By Nate Dolha
Published: July 1, 2013
A few months back, I wrote a column in this fine publication about wanting to become an entrepreneur.
Since then, we have decided to begin that journey – a journey that so far has included hours of brainstorming, planning, spirited discussion, and a quick dip into both the provincial and municipal bureaucracies.
When we took our first few steps of the process, I have to admit, I was a bit intimidated. Moving from idea to legitimate business was going to involve all levels government, spreadsheets, notes, and in our case, good old fashioned pencil to paper. This seemed like a recipe for disaster.
To my surprise, the first steps with the senior governments ended up being the easiest part. In an effort to reduce red tape and simplify the process, BC Registry Services partnered with
the Government of Canada to create a one stop shop for starting your business.
Online, two governments, ten minutes, done. Really.
Next up, the District of Squamish.
I was interested in going through this process; to see how this all works. As a commuter, I wasn’t thrilled at first about rejigging my schedule so I could make it to the municipal hall in time, but the interaction was very helpful, and going through the application with staff cleared up a few questions.
All in, this was a much easier experience than I expected it to be. Governments have long held the reputation of being slow, monolithic creatures when it comes to dealing with the rate payer, so confidence was low going in.
Regardless of political stripe, these revamped services are key to growth and building confidence in the economy. At the municipal level, the DOS had identified its own reputation of being closed for business as a barrier to economic development, and has committed itself to being open for business.
The simplified process, the public provision of market data, and interactive mapping tools has made entry into the marketplace a far simplified process, removing another barrier to investment. If my small interaction is any indication of the larger trend, they are well on their way to putting the old moniker to rest.
For our wee project, the delivery of these services made the nuts and bolts easy, removing some worry and allowing us to focus on the harder task ahead – coming to the marketplace.
As we settle in for the road ahead, where the real lessons are to be learned in our journey, I’m glad the first miles didn’t leave us with a flat to talk about.
How was your experience with the district? Tag it #Squamish, and i can be found on @natedolha
Happy Trails
