Ontario Helping Main Street Businesses Modernize and Grow

Ministry Responsible for Small Business

Province Expands Program to Help Small Businesses Adopt Digital Technologies

Markham, ON – Apr 9, 2018

Ontario is supporting main street businesses to modernize the way they do business and attract customers by helping them adopt new digital technologies and build online presence.

Jeff Leal, Minister Responsible for Small Business, and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, made the announcement today at The Village Hive in Markham.

The Main Street Digital Initiative will help small businesses improve their digital capabilities and tap into the latest trends of today’s digital economy, including setting up an online store, making businesses more mobile-friendly and using social media and apps to promote businesses.

The new initiative builds on an existing Toronto-based program and expands the services for small businesses across the province, including:

Web platform: provides access to basic digital services, including vetted lists of vendors who can identify technologies and tools businesses need to become digital ready.
Digital training (online and in-person): offers specific digital technologies or strategies including e-commerce, social media and website development.
Service squad: provides one-on-one assistance and digital assessments by highly trained team who can come into stores to offer services and recommendations, including activating free and easy to use tools.
Digital transformation training and grants: provides grants of up to $2,500 to help businesses adopt technology and meet their digital goals.

Ontario’s plan to support care, create opportunity and make life more affordable during this period of rapid economic change includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25, and 65 or over, through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.