Digital Main Street

Small Business Video Challenge 2024

We are excited to be hosting the Small Business Video Challenge 2024, a LIVE Premier YouTube event to promote small business content creators in Nipissing and Parry Sound. 

Local businesses are encouraged to submit a 30 second video before January 15th, 2024, for the chance to win 1 of 4 prizes plus be featured in our live event stream. 

Presented by The Business Centre and an expert panel of local professionals, viewers will receive valuable feedback to help them create better content that drives engagement for their small business online. 

Winners will be chosen based on: 

• CREATIVITY 
• PRODUCTION
• MARKETING 

Tune in on Monday February 5th, 2024, from 7pm to learn more about content creation and discover new ways to grow your business online. 

Follow the link below to submit your video today!

https://form.jotform.com/tbcnps/small-business-video-challenge-2024

Digital Service Squad for Nipissing and Parry Sound  

The Digital Service Squad (DSS) or Digital Technology Specialist (DTS) is a FREE digital resource to help you grow your business by adopting and implementing digital tools and technologies. Now, thanks to funding of the Ontario Digital Main Street Initiative by FedDev Ontario and the Province of Ontario, in partnership with TABIA and OBIAA, we are thrilled to offer this FREE resource to your business. 

A DSS are trained specialists that go to Ontario main street small businesses, like yours, to help them adopt  new technologies and embrace digital marketing. A DSS can show you how to build a basic website or how  to improve your existing online presence through tools such as Google My Business and social media. A DSS  can also help you optimize your website for search, setup a POS solution, and create customer databases.  In addition, Digital Service Squads provide advice and recommendations to streamline your fundamental  business operations (including back office processes) and can help you find local digital vendors for  potential projects. 

How Does It Work?

Our friendly Digital Technology Specialist (DTS) will be reaching out to small businesses to provide assistance and grant application support. Please  use this opportunity to book your introductory one-on-one meeting with them. Some common tasks accomplished on the first visit may include: 

• Completing the Digital Main Street registration and free online assessment 
• Completing an audit of your digital presence and various digital properties (website, social media, etc.).
• Reviewing the assessment recommendations and starting a Digital Transformation Plan needed to apply for a $2,500 Digital Transformation Grant (eligible brick and mortar small businesses in 2022) 
• Reviewing your Google My Business profile and taking 360 degree photos

You may book additional sessions with the DSS to work on your overall digital transformation or specific assessment recommendations. 

To learn more about Digital Main Street, please visit https://digitalmainstreet.ca/.

This program is back up and running, if you are interested in learning more reach out to Scott Murphy at [email protected].