Invest Prescott Newsletter

Northern Cables CEO Shelley Bacon, left, and President Todd Stafford, right, at their Prescott Facility.

Northern Cables' Prescott Facility Continues to Grow

Northern Cables' Prescott facility, located on Susan Street, is a testament to the growth and capabilities of this locally-owned but internationally-recognized company.

"We manufactured every cable used in this facility," said Shelley Bacon, one of Northern Cables' six original partners and its CEO, "there's no better demonstration of what we can do than that."

Bacon and fellow original Northern Cables partner, President Todd Stafford, highlighted their company's capabilities during a recent tour of their Prescott production facility, which houses cutting-edge equipment and skilled tradespeople helping to meet the needs of some of the world's largest projects.

The facility and its operations also point to an ethic of sustainability - every lift truck in the facility is electric, eliminating emissions and creating a healthier work environment for employees, and filings and other waste generated by the production process is repurposed as raw materials either internally or with existing suppliers.

Currently employing 30 people on-site, along with numerous specialist visiting regularly from other facilities, the site is a 24/7 hub of activity. With the addition of a new covered storage facility, currently being constructed, that capacity continues to grow.

Bacon, Stafford, and their fellow co-founders take great pride as well in community involvement. Northern Cables donated the cables used in the new Alaine Chartrand Community Centre, sponsored the Arena's score board, and made personal contributions to support amenities such as locker rooms.

Northern Cables Prescott is located at 799 Susan Street, with the facility now stretching to an existing industrial building visible on Wood Street West. You can learn more about Northern Cables by visiting their website.

Olde Magick casts a spell with Digital Main Street

Located at 121 King Street West in Downtown Prescott, the winner of the Halloween Storefront Decorating Contest, Olde Magick has participated in nearly every Digital Main Street program over the last 3 years.

Owner Sherry Denoyers accessed the ShopHERE program to create her online store and received two rounds of Digital Transformation Grant funding, which helped her update her website and expand digital marketing initiatives on social media to improve her social media following and boost her online presence. She has also worked directly with the Digital Service Squad to help implement her Transformation Plan, and has been featured as both a local and regional Digital Main Street success story.

Olde Magick's growth isn't just online - early this fall Sherry launched Olde Magick Antiques & Curiousities, selling a range of vintage and antique goods to help decorate your home, located at 123 King Street West, directly beside Olde Magick Shoppe.

Sherry believes "every business should take advantage of the programs that Digital Main Street has to offer, they have been great for my store”.

You can find Olde Magick Shoppe and Olde Magick Antiques & Curiousities on Facebook through the highlighted links.

South Grenville Digital Main Street offers a variety of grants and programs to help your small business make necessary digital improvements to improve your brand and increase revenue. If you are looking to digitally transform your small business and take advantage of the Digital Main Street Programs like Sherry and numerous other Prescott Businesses, contact Taylor at dms@prescott.ca for more details.

The South Grenville Digital Service Squad will also be hosting a free webinar on Improving Your Social Media Game on January 8, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. This webinar will cover the importance of having a social media presence for your small business, tips for creating content, best practices to follow, and how to analyze your social media pages.

Community Improvement Plan Incentive Program Accepting Applications

The Community Improvement Plan (CIP) Incentive Program supports local revitalization, beautification and economic development in the Town of Prescott by providing financial incentives for downtown revitalization, employment lands, heritage properties, housing developments and brownfield projects.

CIP funding is available to businesses and private property owners to help offset project costs that achieve the Town’s community planning and development goals. Eligible projects can receive a combination of non-repayable grants, 0% interest loans and tax incentives.

Interested in the Community Improvement Plan Incentive Program? Click here to learn more.

#ShopLocal and #GiveLocal this Holiday Season with Prescott Proud Dollars

Looking for the perfect gift this holiday season but don't know exactly what to get? Prescott Proud Dollars let you ensure your money stays with Prescott businesses, while giving your loved ones the flexible to buy exactly what they want.

Accepted like cash at numerous businesses throughout Prescott, Prescott Proud Dollars help support the local businesses we rely on all year long.

Prescott Proud Dollars are available for purchase at Prescott Town Hall, 360 Dibble Street West, and the Museum & Visitor Centre, 202 King Street West, during regular business hours.

For a complete list of businesses that accept Prescott Proud Dollars, click here.

Cozy Clozet Clothing & Home Décor Ground Opening- November 17th

On November 17th, Mayor Gauri Shankar and members of Council welcomed Cozy Clozet Clothing & Home Decor to the Downtown Prescott RiverWalk District. Located at 294 King Street West, Cozy Clozet features men's and women's clothing and a curated home décor collection.

Ground Breaking for Prescott's new Water Tower - November 3rd

On November 3rd, Mayor Gauri Shankar was joined by MPP Steve Clark, members of Council, officials from Augusta and Edwardsburg Cardinal, and representatives of the South Grenville Chamber of Commerce for the ceremonial ground breaking for Prescott's new Water Tower.

Advertising Opportunities at the Alaine Chartrand Community Centre

Advertising Opportunities are available at a variety of price points at Prescott's new Alaine Chartrand Community Centre, including board and wall signage.

For more information, contact Dana Valentyne at dvalentyne@prescott.ca.

On December 15th and 16th, #ShopLocal throughout Prescott, including the Holiday Mini-Market at the Prescott Museum and Visitor Centre!

Complete with your favourite vendors from RiverWalk Wonderland, visits with Santa, and free hot chocolate and hot apple cider, the Holiday Mini-Market will be the perfect spot to start your Downtown Holiday shopping adventure!

Follow the Downtown Prescott RiverWalk District and Explore Prescott on Facebook for more information, including vendor highlights, Santa schedule, and a sneak peak of the RiverWalk Elves.

The RiverWalk Elves are back for 2023!

On December 8th,15th, and 22nd, be sure to #ShopLocal in Prescott for a chance to run into the RiverWalk Elves and earn Prescott Dollars to spend at local businesses!

The Elves will be travelling around Prescott handing out Prescott Dollars to thank you for supporting Prescott's businesses.

Despite Weather, RiverWalk Wonderland a Success

Despite a weekend frequently interrupted by rain, the first RiverWalk Wonderland, held December 1st to 3rd at the Prescott Pop-Ups, was a success for vendors and visitors.

Friday evening featured Prescott's Annual Tree Lighting along with vendors, music from the Thousand Islanders Chorus, real reindeer from Sherwood's Reindeer Farm, and a s'mores station, Saturday welcomed traditional fiddle band We 3 Strings, while Sunday included make & take crafts. Santa was in his workshop all weekend for photos and visits, with wagon rides throughout Downtown Prescott on Friday and Saturday.

We would like to thank our sponsors who helped support the first RiverWalk Wonderland:

Santa-level Sponsors ($500+) - Canadian Tire Prescott, CSE Consulting, Downtown Prescott BIA, Portolano Outlet Store

Mistletoe-level Sponsors ($250-$499) - Curls & Cuts Hair Shoppe, KC Spencer & Associates, Walker & Associates Professional Corporation, Wing House Prescott, Judy's Wooden Spoon

Cheer-level Sponsors ($100-$250) - b-ubu, Cozy Clozet Clothing & Décor, Katarina's Coffee Shop, Irving H. Miller Insurance, Nick's Family Restaurant, Quality Creations

Festive-level Sponsors (In-Kind) - Custom Care Landscaping, Forwarder's Antiques, Laushway Law Office, Millar's Barber Shop, Olde Magick Shoppe.

Upcoming Tourism & Community Events

December 15th - Holiday Mini-Market - 4 pm to 8 pm - Prescott Museum & Visitor Centre - 202 King Street West

December 16th - Holiday Mini-Market - Noon to 4 pm - Prescott Museum & Visitor Centre - 202 King Street West

December 17th - Christmas Carol Sing-a-long - 7 pm - St. Paul's United Church - 290 Dibble Street West

For more information on Tourism programs and events in Prescott, follow #ExplorePrescottON on social media, visit our website, or contact us.

Leeds Grenville Small Business will be in Prescott on January 16th.

Leeds Grenville Small Business can help you analyze your business situation and help you identify opportunities in the marketplace. They can also help you with market research, writing an effective business plan structure, government regulations, licensing information and sourcing finances.

They offer free 45 minute business consultations to answers your questions and give you guidance on what steps to take next.

Book your consult here.

The LG Small Business & Trade Show is returning to the Leo Boivin Community Centre this March as the 2023 Prescott & Area Spring Home & Trade Show.

Presented by Ontario Approved Professionals with a focus on small business and trades, the show will feature a maximum of four vendors per trade/profession.

The deadline to register is March 1st, 2024.

To learn more about registration and potential sponsorship opportunities, visit their website at Ontario Approved Events (oapevents.ca).

This Month at CSE Consulting

Webinars and Seminars

Click on the underlined event title for more information and to register.

December 12 @ 9:30 am to 11 am - First Steps in Exporting - Module 3; International Distribution, Trade Events and eCommerce – Webinar – FREE

Ontario’s “First Steps in Exporting” program helps companies that are new to exporting familiarize themselves with key steps in growing your international sales in the U.S. and beyond.

December 12 @ 10 am to 11 am - Financial Survival for Entrepreneurs - Webinar – FREE

CPA Canada will help you understand the management of growth and expansion, how to seek financing, and effective tax strategies.

December 12 @ 12 pm to 1 pm - How the government buys what you sell – Webinar – FREE

This seminar provides key information about how the Government of Canada buys goods/services.

December 12 @ 2 pm to 3 pm - Social Impact 101 – Webinar – FREE

In this webinar, you will learn about the benefits of social impact measurement and various frameworks/methods to help you measure it (i.e. B-Corps, SROI, Theory of Change, etc.). You’ll learn how to integrate social impact into your business model and why it’s important.

December 13 @ 10 am to 12 pm - Business Planning for Small Business – Webinar – FREE Learn all about business planning to put your best foot forward when developing your small business or start-up.

December 14 @ 10:30 am to 12 pm - Pitch Preparation Workshop – Webinar – FREE

The Government of Ontario is offering a series of free webinars to help reboot your export business. This workshop is designed to help you develop the all important “pitch presentation” skills for presenting to international buyers.

December 14 @ 11:30 am to 12:30 pm - Steppingstones of E-Commerce: Part 2 – Modernizing Your E-Commerce (Digital) Infrastructure – Webinar – FREE

This webinar will cover how to maintain, manage, and modernize your digital hub while centralizing your online community.

December 14 @ 12 pm to 1 pm - Finding Opportunities on CanadaBuys and SAP Ariba – Webinar – FREE

This webinar provides an overview and demonstration of the CanadaBuys website’s key features and functions.

December 19 @ 10 am to 11 am - Maximizing Your Business: How to Manage Your Cash – Webinar – FREE

CPA Canada will show you the key concepts of cash management, working capital and operational efficiency.

December 28 @ 10 am to 11 am - Why Financial Ratios Matter: How to Know if You're Turning a Profit – Webinar – FREE

Learn from CPA Canada about the calculation and interpretation of financial ratios.

Do you have an upcoming Business Event or Workshop you would like included in our newsletter? Contact us, we would love to include it!

Submit Event

Experience Ontario Event Funding

Experience Ontario 2024 provides support for festivals and events with a tourism economic impact to motivate visitors to discover Ontario, connect people with local experiences, and increase tourism spending.

Funding Available:

Tier 1 – Signature: Tourism festivals or events with total expenses of $1 million or greater will be eligible for 50% of expenses up to a maximum of $125,000 in funding.

Tier 2 – Emerging: Tourism festivals or events with total expenses between $250,000 and $999,999 will be eligible for up to 50% of expenses up to a maximum $55,000 in funding.

Tier 3 – Community: Tourism festivals or events with total expenses of less than $250,000 will be eligible for up to 50% of eligible cash expenses up to a maximum of $20,000 in funding.

Click Here to Learn More.

The Grenville Community Futures Initiative provides non-repayable funding to support community economic development projects up to 50% of eligible project costs to a maximum of $3000. Eligible Applicants include Not for profit organizations, Business Improvement Areas, and Municipalities located within or comprising Grenville County.

For full eligibility requirements, click here.

Free Resources and Tools

This free guide from BDC will help you discover how to boost the sales of your business. This guide will help you assess, optimize and digitize your sales process.

Download Here

Published by Canadian Manufacturing and Plant Magazine, the 2024 Advanced Manufacturing Outlook Report analyzes trends related to Industry 4.0 Adoption.

Download Here

Other Funding & Business Support Programs

Rock My Business 3-part Workshop

Are you an entrepreneur looking to transform your idea into a thriving business or grow your newly launched small business? Register today for this free, virtual, three-part series, presented by Futurpreneur and RBC Future Launch. The series provides you with the tools to develop your idea, formalize your business plan and create a viable cashflow—all while connecting you with fellow entrepreneurs across Canada. Learn More Here.

Launch Lab Amplify Program

Launch Lab’s Amplify program accelerates innovative companies selling into business-to-business or business-to-consumer markets regionally, nationally or internationally. As an intensive, personalized 6-month program, participants work with Launch Lab’s Advisors to create a growth plan, designed to address specific growth challenges. Learn More Here.

Ontario Centre of Innovation - Digitalization Competence Centre

The Digitalization Competence Centre (DCC) is Ontario’s knowledge centre focused on driving the digital modernization of Ontario's small businesses, with two program streams available to support small businesses. The Digital Modernization and Adoption Stream (DMAP), which supports Ontario small businesses to better understand their organization’s technology needs, and the Technology Demonstration Program Stream, which supports Ontario small businesses that have completed a DMAP project. Learn More Here

Ongoing Public Funding Sources

Grenville CFDC is a community-based not-for-profit funded by the Federal Government to provide business loans and advice in Grenville County, including Prescott.

Click the logo above to visit their website and learn more.

The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is a Crown Corporation that offers loans, capital investments, and advice to Canada's Small- and Medium- Sized Businesses.

Click the logo above to visit their website and learn more.

Export Development Canada (EDC) is a Crown Corporation offering advice, financial solutions, equity, insurance, and connections for export-oriented businesses to help them navigate foreign markets.

Click the logo above to visit their website and learn more.

EV ChargeON Program - Available funding to install EV Chargers in Small Communities

The EV ChargeON program provides funding for the installation of public electric vehicle (EV) chargers in Ontario communities outside of major cities.

EV ChargeON aims to:

increase the number of public EV charging stations throughout Ontario to build a more connected network
make public chargers more accessible and affordable
encourage more people to switch to EVs

Eligible applicants, located and operating in Ontario, include businesses, not-for-profit corporations, municipal governments, Indigenous communities, organizations or businesses, and broader public sector organizations.

Applications will be accepted until January 31, 2024 at 5 pm.

Learn more about the program and available funding by visiting their website.