How to Start Job Hunting in Canada
Canada-specific job hunting guide: Job Bank, Indeed and LinkedIn, settlement employment services, resume conventions, and how to avoid the usual traps.
Starting out in Nova Scotia
How to Start Things in Nova Scotia
Everything on this page genuinely applies in Nova Scotia. Ontario/Toronto-specific guides and the Alberta and BC licensing guides are left out, so what remains is directly useful. Start with the four Nova Scotia-specific rules that trip up new businesses, then browse the guides and tools.
Starting out in Nova Scotia: four rules worth knowing
Registering a business name costs $68.55 a year
To operate under a name other than your own in Nova Scotia, you register it with the Registry of Joint Stock Companies, which issues a Certificate of Registration and a Business Number. Allow one to two weeks. The registration fee is $68.55, and unlike most provinces, Nova Scotia requires you to renew the registration every year for the same fee, so budget for it as an annual cost, not a one-time one. File online with an approved name from the Registry. A sole proprietor living in Nova Scotia does not need a recognized agent.
Source: Government of Nova Scotia: Register a sole proprietorship
Nova Scotia charges 14% HST, not 15%, since April 2025
Nova Scotia's combined sales tax is 14%: the 5% federal GST plus a 9% provincial portion, collected as one harmonized tax by the CRA. The province cut its portion from 10% to 9% effective April 1, 2025 (CRA GST/HST Notice 342), so any invoice template, pricing calculator, or competitor page that still says 15% is out of date. Your Nova Scotia receipts show a single HST line. Register once with the CRA and file one return.
Source: Tax-Services.ca: GST Nova Scotia, 14% HST rate since April 2025 (cites CRA)
Hire a third worker and WCB registration kicks in within 10 days
Nova Scotia sets the bar at headcount, not hire date. A business in a mandatory industry must register with the Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia within 10 days of hiring its third worker. With one or two people, most small businesses are not required to register, though voluntary coverage is available. Cross the three-worker line and the ten-day clock starts, so plan the paperwork before the hire, not after.
Source: WCB Nova Scotia: Employer Information Guide
Minimum wage is $17.00 an hour since October 1, 2026
Nova Scotia raised its minimum wage twice in 2026: to $16.75 on April 1, then to $17.00 on October 1, the second of two scheduled increases following a unanimous recommendation from the province's Minimum Wage Review Committee. Nova Scotia uses one general rate for most workers rather than separate student or server categories, set by a Minimum Wage Order under the Labour Standards Code. If your payroll still runs the April rate, every hour worked since October 1 needs a top-up.
Source: Canadian HR Reporter: Oct 1, 2026 minimum wage increases
Free tools
Free toolSole Proprietor or Incorporated: Which Fits You? (Quiz)
Five questions, no signup: find out whether to start as a sole proprietor or talk to an accountant about incorporating in Canada.
Try it → Free toolPlumbing Startup Cost Estimator (Canada)
Add up your startup costs for a plumbing business in Canada: registration, insurance, van, tools, and more. Free, no signup.
Try it → Free toolPlumbing Business Startup Checklist (Canada)
Thirteen steps from apprentice to first paid job: licensing, registration, insurance, and pricing. Printable and tick-offable. Free, no signup.
Try it → Free toolPlumbing Business First-Year Cash-Flow Planner (Canada)
Month-by-month cash in and out for your first year: one-time startup costs, monthly expenses, and when paying work starts. Free, no signup.
Try it →Guides that apply in Nova Scotia
Everything below is genuinely applicable in Nova Scotia — province-specific guides from elsewhere are left out.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in Canada
Start a cleaning business in Canada: register your name, get a CRA business number, sort insurance and WSIB, price jobs, and land your first clients.
How to Start Getting a Cheap Heat Pump in Canada
Heat pumps cost $10,000-$25,000 installed, but rebates can cut that in half. Federal and provincial programs running in 2026, and how to stack them.
How to Register a Sole Proprietorship and Get a GST/HST Number in Canada
Start a one-person business the simple way: provincial business-name registration, CRA business number, and exactly when the $30,000 GST/HST rule kicks in.
How to Start Building Credit in Canada
New to Canada or starting from zero? How Canada's credit system works: Equifax, TransUnion, secured cards, and the habits that move your score.