Perth County has received funding to help launch a new online initiative for small businesses hit hard by COVID-19.
The county received $16,897 from Digital Main Street Ontario to help establish a Digital Service Squad. Small businesses in Perth County will receive help from the new squad to use digital technologies to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. Members of the squad will help businesses navigate and implement digital strategies to better serve their businesses and customer base.
The Digital Service Squads are made up of trained specialists who meet with small businesses, at no cost, to help them improve their online presence. The squad will help set up things like Google My Business profiles, improving business's social media presence and providing support for basic website and e-commerce set-up.
Qualified small businesses will also receive help from the squad to apply for $2,500 Digital Transformation Grants, which features an online assessment, online training tools and creating a Digital Transformation Plan (DTP).
“The local business community across Perth County will benefit greatly from this program,” says Jim Aitcheson, Warden of Perth County “The COVID-19 Pandemic has hit small businesses particularly hard. This support will help build resiliency across the County by improving the online presence of our business community.”
