Innisfil Shop Local

13 | Innisfil Journal | Thursday, May 13, 2021

#SmallBusinessEveryday

NAVIGATING THE PANDEMIC

PRESENTED BY

Shop Local, Support Local This is our community!

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Innisfil Journal | Thursday, May 13, 2021 | 14

SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS – OPINION

FACING TOUGH TIMES TOGETHER 'I WANT YOU TO KNOW THERE IS HELP', SAYS LYNN DOLLIN

LYNN DOLLIN Column

One of the most heartbreaking parts of this pandemic is the effect it continues to have on our local businesses.

As mayor, it pains me when I walk by another local shop, restaurant, salon — you name it — that has been forced to close. As a human being, I think about the business owners who tell me what it's like watching their dream slip

away. It keeps me up at night.

Despite all that is happening, if you are a local business owner, I want you to know there is help. The Town of Innisfil has an incredible economic development team that works for you. They can provide free consulting services, help you get the funding you may need, help expand your network, promote your business, and connect you with mentalhealth services specifically designed for business owners. You don't have to face this alone.

Visit innisfilaccelerates.ca to learn about all the resources available, or email business@innisfil.ca.

To our residents, if you want to see your local businesses survive, now is the time to help. Check to see if your favourite business has an online store. Pick up a gift card or two. Tell

your friends about why you love a certain business and share it on social media. And, yes, if you're able to, leave a tip.

Last year, we launched a community-needs assessment and heard from numerous residents that economic security and employment were among their biggest concerns during this pandemic. Rest assured, we are doubling our efforts when it comes to supporting our local economy and providing support to our cherished local businesses.

It makes me proud that, despite these difficult times, many of our businesses are participating in Innisfil Sign Wars. Thank you for sharing your sense of humour, sparking joy and connecting our community.

We have made it this far, Innisfil. Together, we will get through this and be stronger than before.

Lynn Dollin is Mayor of the Town of Innisfil.

SMILE! Sunny days are ahead!

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Town of Innisfil

Innisfil Business Survey:

The Economic Development team would like to hear from the Innisfil Business Community.

COVID-19 has presented an incredible challenge to our local business owners. As the landscape continues to evolve, we want to ensure that we are hearing from you and providing the programming needed to help your business recover and succeed.

We want to hear from you! Please take part in our short survey at https:// www.surveymonkey.com/r/ innisfilbusiness

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Ask an Expert: Businesses in Transition and How to Stay in Control, May 20th

Many business owners who had carefully developed business plans and models over the lifespan of their operations have had to reconsider their best-laid plans and adapt quickly. Financial forecasts that seemed realistic in 2019 may be Stay Connected @townofinnisfil

less viable and owners may be considering other options. Local experts will provide information regarding: • Staying in control after negative financial growth – Insolvency Trustees experts Brenda Wood and Robyn White • Transitioning – Experts Lawyer Tim Timpano and Accountant David Holmes To register, visit: https://www. simcoe.ca/askanexpert

Work in Simcoe County Virtual Job Fair, June 2nd

Are you looking to hire top talent?

Innisfil is partnering with the County of Simcoe on the Work in Simcoe County virtual job fair on Wednesday, June 2nd from 10:00am to 2:00pm!

Rainbow Treats for Change

In return, Innisfil Pride will announce your business as a part of the Rainbow Treats for Change, helping direct customers to your location.

Spaces are limited for this event – if you’re interested in participating, please contact innisfilpride@gmail.com.

Innisfil Sign Wars

Local Innisfil businesses are participating in a “sign war” to help uplift spirits and create some buzz for all of the businesses and organizations in the community. Check out the local ‘InnisfilSignWars’ Facebook page!

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Innisfil Pride has a wonderful opportunity for you to support Innisfil Pride’s Upcoming Local Events and Programs for 2021 while raising awareness for the

17 | Innisfil Journal | Thursday, May 13, 2021

The event will be hosted on an innovative online career platform connecting you with potential candidates from the comfort of your home or office.

You will have the opportunity to showcase your company and directly connect with job seekers via one-one-one text and video chats.

Space is limited, so reserve your free booth today! Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to connect with job seekers!

To register, please visit: https:// workinsimcoecounty.ca/work-insimcoe-county-virtual-job-fair/ For questions about the job fair, please contact edo@simcoe.ca

LGBTQ2I+ community.

On May 17, 2021, they are asking local bakeries, coffee shops, and other similar businesses to offer a rainbow treat for sale to customers. In previous pride seasons, supporting businesses have made cupcakes with rainbow frosting, rainbow layer cakes, and even a rainbow swirl bagel, just as examples.

Innisfil Journal | Thursday, May 13, 2021 | 18

Navigating the pandemic

Presented by

and

How families can help communities rebound after the pandemic The global pandemic that began in late 2019 and spread into 2021 had a devastating impact on the world. The human toll was significant, as millions of people across the globe lost their lives to the COVID-19 virus. The virus also had farreaching economic consequences, many of which were felt in small towns and communities that had been thriving prior to the pandemic.

Vaccination rollouts that began in the final weeks of 2020 gave many people a glimmer of hope that life would soon return to some semblance of normalcy. The effort to restore towns and cities will require a community-wide effort, and families can do their part as the world slowly emerges from the pandemic.

• Support local business-

es. A thriving local economy is a vital component of a strong community, and families can do their part in the pandemic recovery by making a concerted effort to support the small businesses in their towns and cities. Support locally owned restaurants instead of chain restaurants when dining out or ordering in. Even visiting a locally owned barbershop instead of a chain hair cutter can be a great way to help community-based businesses recover.

• Lend a hand to the elderly. At the onset of the pandemic, public health agencies identified elderly men and women as among the most vulnerable to serious illness if they were infected with COVID-19. As a result, many aging men and women spent much of 2020

isolated from their friends and families. Families can help seniors in their communities recover from that isolation by volunteering at local senior centres, inviting aging neighbours over for weekly dinners or in-

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viting them along on family outings to the beach or park. Such efforts can reassure seniors, many of whom played vital roles in building the communities they call home, that their neighbours have not forgotten

them.

• Take active roles in the community. Recovering from the pandemic won’t be easy for any community. Some small businesses closed for good while others struggled to stay

afloat, and local towns and cities lost significant tax revenue as a result. Residents, including adults and children, can help their towns and cities overcome budget shortfalls by becoming more active in their communities. Organize initiatives like park clean-ups to keep communities clean if budget constraints have forced local officials to cut back on such services. In addition, attend town or city council meetings to lend support to programs or even recommend new initiatives to help the community recover from the pandemic.

Restoring communities after the pandemic will be a tall task. But it’s one that will be more easily accomplished if families pitch in and do their part.

— MC

Shahab Goneh-Farahani

FIVE WAYS THE TOWN CAN SUPPORT YOUR BUSINESS

Broker Remax Hallmark Realty Ltd. 401-685 Sheppard Ave E., Toronto www.getyourdreamhome.ca 647-967-6222

BUSINESS CONSULTING — The Town of Innisfil, in partnership with Nottawasaga Futures, hosts a free business consulting program in which any Innisfil business can receive complimentary access to support in business and financial planning, legal and employment support, accounting and tax planning, e-commerce and digital marketing.

FUNDING — Innisfil's economic development team can offer guidance toward the most appropriate funding sources for local business owners, including government programs and available supports as your business recovers from COVID-19.

ENTREPRENEURIAL RESOURCES AND CONNECTIONS — Connect with industry professionals, experienced mentors and other business support organizations through key partnerships with DMZ Innisfil, South Simcoe Community Startup, Nottawasaga Futures and the chamber of commerce.

INVESTMENT SERVICING — Looking to open a location or expand your business within Innisfil? The economic development team can assist you with site selection, development, talent acquisition, marketing and promotion. Contact Innisfil's team to be featured in a weekly local business highlight — sponsored posts on social media.

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT — The Town of Innisfil is proud to partner with Nottawasaga Futures to expand mental health services to our business community. No matter the size of your business, you will be eligible to receive confidential support sessions with a mental health professional, for up to five hours, free of charge.

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FIVE WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES WRITE A REVIEW: Where do you go when you want to learn more about a new business? Probably Google. So why not tell other consumers about a favourite spot of yours by leaving a glowing review online?

FOLLOW THEM ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Not only do more followers help their visibility, but following is also a great way of learning about new products and sales.

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SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS

TRY SOMETHING NEW: It's easy to just stick to known quantities: the place where you always get burritos, or the stationery store where you've bought every card for five years. But spread the love and shop at a business you've never tried.

BUY A GIFT CARD: Not sure what to buy? Decide later! Purchasing gift cards, for yourself or as a present, is a great way of helping the cash flow of a business and showing your support.

GIVE THEM FEEDBACK: Businesses have been forced to try all sorts of new initiatives in the pandemic, whether that's opening an online shop or offering new products. It's uncharted territory for many of them, so let them know how they're doing.

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SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS

IT'S OUR TURN TO GIVE BACK TO SMALL BUSINESSES March 17 marked the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19-related business closures in Ontario (bars, restaurants and theatres), with thousands of other businesses deemed non-essential the following week on March 24.

To say that a lot has changed for small businesses in that time would be an understatement.

Business owners have had to navigate entirely new forms of social interaction, pivot to online sales, takeout or remote work arrangements, and then understand and apply new rules and regulations at breakneck speeds.

The effects of the pandemic

will linger for long after COVID-19 itself.

Here are three key ways in which the reality for small businesses will be different going forward: 1. Many small businesses, especially in customer-facing sectors, have seen dramatic drops in sales since the start of the pandemic due to ongoing government-mandated lockdowns.

Currently, only 27 per cent of Ontario businesses are making normal sales and many have turned to loans, credit cards or even their retirement savings to stay afloat.

The average Ontario business now finds itself more than

CFIB graphic $207,000 in debt and many owners are worried about ever being able to repay it.

Paying off that debt over the next few years will stunt the ability of a business to grow, invest in employees or new technologies, and expand.

Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is asking federal and provincial governments to find ways to reduce small business debt as part of recovery plans.

2. Mounting debt and the uncertainty of when they will be able to return to profitability has

pushed many business owners to wonder if they should pull the plug before things get worse.

CFIB estimates that Ontario could lose as many as 20 per cent of businesses before the end of the pandemic, on top of the ones that have already closed.

This puts more than 873,000 jobs in jeopardy.

It's important for the Ontario government to have a clear view towards helping businesses replace subsidies with sales by creating safe ways for them to reopen and reassuring residents it's safe to shop local.

3. A third of all small businesses are now selling online, an increase of approximately 152,000 new entrants to the digital sphere since the start of the pandemic.

A majority say they will continue to use eCommerce and digital marketing even after the pandemic, giving consumers vastly more options when they shop online.

However, many new entrants report they are still struggling to generate sales online — it's hard to compete against the big guys, like Amazon and Walmart, with a small marketing budget.

Consumers can help by sharing their favourite local business on social media using #SmallBusinessEveryDay. Small businesses make our communities resilient and vibrant: they bring a unique character to their neighbourhoods, create local jobs, and happily sponsor our kids' sports teams.

Now it's our turn to give back and support them so they can make it to the other side.

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SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS

COACHING KEEPS SOUTH SIMCOE BUSINESSES AFLOAT JANIS RAMSAY jramsay@simcoe.com Many south Simcoe businesses were unprepared for a pandemic.

Which is why Nottawasaga Futures stepped up to give coaching and consulting advice to help companies ride the wave into a new digital era.

"If you recall last March, instore sales dropped 34 per cent," Nottawasaga Futures CEO Martin Kuzma said.

April sales dipped even further as companies were forced to temporarily close, and then it was a scramble to recover some revenue.

"We had a 90-day program to help business owners learn how to take a bricks-and-mortar business online," Kuzma said.

Using a Digital Main Street

app, businesses started selling their products online, Kuzma said.

A few tech-savvy businesses quickly jumped online and did well with sales, while other companies took longer with the transition.

"There were some businesses still using handwritten receipts," Kuzma said.

An E-commerce Accelerator program helped 40 businesses become more efficient online, he said.

"We helped with tech support and taught them how to use the back end (of the e-commerce store), and about how to post things to social media."

Funding for those two programs is no longer available, but Nottawasaga Futures is offering a one-on-one coaching and consulting program to support area

businesses.

"It's up to three hours of time, helping them with their accounting or bookkeeping questions, or questions about applying for COVID relief programs," he said.

A human resources consultant, an employment lawyer and social media/branding consultants are also available for assistance.

When asked if e-commerce is here to stay, or if in-person sales will flourish again, Kuzma said it depends on the business. "(With the ongoing lockdowns), some are learning it's important to have two revenue streams," Kuzma said. "Online business is open 24 hours."

Using Cookstown as an example, where main street traffic and crossing the road can be difficult for some shoppers, busi-

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SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS

STARTUP FOUNDER HELPS BUSINESS THROUGH PANDEMIC JANIS RAMSAY jramsay@simcoe.com Becoming an entrepreneur is always an eye-opening experience, but throwing a pandemic into the mix has posed a bigger challenge.

"It's been tough, especially for startups," South Simcoe Community StartUp director and Covenant Wealth Financial Services CEO Joy A. Adams said. "They aren't able to access the government programs with COVID." Some service-based businesses like nail salons or hair stylists that are temporarily closed have transitioned to offer other products just to keep revenue coming in, but it hasn't been easy, she said.

"These are the challenges I'm seeing."

And with school-age children

staying home at the moment, it has thrown another curve ball into the mix.

"We've seen it with our events.

If they are happening between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., most people are not able come onto a Zoom call because they are home schooling," Adams said. "Even their head space, with where they are and what they want to do, (is distracted)."

Adams said her focus this year is to offer mentorships to struggling businesses.

"We're hoping the businesses within our community can tap into the resources of more experienced entrepreneurs."

Ask for help and it will be given, Adams said.

"You'd be surprised with the help you get when you ask."

The Town of Innisfil does have some resources to assist, along

with other businesses who can help entrepreneurs transition to e-commerce.

"If they own a storefront and they are locked down, offer ecommerce or curbside pickup — tap into resources in the ecosystem."

Another key is to be pliable and realize customers are compassionate right now.

"There's a lot of grace being given right now. If you have something not working, you have time to test it out. If you mess it up, people are going to have grace," she said.

And while Adams recognizes business owners don't often share stories of failure, it's a reality of being an entrepreneur.

"COVID has affected a lot of businesses and sometimes it's wise to let go. It has nothing to do with whether or not they did the

Joy A. Adams photo Joy A. Adams is director of the South Simcoe Community StartUp and CEO of Covenant Wealth Financial Services. right thing," she said. "I would hope these individuals maintain

that entrepreneurial spirit and not give up (finding their niche)."

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SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS

CHAMBER USES SAVVY SOCIAL MEDIA THROUGH PANDEMIC JANIS RAMSAY jramsay@simcoe.com Social media has been a secret weapon to supporting business through the pandemic in the South Simcoe area.

At least, that's what Cookstown and District Chamber of Commerce president Trish Beesley said.

"As a chamber, we've tried to really focus on bringing awareness to our members through spotlighting them on social media," she said.

Whether it's a tradesperson, food vendor, artist or retail outlet, the chamber has shared updates through social media on how companies are working through the provincial regulations.

It's a quick way to keep business in the forefront when many people aren't venturing out of their homes.

"We've also created initiatives for advertising in various catalogues, such as our Valentine's Day catalogue and our Mother's Day catalogue," Beesley said.

The chamber has offered video promotion initiatives at a discounted price, where members can have a professional video done of their business with fellow chamber member Fedora Films.

Beesley said some south Simcoe businesses have been successful at pivoting during the pandemic, with companies creating more online content to give customers the opportunity to

preorder items for curbside pickup.

"I'd like to make mention of Michael Roberts of DJ Mastermix who has been amazing at pivoting his business, as well as Halliday House and Co., who has created some amazing online content as well."

Halliday House and Co. owner Jenn Halliday said she already had a decent social media audience prior to the pandemic, but it was keeping them engaged that helped.

"I'd try to get a few posts out each week," Halliday said. "The chamber would always share my posts and they would do it for other businesses too. They would be in touch if I had any promos for the holidays to advertise on my behalf."

Halliday credits her

Rick Vanderlinde/Metroland Jenn Halliday, owner of Halliday House & Co. in downtown Cookstown, has been sure to engage her audience on social media. business partner in getting the store merchandise inventory online, which has made it easier for patrons to shop virtually.

And she thanks the loyal, local patrons who have kept her afloat during the various lockdowns.

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and the flower shop has been huge — this flower shop I've started on a whim has taken off through all of this."

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Navigating the pandemic Presented by

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The various advantages to shopping locally

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Residents of a given town or city are often encouraged to support local businesses by looking to these firms to fill their needs. Small businesses are not just integral parts of communities, employing millions across the country, they also are operations that fund the very communities they service.

Efforts to promote shopping local appear to be working. Over the last several years there has been a shift in consumer purchasing behaviour marked by a preference among consumers to support locally owned shops and stores over big-box retailers and even online shopping.

The following are some key reasons why shopping locally not only benefits small business owners, but also the communities they call home and the customers they serve.

• More money stays in the

community: According to the American Independent Business Alliance, for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 remains in the community.

Conversely, only 43 percent of every $100 spent at a chain retailer stays in the community.

• Job creation: The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies says local businesses create the majority of economic growth. They employ millions of Americans by creating roughly two-thirds of private sector jobs. Local business owners also tend to hire people who represent the demographics of the communities where the business is located, which may include historically underserved populations.

• Diversity of products: Local stores tend to diversify their products and services to meet the needs of the local communities, whereas chain

stores often stock their shelves based on national demands.

• Personalized service: A small business owner may be more inclined to go to great lengths to make customers happy because the long-term success of the business depends on customers becoming repeat customers.

• Personal connection: Knowing the people behind a business facilitates a connection not easily achieved with other companies. Customers may celebrate when a favourite business succeeds and look to spread the word about that business because they feel like they played a positive role in its success.

Shopping locally has gained momentum and is fuelled by the many advantages to supporting local businesses.

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JULIE KWIECINSKI Column

As the pandemic has continued to drag on, more and more small businesses have shuttered their doors forever.

After months and months without in-store sales, our main streets are looking more like the sets of old westerns rather than the vibrant communities we knew them to be.

How can Ontario's small businesses be expected to survive, when some have been closed by government order for more than 80 per cent of the pandemic? When their average COVID-19 debt is about $208,000?

When only 27 per cent are at their usual revenues for this time of year?

After being in lockdown for so long, just being allowed to reopen alone won't make up for lost sales, especially as the provincial and municipal

governments continue to tell people to stay home and avoid the businesses they've allowed to reopen.

Add in low consumer confidence and changed shopping habits after people have been buying everything for months in person at Costco and Walmart, and online at Amazon, and what you get is the recipe for a lengthy and drawn-out recovery.

Small businesses need the government that closed them to help them navigate the long road to the other side of COVID-19.

The Ontario government must be there to financially support small businesses every step of the way. In a recent Canadian Federation of Independent Business survey, 75 per cent of Ontario's small businesses said that government programs are crucial to their survival in 2021.

We applaud the provincial government's budget move to automatically double funding to small businesses that have already received the Ontario Small Business Support Grant.

For example, if you were approved for $20,000 in the first round of funding, you will receive another $20,000 without having to reapply.

While this grant program is providing some additional much-needed support to many busi-

“Small businesses need the government that closed them to help them navigate the long road to the other side of COVID-19”

31 | Innisfil Journal | Thursday, May 13, 2021

SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS – OPINION

– Julie Kwiecinski

nesses, it ended on March 31 without helping the thousands of hard-hit small businesses across the province that were ineligible, including construction businesses, dry cleaners, caterers, the entire restaurant supply chain, breweries, regulated and unregulated health professionals, and print shops, just to name a few.

On top of a provincial grant that is more widely accessible, it makes sense to have more personal protective equipment (PPE) funding in place as Ontario businesses prepare to reopen after months of being closed to in-store customers. Ontario's onetime PPE grant of only $1,000 wasn't nearly enough. When open, some gyms spend $2,000 a month

CFIB image alone on PPE! Sadly, the budget offers no new money for the PPE grant, which ended on March 31. Instead of closing this grant when PPE is needed most, the government should expand eligibility and increase the amount available to each small business.

Telling business operators they can use the Small Business Support Grant to pay for anything they choose — including PPE — is not an acceptable reason for shutting down the PPE

grant, when all of those dollars have already been allocated to mounting debt and other COVID-related financial challenges.

The Ontario government committed to doing whatever it takes to help small businesses — especially significantly impacted ones — weather the economic effects of government lockdown decisions. It's not too late to turn these words into further actions by extending and improving the Small Business Support Grant

and PPE grant.

A full 30 per cent of Ontario's small businesses operators are worried about closing for good.

The Ontario government can help stop this worry from becoming reality.

No one wants to see our main streets turn into old western ghost towns.

Julie Kwiecinski is a director of provincial affairs in Ontario with Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

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Innisfil Journal | Thursday, May 13, 2021 | 32

SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS – OPINION

WEDDING INDUSTRY HAMMERED BY PANDEMIC GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS IGNORE SECTOR, WRITES RYAN MALLOUGH

With a year of COVID in the books, there's been a lot of focus on the business sectors that have taken the biggest hits. The retailers locked down over the holiday season, restaurants limited to takeout options only and the tourism industry as everyone was forced to stay at home.

All of these sectors need help, to be sure, but there's one sector that's gone unnoticed for too long with no relief or end to the pandemic pain in sight: the wedding indus-

RYAN MALLOUGH Column

try.

While the Ontario budget's doubling of the Small Business Support Grant will be a significant help to many smaller businesses, there has yet to be any program that recognizes the unique and devastating situation the wedding industry finds itself in.

Many operators have been fully closed for almost all of the pandemic, and even with government support programs, overhead is still putting these businesses at a significant loss.

The reality is that these businesses cannot even begin to recover until we can find a way to bring people together again under a single roof.

The Doctor's House, a wedding venue in Kleinburg, illustrated the issue well. They went from 307 events in 2019, to just eight in 2020.

That loss of business is enormous, representing millions of dollars across thousands of businesses.

It sends ripples out like a tsunami across the wedding industry.

Caterers, decorators, fflorists, bridal stores, dress shops, tailors, rental stores, photographers, musicians, DJs, entertainment companies, salons and barbers, to printing houses, travel agents, transportation companies and hotels and motels — just to name a few — lose

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out on significant revenues.

One salon owner told us losing the four small wedding parties they had booked in 2020 cost them thousands of dollars, on top of all of the business they lost to myriad government restrictions and lockdowns over the course of the year.

What's worse, a lot of venues had to reschedule events to 2021. While this means it still happens, it also blocks off new business opportunities while

the cost of food, labour and the other things that go into prices also creep up with inflation.

More than a year into lockdown we are still using blunt, sweeping lockdowns to try to curtail the spread of COVID, with limited results. There needs to be a new approach if the industry is going to survive. Improved contact tracing, precision shutdowns and more creative use of readily available rapid testing are all key to bringing peo-

ple back together.

Things are starting to pick up for small businesses, and as more individuals are vaccinated, there's good reason for optimism. But as we approach May and June, we need a change in thinking if we're going to salvage the 2021 wedding season and save the industry.

Ryan Mallough is CFIB's Director of Provincial Affairs for Ontario. Learn more at the CFIB website cfib-fcei.ca.

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