Opening a business in Saint John

Canada’s oldest incorporated city has a long history of trades, the port and Uptown shops. Here’s how a new business can start strong here, and be online from the first day.

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What gets started in Saint John

Saint John is a working city. The port, the big industrial employers and the steady demand for repairs in its older housing make the trades a natural place to start: electricians, plumbers, painters, handyman services, cleaning crews and contractors who went out on their own after years on someone else’s crew.

Uptown and the streets around the historic City Market bring a different kind of start-up: cafés, food stalls, vintage and gift shops, galleries and personal services that live on foot traffic. Cruise ships and summer visitors who come for the Bay of Fundy add a busy season for tours, crafts and anything a visitor can carry home.

Out in the suburbs, from Quispamsis and Rothesay to Grand Bay-Westfield, family-run home businesses are everywhere: daycares, tutoring, pet care, lawn care, bookkeeping and online shops run from a spare room. Newcomers settling in the region open grocery, catering and cleaning businesses of their own too.

Local help for new entrepreneurs

Saint John has local help built for people opening their first business:

Envision Saint John — The Saint John region’s growth agency, with an entrepreneurship and business-growth section.
City of Saint John: opening a business — The City’s own page on opening or growing a business: permits, zoning and who to call. Check here early for permits and zoning before you sign a lease.
Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce — Events and connections with business owners across the Saint John region.
Opportunities NB — The province’s business development agency, with advice and programs for starting and growing a business in New Brunswick.
Futurpreneur — Start-up financing paired with a volunteer business mentor, for entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39.
Entrepreneurship @ UNB — The University of New Brunswick’s entrepreneurship programs for students and graduates.
Women in Business New Brunswick — Advice, training and support for women starting or growing a business in New Brunswick.
BDC — The Business Development Bank of Canada: financing, plus free guides and templates for people starting out.

Your first step online

A lot of Saint John work still comes by word of mouth, but the person who heard your name will look you up before they call. A website that shows your work and the areas you cover, from the West Side to the KV, plus an email like info@yourbusiness.ca, tells them you’re the real deal and not just a phone number on a flyer.

With WebNewBee you choose from 30 designs, including ones made for trades and shops, answer a few questions, and your site is built in about a minute. Edit anything, add your photos, and publish.

One simple price

CA$6.99/month · plus applicable taxes

Website with up to 6 pages, written by our AI from your facts
Up to 3 email addresses on your own domain
Your own domain from CA$24.99/year, or a free yourname.webnewbee.page address
Secure (https), fast, mobile-friendly
English, French or both
Cancel anytime — no contract

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Tips for getting started in Saint John

If you also serve the Kennebecasis Valley or Grand Bay-Westfield, name them on your site and on your Google Business Profile.
Tourism follows the cruise calendar and the summer: have your site, hours and prices up before the season starts in spring.
In the trades, a few before-and-after photos of real jobs do more than any slogan.
Read the City’s page on opening a business for permits that apply to your kind of work before you open your doors.

A design to start from

Every design is a starting point. Our AI writes the words from your answers, and you can change everything.

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Questions

Is a website worth it if most of my work comes from referrals?

Yes. Referrals are why people search your name. Your website is what they find, and it turns a name someone mentioned into a call or a message.

Can I show my prices?

Yes. You can list services with prices, or say “starting at” and invite people to ask for a quote. You can change them whenever you like.

Nearby towns

See all the towns we serve →