City launches Home-based Business GuideWednesday 15 July 2009 Ottawa – The City of Ottawa today unveiled the Ottawa Home-based Business Guide, a new publication aimed at assisting entrepreneurs. The guide, produced by the City in partnership with the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) Entrepreneurship Centre, was created to assist entrepreneurs looking to start a home-based business, as well as for existing home-based business owners looking for additional resources. “Home-based businesses are very important to the vitality and growth of Ottawa’s economy – they create jobs and stimulate the local economy,” said Acting Mayor Doug Thompson. The Ottawa Home-based Business Guide is organized into three sections – Thinking, Starting and Growing. The Thinking section helps clients assess whether a home-based business is the right choice. The Starting section provides information about developing a business plan, registration and permits, and getting organized. In the Growing section, clients can read about points to consider as their business increases in size or complexity. In addition, the guide incorporates all the applicable information and up-to-date by-laws relevant to new and existing businesses in both urban and rural Ottawa. “As home to 28,000 small businesses, Ottawa has a very strong spirit of entrepreneurship,” said Councillor Steve Desroches, Vice-Chair of the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee. “The City is committed to fostering and advancing the growth of this sector through a variety of programs, partnerships and policies aimed at encouraging and promoting entrepreneurship in Ottawa.” The guide will be available at City Client Service Centres, the OCRI Entrepreneurship Centre and kiosks, all branches of the Ottawa Public Library and on ottawa.ca. In addition to the launch of the Ottawa Home-based Business Guide, the City officially opened the OCRI Barrhaven Entrepreneurship Centre kiosk. Located in the Ruth E. Dickinson Branch of the Ottawa Public Library, the kiosk, which is funded by the City, opened in June 2009, and is the third kiosk to open in the city, joining those previously opened at the Orléans and Kanata Client Service Centres. Private consultations on topics such as start-up, business plan review and general rules and regulations, as well as a business start-up orientation – a free tutorial that provides information on rules and regulations, the fundamentals of business planning and an introduction to the services provided by the OCRI Entrepreneurship Centre – are among the services offered at the kiosk. Free information and printed materials are also offered at the kiosk, as well as a computer terminal that guides clients when staff is not on-site. A unique feature of the terminal is the ability for the client to interact live with an OCRI Entrepreneurship Centre client service assistant via video teleconference. “We are very excited to welcome this new OCRI Entrepreneurship Centre kiosk to the Barrhaven community,” said Barrhaven Ward Councillor Jan Harder. “With the growing number of new local businesses, this kiosk will be of great benefit. A number of these businesses are home-based, and our local Barrhaven Business Improvement Area (BIA) is the first BIA to include them as members.” The Barrhaven, Kanata and Orléans kiosks are open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information about the Ottawa Home-based Business Guide or the OCRI Entrepreneurship Centre, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401).
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