Economic Development and Tourism News |
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New partnership program launches to support entrepreneurs |
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The Town of Georgina is excited to announce Idea Consultations, in continued partnership with the Town of East Gwillimbury and York University's YSpace. The program involves free one-on-one consultation services that connect entrepreneurs with YSpace’s entrepreneurship team to understand how the entrepreneurial ecosystem can help business ideas come to life.
The program is open to entrepreneurs 18+ who reside in northern York Region, primarily in East Gwillimbury, Georgina and the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nations. For established business owners or first-time founders, this program is designed to provide entrepreneurs with what they need to start or refine a business.
Entrepreneurs will benefit from:
- Free one-on-one consultation with a business professional
- A defined roadmap aligned to your unique needs
- Access to additional support or mentorship via an ecosystem of volunteers through the local ecosystem of resources
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Georgina chosen to host central Canada's Rural and Remote Community Conference |
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The Town of Georgina has been selected to host the 2022 Rural and Remote Community Conference at the Sutton Arena from Sept. 7-9, 2022.
This conference is essential for anyone looking to better understand rural and remote broadband challenges, engage with stakeholders, and explore options to collaborate to find effective solutions. Registration will open soon.
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Attention late summer and fall event organizers! |
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Are you thinking about organizing an event? The Town’s Community Grant Program has streams to help support and generate economic opportunities for local businesses and for the betterment of the community. Applicants could receive up to $5,000 for their event (50 per cent cost-share).
Submissions are recommended 120 days prior to your event, so if you are thinking about a late summer or fall event, we encourage you to connect with our office soon.
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Do you want to be a mentor to entrepreneurs in our community? |
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The Town is looking for local entrepreneurship mentors in the community. If selected, you may be a part of an exciting project in partnership with the Town of East Gwillimbury and York University's Premier Entrepreneurship Hub, YSpace.
Mentorship roles and commitments vary depending on the programs and startup needs. Initial programming will connect local entrepreneurs and business owners to mentors and resources within our community.
If you think you can play a role in assisting our entrepreneurship programming, we encourage you to fill out an application to help us better understand your background and to assess the best fit with our programs. Once completed, a YSpace representative will be in touch to set up an introductory call. If you have any questions on time or experience requirements, please reach out to yspace@yorku.ca.
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Experienced hospitality business owners choose Georgina to open new cafe in Keswick |
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Keswick has welcomed Oh!Nest Cafe at 672 The Queensway S. Owners Eddy and Hanna Heider, and their son Ronnie, are excited to take on their next business venture and share their love of food. The family has spent many years in the hospitality and tourism sector, most recently running a restaurant on Main Street in Newmarket called Aubergine.
When the pandemic hit, they decided to sell and look for a new opportunity that would still allow them to continue to fulfill their passion for food and hospitality but would be one that wouldn’t be as heavily reliant on seating. “Georgina is the next big thing that’s growing,” said Ronnie. They chose Georgina because they like the area and the community, and were looking for affordable space to rent. The new subdivision across the road was also appealing and one of the reasons why they picked their location, knowing there would be a number of people within walking distance. Read more.
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Top Government Funding for Hiring and Training
Looking for affordable, skilled talent? Mentor Works will teach the best practices for securing funding for hiring and training talent through government funding. Tune in to Mentor Work's webinar on March 31, at 10 a.m. Register.
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Web Presence 101 - Ensuring Your Foundation is Set
In this workshop, you'll learn about the importance of getting your business online and where to start with developing your online presence. Tune in with Digital Main Street on April 12, at 10 a.m. Register.
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For a full list of upcoming webinars, visit yorklink.ca.
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Georgina Farmers' Market
The seventh annual Georgina Farmers' Market will open on May 22, 2022, and run every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. until October at the Link in Sutton. Visit georginafarmersmarket.com to download a vendor application and submit it by April 1.
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Stilettos and Sneakers Lifestyle Show for Women
Hosted by the Georgina Chamber of Commerce, the Stilettos and Sneakers Lifestyle Show for Women is making its return to the Link this spring. The five-hour event on June 12 will feature vendors, activities and displays devoted to women of all ages, with upgrades to safety protocols in place. Learn more.
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Town of Georgina support programs
The Town's business support programs include grants, a development application fee rebate and a patio program. Learn more.
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E-Commerce support
The Digital Main Street shopHERE program helps home-based and commercial businesses create an online store. Join the other 33 Georgina businesses that took advantage of this program in 2021. Learn more and apply.
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Entrepreneurship training and funding for youth
Do you know a student aged 15-29 interested in entrepreneurship? Be your own boss this summer and get training, mentoring, and the opportunity to receive a grant of up to $3,000. Learn more.
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Rapid Antigen Screening kits
The Georgina Chamber of Commerce is distributing Rapid Antigen Screening kits to be used for self-screening in the workplace. The kits are available for free to small-and-medium businesses. To sign up, visit georginachamber.com.
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One-on-one free business consultations
York Small Business Enterprise Centre offers free one-hour consultations to provide you with the information you need to succeed and grow your business. Learn more.
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Financial support and guidance
South Lake Futures has established the COVID-19 Response Fund to offer loans below prime rate to support businesses impacted by the pandemic. Learn more.
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Free training resources
My Main Street has produced a variety of online training resources to support businesses. All business owners can access these resources for free. Learn more.
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Georgina's Economic Development Officer, Sean Columbus, is available to guide you to programs, resources or funding opportunities you may not be aware of. Connect with him.
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Featured Funding Opportunities |
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Finding grants and funding opportunities available to business owners can be daunting. We've complied provincial and federal opportunities in one place to make it easier.
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Canada Digital Adoption Program
The Canadian Digital Adoption Program helps to get your business online, give your e-commerce presence a boost or help digitalize your business's operations. Two different funding streams are available - Boost Your Business Technology which covers up to 90 per cent of eligible costs of retaining the services of a digital advisor and Grow Your Business which helps businesses that haven't yet adopted digital technologies take advantage of e-commerce opportunities. The website offers a questionnaire to figure out which stream is right for you. Learn more.
Apply by: Open until funds are used
Funding Amount: $2,400 or 90 per cent of costs up to $15,000 depending on the stream
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Canada Recovery Hiring Program
This program (CRHP) is a hiring subsidy that supports employers with a subsidy of up to 50 per cent on incremental remuneration paid to eligible working employees. Learn more.
Apply by: May 17, 2022
Funding amount: Up to 50 per cent.
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Featured Properties for Sale |
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Are you looking for the perfect site to start or expand your business? We can help you find a location that will meet your needs and is zoned for your industry.
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Disclaimer: Listings are provided to the Town from brokers, real estate agents, and various real estate websites. The Town of Georgina assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information shown, and does not make any representation, warranties or guarantees of any kind in relation to the listings in this e-newsletter or the properties described therein. Please contact the real estate agent or other contact person identified on the listing to verify all information.
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Georgina Economic Development and Tourism
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