Supporting local business
Greetings!

Good Morning
I hope you are healthy. As we are many weeks into social distancing (it seems like forever) we must stay focused on our goal to put an end to Covid-19.  
 
DBOT has been particularly active in making sure the correct and complete information is presented to businesses on our covid19.dufferinbot.ca portal. We get information direct (often in advance) from the Ontario and Canadian Chamber of Commerce about government initiatives and programs.
 
On a positive note, I think we can take this as a lesson in resiliency as we learn to adapt our businesses out of necessity. We have heard great examples of innovation and change from businesses in Dufferin. 

I encourage you to take a look at some good news stories in our blog, "Beyond the Box"  https://covid19.dufferinbot.ca/blog/
 
If you have a story of successful change, please email us to tell your story.

We will be having our first ever Virtual Annual General Meeting this year, on May 26th at 10am. We would love to "see" all of our members through the video call. Please register and join us. At the AGM we will be electing our 2020/2021 Board of Directors. We have positions open on the Board. If you are a current DBOT member and have been thinking about how you could give back to the local business community, please consider joining our Board. Please email the office for more information.
 
Take a look below at the many resources available and our new Virtual Mentor Series..

Stay well

Liz Skorski,
Chair-Elect
Dufferin Board of Trade
Covid19.dufferinbot.ca
CEWS, CEBA, CSJ, CERB...?!?

The government has been rapidly announcing and changing support programs for small business. DBOT maintains an updated summary of the programs offered to help our local businesses quickly identify potential sources of financial support.
Check out the resources and the summary on our portal to help you navigate through these challenging times.
DBOT's Virtual AGM
All current DBOT members in good standing are invited to join us for our first ever Virtual Annual General Meeting.

May 26, 2020 @ 10am

Register and the link will be sent to you prior to the event.
Virtual Mentor Series
Virtual Mentor Series
E-Commerce: Adapting your business for change



Web design and E-commerce professional, Liz Skorski, of Skorski Web Design will speak about three E-Commerce platforms:
- WooCommerce for
Wordpress
- Shopify
- Local Line
Virtual Mentor Series
Hiring Incentives: Programs and supports to help you hire

Employment specialist, Gerry Holden, from Georgian Career and Employment Community Services, will speak about some of the programs available to help employers hire staff. Gerry will discuss grant opportunities available to employers, as well as incentives available to employees.  
Virtual Mentor Series
Finances: Manage your Cash Flow during the crisis

In this special Virtual Mentor event, co-hosted with the Orangeville and Area Small Business Enterprise Centre , small business accounting specialist, Melissa Vinden, from RLB LLP, will speak about cash flow forecasting and management during the Covid19 pandemic.  

Local Essential Businesses
Call for Board Members


DBOT Members:

Are you looking for ways to give back to the business community during the pandemic and moving forward? Consider joining the DBOT Board of Directors. Our Directors provide governance to our organization, create and maintain our core values, initiate and oversee our strategic direction, and more. To find out more, email our Executive Director, Diana Morris .



How can we help you?
Greetings!

We are all in this together. If there is something you need please reach out to us. Our team is working from home, with our office phones redirected to our cell phones, and full access to our email.

Diana Morris, Executive Director
diana@dufferinbot.ca | 519-941-0490 x 202

Lisa Thompson, Membership Coordinator
lisa@dufferinbot.ca | 519-941-0490 x 209