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Small Business Help

Thinking of starting a small business? Looking for ways to improve your business? We can help with a free information service designed to help you make the most of our collections.

We can:

  • Direct you to the most useful books, articles, websites, directories, or online databases to answer your questions.
  • Suggest search strategies for our catalogue, databases and the internet.
  • Refer you to useful community resources.

Please note:

  • A common question is, "I need a list of competitors." Our service will give you the name and access to the resource that lists your competitors. In contrast, a research service will give you the list of competitors. If you need a research service, please contact InfoAction, VPL's fee-based research service.
  • We cannot give legal advice or business coaching. If you would like a list of local organisations who can provide such guidance, please request a list of referrals to outside agencies.

What kinds of questions can I ask?

Popular questions we answer:

Getting Started 

  • How do I write a business plan?
  • How can I start a business in Canada?
  • Where can I get business coaching help? 

Legal

  • How do I register my business in British Columbia?
  • How do I navigate the government maze to find the right licenses, permits to run a business?
  • What do I need to know about dealing with employees?

Financial

  • What funding is available to me?
  • What kind of expenses and profit should I expect from my business?
  • Where can I find provincial and federal tax information for a small business?

Market/Industry Research 

  • How can I find out more about my potential clientele?
  • How can I find out more about my competitors?
  • Where can I find industry outlook?
  • What current awareness tools are available for my industry?

Marketing

  • What is the best advertising tool to reach my target market?
  • How can I find new and innovative places to advertise my business?

Suppliers

  • How do I find a list of suppliers?
  • How do I import goods into Canada?
  • How do I do business in [name a country]?

Get business help

Resources

  • A comprehensive research resource for all areas of business and economics. It includes such noteworthy publications as The Economist, and major news sources such as The Wall Street Journal.

  • With more than 150 years of publication history, the subject coverage is diverse -- from politics, foreign affairs, business and economics, to culture and the arts.

  • Current statistics from the Government of British Columbia on labour trends, demographics and business indicators.

  • Cover-to-cover coverage of this weekly business and financial magazine.

  • Provides company, industry, and macroeconomic market research from three sources: Hoover’s Company Profiles, OxResearch, and Snapshots Series.

  • This resource offers unprecedented access to full-text magazines and resources – from historical info to current trends in business.

  • CBCA is a Canadian-focused database that offers access to newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals and reference sources. *Also suitable for research at the elementary, high school and undergraduate levels.

  • CARDonline provides advertising rates, data and media planning information for advertising, marketing, public relations and communications professionals.

  • A comprehensive Canadian career guide providing detailed listings of 550 occupations, including education and training information.

  • Global news database featuring nearly 33,000 sources. Includes Dow Jones Risk and Compliance database.

  • A recognized magazine for its reporting and key insights on business and the financial world.

  • Offers fully searchable in-depth historical coverage in the areas of leadership, personal finance, business and real estate.

  • In-depth corporate data on Canadian companies.

  • Contains directory information on businesses, consultants and consulting organizations, print, publications media and broadcast media.

  • LinkedIn Learning offers video courses in business, computer technology, software, and creative skills, all conducted by experts in their fields.

    Visit the LinkedIn Learning FAQ page for more information.

  • Trial update: This resource will continue to be offered on a trial basis through December 2024.


    Contains a vast collection of technology and business ebooks, videos, courses, and more. A great resource for professional development.

  • Provides access to 47 databases across all major areas of study through: journals, newspapers, market reports, news wires and case studies, many of which are full text.

  • Provides information on more than 1 million businesses throughout Canada. Tutorial available.

  • Regional Business News provides full-text business resources including newspapers, trade publications, magazines and newswires.

  • Provides demographic information including Canadian census data, household spending on hundreds of goods and services and detailed business profiles from Dun & Bradstreet. Digital lifestyle data providing mobile phone ownership/usage, detailed social media behaviors and activities, and online shopping insights is also provided. Limited to 5 simultaneous users. Resource will time-out after 20 minutes of inactivity. Not optimized for phones and tablets.

    For more information see our help guide.

  • The Canadian Goverment's national statistics database. Includes statistics on income and spending, demographics, consumer price index, economic indicators and more.

  • This collection provides full-text access to five of the most respected national and regional newspapers in the United States. Included are: Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post.

  • Investment information and advice on 3,500 US stocks across 100 industries. Includes widely-followed, small and mid-cap companies and ETFs.

    Note: Resource offers unlimited simultaneous use.

Upcoming Events

  • Are you self-employed and need help with your Small Business Tax Return? Want to find out more about deductible expenses, how to claim GST, Input Tax Credits and more? Join us for this tax webinar with the CRA Liaison Officer Service for some great tips on how to make filing your return easier.

    This program is in partnership with Canada Revenue Agency.

    ACCESS THE EVENT HERE

    To join the event you will need a computer, tablet or phone with the Zoom app.

    2:00pm – 3:30pm

    Online event
  • In this information session, learn about the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) and other related benefits. The DTC is a principal disability support that provides access to other important tax benefits, including the Child Disability Benefit, Canada Worker’s Benefit, Disability Supports Deduction.

    Those with the DTC can also open a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP)—a long term financial savings plan designed to help people with disabilities with their financial futures. Learn about these different benefits, their eligibility criteria, and how to apply.

    11:00am – 12:30pm

    Online event
  • The purpose of this presentation is to increase citizens knowledge and awareness of the Canadian Dental Care Plan and related government programs and services. Topics to be covered will include eligibility criteria, potential dental services covered under CDCP, potential costs born by eligible citizens, and more. This session will conclude with a live demonstration of the Benefits Finder tool to reinforce information shared and identify potentially relevant government programs and services.

    This event is in partnership with Service Canada.

    2:00pm – 3:00pm

    Online event