hosting included in year one
- Your domain, registered for your business
- One named point of contact, from the discovery call to launch
- Built by a web partner Finvo has contracted; you pay Finvo
- From year two: hosting continues without a hosting charge under the agreed hosting terms. Domain renewal is payable; email renewal and post-launch changes are separately specified
- One invoice from Finvo for the site and any add-ons
About these prices. Every package includes the website, hosting in year one, your domain and one named point of contact. Finvo has contracted these prices with its web partner; you pay Finvo, and we pay the partner. Incorporation and the business bank account are not part of any package: incorporation is an add-on, and we help you get set up with the bank.
Prices in Canadian dollars, before GST. Starting prices, confirmed before any work starts. Changes to the site after launch are quoted separately.
The four packages, row by row
What is in each package, what comes after the first year, and what sits outside the packages.
| What you get | StarterFrom $699 | StandardFrom $999 | GrowthFrom $1,999 | Growth plus strategyFrom $2,999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pages | 5 | 10 to 12 | 20 to 25 | 20 to 25 |
| Business email accounts | One account, one year | Two accounts, one year | Three accounts, one year | Four accounts, one year |
| Hosting | Included in year one | Included in year one | Included in year one | Included in year one |
| Domain | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Year two | Domain renewal payable; no hosting charge under the agreed hosting terms; email renewal specified separately | Domain renewal payable; no hosting charge under the agreed hosting terms; email renewal specified separately | Domain renewal payable; no hosting charge under the agreed hosting terms; email renewal specified separately | Domain renewal payable; no hosting charge under the agreed hosting terms; email renewal specified separately |
| SEO, GEO, crawlability and searchability | Not included | Not included | Included | Included |
| Parallax design | Not included | Not included | Included | Included |
| Strategy calls | Not included | Not included | Not included | Two 90-minute calls |
| Named point of contact | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Who builds it | A web partner Finvo has contracted | A web partner Finvo has contracted | A web partner Finvo has contracted | A web partner Finvo has contracted |
| Incorporation | Add-on, from $149 + government fees | Add-on, from $149 + government fees | Add-on, from $149 + government fees | Add-on, from $149 + government fees |
| Business bank account | Guidance from Finvo; the bank opens it | Guidance from Finvo; the bank opens it | Guidance from Finvo; the bank opens it | Guidance from Finvo; the bank opens it |
| Books after launch | Business full suite, from $99 a month | Business full suite, from $99 a month | Business full suite, from $99 a month | Business full suite, from $99 a month |
Prices in Canadian dollars, before GST, confirmed before any work starts.
Book a free 15-minute callOn the call we tell you which package fits, and whether to register or incorporate first. 5.0 on Google · 92 reviews
What happens after the call
The website and the business move in parallel, so the day the site goes live the business behind it is registered and ready to invoice.
Your website
With your point of contact at the web partner.
- Discovery callStart
Who your customers are, what they need to find, which package fits, and the pages the site needs. You meet your point of contact.
- ContentYou send, we shape
Your text, photos and logo, or the notes to write them from. The page list is agreed and the biggest wait in any project, content, starts early.
- DesignYour approval
A design for the home page and one inside page, in your colours, for you to approve before the build starts.
- BuildEvery page
The approved design across every page, the contact details and forms, and on Growth the SEO, GEO and search set-up.
- LaunchLive
Domain connected, hosting live, the business email accounts set up, and a walk-through of how to update the basics.
Your business
With Finvo, at the same time.
- Structure and name
Sole proprietorship or corporation, and the name the registration, the domain and the site will all share.
- Registrations
Business name registration or incorporation, the business number, and GST/HST, PST, payroll and WorkSafeBC or WCB where they apply.
- Bank account
What the bank will ask for (the registration or the certificate and articles, your ID, the register of directors) and how to keep business money apart from personal money from the first sale.
- Books from the first sale
Bookkeeping set up before the first invoice goes out, to reduce the risk of catch-up work, provided records are supplied and maintained on time. The business full suite, from $99 a month.
A typical path. How long each stage takes depends on the package and on how quickly your content arrives; your point of contact gives you dates for your project at the start.
Not in the packages, but often needed
Each of these is Finvo's own work and is quoted on its own, so you only pay for the ones you need.
Incorporation
Three options, each plus government fees
- Simple start, from $149: one class of common shares, the articles and the filings
- Share classes, from $399: two or more share classes, designed with you, and share certificates
- Full set-up, from $699: adds the securities register, minute book, first resolutions and registers
Bookkeeping and the full suite
From $99 a month
Books, payroll, GST/HST and year-end files in one monthly price, from the first sale. Start with bookkeeping alone if that is all you need yet.
See the business full suiteBusiness bank account
Guidance, not a product
We tell you what the bank will ask for, help you get the documents in order, and explain why business money stays apart from personal money. The bank opens the account; we do not open it for you and we do not sell banking.
Ask on the free callRegistrations and set-up
Quoted after a free call
Business number, GST/HST, BC PST, payroll account and WorkSafeBC or WCB, handled for you, with a list of what only you can do, such as the city licence.
Registrations, step by stepPayroll for your first hire
In the full suite, or on its own
The payroll account, TD1 forms, WorkSafeBC or WCB registration and the pay runs, with CPP, EI and income tax deducted and sent to CRA on the agreed schedule.
About payrollLogo and brand
Quoted separately
No logo yet? Say so on the discovery call. Simple logo and colour work can be arranged with the web partner before the design stage, so the site is built in your colours from the start.
Ask on the free callStarting a business, answered
Who owns the website and the domain?
You do. The domain is registered for your business and the pages, text and images belong to you. If you ever move the site to another host, the domain and the content go with you. We confirm this in writing before any work starts.
What happens after the first year?
Hosting is included in year one. Business email accounts are included for one year: one on Starter ($699), two on Standard ($999), three on Growth ($1,999) and four on Growth plus strategy ($2,999). From year two, hosting continues without a hosting charge under the agreed hosting terms. Domain renewal is payable; email renewal and post-launch changes are separately specified.
Can I use a domain I already own?
Yes. Each package includes a new domain, and if you already have one, your point of contact connects it to the new site instead. Tell us on the discovery call so the name on the site, the domain and your business registration all match.
How long does a website take?
It depends on the package and on how quickly your text, photos and logo arrive. The first 60 days above show the typical path from the discovery call to launch; your point of contact gives you dates for your project at the start, and the biggest delays are almost always waiting for content.
What if I already have a website?
A package can replace it. Your point of contact reviews what you have, moves the content that is worth keeping and connects your existing domain, so the address your customers know keeps working. Say so on the free call and we point you at the right package.
Do I need to incorporate before the website is built?
No. A sole proprietor can order any package. If you plan to incorporate within the year, do it first, so the company name on the site, the domain and the business number all match from the start. Incorporation is an add-on, from $149 plus government fees, and we handle the filings for you.
Is GST charged on the packages?
Yes. Prices on this page are in Canadian dollars, before GST, like every price on finvo.ca. GST is added to the invoice, and you see the full amount before you pay.
How does payment work?
You pay Finvo, and Finvo pays the web partner. Finvo has contracted these prices with its web partner, and you get one invoice from us for the website and any add-ons. We confirm the payment schedule in writing before any work starts.
Who builds the website, and who do I talk to?
A web partner Finvo has contracted builds the site. You are assigned one named point of contact who works closely with you from the discovery call to launch, and Finvo stays responsible for the invoice and the relationship. The registrations, the bank account guidance and the books are Finvo's own work.
Why buy the website through Finvo instead of going direct?
Every package includes the website, hosting in year one, your domain and one named point of contact, and you get the registrations, the books and the website from one place, with a single invoice. Finvo has contracted these prices with its web partner; you pay Finvo, and we pay the partner.
Sources, checked 31 Oct 2026. Rules have exceptions and can change. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice for your situation. The website packages and their prices are Finvo's own, confirmed before any work starts.
- CRA, When to register for and start charging the GST/HST, canada.ca (checked 30 Oct 2026): a small supplier does not exceed the $30,000 threshold over four consecutive calendar quarters; exceeding it in a single calendar quarter ends small-supplier status from that supply; voluntary registration is allowed.
- Government of BC, Register to collect PST (last updated 1 Oct 2026, checked 30 Oct 2026), gov.bc.ca: you must register if you are located in B.C. and sell or lease taxable goods, or provide software or taxable services in the ordinary course of business; the expansion of PST to accounting and other professional services is paused. Alberta has no PST.
- CRA, Business number registration, canada.ca (as checked for our registrations page, 21 Oct 2026): the business number comes with the first CRA program account; a corporation receives one on incorporation; CRA does not charge for it.
- WorkSafeBC, I hire & pay workers and Who does & doesn't need coverage?, worksafebc.com (checked 31 Oct 2026): all employers are legally required to have coverage unless exempt; you are required to register if your business hires one or more workers. WCB-Alberta, Worker coverage, wcb.ab.ca (checked 31 Oct 2026): coverage is required by law for most industries; exempt industries may apply voluntarily; a mandatory employer must open an account within 15 days of hiring its first worker. Optional personal coverage exists for owners in some cases.
- Incorporation options and the business full suite price: Finvo's published prices on incorporation and the business full suite. The website packages: prices Finvo contracted with its web partner, set 30 Oct 2026.
Tell us what you're starting
Book a free 15-minute call by video or phone. Tell us what the business does, where, and whether you have a website yet, and we'll say which package fits, what to register first and what it would all cost.
Prefer to write? Website and start-up questions go to startup@finvo.ca.
Which office?
Book a free 15-minute call15-minute calls every weekday at 10 am and 2 pm Pacific (11 am and 3 pm Mountain), except holidays.
Typical next slots, confirmed when you book:
Call (236) 300-3322Email contact@finvo.caMon–Fri, 9 am – 5 pm PT/MT5.0 on Google · 92 reviews