You’ve got a great business idea in mind, but you’re not sure how to deal with all the steps needed to register your business. Luckily, there are cost-effective services available to deal with all the complex processes you need to get out of the way before you start running your new company.
Ownr is available to Canadian entrepreneurs to help register or incorporate a new business, saving you time, hassle, and money so you can focus on establishing and growing your brand.
Let’s take a look at Ownr, including its services and pricing to help you decide if this is a service worth paying for.
Who Is Ownr?
Ownr is a Toronto-based, RBC Ventures firm that was founded in 2017 to help Canadian entrepreneurs register or incorporate their businesses. It offers a handy online platform where business owners can quickly, easily, and affordably register their businesses as a sole proprietorship or a corporation.
Ownr is currently available to entrepreneurs in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta.
How Does Ownr Work?
Ownr makes it easy to launch a new business by cutting out all the hassle involved in registering as a sole proprietorship or corporation. You can retain the services of Ownr to tackle the entire registration process for you without having to deal with all the red tape that usually comes with doing it yourself.
And rather than paying a lawyer for assistance, you can save quite a bit of money using Ownr instead. Plus, you can use Ownr to deal with your business contracts, government filings, and other things if you’ve already incorporated a business.
How To Sign Up With Ownr
Registering your business with Ownr is simple and requires the following steps after opening an account:
- Open an account
- Search for an available business name and reserve it
- Fill out your business details online
- Pay the fee for registration
- Wait for your business license (for sole proprietorship) or business documents (for incorporations) via email after Ownr sends your application for processing.
Services Offered By Ownr
Ownr offers a range of services for those looking to start their own business.
Incorporation
Ownr will help you incorporate, launch, manage, and grow your business in minutes.
- Customized Documents. Have all the documents you need to incorporate your business prepared for you.
- Legal Documents Required For Ownership. Ownr will help ensure you have all the legal documents you need to own your business without risking any errors made when you attempt this process on your own.
- Online Business Files. There’s no need for paper files. Instead, you can keep all your legal documents in digital format that can be accessed online at any time.
- Collect e-Signatures. Send documents to others automatically and get the electronic signatures you need to complete your business’s incorporation.
Sole Proprietorship
If you’re planning to run your business on your own, Ownr can help you set up a sole proprietorship.
- Register Your Business Quickly. Ownr can help you register your company within minutes without having to muscle through any complex legal terms.
- Save Money. Get everything needed to start your sole proprietorship while saving a ton of money compared to taking the traditional legal route. You’ll get discounts on phone plans, mobile devices, office supplies, and other things needed to successfully operate your company. And when you open an RBC business bank account within 60 days of registering, you’ll get $89 back.
- Extensive Resources. No matter what stage you’re at in your business venture, Ownr offers a myriad of resources at your fingertips, including comprehensive guides.
Managed Corporations
Manage your company with ease, ensure compliance with all the legal documents you need, and update your company instantly as needed. Ownr can help in this realm with the following perks:
- Instant Government Filings. Quickly and easily make changes to your business right from your Ownr account to ensure compliance.
- Automatic Corporate Resolutions. Get all your legally required corporate resolutions done for you when you make changes to your company.
- Legal Documents. Get every legal document required to hire new employees, create terms and conditions for your company website, and bring on new management.
- Change Ownership. If any shareholder information changes, Ownr will help you transfer shares accordingly. And any changes to ownership will be automatically tracked in your cap table to ensure compliance.
- Customized Agreements. All employment and contractor agreements are fully customized to suit every employee and contractor accordingly.
- Manage Contractors & Workers. Keep tabs on all pertinent employee and contractor data, including start dates and personal information.
- Stock Option Rewards. Come up with a stock option plan for your team within minutes.
- Employee Portal. Allow employees to log in directly to their accounts to keep tabs on the status of their options.
- Unlimited User Accounts. As your company grows, your user account needs will grow. Ownr accommodates this need with unlimited user accounts.
- Customized User Account Access. Set each user’s account access level to retain as much control as required.
Should you incorporate federally or provincially?
Lawyers & Accountants
Professionals like attorneys and accountants will also find the services provided by Ownr helpful.
- Automated Processes. Increase the capacity for your company to grow by automating tasks and processes, including the collection of client signatures and virtual management of documents.
- Easy Access To The Books. Easily manage client corporate minute books and handle any future corporate changes in a user-friendly platform.
- Go Green. Go paperless with Ownr’s cloud-based platform while saving money and time.
- Stay Competitive. Attract new clients by offering an innovative way to manage their legal documents.
Firms & In-House Legal
- Comprehensive Corporate Automation Platform. Automate the incorporation, maintenance, and legal documents for specific areas of practice.
- Ensure Optimal Client Experience. Give your clients a fully branded legal experience from start to finish.
- Use Your Firm’s Experience. Your firm’s expertise will be incorporated into the platform, complete with personalized documents and advanced user permissions.
- Robust Security. All data, whether in transit or at rest, is completely encrypted, and systems are proactively monitored for the ultimate in security.
Enterprise API
- Integrate Applications. Easily merge your business applications with Ownr’s API to file corporate changes with the government and automate document creation.
- Vigorous Documentation. Ownr’s extensive documentation allows you to seamlessly connect to Ownr’s API to be integrated with your business application.
- Automate Document Workflows. Use Ownr’s automated document workflows and integrate them with their automated government filings. And take advantage of e-Signatures tools for simplified business applications.
How Much Does Ownr Cost?
Ownr offers several plans for new businesses with varying costs, depending on what province your business is located in.
| Full Incorporation + 1 year Online Minute Book* (Federal) | Full Incorporation + 1 year Online Minute Book* (Provincial) | Managed Corporation Plan (Federal) | Managed Corporation Plan (Provincial) | Sole Proprietorship | |
| British Columbia | / | $699 | / | $599 yearly (+$599 incorporation fee) | $49 |
| Alberta | / | $599 | / | $599 yearly (+$499 incorporation fee) | $49 |
| Ontario | $499 | $599 | $599 yearly (+$399 incorporation fee) | $599 yearly (+$499 incorporation fee) | $49 |
| Quebec | / | $699 | / | $599 yearly (+$699 incorporation fee) | $49 |
If you’re incorporating your business, Ownr will prepare your corporate formation documents so you don’t have to pay a lawyer, including the following:
- First Director’s Resolution
- Director’s Consent
- Notice of Issuance
- Shareholders Ledger
- First Shareholder’s Resolution
- Subscription for Shares
- Securities Register
- Corporate Bylaws
Save Money When Open An RBC Business Account
Ownr is partnered with RBC, which gives you the benefit of getting some or all of your registration fees back when you open a business account with RBC. For sole proprietorships, that saves you $89 plus tax. And for incorporations, you can save as much as $300.
To claim your refund, follow these steps:
- Register or incorporate a business with Ownr
- Open an RBC business account within 60 days
- Request a refund from your Ownr account’s dashboard
- Wait for your refund to be processed, which should take between 7 to 10 days
Keep in mind that your account must stay open for a minimum of one year to claim a refund. RBC business accounts cost $5 per month and up.
Listen to Paul Pitcher From SharpShooter Funding Discuss Business Bank Statements
Additional Ownr Perks
Ownr has partnered with dozens of brands to help you and your business save time and money. Once you register your business, you take advantage of exclusive offers and potentially save up to $5,000. Some of the brands Ownr has partnered with are:
- Vistaprint – Received a 20% off code
- QuickBooks – Get 75% off for 3 months
- ShipStation – 60 days for free
- Spocket – 14 days for free
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to start a business but haven’t yet done so because of all the hurdles to overcome when you’re first setting it up, Ownr can help. For an affordable fee compared to what you’d pay for a lawyer’s help, you can quickly get all the legalities out of the way and start doing what you’re passionate about.
