The Business Help Centre (CFDC) of Middlesex County
13187 Ilderton Road, Unit #3 N0M 2A0 Ilderton, ON, Canada

If you missed our most recent webinar, you can still gain the insights of Therese Van Es from @LadderHRSolutions. She discussed digital recruitment and retention strategies for small businesses through COVID-19 and beyond. Watch the full video here: https://cfmiddlesex.ca/therese-van-es-discusses-digital-re/

As a proud member of Western Ontario Community Futures, Community Futures Middlesex is thrilled to contribute to FedDev Ontario’s disbursement of the #RRRF in Western Ontario. Here’s an overview of the fund’s impact on a regional basis.

Happy Thanksgiving! Wishing you all a wonderful long weekend with your family.

For Small Business Week (October 19 23), we want to recognize and celebrate the resilience of small business owners and entrepreneurs in Middlesex County! Enter the giveaway today until October 23 for your chance to win a Chromebook! Full details on our promotion in partnership with Invest in Middlesex: https://cfmiddlesex.ca/cfdc-middlesex-is-giving-away-a-chr/

Board of Directors highlight: Roberta J. Fox. Meet Roberta! Roberta Fox-Lawson is a member of the Board representing the community of Thames Centre. Roberta J. Fox-Lawson is Chair and Chief Innovation Officer for Fox Group Technology and 911 Tech Advisors. Roberta and her team of experienced technology consultants provide communications technology strategy, design, procurement and deployment guidance to 9-1-1 first responder, health care, public safety and non-profit sectors across Canada. Roberta is known and respected by clients and vendors for her creative, innovative style of working together, as well as her ability to effectively leverage her knowledge and depth of advanced communication technologies to deliver positive results from technology investments. Roberta joined the Board of Directors in May 2020.

A great addition to our new office space. Thanks Postcard Portables of London.

Don’t allow others to discourage you because of their own limiting self beliefs. Continue to pursue your own goals and always push yourself to build your own dreams in your business!

This Rural Edge webinar series will address the following: Which digital platforms should business owners utilize to attract talent? How can employers establish a digital recruitment strategy suited for their business? What goes into retaining employees within a digital work environment?... To register: https://cfmiddlesex.ca//the-rural-edge-digital-recruitmen/ Digital Recruitment and Retention Through Covid-19 is presented on October 8 from 11-12:30 by Therese Van Es, Chief People Leader of Ladder HR Solutions.

On June 11, Minister Joly announced a FedDev Ontario investment of $42.5 million through the RRRF initiative to support the Digital Main Street platform. The platform helps Ontario businesses pivot operations to include digital business models and stay competitive now and into the future. Digital Main Street recently announced the official launch of a key aspect of its platform: the Future Proof Program, which aims to create lasting change for businesses. Through this initia...tive, businesses will have the opportunity to work with teams of highly-trained students and recent grads with expertise in web design, digital marketing and more to create transformation plans that will give them the tools to maintain their upgraded online presence. The program also facilitates collaboration among businesses, communities and regional innovation centres to identify common challenges and work toward solutions. TechAlliance, our regional innovation centre based in London, will be hosting a series of online public information sessions concerning this initiative, October 5, 6, 7& 8. To learn more, register to attend one of their information sessions at techalliance/DMS - https://cfmiddlesex.ca/grow-your-business-online-with-digi/ See more

Why, Yes, You Can Start a Business Right Now! There's no perfect time to start a business, so don't let the current circumstances stop you from taking the leap... read more: https://www.inc.com//why-yes-you-can-start-a-business-righ

COVID-19 has become an unexpected catalyst for digital transformation, forcing individuals and businesses to depend on technology more than ever before. As the demand grows for remote work, developing a digital recruitment strategy will be crucial for business owners. One challenge will be managing and retaining employees in digital work environments. Therese Van Es, Chief People Leader of HR Ladder Solutions, will conduct a live webinar on which digital platforms employers should utilize to attract talent, and what it takes to recruit and retain employees through a digital strategy suited for their business. Learn more and register today: http://cfmiddlesex.ca//the-rural-edge-digital-recruitment- Ladder : Career Coaching and Resume Help

Middlesex County's Department of Economic Development is seeking your assistance in providing direction for the County's Economic Development Strategic Plan upd...ate. It will take less than 3 minutes to complete and will close for comment on October 9th, 2020. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H7WRJJD Your front-line observations and input are valuable and we appreciate your time in completing this short questionnaire related to the current status of your business, impacts of COVID-19, and outlook on future business development in Middlesex County. Thank you in advance for your participation. Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc Municipality of Middlesex Centre Township of Lucan Biddulph Municipality of North Middlesex Municipality of Thames Centre Southwest Middlesex Municipality Township of Adelaide Metcalfe Village of Newbury

If you haven’t signed up for our newsletter, be sure to do it today as our September edition will be going out tomorrow! Visit https://cfmiddlesex.ca and sign up today for monthly information for your business.

In response to COVID-19, Mj's Roadhouse Lucan expanded their outdoor and takeout dining options. With the winter approaching and a potential second wave coming, there will be a lot of uncertainty as patio season comes to an end. That’s why they applied for the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund. You can apply for an interest-free loan of up to $40K today: https://www.cfmiddlesex.ca/regional-relief-and-recovery-fund