Trevor Lewington with Economic Development Lethbridge said the latest federal budget has lots of supports for Canadians and local businesses, something he was happy to see.
“The federal supports around both the wage subsidy and the rent subsidy have been continued into September so I think that’s good in terms of providing the local business community with a bit more stability.”
Lewington said another budget item that will benefit local small and medium-sized businesses is the Canada Digital Adoption Program.
“The money is there to help businesses go online.
“For example, digital ways to provide products and services, which is a bit of a unique and interesting outtake from the federal budget and I think that will help local business also find new pathways to expand their reach,” explained Lewington.
Mocha Cabana co-owner Angel Harper said it opened a digital platform Mocha Local, an online market and meal kit delivery service, before the pandemic hit. She said having that online avenue gave the company an edge during these unprecedented times.
“This is an opportunity for small businesses that don’t have websites to build one, and then maybe add some ordering from there,” Harper said.
“If there is one big lesson from COVID that I’ve learned in our two businesses (it’s) have more than one revenue stream.”
She hopes other local businesses will use the funding available to persevere through the pandemic.
“This year has decimated a lot of our small business, retail and food service businesses and for those who have survived take advantage of anything that is going to help you grow your business,” added Harper.
The federal government said the proposed program could help as many as 160,000 small to medium-sized businesses across Canada with digital technology.