Downtown Dollars, Virtual Business Advisor Services, Snowbank Removal & more!

Happy Valentine's day!

Sharing a few of our Valentine’s Day Colouring Contest entries today to make you smile!    We are excited to see so many local kids participating in the contest and wish to thank local artist Emma Pink for graciously donating the illustration to us.   There’s still time to share the contest with your customers, family & friends, click here!  

Downtown Orangeville Gift Certificate/Coupon Reimbursement & NEW Downtown Dollars!

If you have any Downtown Gift Certificates or Coupons that were redeemed at your store, please reply to this email for reimbursement!  In your email, please include:

1) If you would like re-imbursement via cheque or visa payment (I can pay you with visa over the phone, cheque will take 2-3 weeks to process)

2)  A clear photo of the gift certificates or coupons AND a photo of the corresponding sales receipts.

3) The total amount that is owed to you (i.e. 3 x $5 coupons = $15)

**Important: Please retain the originals (gift certificates/coupons/receipts) as they will be collected once the Province wide Shutdown comes to an end.

Please note that we have new “Downtown Dollars” gift certificates in circulation.  Please accept these new ones along with the old style gift certificates and coupons.  I have attached a sample of them here for your reference.  

If you have any questions about the gift certificate program, please contact me:  Ambassador@downtownorangeville.ca

FREE Virtual Business Advisor Services from the Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC)

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 .

Snowbank Removal Next Week

Some of you may have noticed that Mill Street is getting very tight to travel between the parked cars on either side due to the snowbanks. 

We have requested the Town’s help with this, and they have notified us that ALL downtown snowbanks are expected to be removed on Wednesday next week, after Tuesdays’ anticipated snowfall.   We look forward to a nice, snowbank free streets for next week’s anticipated re-opening.

Applications Now Open for the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) Credit Availability Program

The Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program is now open for applications with BDC. This program provides loans for businesses hardest hit by the shutdown measures and the pandemic.

We have included a summary for eligibility here, please visit the BDC website for full details.

Amount:

Your business can apply for a HASCAP loan for each legal entity you own, up to a maximum combined amount of $6.25 million (all legal entities combined).

  • Up to $25,000 to $1 million in loans for a single, small to medium-sized business.
  • Up to $6.25 million in loans for large organizations with multiple business locations.

Applicant Eligibility:

Based on the following eligibility criteria established by the Government of Canada, a primary financial institution will determine whether a business qualifies for HASCAP loans.

  • Your business must be based in Canada.
  • Your business must have been financially stable and viable prior to the current economic situation.
  • You must have received payments either from the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) or the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) by having demonstrated a minimum 50% revenue decline for at least three months (not necessarily consecutive) within an eight-month period prior to the date of the HASCAP Guarantee application.
  • If your business does not qualify for CEWS and CERS, but otherwise meets all HASCAP eligibility criteria, you must provide financial statements that reflect at least three months where your revenue decreased by a minimum 50% within the eight-month period prior to the date of the HASCAP Guarantee application.

Eligible Expenses:

HASCAP loans cannot be used to pay or refinance existing debts; the loan will be used exclusively to continue or resume operations by relief of payments relating to:

  • Rent payments.
  • Employee payroll.
  • Utilities.
  • Any additional costs deemed eligible to sustain business operations.

 

Thanks everyone!