On last week's Ugly Betty, it came to light that Hilda doesn't have a business licence for her salon. She just got a chair and started cutting people's hair. This makes perfect sense to me! I have looked into the process of starting one's own business (not because it interests me, but because my job search experience suggests that I can't assume employers will hire me even when I'm perfectly qualified and capable, so I may well have to go solo at some point) and I find it nearly impenetrable. I can find all kinds of government websites that link to all kinds of other government websites that give infuriatingly vague and perky advice, but there are so many types and levels of regulation involved that even if I read every word I could find, I wouldn't feel certain that I was aware of all my obligations. And I'm accustomed to reading and finding information in government websites, I use them for translation research all the time! I was initially surprised that Hilda had seemingly managed to navigate the process, and found it so much more in character that she'd just skipped it entirely. And because the process is so difficult, I wouldn't dare start my own business - not just because I prefer a steady paycheque even if it is smaller, but because if I start my own business and mess up or miss some step in the process, I'll end up charged with fraud or something.
Entrepreneurship is supposed to be a good thing. It boosts the economy and takes people off the unemployment rolls. They were really pushing it during the last recession, so I assume they'll need it again during this one. So what they should do is create a free, government-funded service of full-time advisors for entrepreneurs. Every entreprenteur would be assigned an advisor, and they can ask the advisor for any help they need during, say, the first year of running their business, and get a limited number of hours of help during, say, the next five years.
The advisors would have to be far more useful than the government websites, which is certainly quite possible and precedented when you're working one-on-one with a real person. I had my wallet stolen once, and ended up calling 1-800-O-CANADA to find out where to replace all my ID. The guy I spoke to was so incredibly helpful! He gave me specific websites and phone numbers and addresses for getting everything replaced - not just the ID under federal jurisdiction, but the province-issued documents too! - and after I'd gone through everything I could remember in my wallet, he went through a list of things that people generally keep in their wallets to make sure I hadn't missed anything. He solved my specific problem and anticipated my needs, and I completely understood what I needed to do when we were finished. They need to do the same thing for entrepreneurs. They need to be able to call someone up and ask "Do I need a lawyer? Do I need an accountant? How do I get one? And what on earth do I do come tax time?" and the advisor needs to be able to answer all these questions with specifics that pertain to the client's situation, plus anticipate things like "So you're running this business out of your desk in your living room? Okay, here's how it might impact your renter's insurance." They'd hold the clients' hands throughout the entire process until the clients find their feet well enough to take a few steps on their own.
I'm sure a lot more people would start businesses if something like that was available.
2 comments:
I agree with what you've said here, but I will bet that the services you're looking for are available, but you don't know where to look for them.
A quick example -- one of the best online services for businesses that the government offers, I think, is the Interactive Business Planner, something that everyone who even dreams of starting a business should try. Very much aimed at the person you're describing.
And as for real live people, I registered my business online a couple of years ago, and it came to a point where I had to call a number for some reason (something wasn't working I think). The person at the other end was just like you describe; in fact we had a conversation about my registration date, and she suggested I change it to avoid one or two minor headings. Very good experience.
I'll bet if you contacted them here, you'd find what you're looking for!
Note -- my positive attitude is because the business I work for now has actually been assigned a personal contact for a massive federal program to support Canadian R&D. It's been amazing to see them work so hard to throw money at businesses!
If that website is actually does what it says it does, that needs to be way more googleable! People need to be able to stumble upon it by accident!
Post a Comment