Starting up or starting over— rbc.com/tips helps Canada’s newest entrepreneurs set up their own businesses

TORONTO, May 2008 — One of the challenges facing the 900,000 Canadians thinking about starting a business this year is where to go for advice to get the right start. This is particularly important to over half (57 per cent) of those aspiring entrepreneurs who, according to RBC’s most recent Small Business survey, have never owned a business before.

“Although there are a number of online resources available for Canadians who want to start up their first business, or start over in a new venture, the challenge is finding the right information,” explains Rina Pillitteri, RBC’s national director, Small Business. “To make it easier, we’ve posted advice on key aspects of starting up a business on our www.rbc.com/tips website. This resource provides ready online access to key information to help Canadian entrepreneurs successfully begin their new enterprises.”

Some of the topics covered on the “RBC Small Business Tips” website include:

* Being your own boss
* Creating a business plan
* Determining your business structure
* Registering your business
* Opening a business deposits account
* Calculating your business start-up costs
* Matching financing to your needs
* Making sense of taxes

New tips for aspiring entrepreneurs and existing business owners will be added throughout the year to create a comprehensive advice archive for Canadian entrepreneurs. This archive complements a wide range of resources RBC already makes available online. As well, anyone visiting the website can request specific tips, or send in tips of their own. For further information, or to obtain a free copy of RBC’s “Starting a Business” guide, contact one of RBC’s Small Business specialists, available 24/7 at 1-800-ROYAL-20 (769-2520) or visit www.rbc.com/tips.