Small business support program helps bring Markham businesses into digital world

Digital Main Street provides a $2,500 grant and online training to brick-and-mortar small businesses

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 17, 2023
Scarlett Liu

When Kate Mills and Jonathan Mills first opened The Rotation Room amid the pandemic, they weren't sure what they had gotten themselves into until the City of Markham and its small business program Digital Main Street offered to help them navigate some of the biggest challenges.

The Rotation Room is a harness training room and dance studio in Thornhill. “We felt like we were up against everything at first,” says the owners, recounting the immense hardships imposed on the industry by the pandemic lockdown.

Fortunately, the Mills said they were supported by professional consultants through the city and the Digital Main Street program, which helped them apply and successfully complete the CDAP (Canada Digital Adoption Program), Digital Transformation Grant, and ShopHERE programs.

“What they offered was over and above our expectations, and many aspects of the programs, such as one-on-one support, financial assistance, and resources, were real lifelines for us.”

In September 2022, in an effort to help small businesses recover from the impacts of COVID-19, Markham launched the Digital Main Street program.

As part of the program, dedicated staff, called the Digital Service Squad, support small business owners through training programs, consultations, and access to grant funding.

The grant of $2,500 supports businesses in acquiring and deploying digital tools for social media marketing, website development, business software, and necessary hardware.

Members of Digital Service Squad went door-to-door to individual businesses in popular destinations such as Markham Main Street, Unionville Main Street, First Markham Place, Pacific Mall, Thornhill and Yonge Corridor, and J-Town providing services in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Hindi.

“In a city as rich and diverse as Markham, we know that entrepreneurs here come from all walks of life," said Chris Rickett, director of the department of economic growth, culture and entrepreneurship of Markham. “With all the options out there, finding the right digital tools or knowing where to start isn’t always easy.”

That’s why the city decided to do things a little differently.

Instead of running a program where business owners were expected to come to the government, Markham made a commitment to meet businesses where they’re at and go to them. “We want to send a message that we’ve got your back and that small businesses matter,” Rickett added.

Markham has always prided itself on being Canada's innovative economic city, which has a robust entrepreneurship ecosystem with approximately 85 per cent of all businesses being small businesses.

In an increasingly digitized business landscape, the city is dedicated to helping local entrepreneurs address digital challenges to help their businesses thrive.

Between September 2022 and September 2023, Markham’s Digital Service Squad has helped over 750 businesses, providing a total of over $750,000 in grant funding.

In addition to assisting business owners through the grant application process, the team has provided a range of digital marketing workshops in English and Mandarin. It has partnered regularly with the Markham Public Library and local business associations to share digital marketing tips and tricks.

As Oct. 15 to 21 marks Small Business Week, owners are encouraged to find out more about the other support the City of Markham can offer for your small business, the Digital Main Street program, and upcoming events by visiting MarkhamBusiness.ca/SmallBusiness.