Are you a small retail business considering increasing your sales through the integration of an e-commerce platform? Well, there is a federal government program that you might be able to tap into to help you create a strategy and implement it.
The government’s Grow Your Business Online program will help 90,000 retail businesses integrate an e-commerce platform (to complement their brick-and-mortar operations if they do have one).
The ‘micro’ grants of up to CAD 2,400 will not be given directly to the approved business but through the network of local and regional digital advisory service providers accredited through the Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP).
To be eligible for the program, companies must meet the following criteria:
- A registered of an incorporated, for-profit business, including for-profit social enterprises and cooperatives.
- Is a consumer-facing business (real estate companies are not eligible).
- Can be accessed by the consumers directly or provides in-person services to consumers
- Must not be a business-to-business (b2b) or a wholesale sales company unless it also sells directly to consumers
- Have at least one employee besides the owner
- Must commit to maintain the digital adoption strategy for at least six months after participating in the program
- Must participate in the follow-up surveys, share information with the Canadian government agencies, and have the name of the business published as a recipient of the program
The eligible costs covered by the program include:
- Implementation or improvement of a digital e-commerce plan such as online reservation/booking tools, electronic payments etc.
- Installation or upgrading of an e-commerce platform
- Website optimization but not just to SEO
- Back-office solutions to support the e-commerce strategy
- Implementing a social media strategy
For more information including the application process:
Grow Your Business Online (canada.ca)