Belleville’s downtown businesses have a chance to get help with doing business online.
Belleville Downtown District BIA has received a $20,000 grant from Digital Main Street Ontario for a digital service squad to help downtown small businesses use technologies to adapt to changes in the business world.
The squads are trained specialists who meet with businesses about such things as enhancing social media presence, support for websites, and ecommerce set-ups.
Downtown Belleville District executive director Marijo Cuerrier tells Quinte News on Tuesday some work was done in this area last year.
“Last year we at least touched base with 80 members and that was anywhere from having an initial phone call with them all the way to building an ecommerce store.”
She says last year nine businesses received $2500 each.
“It’s to buy equipment. To buy digital online advertising. It’s to hire professionals in our local area to help them with things like social media. Anything that is online.”
Cuerrier hopes 20 businesses will receive the grants this year.
“That’s our goal. We will probably work again with 80 to 100 of our members but try and make sure that the grant portion, which is really important to the actual members, not only gets applied for but hopefully received. Ad then help them decide what to do with that grant.”
