BZNS | Devpost

Inspiration

Starting a business in Quebec should not require decoding a maze of government websites, tax rules, and funding programs. For first-time founders, especially immigrants, students, and people starting small service businesses, the process is confusing, fragmented, and often overwhelming. We built BZNS to make that journey feel human: clear steps, plain language, and practical support from idea to legal operation.

What it does

BZNS is an AI copilot for aspiring micro-business owners in Quebec. It helps users understand what legal steps and documents they need to operate properly, gives them a personalized roadmap, matches them with funding opportunities they may qualify for, and helps them track the financial side of starting a business. Instead of forcing people to search across dozens of websites, BZNS brings the key information into one place.

How we built it

We built BZNS as a full-stack web app that combines structured logic with AI. The intake flow collects the user's situation in plain language, then the platform generates a tailored legal roadmap, highlights relevant funding programs, and shows a financial snapshot based on real Quebec tax and contribution rules. We grounded the experience in a curated knowledge base so the product stays practical, explainable, and rooted in real requirements rather than vague advice.

Challenges we ran into

The hardest part was balancing trust and simplicity. Legal, tax, and funding information can get complicated very quickly, but the user experience still had to feel approachable. We also had to make sure the product gives useful guidance without pretending to replace a lawyer or accountant. That meant being careful about sources, clarity, and how we explain trade-offs.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're proud that BZNS turns a stressful and fragmented process into something people can actually follow. The product does more than answer questions: it gives users a path. We're also proud that it combines legal guidance, funding discovery, and financial visibility in one experience, which is exactly what many early founders are missing.

What we learned

We learned that people do not just need information, they need context. A long list of rules is not helpful if someone does not know what applies to them, what comes first, or what is worth doing right now. We also learned that AI is most useful when it is grounded in reliable data and used to make complex systems easier to understand.

What's next for BZNS

Next, we want to make BZNS even more complete and reliable for real users across Quebec. That includes expanding the knowledge base, improving multilingual support, refining the financial guidance, and adding more practical tools that help founders move from planning to actually launching. The goal is to make BZNS a trusted launchpad for people building their first business.