Ownr Review 2024: Register a Business in Canada (Up to 100% Off)

Registering your sole proprietorship or incorporating your business in Canada can be challenging. Ownr is here to change all that.

In 2017, I initially registered my sole proprietorship business and later proceeded to incorporate it in 2019. Believe me when I say that the business registration involved a bunch of paperwork, and the information available on the government’s website was not the easiest to follow.

This is even more applicable when incorporating a business. After giving up on navigating the process on my own, I eventually had to use the services of a lawyer.

Reserving a business name, registering the business, and completing the legal documentation required for a corporation can be simplified by utilizing a corporate lawyer; however, this cost may set you back by up to $1,500.

This Ownr review covers how to register or incorporate your business easily at an affordable fee, plus a 15% discount (and up to 100% off with an eligible account). It also touches on some of the differences between sole proprietorships and corporations.

Related: How To Open a CRA MyBusiness Account

Ownr Overview

Ownr is an RBC Ventures company founded in 2017. Based in Toronto, the company uses its platform to help entrepreneurs register or incorporate their businesses.

As of this update, over 85,000 businesses have been registered using Ownr. Ownr is available in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec.

In addition to Ownr, RBC Ventures has other companies on its portfolio, including Ampli, Wellspent, Prepped, Arrive, and Dipp.

How Ownr Works

Simply put, Ownr takes the pain out of the business registration process. If you are launching a new business, you can choose to register as a sole proprietorship or corporation.

Whichever route you decide to take, Ownr can help you stick-handle the process while you focus on running your business’s day-to-day operations.

If your company is already incorporated, you can use the service to manage your government filings, business and employee agreements, and more.

Here’s what they offer:

How To Register a Sole Proprietorship with Ownr

After opening an account, conduct a search for potential business names. When your business name has been reserved, simply fill out your business details online and pay the fee for sole proprietorship registration.

Ownr sends off your application for processing, and you can get your business license via email within one business day in Ontario and Alberta. In British Columbia, business name reservation takes up to 15 business days.

The name of the business license document you receive varies by province:

• Ontario: Master Business License
• Alberta: Trade name Declaration
• British Columbia: Statement of Registration of Sole Proprietorship

Register a Sole Proprietorship (Get a 15% Discount)

How To Incorporate a Business With Ownr

To incorporate your business, search for available online business names via your Ownr account. After you have secured a unique business name, complete your business details, and pay for registration.

Ownr finalizes and sends your incorporation application for processing, and you can receive your business documents within one business day.

Ownr prepares your corporate formation documents, aka digital minute book, including First Director’s Resolution, Director’s Consent(s), First Shareholder’s Resolution, Notice(s) of Issuance, Subscription for Shares, Securities Register, Shareholders Ledger, and Corporate Bylaws.

This saves you from the hassle of looking for a lawyer to help you create these documents.

The business incorporation documents you receive will include:

• Newly Upgraded Automated Name Search (NUANS) Report and NUANS report cheat sheet
• Articles of Incorporation and Next Steps
• Corporation formation documents

You also receive your business number from the Canada Revenue Agency.

In addition to incorporating businesses provincially, Ownr also offers federal incorporation in Ontario.

Incorporating your business is not the only service offered by Ownr. In fact, you can use the platform as a one-stop shop to manage and grow your business.

The one-time incorporation plan includes company name registration, incorporation and filing relevant documents with the government, preparing organization documents and share filings, creating up to 3 user accounts, and 1-year access to an online minute book.

The minute book plan includes online minute book management, annual corporate filings and resolutions, and amendments to the company name and structure.

The managed corporation plan offers all the basics and a lot more, including:

• GST/HST Program Account Registration
• Ongoing company management documents, including unlimited director/officer updates and user accounts; automated registered head office address changes; unlimited support; access to website & e-commerce agreements, intellectual property agreements, and more.

Depending on your needs, you could also take advantage of add-ons such as:

Managed Shareholders: This helps you with share issuances, shareholder agreements, share transfers, vesting agreements, SAFEs, and convertible notes.

Managed Employees and Contractors: Includes employment agreements, contractor agreements, and more.

Employee Stock Option Plan, including a dedicated employee portal where they can track the status of their options and legal agreements.

Register a Corporation (Get a 15% Discount)

The Costs of Using Ownr

The fees for one-time business registration and ongoing management vary and includes government filing fees.

Province	Sole Proprietorship	Provincial Incorporation Fee (one-time)	Managed Corporation Plan
Ontario	$89 + tax	$599 + tax	$599/year
Alberta	$89 + tax	$599 + tax	$599/year
British Columbia	$89 + tax	$699 + tax	$599/year

When you incorporate a new business and sign up for the managed corporation service, you save an extra $100 discount on the incorporation fee.

If you only want to subscribe to the online minute book plan, it is included in your one-time incorporation fee for the first year and costs $199 in subsequent years.

Ownr and RBC Rewards (Up to 100% Discount)

When you register your business with Ownr and open an RBC business bank account within 60 days, you receive a cash back amount based on your business type and province.

If your business is a sole proprietorship, RBC will refund your $89 registration fee (plus tax) if you open a business bank account within 60 days. This is equivalent to a 100% fee rebate!

For business incorporations, you receive $300 back plus tax when you meet the eligibility requirements.

To claim your cashback, log in to your account and click on the “refund me” button on your dashboard. Note that your business bank account must remain open for at least one year or you may have to pay back the refund.

Learn more about the best business bank accounts in Canada.

Ownr Perks

After registering your business, you can get a 50% discount for the branding tool, Tailor Brands. This tool can be used to create your business logo, business cards, and branded content for marketing on social media.

You can also access up to $5,000 in small business savings from leading brands, including:

• Telus Business: Save 10% each month when you activate or renew a TELUS business plan.
• Staples: Get a free 1-year Staples Business Advantage Plus membership with exclusive discounts and promotions all year round.
• Xero: Get 50% off your first 3 months.
• Etsy: Get $50 in ad credits and 50 free listings.
• Jobber: Save 20% for 12 months.
• Bolt: Get a $500 account credit for eCommerce fulfillment.
• Geek Squad: Save 15% on 12 months of tech support for your business tech needs.
• Heirlume: Get 20% off of any trademark package.

Ownr Referral Program

Ownr has an affiliate program that pays you when people sign up through your referral link and use Ownr to register their business.

Your referrals receive a 15% discount, and you earn $20 for a sole proprietorship and $50 for each referral that incorporates.

Referral earnings are paid out through PayPal or Stripe accounts.

Related: Best US Dollar Business Accounts

Sole Proprietorship vs. Incorporation

There are four main legal business structures in Canada including:

• Sole Proprietorship
• Corporations
• Partnership
• Cooperative

A sole proprietorship is the simplest business structure to set up. As the business owner, you are 100% responsible for its operations and carry unlimited liability.

In a partnership, the business is owned by two or more owners. Each member of the partnership is liable for debts of the company and a share of its profit.

A corporation is a separate legal entity from its owners. As such, your personal assets are separate from that of the company, and you do not bear responsibility for its liabilities beyond your share of the company’s assets. This limited liability may not apply to personal guarantees, e.g. for a loan.

Corporations can be public or private and may be incorporated on a provincial or federal level.

A cooperative is controlled by a group of members who pool their resources together. It is democratically controlled and prioritizes meeting the needs (economic, social, and cultural) of its members as opposed to solely making a profit. A co-operative also offers limited liability.

Some of the main differences between a sole proprietorship and a corporation are:

	Sole Proprietorship	Corporation
Set up costs	Low	High
Liability	Unlimited	Limited. Limited liability may not apply to personal guarantees
Record keeping and Accounting costs	Easier accounting and minimal record-keeping	Complicated; involves more paperwork and annual filings
Raising funds	Difficult to raise capital	Easier to raise capital, e.g. through the sale of shares; easier to apply for a loan
Tax advantages	Business losses can be written off against personal income; income taxed at a personal rate which may be high	Tax advantages through small business deduction and income splitting; potential for double taxation (company & shareholders); Not restricted to a calendar year-end for tax filing
Business continuity	Expires upon the death of the owner	Unlimited life until dissolved; ownership interest can be transferred
Decision making	The owner is in control of all decision making and keeps all the profit	Decision-making can be slow if there’s more than one shareholder
Credibility	Some businesses only want to do business with a corporation	It may be taken more seriously by other businesses and prospects
Jurisdiction	Provincial	Provincial and/or federal

Related: How To Register a Business in Alberta

Final Thoughts

Whether you end up choosing to register a sole proprietorship or incorporate your business, Ownr can help you achieve your dreams at a lower cost compared to using the services of a lawyer.

You could easily save $800+ when incorporating a business provincially or federally by using their service.

If you choose to open a business account at RBC at the same time, you could also get all or most of the fees you paid back!

Register your business with Ownr and get up to 100% off