Archive

Orangeville & area SBEC launches Digital Main Street Service Squad

October 10, 2019   ·   0 Comments

The Orangeville & Area Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC) in partnership with the BIAs of Orangeville, Shelburne and Grand Valley have launched Digital Main Street (DMS), a region-wide initiative to help main street businesses enhance and grow their online presence. Digital Main Street is a joint program funded by the Government of Ontario and delivered by the Ontario BIA Association.  

Today’s digital economy is vital to small businesses and DMS helps owners improve their use of online tools and techniques and adopt new technologies including e-commerce, social media, and back-office systems such as payroll and inventory.

“We are excited to form this partnership with the Ontario BIA Association and our local BIAs to assist main street businesses with the adoption of revenue generating and cost saving technologies that could further strengthen their individual businesses,” said Ruth Phillips, Manager of Economic Development and Culture. “A healthy downtown is key to a strong community and downtown area businesses play a unique role in the economic, social and cultural development of our towns.” 

DMS funding from the Province has allowed the SBEC to hire a trained specialist to work with business owners in the downtowns of the three communities. The DMS Co-ordinator serves as a free resource, helping owners build an online presence by assessing the business’s current online presence, providing recommendations on how to enhance digital capabilities, and assisting interested and eligible businesses in applying for a one-time digital grant of $2,500. In addition, participating businesses can take advantage of a series of training modules on everything from building a website to digital advertising.

“The training provided by the Digital Service Squad will help businesses in the Towns of Orangeville, Grand Valley, Shelburne and surrounding area to use new technologies and provide tools and training to take advantage of new digital opportunities,” said Sylvia Jones, Dufferin-Caledon MPP. “This initiative is a new resource that will help entrepreneurs use technology wisely, to stay competitive, and build their business prospects.”

Grand Valley small business owner Stephany St. Louis received a $2,500 Digital Transformation Grant through the DMS initiative. “Digital Mainstreet’s funding helped me obtain the knowledge and tools to ensure my main street business has a strong online presence,” said the owner of 21 Main, a home décor and artisanal gift shop on Grand Valley’s main street. “I would encourage any downtown business owner to take advantage of this free training and assistance to increase their online profile.”

Downtown Orangeville Manager Alison Scheel is pleased to be partnering on this initiative with the other BIAs in Dufferin. “The DMS initiative will help our downtown businesses remain competitive in the online realm as well as in their storefronts,” said Ms. Scheel.

The Digital Main Street Program is time limited and the grant deadline is December 31, 2019. Downtown business owners in Dufferin County are encouraged to get more information about the Digital Main Street program by visiting www.digitalmainstreet.ca or by contacting the SBEC office at 519-941-0440 Ext. 2757.

Ellen Sinclair is the Co-ordinator of the Orangeville & Area Small Business Enterprise Centre. She can be reached at esinclair@orangeville.ca or 519-941-0440 Ext. 2270. To sign up for notifications of SBEC programs and events visit www.orangevillebusiness.ca/subscribe.

Readers Comments (0)