Start Up Business

The ATB entrepreneur’s guide to starting a business

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The ATB Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Business has insights from successful entrepreneurs, regulatory experts and some of the leading business minds at ATB. This free eBook offers a detailed roadmap for starting a business in Alberta. Whether you want to know how to start a business plan or how to grow your small business, this guide has got you covered.


This entrepreneurship and small business guide is made for every Albertan entrepreneur. Every step to start a business in Alberta is discussed in this guide. So you are set no matter what, even if you’re starting from scratch or further along in your journey! It contains simple, helpful tips for everything about starting and operating a small business— from polishing your idea to branding and online marketing. We’ve even broken down the banking and legal requirements for small businesses in Alberta, so you can step into the entrepreneurship world confidently.

The ATB Entrepreneur’s Guide

Entrepreneurship is hard. Learning about it shouldn’t be.

The Entrepreneur’s Guide can help you with:

  • Creating and testing your idea

    What are your business ideas? How do you know which ideas are feasible? Should you buy a business or start your own? What is your business name? These are a few of the questions that we help you work through to help you start your business plan.

  • Setting up your business

    Who do you need on your success team? There are many people that can help make your business the best it can be. Your success team should include your lawyer, your accountant, and your banker. In this section, we talk about building your success team and kickstarting your finances. This includes regulatory compliance, business banking, cash flow, debt, and financing options such as crowdfunding.

  • Go to market strategy

    Every successful product has a great market strategy. Our guide has detailed lessons on making your business stand out. From creating a cult brand and using the internet to grow your business. We explain what CASL is and a break down of the top social media channels.

  • Being productive, competitive and innovative

    Being an entrepreneur means working hard and constantly learning. But you don’t want to burn out while working on your dream business. This guide has tips and insights on how to balance your life as an entrepreneur with your life as you. There are also tips on knowing when it’s time to hire more people and how to do it.

  • Amazing additional resources

    Reflections from successful entrepreneurs like James Boettcher, owner of Fiasco Gelato, on what they wish they’d known when they started.
    Curated lists of books, articles, podcasts and other hand-picked resources for entrepreneurs.
    Links to forms for creating simple, useful business plans, market research and cash flow statements.


    If you're ready to stop sifting through online search results for advice and are instead ready to start or grow your enterprise, download the ATB Entrepreneur's Guide to Starting a Business and get started today!

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