One-Stop for Business:
putting Hamilton businesses on the right
path for success
Why One-Stop for Businesses?
• Corporate-wide strategy
• Enhance and improve customer
service
• One location saves businesses time
and money
• Offers complimentary services that
assist businesses at all stages in their
development or expansion
Why One-Stop for Businesses?
Save Time and Money:
Understand what your business needs to
do BEFORE you begin to develop, build
or expand.
Make Informed Decisions:
Know the timelines, application costs and
processes for starting or expanding your
business.
Get the Right Resources:
Access customized resources, key
contacts and information to moving your
business forward faster and more
efficiently.
Who does One-Stop serve?
• Business Owners
• Development Industry
• Prospective business owners and
the general public
What are One-Stop’s key
services?
1. Small Business Assistance:
Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC)
2. Business Facilitation:
Development Planning Section – municipal
applications and processes
3. Business Licensing:
Municipal Law Enforcement – Licensing and
Permits team
How does the Economic
Development team fit in to OneStop?
Economic Development Business
Consultants provide:
• Site selection assistance for business
location requests
• Repository and analysis of all economic
data and business information particularly in
key industry groups
• Businesses and developers with a conduit
to the municipal processes
• Internal referrals and approvals
• Collaboration with SBEC and Business
Facilitators
How could you use One-Stop?
Small Business Enterprise Centre
Consultation & Access to BizPal
Business Facilitation
Step by Step Planning Application Guidance
Customizable Development Kit
Business Licences
Information on Required Licences
Licence Applications
By-law information and Interpretation
Understanding
the Three Key Services
Small Business Enterprise Centre
(SBEC):
 Receive assistance and resources to
help, start, run or expand your business
(including business registration)
SBEC Background
• Provided assistance to small
businesses in Hamilton since 2001
• Receives 39,223 general
inquires/year
• Created 725 jobs in 2009
Resources
Comprehensive on-site business
library with demographic info, trade &
association directories
•
Computer workstations with internet
access
•
Access to on-line databases of
business information, suppliers,
competitors or customers
•
•
Business name registration kiosk
Training Programs and Worksops
•
Business Development Series
Introduction to Entrepreneurship
and Business Planning
•
•
Marketing
•
Legal and Insurance Considerations
Book keeping and Taxes for
Business
•
•
New Importer/ Exporter
Consultation Services
One-hour session with an SBEC consultant:
Help entrepreneurs prepare and review a
business plan
• Monitor a client through the crucial start-up
stages
• Assist in identifying rules and regulations
that can impact a client’s business
• Identify government and private sector
programs and services
•
818 consultations in 2009
Youth Programs
Two Key Programs:
Canadian Youth Business Program
(18 – 34 yrs of age):
• Loan of up to $15,000 combined with
mentor
• 26 loans to date
• 43 jobs
• $450,000 invested
Summer Company (16-29 yrs. of age):
• Grant of up to $3,000 mentorship
• 53 students
• over $250,000 investment
• 126 jobs
Business Facilitation
Business Facilitation:
• Provides a central contact to help businesses
through the municipal processes of starting
and/or expanding their business
• Facilitates, coordinates and provides advice
on development proposals
• Reduces and resolves issues and problems
relating to Development proposals
• Advocates on behalf of the customer
Business Facilitation:
The Big Picture
The key role of the Business Facilitators is
to provide an overview of what to expect
for your particular planning process
including:
•
Timelines
•
Required Applications
•
Costs
How Business Facilitators can
help your business:
•
Guides you through the clearing of
Conditions of Site Plan Approval
•
Move more quickly and easily through
the approval system
•
Reduces and assists with the release of
securities
•
Suggests creative solutions to facilitate
development
•
Prioritization of Infrastructure Funding
Projects and Corporate Projects
What is the link with Economic
Development’s Business
Development Consultants?
Business Facilitators:
• attend Corporate calls at the request of
Economic Development to provide
companies with Planning perspective,
knowledge of the Planning Process, and
additional internal an external contacts to
help speed up the process
• act as the front-line (physical main floor
presence) to ensure businesses and
developers connect with experts from
Planning and Economic Development and
other City departments
Development Checklist &
Development Application Brochures
Customizable Development Kit
Licensing
Licensing
• The Licensing counter at the One-Stop is
primarily focused on new businesses, but
will also process licence renewals
Staff help businesses:
• Understand if their business needs to be
licensed;
• Find out what their business needs to
become licensed; and
• Process business licence applications
Examples of Business that Need
to be Licensed
• Taxi Cab (driver, broker and owner
operator)
• Residential Care Facilities and Lodging
House
• Trades: Contractors and Masters
• Restaurants (includes refreshment stand)
• Public Garages
• Kennels and Pet Shops
• Cigarette/Tobacco sales
• Hairdressers, Piercing and/or Tattoo
Parlours
•Adult Entertainment Establishments
•Body Rub Parlours
Why Businesses Need to be
Licensed
• Public health and safety
•Consistency across similar types of
businesses or licensing categories
•Consumer protection
•Nuisance control
Why Licensing is Essential at
One-Stop and How Services Work
Together
• Services provided by SBEC and Business
Facilitators will help businesses understand and
locate information required to complete their
licensing application faster and more efficiently.
• Two essential requirements to get your
business licensed include: a copy of the
business registration and Zoning Verification
Certificate.
•SBEC can help get your business registered
and Business Facilitators can assist with
understanding the Zoning associated with the
business.
One-Stop for Businesses
Opened on June 7, 2010
Where to Find One-Stop:
Hamilton City Hall
71 Main Street West, 1st Floor
Phone: 905-540-6400
Make an appointment or just
walk-in
Website:
www.hamilton.ca/onestop