Press Release
Ryan Ferizovic
PEMBROKE — Ontario’s Digital Main Street Program and Student Digital Service Squads, launched as a $57 million partnership between the Ontario and federal governments. This partnership is helping to connect tech-savvy students, providing $2,500 in government grants and online training for local small businesses who need help launching and expanding their online stores – while government closures remain in place.
Throughout 2020, 15 local Pembroke small businesses received Digital Transformation Grants, while many others accessed help from hired local students to go digital and increase their e-commerce sales. Ontario provided a total of $51,890 in funding to help local Pembroke small businesses transform digitally.
Students working in the squad program assess a business’s digital literacy and provide:
Information on how to access the Digital Main Street digital transformation training program
Help in creating a Digital Transformation Plan and applying for and spending the $2,500 Digital Transformation Grant
Support to create or update a website and adopt best practices
Advice on social media promotion and advertising
Technological support and recommendations on tools for specific business needs
Advice on additional digital transformation support including loyalty programs, point-of-sale systems, ecommerce and back-end business operations support.
Digital Service Squads across the province are already on track to help thousands of small businesses across Ontario develop their online offerings. This is meeting a critical need for many Ontario businesses as they transition to online storefronts.
“Confronting the economic impacts from COVID-19 is a team effort, and through the Ontario Digital Main Street program and Digital Service Squads, we’re enlisting our students to help our local small businesses get up and running online,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction. “I encourage all Ontarians to use their purchasing power to Support Local — by buying their goods virtually from local small businesses today and into the future.”
The program is administered by the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association, which works with participating municipalities, Chambers of Commerce and Business Improvement Areas (BIAs). The Digital Service Squads are an important part of the Digital Main Street platform that is expected to help up to 22,900 Ontario businesses create and enhance their online presence and generate jobs for more than 1,400 students.
“Digital Service Squads are the true heart of the Digital Main Street initiative,” said Kay Matthews, Executive Director of the Ontario BIA Association. “By working directly with main street small businesses, the passionate students that do work on squads bring local business owners the knowledge, tools and hands-on support they need to transform to brick-and-click operations. In this way, our downtown cores can continue to be strong and vibrant while also giving local businesses the online presence to thrive through the pandemic and beyond.”
“Eastern Ontario’s small businesses are the backbone of our economy and our community,” said Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP John Yakabuski. “The Digital Service Squads are helping our businesses transition online, allowing them to access new customers safely and reliably. By choosing to shop local, we are helping our community and local businesses with the support that they need.”
Currently, only about 60 percent of Ontario’s small enterprises have a website, and only 7 percent accept online payment. Through Digital Main Street, Ontario businesses are adopting new tools that will allow them to reach a wider customer base and help them weather the economic impacts of COVID-19.
QUICK FACTS
The Ontario 2020 Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover outlined more than $13.5 billion in support for people and jobs.
The Main Street Relief Grant provides up to $1,000 to help eligible small businesses for the cost of personal protective equipment (PPE). The Main Street Relief Grant is available to small businesses with two to nine employees in retail, accommodations and food services, repair and maintenance, and personal and laundry services to help cover personal protective equipment costs.
Ontario’s Small Business Support Grant provides a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $20,000 to eligible small businesses who have had to restrict their operations due to the Provincewide Shutdown.
Eligible businesses can apply for more an $600 million in support through the Ontario Small Business Support Grant, Ontario Main Street Relief Grant: PPE Support and temporary property tax and energy cost rebates through a single, online application portal
