St. Catharines Enterprise Centre hosting series to assist business in growing online

Small businesses hoping to grow their online presence can look to the St. Catharines Enterprise Centre for some insight.

This week the centre launched Social Media: The Business Edit, a four-part online series providing guides, tutorials and the opportunity for questions and tailored advice, all aimed at assisting entrepreneurs in improving the social media presence of their business. The St. Catharines Enterprise Centre (SCEC) has teamed up with 47 other small business centres in Ontario to form the Covid-19 Recovery Network, developing the new training series as part of its COVID-19 recovery support efforts.

“A robust online presence has become increasingly important for businesses to succeed, especially in the post-pandemic context. Buyer habits are trending towards an increase in online purchases so it is crucial for businesses to inhabit an online retail space,” said SCEC small business consultant Rob Belchior, adding, “social media is obviously a part of everyday life for many of us, so supporting our business community in reaching audiences and customers online, where they are is critical.”

A recent survey of Niagara businesses conducted by Niagara’s Rapid Economic Response Team placed increased online presence as the second highest priority for businesses in Niagara. With the SCEC continuing an array of efforts to support local business through pandemic recovery, and the importance of online presence for business, the centre is taking a greater focus on supporting entrepreneurs in driving business online.

Social Media: The Business Edit, kicks off on July 8, running weekly until July 29. Participants will be able to access the series’ guides and tutorials, while having the ability to ask question of experts and receive advice. Course materials will be posted weekly in the new St. Catharines Small Business Support Network Facebook group. Interested parties can register via the SCEC website at investinSTC.ca/SmallBusiness. Those who miss the first instalment can still register for later portions of the series.

Tutorials include: The Building Blocks of Social Media and Business; An In-depth Look at Content Creation; Social Media and Advertising; and The Social Media Storefront.

Beyond the series the SCEC is continuing to assist local small businesses in establishing themselves and navigating pandemic recovery. The SCEC offers a wide range of resources and webinars for small businesses as well as one on one consultations.

About the St. Catharines Enterprise Centre:

The St. Catharines Enterprise Centre is one of 47 small business enterprise centres which serve as a resource to Ontario’s small businesses and startups.  The small business enterprise centres have adapted their services to form the Ontario Small Business COVID-19 Recovery Network. The network serves to support small businesses as they launch, grow or adapt.

 Contact: CitizensFirst@stcatharines.ca