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Business Advice

Canada Business

Canada Business provides a wide range of information on government services, programs and regulations and will answer your questions about starting a new business or improving an existing one. They provide a comprehensive first stop for information on government services, programs and regulatory requirements for both the federal and provincial/territorial governments. Canada Business offers services in every province and territory through walk-in centres, toll-free telephone numbers, the Web, electronic mail, surface mail and fax.

Canada Business offers a combination of products, services, publications and expert referrals to help clients get current and comprehensive business information on a variety of topics such aswriting a business plan, starting a business, finding new markets, preparing for exporting and also dealing with intellectual property (IP) issues. The Canada Business Web site provides provincial contacts and also offers a large variety of online services (e.g. the Interactive Business Planner that is a Web tool to assist you in preparing a comprehensive three-year business plan).

Industry Canada's Regional Offices

Industry Canada works with Canadians throughout the economy and in all parts of the country to improve conditions for investment, improve Canada's innovation performance, increase Canada's share of global trade and build a fair, efficient and competitive marketplace. CIPO is a special operating agency of Industry Canada located in Gatineau, Quebec. The headquarters of Industry Canada is located in Ottawa, and there are 15 regional offices located across Canada. Correspondence intended for CIPO and delivered during business hours, to one of Industry Canada's offices in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver will be considered to be received on the date of reception in that office, if it is also a day on which CIPO's offices in Gatineau are open. In addition, correspondence intended for CIPO and delivered during business hours using the Registered Mail Service of any Canada Post office will be considered to be received in the same way.

Provincial/Territorial Business Information Centres

Different provincial/territorial business information centres across Canada provide a wide range of information on different federal and provincial/territorial programs, services and regulations of interest to a small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). They feature information guides, workshops, and expert referrals on different business issues including intellectual property. Many business centres are walk-in centres providing in-person business assistance. Furthermore, business sections of different public libraries feature different IP publications, links, and other resources for SMEs.