Not an easy task and for good reason. You have different levels of government that assure the public is protected from issues such as unpaid liens, lost deposits, misrepresentation, fraud and unlicensed businesses that sell or repair vehicles.
It helps weed out the fly-by-night operations that tarnish the reputations of respectable businesses.
In general:
- you must register your business name with the province and pay applicable fees
- you must be registered with your province as a dealer in order to do business (buy and sell vehicles for profit)
- you and your sales staff must pay for and attend classes to be licensed
- your municipal government may also require you to register for a municipal license
- you must show that you have access to licensed mechanics
- you must have business insurance
- you must own/rent property that is zoned for commercial
- you must occupy an office and lot
- you must show financial data to backup your plans
- there are periodic inspections by the authorities to ensure compliance
