Digital Main Street Archives - Hamilton Business Centre

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!

$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.

$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.

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.

Business owners watching online marketing webinars

Free Online Digital Marketing Webinars

[Updated: April 14, 2020.] Are you looking to gain a competitive edge and become more digitally savvy? What about learning how to effectively market your business online and drive more traffic to your website or e-commerce shop? Learn the basics and more by registering for anyone of the FREE online webinars courtesy of Digital Main Street.

Resources for Small Businesses During COVID-19

[Updated: April 14, 2020.] The business community globally, in Canada, and Ontario is being impacted by COVID-19. In response, both the Canadian and the Ontario Governments have announced support for the business community during this pandemic. To help all businesses during this difficult time, Digital Main Street and the Hamilton Business Centre will continually be compiling a list of relevant resources for your small business needs.