10 Reasons Canada is the place to build a global company

1. A predictable visa and immigration system that will work for you, your family and your staff. - When you are building a business the last thing you or your investors want is unmitigable uncertainty. Where other countries visa processes are a bit of a black box with little clarity on acceptance or timing Canada has created a predictable process that you can rely on while your attention is focussed on building your business.

2. Safe and stable. - Canada is safe and stable in a way that few places in the world can compare to. Beyond just governmental stability Canada has one of the most robust financial systems in the world which makes doing business internationally much easier than elsewhere.

3. A very strong passport. - Remote work is here to stay but at some point in building your global business you or your staff will need to travel internationally. This is easy when you are based in Canada because Canada has one of the strongest passports in the world with visa free travel to 187 countries.

4. An educated and diverse workforce. - As you grow your company you will need to hire educated people to interface with clients and staff around the world. Because Canada has such a large pool of immigrants it is relatively easy to find people locally with the language and cultural understanding you need to build a global business.

5. Easy access to the US market. - With a solid transportation network and free trade agreements in place accessing the US market is simple from Canada.

6. Low taxes and no global tax for nonresidents. - Taxes are complex and you need to understand all the factors to compare possible destinations. The fact is Canada's corporate tax rate is among the lowest in the world and as a business owner you will have access to numerous government incentives and tax breaks. Beyond that for long term planning purposes you need to be aware that Canada does not tax nonresidents on global income which the US does. This single difference is often enough to justify the decision to choose Canada as the headquarters for your business.

7. Global Trade Agreements. - We already mentioned the free trade agreement with the US (USMCA) but Canada is also a signatory to the twelve nation Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)  and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union.

8. Effective IP Protections. - Canada has strong enforcement of Intellectual Property rights. This both protects your company from infringement of your rights and makes it far easier to work with businesses internationally as they have confidence their rights will be respected.

9. Low startup costs and simple startup process. - Where setting up a business in some parts of the world can be a cumbersome and confusing process setting up a business in Canada is pretty trivial. In fact the incorporation process can be completed online before you even arrive in Canada.

10. Livability - Canada consistently ranks as one of the most livable countries in the world. In the 2023 Economist livability survey Canada had three cities in the top 10 - more than any other country. Vancouver where Zen Launchpad is based ranked 5th in the 2023 survey and has been consistently in the top 10 for decades.

Hopefully this gives you a sense of the advantages of building your global business in Canada. If you would like to learn more about how Zen Launchpad can help you on your journey please reach out to contact@zenlaunchpad.com.