Victoria COVID-19 Business Resources

Local businesses | Policy leadership

This website provides links and information related to small business support. It notes that as a municipality, the City “is not permitted to grant direct assistance to businesses, however, Council has directed staff to examine all of the City’s fiscal, legislative and legal powers to support businesses and jobs to sustain the local economy during the pandemic”.

Victoria-based group of tech and marketing professionals offering free assistance to local small businesses, restaurants, and bars

Income support | Local businesses

Platform for connnecting those businesses that need support with organizations offering support.

Tiny Victoria Small Business Relief Fund

Fundraising and volunteering | General: Crowdsourced tools and resources | Local businesses

Google form to apply for support for small 0% non-recourse loans to Victoria-based small businesses.

Downtown Kamloops webpage collects community & City COVID initiatives that support a vibrant and recovering downtown

Local businesses | Policy leadership
The colourful website communicates effectively tools and approaches on how community can help and how businesses can recover

City of Duncan moves forward with downtown projects during COVID-19 shut down

Local businesses | Policy leadership

To minimize disruption to businesses when many might reopen later, construction–including sidewalk widening and watermain replacement– is being fastracked to start now.

Supporting Toronto’s Queen Street West local businesses through purchase of “goody bags”

Food | General: Online communities and networks | Local businesses | Shop Local

Locals for Local TO is an initiatives to support Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood. People can buy “goody bags” for between $80 to $100 (plus delivery). Goody bags include items from local shops like fresh veggies, cookies, coffee and more, and are available for delivery or pick up. A portion of proceeds will go to food banks.

 

Webinar Recording: Business Continuity and Crisis Recovery

General: Sector resources | Local businesses

Downtown Winnipeg BIZ offered a free webinar on Business Continuity and Crisis Recovery on March 30, 2020.

COVID 19 & Main Street: Supporting Local Safely (Webinar)

General: Sector resources | Learning and education | Local businesses | Policy leadership

Webinar recording. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Main Street programs have been moving rapidly to offer support to local businesses and the community as a whole. This webinar provides updates from the National Federation of Independent Businesses on the impact to the business community and current resources and guidance, followed by a panel discussion of local program directors and the work their doing to #SupportLocalSafely.

“Shop in the Heart” is a COVID-19 response platform organized by the Downtown Edmonton BIA

Arts and Culture | Food | General: Online communities and networks

Site organized by the Edmonton Downtown Business Association showcasing downtown restaurants, retailers and other businesses who have found a way to deliver their goods and services to the people of Edmonton. Includes those businesses offering online classes or streamed services, gift cards, virtual appointments, equipment rental, delivery or curbside pickups and food specials such as custom meal boxes. Some businesses are offering deep discounts and specials during this time, or free items, donations & specials to first responders and hospital workers.

Local Calgary businesses come together to create platform for purchasing gift cards from restaurants during COVID-19

Food | Local businesses

Eat Later allows residents to support local bars and restaurants in Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto & GTA, and Vancouver.

Hamilton-based Hometown Hub offers direct link to local businesses offering online services through delivery, e-commerce and gift cards

Local businesses

Hometown Hub is a platform to get brick and mortar businesses up and running within days and continue sales in a strictly digital economy. This initiative was put together in a matter of days and involves a partnership between the City of Hamilton, Hamilton Rising and EatShopPlay.

Website with resources, webinars, tips and peer exchange opportunities for those looking to help downtown districts through COVID19

General: Sector resources | Local businesses

Main Street America is a non-profit organization helping to revitalize commercial districts compiling existing resources, opportunities, and community response examples to help Main Street districts during this crisis.

Supporting small business through coronavirus: ideas from experts and leaders across NYC

Local businesses | Policy leadership

Two dozen small business owners and small business experts provide recommendations on how city and state policymakers can help them survive this crisis for small business.

Resources for employees and downtown local businesses impacted by COVID-19

General: Sector resources | Local businesses

Edmonton’s Downtown BIA has compiled a list of resources for businesses impacted by the pandemic, as well as one for employees.

Saving Canada’s Main Streets From COVID-19.

Local businesses | Policy leadership

Social distancing is devastating local small businesses and there’s not much time to save them. And the answer is not more debt.

Tourism Vancouver makes improvements to its website during COVID-19

Food | General: Online communities and networks | Local businesses

The website now provides information and maps on open restaurants offering takeout/delivery across Vancouver

Love for Local – New Brunswick is a Facebook site to support local businesses in NB during the COVID-19 pandemic

Local businesses

Looking to build a community of people who are looking to support local businesses during the COVID-19 Pandemic (@loveforlocal)

Prince Edward County-based website updates residents on businesses offering products and services to the community.

General: Online communities and networks | Local businesses

Prepared by Dale Mugford, who works at Yeeboo Digital in Prince Edward County, the website is updated daily, directly from the business community and with partnership between local organizations

Downtown Vancouver businesses move online

Arts and Culture | General: Online communities and networks | Local businesses

Dance, laugh, learn, work out, meditate and play with the Downtown Vancouver BIA’s new virtual events forum. Weekly listings!

Buy gift certificates now…for use later to support local business

Food | Local businesses

Buy Gift Certificates to Support Local Businesses for Greater Victoria’s local, independent businesses for future use

Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area solicits support for locally owned businesses during COVID-19

Local businesses

By purchasing gift cards and certificates, the community can help independent businesses cover their critical expenses and gives them a boost during this difficult time.

Platform for purchasing gift certificates to support small businesses

Food | Income support | Local businesses

Kabbage is a global platform to help local entrepreneurs. Any business can sign up to sell gift certificates online, and anyone can purchase them to support participating small businesses.

Restaurant industry professionals set up global platform for getting funds into hands of restaurants during COVID-19

Income support | Local businesses

Due to the impact that the coronavirus COVID-19 has had on the restaurant community, a collective of restaurant industry professionals have set a global initiative in motion to get funds into the hands of restaurants NOW, even if they are temporarily closed. A “Dining Bond” works like a savings bond, where you can purchase a “bond” at a value rate to be redeemed for face value at a future date.

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