Please note the Downtown London office is closed for the duration of the lockdown. All staff will be working remotely and will continue to be available via phone or email.
New, Financial Support Available to Downtown Businesses
Downtown London has launched the Endurance Grant in an effort to support members through this difficult time. This is a one-time grant to help members with costs incurred to improve business safety/security, beautification, cleanliness, health and safety requirements, COVID-19 related marketing costs, businesses signage costs, activations, restaurant take-out containers and restaurant delivery costs.
Having received a 2020 COVID grant will not affect eligibility for the new grant. This grant is open to all levy-paying members.
The first intake is due by March 31, 2021. Priority processing for storefront businesses. Retroactive to December 15, 2020.
All questions and applications should be directed to Vicki via email at vicki@downtownlondon.ca
Downtown London Marketplace
E-commerce has become more and more popular in recent years, and with the unfortunate lockdown, it is more important than ever. Downtown London has built an online marketplace where downtown businesses can list their products (or gift cards!) free of charge. There is absolutely no cost to businesses to participate.
Downtown London will be placing a significant focus on marketing this new platform and will even provide your business with some marketing assets to promote your online store as well.
Goal of the Online Marketplace: Provide Londoners with a one-stop-online-shop for supporting local businesses. We receive so many messages on social media from Londoners saying that they want to support local business but aren’t sure how to buy online from them or wish they could see all of the stores in one place. Here’s the solution!
Advantages to Participating:
- It’s free of charge! No subscription or annual fees.
- DTL will be marketing this platform like crazy so that you don’t have to make a big advertising spend on your own.
- Brand Awareness – the more places your brand is, the better! Get your name out there…even if someone doesn’t make a purchase the first time they see your store they will remember you later when they are looking to make a local purchase.
- Skip the hassle of dealing with e-commerce platform providers and ironing out kinks with big corporations like Shopify. Downtown London will deal with this on your behalf and will always provide tech support.
I’m a restaurant or service provider – how do I participate?
- Listing giftcards is always encouraged!
How do I get Involved?
- To join the marketplace, please email Colleen at colleen@downtownlondon.ca
Construction Dollars & Downtown Dollars
If you have Construction Dollars, please email vicki@downtownlondon.ca by January 13, 2020 with the amount to be redeemed.
When lockdown restrictions are lifted, staff will accept both Downtown Dollars and Construction Dollars for redemption.
New Ontario Small Business Support Grant
Small businesses required to close or restrict services under the province-wide shutdown will be able to apply for a one-time grant of a minimum of $10,000 and up to $20,000. Eligible small businesses include those that are required to close or significantly restrict services subject to the shutdown effective December 26, have less than 100 employees, and have experienced a minimum of 20 per cent revenue decline in April 2020 compared to April 2019. Further details, including how to apply for the grant, will be announced in January 2021.
Federal government announces wage subsidy rate increase to 75 per cent
The Federal government announced last week that it has raised the maximum wage subsidy rate back to 75 per cent for the period beginning Sunday, December 20 until March 13, 2021 to help support businesses through the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The wage subsidy is now more flexible, allowing employers to access the maximum subsidy rate based on a single month’s revenue decline instead of requiring them to demonstrate three months’ decline.
Ontario government extends regulatory amendments allowing businesses to place employees on job-protected leave during COVID-19
The Government of Ontario announced that it is extending regulatory changes to the Employment Standards Act to help businesses avoid costly payouts and potential closures, while offering protection to workers laid off due to COVID-19. To help prevent temporary layoffs from becoming permanent, the regulatory changes include a job-protected leave for non-unionized employees that can be implemented any time their hours of work are temporarily reduced by their employer due to the pandemic.
Fixed Electricity Price Effective January 1, 2021
The provide-wide shutdown means that more people will be staying home or running their small businesses from home. The Ontario Government has taken steps to hold the price of electricity at 8.5 cent/kWh for electricity used from January 1 until the end of the day on January 28, 2021. Residential, small businesses and farm customers on Time-of-Use and Tiered price plans set under the Ontario Energy Board’s Regulated Price Plan will pay that fixed price. So, no matter what time of day you use your electricity, or how much you use, the fixed price will apply. The price change will happen automatically. No customer action is required. For more information, visit oeb.ca
Momentum 360 – A Local Program Created to Help Empower & Educate Downtown London Businesses
Ryan Beliveau, of Beliveau Marketing has partnered with ClickFuture to create a program called Momentem360 with the goal of empowering and educating Downtown London businesses. The program offers free custom resources for businesses packed with tools to help naviagte the complex digital marketing landscape.
Program Details:
- Zoom Intro Meeting
- Google my Business Account & Profile Setup/Optimization
- Google PPC Account Setup
- Facebook PPC Account Setup
- Ads Activation & Launch
- 30 Minute Training Session
- “How To” Documents & Resources to Leverage Google by Business Platform and PPC Ads Ongoing