Keith Russell, Author at Hamilton Business Centre

From Start to Success: Must-Have Resources for Your Food Product Business

Have you ever wanted to launch your own food or beverage business but didn’t know how or where to start? Searching for the right information to get started can sometimes be confusing, especially if you are new to the industry. Whether you’re looking for shared kitchen space, need to test your product shelf life, or need some help with labelling this post is jam-packed with all the resources you need to get started.

Know Your Customers: Concession Street BIA Facts (INFOGRAPHIC)

Businesses that understand their customers may be able to improve marketing and make more customer-centric products and services. In part 2 of the Know Your Customers series, the Community Market Profile for the Concession Street Business Improvement Area (BIA) is explored.

Ontario Business Number (BN): What is it and Do I Need One

It’s important to map out what’s legally required for your business to operate prior to offering the physical thing you do or sell as a business. In Ontario, a business number (BN) might be one of them. Find out if your business needs one.

Business Startup Guides

A list of business how-to guides that cover starting and operating a business across most major industries as well as checklists specifically for Canadian entrepreneurs.

Finance and Tax Resources for Small Businesses

When you operate a business in Ontario, you are responsible for charging, collecting, and remitting the appropriate taxes. These resources will give you an overview of the different taxes that may affect your business and provide you with information on tools, programs, and services that can help you meet your business tax obligations.

Grants and Funding for Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs

Looking for small business funding? Entrepreneurs often report that finding grant and financing options is one of the most challenging aspects of starting or growing a business. To better assist business owners in their funding pursuit, this comprehensive list of various grants, loans, tax credits, and wage subsidies has been curated.

Know Your Customers: King Street East Corridor Facts (INFOGRAPHIC)

Know your customer is a golden rule in business. Following this rule may allow business owners to hone marketing efforts and to make better customer centric products and services. How can a small retail business get to know their customers though? One solution is to look towards local demographic information.

How to Register a Sole Proprietorship Online in 2023 (Guide)

Confused about how to register a Sole Proprietorship online in 2023? Our easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide will walk you through the registration process and have your new Business Name Registration completed in no time!

Digital Transformation Grant 4.0

The Ontario BIA Association (OBIAA), in partnership with the Toronto Association of BIAs (TABIA) is pleased to announce the Digital Transformation Grant (DTG) 4.0 program is now accepting applications. The DTG provides up to $2,500 to qualifying brick-and-mortar small businesses to help cover the cost of adopting digital tools and technologies. Apply today!

Hamilton Launches The My Main Street Local Business Accelerator Program

The City of Hamilton is pleased to announce that it has been approved for a $945,000 non-repayable contribution and will be participating in the My Main Street Local Business Accelerator program to help revitalize our main streets.

$1 Million in Digital Transformation Grant funding given to Hamilton Businesses

The Hamilton Business Centre and Hamilton Chamber of Commerce are pleased to announce that $1 million in Digital Transformation Grants has been distributed to Hamilton businesses through the Digital Main Street (DMS) Ontario Grants Program (OGP).

Digital Service Squad Will Help Hamilton Small Businesses With Digital Transformation

Hamilton, ON. The Hamilton Business Centre, in partnership with the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, has received a $150,000 grant from Digital Main Street’s Ontario Grants Program (OGP) for a Digital Service Squad (DSS). The DSS will provide trained digital specialists to local small businesses to help them adopt online technologies and digitally transform their sales, marketing, and back-office operations.

Cultivate your own style, as distinctive as a Local Accent (ShopHERE Success)

Cultivate your own style, as distinctive as a Local Accent. This is the slogan of up-and-coming home and lifestyle brand Local Accent, based in Hamilton, Ontario. Founder Krysten Brunski has always had a passion for all things relating to home and lifestyle.

3 teens sitting browsing social media on cell phones

Why your business needs to be on social media & two easy ways to set yourself up for success

Your customers and clients are using social media: If your target market is using social media then you need to be too! If they’re younger maybe opt for developing a strong Instagram Strategy. However, if your audience is a little older than Facebook would be your platform.

A New Accessory Aimed To Change The Dating Game (ShopHERE)

This revolutionary new tool can be found online and is sure to disrupt the dating world, but not in the way you think. Meet Jelaine Foster, a young entrepreneur who has set out to change “what single looks like” because she feels it’s time…

How to Write Impactful Social Media Posts (5 Tips)

If you’re new to posting on social media for your business, the whole experience can seem pretty daunting. In this post learn how to get started and nail your social media messaging with these 5 tips.

Email Marketing – Long Live The King

Think Email Marketing Is Dead? Think Again. Every internet user from around the world has a minimum of one email account. Radicati recently held an email marketing study and discovered that there are 3.8 billion active email accounts – half of the Earth’s population. Want to reach a bigger audience? Use a mailing list.

Developing Your Brand Voice

If ever there was a time to start ramping up your use of social media, it’s during a worldwide pandemic. A good chunk of your audience is sitting at home and they’re using social media more than ever to stay connected to the outside world. Your audience is literally looking for communication from you – don’t disappoint them!

5 Ways to Market Your Business on Social Media During a Pandemic

If ever there was a time to start ramping up your use of social media, it’s during a worldwide pandemic. A good chunk of your audience is sitting at home and they’re using social media more than ever to stay connected to the outside world. Your audience is literally looking for communication from you – don’t disappoint them!

Hamilton Launches Digital Service Squad to Help Small Businesses Adopt Online Technologies – Receives $150,000 Digital Main Street Grant

Hamilton, ON – The Hamilton Business Centre, in partnership with the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, has received a $150,000 grant from Digital Main Street Ontario for a Digital Service Squad (DSS) to help downtown small businesses improve their online capabilities.

10 Social Media Best Practices (2020)

Keeping up with the latest social channels, their functionalities, features, stickers, stories, etc. can feel like a full-time job ….. and it is. If you’re like most small business owners, you’re probably juggling many other responsibilities, such as hiring employees, reviewing sales, overseeing daily activities, and more. That’s why we compiled this list of 10 social media best practices just for you. You’ll find tips for every aspect of social media in business, from listening and engagement to publishing and advertising.

Instagram Food Delivery & Gift Card Stickers (How To)

Let’s face it, COVID has been incredibly hard on everyone but especially on our local small businesses. If there was ever a time to get out and show your support, it’s now. Thankfully, Instagram is making the process of connecting with and supporting local small businesses incredibly easy with their food delivery and gift card stickers. Learn how you can start using them today for your business to increase sales and boost engagement.

Facebook Blueprint – Learn New Marketing Skills With Free Online Courses

With more businesses looking to maximize their online opportunities and in some cases completely pivot their business model to online only amid COVID-19, learning how to market and grow your business online has never been more important. Luckily for us, tech giants like Facebook, Google, HubSpot, and others have made the process of learning these new essential skills easier than ever before by producing a wealth of free learning resources.

$57 Million Investment in Digital Main Street to Help Businesses Reopen and Recover

The announcement made today regarding Digital Main Street is big one! It is a $57-million program ($50 million in federal funding through FedDev Ontario and $7.6 million from the province) which will help up to 22,900 Ontario businesses create and enhance their online presence and generate jobs for more than 1,400 students.

Instagram: How to Use the Support Small Business Sticker in Stories

Did you know Instagram recently added a Support Small Business sticker to their Stories feature, allowing you to show support and bring attention to your favourite small business? The new sticker allows you to tag a small business in your post, which will cause your post to be added to a shared Story related to the business.

Google My Business – Reviews (Ultimate Beginners Guide)

As business owners, we know that we should be curating customer reviews as much as possible online. One could say mastering the review process alone means more customers (both in and outside of Google My Business). But why do people leave reviews? What are the motivations behind them, and why are they important to our business and our digital presence?

Sell online with Shopify's e-commerce platform

Start Selling Online with Shopify

If there is anything the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us as business owners is that having an online presence for your business is a must. If your a small business struggling to get online so potential customers can find and purchase your products and services, Shopify might just be the answer for you.

Geo Tagging Images for Google My Business Optimization

Google My Business – Photo Optimization with Geo-Tagging

In this blog post, we are going to cover the why and how of optimizing your photos for Google My Business and local search with the help of geo-tagging. Geo-tagging is the process of adding geographical information to various media in the form of metadata. In our case, we will be looking at geo-tagging our GMB profile photos.

Google My Business – Listing Optimization (Checklist)

Claiming and verifying your Google My Business (GMB) Listing is an essential step for any business owner that is looking to increase their chances of showing up in Google’s Local Pack, Local Finder, Google Maps, and organic search rankings. Ready to start supercharging your GMB listing for maximum visibility and customer acquisition? Read on.

Hometownhub.ca – Supporting Local Businesses

Hometown Hub is an all-in-one on-line sales site for Hamilton’s small businesses. It provides a platform for local small businesses to sell gift cards and online merchandise as well as the ability to quickly bring merchants on-line if they do not already have this sales capability. If your looking to boost your online presence, Hometownhub.ca can help!

Author: Keith Russell