Business startup

The importance
of a business
start‑up program

According to screen printer Carole-Anne Brisson, a business start-up program allows you to discover practical accounting tips, develop a business plan and, most of all, learn about your entrepreneurial skills.

This article was revised and updated in July 2019.

Carole-Anne was not happy with the way the business she was working for was being managed. One day, upon running into a former co-worker who started up his own business, she was invited to embark on an entrepreneurial adventure.

“We were seriously considering combining our expertise and working on the screen printing aspect of his business. The idea was so inspiring that, the next day, I gave my employer one week’s notice. One week later the business had become a partnership,” said Carole-Anne.

Carole-Anne knew that the success of her business was mostly going to depend on her business plan and that it would be in her best interests to obtain advice from professionals. That is why she decided to register for the Starting Up a Business program, an Attestation of Vocational Specialization (AVS) offered by the Centre de formation professionnelle Maurice-Barbeau.

This is a self-paced course that specifically covers the creation of a business plan. Since the training consists in applying concepts learned in real time, you must have a business project before registering.

Today, many courses of this type are offered in the majority of vocational training centres in Quebec. No matter where you are, you will not have a problem finding a nearby course by doing a quick search on the web.

Solid knowledge

A business start-up program allows you to learn basic notions in marketing, administration and accounting, such as the various legal forms of a business. These courses also provide access to tips that inexperienced individuals would not think about.

“For example, I learned that it was very lucrative to register for taxes as quickly as possible,” said Carole-Anne.

A business whose taxable supply doesn’t exceed $30,000 is not obligated to register for taxes , i.e. collect taxes from its customers. This, along with the fact that they fear the paperwork involved, is the reason why new entrepreneurs are tempted to not register for taxes immediately.

“But registering for taxes also makes you eligible for a GST and QST refund on equipment purchased for the business,” explains, Carole-Anne. “In the first year, equipment expenses are generally far higher than revenues.”

In other words, an entrepreneur who purchases $160,000 in equipment even before the business opens its doors can be refunded approximately $24,000. This is what is known as input tax credits (ITCs) or input tax refunds (ITRs).This privilege applies to office furniture, computer systems, accountant’s fees, taxis, repairs to machines and tools and several other similar taxable expenses.

An enriching human experience

An enriching human experience

“What struck me was the diversity of the people attending the course. Some were very shy, others extremely confident. Some had never started any kind of business, while others were entrepreneurs looking to upgrade their skills.

What’s really interesting is to be able to see where you stand compared to others and discover your strengths and weaknesses,” says Carole-Anne.

An accessible course

The program that Carole-Anne followed cost just $105. Called “seminars”, the 3 hour sessions were offered on an ongoing basis 12 months a year.

After attending about 30 courses, participants drew up their business plan and had all the keys necessary to bring their project to fruition.

“Since I was the youngest, during the sessions people often said to me 'I should have done that at your age.' Now I understand why. I strongly encourage entrepreneurs to follow this type of course.”

Today, Carole-Anne has left Moustache Moutarde to work on a different individual project. However, she knows that everything she learned in her training program, plus her experience with Moustache Moutarde represent just a fraction of the possibilities that entrepreneurship can offer her.

A start-up course is just one of the many steps you can take to have a successful business start, but it's a great stepping stone to other resources or processes that are critical to your process.

“If you don’t work for your dreams, someone else will pay you for theirs.”

Start with the right tools

At Acomba, our main mission is to support entrepreneurs in the realization of their project, by offering them the management tools necessary for the efficient and smooth running of their business.

Contact our experts in management solutions to discuss your needs and discover the many options available to you!