We can provide and direct you to a variety of useful resources that will help you adapt your business services, sales and marketing efforts to the digital climate. The Digital Main Street programs can help you grow your digital presence.
Digital Main Street
Digital Main Street, a collaborative initiative by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and private partners, and delivered locally by the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre, offers comprehensive and free support services, training and grants to help grow your business online.
Participants can complete a free digital onboarding, receive a personalized to-do list with recommendations on how to reach your goals, and access a list of digital product and service providers who are offering exclusive discounts.
ShopHERE online stores
Digital Main Street's ShopHERE program helps independent small businesses and artists by:
- Creating and configuring your own online store
- Training you to manage it
- Providing support to get your online store live
- Helping to market your online store
Eligible participants include businesses with under 10 full-time employees (25 if a restaurant), must be registered in Ontario, can be a business or artist, and can be a home based or commercial business.
Future Proof program
Digital Main Street's Future Proof program helps businesses identify new markets, pivot their business model, and develop and implement a deep digital transformation plan. It aims to ensure small businesses are well equipped to maintain customers, clients, jobs and revenue in any economic storm, and continue to operate and grow in any climate.
Digital Service Squad
Since 2019, the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre has provided DMS program supports to hundreds of businesses in BIAs and commercial districts throughout Windsor and Essex County through its Digital Service Squad. The Digital Service Squad provides your business with free digital transformation consulting and support such as:
- A digital assessment of your business’ digital literacy
- Access to a free online video-based digital transformation training program
- Website – review, updating, creation, best practices
- Social Media – support, best practices, advertising, and more
- Technology – support and guidance for the best options of technology tools to implement for your business
- Miscellaneous Digital Transformation Support – loyalty programs, point of sale systems, e-commerce, back-end business operations support