A new agreement involving six local governments in the northeast allows small businesses to operate in multiple jurisdictions — cutting red tape and freeing up time and money.

The Mobile Business Licence program is a partnership between municipalities, facilitated by the Province, which allows businesses to purchase a licence add-on, giving them the ability to operate in any of the participating communities. The program saves business owners from having to apply and purchase separate licences for each community, making it simpler and cheaper to do business in B.C. The Mobile Business Licence add-on in the northeast costs $130.

Previously, a small business wanting to operate in the participating municipalities would need to purchase multiple licences—possibly with different costs and renewal times. With a Mobile Business Licence agreement in place, the business owner only needs to visit their local municipality to register for a single business licence and Mobile Business Licence add-on.

The northeast agreement enables businesses to apply for one licence that can be used in City of Dawson Creek, City of Fort St. John, District of Chetwynd, District of Hudson’s Hope, Tumbler Ridge and Pouce Coupe. The District of Taylor will be added into the agreement at a later date.

Plumbing services or construction-related businesses are among the many types of businesses taking advantage of the program throughout the province.

Earlier this year, the Mobile Business Licence program expanded to the Kootenays with eight new communities in three agreements. In 2016, the first Aboriginal community, Shíshálh Nation on the Sunshine Coast, joined the program. Agreements were also made permanent in 2016 for Metro West (Burnaby, Delta, New Westminster, Richmond, Surrey and Vancouver) and Fraser Valley (Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Delta, Hope, Kent, Langley, Maple Ridge, Mission, Pitt Meadows and Surrey). Kent and Delta were new additions to the Fraser Valley agreement last year.

With the northeast agreement, there are now 88 communities in B.C. participating in the Mobile Business Licence program. The Province is working with local governments to expand the program further.

Mobile Business Licences are one of the key ways the B.C. government is taking action to strengthen, grow and diversify rural communities. The northeast agreement builds on the immediate investments and long-term action plan outlined in B.C.’s Rural Economic Development Strategy that are expected to create over 26,000 jobs and add $2.8 billion to provincial GDP. The Province is also on track to fulfill its BC Jobs Plan target of expanding Mobile Business Licence agreements by more than 50% by 2020.

Quotes:

Coralee Oakes, Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction –

“Unnecessary red tape has a disproportionate impact on small businesses that generally have fewer resources compared to larger companies. Mobile business licences allow a business to operate in multiple communities with only a single licence— saving them time, money and paperwork.”

Mike Bernier, MLA for Peace River South –

“Running a small business is often a labour of love, requiring a lot of time and commitment from owners. The Mobile Business Licence agreement helps businesses in the northeast focus on growth and creating jobs, and less time on administration, which is great for the local economy. ”

Merlin Nichols, mayor of the District of Chetwynd –

“The Inter-Community Business Licence initiative is an example of how municipalities in Northeastern B.C. work together to benefit area residents. Inter-Community Business Licenses have been proven to cut red tape and administrative costs in other B.C. jurisdictions where they are already operational, and the District of Chetwynd is happy to be part of an initiative that helps reduce costs for the business community.”

Dale Bumstead, mayor of Dawson Creek –

“I am pleased that the council of the City of Dawson Creek has approved a Northeast Inter-Community Business Licence bylaw. Not only will this initiative foster strength through collaboration, it will also reduce unnecessary red tape for small local businesses and demonstrate business friendliness. The City of Dawson Creek is open for business and council strives to provide the best service possible to all businesses operating within the city.”

Lori Ackerman, mayor of Fort St. John –

“Small and medium-size businesses are the back bone of our economy and taking this opportunity to work together with the other communities in Northeast B.C. makes sense. It adds to the long history of working together to accomplish great things for our citizens and businesses. This new agreement will make doing business in our region much easier with far less red tape.”

Quick Facts:

• Small businesses make up 98% of all business in B.C. and employ over one million people.
• Small businesses provide 55% of all private-sector jobs in British Columbia, the second highest rate in the country.
• There were approximately 388,500 small businesses operating in B.C. in 2015 – 313,500, or 79%, have fewer than five employees.
• Balanced Budget 2017 supports B.C.’s small business sector by reducing the small business tax rate from 2.5% to 2%, phasing out PST on electricity over two years and reducing MSP premiums by half.
• There are over 1,200 Aboriginal-owned companies in British Columbia, many of which are small businesses.

Learn More:

Information on the Mobile Business Licence program: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/business/small-business/mobile-business-licence-program

Small business in B.C.: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/business/small-business

Rural Economic Development Strategy: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2017PREM0028-000443