Volume 1 | March 18, 2020
Update: COVID-19 News And Resources
Economic Development Office
Town of Wasaga Beach
Local Business Survey
Have You Adjusted Your Hours for COVID-19? Let Us Know!  

COVID-19 continues to put heavy strain on local businesses. We want to help by connecting residents to you to support continued operations at the local level. Our team will be looking to post and share information on what stores, offices and activities are available locally.



Please email [email protected] with the following information:

  1. Business Name
  2. 100-200 word description of your business
  3. The Products and Services that you continue to offer (brief)
  4. How people find you and connect with you.
.
Tips for businesses:

  1. Do business digitally wherever possible.
  2. Conduct meetings over the phone wherever possible.
  3. Inform patrons on what you are doing to protect them.
  4. Inform patrons on what you expect from them to reduce risk.
  5. Explore "take-out" and "delivery" models for your business.
  6. Ensure hand-washing stations are clearly identifiable for patrons and staff.
Important Notices
How is COVID-19 Affecting Your Business?
NOW MORE THAN EVER YOUR ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED. 
 
The survey that is linked here is to provide data to the Province regarding losses of business and revenue. The information will be aggregated so there will be no way to tell the origin of the data.  
 
WITHOUT THIS DATA the province cannot adequately determine the amount of financial support needed by the tourism operators in the region. It is imperative for you to complete the survey by 8 am on Monday, March 23, 2020.  
 
PLEASE SHARE this link with all of your tourism contacts. This data is CRITICAL TO INFORMING THE MINISTRY OF HERITAGE, SPORT, TOURISM AND CULTURE INDUSTRIES AND CABINET of the financial distress that you and the tourism industry is in so they can plan a proper recovery.
 
PLEASE CLICK on this LINK to access the survey. 

NOTE : Choose “Region 7: Bruce Peninsula, Southern Georgian Bay and Lake Simcoe” in response to Question #2 – Which region of Ontario do you operate in?
 
SURVEY CLOSES AT 8 AM (ET) ON MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2020
News Alerts
Big Banks Provide Financial Relief for Canadians
On March 17, 2020, Canada’s six largest banks announced plans to provide financial relief to Canadians impacted by the economic consequences of COVID-19. 

Effective immediately, Bank of Montreal, CIBC, National Bank of Canada, RBC Royal Bank, Scotiabank and TD Bank have made a commitment to work with personal and small business banking customers on a case-by-case basis to provide flexible solutions to help them manage through challenges such as pay disruption due to COVID-19; childcare disruption due to school closures; or those facing illness from COVID-19. Please contact your bank directly for more information. 
Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan: Support for Canadians and Businesses
On March 18, 2020 the federal government announced a new set of economic measures to help stabilize the economy during this challenging period. These measures, delivered as part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, will provide up to $27 billion in direct support to Canadian workers and businesses. Measures include:



Employment Insurance Waiting Period Slashed for Quarantined Persons
Canadian Employment Insurance and Work Sharing to be expanded. The Government of Canada will waive the one-week waiting period for people who are in quarantine or have been directed to self-isolate and are claiming for Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits. The Government of Canada will also introduce enhancements to the Work-Sharing Program to help employers who are experiencing a downturn in business due to COVID-19, and their workers. Learn More
Information Sessions
*NEW* March 18 - ​Dealing with the Coronavirus: What to do immediately, to help save your tourism industry & downtown businesses
This workshop is FREE to all, so spread the word — this is important for your economic future. In this workshop we are offering ideas that can still encourage travel while implementing “social distancing” and “self-quarantine” procedures, ways to shift your tourism marketing to help you weather the storm, what downtowns (and downtown businesses) can do to survive, and programs coming online to help small businesses that make up the bulk of our tourism-industry providers and downtown businesses. ​ Learn More​

​*NEW* March 20 - Navigating COVID-19: Resources for Foodservice Operators​
The health and safety of everyone we serve is always mission-critical for the restaurant industry. This is just as true now as it was before the emergence of COVID-19.​ This webinar will focus on best health and safety practices for consumers and employees working in restaurants still offering dine-in service, as well as best health and safety practices for employees and consumers in restaurants only offering take-out or delivery options.​  Learn More

​*NEW* March 23 - COVID-19: Preparing for What Comes Next
Join the International Economic​​ Development ​Council to learn the latest on the impact COVID-19 is having on everything from small businesses to essential civil functions. Our moderator will engage speakers on their past experiences in emerging from economic calamity, whatever the cause -- natural disasters or previous outbreaks. Attendees will gain from past experiences and learn important information they can use in the coming weeks and months to help their communities recover from the impact of COVID-19.​  Learn More​

​*NEW* March 24 - Cash Flow Management Strategies for Small Business 
​One of the biggest challenges business owners will face in this difficult time is Cash Flow Management. Learn proven cash management strategies ​and techniques ​including: 
• How to understand the sales cycle
• The main causes of cash flow problems
• Cash flow management tips that you can apply to your business
• Strategies to keep cash flowing in your business
• The importance of developing a cash flow forecast and,
• Simple suggestions to ease cash crunches and improve your daily cash flow

*VIRTUAL SESSION* March 25 - Social Media for Small Business Workshop
There's no denying that social media has had a dramatic impact on the way we experience the world around us. We, as business owners cannot afford to ignore the significant marketing opportunity it has presented.Learn the basics of how important social media is, what platforms to use, how to get started- and leverage your social media presence into real engagement (and sales!) for your business.  Learn More
Stay Informed
If you have found this helpful, please share with your business community to subscribe.
Staying informed is a positive step to keeping our industry strong. Please share these communications with your staff and peers. We encourage you to recommend to your fellow stakeholders to subscribe to the Town of Wasaga Beach's Business newsletter to ensure they receive these updates. We will keep you informed as new and timely information becomes available.

Other Useful Links
**For a full list of available resources, please see the "Corona Virus Crisis Management Resources" document our the Town's COVID-19 page . Here you will find links to data, resources, courses, business tools, and more.
Economic Development Office

The role of economic development recognizes the importance of all sectors of the local economy and makes efforts to ensure a supportive business environment while promoting the Town of Wasaga Beach as a premier tourist destination.

Note that we have migrated our contact list to Constant Contact so that we may better serve you.