REGISTERING A BUSINESS IN MANITOBA

Manitoba Business Registration
Name Search & Reservation
New/Renewal Registration
Rush Timeframe Available

Manitoba Business Registration

How to Register a Small Business in Manitoba

 

To register a business in the Province of Manitoba the ministry requires you to complete a name reservation with the province. A business name registration is also required to be completed. If you live outside the Province of Manitoba but want to register a business you can do so providing a Power of Attorney at the time of registration.

Manitoba Name Registration

A requirement for new businesses with the province whether the application is for an incorporation or a small business is to have a name reservation completed with the Province of Manitoba companies branch. In order to have the name reserved with the province there will need to be a single name provided for the branch to review.

Whether it is a new registration or an amendment of an existing registration, the following information will be required:

  • Name of the business
  • Where you will be conducting business within the Province of Manitoba
  • The reasoning for the chosen business name
  • A brief description of the services the business will provide to clients

Restrictions for Name Selections with the Province

The business registration will not be processed with the Province of Manitoba until the name has been submitted and approved by the Province of Manitoba Companies Office. In order to gain name approval please find below the restrictions placed on business names by the province.

When choosing a business name it is suggested to have it be unique and provide at least two main elements. The main elements provided would typically be a distinctive and a descriptive element. Examples of some distinctive and descriptive elements are shown below.

Distinctive Element Descriptive Element
Jones Car Wash
E-Tailer Services
Puttform Golf Course

The above business name examples provide either a unique family name, unusual dictionary word or a coined (made up) word to provide examples of how to ensure your business name is unique.

Names That Will not be Accepted by the Province

Business names submitted that appear to be able to be confused with having affiliation with the Crown, attachments to members of the Royal Family, mistaken for the Government of Canada or Government of Manitoba will be rejected.

Any names that contain the protected words of “Manitoba Tartans” and “Golden Boy” will also be denied.

Names with Manitoba being the first word will not be accepted for either Profit or Not For Profit incorporations or business registrations.

Amalgamated can only be used when the corporation has been created by amalgamation.

The only acceptable punctuation marks are !$()*+”%&’,_-/:;<=?>.[]\.

Using a Bilingual Name for Business

If you decide to use a bilingual business name you won’t need to complete another name reservation as long as the business name is exactly the same and similar to the English name.

Federal Preliminary NUANS Name Search (Optional)

When you submit the mandatory name reservation with the Province of Manitoba, they will not provide an analysis in their report that includes existing federal corporations and Canadian trademarks or business names within other jurisdictions in Canada. In order to ensure there is a better view of the accessibility of the chosen business name you may want to request the Federal preliminary NUANS name search. This optional name search will need to be completed before the submission is made to gain name approval from the Manitoba government. If the business name does appear to be weak and not unique, it will be recommended to search a variation of the proposed name or a new name completely before proceeding with the Name Reservation.

Registering a Business in Manitoba

Please review the information below to ensure you provide the correct information to complete a business registration.

Proposed Name of the Business: the name provided will be the name that is submitted for the Name Reservation with the Province.

The address of the registered head office: this address is required to be located within the Province of Manitoba.

The name(s) and the address(es) of the applicant(s): the Province requires the information to be listed for the individual owner(s) or the corporate name for the business to be registered under.

Business activity: a brief description of the services the business will provide to clients.

Contact Person: this is to be the person that will be contacted with regards to any questions or concerns with the registration.

Place of Business: the full address of where the business is located is required. In Winnipeg and Brandon a Postal Office box will only be accepted if the form provides a civic address for the mailing address or applicant(s) address.

Starting date of the business: the date provided in this section is not able to be more than 30 days from the date of the initial registration. If the business is being renewed after 5 years or more of business then only a month and year are required.

When the registration that is submitted is a renewal, tax account information may be required to process the renewal.

Completing a Registration Under a Corporation

When submitting a registration to have the business operate under an existing corporation, the corporate details will be required to submit to the province. These details include the corporate name, number, address of the head office, and the director that is authorizing the registration.

Individuals are able to register a different business name than the corporation name. Typically this occurs when the individual wishes to operate without the legal ending of the corporation name for business marketing such as signage, payments to the company, or to make it easier for clients, etc. If the applicant wishes to operate a completely different name from the corporation that will be viewed as being a separate business entity.

Example

Jones Laundromat Corp. conducting business as Jones.

Jones Laundromat Corp. conducting business as Jones Laundromat.

Below are examples for operating a different name from the corporation name.

Example
Green Computer Consulting Inc. conducting business as Green Consulting.

If there are any outstanding questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact our office.

Government Fees

Name Approval $ 65.00

Business Name Fee $ 60.00

In order to begin your registration through our team please click the link below

Ontario Business Central is not a law firm, therefore is unable to advise or provide a legal opinion. We are here to assist you in understanding what is mandatory within the jurisdiction of your choice in order to incorporate a company. It is recommended, in the event you have any legal or accounting questions or concerns, that the appropriate qualified professional is contacted before completing the registration or incorporation.