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Business

Starting or growing your business in the City of Langley?  From retail to industrial, the City of Langley has prepared a number of documents and studies that will give you insights into market data, trends, as well as success stories.

The City of Langley is the place to be … for business. Central location, a thriving economy, low costs, affluent population, a supportive business community, and a fantastic lifestyle are some of the reasons businesses move here — and stay here. Learn more about our community.  Watch our video. Get stats, facts, and more. Visit our Community Overview page. Or peruse some of our business-oriented resources below:

Read the latest Business View article on Langley City, British Columbia. Also, make sure you view our vision for the future in our award-winning Downtown Master Plan under Downtown Redevelopment and Revitalization below.

Downtown Redevelopment & Revitalization

Looking to move or grow in vibrant Downtown Langley? This area is destined to be one of Metro Vancouver’s Urban Magnets.  Explore our award-winning Downtown Master Plan and discover our vision for the future.  Join us in transforming Downtown Langley into the place to be.  Learn about City of Langley tax incentives and explore some of these resources:

Also visit the Development section of this website.

Business Licences

Business Licence Renewal Payment
The City of Langley offers online access to easily pay for business licenses, taxes or engineering fees. Visit services.langleycity.ca.

Payments can also be made in person or mail to Langley City Hall, Development Services & Economic Development, Second Floor, 20399 Douglas Crescent, Langley, BC, V3A 4B3

Business Licence Application 
Each business operating in the City of Langley requires a business license.  Download the Application.  View Fees and other details on the Business License page.

Inter-Municipal Business Licence Program 
Businesses require a license for each community in which they provide services.  If you need to operate in multiple communities, then the Fraser Valley Inter-Municipal Business License (IML) Program is significantly more cost-effective.  Learn more

Biz-Pal
The City of Langley subscribes to BC Biz Pal to allow easy online access to all municipal and provincial permits and licensing. Visit BizPal.ca.

Food, Beverage & Hospitality Sectors

From high quality foods to world-class entertainment, the City of Langley is the place to be for food, beverages and hospitality.

BC’s Lower Mainland enjoys some of the highest food service spenders in Canada. In 2007, an average household in British Columbia spent $2,500 at bars and restaurants, representing a 24% increase over the previous 3 years, while menu costs have only risen 2.1%. British Columbia has the highest food service share of the total food dollar at 25.2% (sales: $6,552 million) with an annual sales growth of 6.9%. 

Other trends demonstrate that BC is one of the top health-conscious provinces in Canada. Locals seek natural, farm-friendly food products, with fewer additives. People are also seeking to put more gourmet into their home-cooked meals, and are exploring creative food choices beyond the typical supermarket. Buying local foods and supporting the local community are also hot trends.  Quick-fix meal solutions for busy families remain a strong driving force, opening the doors to a variety of creative food opportunities.

With landmark locations like the Cascades Casino Resort and Coast Hotel and Convention Centre, combined with multiple regional events, the City of Langley is a destination for visitors around the region.

Learn more about the Food, Beverage, and Entertainment markets in our community.  Explore these resources:

Retail Sector

With 4.5 million square feet of commercial floor space concentrated in 10 square kilometres, the City of Langley is at the centre of one of Metro Vancouver’s Regional City Centres. A mecca for big box plazas and expansive shopping malls with plenty of free parking, the City of Langley enjoys traffic counts in excess of 55,000 vehicles per day and a potential trading market of 272,171 people creating $3.84 billion in potential spending.

The City’s community-oriented, pedestrian-friendly downtown core also continues to prosper with the support of an award-winning Downtown Master Plan, combined with the marketing support of the Downtown Langley Business Association.

Property costs are also low, ranging from a low of $5 per square foot in Downtown Langley to $26 per square foot for prime retail space.  The City also provides the lowest commercial to residential tax rates in Metro Vancouver. (2015 NAIOP)

View some of our retail-oriented documents:

Real estate opportunities are posted on Commercial Real Estate sites.  Also visit the BC Trade and Investment website, which lists available land and properties in Langley and throughout BC.  Also, the Downtown Langley Business Association posts properties in their area on their webpage.

Industrial Sector

With more than 2.5 million square feet of industrial floor space, industry is the backbone of the City of Langley. Our industrial residents include plastics manufacturing, metal fabrication, clothing manufacturing, warehousing, and more. Collectively, they account for approximately 20% of our employment in the City.

The City of Langley is focusing on intensifying the use of industrial lands. In particular, the City of Langley is interested in attracting more light industrial tenants and office-intensive developments. To create this new vision for the future, the City of Langley is allowing a broader range of uses in industrial zones, while continuing to protect railway access for manufacturing industries.

Innovation + Entrepreneurs Sector

The world is changing. Environmental, technological, financial and societal influences are giving rise to innovative new economies. Langley City, with its low costs and easy access to global supplies, is an ideal incubator for innovation and entrepreneurship.

With a high demand for affordable land and a planned Skytrain station, Langley City is destined for significant growth in high value industrial, commercial, and residential development.
Already one of Metro Vancouver’s vibrant Regional City Centres, Langley City is a highly desirable location to live, work, and play. Read the full version of the Innovation & Entrepreneurs sector profile

 

Resources

DOWNTOWN LANGLEY BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (DLBA)
Downtown Langley Business Association (DLBA) is a member-driven organization that provides marketing and business improvement support to its 600 members. Their objective is to increase sales and profits for participating businesses; improve property value; promote the shopping area (such as through events, activities, and promotional campaigns); attract and retain unique and desirable businesses; and provide a safe and pleasant environment for customers, businesses, residents and visitors.

Explore Downtown Langley initiatives  and available properties.

GREATER LANGLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (GLCC)
The Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce is a membership-driven organization comprised of businesses, community organizations and professional individuals whose mission is to promote and improve trade and commerce, and enhance the economic, civic and social welfare of the City and Township of Langley. They provide networking and training opportunities, as well as access to a variety of benefits such as group insurance, merchant payment services, gasoline discounts, shipping, and other services.

The Chamber is also the City of Langley’s main point of contact for business services and resources, such as business licensing, business registry, BC Job Grant and more.  Visit LangleyChamber.com.

TOURISM — DISCOVER LANGLEY CITY
Langley City Council and the Downtown Langley Business Association Board are pleased to introduce Discover Langley City as the new tourism entity that will serve as the destination marketing organization for Langley City.   The City's tourism complements the Township of Langley tourism entity "Tourism Langley" (Tourism-Langley.ca).  Until the new Discover Langley City website is developed, visit the Downtown Langley Business Association's Events Calendar.

CONCIERGE SERVICE (GOVERNMENT OF CANADA)
Canada’s Concierge Service provides a single point of contact for accessing R&D support, scientific and technical services, advisory services, funding opportunities, and access to facilities and programs. Visit Concierge.Innovation.gc.ca.

BC ONESTOP BUSINESS REGISTRY
This service by the Province of British Columbia provides information on starting a business, business name approvals, business registration, incorporations, and liquor licenses.  Visit BCBusinessRegistry.ca.

BIZPAL LICENCING AND PERMITS
BC Biz Pal is a joint municipal, provincial, and federal website designed to streamline the acquisition of permits and licensing. Visit BizPal.ca.

AVAILABLE INVESTMENT LAND
The BC Trade and Investment website lists available land and properties in Langley and throughout BC.  Visit britishcolumbia.ca 

COMMUNITY FUTURES
Community Futures South Fraser (CFSF) is a not-for-profit corporation funded by the Federal Government through Western Economic Diversification, with a mandate to promote economic development and job creation.  Their services include Business Loans, Business Advisory Services, and the Self-Employment Program. Visit SouthFraser.com.

SECURING SMALL BUSINESS REBATE PROGRAM
The Securing Small Business Rebate Program provides small businesses with funds for vandalism repairs and preventative measures. Eligible businesses can receive up to $2,000 per year for reparative costs and up to $1,000 for preventative measures. Applications are retroactive from January 1, 2023, and will be accepted until January 31, 2025, or until program funds are fully allocated.

All Sector Profiles

These economic development sector profiles give a snapshot of each sector, highlighting market characteristics, business successes, business opportunities, economic indicators, demographics and more.

Automotive
Industrial 
Innovation + Entrepreneurs
Residential
Restaurants
Retail
Food
Education
Bridal
Specialty Foods
Events & Entertainment