Oakville extends Digital Service Squad to help more small businesses adopt online technologies
Monday, September 20, 2021
Oakville receives $75,000 Digital Main Street Grant
The Town of Oakville, together with the Downtown Oakville BIA, Kerr Village BIA, Bronte Village BIA and Oakville Chamber of Commerce, received a $75,000 grant from Digital Main Street to expand the Digital Service Squad. The local squad has been able to assist over 400 businesses through one-on-one consultations and webinars since launching in 2019. This new funding will allow the town to continue the program, providing support for more small businesses to adopt online technologies and digitally transform their sales, marketing, and back-office operations.
Renewed government funding through the Ontario Grants program (OGP) provides 3,000 Digital Transformation Grants to qualified brick-and-mortar small businesses, as well as Digital Service Squad (DSS) grants for organizations to provide hands-on assistance to local small businesses. The OGP is administered by the Ontario BIA Association, in partnership with the Toronto Association of BIAs(TABIA).
The squad consists of trained specialists who meet with brick-and-mortar small businesses for free, to help them complete an online assessment and introduce them to online training modules to build their knowledge and skills. These experts can also assist businesses with developing their Digital Transformation Plan and applying for a one-time $2,500 grant to implement it. This one-on-one DSS assistance also includes support for basic website set-up, Google My Business profiles, 360 degree photos, social media presence, and much more. The DSS can also provide information on the ShopHERE program, if applicable, to assist with digital storefront set-up and e-commerce. With COVID-19 restrictions in place, DSS experts can provide support through phone and video tools such as Microsoft Teams.