Stay-at-Home Order, Small Business Supports, Website Quick-Guide, Collaborations & more
To all members,
Well, here we are in lockdown again in this third wave of COVID-19. Many of you are feeling angry and defeated, tired of making plans only to have them interrupted again. Many of you are feeling spent, emotionally and financially, in disbelief that we’re in the midst of another lockdown - a full year after the first one.
We thought things would be better by now, we truly did. At the BIA, we are frustrated too, wishing we had all the answers for the difficulties our small business owners are facing now. We know that some of the operating restrictions have felt very unfair to many and that some businesses have been more impacted than others. Public health and safety is always of primary concern and we sincerely hope that this stay-at-home order not only protects our community but will get us all closer to the day when we have the opportunity to be vaccinated and when you can all get back to a more normal way of doing business. Let’s continue to pull together where and when we can – checking in on our business neighbours with a phone call, sharing other businesses posts on social media to help spread the word about curb side pick up and take-out options, keeping in touch with our customers via Facebook. We’ve done this before, and we CAN do it again! Let us hope it is for the last time.
If you are struggling and need some help, we encourage you to check out the following resources:
CFIB Small Business Covid-19 Help Centre
The Canadian Federation for Independent Business is an extraordinary resource for small business owners, offering expert advice and support to members. Not a CFIB member? Right now CFIB is offering a FREE temporary membership. You can access the same benefits and supports as a CFIB member for a limited time. Click here to learn more.
The Edify Centre
Whether you are looking for a little support and encouragement or more in-depth counselling, the Edify Centre can help! They are currently accepting new clients for in-person and virtual counselling. Visit their Facebook page for more information and you may also like to join their free Mental Health Support Group where you will find lots of inspiration, motivation, and support from their qualified professionals.
The Small Business Enterprise Centre
Have you heard about the Virtual Business Advisor service? This specialized, confidential, and FREE service matches local business owners with professional advisors.
Need advice from an accountant? Website developer or legal counsel? The SBEC will chat with you to determine your needs and connect you with the right service, covering your costs up to $600!
A wide selection of expert support is available including, but not limited to the following:
- Social media marketing
- Website development and optimization
- E-commerce
- Brand development
- Human resources
- Legal counsel
- Accounting and bookkeeping
- Financial forecasting
- Sales strategies
To learn more and determine how this program could support your business, contact the SBEC today! 519-941-0440 Ext. 2286 .
TAKE-OUT, CURBSIDE PICK UP & VIRTUAL CLASSES
Our NEW quick guide on the Downtown Orangeville website allows customers to quickly access the services they need during lockdown, including:
Please take a moment to ensure that your place of business is listed in the correct category and contact us right away if you would like to be added to the list or have been listed in error.
Where possible, we will link directly to your website so that customers can easily view your current hours and policies. Please ensure that these key items are up to date on your website, Facebook page and Google Business page:
-Current hours
-curb-side pick up, take-out, and delivery information
-phone number
-email address
Taking the time to update these key areas shows your customers that you are thinking about them, that you recognize that their time is valuable and that they don’t want to have to go searching for this information. These simple updates show that you are going the extra mile to meet your customers needs, even at this difficult time.
If you need help creating an announcement or graphic to update your customers, we would be happy to work with you to create one. We can also help you make edits to your social media pages and Google Business page, please don’t hesitate to email or call -we are happy to help!
Be a Local Hero– Leave a Review
For the month of April, we are sending some local love your way via a new social media contest! We are asking members of the public to leave a review for a Downtown business on Google, Facebook, or Trip Advisor. After they leave their review, they’ll be entered in a draw to win a $100 gift certificate to the business they reviewed! Stay tuned for the contest announcement on our Facebook and Instagram pages on Friday, and please share with your followers!
Community Over Competition – Our Good News Story
Have you seen the exciting collaboration between Mochaberry and Go Yoga for the month of April? When you spend $5 or more at Mochaberry, you receive 5 'Yoga Bucks' which can be used towards purchasing items from Go Yoga!
Teaming up with another Downtown business is a great way to show support for one another, increase your social media following & attract new customers! We applaud their out-of-the-box thinking!
There are lots of great ways you can partner up with your business neighbours, here are just a few examples:
-combine a few items from 2 or 3 different shops into a gift basket available for sale online
-host a “follow” contest on social media (for example, your followers are instructed to follow 3 of your business neighbours on Instagram and upon doing so, they are entered in a draw to win something from each business!)
-share, like, and comment on social media posts from other downtown businesses. This one sounds simple but it’s a great way to show support for one another and build an online community! Chances are, your business neighbours will return the love and start “liking” your posts too!
Take care everyone,