Small Business Enterprise Centre
378 Talbot St. N5P 1B8 Saint Thomas, ON, Canada

What do you suppose this pupper is dreaming of for Christmas? . Oh My Fur and Whiskers recently celebrated their FOURTH birthday! . Make the "most interesting pet supply store" in St. Thomas a stop to make sure your pet's holiday wishes come true too!

Perfectionism strikes again! . How many times has not being "perfect" stopped you from trying something new or pursuing a goal? How many times has that little voice discouraged you from sharing your gift or talent? How often does it leave you feeling discouraged at the end of the day? . Your business needs you to show up. It needs you every day to the best of your ability (it's different every day!) to be present and consciously work to make progress.... . Striving for perfection can be crippling. Striving for progress is growth. See more

Doesn't this photo from Family Tied make you want to start opening gifts right this minute? . We are one one week out from Christmas Eve! Local artisans may still have some items ready to go and there are so many great small shops in Elgin County and St. Thomas that always have some great gifts in stock too! . And we send a BIG #thankfulThursday shoutout to ALL of the small businesses in our communities for their hard work and dedication to making the lead up to the holidays... in 2020 the very best that it could possibly be. . You're doing great. . See more

Is this a deep cut for anyone? . Time management is hard sometimes. And the last months have taken a toll on capacity. It's ok to take a break when you need it but this is a really great reminder to also evaluate if there is something deeper at play when you are consistently getting to the middle of the week wondering why the to-do list isn't getting done. . Maybe the list is too long. Maybe you need help. Maybe you need to automate some tasks. Maybe you need to talk to som...eone. . Limit screen time. . Take INTENTIONAL breaks. . Do something creative. . Go for a walk. . Spend your time doing things for your business (and for yourself) that will pay dividends on what you invest See more

Looking to scale your food manufacturing business in 2021? If you have been operating a food business for some time, there are a number of ways you can build on your success. OMAFRA has resources to help! For more >> https://bit.ly/2VXmZzd

We are saying bye to 2020 tomorrow with our final Mentoring session of the year. But it's a great one to help get 2021 off to a strong start so be sure to register and join us for the Benefits of Engaging in your Community!

It's almost time for Halloween! . There is just too much good stuff in October between Thanksgiving and Halloween...Our local creatives have outdone themselves and we hope you have found some treats like these adorable keychains by Galaxy Kustoms

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to attend Walk with Me organized by the St. Thomas-Elgin Local Immigration Partnership. Dharshi from Pillar Non Profit Network spoke about unconscious bias and shared this great video with us. It is a great way to demonstrate privilege and why it is important for people to understand theirs! It's a good reminder to be kind and look at situations from perspectives that aren't your own. In the comments, let us know when you have been a Caterpillar and when you have been a Snail!

In advance of the holiday season, hear from seasoned entrepreneurs and Shopify experts on how to sell in new and innovative ways to get more of your products into the hands of customers, online or in-store. Featured speakers include Peace Collective, Knifewear, Shopify, BDC, and more.

If you are interested in being a part of the team supporting small businesses in Elgin County and St. Thomas this posting just may be for you. Check out the job description and application guidelines here: https://bit.ly/3iUA84Z

It's week three for #stplharvest! This week the St. Thomas Public Library is featuring Wildflowers Farm.

Get your Pumpkins! . Travel to one of the fantastic farms in Elgin County for scenes (and selection!) like this! We are incredibly fortunate to live in such a rich agricultural area. Many local farms are family run small businesses - Tag your favourite Family Farm in Elgin below to help us say thanks to all the farms that help feed our community! . @pink_sparkphoto

Good habits are important. It's easy to get frustrated and discouraged when our bad habits get the better of us - but forming good ones takes time and dedication to the end result.

This is an important one to remember when you are setting your business goals. Trying to take on too many layers or appeal to too many people won't help your bottom line. It is more likely to leave you feeling at loose ends and unable to focus your efforts effectively. . Clearly define your offering and your target market - niching down sometimes feels counter intuitive but often helps to clarify your purpose and effectively target your ideal customer.

If you have been considering expanding into a storefront space, Grow is an option to explore. We are accepting applications now for January. Grow is an accelerator space offering FREE rental of the Caboose at the Jumbo monument for 3-6 months in addition to the additional support of the SBEC office. The intention of the space is to allow for a small business or artist to test their model and build or expand a customer base with the intent of moving into a more permanent location.

Your attitude can determine a lot about your success. Do you approach new tasks fearfully or with confidence that you can learn new things? Do you speak about your product or service like you believe in it? . Being an entrepreneur is an act of courage that continually requires courageous acts of self belief and evaluation. Every step you take expands the possibilities open to you.

The Canadian Government has compiled resources to connect you to mental health and substance use support, resources, and counselling with a mental health professional. It's World Mental Health day - don't let another day pass without moving towards the best you you can be. https://ca.portal.gs/

Digital Main Street has some great sessions upcoming in October in celebration of Small Business Month. Check out their calendar for the events that work for your needs! One of the best things you can do for your business is to keep learning!

In celebration of Small Business Month, Canada Life Co is introducing a one-time Business Boost program. 12 grants of $10,000 will be given to Canadian small businesses to recognize their resilience and support them during the pandemic. Applications will be open to businesses with 1-150 employees until Nov. 12, 2020. #CLBusinessBoost #ForLifeAsYouKnowIt

The October Mentoring Session is tomorrow! Please register to receive the ZOOM link to access the session!

Pinecroft is looking cute for the season! They are open every day from 11am to 4pm with a full luncheon menu and daily specials. Reservations are strongly recommended to avoid disappointment 519-773-3435

Today is World Mental Health Day. Take a minute or five or 1440. Take a deep breath. Consider the things you are grateful for. Read a few pages of a book FOR FUN.... Take a yoga class online. Have a glass of wine. Soak in a bubble bath. If you can't take care of yourself, you can't take care of your business - Put your oxygen mask on today and know that by taking whatever time can be spared to stop thinking about your obligations will actually leave you with more capacity and refreshed space to focus on your business. We are at the 6 month mark in this pandemic and it's okay to be feeling a little stuck and overwhelmed. In fact, it's incredibly NORMAL. This Twitter thread by Dr. Aisha Ahmad may help you to understand some of those feelings: https://bit.ly/3jLawsJ

The Local Immigration Partnerships in Southwestern Ontario have organized an online event for employers. The event is a great way for employers looking to hire foreign trained workers into their workforce. The panel includes employers that are already tapping into this pool of talent. https://register.gotowebinar.com/regis/8187885381168445455 Please share with your employees so that Elgin and St. Thomas employers can take part in this conversation.

Diane from Sugarr - hair removal service shares the benefits of sugaring! . "Sugar paste doesn’t contain any chemicals. The 3 ingredients are sugar, lemon & water! You could actually eat it, if you really wanted to! . Sugar only adheres to the dead skin cells, therefore exfoliating the skin as it removes the hair... . Follow-up sugaring will decrease the amount of hair growth and it will be finer when it eventually does come back . The paste is applied at room temperature so there is no risk of burning or a reaction to chemicals . The products used at Sugarr are extensively researched and are professionally made . Sugaring is safe for all ages, extremely hairy or people with sensitivities . Now that you know all the benefits what’s stopping you from booking your appointment?" See more

*Just Added* A new workshop to the October calendar thanks to the St. Thomas-Elgin Local Immigration Partnership. On October 30 they will host a panel discussion on Newcomer Talent for Future Success. Where you will be able to engage with a panel of incredible speakers from across the region to explore the benefits of diversity in the workplace, best practices for Newcomer recruitment and retention and how employers have been navigating conversations surrounding unconscious bias, race and inclusion. To Register for this ONLINE event and more visit: https://www.sbecinnovation.ca/events/

*News Update* Details are still unfolding but the changes announced include: - Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) will transition to benefit businesses directly rather than being reliant on landlords to apply. The program will fund up to 65 per cent of eligible rent or mortgage interest payments, Trudeau said, or up to 90 per cent if a business has been temporarily shut down by a mandatory order in the second wave.... This new program will be available until June 2021. - The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) has been extended until December for employers who have seen a drop in revenue due to COVID-19 covering up to 65%. - The Canada Emergency Business Account will see some changes as well adding additional forgivable loan amounts up to $10,000 - Targeted Financial Aid for those who need to close temporarily are also in development. As these supports unfold, access the Government of Canada resources at https://bit.ly/2FeSJuQ

*News Release* Ontario Continues to Support Restaurants During COVID-19 Pandemic To provide relief for local restaurants and other businesses impacted by the new public health measures, Ontario announced $300 million to help offset fixed costs, including property taxes, hydro and natural gas bills. The government is also supporting small business through its Main Street Recovery Plan. Read the news release for the list of changes through this plan.

Gift giving season approaches! . If you have never considered art as a gift, we challenge you to make art a part of your seasonal planning this year. We have so many incredible regional artists like Kathryn Desrosiers Art who are sharing their talents and gifts to brighten up our homes. . Kathryn is one of the artists you can shop through the Railway City Arts Crawl Shop (https://arts-crawl-shop.myshopify.com/). ... . If you are an artist looking for a place to sell your work, we'd love to connect you with the shop as well as some other resources for artists. We'd love to hear from you! See more

Neighbourhoods served by successful small businesses see home values increase. If your community is full of vibrant local businesses, then the value of community real estate will increase as it becomes more desirable. As real estate prices grow, communities can attract new investments to spur continued economic growth. An influx of new residents increases local tax revenue to fund infrastructure such as schools, public safety departments, libraries, affordable housing and parks that strengthen communities and drive future growth. Small Business Month highlights benefits for both businesses and consumers. But it’s hard to overestimate the positive impacts of shopping locally not just during this month but also throughout the year.

The Wildflowers Farm Market will be back for you to do some holiday shopping November 21!

Mentoring for October is NEXT WEEK! Sarah will speak about why being intentional with your social media is important and some of the key components of setting up a social media strategy that will help to focus your brand and save you some time in the long run!

This has been a really tough season in different ways for different people - a breaking point if you will. We'd love to hear about a discovery, innovation, new income stream, or decision that you have made for your business that has been a breakthrough recently!

SBEC Mentoring is a great opportunity to connect with other local small businesses and do some great learning from local professionals! Coming up in November Mark from Mark IT will be our Mentor!

Thanks to the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce for putting together this promotion last week supporting small businesses during Small Business Week!

You can visit Fresh From Our Fields tonight at the last Wildflowers Farm Market of the season and stock up for your Thanksgiving feast! #stplharvest

Shopping locally is also good for the environment. Consumers who walk to local town centers reduce their use of cars and buses. Similarly, buying from small businesses that source local products can reduce the environmental impact that national chains impose in their transportation of goods. Shopping at local businesses also helps to create a relationship-based economy where restaurants may work together to create demand for local ingredients, and consumers and small-business... owners know each other. Local business owners tend to be more civic-minded whether they’re sponsoring local baseball teams or volunteering with local charities. As entrepreneurship grows, you see people who are more deeply committed to their communities showing up in more ways than just running a business.

It's a brand new week! . A new week is a great opportunity for some short term goal setting. What do you want to achieve by the end of the week?

It's Small Business Week and we NEED your help to celebrate! Every day from October 18-24 we are going to share a business category and if you or your favourite business identify with that category we want you to tag them in the comment with the reason that biz is on your favourites list! Feel free to TOOT YOUR OWN HORN and share YOUR business. Tag multiple small biz friends and help us introduce the community to some great local Elgin County and St. Thomas Businesses ALL ...WEEK LONG! One of the best ways to support local is with positive reviews and referrals. It's a way to show an entrepreneur you appreciate what they do while also providing others with the positive push they needed to try something new. Last up this week we are looking for your shout outs to your favourite St. Thomas based small business! If you love them, let them know