The Nova Scotia Business Registry (NSBR) is your e-business service delivery window to government. The NSBR provides you with the freedom to do business with government - 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The NSBR is part of an ongoing effort to reduce red tape by providing businesses with easy and efficient access to government services. Through the NSBR, you can do business with government whenever and wherever you choose. From any computer with an Internet connection you can: • • • • •

Register with the Registry of Joint Stock Companies Apply, pay for and renew various licences and permits View and update general business and contact information Register with the Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia and obtain clearance letters Link to Canada Customs and Revenue Agency services

The NSBR provides over 60,000 Nova Scotian businesses with flexible options – large and small, from companies renewing registrations and licences to new enterprises applying for the first time – you can do business faster. Business clients can access the NSBR through their computer at www.nsbr.ca or in person at Access Nova Scotia Centres. If businesses have questions they can call 1-800-670-4357 (within Nova Scotia). The creation of the NSBR is the result of a partnership between Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations (SNSMR), the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) and the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) of Nova Scotia. Using the Business Number (BN) as a common identifier, your business can apply for licences, permits and registrations and at the same time, register with the WCB and the CCRA – all in a secure online environment. The first of its kind in Canada, the NSBR is a Canadian built solution, linking Nova Scotia provincial and federal governments and the WCB to provide a seamless business registry. It has received national technology awards and is currently being viewed as a leading model across the country and around the world. The NSBR will give you and your business a fast, new way to get what you need from the WCB, provincial and federal governments, eliminating duplication and reducing time-consuming steps to doing business. Now, you can interact with government with ease and flexibility, with less paper work and red tape.

Project History In 1998, the Nova Scotia Business Registry (NSBR) project was established through a partnership among the Nova Scotia Department of Business and Consumer Services (now Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations, SNSMR), the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) of Nova Scotia and the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA, formerly Revenue Canada). Building a shared infrastructure The first phase of the project, completed in the Fall of 1999, resulted in the development of a corporate profile (see FAQ sheet) for all Nova Scotia businesses. Licensing and registration information was also included, related to various provincial programs such as financial institutions, provincial tax, Registry of Joint Stock Companies, corporate consumer relations and WCB employer registration. The Business Number (BN) is used as the unique business identifier by all partner organizations. The NSBR also makes possible the implementation of a new assessment payment plan for the WCB, one that lets businesses pay WCB insurance premiums through the same channels and at the same time as CCRA payroll deductions payments. Delivering the service In the Fall of 2001, NSBR launched a self-service web site with access to over 30 licences and permits that will play an important role in Nova Scotia’s e-commerce infrastructure. Project Overview In the past, businesses registering for government programs had to visit several offices, complete a variety of forms during “regular” business hours and provide the same basic business information to different levels of government. SNSMR, the CCRA and the WCB partnered to provide one-stop, electronic registration for many government programs businesses commonly need. This federal-provincial service delivery option allows businesses to register online for programs of partnering departments and agencies. The online service seamlessly links business programs through a common business identifier, the Business Number (BN). While the partners’ programs are delivered to businesses together, partner organizations are able to maintain separate data storage and autonomy for program policy and administration. To achieve their goals, partners re-thought their business processes from a client perspective and redesigned them so that they could be offered jointly, maximizing the use of existing infrastructure. They developed innovative frameworks allowing cross-jurisdictional development of the project and ongoing services. These included a joint communications approach; an electronic, technical framework built for the Internet using common standards and inter-operable technology; a governance structure including partnership contracts, management and steering committees; and new policies and legislation enabling integrated electronic service. (Over)

NSBR’s future will involve ongoing review and analysis by partner organizations and the business community. It’s growth - the implementation of additional services - will be in direct response to the demands of business and a result of the development of additional partnerships. Activities to date • As of October 2, 2000, Business and Consumer Services (BCS) and much of the former Department of Housing and Municipal Affairs were merged to form a new department called Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations (SNSMR). The NSBR plays a significant role in the achievement of the new department’s mandate of providing online, single-window access to government services • Implementation of the software application (License+) system for SNSMR licences, permits and registrations, WCB and CCRA registrations and other program areas • Integration of the Registry of Joint Stock Companies (RJSC) system with the NSBR system allowing a Business Number (BN) to be assigned and information to be updated in both systems automatically. • A real-time, electronic interface was built between the NSBR and CCRA’s Business Registration Online system enabling NSBR to obtain BNs or add Nova Scotia accounts to existing BNs • Access to the NSBR web site was established through the CCRA Business Registration Online (BRO) workstations located in CCRA offices • The WCB Assessment Payment Plan was implemented in January 2000 making account payments easier and fairer for employers • Since the summer of 2000 business has been able to initiate registration with the WCB • In April 2001, government users were given the capability to search the NSBR via a web-based interface • In June 2001, industry user group testing began and subscribers could obtain WCB clearance letters online • Official launch of the self-service web site, October 2001 • The future – Government is committed to seek out opportunities to streamline its services. Through consultation with the business community, a prioritized list of new services has been developed and, where possible, will be implemented on the NSBR in the coming months

Q. What is the Nova Scotia Business Registry (NSBR)? A. The NSBR is a central business registry where every business in Nova Scotia has a corporate profile identified through their Business Number (BN). Over 30 licences, permits and registrations are accessible through the NSBR's streamlined access to government services. The NSBR represents a partnership among Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations (SNSMR), the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) of Nova Scotia and the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA); three primary agencies with which most businesses are involved. The NSBR web site provides a single point of contact to access government services provided by these three organizations and new partnering organizations, such as the Department of Environment and Labour. Q. What will it do for my business? A. The NSBR will provide you with the freedom to conduct business with government 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at your convenience. It provides you with a simple and efficient connection to government, reducing red tape and duplication of effort. Q. What is a Business Number? A. The Business Number (BN) is used as a common identifer to all three partners. It allows you access to their services, including obtaining licences, permits, registrations, the WCB’s new assessment payment plan, as well as CCRA payroll deductions payments, GST/HST, corporate income tax and import/export accounts. The BN is assigned by the CCRA as a unique business identifier. It is a 15-digit number which includes nine digits to identify the employer, two letters to identify the government program and four digits to identify a specific account. In this example, "Company X" wants to register with the CCRA for a Business Number, one GST/HST account, a WCB account and two payroll accounts. The company will receive: Business Number 94512 7589 GST/HST account 94512 7589 RT 0001 WCB account 94512 7589 NW 0001 1st payroll account 94512 7589 RP 0001 2nd payroll account 94512 7589 RP 0002 (Over)

Q. What information is included in my Corporate Profile? A. The Corporate Profile consists of basic information (business name, civic and mailing address, BN, phone and fax), summary information for each business, and data to facilitate communication among partners. Q. Will my Corporate Profile be shared with other levels of government and departments? A. Only those with a right to view or change data will have access to your Corporate Profile information. NSBR staff will have access to data only to serve clients when processing applications or renewals, updating information or checking status. Q. Will my Corporate Profile be shared with other businesses? A. Absolutely not. The security restrictions allow only those authorized within the NSBR to view your corporate profile information. Q. How will I make payments? A. The NSBR web site provides for secure, electronic payments using Visa® or MasterCard®. Q. How much will it cost to subscribe? A. There is NO subscriber fee. Q. Do I need special software to fully access this service? A. As long as you have access to the Internet and either Microsoft Internet Explorer (4.x) or Netscape Navigator (4.x) as your browser, you can access the NSBR. Q. I don’t currently pay WCB premiums. If I use the NSBR, will I have to register with the WCB? A. If you currently do not meet the WCB registration requirements, then you won’t begin paying premiums simply because you are an NSBR user. However, if your business situation changes so that you are required to be registered with the WCB, the NSBR will make the registration process that much easier and more efficient. Q. How secure is the information that is kept on the NSBR database? A. The NSBR database is protected with various levels of security and encryption technologies. It is designed to protect unauthorized users from accessing your information and will notify the NSBR database administrator of any attempts to do so. Q. How easy will this site be to use? A. The NSBR has been developed with ease of use in mind. It has been tested and will continue to be reviewed by business people just like you for that very purpose. The result is a highly user-friendly, easyto-use web site.

• The Nova Scotia Business Registry (NSBR) allows businesses to do business with government, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from anywhere in Nova Scotia or the world • The NSBR reduces red tape by using the latest technology to make business transactions simpler, faster and more convenient • The NSBR web site provides business with access to over 30 business licences and permits, as well as online registration with both the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia (WCB) and the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency • The NSBR provides rural Nova Scotia businesses with equal access to government services through any computer with an Internet connection • The NSBR is a Canadian-made solution which links the WCB, provincial and federal government services in a seamless business registry • The NSBR e-business technology will be the first choice for many businesses, but traditional options such as telephone and face-to-face service will still be available • The NSBR reduces duplication through the use of the Business Number, which allows businesses to provide relevant information only once • The NSBR offers secure electronic commerce to allow for Visa® and MasterCard® payments and secure payment accounts • The NSBR levels the playing field for all businesses by facilitating compliance with tax, registration and licensing laws • The NSBR is an evolving web site with the potential to add programs from other government departments, providing more options for business

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• The NSBR database is protected with various levels of security and encryption technologies creating a safe and secure system for doing business with government • The NSBR is an award-winning program – 2000 GTEC Distinction Award BRONZE Level Winner for CCRA/WCB Payment Processing Project – 2000 GTEC Distinction Award SILVER Level Winner for Integrated Government Registration System (IGRS) – 2001 finalist - IPAC award for Innovative Management