Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area Launches Digital Main Street Service Squad
/Starting in April, the innovative Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) will be leading the local Digital Main Street initiative with a Digital Service Squad to help main street small businesses improve their online capabilities.
The DBIA received a $10,000 grant from Digital Main Street as well as support from Community Futures Peterborough and the DBIA’s own resources to establish a Digital Service Squad to help small businesses in the downtown area enhance their use of digital tools and techniques to better promote and sell online.
Photo courtesy DBIA
The Squad will see a trained online specialist visit and assist businesses at no cost to help them set up Google Business, conduct a digital-readiness assessment, and apply for a $2,500 Digital Transformation Grant.
“This program is going to make our downtown more competitive and vibrant,” says DBIA Executive Director Terry Guiel. “We know we have to meet our customers where it’s most convenient for them. The beautiful bricks and mortar physical locations will always be the core of what makes downtown what it is, but we need to help our businesses make the best use of their resources for promotions, serving their customers, and reaching new markets.”
Photo courtesy DBIA
HOW IT WORKS
-> Digital Main Street helps improve how small businesses use digital tools and techniques to become more successful.
-> Today’s digital economy is vital to small businesses, and DMS will help them adopt new digital technologies from e-commerce and social media to back-office systems such as payroll and inventory.
Photo courtesy DBIA
