Start a Business

Want to start a business in Yorkton but not sure how to start? We have compiled a step-by-step guide to assist you.

Step 1: Research

Starting a business takes a lot of research. You will need to determine:

who your customers are
how many competitors you will have
where you will find suppliers
whether there are government regulations to follow
how much money you need
how you will market your product or service
where you can access labour to build your team

You can visit our Demographics and Statistics page to get this research started.

Step 2: Obtain support

We recommend that you get start-up support in the early stages of planning your business. Fortunately, there are many agencies, both local and national, that can help you.

Community Futures Ventures

Community Futures Ventures offers advice and training to Yorkton area businesses.

Yorkton Chamber of Commerce

The Yorkton Chamber of Commerce promotes the well-being of the local business community.

Yorkton Business Improvement District

The Yorkton Business Improvement District enhances our commercial corridor with:

Marketing
Projects
Special Events

Women Entrepreneurs Saskatchewan

Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan offers advice, training and mentoring to female entrepreneurs.

Futurpreneur

Futurpreneur helps young entrepreneurs build a sustainable business.

SK Startup Institute

SK Startup Institute is a great first step as an entrepreneur looking to get a head start with access to expert guidance and critical research data.

Co-operatives First

Co-operatives First offers free guidance and resources to western Canadians that are considering starting a co-op and strives to help reduce the confusion and stress of starting a new business.

Indigenous Business Development Services

Indigenous Business Development Services offers support to Indigenous entrepreneurs in Western Canada.

Conseil Économique et Coopératif de la Saskatchewan

Conseil Économique et Coopératif de la Saskatchewan offers support to francophone businesses.

Clarence Campeau Development Fund

The Clarence Campeau Development Fund offers business support to entrepreneurs with Métis ancestry.

Business Development Bank of Canada

Business Development Bank of Canada is a bank for Canadian business owners. It offers financial advice, business planning information and webinars.

Canada Revenue Agency

The Canada Revenue Agency has a step-by-step tool to help you start your business.

Government of Saskatchewan

The provincial government's Start a Business page offers many resources and lets you register to collect provincial sales tax.

Tourism Saskatchewan

Tourism Saskatchewan's Business Hub includes many free resources and funding opportunities to support businesses within the tourism sector in their journey to start, expand, and promote their enterprises. Additionally, the Business Hub offers courses, webinars and other training opporunities to develop staff, managers, and volunteers.

Step 3: Develop a business plan

A business plan describes your business and details how you will succeed. You will use this plan to gain confidence from investors so it should be thorough, organized, and supported by facts.

There are numerous resources to help you develop a good business plan. We recommend the following:

Step 4: Site selection

Not sure where to locate? The City has vacant properties for sale. You can also contact a realtor in our business directory to help you with your search. Be aware that the type of business you want to operate may only be permitted in certain areas of the city. You can review our zoning bylaw for more information or contact us to be sure.

Step 5: Secure financing

You will need enough capital to not only start-up your business but to operate it until you start earning revenue. For many small business owners, this means borrowing funds. Potential lenders are listed below.

Business loan providers
Lender	Description
Community Futures Ventures	Loans up to $150,000 to Yorkton area entrepreneurs
Business Development Bank of Canada	Loans up to $100,000
Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan	Loans up to $150,000 to Saskatchewan women
Clarence Campeau Development Fund	Various loans and grants to Saskatchewan Métis entrepreneurs
Conseil Économique et Coopératif de la Saskatchewan	Micro-loans up to $5,000
Other banks, credit unions, or financial institutions	Varies by institution
Private investors	Varies by investor

Step 6: Seek incentives

We offer a variety of incentives available for businesses seeking to grow and improve their business in Yorkton.

Other incentives are available from the Province of Saskatchewan. You can learn more by visiting their Business Incentives and Tax Credits page.

Step 7: Apply for permits

Most businesses require a City of Yorkton business licence to operate. Other permits and licences will vary depending on the type of business. To learn more, you can use BizPal to generate a list of the licences and permits required to operate your business.

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