Starting a business in the Northwest Territories
In the Northwest Territories, communities are far apart and every local business matters. Here’s how new entrepreneurs start in the NWT, and get online.
The NWT’s entrepreneurial landscape
Yellowknife is the territory’s capital and service centre, with government, mining head offices, health care and a growing visitor economy. First businesses there often fill local needs: trades, maintenance, cleaning, food, child care, fitness and professional services.
Tourism has grown around the northern lights, fishing lodges, paddling and winter adventures, creating work for guides, outfitters, small lodgings, photographers and artisans. Diamond mining and resource projects create demand for camp services, expediting, transport and trades.
Indigenous governments and development corporations play a major role in the territory’s economy, and there is a francophone community centred in Yellowknife. In smaller communities, one business often provides several services.
Real help for new entrepreneurs
Help for new entrepreneurs in the Northwest Territories:
- NWT Corporate Registries — The Department of Justice registry for business names and corporations in the Northwest Territories.
- Prosper NWT — The territory’s business development and investment corporation (formerly BDIC): financing and support. Formerly the Business Development and Investment Corporation (BDIC).
- NWT Community Futures Program — Business loans and counselling delivered by regional Community Futures organisations.
- CanNor — The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, for Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
- NWT Chamber of Commerce — The territory-wide chamber of commerce.
- CDÉTNO — The francophone economic development council of the Northwest Territories.
- Futurpreneur — Start-up financing paired with a volunteer business mentor, for entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39.
- BDC — The Business Development Bank of Canada: financing, plus free guides and templates for people starting out.
Your first steps in the NWT
- Register your business name with the Corporate Registries of the Department of Justice if you use a name other than your own.
- GST only. The NWT has no territorial sales tax. You charge the 5 % GST once registered with the CRA; registration is mandatory when taxable sales pass CA$30,000 over four consecutive quarters.
- Ask about financing. Prosper NWT and the regional Community Futures organisations offer loans and business counselling.
- Reach people beyond your community. A website, a Google Business Profile and an email at your own domain bring in visitors and customers from the south.
Canada Revenue Agency: get a business number · CRA: GST/HST rates by province
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Questions
Can I add a greeting in an Indigenous language to my site?
Yes. WebNewBee’s built-in languages are English and French, but you can write any text you like on your pages, in any language.
What tax do I pay on WebNewBee in the NWT?
CA$6.99 a month plus the 5 % GST.