If you’ve started your own Canadian small business and don’t yet have a web presence, you might be interested in Get Your Business Online (www.gybo.ca).

Canada Get Your Business Online is a new program that provides businesses a fast, free, and easy way to get online. Right now you can also receive a $75 Google Adwords credit which allows you to pay for online advertising through Google.

There are several reasons why your business might not have a website: you don’t know how to set it up, you don’t have the time to figure it all out, you don’t have the money to pay someone to build a site for you . . . the GYBO program offers to get you started quickly, for free, and with minimal effort on your part.

They will:

• register your .ca domain name (the web address) for one year for free (normally $10 – $15)
• provide free hosting for one year through their host service Yola (in addition to buying the name for the website, you would also have to pay a host to keep it online)
• let you create a website quickly using their template/generator so you don’t need to know how to build a website yourself

This site is supported by big name sponsors such as Rogers, Google, RBC and others. Of course, they’re going to try to sell you services related to your business, but it’s a great way for students with little web experience and even less cash to get started.  :)

They don’t seem to require you to have a formally registered business, just a Canadian credit card and billing address.  (They won’t charge you, but the organization responsible for issuing .ca domain names requires that a credit card be on filed for every registrant.)  So even if you just have an idea for a new business, or do a little work in your spare time, it seems like you can take advantage of this offer and build yourself a website to promote your products and/or services.

What’s also good about this set up is that you are the owner of the domain name, even if you decide to switch to a different host or have someone else build your website. There is a 60 day waiting period between when your website address is registered and when it can be transfered to a different hosting company, but after 60 days you can continue to use the web address for free for the remainder of the year with any hosting company you want.  (You will have to pay the new hosting company, however. Your hosting is free for a year only if you stay with Yola.)

So get your Canadian business online with a sweet deal for young entrepreneurs!

(Note: this is not an affiliate link, and I don’t receive anything for promoting this service. I just think it’s a great opportunity for students who wouldn’t otherwise spend the time, effort and money to put up a website for their new, small or part-time business.)