Week of May 25th 2020

  Hi everyone!   Hope you are surviving this heat wave!  I had a stroll Downtown yesterday and saw lots of great signage, fresh flowers and refreshed window displays - keep up the great work!   Our planters and hanging baskets are scheduled to be filled in the coming week which will help to lend some colour and cheer to the streetscape.  Here are the news items for this week:  

Paint the Town Red for Canada Day!

Earlier this week I sent out an email letting you know about the Town of Orangeville’s goal to Paint the Town Red for Canada Day this year.   Thanks to everyone who replied to my email, the Town will deliver your flags in the next few weeks. The OBIA is in full support of this great initiative as it is something we can all participate in safely, in lieu of public parties and gatherings.   I would like to encourage you to decorate your place of business as well, in red and white, with flags, flowers, Canadian symbols and whatever else you have on hand!     Send me a photo of your displays and we will feature them on Downtown Orangeville’s Facebook and Instagram pages in the days leading up to Canada Day.  Let’s make our community smile and let them know that we are proud to be a part of this beautiful town and proud to be Canadian too.  

Business Resilience Service Hotline

The Business Resilience Service Hotline is now available!  The hotline is a national, bilingual service operated by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.  Launched today and for 4 weeks only, small business owners with pressing financial needs can call 1-866-989-1080 (toll-free) seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET). Business advisors—125 members of Chartered Professional Accountants Canada (CPA Canada)—will be available to provide customized financial guidance to the smallest business owners in the most urgent need and help them make the best decisions for their business as they navigate this crisis. Advisors can answer questions about tax regulations and the implications of COVID-19, inform business owners about government support programs that best fit their unique circumstances, and provide strategic financial planning for their road to recovery.  

Father's Day

Father’s Day is just a few weeks away.  Do you have some great products for Dad or is your business offering a special promotion?   Please let me know by June 12th and I will design a post for social media.  Please send me a great photo and a description of the products or offer.  

Small Business Enterprise Centre

Many of you have come to me with questions regarding the wage subsidy, small business loans, and other government programs that are available.  I reached out to the Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC) in town and discovered that they have an amazing amount of resources to help you.  Their knowledgeable staff are currently booking phone and video consultations to answer your questions and they can help you formulate a plan to get your business back up and running.  Please don’t hesitate to give them a call, they are here to help and all services are free of charge.  Email sbec@orangeville.ca or call 519-941-0440 Ext. 2286. For a full list of resources including webinars, visit: www.orangevillebusiness.ca .  

Town of Orangeville

If you have not done so already, I recommend that you subscribe to the Town Of Orangeville’s Newsletter for all the latest COVID-19 resources and programs, as well as other Town news that could impact your business.  I have attached the latest newsletter below for your convenience.  

Good News Story

Each week I hope to send you a positive update from one of our members.  If you have something uplifting to share, please get in touch!   This week I’m shining the light on the businesses of Little York Street!  By now, I’m sure you’ve all seen the construction & heavy equipment that has taken over the street.  Despite the construction, Mill Creek Gardens, the Orangeville Outlet Centre and Red’s Motorcycles are OPEN for business and they could use our support!  How can you help?  “Like’ their Facebook page, share one of their social media posts, encourage friends to visit, or write a Google review!  This is a tough time for all of us and the businesses on Little York are facing this additional challenge on top of everything else, let’s send some love their way! https://www.facebook.com/Mill-Creek-Gardens-835634273151326/ https://www.facebook.com/Orangeville-Outlet-Centre-125096337590261/ https://www.facebook.com/redsmotorcyclesorangeville/   Thanks everyone!