Congratulations on starting your online business.  Whether you have been running this business offline for a while or whether this is a brand new business to you, there are a lot of things to think about legally, especially for Canadian online businesses.

This article will help you understand what you need to do legally to protect yourself and your business and to set yourself up for success on a strong legal foundation.

The Four Legal Protections To Put On Your Website

When you have an online business, your website is where you welcome new people.  It’s like your storefront on the internet.  You may have spent some time making your website look sharp and tweaking your message and content, but you also need these four legal things:

1. Privacy Policy - You are required by law in Canada (PIPEDA and provincial laws) to have a privacy policy when you are collecting “personal information”.  Your privacy policy will contain certain information including...

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a "template" as:

- a gauge, pattern, or mold used as a guide to the form of a piece being made
- something that establishes or serves as a pattern

One of the ways that I strive to help Canadians doing business online is through the creation of made-in-Canada legal templates.

A good template serves as a guide - not just an example of a type of document. The difference is you will know what parts may need to be customized and what parts are a key part of the structure.

And all legal templates should be specific to your home country - using UK or US legal documents for Canadian businesses means the template will not be the best fit.

You also need to understand when to use which template.  A good template will give you some context for its use and let you know when it may not be appropriate to use.