With the help of a provincial grant, small businesses in the municipality of Grey Highlands will be getting a hand adjusting their operations to the digital world.
The municipality recently received a $25,000 grant from Digital Main Street (DMS) Ontario for a Digital Service Squad (DSS) to help small downtown businesses use digital technologies.
“The municipality recently approved our COVID-19 Business Recovery Action Plan and the Digital Main Street program will be foundational in supporting one of the key priorities of this plan: building a resilient business economy that embraces the new digital marketplace and new technologies,” said Grey Highlands Mayor Paul McQueen.
Digital service squad members are trained specialists who will meet with small businesses, at no cost, to help them improve their online presence.
The DSS will assist with a number of activities, including developing a Google My Business profile, enhancing their social media presence and providing support for basic website and e-commerce set-up.
The DSS will also assist qualified small businesses through the application process for a $2,500 Digital Transformation Grant, which includes an online assessment, online training modules, and the development of a Digital Transformation Plan.
“Ontario’s small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and the keystone of our economic recovery. That is why we have invested in Digital Main Street to help these enterprises adapt to doing business in a digital world and take advantage of the record number of people shopping online,” said Mélanie Joly, minister of Economic Development and Official Languages.
Established in 2018, Digital Main Street Ontario was recently extended thanks to an investment of $42.5 million from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) and $7.45 million from the Ministry for Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (MEDJCT).
The almost $50-million investment will help small businesses across Ontario to pivot their operations to include online business models, regain lost revenue and become more resilient and competitive as the economy recovers.
The DMS program will be administered by the Ontario BIA Association (OBIAA).
“The COVID-19 pandemic hit Ontario’s main streets hard, so DMS is needed more than ever,” said Kay Matthews, executive director of OBIAA. “We know that businesses that participated in DMS last year were better able to cope when the pandemic hit, and we’re excited that FedDev Ontario and MEDJCT are providing the funding to extend this important program to help businesses in communities like Grey Highlands.”
The squad will assist main street businesses in communities across Grey Highlands, including Flesherton, Markdale, Priceville, Maxwell, Kimberley, Eugenia, Rocklyn, and Feversham.
