Community Futures Central Kootenay is a non-profit community economic development organization. We are committed to helping people in the Central Kootenay region who are either operating or are planning to start their own business.
Community Futures Central Kootenay, in operation since 1985, aims to:
- Help new or existing businesses with training, loans, business counselling, and resources
- Provide income support for eligible individuals contemplating self-employment as a career option
- Bring together key community partners and the region as a whole to work toward the common goal of sustainable community economic development
Our Vision:
Our vision is for a vibrant, diverse and sustainable Kootenay economy that retains its local businesses and creates opportunities for them to start up and expand.
Our Mission:
We help businesses to be successful and communities to be economically healthy.
Services/Programs
- Basin Business Advisors Program
- Cannabis Business Transition Initiative
- Export Navigator Program
- Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
- Community Economic Development
- Referrals to other entrepreneurial services
Community Futures FAQs
Community Futures Central Kootenay is part of the Pan Canadian Community Futures Group – a network of community economic development organizations across Canada. We are a non-profit customer service organization devoted to assisting local business in the region.
Our mission is to facilitate and/or promote activities which will enhance the community economic environment in the Central Kootenay region through entrepreneurial development and the creation of small business initiatives.
We offer support to both new and existing business. We have a variety of services to assist local entrepreneurs through all phases of their business. Our services include:
- Business counselling
- Business workshops
- Business resource library
- Business Loans Program
- Self-Employment Program
- Basin Business Advisors Program
- Cannabis Business Transition Initiative
- Export Navigator Program
- Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
- Community Economic Development
Yes. The only program that requires an E.I attachment is the Self-Employment Program. See Self-Employment Criteria for more information.
The rest of the programs and services are available for anyone living in our service area.
We recommend that you research and write a business plan first in order to assess whether your business is viable.
We can help you with this in the following ways:
- Our business lending library has reference copies of sample business plans
- Small Business BC has sample business plans online
- Check our Workshop Calendar to find out when the next free, one-day workshop, Business Plan 101, is running
- You may be eligible for the Self-Employment Program which provides assistance starting up a business
Registering a business can include any of the following:
- Proprietorship or Partnership Name Registration
- PST Account – www.rev.gov.bc.ca/ctb
- Business number for Canada Customs and Revenue Agency for any of the following
- GST
- Payroll deductions
- Corporate income tax
- Import/export accounts
- www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/menu-e.html
- Municipal business licence for participating municipalities
- Register as an employer with WorkSafe BC (WCB)
- Apply for personal optional protection with WorkSafe BC
All of the above can be completed through a OneStop Business Registration process. For more information contact OneStop at:
www.onestopbc.ca 1-800-988-8299
There are many OneStop sites across the province, typically found in community business offices, such as Government Agents. See locations at: www.onestopbc.ca/locations.html
Additional information and publications about business startup are available at www.smallbusinessbc.ca
