How are you doing? The best response I’ve heard to that recently is “pandemic fine”. Simply meaning, not bad, all things considered. And there’s a lot to consider, isn’t there?

As small businesses, we’re all dealing with this the pandemic, and business shutdown, in different ways. Some of us have been personally touched by an illness in the family. If that’s you, my prayers go out to you. Many others are wondering if there is a light for their business at the end of a tunnel that we can’t tell the length of. Most of us are watching the news daily anticipating the re-opening announcements and trying to figure out where we fit and when our time will come. And will we be ready?

There’s a lot of great information out there and a lot of smart people sharing their advice, best guesses, and insights. I’ve captured some of the better resources I’ve come across in the hope that they can help some of you. I hope there’s something for you here. Stay safe and feel free to reach out with any questions about your marketing or just to chat.

Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses

If you’re not a member consider joining, but for now, they are offering many of their resources for free to help independent businesses during the pandemic. Everything from insights into government programs, free templates, weekly webinars, and more. Visit them at https://www.cfib-fcei.ca/en/small-business-resources-dealing-covid-19

Business Development Bank of Canada

The Business Development Bank of Canada is offering special financing for entrepreneurs affected by Covid-19.

Shopify

This is one of the only private organizations I’m offering a link for. I have no affiliation with them. A lot of businesses right now are trying to figure out an e-commerce strategy for their business. One of the larger players in that field is Shopify and they are currently offering a 90-day free trial to get set up, free email marketing, and a gift card program. I came across this while reading a post on the Digital Main Street website. They have limited Covid information, but they’re a useful resource if you’re looking for guidance on digitally transforming your business (and so am I).

Covid-19 Resources for Restaurants & Bars

There are a lot of organizations putting out helpful information for bars and restaurants to get through the pandemic and prepare for re-opening.

MolsonCoors
Molson-Coors hosted a great webinar with Jon Taffer. You can watch the recording at https://molsoncoorswebinar.com/en/home

Restaurants Canada is compiling a lot of great resources on their website, including provincial reopening schedules, government program overviews, and updates from Restaurants Canada. https://www.restaurantscanada.org/industry-news/navigating-coronavirus-covid-19-resources-for-foodservice-operators/

Covid-19 Resources for Small Businesses

At a more generic level, there are many organizations offering assistance and advice to small business owners and entrepreneurs. Here are a few good ones:

If you have found other resources, please share them in the comments section so we can all find the support we need. Stay safe.