NORTHERN BC – A new agreement involving six local governments in the northeast allows small businesses to operate in multiple jurisdictions — cutting red tape and freeing up time and money.
The Mobile Business Licence program is a partnership between municipalities, facilitated by the Province, which allows businesses to purchase a licence add-on, giving them the ability to operate in any of the participating communities. The program saves business owners from having to apply and purchase separate licences for each community, making it simpler and cheaper to do business in BC The Mobile Business Licence add-on in the northeast costs $130.
Previously, a small business wanting to operate in the participating municipalities would need to purchase multiple licences—possibly with different costs and renewal times. With a Mobile Business Licence agreement in place, the business owner only needs to visit their local municipality to register for a single business licence and Mobile Business Licence add-on.
The northeast agreement enables businesses to apply for one licence that can be used in City of Dawson Creek, City of Fort St. John, District of Chetwynd, District of Hudson’s Hope, Tumbler Ridge and Pouce Coupe. The District of Taylor will be added into the agreement at a later date.
Plumbing services or construction-related businesses are among the many types of businesses taking advantage of the program throughout the province.
Earlier this year, the Mobile Business Licence program expanded to the Kootenays with eight new communities in three agreements. In 2016, the first Aboriginal community, Shíshálh Nation on the Sunshine Coast, joined the program.
Agreements were also made permanent in 2016 for Metro West (Burnaby, Delta, New Westminster, Richmond, Surrey and Vancouver) and Fraser Valley (Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Delta, Hope, Kent, Langley, Maple Ridge, Mission, Pitt Meadows and Surrey). Kent and Delta were new additions to the Fraser Valley agreement last year.
With the northeast agreement, there are now 88 communities in BC participating in the Mobile Business Licence program. The Province is working with local governments to expand the program further.
