Small Business Centre of Barrie, Simcoe County & Orillia
24 Maple Avenue, 2nd Floor L4N 1R7 Barrie, ON, Canada

Tourism has been one of the hardest hit sectors. The City of Barrie, along with its partners, is offering the new COVID-19 Tourism Response Fund, which provides financial support between $2,500 to $20,000. Apply by January 31! https://rto7.ca/Pu/Resources/COVID-19-Tourism-Response-Fund

The Ontario government is supporting home-based food businesses by providing a guide on how to start a home-based food business, which includes an overview of public health requirements that need to be followed as a food operator. To further support these entrepreneurs, the government has also made regulatory changes to allow more flexibility to sell low-risk, home-prepared foods. These supports are part of the government's continued efforts to help small, independent businesses succeed and contribute to Ontario communities during COVID-19. Follow the link below to find the how to guide!

Is your business a registered corporation? Now is your chance to have your tax questions answered! These seminars are held by CRA professionals and will help you learn about important considerations and factors affecting your taxes as a corporation. Register for Part 1 & 2 of this series here: ... https://barriebusinesscentre.ca/events/ See more

Calling all restaurant owners, foodies, farmers and market vendors! Applications are open for Food Venture Program, a 5 week program where you can learn from specialized speakers and connect with like-minded individuals. Learn about:... - Recipe & formula development for scalability - Sustainability in food production - Guide lines for food production and nutrition labelling - Sales - Brand development and more Learn more about this exciting new program and apply here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/food-venture-program-tickets-13

Are you an experienced entrepreneur looking to elevate your e-commerce business? With this 8 week training program from Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre and ECommerce Rockstars, you can master the 15 pillars of running a structured and scalable e-commerce business either as a solopreneur or as a part of a team. Apply by January 13th!

Announcing a new mini-series with Canada Revenue Agency in partnership with local community organizations. If you have tax-related questions, here is your chance to get them answered. Everyone In Single File: How to Complete Your Taxes Like A Pro! For T1 businesses (sole props & partnership), join us on December 2nd and 9th. ... For T2 businesses (all corporations) join us in the new year on January 13th and 20th. Barrie Public Library Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre Barrie Chamber of Commerce Downtown Barrie Business Association (BIA) Sandbox Centre

Information on what this means for local businesses as well as available supports can be found at: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Grey-Zone---What-This-M

Are you a business with 2-9 employees in one of these sectors? + retail + accommodation and food services + repair and maintenance + personal and laundry services... If so, your business could be eligible for a grant of up $1,000 to assist with PPE costs. Apply here: https://www.app.grants.gov.on.ca/msrf/#/

Are you a social enterprise, social purpose organization, diverse-owned business or purchasing institution? Check out the latest newsletter from Social Enterprise Network of Central Ontario to participate in SENCO's interactive database. This database is being launched to forge relationships between both suppliers and purchasers on an institutional level. Complete the supplier or purchaser questionnaires to take the next steps.

The 3rd annual Mayor's Innovation Awards are open for nominations! This year's awards feature new categories, nominee spotlights and a virtual ceremony. Learn more and nominate a local business or entrepreneur: https://investbarrie.ca/InnovationAwards

On the next Ask An Expert series - Reopening Ontario: What You Need to Know About ES & OHS Related to Covid-19. Join us on November 12th for this informative session!

Coming up this afternoon from Xcelerate Summit - an amazing line up for the 7th annual Presidents Panel!

It's the final day of Xcelerate Summit! It's a day full of panels, podcasts, pop-up talks and mentorship!

It's small business week! We encourage you to continue to support local and check out some businesses that are new to you. Visit https://investbarrie.ca/SupportLocal for other ways to support Barrie businesses. #BarrieTogether Small Business Centre of Barrie, Simcoe County & Orillia

It's almost here! Xcelerate Summit 2020 starts today at 12:30pm!

Digital Main Street is back in Barrie! If your business is located in or near the Downtown Barrie Business Association (BIA) district, you may be eligible to access the services of our Digital Service Squad. Contact our office directly to learn more!

Curious about how Xcelerate Summit will work on a virtual platform? Check out this video walk through and learn how to access the platform, view the speakers and participate in networking opportunities! https://www.youtube.com/watch

Less than a week until Xcelerate Summit 2020 kicks off! There's still time to register for your VIP ticket and to receive your Xperience Box! Choose your own adventure through these four days filled with speakers, workshops, and Xperiences. Find the full event schedule and register here: https://xceleratesummit.co/

There's still time to register for the Ask An Expert series session on Cybersecurity happening this afternoon with County of Simcoe - follow the link to learn more: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ask-an-expert-cybersecurity-tic

There's still time to register for this fun and free webinar being hosted by our Digital Service Squad tomorrow morning!

Have you registered for Xcelerate Summit yet? Thanks to Barrie 360 for capturing the amazing things happening with this virtual experience!

Questions about cybersecurity for your business? Learn from the experts in the next installment of the Ask An Expert series coming up on October 15th. Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ask-an-expert-cybersecurity-tic County of Simcoe, Community Development Corp. - CDC, Small Business Enterprise Centre

The schedule of events for Xcelerate Summit has been released! Check out the website to download the full schedule!