When a person starts a small business, one of the first concerns will be about overhead costs. If a business does not make more money than it spends, obviously it is not viable. There are many factors which come into play when the bottom line is considered, and for some of them the business owner has a certain amount of flexibility. For example, he or she could decide that the price of using the Canadian trade mark is not worth the additional expense, and that he or she could come up with a better design.

What is usually not flexible, though, are the licenses and permits needed by the individual in order to operate a business. Make no mistake about it, at the very least you will need one license to operate a business anywhere in the world. That is your business license, issued by the community in which you operate whether you are using a process calibrator to assist other businesses or simply working as a freelance writer from your basement. The good news is that this type of license is usually the most economic of them all, as it's just a once a year basic fee to the city.

More specialized businesses, small and large, have bigger issues and money concerns to think about when it comes to licenses and permits. A councilor offering cognitive behavioural therapy in Oakville for example will need several different documents legalizing her operations. In addition to a business license, certification by some board will be needed. There is often a regulatory body which requires membership so that health professionals can operate, and those fees are usually quite high and incurred year to year. Often there is some benefit associated with this kind of license, such as defraying of legal costs in emergencies and so on.

Businesses which offer food to the public are another kind which often need a few different licenses and permits in order to operate. An inspection by the local health board is required at least twice a year, inspections which must be paid for and passed in order to operate. Liquor licenses and food handling certification are also needed. If you have a cooling water treatment chemical or other type of chemical on the premises, it is likely you will also need permission to operate from some regulatory body or another.

And of course, businesses which offer mobile services need specialized licenses and permits as well. If you drive a septic truck, you need the right class of driver's license and a permit which allows you to transport potentially harmful materials.

So in short, any type of business requires a few different permits and licenses to operate. Failing to pay for them up front can end up costing you a lot more money in the long run.